Monday, January 16, 2012

Postmodern pastor writes Paul, the Apostle

Paul the Apostle, c\o Aquila the Tentmaker
Corinth, Greece

Dear Paul:

We recently received a copy of your letter to the Galatians. The committee has directed me to inform you of a number of things, which deeply concern us. First, we find your language to be somewhat intemperate. In your letter, after a brief greeting to the Galatians, you immediately attack your opponents by claiming they "want to pervert the gospel of Christ." You then say that such men should be regarded as "accursed"; and, in another place, you make reference to "false brethren." Wouldn’t it be more charitable to give them the benefit of the doubt—at least until the General Assembly has investigated and adjudicated the matter?

To make the situation worse, you later say, "I could wish those who trouble you would even cut them selves off!" Is such a statement really fitting for a Christian minister? The remark seems quite harsh and unloving.

Paul, we really feel the need to caution you about the tone of your epistles. You come across in an abrasive manner to many people. In some of your letters you’ve even mentioned names; and this practice has, no doubt, upset the friends of Hymenaeus, Alexander, and others. After all, many persons were first introduced to the Christian faith under the ministries of these men.

In one place, you wrote, "Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing." Paul, you have a tendency to describe things strictly in black and white terms, as if there are no gray areas. You need to temper your expressions, lest you become too exclusive. Otherwise, your outlook will drive away many people, and make visitors feel unwelcome. Church growth is not promoted by taking such a hard line and remaining inflexible.

In the meantime, rejoice that we all share a common profession of faith in Christ, since we have all been baptized in his name.


Sincerely,
Charles Phinney [fictional]
Coordinator, Committee on Missions

[Culled from www.crossroad.to/HisWord/notes/galatian-letter.htm. Original source: www.trinityfoundation.org]

Climategate 2: More E-mails leaked

Akin to the Wikileaks, an insider is leaking emails between prominent climate scientists, showing that these people are obsessed with selling their anthropogenic global warming position, despite clear scientific evidences to the contrary.(see for instance, vol 12 no 5, 2009). The first batch of leaks was released in 2009.
A new batch of release has now been made on November 22, just a week before the next big United Nations global-warming summit in Durban, South Africa. It is quite extensive and some sits are offering facility for individuals to search the documents for particular subjects of interest.
Significantly, the new leaks show how algorithms were systematically rigged by rogue scientists to produce skewed data. The e-mails between supposed top experts using conspiratorial language to discuss devious ways to advance “the cause”— global-warming alarmism. The e-mails also reveal discussions on how to marginalize skeptics and even illegally destroy evidence and hide data.
For comprehensive introduction to what is now being referred to as Climategate 2, please refer to Alex Newman’s article at
www.thenewamerican.com/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/9904-climategate-2-more-e-mails-leaked-ahead-of-un-summit

One-Third of UK Divorces Blamed on Facebook

The Christian Post (http://global.christianpost.com) has reported that as much as 33 percent of divorce petitions filed in the United Kingdom in 2011 referenced Facebook. Citing a survey carried out by a UK divorce website Divorce-Online, of 5,000 divorce petitions filed between 2009 and 2011, the Christian Post reports that the main three reasons regarding Facebook-related causes for filing a divorce were: inappropriate messages sent to the opposite sex; posting nasty comments about former partners; and friends reporting a spouse's behavior on the social media website.
Observing that “experts have been noting that the Internet has become a breeding ground for adultery, with many affairs reportedly starting online”, the Christian Post quotes Mark Keenan of Divorce-Online as counseling that "People need to be careful what they write on their walls as the courts are seeing these posts being used in financial disputes and children cases as evidence."
A Christian think tank, Pure Hope, was further cited as counting online communication as potentially harmful for marriages and relationship values as online access to pornography. According to Pure Hope, "Today, mobile technology and social media are changing society in remarkably exciting ways. At the same time, they are exposing young people to shockingly destructive sexual content, behavior, and exploitation."
While Facebook and similar social networking media obviously offer several opportunities and advantages, it is reasonable that Christians also appreciate these other negative potentials – the reality of which is demonstrated by the staggering figures cited in this report.

Raymond Ibrahim: Muslim Persecution of Christians at a Crossroads

A recent article by Raymond Ibrahim in support of a petition by the Christian Solidarity International, urging US President Obama to take steps to “prevent the eradication of the endangered Christian communities and other religious minorities of the Islamic Middle East” provides a concise compilation of recent Christian persecution around the globe. We present part of it here, and urge readers to check the rest on the internet.

“When the major media reported a few months ago that Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was set to be executed for leaving Islam, many Western people were shocked, finding it hard to believe that in the 21st century people are still being persecuted—by their governments no less—simply for being Christian.

“The fact is, Muslim persecution of Christians in the modern era has been consistently growing worse. Yet, because only one out of every few hundred or so cases ever receives major attention, few in the West have any idea that it exists.

“For instance, around the same time that the case of Pastor Nadarkhani made headlines, 129 Christians in Sudan were imprisoned, and one in Somalia was beheaded—like the pastor, simply for converting to Christianity.

“ Dozens of other documented cases of persecution were occurring at the same time, none of which received much media attention. These include Christians imprisoned, tortured, and killed for allegedly “blaspheming” Islam; Christian girls abducted and raped because they are “infidels”; churches burned, Bibles confiscated, and crucifixes destroyed—and in one instance, a Christian boy killed for refusing to conceal his crucifix.

To anyone familiar with Islam’s history and traditional teachings, none of this is surprising. Instead, all of these accounts demonstrate 14 centuries of continuity. With Islam’s resurgence and the concomitant upsurge of anti-Christian violence, however, the very existence of Christian and other non-Muslim communities is under threat. The process of religious cleansing could lead to their eradication within a generation [see CSI's Genocide Warning].

“So why is there such a lack of awareness concerning this matter in the otherwise “humanitarian” West?…
Read the rest of the article here, and be sure to sign the CSI petition. www.jihadwatch.org/2011/12/raymond-ibrahim-muslim-persecution-of-christians-at-a-crossroads----the-time-to-act-is-now-or-never.html

Google gets US patent for Driverless Car

A US patent for self-driving cars has been awarded to Google. The intellectual property rights relate to a method to switch a vehicle from a human-controlled mode into the state where it takes charge of the wheel. It explains how the car would know when to take control, where it is located and which direction to drive in.

Envisaged applications include the use of such technology to offer tours of tourist locations or to send faulty models to repair shops. It could also be used by Car Hire facilities to send cars to potential clients at remote location, with the cars returning to base on its own after the client is done with it.

Although Google submitted the patent application in May 2011, it kept the development hidden from public view until now that the patent has been issued. It was also revealed that Google has actually been testing a fleet of driverless cars for several years. The vehicles combine artificial intelligence with the firm's Google Street View maps as well as video cameras and a range of sensors.

Patent experts note that Google's patent will not however prevent others from developing rival self-drive vehicles. Experts say driverless cars could become a commercial prospect sooner than most people believe.

Meanwhile, Facebook has added a new feature called Places, that tracks users' physical locations. The issue with this introduction is the unconventional decision to automatically opt-in every single user. In other words, a Facebook user who has not consciously changed his settings has been automatically enrolled in the new feature. Their physical location from time to time is therefore available – to anybody. This is already operational, right now. (Get more details from www.bbc.co.uk)

675 Women murdered in “Honour Killings” in Pakistan in the first nine months of 2011

The AFP on December 20 reports that a total of 675 women and girls were killed in the name of “honour” across Pakistan from January to September, 2011. That’s an average of 18 women every week, all year-round. The final figures are expected to be similar to 2010’ s figure of 791 once the tally for the remaining 3 months is added. According to statistics provided by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, about 130 of the victims were killed for marrying without permission. Some 19 were killed by their sons, 49 by their fathers and 169 by their husbands. At least 71 of the victims were under the age of 18.

Even outside Pakistan, Pakistani nationals keep implementing their “honour-killing” code with all impunity. For instance in the UK, a court believed that a child born out of wedlock by a young Pakistani lady will eventually be tracked down and killed by her family for honour’s sake - even in the UK. The court therefore has ordered that the baby be put up for secret adoption (http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/uk-court-says-muslim-baby-at-risk-of-being-honor-killed-must-be-adopted/). Elsewhere, in Belgium, four members of a Pakistani family were in December sent to prison for the murder of their daughter and sister. The girl had defied the family by living with a Belgian man and refusing an arranged marriage. Figures provided on JihadWatch indicate that the Moslem world is responsible for 91% of all “honour killings” in the world.

The number of women seriously abused in the name of honour, without outright killing, are simply legion. In a recent case reported by the AFP on December 19, a Pakistani man went a step above the Islam- permitted hitting of his teenage wife, to chop off her nose and lips in the midst of a furious marital row. The 17 year old wife Salma Bibi tells her story: "He repeatedly slapped my face and then went into the room and brought with him a locally made, sharp razor. I started shouting in panic. He tied my hands and foot with a rope and chopped off my nose and lips" (for details, see http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2011/12/pakistani-muslim-chops-off-wifes-lips.html).

It’s hard to see what is honorable in these brutalities. In other cultures of the world, Nigeria for example, “honour killing” would actually suggest killing oneself, and not the other, weaker person!

Forced Sterilization revealed in Peru

The latest scandal of mass forced sterilization is unfolding in the Latin American country of Peru. Just like the case of Brazil where millions of young women (particularly blacks) were systematically sterilized without their knowledge (see Church Arise! Vol 6 No 4, 2003), an estimated 300,000 young Peruvians were surreptitiously sterilized over a period of at least ten years, during the government of Alberto Fujimori.

Sterilization of young men and women in Peru first started as a state policy with generous funding from the US (USAID) and the UN (UNICEF). Initially, people were encouraged to volunteer, but gradually as pressure mounted on the health practitioners to meet up certain “targets” , doctors began to perform surgical sterilization on people, whenever they had the opportunity (as during caesarian delivery of babies) – without informing the patient! A notable case was Victoria Vigo who later sued the doctor and was awarded damages of about £2,000. During the trial in 2003, the doctor reportedly claimed he was only following instructions and that the practice of sterilising patients – with or without their knowledge or consent – was standard among Peru's public healthcare providers. Peru's Medical Association concurred, but insisted that its members were pressured into carrying out sterilisations, including under the threat of losing their jobs.

What is bringing back to life this once closed investigation into the issue of forced sterilizations is the case of Mamerita Mestanza. The 33-year old mother-of-seven died in 1998 from complications that developed during sterilisation surgery which health officials allegedly harassed her into accepting. In 2001, the Peruvian state agreed to an out-of-court settlement with the family of Ms Mestanza, including a compensation payment of $100,000. The case was shelved in 2009 after it was deemed to have lapsed under the statute of limitations. However, prosecutors have now reclassified the sterilisations as a crime against humanity, meaning there is no time limit for perpetrators to be brought to justice. Fujimori (already serving a 25 year jail sentence) and his three health ministers Eduardo Yong Motta, Alejandro Aguinaga and Marino Costa Bauer could therefore be facing fresh trials soon.

Victoria Ugo described the pain of helplessly watching the State intrude in the most personal aspects of her life. "Of course it has changed my life. …The instinct to be a mother is so powerful. Having that snatched away from you takes away your whole purpose in life, your reason for being." www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sterilisation-perus-darkest-secret-6273734.html

Historically, men have always been fascinated with the idea of trying to play God in the lives of their fellow men. In vol 6 no 4 we reported on an “on-going covert mass sterilization program sponsored by the US and targeting 13 developing countries, including Nigeria and Brazil.” Brazil’s response to that development included a formal congressional inquiry which unearthed such an extensive rot that made Brazilian authorities to complain that the level of US population assistance had become “overwhelming and unnecessary!” In Volume 13 no 4, we reported on the clamour by a British Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences that “unfit” members of society (i.e. the mentally and morally ”unfit”) be permanently sterilized. (see http://churcharise.blogspot.com/2010/10/british-professor-advocates-forced.html) Also a few weeks before then, Bill Gates had called for “massive sterilizations of the world”, suggesting that vaccines be laced with sterilizing chemicals. According to Bill Gates, vaccines, if used aggressively, could help the world do “away with 1.5 billion people” (see vol 13 no 2 or /www.youtube.com/watch?v=f21fPRw9JaU for details on this apparent slip of the tongue)

An online Search for the words “forced sterilization” (on Google, for instance) will yield dozens of records of incidences of official forced sterilization spanning several countries – from America to Australia (for example, see http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/forcedsterilization.html.). Reportage often comes up only years after such mass sterilization has ceased. Curiously, the only place for which no such records exist is black Africa. Could it be that such mass sterilization programme is still on-going on the continent?

New York City Orders Churches To Quit Public School Buildings

About 60 churches who worship in public school buildings in New York City will have to find alternative venues for their services by February 12, 2012. This development is as a result of a court ruling upholding the decision of the New York City Department of Education to ban religious activities on school premises in that city. In reality, the churches only meet in the buildings on Sundays, when school was not in session; and many of them have excellent mutually beneficial relationships with the school. The case had been on since 1994 before the ruling by the Second Circuit. Hopes that the Supreme Court would reverse this decision were dashed when the Court declined in early December to even hear the case.

Happily, church leaders are not miffed by the situation. In general, they are saying,
"Well it is an inconvenience, but 'Our identity is not in a building, our identity is who we are as a body.”
Rather than cause a set-back, the situation is compelling them to look more prayerfully at their ministries. 'How can we best be the body of Christ in this city'? they are asking themselves. Sounds like Acts of Apostles.
Particularly for the large churches, finding a large-enough facility within the same neighbourhood is a huge task. Many are therefore thinking decentralization. “Maybe we need two locations instead of one because of where our people come from” some are beginning to reflect.

Hawaiian churches denied exemption from same-sex civil unions

While the State and the Church of England engage themselves in the cat-and-mouse game described in the previous article , The shape of things to come can be gleaned from new developments in the US state of Hawaii. There, a court has refused to exempt churches from being compelled to allow their property to be used for civil union ceremonies.

As in England, the State is still willing, at least for the time being, to exempt the clergy from taking part in same-sex rites; but no such exemption is provided for Church properties. The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God have therefore requested a restraining order to block the law (effective Jan 1, 2012) from requiring them to hire out their Church halls for the conduct of same-sex civil unions. But U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied the request.

Things are therefore coming full circle in the US. Before, the clamour was for the separation of State and Church – such as no prayers allowed in public schools. The US government even recently attempted to ban Bibles or other religious reading materials from being given away or used during any visit to patients at Walter Reed, the country’s largest Military hospital – if not for a prompt expression of outrage by Christians (see
www.christianpost.com/news/over-20000-sign-petition-over-banned-bibles-at-military-hospital-64207/). And as we can see from the next story below, the same principle is being used to evict Churches from using public school halls for worship in New York - even when the schools were not in session (Sunday mornings) and there were considerable financial and other benefits in kind being enjoyed by the schools under the arrangements. Now, in the same God’s own country, godless advocates are insisting that Church halls must be made available for utter desecration in homosexual unions. Whither the right to free exercise of religious conviction in the famed Land of the Brave? www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=1507496

Church of England Rejects Same-Sex Civil Partnership Ceremonies

The Church of England (CoE) has reiterated that it will not allow civil partnerships for people of the same sex to be registered on their premises despite the passage of a new law in England and Wales that gives the church and other religious premises the “opportunity” to do so. A written statement released on Dec 1 by the Church’s Secretary General, William Fittall reads in part: “No Church of England religious premises may become ‘approved premises’ for the registration of civil partnerships without there having been a formal decision by the General Synod to that effect.”

Previously, under the Civil Partnership Act of 2004, civil partnerships could not be registered on religious premises . In March 2010, however, the Parliament decided during the passage of the Equality Act of 2010 to remove the prohibition on places of worship. This amendment was approved on Nov. 8, 2011 and it comes into full force beginning Monday Dec 5, 2011

The Church of England is however quick to ‘respectfully decline” to use this new “opportunity” to participate in registering civil partnerships. It justifies this stand by referring to “Clear assurances ... given in Parliament by the then Government that the new possibility for the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises would operate by way of denominational opt-in and that no Church or other religious body would be under any obligation to permit the registration of civil partnerships on its premises.”

The Christian Post, in reporting the stand of the CoE also observes that the government of David Cameron had also “issued a consultation document, reaffirming previous commitments by the previous leaders, which the Archbishops’ Council and the Standing Committee of the House of Bishops both agreed upon.”

But how would the Church marry this position with the country’s Equality Act 2010 which makes it unlawful for ‘a person concerned with the provisions of a service to the public or a section of the public’ to discriminate on various grounds, including sexual orientation, ‘against a person requiring the service by not providing the person with the service’? The Church’s Legal House claims that their decision was not discriminating in a way which was unlawful under the Act because they were “not concerned” with the service of civil partnership registrations.

“A Church which provides couples with the opportunity to marry (but not to register civil partnerships) is ‘concerned with’ the provision of marriage only; it is simply not ‘concerned’ with the provision of faculties to register civil partnerships,” the Legal Office noted. “That would be a different ‘service,’ marriage and civil partnership being legally different concepts.”

This argument thus rests heavily on the definition of “marriage” to automatically mean a union between opposite sexes. The question is how long will that definition remain valid? Evidently, changing the legal definition of marriage is the next task the gay movement has assigned itself. Rather than all these laborious process of fighting the satanic concept of same-sex marriage, how refreshing to be able to simply declare, as the Church in Nigeria is able: we oppose same-sex union because it is sin and abomination before God! Period. Nigerians must never compromise the right to freely hold such a position.

The Church of England recognizes the tenuousness of its position and concedes, as reported by the Christian Post, that “If the Parliament were to legislate for same sex marriage, however, which the Prime Minister recently suggested, the church would reassess the issue.” With the threats of fire and brimstone David Cameron is breathing down on Nigeria on the issue of same-sex marriage, there can be no doubting which direction he is taking his native country England.

In the meantime, the Church of England laboriously continues with its self-defence, explaining that the nondiscrimination requirement imposed by the Equality Act on service-providers did not include a requirement to undertake the provision of other services, in this case civil partnership registrations, that a service-provider was not already concerned with providing just because the services that it currently offered were of such a nature that they tended to benefit only persons of a particular age, sex, sexual orientation, etc.

“For example,” the church argued, “a gentlemen’s outfitter is not required to supply women’s clothes. A children’s book shop is not required to stock books that are intended for adults. And a Church that provides a facility to marry is not required to provide a facility to same-sex couples for registering civil partnerships.”

Additionally, the Legal Office commented that the church was not violating the public sector equality duty contained in the Equality Act as well because the church was not exercising public functions in making their decision to deny civil partnership registrations.

We salute the position of the Church of England, but sympathizes with their inability to simply freely declare their religious convictions based on the clear words of God without all these legal rigmarole.
(Story sourced from The Christian Post Dec. 03 2011)

Church of Scotland says ‘No” to Same-Sex Marriage, Denmark Churches embrace it

The Church of Scotland has responded to the government's question as to whether or not it should allow same-sex marriage in that country. The answer is a resounding “NO.” In a statement on its website, the Church wrote: “The Church of Scotland cannot agree that the law in Scotland should be changed to allow same-sex marriage.The Government’s proposal fundamentally changes marriage as it is understood in our country and our culture – that it is a relationship between one man and one woman”. While the church's statement categorically condemns “homophobia” which it regards as a sin it nevertheless affirms that the historic position of the Christian Church, which the Church of Scotland unflinchingly endorses, is that marriage is between one man and one woman. “Scriptural references to marriage, whether literal or metaphorical, all operate under this understanding.” the Church declared.

The church did not fail to express its concerns over the great speed with which the government has been trying to make the proposed changes. In the opinion of the Church of Scotland, the debate over the issue thus far is “patchy, undeveloped and exclusive of both ordinary people and the religious community.” The church said it is concerned that the government is acting too quickly, for the sake of pleasing a few, to change an institution that is highly valued in society by religious and non-religious people.

Patrick Harvie, member of the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish Green party, strongly disagreed with the Church and averred that allowing same-sex marriage would actually strengthen marriage in the country.

The man would have been proud to have been a Dane. This is because Denmark, the first country to endorse civil union between homosexual partners in 1989 is now set to be the first to officially embrace gay wedding in its churches.

Beginning from February 2012, gay couples can now have full weddings in the Lutheran Church of Denmark. New church minister of the Church of Denmark, Manu Sareen, enthused: “I look forward to the moment the first homosexual couple steps out of the church.” Officially 80 percent of Danes belong to the Lutheran Church of Denmark, (but only 5% actually regularly attend).

In Denmark, a portion of tax dollars collected from Danish citizens is allocated to churches and religious groups. About $1.1 million is allocated annually to churches and religious organizations. http://www.christianpost.com/news/gay-marriage-ok-in-denmark-churches-62818/

Nigeria: Introducing “Witches for Jesus”!

Much has been written both on the Internet and mainstream media, on the so-called slap by a highly respected Bishop on a supposed innocent girl.While we do not hold brief for the man of God (whom, by the way, we deeply admire and respect), we believe the incident has important lessons for the saints as we slug it out with a desperate devil these end times.

We’ve gone through some transcripts provided of the event – most of them crudely edited to promote some uncharitable perspectives. Apparently, the man of God had made an altar call for those involved in witchcraft, and who wished for deliverance, to step forward. Apparently some who stepped out were coerced into doing so (e.g. by concerned relatives) and they were not willing to openly admit to being practicing witches in need of deliverance. Even though transcripts provided by the most ardent critics clearly reported the Bishop by-passing at least one such case and telling her to continue on the path to hell if she was not willing to renounce witchcraft and embrace Jesus, the incident of slapping of the “innocent young girl” is the long-sought opportunity the desperate anti-christian press needed to bash an influential and unstoppable Christian minister.

The simple and clear fact however, is that what got the Bishop all provoked was the insistence of the subject that she is a witch for Jesus. The slap was therefore not a process of deliverance - as being portrayed in the tomes that have now been written trying to link the Bishop with the numerous incidences of child abuse connected with so-called deliverance ministers from various religious and spiritual expressions.

Our interest in the case however, is the apparent genuine insistence of the girl to being a Jesus’ witch. It is what she really believes! And it speaks volumes about the infiltration of the Church with satanic concepts painted in Christian terms. Over the years, we have been shouting ourselves hoarse on this dangerous trend: myriads of lodges, freemasons, cults, and inter-faith buffs sincerely believe (and seek to teach) that they are worshipping the Lord Jesus, while so blatantly opposing His commandments! See for instance the last edition for the story of the Norwegian mass murderer who insisted in all apparent sincerity that he was defending the Church!

Unfortunately, these high profile cases are only the tip of the iceberg. In the vast majority of cases, observable from day to day, the issues are not quite as stark clear as the examples cited here. Nevertheless, it’s the same phenomenon: multitudes who engage in clear sinful living still tenaciously believe they are serving Jesus and are Heaven-bound!

The Scripture is quite clear on the issue, however:
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:5-6)

Recommended further reading: Blending Witchcraft and Christianity (Spiritual Warfare, Part 4). By Berit Kjos (October 24, 2011)
www.crossroad.to/Quotes/spirituality/African-witchcraft.htm

US: Lutheran Church Invites High Priestess Of Isis To Speak At Conference

A high priestess of the pagan fertility goddess Isis, was one of the major speakers listed for the fifth annual "Faith and Feminism Conference" of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church, ELCA, (Nov.11–13, 2011)
Loreon Vigne, high priestess of the Egyptian goddess Isis, will be bringing several other priestesses from her Oasis Temple “to conduct prayers, songs and meditation,” organizers of the so-called Christian conference announced.

What exactly is this meditation? Ms Vigne explains: "Guided meditation is where the audience closes their eyes and you take them on a little journey. I've taken people to their past lives in Egypt, as [that culture] had all the secrets….”

Defending the event, one of the organizers, Rev. Megan Rohrer told the World Net Daily, "I think the world is much more interested in interfaith connection than exclusivity." Rohrer holds the unenviable “distinction” of being the first openly transgender Lutheran minister ordained in the United States. Other events announced for the conference include a chanting workshop with another Isis priestess, Katie Kethcum, "inclusive" hymns, Interplay, Individual Reiki Sessions, Labyrinth, sacred walks, sacred drums, sacred dance, and Kundalini Yoga mantras, which the church says "are composed of basic phonetic sounds common to all languages and have been used to invoke the presence of the Divine for centuries.

The ELCA refers to itself as Her-Church and describes God as a female. According to this notorious church, faith in Jesus is not needed for salvation. Read details of this story at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2011/November01/0152.html. The next story below shows that the concept of harmonizing Jesus and goddess-worship is seeking for acceptance, even in Nigeria

US: Planned Parenthood baits teens into homosexuality with jobs

Planned Parenthood groups in the United States are now hiring children to drive their new sexuality agenda. In a use-one-stone-to-kill-multiple-number-of- birds scheme, PP groups are not only targeting children with their corrupting messages, they are now using children to promote the messages to other children.

For instance, under the "Seriously Talking About Responsible Sex" (STARS) scheme, the PP group in New York is hiring teenagers into the paid positions of so-called “peer educators”. Part of the conditions for securing such a position is an undertaking to attend Albany’s annual homosexual “pride” parade.

Duane Motley of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms objects very seriously to this practice. Speaking with OneNewsNow, he recalled how the PP enlisted children into making phone calls to promote New York's homosexual "marriage" bill that passed and was signed into law in June 2011. To rub in salt into the injury, the wages for these innocent teens are being settled using tax-payers’ money. Of course most people are completely unaware of the situation!

Similar programmes exist in several other Planned Parenthood groups all over the United States. In Wisconsin, the group there recently announced it was hiring seven "youth health educators" to influence teens on sexual issues.(For more details, see www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1501474)

The Fuel Subsidy Removal Palaver

The “mother of all protests” against the removal of fuel subsidy continues into the second week, albeit with somewhat less force. Much heated debate however continues on the streets (as it did earlier in the House of Reps). Especially by people who would score cheap points or at least let off some steam by hauling expletives at the President. Unfortunately, it looks more like a SouthWest issue. The North is mostly too busy with the Boko Haram menace, while the South East has quite bluntly expressed unreserved support for government’s policy on the matter.

Unfortunately while the so-called masses continue with their tyre burning and barricading of major roads (and extortion has inevitably cropped in); and the middle class elites continue with their heated discussions at street corners and at media houses, the real beneficiaries of petrol subsidy are most certainly engaged in some other types of activities. This tiny group, comprising of stinkingly rich and corrupt officials at the NNPC and allied government agencies, or the cabals that smuggle petroleum products for re-selling at neighbouring countries, not to talk of their political god-fathers involved either in refining petrol products abroad to be re-imported back into Nigeria on their terms – this tiny group are not to be found wasting words or sweat in their evil quest to maintain the status quo.

There is absolutely no need for any “security report” before one could make a good guess as to what they are probably doing even at this very moment – writing fat cheques to mould opinions through the mass media and putting pressure on appropriate quarters, including both government and Labour, in order to confuse issues and protect their rotten interest. Any one who is ignorant of this critical factor has no business offering any commentary on the subsidy removal issue!

At the end of the day, we believe, Nigerians will eventually realize that both President Goodluck and Labour Leaders have been the major patriotic parties used by God to shake a monumental corrupt structure that Fuel Subsidy represented. The President needs an informed, interested and outspoken public to make “democratic” demands which will “compel” him to take necessary efforts to tackle the corrupt cabal – most of which are alleged to have been his sponsors and staunch supporters for the top office. Only the most naïve would require the President to take steps that would not only amount to political suicide, but will also not yield any lasting impact – such as unilaterally hoisting some top fellas into jail – without first ensuring that such a process will not only be fully supported by the public, but will actually be driven by the public. The public’s response to the President’s “dialogue” on the previously unmentionable issue of fuel subsidy is currently being spearheaded by the Labour Congress. Labour is of course under its own pressures – not only from political forces that would want to use it as a tool to further their own selfish hidden agenda, but also from the naïve and ever-skeptical followership which automatically sees a “sell-out” in any responsible discussion or rancor-free agreement between Labour and Government!

Discerning Christians must therefore continue to pray that the Almighty God will use the on-going process as His joker to achieve the deliverance of our beloved country from the hands of the forces of pauperization who have kept us in bondage for so long. At least, now people are asking seriously why our refineries are not working and official reports documenting monumental corruption in government agencies like the NNPC, which the average Nigerian was totally uninterested in a few weeks ago, are now the subject of hot passionate discussions. So far so good, but prayers and good confessions remain paramount.

In conclusion, Nigerians need not despair at the on-going situation. Rather with thanksgiving, we should continue to request that the good Lord will complete the good works He has began, and release His joker on the jokers who have kept Nigeria under their pockets all these decades.