Do you think Porn is a problem? Are you tempted to look at porn?
Some people say Porn destroys family's & divides homes. Some people say it is perfectly okay to look, as long as you are not doing the act with a real person.
To fairly judge, we have to look at the source, the only true source...
Click here if you want to see porn! (Warning...suitable for most ages!)
Then decide if you will pursue this sin, or walk away and cling to the Cross!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Islamic pressure in Paris forces evangelical congregation to vacate building
Islamic pressure in Paris forces evangelical congregation to vacate building
Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
After a long struggle against Islamic intimidation, an evangelical church in the outskirts of Paris has been forced to vacate the 1,000-square-foot facility where it had been meeting.
The Temple de Paris Church has been located in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet. Christine Thabot, the wife of the pastor, says Muslims have been trying to get rid of them since 2005, but local authorities had permitted the church to remain in the facility, paying 8,000 euros a month (~ $9,400 U.S.) in rent.
According to Thabot, the Muslims changed their strategy. "They attacked our owner this time," she explains. "They took up the case and [told him he was] not allowed to have this church open -- and on Friday we [were told] that we had to get out of our premises."
Thabot says Temple de Paris Church has been unable to secure another worship center. "For an evangelical or Protestant church, it is almost next to impossible to buy or to rent any premises," she says. "As soon as they find out you are a church, there is nothing open to us."
Thabot says many churches in the area have been closed and have had similar difficulties in securing new facilities. But she claims Muslims can secure property for building a mosque simply by paying one euro to the authorities.
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Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
After a long struggle against Islamic intimidation, an evangelical church in the outskirts of Paris has been forced to vacate the 1,000-square-foot facility where it had been meeting.
The Temple de Paris Church has been located in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet. Christine Thabot, the wife of the pastor, says Muslims have been trying to get rid of them since 2005, but local authorities had permitted the church to remain in the facility, paying 8,000 euros a month (~ $9,400 U.S.) in rent.
According to Thabot, the Muslims changed their strategy. "They attacked our owner this time," she explains. "They took up the case and [told him he was] not allowed to have this church open -- and on Friday we [were told] that we had to get out of our premises."
Thabot says Temple de Paris Church has been unable to secure another worship center. "For an evangelical or Protestant church, it is almost next to impossible to buy or to rent any premises," she says. "As soon as they find out you are a church, there is nothing open to us."
Thabot says many churches in the area have been closed and have had similar difficulties in securing new facilities. But she claims Muslims can secure property for building a mosque simply by paying one euro to the authorities.
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Gays aim to expand Massachusetts 'marriages'
Gays aim to expand Massachusetts 'marriages'
By Cheryl Wetzstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 17, 2007
The defeat of a Massachusetts marriage amendment last week may re-energize efforts to repeal a law blocking same-sex couples from out of state from "marrying" there, warns the leader of a group that seeks to protect marriage in the U.S. Constitution.
The larger goal of homosexual-rights activists has always been to redefine marriage at the national level, said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage.
If Massachusetts lawmakers repeal the legal barrier to marriage in their state, same-sex couples from across the nation will travel there, get "married" and sue in federal court to strike down any laws or state amendments in their home states that protect traditional marriage, Mr. Daniels said. The goal, he added, is to make Massachusetts' same-sex "marriage" policy "the new social norm for America."
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex "marriage" since a 2003 court ruling; however, a 1913 law blocks couples from marrying in Massachusetts if they cannot marry in their home states. Because no other state allows same-sex "marriage," this law has effectively restricted same-sex "marriage" to couples who live in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state legislature voted 151-45 to kill a citizen-supported amendment aimed at ending same-sex "marriage." Lawmakers are expected to move quickly to strike the 1913 law, Mr. Daniels said, adding that the Democrat-led Congress is unlikely to do anything to discourage the de facto opening of same-sex "marriage" to the nation.
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By Cheryl Wetzstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 17, 2007
The defeat of a Massachusetts marriage amendment last week may re-energize efforts to repeal a law blocking same-sex couples from out of state from "marrying" there, warns the leader of a group that seeks to protect marriage in the U.S. Constitution.
The larger goal of homosexual-rights activists has always been to redefine marriage at the national level, said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage.
If Massachusetts lawmakers repeal the legal barrier to marriage in their state, same-sex couples from across the nation will travel there, get "married" and sue in federal court to strike down any laws or state amendments in their home states that protect traditional marriage, Mr. Daniels said. The goal, he added, is to make Massachusetts' same-sex "marriage" policy "the new social norm for America."
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex "marriage" since a 2003 court ruling; however, a 1913 law blocks couples from marrying in Massachusetts if they cannot marry in their home states. Because no other state allows same-sex "marriage," this law has effectively restricted same-sex "marriage" to couples who live in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state legislature voted 151-45 to kill a citizen-supported amendment aimed at ending same-sex "marriage." Lawmakers are expected to move quickly to strike the 1913 law, Mr. Daniels said, adding that the Democrat-led Congress is unlikely to do anything to discourage the de facto opening of same-sex "marriage" to the nation.
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Southwest Airlines stands by sponsorship of DC 'homosexual pride' event
Southwest Airlines stands by sponsorship of DC 'homosexual pride' event
Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
Southwest Airlines is defending its recent sponsorship of a homosexual pride celebration in Washington, DC, last weekend. The airline says it has no regrets about its decision.
Southwest Airlines and SunTrust Banks were among the corporate sponsors for the Capital Pride Festival, an event in which homosexuals took to the streets to demand what they call "full legal and social equality" -- namely the legalization of same-sex "marriage." The Family Research Council criticized the sponsors, arguing it was an "irrational business decision" to "put their name and their money behind radical homosexual activities."
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Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
Southwest Airlines is defending its recent sponsorship of a homosexual pride celebration in Washington, DC, last weekend. The airline says it has no regrets about its decision.
Southwest Airlines and SunTrust Banks were among the corporate sponsors for the Capital Pride Festival, an event in which homosexuals took to the streets to demand what they call "full legal and social equality" -- namely the legalization of same-sex "marriage." The Family Research Council criticized the sponsors, arguing it was an "irrational business decision" to "put their name and their money behind radical homosexual activities."
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State lawmakers coerced into derailing marriage amendment, says Mass. activist
State lawmakers coerced into derailing marriage amendment, says Mass. activist
A Massachusetts pro-family leader says homosexual activists "brought in the big guns" to lobby enough state representatives to prevent citizens from voting on a marriage amendment.
Massachusetts lawmakers have blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in the only state that allows it. The proposal, which sought to change the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, needed 50 votes to advance to the 2008 statewide ballot. It received only 45, with 151 lawmakers opposed.
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A Massachusetts pro-family leader says homosexual activists "brought in the big guns" to lobby enough state representatives to prevent citizens from voting on a marriage amendment.
Massachusetts lawmakers have blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in the only state that allows it. The proposal, which sought to change the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, needed 50 votes to advance to the 2008 statewide ballot. It received only 45, with 151 lawmakers opposed.
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BBC network admits it: We're biased toward left
BBC network admits it: We're biased toward left
Acknowledges failure to offer debate due to inherent liberal culture of staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 17, 2007
10:50 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation, has acknowledged the network is biased toward the left, following a report commissioned by the company.
A yearlong probe revealed the corporation especially partial in its treatment of single-issue politics such as climate change, poverty, race and religion, according to the London Times.
"It concludes that the bias has extended across drama, comedy and entertainment, with the corporation pandering to politically motivated celebrities and trendy causes," the paper said.
The report cites the danger of BBC programs being undermined by the liberal culture of its staff, who need to challenge their own assumptions more.
"There is a tendency to 'group think' with too many staff inhabiting a shared space and comfort zone," says the report.
It notes staff tend to mimic each other's common left-leaning values.
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Acknowledges failure to offer debate due to inherent liberal culture of staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 17, 2007
10:50 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation, has acknowledged the network is biased toward the left, following a report commissioned by the company.
A yearlong probe revealed the corporation especially partial in its treatment of single-issue politics such as climate change, poverty, race and religion, according to the London Times.
"It concludes that the bias has extended across drama, comedy and entertainment, with the corporation pandering to politically motivated celebrities and trendy causes," the paper said.
The report cites the danger of BBC programs being undermined by the liberal culture of its staff, who need to challenge their own assumptions more.
"There is a tendency to 'group think' with too many staff inhabiting a shared space and comfort zone," says the report.
It notes staff tend to mimic each other's common left-leaning values.
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Tancredo pulls plug on 'sanctuary cities'
Tancredo pulls plug on 'sanctuary cities'
Even Democrats throw support behind amendment to nix funds to local governments shielding illegals
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The eighth time was a charm for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., when the House passed his amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill yesterday to withhold federal emergency-services funding from "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal aliens.
The 234-to-189 tally included 50 Democrats voting in favor.
"The issue has come to fruition," Tancredo told the Rocky Mountain News. "The people of the country really have spoken. It's a really good indicator of just how much closer to the people the House is than the Senate is."
Tancredo has offered the similar amendments at least seven times since 2004 and all have failed, some by wide margins.
The amendment passed yesterday does not include a definition of "sanctuary city." The Homeland Security appropriations bill now goes to the Senate.
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Even Democrats throw support behind amendment to nix funds to local governments shielding illegals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The eighth time was a charm for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., when the House passed his amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill yesterday to withhold federal emergency-services funding from "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal aliens.
The 234-to-189 tally included 50 Democrats voting in favor.
"The issue has come to fruition," Tancredo told the Rocky Mountain News. "The people of the country really have spoken. It's a really good indicator of just how much closer to the people the House is than the Senate is."
Tancredo has offered the similar amendments at least seven times since 2004 and all have failed, some by wide margins.
The amendment passed yesterday does not include a definition of "sanctuary city." The Homeland Security appropriations bill now goes to the Senate.
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Police Searching for Missing Pregnant Woman in Ohio
Police Searching for Missing Pregnant Woman in Ohio
Sunday, June 17, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Ohio police are searching for a missing pregnant woman Sunday after her mother found the woman's 2-year-old son alone last week in her Lake Township, Ohio, home.
Jessie Marie Davis, 26, of North Canton, Ohio, was last heard from Wednesday, when she spoke to her mother, Patty Porter, by cell phone, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said. Davis is nine-months pregnant.
Authorities planned to canvas the neighborhood Sunday afternoon.
"At this point it's just very frightening because they don't have any actual suspects," said Jane Davis, the missing woman's sister. "They're just looking for any possible clues at this point."
Porter discovered her daughter missing Friday morning, when she found her 2-year-old grandson home alone.
"I said ... 'Where's Mommy?'" Porter said. "And he just said 'Mommy broke the table, and Mommy's in the rug.'"
Davis' house showed no sign of forced entry, but her cell phone, comforter and sheets were missing from the residence, Swanson said. Her purse and vehicle were found at the home.
"The mattress was partially off the bed and the nightstand was knocked over and the lamp was knocked over and somebody had poured bleach all over the floor," Porter said.
Jane Davis told FOX News that it appeared her sister had been missing for a day to a day and a half before her mother discovered the 2-year-old.
"She would never have left her son," Jane Davis told FOX News. "She is the greatest, greatest mother, and he is her whole life, and she would never ever have left him there by himself, even for a minute."
The father of Jessie Marie Davis' toddler and unborn child is a Canton, Ohio, police officer, her sister said. He is also married to another woman.
Both he and his wife, from whom he separated in February, have been questioned and are not suspects, they said.
"At this point he's doing everything he needs to do to cooperate with police to help us find her," Davis told FOX News.
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Ohio police are searching for a missing pregnant woman Sunday after her mother found the woman's 2-year-old son alone last week in her Lake Township, Ohio, home.
Jessie Marie Davis, 26, of North Canton, Ohio, was last heard from Wednesday, when she spoke to her mother, Patty Porter, by cell phone, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said. Davis is nine-months pregnant.
Authorities planned to canvas the neighborhood Sunday afternoon.
"At this point it's just very frightening because they don't have any actual suspects," said Jane Davis, the missing woman's sister. "They're just looking for any possible clues at this point."
Porter discovered her daughter missing Friday morning, when she found her 2-year-old grandson home alone.
"I said ... 'Where's Mommy?'" Porter said. "And he just said 'Mommy broke the table, and Mommy's in the rug.'"
Davis' house showed no sign of forced entry, but her cell phone, comforter and sheets were missing from the residence, Swanson said. Her purse and vehicle were found at the home.
"The mattress was partially off the bed and the nightstand was knocked over and the lamp was knocked over and somebody had poured bleach all over the floor," Porter said.
Jane Davis told FOX News that it appeared her sister had been missing for a day to a day and a half before her mother discovered the 2-year-old.
"She would never have left her son," Jane Davis told FOX News. "She is the greatest, greatest mother, and he is her whole life, and she would never ever have left him there by himself, even for a minute."
The father of Jessie Marie Davis' toddler and unborn child is a Canton, Ohio, police officer, her sister said. He is also married to another woman.
Both he and his wife, from whom he separated in February, have been questioned and are not suspects, they said.
"At this point he's doing everything he needs to do to cooperate with police to help us find her," Davis told FOX News.
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Christian teen debaters think, speak on their feet
Christian teen debaters think, speak on their feet
500 homeschoolers from 34 states compete in national championship
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
BELTON, Texas – In stifling central Texas heat, and amid raging thunderstorms and tornado warnings, hundreds of well-dressed, well-coifed, homeschooled teenagers from 34 states competed in the national championships in debate and speech with top winners coming from as far as California and Virginia.
It was the culmination of a year of local and regional tournaments around the country for the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association – a growing organization producing articulate young citizens and highly sought-after recruits for some of the nation's top colleges.
The NCFCA debate league was founded in 1995 by Christy Shipe and her father, Michael P. Farris, head of the Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, and chancellor of Patrick Henry College. Shipe saw a need for a forum in which homeschoolers could participate in competitive forensics and collaborated with her father for a solution.
The solution took the form of a league specifically designed for homeschooled students, and was originally called the "HSLDA Debate League." The league was fathered by Farris' organization at its inception, but when it began to take on its own identity due to exponential growth, Shipe and Farris knew it was time for the organization to mature. It was separated from HSLDA and renamed the "National Christian Forensics and Communications Association" in 2001.
In the last five years, according to NCFCA President Michael Larimer, the number of participating families has tripled. The organization now retains over 2,000 affiliate families. As each family often contains multiple participants, the real number of competitors is closer to 5,000, with clubs and debaters located in 45 states across 10 regions.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
500 homeschoolers from 34 states compete in national championship
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
BELTON, Texas – In stifling central Texas heat, and amid raging thunderstorms and tornado warnings, hundreds of well-dressed, well-coifed, homeschooled teenagers from 34 states competed in the national championships in debate and speech with top winners coming from as far as California and Virginia.
It was the culmination of a year of local and regional tournaments around the country for the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association – a growing organization producing articulate young citizens and highly sought-after recruits for some of the nation's top colleges.
The NCFCA debate league was founded in 1995 by Christy Shipe and her father, Michael P. Farris, head of the Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, and chancellor of Patrick Henry College. Shipe saw a need for a forum in which homeschoolers could participate in competitive forensics and collaborated with her father for a solution.
The solution took the form of a league specifically designed for homeschooled students, and was originally called the "HSLDA Debate League." The league was fathered by Farris' organization at its inception, but when it began to take on its own identity due to exponential growth, Shipe and Farris knew it was time for the organization to mature. It was separated from HSLDA and renamed the "National Christian Forensics and Communications Association" in 2001.
In the last five years, according to NCFCA President Michael Larimer, the number of participating families has tripled. The organization now retains over 2,000 affiliate families. As each family often contains multiple participants, the real number of competitors is closer to 5,000, with clubs and debaters located in 45 states across 10 regions.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Wrist slap for 'Have sex, take drugs' school seminar
Wrist slap for 'Have sex, take drugs' school seminar
But officials rebuff request from legislature for dismissals
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Some Boulder, Colo., High School officials have been given a "reprimand" for setting up and taking students as young as 14 to a seminar in which the children were told to "have sex, do drugs," but a request from the state legislature for further action has been turned down.
Helayne Jones, the president of the Boulder Valley District School Board, read a letter at a public meeting on the issue stating that "actions" were taken on the complaints the seminar generated, and several Boulder High staff members were given "verbal reprimands." In addition, a letter was sent to parents about the situation.
But the letter said no dismissals are contemplated over the seminar called "STDs: Sex, Teens and Drugs."
Requests for that level of punishment came from a number of parents outraged their children were subjected to the seminar, as well as members of the Colorado Legislature.
All of the Republican state senators on the Senate Education Committee had written to the school. "The minors who sat through this dubious discussion were subjected to the most dangerous kind of input any youth could get from a presumed authority figure: a green light to engage in destructive behavior," the letter said.
The senators said the production, a part of the Conference on World Affairs of the University of Colorado, was "a disgrace."
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, signed the letter.
"This is ludicrous. Here we have a school that actually required students to attend an assembly where they were urged to try sex and drugs," he said. "Is that really the biggest challenge we face with today's youth – getting them to try sex and drugs? It's like the people in charge over there are operating in some alternative universe."
It was comments from forum panelist Joel Becker, a psychologist from UCLA, that sparked the most outrage.
"I am going to encourage you to have sex and encourage you to use drugs appropriately," Becker said. "Why I am going to take that position is because you are going to do it anyway," he continued. "I think as a psychologist and health educator, it is more important to educate you in a direction that you might actually stick to. So, I am going to stay mostly on with the sex side because that is the area I know more about. I want to encourage you to all have healthy, sexual behavior."
Lawmakers noted that majority Democrats in the state legislature have decided to impose a mandatory comprehensive sex education plan on students, but refused to adopt a Republican bill setting statewide standards for math and science knowledge.
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But officials rebuff request from legislature for dismissals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Some Boulder, Colo., High School officials have been given a "reprimand" for setting up and taking students as young as 14 to a seminar in which the children were told to "have sex, do drugs," but a request from the state legislature for further action has been turned down.
Helayne Jones, the president of the Boulder Valley District School Board, read a letter at a public meeting on the issue stating that "actions" were taken on the complaints the seminar generated, and several Boulder High staff members were given "verbal reprimands." In addition, a letter was sent to parents about the situation.
But the letter said no dismissals are contemplated over the seminar called "STDs: Sex, Teens and Drugs."
Requests for that level of punishment came from a number of parents outraged their children were subjected to the seminar, as well as members of the Colorado Legislature.
All of the Republican state senators on the Senate Education Committee had written to the school. "The minors who sat through this dubious discussion were subjected to the most dangerous kind of input any youth could get from a presumed authority figure: a green light to engage in destructive behavior," the letter said.
The senators said the production, a part of the Conference on World Affairs of the University of Colorado, was "a disgrace."
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, signed the letter.
"This is ludicrous. Here we have a school that actually required students to attend an assembly where they were urged to try sex and drugs," he said. "Is that really the biggest challenge we face with today's youth – getting them to try sex and drugs? It's like the people in charge over there are operating in some alternative universe."
It was comments from forum panelist Joel Becker, a psychologist from UCLA, that sparked the most outrage.
"I am going to encourage you to have sex and encourage you to use drugs appropriately," Becker said. "Why I am going to take that position is because you are going to do it anyway," he continued. "I think as a psychologist and health educator, it is more important to educate you in a direction that you might actually stick to. So, I am going to stay mostly on with the sex side because that is the area I know more about. I want to encourage you to all have healthy, sexual behavior."
Lawmakers noted that majority Democrats in the state legislature have decided to impose a mandatory comprehensive sex education plan on students, but refused to adopt a Republican bill setting statewide standards for math and science knowledge.
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British law threatening U.S. freedom of speech
British law threatening U.S. freedom of speech
Experts: Lawsuit by Saudi billionaire puts American journalists under foreign courts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The author of a U.S.-published book that accused a former Saudi banking executive of funding terrorism is battling a precedent that experts say could give any foreign libel law priority over U.S. free press and speech guarantees.
The case involving Rachel Ehrenfeld is one of the "most important First Amendment cases of the past 25 years," and its potential for damaging the U.S. free press is "not yet readily recognized," 30-year American Civil Liberties Union board member Harvey Silverglate told her.
Ehrenfeld, who has posted information about her case on the website of the American Center for Democracy, which she directs in its research of Middle East-based terrorism, told WND the situation is very simple, and very scary.
In 2003, she documented and wrote, "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It," that alleged Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Salim A. Bin Mahfouz helped in that pipeline of financing.
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Experts: Lawsuit by Saudi billionaire puts American journalists under foreign courts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The author of a U.S.-published book that accused a former Saudi banking executive of funding terrorism is battling a precedent that experts say could give any foreign libel law priority over U.S. free press and speech guarantees.
The case involving Rachel Ehrenfeld is one of the "most important First Amendment cases of the past 25 years," and its potential for damaging the U.S. free press is "not yet readily recognized," 30-year American Civil Liberties Union board member Harvey Silverglate told her.
Ehrenfeld, who has posted information about her case on the website of the American Center for Democracy, which she directs in its research of Middle East-based terrorism, told WND the situation is very simple, and very scary.
In 2003, she documented and wrote, "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It," that alleged Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Salim A. Bin Mahfouz helped in that pipeline of financing.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Rockets Fired From Lebanon Fall on Northern Israel
Rockets Fired From Lebanon Fall on Northern Israel
Sunday, June 17, 2007
JERUSALEM — Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon fell on northern Israel Sunday afternoon, police and the military said. No one was hurt, but there was some damage, they said.
They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel.
Sunday's attack raised the possibility of an Israeli reprisal raid and a new flareup between the two countries. It came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was arriving in the United States for talks. In New York, an official with Olmert said the prime minister was briefed about the incident. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, indicating that Israel would not hit back.
The rocket attack came as a new defense minister, former premier and army chief Ehud Barak, was about to take over from Amir Peretz, defeated in a party primary election.
Peretz was convening military and security commanders for a meeting that was planned before the rocket attack. Security officials said they would discuss how Israel should respond.
One of the rockets hit a factory and the other hit a car. Channel 2 TV's Arab affairs analyst, Ehud Yaari, said a splinter Palestinian group in Lebanon was probably behind the attack, .
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
JERUSALEM — Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon fell on northern Israel Sunday afternoon, police and the military said. No one was hurt, but there was some damage, they said.
They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel.
Sunday's attack raised the possibility of an Israeli reprisal raid and a new flareup between the two countries. It came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was arriving in the United States for talks. In New York, an official with Olmert said the prime minister was briefed about the incident. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, indicating that Israel would not hit back.
The rocket attack came as a new defense minister, former premier and army chief Ehud Barak, was about to take over from Amir Peretz, defeated in a party primary election.
Peretz was convening military and security commanders for a meeting that was planned before the rocket attack. Security officials said they would discuss how Israel should respond.
One of the rockets hit a factory and the other hit a car. Channel 2 TV's Arab affairs analyst, Ehud Yaari, said a splinter Palestinian group in Lebanon was probably behind the attack, .
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Southern Baptist split over politics
By ERIC GORSKI
AP Religion Writer
SAN ANTONIO --Folded into the Rev. Frank Page's wallet is a yellow scrap of paper with the date and time he is to speak with yet another Republican candidate for the White House.
He already has visited one GOP front-runner over breakfast at a country club and met another at the headquarters of a car dealership in his home state.
The South Carolina pastor seems taken aback by the attention, but he shouldn't be: He leads a large congregation in a state with an early primary and is president of the 16.3 million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, perhaps the largest single bloc of evangelical voters and a must-have Republican constituency.
Page, in an interview at his denomination's annual meeting here last week, said he offers his thoughts about salvation to candidates but never an endorsement. And he talks to Democrats, too. He sees the political courtship as a duty: The nation's leaders need to hear a Christian viewpoint, he believes.
But some Southern Baptists would rather stay out of politics altogether. A small but vocal number of pastors believe the denomination is too cozy with Republicans and too political in general. By flirting with the line separating good citizenship and a grab for power, they say, a denomination already experiencing flat membership risks alienating more people.
Others contend such talk might inspire Southern Baptists to retreat from the public square and cede ground on urgent social issues such as abortion.
If anything, the debate is likely to become even more magnified in coming months because no one Republican candidate has captured the conservative evangelical imagination - and all of them are trying.
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AP Religion Writer
SAN ANTONIO --Folded into the Rev. Frank Page's wallet is a yellow scrap of paper with the date and time he is to speak with yet another Republican candidate for the White House.
He already has visited one GOP front-runner over breakfast at a country club and met another at the headquarters of a car dealership in his home state.
The South Carolina pastor seems taken aback by the attention, but he shouldn't be: He leads a large congregation in a state with an early primary and is president of the 16.3 million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, perhaps the largest single bloc of evangelical voters and a must-have Republican constituency.
Page, in an interview at his denomination's annual meeting here last week, said he offers his thoughts about salvation to candidates but never an endorsement. And he talks to Democrats, too. He sees the political courtship as a duty: The nation's leaders need to hear a Christian viewpoint, he believes.
But some Southern Baptists would rather stay out of politics altogether. A small but vocal number of pastors believe the denomination is too cozy with Republicans and too political in general. By flirting with the line separating good citizenship and a grab for power, they say, a denomination already experiencing flat membership risks alienating more people.
Others contend such talk might inspire Southern Baptists to retreat from the public square and cede ground on urgent social issues such as abortion.
If anything, the debate is likely to become even more magnified in coming months because no one Republican candidate has captured the conservative evangelical imagination - and all of them are trying.
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Fleeing generals left men to their fate
Fleeing generals left men to their fate
By Charles Levinson, Sunday Telegraph
In the last enclave of Fatah-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip, special forces officer Abu Hassan steeled himself for death.
The 30-year-old Fatah soldier's ordeal during the 18-month power struggle with Hamas, and especially during last week's bloody civil war, opens a window on his Fatah movement's collective fate in the Gaza Strip. It also provides a glimpse into why the Iranian-backed Hamas won, and why the pro-West Fatah floundered.
His fears for the future, expressed hours before Fatah was ousted, reflected the apprehensions of many Palestinians in Gaza, concerned about what Hamas rule will mean. Having spent a decade in the Palestinian security services, the married father of two, preparing for a battle to the death, said he would have no place under Hamas rule.
He was talking to The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, inside the Gaza City compound of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
Two hours earlier, Gaza's once-mighty Preventative Security Services headquarters fell. Mr Hassan and his men arrived too late to assist their besieged comrades. He said he saw Hamas gunmen slit the throats of two surrendering officers.
"Once Hamas takes over we will have no place to live in Gaza. Even if we surrender they will kill us," he said, with bandaged soldiers from the week's battles standing behind him. "Our only option is to fight to the death."
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By Charles Levinson, Sunday Telegraph
In the last enclave of Fatah-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip, special forces officer Abu Hassan steeled himself for death.
The 30-year-old Fatah soldier's ordeal during the 18-month power struggle with Hamas, and especially during last week's bloody civil war, opens a window on his Fatah movement's collective fate in the Gaza Strip. It also provides a glimpse into why the Iranian-backed Hamas won, and why the pro-West Fatah floundered.
His fears for the future, expressed hours before Fatah was ousted, reflected the apprehensions of many Palestinians in Gaza, concerned about what Hamas rule will mean. Having spent a decade in the Palestinian security services, the married father of two, preparing for a battle to the death, said he would have no place under Hamas rule.
He was talking to The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, inside the Gaza City compound of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
Two hours earlier, Gaza's once-mighty Preventative Security Services headquarters fell. Mr Hassan and his men arrived too late to assist their besieged comrades. He said he saw Hamas gunmen slit the throats of two surrendering officers.
"Once Hamas takes over we will have no place to live in Gaza. Even if we surrender they will kill us," he said, with bandaged soldiers from the week's battles standing behind him. "Our only option is to fight to the death."
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Hamas wakes up to grim reality
Hamas wakes up to grim reality
ANNETTE YOUNG IN JERUSALEM
"GAZA is becoming the Mogadishu of the Mediterranean," said one Palestinian official who refused to be named. "People thrown off the rooftops of 10-storey buildings, Palestinians shooting other Palestinians at point blank, others shot in front of their families. So Hamas is in control but do they really think people won't forget what has happened given our culture of pay-back and revenge?"
Yesterday, as locals awoke to the reality of a Hamas-controlled Gaza, people were beginning to count the cost of last week's fighting. Some shops began opening, university students returned to classes and people nervously left their homes for the first time in five days.
With Israel having closed the Erez and Karni border crossings, and Egypt having done the same with the Rafah crossing, Gaza is effectively sealed off from the rest of the world, with its 1.5 million residents having no choice in the past week but to stay in their homes as gun battles raged on the streets outside.
"I still haven't yet been outside my building in the last week. None of my family has," said Professor Naji Shurab, a lecturer in political science at Al Azhar University. "All we did is sit in front of the television trying to work out what was going on as we heard gunfire outside.
"While Hamas has the ability to keep the gangs in control, that is not the problem. It's whether they will be able to ensure the hospitals have enough supplies, people have food and that salaries are being paid.
"And are they going to talk to the Israelis about reopening the border crossings to get aid in and also ensure that water and electricity is still supplied to Gaza?"
Yesterday, Hamas officials called on Palestinians to bring an end to the looting of Fatah military bases and homes belonging to Fatah officials.
In a scene which one bystander likened to looting in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people swarmed through the unoccupied villa of former Fatah security chief, Mohammed Dahlan (now based in the West Bank), after his neighbourhood fell to Hamas, stripping everything, including windows, doors and flower pots.
"The battle is over. Hamas is in control of the streets but the main issue for Palestinians is to push both sides to understand that the only way to achieve victory is through dialogue and not with violence," said Ahmad Shawa, the Gaza co-ordinator for the Palestinian NGO Network. "But with the border crossings closed - which are our lifeline - we are facing a shortage of food and medicine and the situation is becoming more critical by the day."
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ANNETTE YOUNG IN JERUSALEM
"GAZA is becoming the Mogadishu of the Mediterranean," said one Palestinian official who refused to be named. "People thrown off the rooftops of 10-storey buildings, Palestinians shooting other Palestinians at point blank, others shot in front of their families. So Hamas is in control but do they really think people won't forget what has happened given our culture of pay-back and revenge?"
Yesterday, as locals awoke to the reality of a Hamas-controlled Gaza, people were beginning to count the cost of last week's fighting. Some shops began opening, university students returned to classes and people nervously left their homes for the first time in five days.
With Israel having closed the Erez and Karni border crossings, and Egypt having done the same with the Rafah crossing, Gaza is effectively sealed off from the rest of the world, with its 1.5 million residents having no choice in the past week but to stay in their homes as gun battles raged on the streets outside.
"I still haven't yet been outside my building in the last week. None of my family has," said Professor Naji Shurab, a lecturer in political science at Al Azhar University. "All we did is sit in front of the television trying to work out what was going on as we heard gunfire outside.
"While Hamas has the ability to keep the gangs in control, that is not the problem. It's whether they will be able to ensure the hospitals have enough supplies, people have food and that salaries are being paid.
"And are they going to talk to the Israelis about reopening the border crossings to get aid in and also ensure that water and electricity is still supplied to Gaza?"
Yesterday, Hamas officials called on Palestinians to bring an end to the looting of Fatah military bases and homes belonging to Fatah officials.
In a scene which one bystander likened to looting in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people swarmed through the unoccupied villa of former Fatah security chief, Mohammed Dahlan (now based in the West Bank), after his neighbourhood fell to Hamas, stripping everything, including windows, doors and flower pots.
"The battle is over. Hamas is in control of the streets but the main issue for Palestinians is to push both sides to understand that the only way to achieve victory is through dialogue and not with violence," said Ahmad Shawa, the Gaza co-ordinator for the Palestinian NGO Network. "But with the border crossings closed - which are our lifeline - we are facing a shortage of food and medicine and the situation is becoming more critical by the day."
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Fatah gunmen storm West Bank parliament building
Hundreds of Fatah gunmen have stormed Hamas-controlled institutions in the West Bank, including parliament and government ministries, and told staffers that those with ties to Hamas will not be allowed to return.
At the parliament, the Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in the air. They planted Fatah and Palestinian flags on the building.
They also tried to seize the deputy speaker, but were stopped by employees. The gunmen planted Fatah flags and Palestinian banners on the buildings they had taken over.
Many government employees tied to Hamas had not showed up for work on Saturday, the start of the work week in the West Bank, after Hamas took control of Gaza in a military campaign. Apparently, the staffers feared reprisals.
A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Fatah, said his group planned to take control of all Hamas institutions, in response to Hamas' takeover of Gaza.
At the parliament building, Fatah gunmen entered the office of Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh and tried to grab him, but Fatah employees stopped them. Other Fatah activists took over the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Fatah gunmen took over the Hamas-controlled city council and planted the Fatah flag on the top of the building. Fatah supporters also kidnapped seven Hamas supporters, and deposed a senior member of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, Fatah gunmen took over offices of the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry, warning Hamas-allied employees not to return to work, Al Aqsa members said.
On the first day of Hamas rule in Gaza, a sense of uncertain calm has descended the region following a week of civil fighting.
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At the parliament, the Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in the air. They planted Fatah and Palestinian flags on the building.
They also tried to seize the deputy speaker, but were stopped by employees. The gunmen planted Fatah flags and Palestinian banners on the buildings they had taken over.
Many government employees tied to Hamas had not showed up for work on Saturday, the start of the work week in the West Bank, after Hamas took control of Gaza in a military campaign. Apparently, the staffers feared reprisals.
A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Fatah, said his group planned to take control of all Hamas institutions, in response to Hamas' takeover of Gaza.
At the parliament building, Fatah gunmen entered the office of Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh and tried to grab him, but Fatah employees stopped them. Other Fatah activists took over the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Fatah gunmen took over the Hamas-controlled city council and planted the Fatah flag on the top of the building. Fatah supporters also kidnapped seven Hamas supporters, and deposed a senior member of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, Fatah gunmen took over offices of the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry, warning Hamas-allied employees not to return to work, Al Aqsa members said.
On the first day of Hamas rule in Gaza, a sense of uncertain calm has descended the region following a week of civil fighting.
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Graham: Wife Has Great Reception In Heaven
Graham: Wife Has Great Reception In Heaven
Ruth Graham Died Thursday
MONTREAT, N.C. -- Ruth Graham retained her beauty even in death and surely "had a great reception in heaven," an ailing Billy Graham told mourners who gathered Saturday to remember his beloved wife.
"I wish you could look in that casket because she's so beautiful," said Graham, clinging to his walker. "She was a wonderful woman."
Ruth Graham died Thursday at age 87 following a lengthy illness. Her husband's closest confidant, she was remembered as a spiritual stalwart and modest mentor who provided a solid foundation - both biblically and geographically - for her globe-trotting husband.
"The mama that we saw at home was the mama that the world saw," said their son, Franklin, who is now the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He recalled his mother's headstrong and quirky nature, telling the crowd about the time she overcame a locked bedroom door by crawling on the roof, throwing a cup of cold water through his window to wake him.
"I thank you mama for your example, for your love, for your wit, for your humor, for your craziness," he said. "I love you for all of it and I'm going to miss you terribly."
After preaching to more than 210 million people around the world during a six-decade career, Billy Graham, 88, is largely confined to the couple's home in Montreat by several ailments, including prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. He wasn't expected to speak Saturday but surprised the crowd with his words, perhaps spurred by the sight of his 19 grandchildren.
"God bless all these grandchildren. Some of them I haven't seen in a long time. Some of them I've never seen," he said, drawing laughter from the audience. "Lots of love to everyone, and thank you."
He wiped a tear away a before leaving the auditorium. Family spokesman Larry Ross said later that "the sense of loss is beginning to settle in on him." Family members will hold a private burial ceremony Sunday at the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.
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Ruth Graham Died Thursday
MONTREAT, N.C. -- Ruth Graham retained her beauty even in death and surely "had a great reception in heaven," an ailing Billy Graham told mourners who gathered Saturday to remember his beloved wife.
"I wish you could look in that casket because she's so beautiful," said Graham, clinging to his walker. "She was a wonderful woman."
Ruth Graham died Thursday at age 87 following a lengthy illness. Her husband's closest confidant, she was remembered as a spiritual stalwart and modest mentor who provided a solid foundation - both biblically and geographically - for her globe-trotting husband.
"The mama that we saw at home was the mama that the world saw," said their son, Franklin, who is now the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He recalled his mother's headstrong and quirky nature, telling the crowd about the time she overcame a locked bedroom door by crawling on the roof, throwing a cup of cold water through his window to wake him.
"I thank you mama for your example, for your love, for your wit, for your humor, for your craziness," he said. "I love you for all of it and I'm going to miss you terribly."
After preaching to more than 210 million people around the world during a six-decade career, Billy Graham, 88, is largely confined to the couple's home in Montreat by several ailments, including prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. He wasn't expected to speak Saturday but surprised the crowd with his words, perhaps spurred by the sight of his 19 grandchildren.
"God bless all these grandchildren. Some of them I haven't seen in a long time. Some of them I've never seen," he said, drawing laughter from the audience. "Lots of love to everyone, and thank you."
He wiped a tear away a before leaving the auditorium. Family spokesman Larry Ross said later that "the sense of loss is beginning to settle in on him." Family members will hold a private burial ceremony Sunday at the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.
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Invitations target Raleigh with message of hope
Invitations target Raleigh with message of hope
400,000-plus issued as Greg Laurie crusade plans finalized
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Hundreds of thousands of people are being invited to hear from Harvest Christian Fellowship senior pastor and WND columnist Greg Laurie on their lives' purpose, God, and what happens after death, as final preparations are being made for Triangle Harvest 07.
An estimated 3,000 volunteers from more than 200 churches of all denominations are finalizing details for the first large-scale evangelistic outreach in the Raleigh, N.C., region in 13 years, when Triangle Harvest 07 will occupy Raleigh's RBC Center for three days starting next Friday.
"Triangle Harvest 07 has been more than a year in the making, joining local congregations together in a common goal to bring a message of hope to the Triangle community," organizers said. "Preparation for the three-night event has been an undertaking of massive proportions, with more than 405,000 event invitations and 35,000 bumper stickers being distributed, and more than 3,000 volunteers lending their time."
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400,000-plus issued as Greg Laurie crusade plans finalized
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Hundreds of thousands of people are being invited to hear from Harvest Christian Fellowship senior pastor and WND columnist Greg Laurie on their lives' purpose, God, and what happens after death, as final preparations are being made for Triangle Harvest 07.
An estimated 3,000 volunteers from more than 200 churches of all denominations are finalizing details for the first large-scale evangelistic outreach in the Raleigh, N.C., region in 13 years, when Triangle Harvest 07 will occupy Raleigh's RBC Center for three days starting next Friday.
"Triangle Harvest 07 has been more than a year in the making, joining local congregations together in a common goal to bring a message of hope to the Triangle community," organizers said. "Preparation for the three-night event has been an undertaking of massive proportions, with more than 405,000 event invitations and 35,000 bumper stickers being distributed, and more than 3,000 volunteers lending their time."
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Hindu persecution campaign targets pastor
Hindu persecution campaign targets pastor
Beating leaves Christian in hospital, threats could keep him from home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Another Christian has been victimized by a growing campaign by Hindus to persecute Christians, with a beating that left Pastor Pabitra Kata hospitalized and a series of threats that may, in fact, keep him out of his home, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.
The Christian organization was founded in 1967 by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who starting their ministry smuggling Bibles into Russia in 1947, and publishes a newsletter that provides regular updates about attacks, and the steadfast faith of persecuted Christians in the modern world.
Various organizations have documented that there are about 200 million Christians in the world who this year will face persecution ranging from discrimination to death for their faith in Jesus Christ.
In a new report, VOM has documented the harassment and assaults on Pastor Pabitra.
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Beating leaves Christian in hospital, threats could keep him from home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Another Christian has been victimized by a growing campaign by Hindus to persecute Christians, with a beating that left Pastor Pabitra Kata hospitalized and a series of threats that may, in fact, keep him out of his home, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.
The Christian organization was founded in 1967 by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who starting their ministry smuggling Bibles into Russia in 1947, and publishes a newsletter that provides regular updates about attacks, and the steadfast faith of persecuted Christians in the modern world.
Various organizations have documented that there are about 200 million Christians in the world who this year will face persecution ranging from discrimination to death for their faith in Jesus Christ.
In a new report, VOM has documented the harassment and assaults on Pastor Pabitra.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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