BREAKING NEWS: Fidel Castro resigns
AP - 2/19/2008 2:10:00 AM
HAVANA - Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, announced early this morning that he will resign.
In a letter published by Cuba's official media, the ailing leader said he would not accept a new term when the newly elected parliament meets on Sunday.
"I will not aspire nor accept - I repeat I will not aspire or accept, the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief," read a letter signed by Castro published quietly overnight without advance warning in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma.
The new National Assembly is meeting for first time Sunday since January elections to pick the governing Council of State, including the presidency Castro holds. There had been wide speculation about whether he would accept a nomination for reelection to that post or retire.
The 81-year-old Castro's overnight announcement effectively ends his rule of almost 50 years over Cuba, positioning his 76-year-old brother Raul for permanent succession to the presidency.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Bank reserves category goes negative
Bank reserves category goes negative
Fed: We are concerned but not alarmed
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Posted: February 18, 2008
4:16 pm Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A new report from the Federal Reserve has confirmed the non-borrowed reserves of U.S. banks plummeted to a negative $18 billion at a recent accounting, reflecting an apparently worsening situation from the negative $8.8 billion reported at the end of January.
The numbers appeared particularly alarming in that the Fed, going back to1959, never before had reported that the non-borrowed reserves of depository institutions had been in the red.
But experts said the assumption bank assets had deteriorated so badly that financial institutions would be bankrupt if the Fed did not provide billions in liquidity to prop up bank balance sheets is alarmist.
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Fed: We are concerned but not alarmed
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Posted: February 18, 2008
4:16 pm Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A new report from the Federal Reserve has confirmed the non-borrowed reserves of U.S. banks plummeted to a negative $18 billion at a recent accounting, reflecting an apparently worsening situation from the negative $8.8 billion reported at the end of January.
The numbers appeared particularly alarming in that the Fed, going back to1959, never before had reported that the non-borrowed reserves of depository institutions had been in the red.
But experts said the assumption bank assets had deteriorated so badly that financial institutions would be bankrupt if the Fed did not provide billions in liquidity to prop up bank balance sheets is alarmist.
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Lawmakers want to track charity by sexual orientation
Lawmakers want to track charity by sexual orientation
Bill 'fatally flawed' because it links homosexuals with disadvantaged
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Posted: February 18, 2008
9:07 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A law firm says a new plan in the California Legislature to track charity by sexual orientation is fatally flawed because it links homosexuals with the disadvantaged.
The warning comes from the Pacific Justice Institute, whose chief, Brad Dacus, said the proposal from state lawmakers who just a year ago gave taxpayers a mandatory homosexual indoctrination plan in public schools originally would have demanded personal sexual orientation information about board members and employees of charitable organizations.
The organization said the public outcry as well as opposition from pro-familiy organizations to AB 624 prompted its author to delete "some of its most controversial provisions."
But the plan that earlier would have demanded large charities disclose and post on their websites the race, gender and sexual orientations of their board members and staff still requires the collection and posting of race and gender information.
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Bill 'fatally flawed' because it links homosexuals with disadvantaged
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Posted: February 18, 2008
9:07 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A law firm says a new plan in the California Legislature to track charity by sexual orientation is fatally flawed because it links homosexuals with the disadvantaged.
The warning comes from the Pacific Justice Institute, whose chief, Brad Dacus, said the proposal from state lawmakers who just a year ago gave taxpayers a mandatory homosexual indoctrination plan in public schools originally would have demanded personal sexual orientation information about board members and employees of charitable organizations.
The organization said the public outcry as well as opposition from pro-familiy organizations to AB 624 prompted its author to delete "some of its most controversial provisions."
But the plan that earlier would have demanded large charities disclose and post on their websites the race, gender and sexual orientations of their board members and staff still requires the collection and posting of race and gender information.
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Counselors ordered to argue for homosexuality
Counselors ordered to argue for homosexuality
Professional association warns doing otherwise may be unethical
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Posted: February 18, 2008
5:00 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A ruling by the American Counseling Association that members must not help homosexual clients change their sexual orientation is not sitting well with some in the professional organization who are seeking clarification to avoid “future legal actions.”
The official policy of the ACA is that counselors asked by clients for help in changing their sexual orientation must offer only "gay affirmative" arguments. If the client persists, counselors must explore the "religious influences that underpin homophobia that may be harming the client."
At issue is a ruling from the association concerning clients who seek help in clarifying their sexual orientation as that matching their physical characteristics.
Such questions from clients need to be met with that "gay affirmative" response, the organization's leaders have stated, and if a client insists on seeking such treatment, a counselor who even refers a client to anyone offering reparative counseling could be violating the association's ethical guidelines.
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Professional association warns doing otherwise may be unethical
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Posted: February 18, 2008
5:00 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A ruling by the American Counseling Association that members must not help homosexual clients change their sexual orientation is not sitting well with some in the professional organization who are seeking clarification to avoid “future legal actions.”
The official policy of the ACA is that counselors asked by clients for help in changing their sexual orientation must offer only "gay affirmative" arguments. If the client persists, counselors must explore the "religious influences that underpin homophobia that may be harming the client."
At issue is a ruling from the association concerning clients who seek help in clarifying their sexual orientation as that matching their physical characteristics.
Such questions from clients need to be met with that "gay affirmative" response, the organization's leaders have stated, and if a client insists on seeking such treatment, a counselor who even refers a client to anyone offering reparative counseling could be violating the association's ethical guidelines.
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Water or Money?
Water or Money?
by: Evidence Bible at www.LivingWaters.com
If you were offered a handful of $1,000 bills or a glass of cool water, which would you choose? The $1,000 bills, of course—anyone in his right mind would. However, if you were crawling through a desert, dying of thirst, and you were offered a glass of water or a handful of $1,000 bills, which would you take? The water, of course—anyone in his right mind would. That’s called “circumstantial priorities.” Your priorities change according to your circumstances. If there were a way to find everlasting life, would you want to know about it? The answer is “yes,” of course—anyone in his right mind would. What the Bible contains may surprise you.
The Scriptures speak of riches beyond our wildest dreams—the “riches” of everlasting life—and they are offered in the form of cool, clear water: “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). At the moment, you may not be interested in the offer, but on Judgment Day your circumstances will radically change. Then it will be too late.
by: Evidence Bible at www.LivingWaters.com
If you were offered a handful of $1,000 bills or a glass of cool water, which would you choose? The $1,000 bills, of course—anyone in his right mind would. However, if you were crawling through a desert, dying of thirst, and you were offered a glass of water or a handful of $1,000 bills, which would you take? The water, of course—anyone in his right mind would. That’s called “circumstantial priorities.” Your priorities change according to your circumstances. If there were a way to find everlasting life, would you want to know about it? The answer is “yes,” of course—anyone in his right mind would. What the Bible contains may surprise you.
The Scriptures speak of riches beyond our wildest dreams—the “riches” of everlasting life—and they are offered in the form of cool, clear water: “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). At the moment, you may not be interested in the offer, but on Judgment Day your circumstances will radically change. Then it will be too late.
'Mom,' 'dad,' banned; now 600,000 students could go
'Mom,' 'dad,' banned; now 600,000 students could go
Alternatives offered to parents worried about 'repudiation' of Christian morals
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Posted: February 07, 2008
12:46 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Only months after a new state law effectively banned "mom" and "dad" from California schools, 600,000 students soon could be following them out the door because of what has been described as the "repudiation" of 2,000 years of Christian morality, according to leaders of a new campaign assembling education alternatives.
The campaign is called California Exodus and is being headed by Ron Gleason, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Yorba Linda, who said while the country excels in social, economic, scientific and political accomplishments, it "gets low grades on the education of its children."
The issue is the state legislature's adoption of Senate Bill 777, which requires only positive portrayals of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and other alternative lifestyle choices.
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Alternatives offered to parents worried about 'repudiation' of Christian morals
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Posted: February 07, 2008
12:46 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Only months after a new state law effectively banned "mom" and "dad" from California schools, 600,000 students soon could be following them out the door because of what has been described as the "repudiation" of 2,000 years of Christian morality, according to leaders of a new campaign assembling education alternatives.
The campaign is called California Exodus and is being headed by Ron Gleason, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Yorba Linda, who said while the country excels in social, economic, scientific and political accomplishments, it "gets low grades on the education of its children."
The issue is the state legislature's adoption of Senate Bill 777, which requires only positive portrayals of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and other alternative lifestyle choices.
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Intelligent design costs prof his job
Intelligent design costs prof his job
Regents reject tenure request without evidence, testimony
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Posted: February 07, 2008
4:15 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Iowa State University regents, who earlier ruled against accepting evidence or hearing testimony from a professor in a dispute over the school's denial of his tenure, now have turned down his appeal.
The case involves Guillermo Gonzalez, an honored assistant professor of astronomy who has been actively working on theories of intelligent design, an effort that ultimately cost him his job, supporters say. Tenure is roughly the equivalent of a lifetime appointment.
The school has continued to deny the handling of Gonzalez' case was related to his support of ID, even though the Des Moines Register documented e-mails that confirmed Gonzalez' colleagues wanted him flushed out of the system for that reason.
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Regents reject tenure request without evidence, testimony
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Posted: February 07, 2008
4:15 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Iowa State University regents, who earlier ruled against accepting evidence or hearing testimony from a professor in a dispute over the school's denial of his tenure, now have turned down his appeal.
The case involves Guillermo Gonzalez, an honored assistant professor of astronomy who has been actively working on theories of intelligent design, an effort that ultimately cost him his job, supporters say. Tenure is roughly the equivalent of a lifetime appointment.
The school has continued to deny the handling of Gonzalez' case was related to his support of ID, even though the Des Moines Register documented e-mails that confirmed Gonzalez' colleagues wanted him flushed out of the system for that reason.
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8-year-old boy returning to class as girl
8-year-old boy returning to class as girl
Teachers making accommodations, preparing to counsel other students
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Posted: February 08, 2008
10:48 am Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
An 8-year-old boy is preparing to return to his home school district in Colorado as a girl, so school officials are designating two school restrooms as unisex facilities, and preparing to counsel other students on the issue of transgenderism.
The report comes from KUSA-Television in Denver, which did not identify the third-grade student or his family in the Castle Rock suburban district.
But the report said the student had attended his home district several years ago, as a boy, and then had taken classes in another district for a time.
One parent, identified by the television station as Dave M., said children in the elementary school are going to wonder what's going on.
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Teachers making accommodations, preparing to counsel other students
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Posted: February 08, 2008
10:48 am Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
An 8-year-old boy is preparing to return to his home school district in Colorado as a girl, so school officials are designating two school restrooms as unisex facilities, and preparing to counsel other students on the issue of transgenderism.
The report comes from KUSA-Television in Denver, which did not identify the third-grade student or his family in the Castle Rock suburban district.
But the report said the student had attended his home district several years ago, as a boy, and then had taken classes in another district for a time.
One parent, identified by the television station as Dave M., said children in the elementary school are going to wonder what's going on.
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Bishop: Christians don't go to heaven
Bishop: Christians don't go to heaven
Anglican challenges widespread belief, says believers asleep until God returns
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Posted: February 10, 2008
2:49 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A bishop described as "one of the most formidable figures in the world of Christian thought" is now challenging the widely held belief that Christians go to heaven when they die.
N.T. "Tom" Wright, the fourth most senior cleric in the Church of England who has been praised for his staunch defense of the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ, has published a new book in which he says people do not ascend to God's dwelling place. Instead, deceased believers are in a sleep-like state until God comes back to Earth.
"Never at any point do the Gospels or Paul say Jesus has been raised, therefore we are we are all going to heaven," Wright told Time Magazine. "I've often heard people say, 'I'm going to heaven soon, and I won't need this stupid body there, thank goodness.' That's a very damaging distortion, all the more so for being unintentional."
When asked to explain why he rejects that typical sentiment, he said, "There are several important respects in which it's unsupported by the New Testament. First, the timing. In the Bible we are told that you die, and enter an intermediate state. [The Apostle] Paul is very clear that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead already, but that nobody else has yet. Secondly, our physical state. The New Testament says that when Christ does return, the dead will experience a whole new life: not just our soul, but our bodies. And finally, the location. At no point do the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels say, 'Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven.' It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the Earth in an act of new creation."
In the Gospel of John, Jesus himself is quoted as saying, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." (John 3:13)
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Anglican challenges widespread belief, says believers asleep until God returns
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Posted: February 10, 2008
2:49 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A bishop described as "one of the most formidable figures in the world of Christian thought" is now challenging the widely held belief that Christians go to heaven when they die.
N.T. "Tom" Wright, the fourth most senior cleric in the Church of England who has been praised for his staunch defense of the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ, has published a new book in which he says people do not ascend to God's dwelling place. Instead, deceased believers are in a sleep-like state until God comes back to Earth.
"Never at any point do the Gospels or Paul say Jesus has been raised, therefore we are we are all going to heaven," Wright told Time Magazine. "I've often heard people say, 'I'm going to heaven soon, and I won't need this stupid body there, thank goodness.' That's a very damaging distortion, all the more so for being unintentional."
When asked to explain why he rejects that typical sentiment, he said, "There are several important respects in which it's unsupported by the New Testament. First, the timing. In the Bible we are told that you die, and enter an intermediate state. [The Apostle] Paul is very clear that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead already, but that nobody else has yet. Secondly, our physical state. The New Testament says that when Christ does return, the dead will experience a whole new life: not just our soul, but our bodies. And finally, the location. At no point do the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels say, 'Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven.' It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the Earth in an act of new creation."
In the Gospel of John, Jesus himself is quoted as saying, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." (John 3:13)
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Tornado Victims Turn to Churches, Faith
Tornado Victims Turn to Churches, Faith
By Ryan Lenz
Associated Press Writer
February 9, 2008
CBNNews.com - LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - On the way to a storm-ravaged community, a billboard bubbling with fresh paste rises over a rural road with a message from the Gospel of Matthew: "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
In Macon County and other predominantly Christian areas where tornadoes laid a deadly path, churches - and individuals' faith - are playing a vital role in the aftermath.
Faith is a way of life there. Many have volunteered services, opened disaster centers with food and shelter, clothing and medicine, while those who escaped death when so many did not say they are finding hope in stories of survival.
"I was in a tornado - and I lived," said James Krueger, a 49-year-old electrician, as tears streamed from his eyes blackened in the storm. When the winds hit, his 100-year-old home flew from the foundation until he lay on barren ground.
It was an unlikely survival he cannot help but attribute to a higher power.
"The bottom line is something kept me there," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
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By Ryan Lenz
Associated Press Writer
February 9, 2008
CBNNews.com - LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - On the way to a storm-ravaged community, a billboard bubbling with fresh paste rises over a rural road with a message from the Gospel of Matthew: "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
In Macon County and other predominantly Christian areas where tornadoes laid a deadly path, churches - and individuals' faith - are playing a vital role in the aftermath.
Faith is a way of life there. Many have volunteered services, opened disaster centers with food and shelter, clothing and medicine, while those who escaped death when so many did not say they are finding hope in stories of survival.
"I was in a tornado - and I lived," said James Krueger, a 49-year-old electrician, as tears streamed from his eyes blackened in the storm. When the winds hit, his 100-year-old home flew from the foundation until he lay on barren ground.
It was an unlikely survival he cannot help but attribute to a higher power.
"The bottom line is something kept me there," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
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Kidnappings of U.S. citizens on rise
Sophisticated Mexican groups plot abductions
By Tony Manolatos
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Organized, well-financed and violent Mexican kidnapping cells are targeting a growing number of U.S. citizens visiting communities popular with San Diegans and other California residents.
Last year, at least 26 San Diego County residents were kidnapped and held for ransom in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach or Ensenada, local FBI agents overseeing the cases said yesterday. In 2006, at least 11 county residents had been kidnapped in the three communities.
“Some of the 26 were recovered, some were hurt and some were killed,” said agent Alex Horan, who directs the FBI's violent-crime squad in San Diego.
“It's not a pleasant experience. Victims have reported beatings, torture and there have been rapes. . . . Handcuffs and hoods over the head are common,” he said.
When contrasted to the 40 million border crossings made every year at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the kidnapping numbers are small. Most of the victims have business interests or family members in Mexico.
But authorities said anyone planning to visit Mexico should be cautious.
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By Tony Manolatos
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Organized, well-financed and violent Mexican kidnapping cells are targeting a growing number of U.S. citizens visiting communities popular with San Diegans and other California residents.
Last year, at least 26 San Diego County residents were kidnapped and held for ransom in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach or Ensenada, local FBI agents overseeing the cases said yesterday. In 2006, at least 11 county residents had been kidnapped in the three communities.
“Some of the 26 were recovered, some were hurt and some were killed,” said agent Alex Horan, who directs the FBI's violent-crime squad in San Diego.
“It's not a pleasant experience. Victims have reported beatings, torture and there have been rapes. . . . Handcuffs and hoods over the head are common,” he said.
When contrasted to the 40 million border crossings made every year at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the kidnapping numbers are small. Most of the victims have business interests or family members in Mexico.
But authorities said anyone planning to visit Mexico should be cautious.
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Uproar as archbishop says sharia law inevitable in UK
Uproar as archbishop says sharia law inevitable in UK
Williams argues official status for Islamic law could aid social cohesion
Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
The Archbishop of Canterbury drew criticism from across the political spectrum last night after he backed the introduction of sharia law in Britain and argued that adopting some aspects of it seemed "unavoidable". Rowan Williams, the most senior figure in the Church of England, said that giving Islamic law official status in the UK would help to achieve social cohesion because some Muslims did not relate to the British legal system.
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Williams argues official status for Islamic law could aid social cohesion
Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
The Archbishop of Canterbury drew criticism from across the political spectrum last night after he backed the introduction of sharia law in Britain and argued that adopting some aspects of it seemed "unavoidable". Rowan Williams, the most senior figure in the Church of England, said that giving Islamic law official status in the UK would help to achieve social cohesion because some Muslims did not relate to the British legal system.
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
Bad News for School Children and Parents!
Blackboard Jungle Blackout
By Robert Knight November 15, 2007 - 11:42 ET
When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills on Oct. 12 that essentially turn the state's public schools over to homosexual and transgender activists, there was virtually no media coverage outside California. There still isn't.
Beginning in January 2008, California public schools must teach children as young as 3 to 5 years old that homosexuality is a normal, healthy lifestyle and that kids can choose their "gender." This means banning the terms "husband" and "wife" for the more progressively inclusive term "partner." "Moms" and "dads" will morph into sexually neutral "parents." Textbooks will be rewritten to blot out any reminder of married-couple-led families as a social norm. Gender-confused kids will get to use the restrooms of their choice. Any expression of negativity toward deviant sexuality will be punished as "bigotry." The coming changes are so radical that they produce gasps or professions of disbelief from people who hear about it from sources outside the mainstream media.
Bruce Shortt, an advocate of private schooling who writes a periodic report called "the Continuing Collapse" about problems in government schools, provides this analysis:
So far, the media have maintained a near total news blackout on this development.
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By Robert Knight November 15, 2007 - 11:42 ET
When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills on Oct. 12 that essentially turn the state's public schools over to homosexual and transgender activists, there was virtually no media coverage outside California. There still isn't.
Beginning in January 2008, California public schools must teach children as young as 3 to 5 years old that homosexuality is a normal, healthy lifestyle and that kids can choose their "gender." This means banning the terms "husband" and "wife" for the more progressively inclusive term "partner." "Moms" and "dads" will morph into sexually neutral "parents." Textbooks will be rewritten to blot out any reminder of married-couple-led families as a social norm. Gender-confused kids will get to use the restrooms of their choice. Any expression of negativity toward deviant sexuality will be punished as "bigotry." The coming changes are so radical that they produce gasps or professions of disbelief from people who hear about it from sources outside the mainstream media.
Bruce Shortt, an advocate of private schooling who writes a periodic report called "the Continuing Collapse" about problems in government schools, provides this analysis:
So far, the media have maintained a near total news blackout on this development.
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It's Christmas time -- Foes 'naughty,' friends 'nice'
Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
November 16, 2007
Liberty Counsel's Christmas "Friend or Foe" campaign, designed to keep the cultural use of the word "Christmas" alive in holiday promotions and advertising, has published a "Naughty or Nice" list on its website designed to highlight merchandisers who choose to either openly use the word or hide it in their business.
Mat Staver, founder of the public interest First Amendment law firm, says the list -- which is updated daily and composed primarily of national corporate retail chains -- is for the benefit of consumers who want to keep the religious and Christian roots of the holiday alive. He explains the list accomplishes that by alerting consumers as to which retailers are profiting from Christmas while at the same time pretending that it does not exist.
(Read list [PDF])
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OneNewsNow.com
November 16, 2007
Liberty Counsel's Christmas "Friend or Foe" campaign, designed to keep the cultural use of the word "Christmas" alive in holiday promotions and advertising, has published a "Naughty or Nice" list on its website designed to highlight merchandisers who choose to either openly use the word or hide it in their business.
Mat Staver, founder of the public interest First Amendment law firm, says the list -- which is updated daily and composed primarily of national corporate retail chains -- is for the benefit of consumers who want to keep the religious and Christian roots of the holiday alive. He explains the list accomplishes that by alerting consumers as to which retailers are profiting from Christmas while at the same time pretending that it does not exist.
(Read list [PDF])
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Highway trooper memorials object of atheist scorn in Utah
Highway trooper memorials object of atheist scorn in Utah
Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
November 16, 2007
Attorneys for a private organization that supports Utah highway patrol officers and their families have argued in federal court that a lawsuit filed against the state patrol and Transportation Department by the group American Atheists has no merit.
Alliance Defense Fund's (ADF) Byron Babione, legal counsel for the Utah Highway Patrol Association, says the atheists' argument is legally debunked because the crosses are placed by private citizens -- in compliance with the Establishment Clause. He says the only involvement by the state was in granting permission to the group that placed them.
Babione says the crosses are not being used as religious symbols or ceremonial objects, but as narratives of the officers killed in the line of duty -- as well as safety reminders about the dangers of the highway. The deceased's name, along with a photograph, badge number, and details of how the officer was killed, are listed on the cross.
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Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
November 16, 2007
Attorneys for a private organization that supports Utah highway patrol officers and their families have argued in federal court that a lawsuit filed against the state patrol and Transportation Department by the group American Atheists has no merit.
Alliance Defense Fund's (ADF) Byron Babione, legal counsel for the Utah Highway Patrol Association, says the atheists' argument is legally debunked because the crosses are placed by private citizens -- in compliance with the Establishment Clause. He says the only involvement by the state was in granting permission to the group that placed them.
Babione says the crosses are not being used as religious symbols or ceremonial objects, but as narratives of the officers killed in the line of duty -- as well as safety reminders about the dangers of the highway. The deceased's name, along with a photograph, badge number, and details of how the officer was killed, are listed on the cross.
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Rock Star Dave Matthews on God: 'More Irritating Than Santa Claus'
By Tim Graham November 16, 2007 - 23:21 ET
The November 15 edition of Rolling Stone, the talky 40th anniversary issue, is stuffed with interviews. The hippie magazine's estranged relationship with God is quite obvious. We mentioned Bill Maher recently, but there was more atheistic talk included. Take rock star Dave Matthews, who found the notion of an all-powerful, loving God "more irritating than Santa Claus." He'd like the idea, but it's "absurd. It's just our attempt to be more important than a tree."
Matthews was discussing the fate of the planet. He said social issues like so-called gay marriage are "tiny" next to our environmental survival. He warned of the possibility of "massive die-offs of people – which has been predicted," but then turned to the idea that maybe the existence of man doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the cosmos:
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The November 15 edition of Rolling Stone, the talky 40th anniversary issue, is stuffed with interviews. The hippie magazine's estranged relationship with God is quite obvious. We mentioned Bill Maher recently, but there was more atheistic talk included. Take rock star Dave Matthews, who found the notion of an all-powerful, loving God "more irritating than Santa Claus." He'd like the idea, but it's "absurd. It's just our attempt to be more important than a tree."
Matthews was discussing the fate of the planet. He said social issues like so-called gay marriage are "tiny" next to our environmental survival. He warned of the possibility of "massive die-offs of people – which has been predicted," but then turned to the idea that maybe the existence of man doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the cosmos:
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Monkey embryo cloning called foreboding
Monkey embryo cloning called foreboding
Posted on Nov 16, 2007 by Tom Strode
WASHINGTON (BP)--The newly reported cloning of monkey embryos signals lethal consequences for tiny human beings and increased chances for the birth of a human clone, pro-life bioethicists say.
Researchers in Oregon cloned for the first time embryos from primates in experiments with a 10-year-old rhesus macaque monkey, according to a Nov. 12 report in The Independent. The scientists, whose work is to be published in a future issue of the journal Nature, also were able to extract stem cells from the clones and to stimulate their development into brain neurons and heart cells, the British newspaper reported.
The team at the Oregon National Primate Research Center reportedly has attempted to bring a cloned monkey to birth but has been unsuccessful so far. In a joint effort between the Oregon team and a Chinese group, about 100 cloned embryos have been implanted into about 50 female adult monkeys, but none has produced a birth, according to The Independent.
While pro-cloning scientists applauded the cloning of primate embryos, it was ominous news for pro-life observers of the work.
"The successful cloning of monkeys means, first, that more human embryos will die in an effort to harvest embryonic stem cells. This success will only fuel efforts to do so," said C. Ben Mitchell, director of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity and a consultant for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "Will a cloned, take-home baby be far behind? Only the omniscient God really knows. But we are certainly closer.
"Not only will human carnage mark the path to cloning a human being, but a cloned human child will have to endure grave social suffering," Mitchell said.
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Posted on Nov 16, 2007 by Tom Strode
WASHINGTON (BP)--The newly reported cloning of monkey embryos signals lethal consequences for tiny human beings and increased chances for the birth of a human clone, pro-life bioethicists say.
Researchers in Oregon cloned for the first time embryos from primates in experiments with a 10-year-old rhesus macaque monkey, according to a Nov. 12 report in The Independent. The scientists, whose work is to be published in a future issue of the journal Nature, also were able to extract stem cells from the clones and to stimulate their development into brain neurons and heart cells, the British newspaper reported.
The team at the Oregon National Primate Research Center reportedly has attempted to bring a cloned monkey to birth but has been unsuccessful so far. In a joint effort between the Oregon team and a Chinese group, about 100 cloned embryos have been implanted into about 50 female adult monkeys, but none has produced a birth, according to The Independent.
While pro-cloning scientists applauded the cloning of primate embryos, it was ominous news for pro-life observers of the work.
"The successful cloning of monkeys means, first, that more human embryos will die in an effort to harvest embryonic stem cells. This success will only fuel efforts to do so," said C. Ben Mitchell, director of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity and a consultant for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "Will a cloned, take-home baby be far behind? Only the omniscient God really knows. But we are certainly closer.
"Not only will human carnage mark the path to cloning a human being, but a cloned human child will have to endure grave social suffering," Mitchell said.
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Bangladesh cyclone kills more than 1,000
Bangladesh cyclone to prompt aid effort
Posted on Nov 16, 2007 by Mark Kelly
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)––Cyclone Sidr struck the southern coast of Bangladesh Nov. 15 with 155 mph winds and gusts of up to 190 mph. More than 1,000 people were killed as a four-foot-tall tidal surge flattened bamboo and tin houses in 15 districts along the coast.
Government officials had evacuated at least 650,000 people to cyclone shelters or government buildings. Millions of people live in isolated fishing villages throughout the low-lying coastal terrain, which is extremely susceptible to storm surges.
At least 60 percent of the trees in the area have been uprooted and debris on roads and in rivers will make it difficult to reach affected communities, the Associated Press reported. Power and communications also were knocked out in the capital, Dhaka.
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Posted on Nov 16, 2007 by Mark Kelly
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)––Cyclone Sidr struck the southern coast of Bangladesh Nov. 15 with 155 mph winds and gusts of up to 190 mph. More than 1,000 people were killed as a four-foot-tall tidal surge flattened bamboo and tin houses in 15 districts along the coast.
Government officials had evacuated at least 650,000 people to cyclone shelters or government buildings. Millions of people live in isolated fishing villages throughout the low-lying coastal terrain, which is extremely susceptible to storm surges.
At least 60 percent of the trees in the area have been uprooted and debris on roads and in rivers will make it difficult to reach affected communities, the Associated Press reported. Power and communications also were knocked out in the capital, Dhaka.
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NASA Debunks Part of Global Warming Myth, Will Media Report It?
NASA Debunks Part of Global Warming Myth, Will Media Report It?
By Noel Sheppard
Is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration filled with climate change deniers?
Such seems likely to be alleged by hysterical alarmists in the press when and if they read a new study out of NASA which determined that "not all the large changes seen in Arctic climate in recent years are a result of long-term trends associated with global warming."
Goes quite counter to all the recent media reports, as well as assertions by Nobel Laureate Al Gore, that low ice conditions in the Arctic are all the fault of that despicable -- albeit essential to life and naturally occurring! -- gas carbon dioxide.
Of course, it's quite unlikely many climate alarmists will even hear about this study, for today's green media wouldn't want to do anything that destroys their illusion that there's a scientific consensus regarding this matter.
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By Noel Sheppard
Is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration filled with climate change deniers?
Such seems likely to be alleged by hysterical alarmists in the press when and if they read a new study out of NASA which determined that "not all the large changes seen in Arctic climate in recent years are a result of long-term trends associated with global warming."
Goes quite counter to all the recent media reports, as well as assertions by Nobel Laureate Al Gore, that low ice conditions in the Arctic are all the fault of that despicable -- albeit essential to life and naturally occurring! -- gas carbon dioxide.
Of course, it's quite unlikely many climate alarmists will even hear about this study, for today's green media wouldn't want to do anything that destroys their illusion that there's a scientific consensus regarding this matter.
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Bad News for School Children and Parents!
Blackboard Jungle Blackout
By Robert Knight November 15, 2007 - 11:42 ET
When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills on Oct. 12 that essentially turn the state's public schools over to homosexual and transgender activists, there was virtually no media coverage outside California. There still isn't.
Beginning in January 2008, California public schools must teach children as young as 3 to 5 years old that homosexuality is a normal, healthy lifestyle and that kids can choose their "gender." This means banning the terms "husband" and "wife" for the more progressively inclusive term "partner." "Moms" and "dads" will morph into sexually neutral "parents." Textbooks will be rewritten to blot out any reminder of married-couple-led families as a social norm. Gender-confused kids will get to use the restrooms of their choice. Any expression of negativity toward deviant sexuality will be punished as "bigotry." The coming changes are so radical that they produce gasps or professions of disbelief from people who hear about it from sources outside the mainstream media.
Bruce Shortt, an advocate of private schooling who writes a periodic report called "the Continuing Collapse" about problems in government schools, provides this analysis:
So far, the media have maintained a near total news blackout on this development.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
By Robert Knight November 15, 2007 - 11:42 ET
When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills on Oct. 12 that essentially turn the state's public schools over to homosexual and transgender activists, there was virtually no media coverage outside California. There still isn't.
Beginning in January 2008, California public schools must teach children as young as 3 to 5 years old that homosexuality is a normal, healthy lifestyle and that kids can choose their "gender." This means banning the terms "husband" and "wife" for the more progressively inclusive term "partner." "Moms" and "dads" will morph into sexually neutral "parents." Textbooks will be rewritten to blot out any reminder of married-couple-led families as a social norm. Gender-confused kids will get to use the restrooms of their choice. Any expression of negativity toward deviant sexuality will be punished as "bigotry." The coming changes are so radical that they produce gasps or professions of disbelief from people who hear about it from sources outside the mainstream media.
Bruce Shortt, an advocate of private schooling who writes a periodic report called "the Continuing Collapse" about problems in government schools, provides this analysis:
So far, the media have maintained a near total news blackout on this development.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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