GCG - until every family is doing well©
* The Church for The Internet Generation *
* For The Modern World *
*The First Worldwide Internet Community Church with Biblical principles for all people*
Worship in a church that follows The Bible, in a church where the pastors and leaders themselves live by The Bible
and not in a church where the situation may be "do as I preach, not as I do myself"
The pastors and leaders in the Global Church of God - GCG live by The Bible and do what they teach & preach
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Link to the Radio Show
Click: The Miracle Show
Connects directly to Radio Show original recordings (24/7 access).
Get free, never expiring CEU, College & University credits, valid worldwide - register as a listener; instructions below.
The Miracle Show dated texts listed below close to the end of this page
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"Bless This Day"
is the title of the music & song our Internet Radio Ministry Show,
The Miracle Show,
has as its lead music at the beginning and at the end of the broadcast
Hear its beauty now
Click: Worship Music
There click (1) the picture of "Rich and Mel" and then
click (2) the first track: "Rich and Mel Spriggs - Bless this Day"
*Have your day blessed*
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The Bible is the success book for the good life
Quotation
"The family that prays together stays together,
and if they stay together they will love one another
as God has loved each one of them.
And works of love are always works of peace"
Mother Teresa
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Click: Mother Teresa
God's original plan
is to have the family with two parents,
man & woman as husband and wife,
as a place to raise our children
to grow up as healthy, successful adults
The modern maritological science agrees with God's plan
This article compiled & written and all new principles presented are developed
by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., The founding Pastor of Global Church of God - GCG
Copyrighted 2015
The suggested political principles in any article in this website are the intellectual properties of the author,
are copyrighted until formally presented to the nation's legislation process and given to the public application
God's original plan, since Adam & Eve, has been that a marriage is holy (= blessed by God and untouchable) and is, by God's order, meant to be lasting forever. In the marriage vow the part "together in good and bad until death takes us apart..." has the biblical origin and goes like this:
"In the name of God, I, ______, take you, ______, to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Some statistics about Satan, the Devil's work:
Infidelity.com reports that 57% of American men and 54% of American women admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they have been in.
The same site reports that 53% of American marriages end in divorce and that 74% of men and 68% of women says they would have an affair if they knew they would never be caught. There is more to the divorce statistics - see below.
These are depressing statistics, to say the least. Satan, The Devil is happy about these numbers, no one else is. There is more to the divorce statistics - see below.
Jesus' Teaching about Divorce
Mark 10: 6-12
6"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." 11He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
Adultery is a Sin against God and One’s Spouse.
Additional Statistics
The marriage vow repeated:
"In the name of God, I, ______, take you, ______, to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Do most not people know what the 2 words "solemn vow" mean: they mean "dignified, & serious promise"
What is the level of our "solemn vows", the level of our "solemn words", the level of our "solemn sincerity", the level of our "solemn promise" when in our days, similar to many other western countries, the divorce numbers in America based on the 2015 statistics from the U.S.Census and the Coalition of Divorce Reform are:
(1) About 20 million adults have been divorced at least once, (2) 50 % of all marriages end in divorce within the first 5 years, (3) Of the couples that last 5 years, only half make to their 10th wedding anniversary. That's a 75 % divorce rate before the 10th anniversary,
(4) Over 80 % of divorcees reference 'irreconcilable differences" as the reason for separation.
What do "irreconcilable differences" mean?
Click: Census.gov
Click: Coalition for Divorce Reform
The words "irreconcilable differences" mean "cannot be made compatible". That's the biggest joke here and Satan, The Devil, laughs loudest when we humans cry bitterly in our pain. It is only the divorce lawyers' invention to use 2 such words to sound serious and pretend its importance. The real issue is that people are not (before getting married) systematically taught any marriage skills and not taught how to communicate and how to negotiate peacefully in a marriage. In addition, for several natural reasons the emotional balance in the marriage can change and cause challenges to the couple because no one has been told (before getting married) how certain new things can and will affect the marriage balance & feeling of unity. Most people get married without first learning the necessary skills that are needed to maintain a happy marriage. Yet the marriage is the most demanding relationship in the human life but also the most rewarding when handled correctly.
Before anyone gets married the couple has dated quite a long time - during that time both certainly have seen if they both are compatible together as a couple or not. What reasonable person would ever marry a person he/she would think is not compatible and reconcilable.
Thus the common reason for a divorce, "irreconcilable differences", is all non-sense and does not describe the real problem that breaks marriages.
The real problem is not a problem in the couple's relationship, not at all. Most divorces, perhaps nearly all, are totally unnecessary and every divorce only brings misery to everyone involved. The innocent children are the biggest sufferers.
Close to 100 % of divorces are based on the fact that NO ONE has learned the skills how to succeed in a marriage, how to communicate in a marriage during different times, how to behave in a marriage and what the invisible dangers for a failure can be. E.g., when the first baby comes the marriage balance will change. There is not as much time as before to pay attention only to one's spouse as was before - that can lead to misunderstandings and fights, often for the first time in their otherwise happy marriage. Add more babies, and the marriage can get a 2nd space and the previous quality time between the spouses gets smaller. The new challenges can be difficult to handle because most couples are not trained to know how to handle the new situation. In these times often the divorce ideas start growing.
When a couple gets married, every "love couple" couple has real love between the two of them. The fact is that "real love" never dies, no matter what we may think.
Many of us have wrong conceptions about marriage and about many other life events because our schools are not properly preparing us for life.
(When referring to marriages based on real love, we are not talking about a person going to Las Vegas, getting drunk and waking up in the morning with a ring on her/his finger. We are also not talking about a billionaire marrying a trophy wife. Click: Trophy wife)
The reason good marriages fail is that the skills how to keep the real love alive forever are not taught systematically to everyone in our schools. If we did, the divorces would disappear almost to 0 % - then only about 10% of marriages may still fail. This is an estimate based on the research done on the effect of proper happy marriage couple training.
The purpose of the school is to prepare every person for a successful life. For what reason are we not teaching proper life & marriage relationship skills in our schools? Are our marriages not one of our important pillars in life = the future generation(s) depend on them?
The happy marriage skills, the proper child raising skills and other life success & communication skills are not systematically taught in our schools. Yet, are not all of these skills the basic skills important for everyone and in everything? The real reasons why so many marriages fail is that these skills are not properly or not at all in our school curriculum. Broken families are also a huge economical burden in our national economy.
To put it briefly: the real reason to divorces is the lacking systematic training how to be happily married. Most people never learn anywhere how to solve arguments in a loving, civilized manner. Most people do not know how to properly raise children. Most people do not even know how to keep their body in a healthy condition - over 75 % of Americans are overweight and close to 50 % soon obese - all causing endless list of sicknesses and ruining lives. And the devil laughs when our families suffer and fail.
The not-for-profit organization, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., an affiliate to our Global Church of God - GCG, is the leading new organization in all family related matters, in all family health related topics and in all other topics relating to the GOOD life.
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! ! !
Benefit now from a new internet seminar for the happiness in your marriage -
it is still free for a limited time.
To effectively learn marriage success skills Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, is offering still a free internet seminar in its website.
Study that seminar with your spouse and with your children and apply the information.
The seminar is still free but may soon be having a fee. Start studying the seminar now to get it free.
The link info is below after the next important article "The 14 disasters your children will face in a separation or in a divorce."
It is in STAF, Inc.'s website in tab: "Services" and there in sub-tab: "Restoring Any Marriage - RAM". The seminar starts close to the page top and is titled:
"Introduction to Happiness
Marriage Happiness - Family Happiness - Happiness in Life
The link to STAF, Inc.'s website is after the next article below
"All of these 14 disasters listed below ......"
. _________________________________________________________
All of these 14 disasters listed below
are based on the most recent family science
Once more:
Every child faces these serious life threatening
disasters
when experiencing parental separation or divorce
Is this what you want for your children?
Is this what you want to your both, the parents?
Are you both, as the parents, really willing to destroy your marriage and your children because of your own selfish, uncivilized, inhuman attitude?
The dictionary definition for "inhuman" is "very fierce, aggressive or cruel, having or showing no interest in individual people or their feelings, lacking emotional warmth
All those words describe low human qualities - that means better quality in communication can be achieved
God's original plan, since Adam & Eve, has been that a marriage is holy and is, by God's order meant to be lasting forever.
In the marriage vow the part "together in good and bad until death takes us apart..." has the biblical origin and goes like this:
"In the name of God, I, ______, take you, ______, to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
What is the level of our vows, the level of our words, the level of our sincerity, when in our days the divorce numbers in America (and similar to many other western countries) based on 2015 statistic from the U.S.Census and the Coalition of Divorce Reform are:
(1) About 20 million adults have been divorced at least once, (2) 50 % of all marriages end in divorce within the first 5 years, (3) Of the couples that last
5 years, only half make to their 10th wedding anniversary. That's a 75 % divorce rate before the 10th anniversary, (4) Over 80 % of divorcees reference 'irreconcilable differences" as the reason for separation.
What do "irreconcilable differences" mean? "It means nothing else than the same what this article and many more articles GCG has written?
It means (1) to practice "self-love", (2) to practice "lacking respect for the other person's needs or words", (3) to practice "impatience", (4) it simply means "lacking excellent negotiations skills to reach a universally = mutually acceptable solution to any and all hardship situation that ALWAYS occur to every person in life, sooner or later. Is it really worth of ruining your happy marriage life and destroy your children's future
Click: Census.gov
Click: Coalition for Divorce Reform
Every fight, every argument is only based on the selfishness in us all humans. But we all can learn to let the selfish "me, me, me" go and learn "forgiveness and understanding". In every war (even the fights at home) the human self-love, impatient in negotiations and lacking respect for the other party is the original reason.
Satan, the Devil, the Great Deceiver is behind all human failure.
The 2 most important success laws (= commandments), based on Jesus's words are:
(1) Love God = loving God means "respecting His knowledge that much that we bother listening to His wise success guidance by applying his 10 success laws (= in old-fashioned language "10 Commandments) in our life, and
(2) love your neighbor. "Loving your neighbor" means "respecting our closest people by showing patience, by talking peacefully and by listening with an open mind to find the solutions acceptable by both of us or by all people involved. Click: Great Commandment
In every fight BOTH parties are always wrong. Take competent marriage counseling that brings results to maintain your marriage. If your counselor states (as many "modern" ones do "if you cannot get along, get apart". That's not counseling, that is lack of proper marriage counseling skills. If your counselor says so, say "thank you - we already know that" and that is not what we want to hear, we want to learn how to make this marriage function on the level of a heavenly happiness as it was at the beginning. We need to know what went wrong and "get apart" advice is not solving anything". Then run, because such a counselor can only hurt your marriage.
Many colleges have a very low quality level in their marriage counseling training.
The organization, affiliated to our church Global Church of God, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City with nationwide and worldwide operations, is the leader in all family-related topics and an experienced specialist in guiding marriages to succeed, has new, effective seminars and training programs in all happy marriage-related topics, in all healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition topics, in all life success topics and also in all financial & investment topics just to name a few most important areas of life.
When you need competent marriage happiness counseling, contact STAF, Inc. via emai: [email protected]
Both of you parents: study this article in front you and this list next below with your children and study with your children the complete seminar how to build marriage happiness (still free time being in STAF, Inc.'s tab: Services, sub-tab: Restoring Any Marriage (TM) - instructions how to find it next above)
Every child faces these 14 life destroying disasters when experiencing parental separation or divorce
(1) overall increased risks to health & welfare;
(2) 5 times more likely to commit suicide;
(3) 32 times more likely to run away;
(4) 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders;
(5) 14 times more likely to commit rape;
(6) 9 times more likely to drop out of school;
(7) 10 times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs;
(8) 20 times more likely to end up in prison;
(9) increased learning difficulties;
(10) increased risk of divorce when grown;
(11) increased out of wedlock pregnancies;
(12) highly increased risk of having a stroke during his/her life time,
(13) serious high blood pressure challenges in their adult years when growing up with only one parent.
(14) Children's obesity rate rises 104 % with parents' divorce.
List of 14 above - source:
(1) U.S. gov. statistics, (2) Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.
click: www.staf1org.weebly.com
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! ! ! ! !
Benefit now from a new study material for the happiness in your marriage
- it is still free for a limited time.
To effectively learn marriage success skills Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, is offering still a free internet seminar in its website.
Study that seminar with your spouse and with your children and apply the information.
The seminar is still free but may soon be having a fee.
Start studying the seminar now. It is in STAF, Inc.'s website in tab: "Services" and there in sub-tab: "Restoring Any Marriage - RAM".
The seminar starts close to the page top and is titled:
"Introduction to Happiness"
Marriage Happiness - Family Happiness - Happiness in Life
Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - (click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
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PLEASE NOTICE:
As of today the whole beautiful HOME page in this website with important & beneficial information has disappeared - GCG has informed the web provider Weebly
to repair the damage and return the page as it is some kind of a technical mistake and not caused by GCG
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Link to the Radio Show
Click: The Miracle Show
Connects directly to Radio Show original recordings (24/7 access).
Get free, never expiring CEU, College & University credits, valid worldwide - register as a listener; instructions below.
The Miracle Show dated texts listed close to the end of this page
________________________________
Comments from the public:
From a Radio Show Listener:
To Dr. Christian:
The radio show is truly good for all people and I have asked that it grows beyond measure to reach all people in all walks of life if they have the ears to hear the wisdom you speak and truly want to heal.
What u give has no dollar amount!!!
Big Hug,
Joel
Link to The Miracle Show Click: http://hudsonliberty.com/tv
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Mr. Joel is willing to give additional details relating to his comment
To make arrangements to connect with him, please call GCG (203) 788-1876
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To make arrangements to connect with him, please call GCG (203) 788-1876
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The Story Treasure
Thousands dated article-gems of interest
handling different local, nationwide & worldwide topics
below towards the end of this page - visit the treasure and enjoy
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The Miracle Show
Get free CEU, College-University credits, never expiring, valid worldwide
By listening regularly every week to our Radio/TV Christian Ministry Shows the Biblical Guidance for Success in Life will reach you and your family with the most modern technology. (24/7 access to all past recordings)
No matter what your age (- age is just a number), you are a member of the new internet society.
Today’s internet is the way of our lifestyle and we all depend on that and use it more or less.
The Miracle Show, the name of our Internet Christian Ministry Radio/TV Services, reveals in a new manner for the first time ever, based on the modern sciences, and in a way no other Christian Ministry show does, clear evidence that The Bible is the full historical truth and that The Bible matches all information the modern sciences have discovered.
No other ministry show provides this evidence in a way this Church, GLOBAL CHURCH OF GOD, does.
You will be astonished – it is all new information – you do want to learn to know it all. With that information you will improve your and your family’s life in every aspect. The GCG Ministry Web links are provided on this page.
A VALUABLE BENEFIT FROM GCG - Get free CEU, College & University credits by listening to the show recordings
Exceptionally, you are able to earn free CEU & College/University Credits just by listening to the recordings on our Radio/TV site
(24/7 access to all past recordings).
YOU NEED TO REGISTER AS “ACHIEVER OF FREE CREDIT UNITS” – they never expire –
See instructions next below under Added Benefits
Another link to The Miracle Show http://hudsonliberty.com/tv ____________________________________
Added Benefits
Earn free College and CE credits by listening to this show – YOU NEED TO REGISTER AS “ACHIEVER OF FREE CREDIT UNITS” – they never expire – register today (detailed instructions below)
In the internet generation era most people have 2 – 5 different careers during their lifetime – most likely you also – the laws will change, our social security will be less and shorter, our retirement age will get higher, education for your probably new profession is a must; you might go back to College after 5, 10, 15, or perhaps after 50 years. A GREAT benefit from GCG, as our Radio Show website info indicates, YOU WILL GET, AS THE MINISTRY SHOW LISTENER, FREE CEU & COLLEGE-UNIVERSITY CREDITS that never expire.
To get the credits and save and keep them for any possible future use any time, you must register with GCG as the achiever of the credits.
When you register as the achiever of the free CE/College/University credits, you will (1) get a personal ID and (2) the related info how to get and keep forever these valuable credits. GCG will confirm your registration by email and give you detailed instructions for collecting the credits.
A wise decision is to register today – you most likely need the free credits sooner or later. Some professions demand yearly certain amount of new educational credits.
The credits never expire. Email or call 212-946-1234 to request info how to register.
Email: [email protected] Register today – you need this option for your future. The free credits never expire, they are valid nationwide & worldwide in any country.
Earn free College and CE credits by listening to this show – YOU NEED TO REGISTER AS “ACHIEVER OF FREE CREDIT UNITS” – they never expire – register today (detailed instructions below)
In the internet generation era most people have 2 – 5 different careers during their lifetime – most likely you also – the laws will change, our social security will be less and shorter, our retirement age will get higher, education for your probably new profession is a must; you might go back to College after 5, 10, 15, or perhaps after 50 years. A GREAT benefit from GCG, as our Radio Show website info indicates, YOU WILL GET, AS THE MINISTRY SHOW LISTENER, FREE CEU & COLLEGE-UNIVERSITY CREDITS that never expire.
To get the credits and save and keep them for any possible future use any time, you must register with GCG as the achiever of the credits.
When you register as the achiever of the free CE/College/University credits, you will (1) get a personal ID and (2) the related info how to get and keep forever these valuable credits. GCG will confirm your registration by email and give you detailed instructions for collecting the credits.
A wise decision is to register today – you most likely need the free credits sooner or later. Some professions demand yearly certain amount of new educational credits.
The credits never expire. Email or call 212-946-1234 to request info how to register.
Email: [email protected] Register today – you need this option for your future. The free credits never expire, they are valid nationwide & worldwide in any country.
Click the blue The Miracle Show image above - it connects directly to Radio Ministry Show original recordings (24/7 access).
The show title is The Miracle Show - there may be some other show topics appearing first.
The past Miracle Show recordings(from all past years) are in 'On-Demand Episodes' starting just below the info for 'Upcoming Broadcasts'.
For the past show recordings to start go to 'On-Demand Episodes' & click on the blue show topic (sometimes helpful to click on the blue 'more') - it connects and opens that particular ministry show recording for your listening. You may adjust the voice volume as well as go back or forward in the recording.
The ministry show topic list for all past shows will be available in this website in the near future.
You may also call 203-788-1876 or email to: [email protected] to find the show date for a specific topic.
The past ministry show recordings can be purchased in different formats (CD's & all today's latest formats).
Selectively the ministry show material will be used as seminar & training material, published as books and appearing in different religious & science magazines.
The topic of The Miracle Show is "LIFE" based on the Biblical guidance - everything necessary for health, wealth, happiness & full life success, marriage, family matters,
all children related including the spiritual & earthly dangers from the separation or divorce to the couple & to the children, and all topics you see handled in this website.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The show title is The Miracle Show - there may be some other show topics appearing first.
The past Miracle Show recordings(from all past years) are in 'On-Demand Episodes' starting just below the info for 'Upcoming Broadcasts'.
For the past show recordings to start go to 'On-Demand Episodes' & click on the blue show topic (sometimes helpful to click on the blue 'more') - it connects and opens that particular ministry show recording for your listening. You may adjust the voice volume as well as go back or forward in the recording.
The ministry show topic list for all past shows will be available in this website in the near future.
You may also call 203-788-1876 or email to: [email protected] to find the show date for a specific topic.
The past ministry show recordings can be purchased in different formats (CD's & all today's latest formats).
Selectively the ministry show material will be used as seminar & training material, published as books and appearing in different religious & science magazines.
The topic of The Miracle Show is "LIFE" based on the Biblical guidance - everything necessary for health, wealth, happiness & full life success, marriage, family matters,
all children related including the spiritual & earthly dangers from the separation or divorce to the couple & to the children, and all topics you see handled in this website.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YouVersion
In the Beginning Was the Word; Now the Word Is on an App
Date: July 26, 2013
Click colored areas for further info
By AMY O’LEARYEDMOND, Okla. — More than 500 years after Gutenberg, the Bible is having its i-moment.
For millions of readers around the world, a wildly successful free Bible app, Click: YouVersion, is changing how, where and when they read the Bible.
Built by LifeChurch.tv, one of the nation’s largest and most technologically advanced evangelical churches, YouVersion is part of what the church calls its “digital missions.” They include a platform for online church services and prepackaged worship videos that the church distributes free. A digital tithing system and an interactive children’s Bible are in the works.
It’s all part of the church’s aspiration to be a kind of I.T. department for churches everywhere. YouVersion, with over 600 Bible translations in more than 400 languages, is by far the church’s biggest success. The app is nondenominational, including versions embraced by Catholics,Russian Orthodox and Messianic Jews. This month, the app reached 100 million downloads, placing it in the company of technology start-ups like Instagram and Dropbox.
“They have defined what it means to access God’s word on a mobile device,” said Geoff Dennis, an executive vice president of Crossway, one of many Bible publishers — from small presses to global Bible societies to News Corporation’s Thomas Nelson imprint — that have licensed their translations, free, to the church.
When Jen Sears, 37, a human resources manager in Oklahoma City, wants to pray these days, she leaves her Bible behind and grabs her phone instead.
“I have my print Bible sitting on my dresser at home, but it hasn’t moved” in the four years since she downloaded YouVersion, Mrs. Sears said.
The app, marketed simply as “The Bible,” has brought new donors to LifeChurch.tv. About $3 million was given by a handful of large donors to support development of the app last year; the church raised nearly $60 million over all, according to its financial statements. The church says it will have spent almost $20 million over all on YouVersion by the end of this year.
The church was founded in 1996 by a team consisting mostly of former business executives. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church, a wider association of 850 congregations, which gives its members wide latitude in their operations. It has 50,000 weekly attendees in 16 locations.
The Gutenberg behind YouVersion is the church’s 36-year-old “innovation pastor,” Bobby Gruenewald, whose training was in business, not religion.
Mr. Gruenewald grew up in Decatur, Ill., in an evangelical church, where as a teenager he started a Christian rap ministry. Later, he moved to Oklahoma to join his sixth-grade crush, now his wife, who left Illinois to study at Southern Nazarene University.
Here at the church’s headquarters, Mr. Gruenewald wears the same tennis shoes, slouchy jeans and T-shirts that suited him as a Christian rapper and small-time entrepreneur who bluffed his way into building Web sites, then ran a Web hosting company out of his dorm room and later sold a pro-wrestling fan Web site for $7 million.
He joined LifeChurch.tv in 2001 after playing keyboard in its house band. Since then, the church has allowed him to experiment without an eye to profit.
Mr. Gruenewald’s early efforts for LifeChurch.tv included a virtual church for the online Second Life community and a Google ad campaign to lure pornography consumers to the church instead. But then he had a critical insight: if the church wanted to attract younger people, it needed both to be technically advanced and to offer its resources free.
“We have a generation of people that can’t fathom paying 99 cents for a song that they love,” Mr. Gruenewald said, “and we were asking them to pay $20 for a book that they don’t understand.”
He made YouVersion available in 2008, as the first Bible in Apple’s App Store. That early release contained only a few translations, like the King James Version, mostly in the public domain. When he began trying to persuade traditional Bible publishers to enter licensing arrangements with him, he encountered suspicion.
“People would say: ‘If people read it on YouVersion and they’re not paying anything for it, what’s going to happen to my pew Bibles?’ ” said Mr. Dennis of Crossway. “‘What’s going to happen to the thinline Bible that people carry to church?’”
Adam Graber of Tyndale House, another publisher that provides translations for the app, expressed some reservations about YouVersion’s strong position in the market for Bible apps.
“One major player emerges, whether it’s Apple or Google or YouVersion,” he said. “It has its drawbacks in the sense that it gives people fewer options and it definitely consolidates power and kind of clumps that power into a few people’s hands.”
But Mr. Graber also said he saw benefits in being part of the app; he said he hoped readers who use his company’s translation would later buy additional print or digital editions.
He compared the relationship between YouVersion and traditional publishers to the “freemium” strategy common in mobile games where the core content is free, but extra features cost money. In this case, those extras are things like devotional Bibles, study Bibles or gold-embossed heirloom Bibles.
As YouVersion became increasingly popular, other publishers also came to view the app as a positive force — less a threat than a marketing opportunity. Although there are no ads on the app and no plans to create any, Mr. Gruenewald said, YouVersion collects vast amounts of data on Bible readership patterns. That trove of data provides valuable information about the habits and preferences of Christians that YouVersion selectively shares with its traditional publishing partners, such as which verses are the most popular within their own translations.
Today, the app contains everything from the New International Version to “The Message,” an ultramodern interpretation that reads like a juicy novel. It also includes the so-called Orthodox Jewish Bible, which was actually developed for a religious sect known as Messianic Jews, who believe that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews await.
And it has become a platform for evangelical leaders like Rick Warren to reach millions of people with custom reading plans; the pastor Billy Graham is the most recent addition. On Sunday mornings, as pastors around the country preach from iPads while congregations click on Corinthians, YouVersion’s servers track more than 600,000 requests every minute.
And lately the church has fielded a variety of requests, including from a Christian music Web site, a major Hollywood movie studio and television producers like Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who featured YouVersion alongside their biblical History Channel mini-series this year.
Scott Thumma, a professor at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, who studies large American churches, said YouVersion filled a longstanding vacuum for technological products aimed at a religious market. He called LifeChurch.tv “the most innovative congregation in the country in developing and using technology.”
The app has gained appreciation in the tech world as well.
“This is a remarkable tech start-up by any measure,” said Chi-Hua Chien, a partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins and a Christian who has offered informal advice to Mr. Gruenewald. He compared YouVersion with well-known ventures like Pinterest or Path.
“It is certainly going to be the most important distribution channel for anyone who is creating Christian faith content,” he said. “Where else can you go and reach 100 million people?”
Click the colored title below to get to the original article with pictures - if the link has expired search the New York Times website with the title
In the Beginning Was the Word - Now the Word Is on an App...With more than 100 million downloads & counting, YouVersion, a free app that offers over 600 Bible translations, has found itself in the company of ...July 26, 2013 - By AMY O’LEARY - Technology - Article - Print Headline: "In the Beginning Was the Word,Now the Word Is on an App"
Click Colored areas for further info
Source: NYT
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In the Beginning Was the Word; Now the Word Is on an App
Date: July 26, 2013
Click colored areas for further info
By AMY O’LEARYEDMOND, Okla. — More than 500 years after Gutenberg, the Bible is having its i-moment.
For millions of readers around the world, a wildly successful free Bible app, Click: YouVersion, is changing how, where and when they read the Bible.
Built by LifeChurch.tv, one of the nation’s largest and most technologically advanced evangelical churches, YouVersion is part of what the church calls its “digital missions.” They include a platform for online church services and prepackaged worship videos that the church distributes free. A digital tithing system and an interactive children’s Bible are in the works.
It’s all part of the church’s aspiration to be a kind of I.T. department for churches everywhere. YouVersion, with over 600 Bible translations in more than 400 languages, is by far the church’s biggest success. The app is nondenominational, including versions embraced by Catholics,Russian Orthodox and Messianic Jews. This month, the app reached 100 million downloads, placing it in the company of technology start-ups like Instagram and Dropbox.
“They have defined what it means to access God’s word on a mobile device,” said Geoff Dennis, an executive vice president of Crossway, one of many Bible publishers — from small presses to global Bible societies to News Corporation’s Thomas Nelson imprint — that have licensed their translations, free, to the church.
When Jen Sears, 37, a human resources manager in Oklahoma City, wants to pray these days, she leaves her Bible behind and grabs her phone instead.
“I have my print Bible sitting on my dresser at home, but it hasn’t moved” in the four years since she downloaded YouVersion, Mrs. Sears said.
The app, marketed simply as “The Bible,” has brought new donors to LifeChurch.tv. About $3 million was given by a handful of large donors to support development of the app last year; the church raised nearly $60 million over all, according to its financial statements. The church says it will have spent almost $20 million over all on YouVersion by the end of this year.
The church was founded in 1996 by a team consisting mostly of former business executives. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church, a wider association of 850 congregations, which gives its members wide latitude in their operations. It has 50,000 weekly attendees in 16 locations.
The Gutenberg behind YouVersion is the church’s 36-year-old “innovation pastor,” Bobby Gruenewald, whose training was in business, not religion.
Mr. Gruenewald grew up in Decatur, Ill., in an evangelical church, where as a teenager he started a Christian rap ministry. Later, he moved to Oklahoma to join his sixth-grade crush, now his wife, who left Illinois to study at Southern Nazarene University.
Here at the church’s headquarters, Mr. Gruenewald wears the same tennis shoes, slouchy jeans and T-shirts that suited him as a Christian rapper and small-time entrepreneur who bluffed his way into building Web sites, then ran a Web hosting company out of his dorm room and later sold a pro-wrestling fan Web site for $7 million.
He joined LifeChurch.tv in 2001 after playing keyboard in its house band. Since then, the church has allowed him to experiment without an eye to profit.
Mr. Gruenewald’s early efforts for LifeChurch.tv included a virtual church for the online Second Life community and a Google ad campaign to lure pornography consumers to the church instead. But then he had a critical insight: if the church wanted to attract younger people, it needed both to be technically advanced and to offer its resources free.
“We have a generation of people that can’t fathom paying 99 cents for a song that they love,” Mr. Gruenewald said, “and we were asking them to pay $20 for a book that they don’t understand.”
He made YouVersion available in 2008, as the first Bible in Apple’s App Store. That early release contained only a few translations, like the King James Version, mostly in the public domain. When he began trying to persuade traditional Bible publishers to enter licensing arrangements with him, he encountered suspicion.
“People would say: ‘If people read it on YouVersion and they’re not paying anything for it, what’s going to happen to my pew Bibles?’ ” said Mr. Dennis of Crossway. “‘What’s going to happen to the thinline Bible that people carry to church?’”
Adam Graber of Tyndale House, another publisher that provides translations for the app, expressed some reservations about YouVersion’s strong position in the market for Bible apps.
“One major player emerges, whether it’s Apple or Google or YouVersion,” he said. “It has its drawbacks in the sense that it gives people fewer options and it definitely consolidates power and kind of clumps that power into a few people’s hands.”
But Mr. Graber also said he saw benefits in being part of the app; he said he hoped readers who use his company’s translation would later buy additional print or digital editions.
He compared the relationship between YouVersion and traditional publishers to the “freemium” strategy common in mobile games where the core content is free, but extra features cost money. In this case, those extras are things like devotional Bibles, study Bibles or gold-embossed heirloom Bibles.
As YouVersion became increasingly popular, other publishers also came to view the app as a positive force — less a threat than a marketing opportunity. Although there are no ads on the app and no plans to create any, Mr. Gruenewald said, YouVersion collects vast amounts of data on Bible readership patterns. That trove of data provides valuable information about the habits and preferences of Christians that YouVersion selectively shares with its traditional publishing partners, such as which verses are the most popular within their own translations.
Today, the app contains everything from the New International Version to “The Message,” an ultramodern interpretation that reads like a juicy novel. It also includes the so-called Orthodox Jewish Bible, which was actually developed for a religious sect known as Messianic Jews, who believe that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews await.
And it has become a platform for evangelical leaders like Rick Warren to reach millions of people with custom reading plans; the pastor Billy Graham is the most recent addition. On Sunday mornings, as pastors around the country preach from iPads while congregations click on Corinthians, YouVersion’s servers track more than 600,000 requests every minute.
And lately the church has fielded a variety of requests, including from a Christian music Web site, a major Hollywood movie studio and television producers like Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who featured YouVersion alongside their biblical History Channel mini-series this year.
Scott Thumma, a professor at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, who studies large American churches, said YouVersion filled a longstanding vacuum for technological products aimed at a religious market. He called LifeChurch.tv “the most innovative congregation in the country in developing and using technology.”
The app has gained appreciation in the tech world as well.
“This is a remarkable tech start-up by any measure,” said Chi-Hua Chien, a partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins and a Christian who has offered informal advice to Mr. Gruenewald. He compared YouVersion with well-known ventures like Pinterest or Path.
“It is certainly going to be the most important distribution channel for anyone who is creating Christian faith content,” he said. “Where else can you go and reach 100 million people?”
Click the colored title below to get to the original article with pictures - if the link has expired search the New York Times website with the title
In the Beginning Was the Word - Now the Word Is on an App...With more than 100 million downloads & counting, YouVersion, a free app that offers over 600 Bible translations, has found itself in the company of ...July 26, 2013 - By AMY O’LEARY - Technology - Article - Print Headline: "In the Beginning Was the Word,Now the Word Is on an App"
Click Colored areas for further info
Source: NYT
________________________________________________________________
A town dating back more than 2,000 years has been discovered
on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, in Israel's Ginosar valley Click Ginosar - Wikipedia picture & additional info
Click colored area for further info
The ancient town may be Dalmanutha (also spelled Dalmanoutha), described in the Gospel of Mark as the place Jesus sailed to after miraculously feeding 4,000 people by multiplying a few fish and loaves of bread, said Ken Dark, of the University of Reading in the U.K., whose team discovered the town during a field survey.
The archaeologists also determined that a famous boat, dating to around 2,000 years ago, and uncovered in 1986, was found on the shoreline of the newly discovered town. The boat was reported on two decades ago but the discovery of the town provides new information on what lay close to it.
The evidence the team found suggests the town was prosperous in ancient times. "Vessel glass and amphora click: Amphora & click: Images for amphora& click: Amphora - Wikipedia hint at wealth," Dark wrote in an article published in the most recent edition of the journal Palestine Exploration Quarterly, while "weights and stone anchors, along with the access to beaches suitable for landing boats — and, of course, the first-century boat … all imply an involvement with fishing.
click: [Photos: 4,000-Year-Old Structure Hidden Under Sea of Galilee]
The architectural remains and pottery suggest that Jews and those following a polytheistic religion lived side by side in the community. In addition, the researchers found that the southern side of the newly discovered town lies only about 500 feet (150 meters) away from another ancient town known as Magdala.
Architecture and pottery
Fields between the modern-day town of Migdal and the sea coast contained hundreds of pottery pieces dating from as early as the second or first century B.C. to up to some point after the fifth century A.D., the time of the Byzantine Empire, the archaeologists found. The artifacts suggest the town survived for many centuries.
Also among their finds were cubes known as tesserae and limestone vessel fragments, which were "associated with Jewish purity practices in the early Roman period," indicating the presence of a Jewish community in the town. click: tesserae & click: Tessera - Wikipedia
Some of the most impressive finds, however, were not made in the fields but rather in modern-day Migdal itself. The archaeologists found dozens of examples of ancient architectural remains, some of which the modern-day townspeople had turned into seats or garden ornaments, or simply left lying on the ground. In one instance, the researchers found more than 40 basalt ashlar blocks in a single garden.
After talking to the local people, and trying to identify the source and date of the findings, the researchers determined that many of the architectural remains came from the local area and likely were part of this newly discovered town. [Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World]
These remains included a number of ancient column fragments, including examples of capitals (the top of columns) carved in a Corinthian style. "This settlement may have contained masonry buildings, some with mosaic floors and architectural stonework," Dark wrote in his paper.
The finds also included a pagan altar, made of light-gray limestone and used in religious rituals by those of a polytheistic faith, Dark said.
Is it Dalmanutha?
In the New Testament, Dalmanutha is mentioned only briefly in the Gospel of Mark.
The gospel says that after feeding 4,000 people by miraculously multiplying a few fish and loaves of bread, Jesus "got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.'Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side." (Mark 8:10-13, New International Version)
Dark isn't certain the newly discovered town is Dalmanutha, but there is evidence to support the idea. From the remains found, researchers can tell the newly discovered town would have been a sizable, thriving location in the first century A.D., and the name Dalmanutha has not been firmly linked to a known archaeological site.
It's likely that the newly found town's name is among the few place-names already identified by other researchers relating to the Ginosar valley shore, and one of those places is Dalmanutha, Dark said.Click colored areas for further info
Source: Internet News
_____________________________________________________________________________________
on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, in Israel's Ginosar valley Click Ginosar - Wikipedia picture & additional info
Click colored area for further info
The ancient town may be Dalmanutha (also spelled Dalmanoutha), described in the Gospel of Mark as the place Jesus sailed to after miraculously feeding 4,000 people by multiplying a few fish and loaves of bread, said Ken Dark, of the University of Reading in the U.K., whose team discovered the town during a field survey.
The archaeologists also determined that a famous boat, dating to around 2,000 years ago, and uncovered in 1986, was found on the shoreline of the newly discovered town. The boat was reported on two decades ago but the discovery of the town provides new information on what lay close to it.
The evidence the team found suggests the town was prosperous in ancient times. "Vessel glass and amphora click: Amphora & click: Images for amphora& click: Amphora - Wikipedia hint at wealth," Dark wrote in an article published in the most recent edition of the journal Palestine Exploration Quarterly, while "weights and stone anchors, along with the access to beaches suitable for landing boats — and, of course, the first-century boat … all imply an involvement with fishing.
click: [Photos: 4,000-Year-Old Structure Hidden Under Sea of Galilee]
The architectural remains and pottery suggest that Jews and those following a polytheistic religion lived side by side in the community. In addition, the researchers found that the southern side of the newly discovered town lies only about 500 feet (150 meters) away from another ancient town known as Magdala.
Architecture and pottery
Fields between the modern-day town of Migdal and the sea coast contained hundreds of pottery pieces dating from as early as the second or first century B.C. to up to some point after the fifth century A.D., the time of the Byzantine Empire, the archaeologists found. The artifacts suggest the town survived for many centuries.
Also among their finds were cubes known as tesserae and limestone vessel fragments, which were "associated with Jewish purity practices in the early Roman period," indicating the presence of a Jewish community in the town. click: tesserae & click: Tessera - Wikipedia
Some of the most impressive finds, however, were not made in the fields but rather in modern-day Migdal itself. The archaeologists found dozens of examples of ancient architectural remains, some of which the modern-day townspeople had turned into seats or garden ornaments, or simply left lying on the ground. In one instance, the researchers found more than 40 basalt ashlar blocks in a single garden.
After talking to the local people, and trying to identify the source and date of the findings, the researchers determined that many of the architectural remains came from the local area and likely were part of this newly discovered town. [Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World]
These remains included a number of ancient column fragments, including examples of capitals (the top of columns) carved in a Corinthian style. "This settlement may have contained masonry buildings, some with mosaic floors and architectural stonework," Dark wrote in his paper.
The finds also included a pagan altar, made of light-gray limestone and used in religious rituals by those of a polytheistic faith, Dark said.
Is it Dalmanutha?
In the New Testament, Dalmanutha is mentioned only briefly in the Gospel of Mark.
The gospel says that after feeding 4,000 people by miraculously multiplying a few fish and loaves of bread, Jesus "got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.'Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side." (Mark 8:10-13, New International Version)
Dark isn't certain the newly discovered town is Dalmanutha, but there is evidence to support the idea. From the remains found, researchers can tell the newly discovered town would have been a sizable, thriving location in the first century A.D., and the name Dalmanutha has not been firmly linked to a known archaeological site.
It's likely that the newly found town's name is among the few place-names already identified by other researchers relating to the Ginosar valley shore, and one of those places is Dalmanutha, Dark said.Click colored areas for further info
Source: Internet News
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A motivating story - this is called God's protection & guidance
Fishermen, acting on gut, find crash site, 2 girls
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP), February 2013 — As their mother lay dead in the middle of the night, a 4-year-old Oregon girl dragged her seriously injured younger sister from a crashed car and the two huddled under a blanket — and waited.
With the mangled car stuck deep in the woods, and no skid marks on the highway, the crash site was nearly impossible to detect.
In fact, authorities estimate the sisters were alone in the frigid woods for several hours early Wednesday as many motorists passed it by.
The children finally got help after two commercial fishermen spotted what appeared from a distance to be a basketball-sized gash in an alder tree along State Highway 401 between Astoria, Ore., and Naselle, Wash. Kraai McClure and Scott Beutler travel the two-lane road frequently, and had a gut feeling something was wrong.
The men slowed down, discussed the situation and decided to turn around and go take a look.McClure said he called 911 to see if there had been any reports of a wreck during the night. There weren't.
Beutler, who was a first responder when he lived in Mississippi, went into the brush and signaled McClure to alert authorities.
"I don't know exactly what told us to turn around, but I'm just really thankful we did," McClure said Thursday.
The men spotted the wrecked car a few hundred feet from the road. Nearby were the two young girls, scared and confused. "They could say their names but were totally in shock," McClure said.
The Washington State Patrol said the girls' mother, 26-year-old Jessica Rath of Astoria, probably was asleep when she veered off the road and struck the tree shortly after midnight. She died at the scene.
McClure and Beutler discovered the crash site around 8:30 a.m.
The 2-year-old, who had serious leg injuries, was flown to a Portland hospital. The 4-year-old was treated at an Astoria hospital and released.
An Oregon Health & Science University spokeswoman confirmed that the younger sister, Lylah Huff, was at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. The girls' father, Keaton Huff, declined interview requests Thursday and asked the hospital not to release his daughter's condition.
Trooper Russ Winger said investigators believe the 4-year-old, Aryanna Huff, pulled her sister from the vehicle and helped her to a spot about 20 feet away, where the fishermen found them. Winger said keeping warm with the blanket was vital with temperatures in the low 40s.
"Hypothermia sets in very quickly with something like that," Winger said. "They could have very well not been found and died of exposure."
Winger described the fishermen as heroes for acting on their hunch. McClure, however, gave the credit to Aryanna for helping Lylah out of the car and keeping her warm.
"She saved her sister," McClure said. "She was sharp enough. I don't know how she did it or anything else, but something was watching over those little girls."
"It was amazing that the little 4-year-old — I have a little 4-year-old, too, she's almost 5 — was able to get her little sister out and do that," he added. "It just blows my mind that she could do that in that situation. I don't know if she waited until morning, when they could see, but, you know, it just makes me want to cry."
Winger said investigators have yet to determine how fast Rath was driving, or whether there were any other factors in the crash. The crime blotter in the Jan. 26 edition of The Longview Daily News indicates Rath was sentenced to 10 days in jail for heroin possession and third-degree theft.
2/22/13 Posted an internet response to this article:
This is called God's protection & guidance
Respectfully
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Radio Show Host - visit our website, to find the correct site use the show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" as your search word.
Become a listener of the show and get free CEU, University & College credits
To the GCG website visitor:
"DrDrCanYouHelpMe" Radio Show title belongs to our affiliate not-for-profit organization Save The American Family -STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
web link: (click: www.staf1org.weebly.com
____________________________________________________
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"The tongue has the power of life and death…"
(The Bible: Proverbs 18:21 NIV)
Paul F. Crouch, USA, Who Built World's Largest Evangelical TV Network, Dies
Click: Paul Crouch - Wikipedia
Click colored areas for further info
Paul F. Crouch, a television evangelist who founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network*) with his wife and turned it into the world’s largest Christian television network, died on Saturday, 11/30/13. He was 79.
His death was confirmed by the network, which said he had suffered from degenerative heart disease for a decade.
Mr. Crouch served as the face of Trinity Broadcasting, along with his wife, Janice, expanding it from one station in Southern California to thousands of stations across the world. He often appeared on camera, microphone in hand, quoting from the Bible and delivering his upbeat brand of Christianity.
But he also faced click: criticism over lavish spending of the millions of dollars in donations collected through the network. Last year, his granddaughter accused the network of financial improprieties, and her father, Paul Crouch Jr., was forced off the staff.
Paul Franklin Crouch was born in St. Joseph, Mo., on March 30, 1934. His parents were Pentecostal missionaries who had lived in Egypt. click: Pentecostalism
He took an interest in ham radio (HAM radio - what is it - see at the end of this article 3 links to study) as a boy and was a licensed operator at 15.
He graduated from the Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Mo., where he worked with other students to build the campus radio station. After graduating, he managed the television and film unit for the Assemblies of God church.
Central Bible College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bible_College - Central Bible College is a private coed Bible college for the Assemblies of ... It was founded in 1922 with the main campus being located in Springfield, Missouri.
He and his wife, who met in 1956, founded Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973 and bought their first station, now called KTBN-TV 40, in Santa Ana. They embraced satellite technology, broadcasting to other states and eventually overseas.
In a video tribute by the network on Saturday, Mr. Crouch could be seen on camera celebrating the network’s expansion to new cities. “All over the country, they’re coming to know Jesus,” he said. “Church, I think we ought to rejoice because the whole world is getting saved.”
TBN now runs on 84 satellite channels and more than 18,000 television and cable affiliates, according to the company. Mr. Crouch was the host of a show called “Behind the Scenes” that aired until recently.
The network runs sermons from prominent preachers like Joel Osteen and aired a special this month featuring the Rev. Billy Graham. This year, Mr. Crouch interviewed Rick Santorum, a former Republican presidential candidate, on his show.
The network also owns the click: Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando, Fla.
Some Christian leaders have criticized the Crouches for preaching the “prosperity gospel” — the message that if you have faith in God and donate generously, you will profit in return. In 2010, donations to TBN totaled $93 million. The Crouches had multiple homes, including his-and-hers mansions in Newport Beach, Calif., and used corporate jets valued at $8 million and $49 million each. In 2010, Mr. Crouch’s salary as president of Trinity Broadcasting was $400,000; Mrs. Crouch’s as first vice president was $365,000.
In 2012, Mr. Crouch’s granddaughter Brittany Koper went public with the accusations of financial improprieties. Ms. Koper told The New York Times that her job had been to label extravagant personal spending as ministry expenses. But a lawyer for the network said Ms. Koper and her husband had been fired by TBN and accused them of stealing $1.3 million.
The dispute took a toll on the family. Her father left the network, where he had served on the board, saying that getting caught in the middle of the dispute was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to endure.”
Mr. Crouch is survived by his wife; two sons, Paul Jr. and Matthew; and several grandchildren.
Mr. Crouch often traveled overseas with the network and filmed episodes of his “Behind the Scenes” show in London and Rome. In one episode this year, he reminisced about how the network found an audience in Africa, noting that one time when he arrived at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya, immigration officials recognized him. They “praised the Lord” and patted him on the back, he said.
“That’s God,” he said. “He’s opening these doors, and we’re going through them.”
Source: NYT
*) HAM RADIO - what is it - click the colored areas for further info
Fishermen, acting on gut, find crash site, 2 girls
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP), February 2013 — As their mother lay dead in the middle of the night, a 4-year-old Oregon girl dragged her seriously injured younger sister from a crashed car and the two huddled under a blanket — and waited.
With the mangled car stuck deep in the woods, and no skid marks on the highway, the crash site was nearly impossible to detect.
In fact, authorities estimate the sisters were alone in the frigid woods for several hours early Wednesday as many motorists passed it by.
The children finally got help after two commercial fishermen spotted what appeared from a distance to be a basketball-sized gash in an alder tree along State Highway 401 between Astoria, Ore., and Naselle, Wash. Kraai McClure and Scott Beutler travel the two-lane road frequently, and had a gut feeling something was wrong.
The men slowed down, discussed the situation and decided to turn around and go take a look.McClure said he called 911 to see if there had been any reports of a wreck during the night. There weren't.
Beutler, who was a first responder when he lived in Mississippi, went into the brush and signaled McClure to alert authorities.
"I don't know exactly what told us to turn around, but I'm just really thankful we did," McClure said Thursday.
The men spotted the wrecked car a few hundred feet from the road. Nearby were the two young girls, scared and confused. "They could say their names but were totally in shock," McClure said.
The Washington State Patrol said the girls' mother, 26-year-old Jessica Rath of Astoria, probably was asleep when she veered off the road and struck the tree shortly after midnight. She died at the scene.
McClure and Beutler discovered the crash site around 8:30 a.m.
The 2-year-old, who had serious leg injuries, was flown to a Portland hospital. The 4-year-old was treated at an Astoria hospital and released.
An Oregon Health & Science University spokeswoman confirmed that the younger sister, Lylah Huff, was at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. The girls' father, Keaton Huff, declined interview requests Thursday and asked the hospital not to release his daughter's condition.
Trooper Russ Winger said investigators believe the 4-year-old, Aryanna Huff, pulled her sister from the vehicle and helped her to a spot about 20 feet away, where the fishermen found them. Winger said keeping warm with the blanket was vital with temperatures in the low 40s.
"Hypothermia sets in very quickly with something like that," Winger said. "They could have very well not been found and died of exposure."
Winger described the fishermen as heroes for acting on their hunch. McClure, however, gave the credit to Aryanna for helping Lylah out of the car and keeping her warm.
"She saved her sister," McClure said. "She was sharp enough. I don't know how she did it or anything else, but something was watching over those little girls."
"It was amazing that the little 4-year-old — I have a little 4-year-old, too, she's almost 5 — was able to get her little sister out and do that," he added. "It just blows my mind that she could do that in that situation. I don't know if she waited until morning, when they could see, but, you know, it just makes me want to cry."
Winger said investigators have yet to determine how fast Rath was driving, or whether there were any other factors in the crash. The crime blotter in the Jan. 26 edition of The Longview Daily News indicates Rath was sentenced to 10 days in jail for heroin possession and third-degree theft.
2/22/13 Posted an internet response to this article:
This is called God's protection & guidance
Respectfully
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Radio Show Host - visit our website, to find the correct site use the show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" as your search word.
Become a listener of the show and get free CEU, University & College credits
To the GCG website visitor:
"DrDrCanYouHelpMe" Radio Show title belongs to our affiliate not-for-profit organization Save The American Family -STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
web link: (click: www.staf1org.weebly.com
____________________________________________________
====================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
"The tongue has the power of life and death…"
(The Bible: Proverbs 18:21 NIV)
Paul F. Crouch, USA, Who Built World's Largest Evangelical TV Network, Dies
Click: Paul Crouch - Wikipedia
Click colored areas for further info
Paul F. Crouch, a television evangelist who founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network*) with his wife and turned it into the world’s largest Christian television network, died on Saturday, 11/30/13. He was 79.
- *) Click: TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Networkwww.tbn.org/ TBN is the world's largest religious network, delivering the Christian message of hope around the globe via television, internet and mobile devices.Watch Us - Broadcast Schedule - Praise Schedule - Contact
- Click: Watch Us - TBNwww.tbn.org/watch-us
TBN is the world's largest religious network, delivering the Christian message ...
His death was confirmed by the network, which said he had suffered from degenerative heart disease for a decade.
Mr. Crouch served as the face of Trinity Broadcasting, along with his wife, Janice, expanding it from one station in Southern California to thousands of stations across the world. He often appeared on camera, microphone in hand, quoting from the Bible and delivering his upbeat brand of Christianity.
But he also faced click: criticism over lavish spending of the millions of dollars in donations collected through the network. Last year, his granddaughter accused the network of financial improprieties, and her father, Paul Crouch Jr., was forced off the staff.
Paul Franklin Crouch was born in St. Joseph, Mo., on March 30, 1934. His parents were Pentecostal missionaries who had lived in Egypt. click: Pentecostalism
He took an interest in ham radio (HAM radio - what is it - see at the end of this article 3 links to study) as a boy and was a licensed operator at 15.
He graduated from the Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Mo., where he worked with other students to build the campus radio station. After graduating, he managed the television and film unit for the Assemblies of God church.
Central Bible College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bible_College - Central Bible College is a private coed Bible college for the Assemblies of ... It was founded in 1922 with the main campus being located in Springfield, Missouri.
He and his wife, who met in 1956, founded Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973 and bought their first station, now called KTBN-TV 40, in Santa Ana. They embraced satellite technology, broadcasting to other states and eventually overseas.
In a video tribute by the network on Saturday, Mr. Crouch could be seen on camera celebrating the network’s expansion to new cities. “All over the country, they’re coming to know Jesus,” he said. “Church, I think we ought to rejoice because the whole world is getting saved.”
TBN now runs on 84 satellite channels and more than 18,000 television and cable affiliates, according to the company. Mr. Crouch was the host of a show called “Behind the Scenes” that aired until recently.
The network runs sermons from prominent preachers like Joel Osteen and aired a special this month featuring the Rev. Billy Graham. This year, Mr. Crouch interviewed Rick Santorum, a former Republican presidential candidate, on his show.
The network also owns the click: Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando, Fla.
Some Christian leaders have criticized the Crouches for preaching the “prosperity gospel” — the message that if you have faith in God and donate generously, you will profit in return. In 2010, donations to TBN totaled $93 million. The Crouches had multiple homes, including his-and-hers mansions in Newport Beach, Calif., and used corporate jets valued at $8 million and $49 million each. In 2010, Mr. Crouch’s salary as president of Trinity Broadcasting was $400,000; Mrs. Crouch’s as first vice president was $365,000.
In 2012, Mr. Crouch’s granddaughter Brittany Koper went public with the accusations of financial improprieties. Ms. Koper told The New York Times that her job had been to label extravagant personal spending as ministry expenses. But a lawyer for the network said Ms. Koper and her husband had been fired by TBN and accused them of stealing $1.3 million.
The dispute took a toll on the family. Her father left the network, where he had served on the board, saying that getting caught in the middle of the dispute was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to endure.”
Mr. Crouch is survived by his wife; two sons, Paul Jr. and Matthew; and several grandchildren.
Mr. Crouch often traveled overseas with the network and filmed episodes of his “Behind the Scenes” show in London and Rome. In one episode this year, he reminisced about how the network found an audience in Africa, noting that one time when he arrived at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya, immigration officials recognized him. They “praised the Lord” and patted him on the back, he said.
“That’s God,” he said. “He’s opening these doors, and we’re going through them.”
Source: NYT
*) HAM RADIO - what is it - click the colored areas for further info
This article " Walking (or driving) the Country as a Spiritual Quest"
is an article you would like to read with your spouse & with your whole family
It will give you and idea how your marriage and your whole family can have a new, improved life and deeper happiness
An inspirational article - would you do the same - perhaps you could, with your whole family
It would strengthen your family union and widen your view of life
At least: drive across the U.S. from coast to coast & back home - by driving about 2- 3 months or longer if your situation allows, the longer, the better.
Live in a tent or in your RV - drive back using a different route to see different states and different living values & conditions.
Do this during the summer months.
Do the same in any other country you may live in.
.
By experience I say: it will be your best vacation
- a transformation, a wake-up call to life -
Dedicate your walk or drive for (1) some important reason, (2) or dedicate it to a happier marriage and to your improved relations in your family, (3) or to draw attention to the enormous overweight & obesity problem in the U.S. and in the western world, (4) or to stop smoking, (5) or to alcohol abuse, (6) to drug use - (7) or to anything you want. I any of these reasons apply to your family, get rid of them during this strip. Perhaps there may be more than one of these challenges in your family - have everyone working on their own challenge. All of you, do research and collect relevant information to your dedicated reasons to bring out a real difference and perhaps have plenty of public news value. Have a dog with you to bark if someone approaches nighttime your location. Before leaving (1) make your cause(s) public, (2) give a press/Radio/TV release and all of you blog every day about your trip and how your challenges go. If you need money assistance people will send money. Search the internet to open an account for getting donations from the public. You will never regret this kind of an important trip - everyone should do this (by driving everyone can). Still: if your life circumstances allow, walking is a real possibility. Driving or walking - all of you keep daily diary for your blogging and for writing several newspaper/magazine articles (endless topics available) during and after the trip. Aim to have a broadcast TV program released -You Tube, etc. Take pictures, record videos, collect items to bring home.
By experience I say: it was the best vacation in our family (we will do it again)
It will be YOUR best vacation also - It will give you all a new, more successful, happier & highly enjoyable life with deeper understanding about everything
In addition, depending on your desires, it can be an income provider even in a longer run
(Dr. Christian, Pastor, GCG)
Walking*) the Country as a Spiritual Quest
*) OR: driving
KEN ILGUNAS, who is 29 years old, arrived at the Gulf Coast town of Port Arthur, Tex., last month after hiking 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada, crossing through the American heartland. On his arrival, he met a big-hearted Texan who knew of him from reading his blog and generously offered him dinner at his home and a place to stay for the night. “To walk across this country is to fall in love with mankind,” Mr. Ilgunas said.
He’s one of a growing number of pilgrims who are lacing up boots and sneakers to walk across America. While their treks may not have the religious underpinnings of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, Mecca, Jerusalem or the current Kumbh Mela gathering in India, which ends on March 10, they are nevertheless acts of faith and quests for existential meaning.
Mr. Ilgunas had just finished his master’s in liberal studies at Duke, and was living at a classmate’s farm in Stokes County, N.C., working in exchange for lodging, when he decided to hit the road. He had read the 1979 memoir by Peter Jenkins, “A Walk Across America,” and hoped for a similarly transformative journey. So he stocked up on granola and dehydrated meals at Whole Foods and Sam’s Club and had a friend mail them in parcels to various post offices along his route. But it was the kindness of strangers he encountered along the way that really sustained him. “In most every town, some complete stranger would offer me a ride, a meal, a handful of money or their home for me to sleep in,” Mr. Ilgunas said. “This trip had made me proud to be an American.”
Jonathon Stalls, 30, of Denver, walked 3,030 miles, along the America Discovery Trail from Lewes, Del., to San Francisco, with his dog in 2010. He decided to take off because he was burned out from the demands of attending design school, working as a waiter and playing semiprofessional volleyball. “I wanted to slow down and live life at a pace we were built to travel,” he said. “I wanted to trust and depend on the land and on myself.” During the 242 days he spent on the road, he stayed with 120 strangers whom he met when they idled their cars beside him or struck up conversations with him at libraries, convenience stores or parks. “I am forever marked by the openness of people, sharing meals with them and exchanging stories,” he said.
Since 2010 there has been a proliferation of blogs describing cross-country walks, often in excruciating detail. Judging from the numerous posts about bleeding blisters, muscle strains, stinging insects, inclement weather, bear scares, lack of food and leaky tents, many were woefully unprepared for the task.
“The arduousness**) is what makes it an act of devotion,” said Rebecca Solnit, author of “Wanderlust: A History of Walking.” “Part of the desire to do it is to accept that the world is unpredictable and you will trust what the world sends your way and you will cope with it.”
**) Demanding great effort or labor; difficult: Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous: a long, arduous, and exhausting war. 3. Hard to traverse, climb, or surmount, burdensome, hard.
RATHER than walking to demonstrate religious commitment, many dedicate their cross-country walks to a cause recalling Peace Pilgrim - a k a Mildred Norman Ryder, (aka or a.k.a. = "also known as"), who walked more than 25,000 miles across America from 1953 to 1981 for world peace. Mr. Stalls, for example, walked to benefit the microlending organization Kiva, while Mr. Ilgunas walked the length of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to draw attention to its impact on the environment.
“It’s a selfish thing to take a pilgrimage just for yourself,” said John Seyal, 26, of Louisville, Ky., who with his wife, Kait, 27, spent nine months in 2012 walking
coast-to-coast with their two dogs to raise awareness of pet therapy. “I don’t think that kind of selfishness or soul-searching is a bad thing, but we recognized a way we could do something good with it.”
The Seyals said they embarked on their journey because they didn’t like the way their lives were going. Working at uninspiring factory and restaurant jobs, they felt they were conforming to society’s values rather than following their hearts, and were losing faith in people.
“Almost everyone who does this has some sort of generalized unhappiness with themselves and the world,” said Tyler Coulson, 34, who in 2011 quit his job practicing corporate law at a large firm in Chicago to walk across the country with his dog. “No one who is happy and content wakes up one day and says, maybe I’ll go live in a tent for eight months,” which was how long it took him to walk 3,200 miles, from Rehoboth Beach, Del., to San Diego. Since returning, he’s been dividing his time between writing self-published books, lawyering and advising others on how to prepare for cross-country walks. “I’m a better and happier person,” Mr. Coulson said.
Walks across America tend to end with a baptismal dip in the ocean. “You have no idea the feeling I had putting my feet in the Atlantic waters,” said Richard Noble, who quit his job as a film festival cashier last year to walk 2,700 miles from San Francisco to Jacksonville Beach, Fla., for gay rights. His trip was fully financed by strangers who gave him money, food and shelter en route, as well as donated online through his blog. “You can’t experience that kind of generosity and be the same person you were before,” he said.
Anthropologists have long argued that pilgrims occupy a so-called liminal realm outside of, yet proximal to, society. “In this space you can achieve a direct human interaction that doesn’t take into account hierarchies, so people become intimate very quickly,” said Ellen Badone, author of “Intersecting Journeys: The Anthropology of Pilgrimage and Tourism” and professor of anthropology and religious studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “Stepping into this extraordinary sphere leads to extraordinary interactions where you very quickly become close and find that people are willing to go out of their way to be helpful.”
Arthur Werner, 58, who left a financial services sales job in Bellevue, Wash., in 2012, to walk across the country after a series of emotional blows, figures he’s talked to hundreds of people along his route. “We are so insulated and sterilized by all our electronic forms of communication and our inane posts on Facebook that we just don’t sit down and have heart-to-hearts with people,” he said. “It’s been very touching and self-actualizing for me.” He plans to complete his walk in April 2013 at the southernmost tip of the continental United States, Key West, Fla. But he said the final destination was beside the point: “It really is all about the journey.”
Source:
The article Source: NYT - other text: STAF, Inc.
Click green for further info
This is one of the best actions in anyone's single or family life
Are you ready?
Do it - you will never regret
It may be a big money maker also
& definitely will improve your and your family members' mental, emotional & physical health
and deepen all your relationships
______________________________________________________________________________________
To the dying, spiritual caregivers can be godsend
They do not prescribe medication, plump up pillows, or serve soothing broths, but for hospice patients — and their families — spiritual caregivers often ease the pain that hurts the most.
“The emotional comfort comes first from the companionship, accepting people exactly where they are, acknowledging as they certainly know themselves that they are coming to the end of life, and being able to reassure them that it’s OK to die,” said Rabbi Herman Blumberg.
Spiritual care has always been a part of hospice programs, but chaplains interviewed for this article report that patients and their families increasingly recognize the need to heal the mind and soul, even as the body is failing. Behind this trend, they say, is that people are less likely now than in the past to view spirituality as the exclusive realm of religion.
Related PHOTOS click: Photos: Hospice care
Blumberg is rabbinic director of Hebrew Senior Life Hospice Care, which received Medicare approval in February after operating on donor support for about a year. The hospice in Dedham accepts patients from all over Greater Boston without regard to religion, but it seeks to set itself apart by training its entire team — including nurses, health aides, social workers, and therapists — to be “super-sensitive” to Jewish culture, tradition, and sensibility, Blumberg said.
Click: Dedham, Massachusetts
But while the hospice program emphasizes its Jewish connection, there are times when Blumberg puts his yarmulke in his pocket before meeting a patient for the first time.
“One of the interesting things in my work is that I have to frequently overcome — particularly from patients who are Jewish — the ‘Rabbi, I’m not religious; I don’t need you’ or ‘I’m not ready for you’ response,” said Blumberg, who for 19 years was rabbi of Temple Shir Tikva, a Reform congregation in Wayland. “And very frequently when I go in, I don’t identify myself initially as a rabbi because it can be a show-stopper.”
Similarly, hospice chaplains of other faiths spoke of removing their clerical collars or crosses during hospice visits.
“As a spiritual care professional, you have to have it in your DNA that you’re there to support the patient’s choice, not there to evangelize or proselytize,” said Andrew Tripp, a candidate for the Unitarian Universalist ministry who is on the hospice team at the Chelsea Jewish Foundation.
The Rev. Diane Christopherson, a United Church of Christ minister who lives in Malden, said she would never initiate a discussion about Jesus on a hospice visit.
“Spiritual care is not about a chaplain’s own religious background or needs. If a person had talked about Jesus as significant to his or her spiritual perspectives, I might ask an open-ended question inviting further self-reflection and expression,” said Christopherson, who has served as a local hospice chaplain.
But the hospice chaplains do draw on aspects of their religious traditions that can be universally applied. Tripp said that the Unitarians’ “human-centered approach” has helped him tease out where patients and their families look for meaning. He recalled a woman who in her 50s was afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. An artist and teacher, “she was feeling a lot of despair because the disease took her prime form of meaning-making,” Tripp said.
At her request, he read her poetry and brought her books of religious art. Using a computer device that tracked her eye movements, she would talk about the paintings and her experiences seeing them in museums. Tripp said fellow hospice workers said the days he visited she would be calmer and less likely to signal for help. She joined other patients on a tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires.
“She was able to have a life experience within a week of passing that was really profound,” Tripp said.
At the request of a Jewish patient, Tripp brought in an Orthodox rabbi to discuss Talmudic scholarship.Talmud - Talmudic Judaism The collection of ancient Rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara, constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism. Click: Talmud - Wikipedia
The Rev. Tim Krukowski, a priest in the Old Catholic Church and a chaplain at Compassionate Care Hospice in Woburn, said that in some cases hospice patients welcome his presence as an opportunity to talk about death.
“There’s a vicious circle [regarding the subject],” said Krukowski. “The family believes they are going to upset the patient and the patient believes he or she is going to upset their family.”
So how does he break the taboo?
“Sometimes I will say something like, ‘Are you afraid?’ Then they’ll talk about those fears," he said. “You are looking for that inner peace of the patient. . . . It may be a family issue that has never been resolved or a worry about what will happen to my spouse or children. You can be 95 years old and still worrying about your kids.”
Krukowski, who lives in Salem, N.H., said when he is asked what comes after death he deflects the question.
“I will often respond, ‘What do you think is going to happen,’ ” he said, “which opens up a whole conversation about their perception of afterlife.”
According to Krukowski, some people talk about heaven and “a union with the Creator.” Others, though, “don’t want to talk about pearly gates and harps.” They ask, “Am I going to hell?” And that prompts a discussion over why they might fear going to hell.
When a hospice patient who had been an architect asked her about heaven, the Rev. Rosemary MacKay suggested, “Why don’t you build your own?” That was a project he could start work on in life, noted MacKay, a United Church of Christ minister who has been with the Cranberry Hospice in Plymouth for a decade.
“Some people have no vision of an afterlife and are comfortable with that,” she said.
MacKay said a basic tenet of her faith is “the concept of God as an ever-abiding presence that is loving and accepting.” When patients express guilt over, say, infidelity or actions they committed as young soldiers, “Our job is not to judge; our job is to work with people where they are . . . and hopefully come to a place of peace before they die.”
The minister recalled a man who said, “I had an affair on my wife and so I’m not this great person you think I am.”
“So we talked about why people have affairs,” MacKay said. “There’s usually a lot more to it than just a person deciding to step out of the marriage.”
Even among people who have chosen hospice care, chaplains encounter those who still struggle with the reality of death. MacKay recalled a patient in his mid-50s who refused to accept that he had a terminal disease.
“We talked about what was important for him; we didn’t talk about his dying,” she said. “What was important to him was being strong and not giving in. We spent a lot of time talking about his spirit being strong — nothing was going to take that away from him, but that his body was pooping out on him. He was able to make that distinction so that he did eventually have a peaceful death, even though he never wanted to die.”
Spiritual caregivers may be asked to help arrange reconciliation with estranged relatives or friends. If that is not possible, they may suggest that the patient write or dictate a letter expressing their feelings toward that person. Christopherson said that she might invite patients who believe in an afterlife “to imagine their deceased loved one in a more perfected state of being, who understands very deeply how flawed we are as human beings, and for whom all is now forgiven.”
For Blumberg at Hebrew SeniorLife, the challenges run much deeper than rabbi-resistant Jews.
“No one likes to deal with death, but Jews for a variety of reasons have a somewhat harder time with it,” he said. “As a result, often there is extended discussion and angst regarding when to move from aggressive care.”
The Jewish religion, he said, makes it imperative to focus on this life and not on the life to come.
“When we make a toast, we say l’chaim, to life. I think that’s emblematic,” he said.
Strictly interpreted, Jewish law places the highest priority on preserving life. That may appear to conflict with hospice, which emphasizes comfort and rejects heroic measures that might buy a patient a few days or weeks.
“In a particular situation the relevant issue is how long you preserve life if there is considerable suffering or if we’re keeping people alive artificially,” Blumberg said. “For some Jews, it may present a contradiction; for others it won’t — even within the framework of orthodoxy.”
In a pioneering effort in the Jewish hospice movement, the Hebrew SeniorLife program is conducting community workshops on hospice care and other topics involving seniors, such as how to persuade Dad to stop driving.
Hospice also helps relatives and friends come to terms with death.
“The family comes to see the hospice team as an anchor at a time when there’s total chaos in their beings,” Blumberg said. “We become companions with the family and patient along the way.”
While it might seem a solemn ordeal, it can also have its moments of laughter.
“It’s a time for reminiscing, for a family to embrace memory and express love and gratitude,” the rabbi said. “There can be a lot of very happy moments.”
Source:
By Steve Maas | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MAY 01, 2014
_______________________________________________
They do not prescribe medication, plump up pillows, or serve soothing broths, but for hospice patients — and their families — spiritual caregivers often ease the pain that hurts the most.
“The emotional comfort comes first from the companionship, accepting people exactly where they are, acknowledging as they certainly know themselves that they are coming to the end of life, and being able to reassure them that it’s OK to die,” said Rabbi Herman Blumberg.
Spiritual care has always been a part of hospice programs, but chaplains interviewed for this article report that patients and their families increasingly recognize the need to heal the mind and soul, even as the body is failing. Behind this trend, they say, is that people are less likely now than in the past to view spirituality as the exclusive realm of religion.
Related PHOTOS click: Photos: Hospice care
Blumberg is rabbinic director of Hebrew Senior Life Hospice Care, which received Medicare approval in February after operating on donor support for about a year. The hospice in Dedham accepts patients from all over Greater Boston without regard to religion, but it seeks to set itself apart by training its entire team — including nurses, health aides, social workers, and therapists — to be “super-sensitive” to Jewish culture, tradition, and sensibility, Blumberg said.
Click: Dedham, Massachusetts
But while the hospice program emphasizes its Jewish connection, there are times when Blumberg puts his yarmulke in his pocket before meeting a patient for the first time.
“One of the interesting things in my work is that I have to frequently overcome — particularly from patients who are Jewish — the ‘Rabbi, I’m not religious; I don’t need you’ or ‘I’m not ready for you’ response,” said Blumberg, who for 19 years was rabbi of Temple Shir Tikva, a Reform congregation in Wayland. “And very frequently when I go in, I don’t identify myself initially as a rabbi because it can be a show-stopper.”
Similarly, hospice chaplains of other faiths spoke of removing their clerical collars or crosses during hospice visits.
“As a spiritual care professional, you have to have it in your DNA that you’re there to support the patient’s choice, not there to evangelize or proselytize,” said Andrew Tripp, a candidate for the Unitarian Universalist ministry who is on the hospice team at the Chelsea Jewish Foundation.
The Rev. Diane Christopherson, a United Church of Christ minister who lives in Malden, said she would never initiate a discussion about Jesus on a hospice visit.
“Spiritual care is not about a chaplain’s own religious background or needs. If a person had talked about Jesus as significant to his or her spiritual perspectives, I might ask an open-ended question inviting further self-reflection and expression,” said Christopherson, who has served as a local hospice chaplain.
But the hospice chaplains do draw on aspects of their religious traditions that can be universally applied. Tripp said that the Unitarians’ “human-centered approach” has helped him tease out where patients and their families look for meaning. He recalled a woman who in her 50s was afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. An artist and teacher, “she was feeling a lot of despair because the disease took her prime form of meaning-making,” Tripp said.
At her request, he read her poetry and brought her books of religious art. Using a computer device that tracked her eye movements, she would talk about the paintings and her experiences seeing them in museums. Tripp said fellow hospice workers said the days he visited she would be calmer and less likely to signal for help. She joined other patients on a tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires.
“She was able to have a life experience within a week of passing that was really profound,” Tripp said.
At the request of a Jewish patient, Tripp brought in an Orthodox rabbi to discuss Talmudic scholarship.Talmud - Talmudic Judaism The collection of ancient Rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara, constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism. Click: Talmud - Wikipedia
The Rev. Tim Krukowski, a priest in the Old Catholic Church and a chaplain at Compassionate Care Hospice in Woburn, said that in some cases hospice patients welcome his presence as an opportunity to talk about death.
“There’s a vicious circle [regarding the subject],” said Krukowski. “The family believes they are going to upset the patient and the patient believes he or she is going to upset their family.”
So how does he break the taboo?
“Sometimes I will say something like, ‘Are you afraid?’ Then they’ll talk about those fears," he said. “You are looking for that inner peace of the patient. . . . It may be a family issue that has never been resolved or a worry about what will happen to my spouse or children. You can be 95 years old and still worrying about your kids.”
Krukowski, who lives in Salem, N.H., said when he is asked what comes after death he deflects the question.
“I will often respond, ‘What do you think is going to happen,’ ” he said, “which opens up a whole conversation about their perception of afterlife.”
According to Krukowski, some people talk about heaven and “a union with the Creator.” Others, though, “don’t want to talk about pearly gates and harps.” They ask, “Am I going to hell?” And that prompts a discussion over why they might fear going to hell.
When a hospice patient who had been an architect asked her about heaven, the Rev. Rosemary MacKay suggested, “Why don’t you build your own?” That was a project he could start work on in life, noted MacKay, a United Church of Christ minister who has been with the Cranberry Hospice in Plymouth for a decade.
“Some people have no vision of an afterlife and are comfortable with that,” she said.
MacKay said a basic tenet of her faith is “the concept of God as an ever-abiding presence that is loving and accepting.” When patients express guilt over, say, infidelity or actions they committed as young soldiers, “Our job is not to judge; our job is to work with people where they are . . . and hopefully come to a place of peace before they die.”
The minister recalled a man who said, “I had an affair on my wife and so I’m not this great person you think I am.”
“So we talked about why people have affairs,” MacKay said. “There’s usually a lot more to it than just a person deciding to step out of the marriage.”
Even among people who have chosen hospice care, chaplains encounter those who still struggle with the reality of death. MacKay recalled a patient in his mid-50s who refused to accept that he had a terminal disease.
“We talked about what was important for him; we didn’t talk about his dying,” she said. “What was important to him was being strong and not giving in. We spent a lot of time talking about his spirit being strong — nothing was going to take that away from him, but that his body was pooping out on him. He was able to make that distinction so that he did eventually have a peaceful death, even though he never wanted to die.”
Spiritual caregivers may be asked to help arrange reconciliation with estranged relatives or friends. If that is not possible, they may suggest that the patient write or dictate a letter expressing their feelings toward that person. Christopherson said that she might invite patients who believe in an afterlife “to imagine their deceased loved one in a more perfected state of being, who understands very deeply how flawed we are as human beings, and for whom all is now forgiven.”
For Blumberg at Hebrew SeniorLife, the challenges run much deeper than rabbi-resistant Jews.
“No one likes to deal with death, but Jews for a variety of reasons have a somewhat harder time with it,” he said. “As a result, often there is extended discussion and angst regarding when to move from aggressive care.”
The Jewish religion, he said, makes it imperative to focus on this life and not on the life to come.
“When we make a toast, we say l’chaim, to life. I think that’s emblematic,” he said.
Strictly interpreted, Jewish law places the highest priority on preserving life. That may appear to conflict with hospice, which emphasizes comfort and rejects heroic measures that might buy a patient a few days or weeks.
“In a particular situation the relevant issue is how long you preserve life if there is considerable suffering or if we’re keeping people alive artificially,” Blumberg said. “For some Jews, it may present a contradiction; for others it won’t — even within the framework of orthodoxy.”
In a pioneering effort in the Jewish hospice movement, the Hebrew SeniorLife program is conducting community workshops on hospice care and other topics involving seniors, such as how to persuade Dad to stop driving.
Hospice also helps relatives and friends come to terms with death.
“The family comes to see the hospice team as an anchor at a time when there’s total chaos in their beings,” Blumberg said. “We become companions with the family and patient along the way.”
While it might seem a solemn ordeal, it can also have its moments of laughter.
“It’s a time for reminiscing, for a family to embrace memory and express love and gratitude,” the rabbi said. “There can be a lot of very happy moments.”
Source:
By Steve Maas | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MAY 01, 2014
_______________________________________________
How to Have Health & Success in Life
Facts About the National Day of Prayer
The day has spawned a rival click: National Day of Reason on the same day, started by opponents of the National Day of Prayer
Article 1 of 4
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."
1) There have been 143 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving by the President of the United States (1789-2014).
2) There have been 66 Presidential Proclamations for a National Day of Prayer (1952-2014). Gerald R. Ford (1976), George H. Bush (1989-91) and Barack H. Obama (2012) are the only U.S. Presidents to sign multiple National Day of Prayer Proclamations in the same year.
3) Every President since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.
4) 34 of the 44 U.S. Presidents have signed proclamations for National Prayer.
Three of the Presidents who did not sign a proclamation died while serving in office.
Two Presidents, not included in the count – William Howard Taft and Warren Gamaliel Harding, signed proclamations for Thanksgiving and Prayer.
5) Records indicate there have been 1,259 state and federal calls for national prayer since 1775 and counting.
Special Thanks to Phil Williams (Historian)
__________________________________________
Article 2 of 4
The First Thursday of May is the click: National Day of Prayer, on which click: presidents annually proclaim that “the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.” The day has spawned a rival National Day of Reason on the same day, started by opponents of the National Day of Prayer.
55 % of Americans say they pray every day
76% of Americans agreed with the statement “prayer is an important part of my daily life”
Here are five facts about prayer, including survey data on Americans’ prayer habits and historical instances of prayer intersecting with the government:
(1)
Click colored areas for further info
The National Day of Prayer was enacted in 1952 by the Congress and President Harry S. Truman. As with the addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, the move came during the Cold War and was seen as a way of contrasting the more religious United States with the officially atheistic Soviet Union.
(2)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation unsuccessfully challenged the National Day of Prayer in court. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2011 that the group, which aims to promote the separation of church and state, did not have the legal standing to challenge the law.(3)
For many Americans, every day is a day of prayer. More than half (55%) of Americans said they pray every day, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey, while 23% said they pray weekly or monthly and 21% seldom or never. Even among those who are religiously unaffiliated, 21% said they pray daily. Another survey we conducted in 2012 found that 76% of Americans agreed with the statement “prayer is an important part of my daily life,” a percentage that has remained relatively stable over the last
25 years.
(4)
A 2010 USA Today/Gallup poll asked Americans specifically about the National Day of Prayer. A majority (57%) said they favored having the day of prayer, while just 5% said they opposed it. A significant share (38%) said it didn’t matter to them either way.
(5)
The 2014 year’s National Day of Prayer comes as the town of Greece, N.Y., awaits a ruling by the Supreme Court that will decide when it is appropriate for a legislative body to open a meeting or session with a prayer. Most legislatures, including the U.S. Congress, begin their days with a prayer, and the decision could have broad implications for this practice.
Article 3 of 4 An example of the Presidential Proclamation
Presidential Proclamation -- National Day of Prayer, 2014
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
One of our Nation's great strengths is the freedom we hold dear, including the freedom to exercise our faiths freely. For many Americans, prayer is an essential act of worship and a daily discipline.
Today and every day, prayers will be said for comfort for those who mourn, healing for those who are sick, protection for those who are in harm's way, and strength for those who lead. Today and every day, forgiveness and reconciliation will be sought through prayer. Across our country, Americans give thanks for our many blessings, including the freedom to pray as our consciences dictate.
As we give thanks for our liberties, we must never forget those around the world, including Americans, who are being held or persecuted because of their convictions. Let us remember all prisoners of conscience today, whatever their faiths or beliefs and wherever they are held. Let us continue to take every action within our power to secure their release. And let us carry forward our Nation's tradition of religious liberty, which protects Americans' rights to pray and to practice our faiths as we see fit.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2014, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I join all people of faith in asking for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection as we seek a more just world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
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Click: National Day of Prayer nationaldayofprayer.org/
National Day of Prayer Task Force
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Article 4 of 4
Still…Under God
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The Day has spawned a rival click: National Day of Reason on the same day, started by opponents of the National Day of Prayer
John Bornschein
Why does the United States have a day of prayer, designated by Congress, signed into law by the President of the United States, recognized by all 50 Governors and observed by millions of people? The reason is clear. It is etched on buildings, monuments and memorials, defined in law and recited by students each and every day. Like it or not, this great nation is still Under God – a God who is active in the affairs of men and their governing authorities (Proverbs 8:15; 21:1, Daniel 4:25). Groups like Planned Parenthood and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, among others, oppose the idea that people are accountable to an Almighty God. But this is “nothing new under the sun,” as the author of Ecclesiastes once said (Eccl 1:9). Generation after generation, people seek to tear down the institutions that uphold what remaining moral layers prevail within a civilized society, offering nothing in return. After all, it is easier to tear down than to build up.
Consider this letter from Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Paine in response to Paine’s controversial book, Age of Reason:
I have read your manuscript with some attention. By the argument it contains against a particular Providence, though you allow a general Providence, you strike at the foundations of all religion. For without the belief of a Providence, that takes cognizance of, guards, and guides, and may favor particular persons, there is no motive to worship a Deity, to fear his displeasure, or to pray for his protection. I will not enter into any discussion of your principles, though you seem to desire it. At present I shall only give you my opinion, that, though your reasonings are subtle and may prevail with some readers, you will not succeed so as to change the general sentiments of mankind on that subject, and the consequence of printing this piece will be, a great deal of odium drawn upon yourself, mischief to you, and no benefit to others. He that spits against the wind, spits in his own face.
But, were you to succeed, do you imagine any good would be done by it? You yourself may find it easy to live a virtuous life, without the assistance afforded by religion; you having a clear perception of the advantages of virtue, and the disadvantages of vice, and possessing a strength of resolution sufficient to enable you to resist common temptations. But think how great a portion of mankind consists of weak and ignorant men and women, and of inexperienced, inconsiderate youth of both sexes, who have need of the motives of religion to restrain them from vice, to support their virtue, and retain them in the practice of it till it becomes habitual, which is the great point for its security. And perhaps you are indebted to her originally, that is, to your religious education, for the habits of virtue upon which you now justly value yourself. You might easily display your excellent talents of reasoning upon a less hazardous subject, and thereby obtain a rank with our most distinguished authors. For among us it is not necessary, as among the Hottentots, that a youth, to be raised into the company of men, should prove his manhood by beating his mother.
I would advise you, therefore, not to attempt unchaining the tiger, but to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification by the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it. I intend this letter itself as a proof of my friendship, and therefore add no professions to it.[1]
Despite Franklin’s objections, Paine published his Age of Reason, infuriating many of the Founding Fathers. John Adams wrote, “The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity, let the Blackguard [meaning “scoundrel,” “rogue”] Paine say what he will.”[2] The idea of a people being united as one nation under God is like nails on a chalkboard to those who seek to run the streets of America with the fruit that brought Eden to ruin.
We cannot ignore the irony regarding those who seek to argue the case for atheism when they state that they have the truth to open the minds of people. The fact remains that it was God Himself who came to liberate the minds of men; He stated this clearly in the Gospel of John: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). It is absolutely essential that we know the truth.
Let’s take a gander through history for a moment. On February 7, 1954, Rev. George M. Docherty, a pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. preached a sermon titled “A New Birth of Freedom,” while none other than President Dwight D. Eisenhower sat in the audience. In the message, Rev. Docherty suggested that we are a nation “under God” and should be reminded of it daily as our children recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Docherty delivered this message on Lincoln Day, and it had a great impact on those listening—including President Eisenhower, who happened to be seated in the same pew that President Abraham Lincoln had occupied regularly.
A bill was presented to Congress, and on June 14, 1954, just four months later, President Eisenhower signed it into law, officially adding the words “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. The president was quoted as saying, “In this way, we are affirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.” The president then challenged the citizens of this great nation to remember the God of our fathers, for those two words captured “the characteristic and definitive factor in the American way of life.” Being a nation “under God” is deeply rooted in our history.
After President Eisenhower signed the bill, some who challenged the modification suggested that Francis Bellamy, the man who wrote the original pledge, would never have agreed to such a change. Yet it was Mr. Bellamy himself who used the phrase many times in 1892. Documents show that Ferdinand used the phrase when writing to Queen Isabella. Captain John Smith used the phrase when writing to Queen Anne. William Bradford, author of the Mayflower Compact, also used the phrase frequently when he dedicated America to the “advancement of the Christian faith.” More than 21 of the Founding Fathers—including John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson—used the term “under God” when addressing affairs in America.
The term “under God” dates back to the 13th century when Sir Henry Bracton (ca. 1210–1268), the father of modern law, wrote that the king was “sub Deo, et Lege” (“under God and Law”)—the phrase etched above the doors at Harvard Law School. This core philosophy of leadership was the basis of contention between Sir Edward Cokes and King James (1620) when the king was reminded that leaders must be accountable to God or nations will fall back into tyranny and justice cannot prevail. This historic dialog is etched on the door of the Supreme Court.
Ultimately, we are a nation that is spiritually, morally, and legally “under God”—and being so is healthy for this generation and the many to come. Those who desire to remove our accountability before Almighty God are the very same people who naïvely believe that a society without religion is a society of free thinkers—a world without restricting boundaries.
Jean Jacque Rousseau (1742) stated that humans are born “inherently good.” If this is the case, wouldn’t society be better if we could all just explore the potential of humanity in its raw, natural condition and remove the influences of culture and the chains that abound? Ultimately, it always comes back to the idea of removing God from the equation. Well, a nation did remove God, and as a result, 6 million people were murdered with cold and callused resolve from 1933–1945. The Jewish people were slaughtered—men, women and children—at the hands of the Nazi regime.
It was the Nazi perspectives of life that led to the formation of eugenics, a purposeful plan to remove the inferior aspects of humankind and produce the next evolutionary level in humanity. That philosophy still prevails today and was the core worldview of Margaret Sanger (1879–1966), who pioneered reproductive activism and wrote an eight-page monthly newsletter, which circulated throughout greater New York, called “The Rebel Woman—No Gods, No Masters.” She founded Planned Parenthood in 1946. Her efforts are directly responsible for the 1.3 million babies murdered every single year. That number is equal to 114,500 monthly; 26,400 weekly; 3,800 daily; roughly 158 per hour; 2.6 babies every second of every day. How is this any different from the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Germany?
When you remove God from the conversation and our accountability to Him, you remove the definitions of morality and the fact that all men were created equal with certain unalienable rights—endowed by a creator. Rather, we become a bio machine to be pruned and prodded until the next cycle in the evolutionary chain takes shape. Having worked at the United Nations, I can tell you that many world leaders share this view. They do not see people as beings created in the image of God. In their minds, we are simply populations of consumers – consuming the limited natural resources of the planet—contributors to their gross domestic product. Contrary to Jean Jacque Rousseau, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We want to believe that deep down inside, people are good, but I am reminded of the wickedness of humankind—the animalistic nature within us—every time I turn on the news. On February 10, 2013, the cruise ship Carnival Triumph experienced a fire in the engine room, resulting in the electrical generators breaking down. The ship was left stranded at sea, floating directionless until help could arrive. The systems that provided running water and sewage filtration were limited. Other ships nearby provided food and supplies, but it wasn’t long before chaos ensued. The people on board transformed a beautiful cruise into Lord of the Flies. Despite the abundance of shelter, food, and supplies, patrons of the floating 4-star resort turned to crime and vandalism. Interior damage to the ship escalated out of control, putting lives in real danger—all due to the lawlessness of those on board. There was no order or accountability. This may be the best social experiment conducted on the human condition in decades. The ship’s patrons were stranded for only four days. All was well while the toilets were working, but in 48 hours, there was a total collapse of moral rationale and defining law.
Stories like this remind us once again that people are inherently wicked. In the words of the psalmist, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psa 51:5). We must heed the words of the prophet Jeremiah who said that people’s hearts are “deceitful … and desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9).
I love my children, but had they been born, fed, and left with no direction and then tossed into a room with other children and a box full of toys, you would have witnessed the ugly, sinful nature that flourishes within us all. It is only by God’s grace and mercy to teach and instruct us—to set up wise people in positions of authority to establish boundaries—that we have a civilized society at all.
When confronting the evils of the Nazi regime, it was the principles of being a nation “under God” that enabled the prosecution to define right and wrong and the crimes against humanity. At the Nuremberg Trials,[3] Justice Robert H. Jackson set the record straight when he said, “We do not accept the paradox that legal responsibility should be the least where power is the greatest. We stand on the principle of responsible government declared some three centuries ago to King James by Lord Chief Justice Coke, who proclaimed that even a King is still, ‘under God and the law.’ ”[4]
I praise God that our Founding Fathers were devout men of faith. If not for their wisdom and reverence for God, we would have had no laws allowing us to bring justice to those murderers. It was their vision that generations to come would honor God in this way. You need only to pick up the original text of the New England Primer, written in 1687, to see that it was our leaders who wanted all men to read and write, knowing the Scriptures, so they could keep the future leaders of this land accountable to God.
We are one nation under God, and a nation that is under God must stand under His virtues and give Him the praise and recognition for his bountiful blessings that He so rightfully deserves. Accumulative wisdom is not sufficient to navigate the challenges of the day. Therefore, “it is the duty of all nations to recognize the providence of Almighty God” – George Washington, October 1789. Remembering the God of Fathers is what prompted Thomas Jefferson to share these powerful words on March 4, 1801:
“Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.”
The National Day of Prayer – a tradition of honoring God that began in 1774 at the First Congress when a minister was asked to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of four chapters of the Bible – is a call to all of God’s people to unite in prayer in one voice and one mind (Romans 15:6). It is a concept that was birthed in Scripture when the prophets Ezra and Joel (Ezra 9, Nehemiah 8-9, and Joel 1-3) called for the people to unite in humility and reverence before Almighty God. In fact 2 Chronicles 6:13-42 records that all of Israel gathered together to worship and pray unto God. Although the calendar dates have changed, the need for prayer has not. Let us unite on the largest Solemn Assembly in U.S. History and glorify the Lord, remembering that we are one nation, UNDER GOD.
Source:
John Bornschein
Vice Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force
Click: National Day of Prayer nationaldayofprayer.org/
National Day of Prayer Task Force
This is the official website of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. The National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 1, 2014. The Theme is "One Voice, United in ...Events - Shop - Theme and Verse - About
The Day has spawned a rival click: National Day of Reason on the same day, started by opponents of the National Day of Prayer
Statement of Principles of National Day of Reason:
"We join with all people of good will to encourage the application of reason and tolerance in public discourse and to affirm the value of maintaining the separation of church and state. In so doing, we oppose the division of America along religious lines inspired by the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Reason is intended to be a secular alternative to the federally-proclaimed National Day of Prayer, and shall draw attention to the fact that:
Reason and the scientific method continue to be used to advance humanity and are worthy of recognition;
The National Day of Prayer is an exclusionary, government-funded religious observance that violates the First Amendment principle of separation of church and state;
Overtly and exclusively Christian prayers in government sanctioned events discriminate against those of minority belief systems as well as those without religion;
Government funding of religious activities, programs, and personnel is unconstitutional, and constitutes an inappropriate use of taxpayers' money."
GCG's comment: Different views must be accepted. However, our country, The United States of America, is based on the Christian, Biblical Principles - that's the statement by the historians. The Bible was in the hands of our founding fathers guiding them in their daily life and guiding them in creating the Declaration of Independence and all related actions. click: Declaration of Independence
We talk much about the principles of our founding fathers and respect them. Without those principles this country would not exist and without those principles our country would not be the leading country in the world. click: Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript
The founding fathers biblical principles are the reason for this country's success. When we ignore those principles the failure will be the result. At the same time the principle of the founding fathers' has been to tolerate different views which we do in the United States of America.
click: United States Declaration of Independence - Wikipedia
For further info click: National Day of Reason
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How Skeptics and Believers Can Connect
A good article about our life and how to solve communication challenges
in all levels including in marriages
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Click the links at the end of this article and study all in details - study below what Schismogenesis means and learn to apply it.
Written by a social scientist who was invited to a Radio Show to be interviewed by the show host and details here her experiences.
I DO not call myself a Christian. So maybe I should not have been surprised when I went on my first Christian radio show, a year ago, and the host set out to save me — live, on a nationally syndicated program, for 30 minutes. In the few seconds before I was connected, when I could hear him on the air but he could not hear me, he explained: “Listen, she’s not one of us. But I won’t fight with her.” It was a pledge he did not keep. Did I think God was present? My response, that I was speaking as a social scientist, interested him not at all.
I was on the show to discuss my recent book, which explains the way evangelicals learn to experience themselves in conversation with God. It argues that learning to hear God speak involves skill, that the skill changes the way people use and experience their minds, and that those who use this skill do so, for the most part, with sophistication. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the complexity of faith, and have tried to take theologically conservative faith seriously. As I did so, over a decade of research, I found myself more open to the idea of God, and more aware of the fragile human grasp on the real.
So it was a shock to have my host grill me about the state of my soul. It reminded me that one of the things that makes mutual respect between believers and nonbelievers difficult is that there is a kind of line in the sand, and you’re either on one side of it or on the other. Skeptics do this too, of course. I remember a dinner party where I was explaining my work among evangelicals to a colleague, and her face grew longer and longer until she said, “You talk to them?”
The in-your-face confrontation makes it that much harder to connect. The more my interviewer pressed me, the more my faith — such as it is — grew strained.
I had come to live (theologically speaking) in a messy in-between. My interviewer wanted clarity. The more he put me on the spot, the more I wanted to say that I shared nothing with him and that his beliefs were flimsy dreams. And the more I resisted, the more he just got mad. He was determined. I was exhausted.
Anthropologists have a term for this racheting-up of opposition: schismogenesis*). Gregory Bateson developed the word to describe mirroring interactions, where every move by each side makes the other respond more negatively, like those horrible arguments with your spouse where everything you say makes the other person dig in their heels more fiercely.
These days we Americans live not only with political schismogenesis, but also religious schismogenesis. The political scientists Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell, in their book “American Grace,” found that “recent years have seen the sharpest points of disagreement between religious believers — of nearly all stripes — and those who denounce religious belief of all types.” The last few election cycles have made it clear that many evangelicals think that those without religion are dangerously wrong on many issues. A crop of equally committed atheists and agnostics have reciprocated, with vigor. Professors Putnam and Campbell find that it is the people at the extremes who are most engaged in the battle, but all of us see the battle lines clearly drawn.
I think that schismogenesis is responsible for the striking increase in the number of people who say that they are not affiliated with any religion.
Since the early 1990s that number has more than doubled to 20 percent from less than 10 percent, and is close to a third for people under 30. We know that most of these people still believe in God or a higher power, whatever they mean by that. It’s just that they are no longer willing to describe themselves as associated with a religion. They’ve seen that line in the sand, and they’re not willing to step over it.
Yet believers and nonbelievers are not so different from one another, news that is sometimes a surprise to both. When I arrived at one church I had come to study, I thought that I would stick out like a sore thumb. I did not. Instead, I saw my own doubts, anxieties and yearnings reflected in those around me. People were willing to utter sentences — like “I believe in God” — that I was not, but many of those I met spoke openly and comfortably about times of uncertainty, even doubt. Many of my skeptical friends think of themselves as secular, sometimes profoundly so. Yet these secular friends often hover on the edge of faith. They meditate. They keep journals. They go on retreats. They just don’t know what to do with their spiritual yearnings.
Perhaps there is hope. Good marriages work because couples learn to repair, rather than escalate, their conflicts. Same-sex marriage and abortion should not be approached by drawing a line in the sand and demonizing everyone on the other side. We need to recognize something of what we share, and to carry on a conversation — and if we can keep the conversation going, we will, however slowly, move forward.
If we can’t, we’re in real trouble.
Source:
T. M. Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford and the author of “When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God,” is a guest columnist.
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*) Schismogenesis literally means "creation of division". The term derives from the Greek words skhisma "cleft" (borrowed into English asschism, "division into opposing factions"), and genesis "generation, creation" (deriving in turn from gignesthai "be born or produced, creation, a coming into being").
Read more about Schismogenesis - click the links below
Click colored areas
- Schismogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schismogenesis
Schismogenesis literally means "creation of division". The term derives from the Greek words skhisma "cleft" (borrowed into English as schism, "division into ...
Concepts - Types - Sociolinguistics - Systems of holding back - Click
schismogenesis
christianhubert.com/writings/schismogenesis.html
schismogenesis. Gregory Bateson uses this term to describe progressive differentiation between social groups or individuals. For example, if two groups exhibit .. - Stepping Out of the Pattern - INTERLUDE: An Internet Retreat
www.interluderetreat.com/meditate/schismo.htm
Schismogenesis is a word coined by heavy weight social scientist Gregory Bateson that he used in describing relationship processes among people. He defined ... - Click colored area # 4 has a video - see & listen
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOABH5R91XI
Oct 17, 2010 - Uploaded by edivietro
I learned this term from a lecture series by Deborah Tannen, but it has helped me tremendously in working with ...
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Some Mormons Search the Web and Find Doubt
Date: July 20, 2013
In the small but cohesive Mormon community where he grew up, Hans Mattsson was a solid believer and a pillar of the church. He followed his father and grandfather into church leadership and finally became an “area authority” overseeing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout Europe.
When fellow believers in Sweden first began coming to him with information from the Internet that contradicted the church’s history and teachings, he dismissed it as “anti-Mormon propaganda,” the whisperings of Lucifer. He asked his superiors for help in responding to the members’ doubts, and when they seemed to only sidestep the questions, Mr. Mattsson began his own investigation.
But when he discovered credible evidence that the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, was a polygamist and that the Book of Mormon and other scriptures were rife with historical anomalies, Mr. Mattsson said he felt that the foundation on which he had built his life began to crumble.
Around the world and in the United States, where the faith was founded, the Mormon Church is grappling with a wave of doubt and disillusionment among members who encountered information on the Internet that sabotaged what they were taught about their faith, according to interviews with dozens of Mormons and those who study the church.
“I felt like I had an earthquake under my feet,” said Mr. Mattsson, now an emeritus area authority. “Everything I’d been taught, everything I’d been proud to preach about and witness about just crumbled under my feet. It was such a terrible psychological and nearly physical disturbance.”
Mr. Mattsson’s decision to go public with his disaffection, in a church whose top leaders commonly deliberate in private, is a sign that the church faces serious challenges not just from outside but also from skeptics inside.
Greg Prince, a Mormon historian and businessman in Washington who has held local leadership positions in the church, shares Mr. Mattsson’s doubts. “Consider a Catholic cardinal suddenly going to the media and saying about his own church, ‘I don’t buy a lot of this stuff,’ ” Mr. Prince said. “That’s the level we’re talking about here.”
He said of Mr. Mattsson, “He is, as far as I know, the highest-ranking church official who has gone public with deep concerns, who has had a faith crisis and come forward to say he’s going to talk about it because maybe that will help us all to resolve it.”
Every faith has its skeptics and detractors, but the Mormon Church’s history creates special challenges. The church was born in America only 183 years ago, and its founder and prophet, Joseph Smith, and his disciples left behind reams of papers that still exist, documenting their work, exposing their warts and sometimes contradicting one another.
“The Roman Catholic Church has had 2,000 years to work through the hiccups in its history,” said Terryl L. Givens, a professor of English, literature and religion at the University of Richmond and a Mormon believer. “Mormonism is still an adolescent religion.”
Mr. Givens and his wife, Fiona, recently presented what they called “Crucible of Doubt” sessions for questioning Mormons in England, Scotland and Ireland. Hundreds attended each event.
“Sometimes they are just this side of leaving, and sometimes they are simply faithful members who are looking for clarity and understanding to add to their faith,” said Mr. Givens, who hosted a similar discussion in July in Provo, Utah, and has others planned in the United States. The church is not sponsoring the sessions, Mr. Givens said, but local bishops give their permission.
Eric Hawkins, a church spokesman, said that “every church faces this challenge,” adding, “The answer is not to try to silence critics, but to provide as much information and as much support as possible to those who may be affected.” Mr. Hawkins also said the Mormon Church, which counts 14 million members worldwide, added about one million members every three years.
But Mr. Mattsson and others say the disillusionment is infecting the church’s best and brightest. A survey of more than 3,300 Mormon disbelievers, released last year, found that more than half of the men and four in 10 of the women had served in leadership positions in the church.
Many said they had suffered broken relationships with their parents, spouses and children as a result of their disbelief. The study was conducted by John Dehlin, a Ph.D. student in psychology at Utah State University and the founder of “Mormon Stories,” a podcast of interviews with scholars and church members, many critical toward the church.
Some church leaders are well aware of the doubters in their midst. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who serves in the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the governing body just below the three-member First Presidency), said in April while addressing the church’s semiannual general conference in Salt Lake City: “Please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood and resolved. They do, and they will.”
Mr. Mattsson served as a young missionary in England; his wife, Birgitta, is a convert. They raised their five children in the Mormon Church in Sweden, which dates to the 1850s and has about 9,000 members.
He and his twin brother, Leif, both rose through the ranks of leadership, and in 2000, Hans Mattsson became the first Swede ever to be named an area authority. (He served until 2005, when he had heart surgery.) During the week he worked in technology marketing, and on the weekends he traveled widely throughout Europe, preaching and organizing the believers.
“I was just in a bubble, and we felt so happy,” Mr. Mattsson said.
The first doubts filtered up to him from members who had turned to the Internet to research a Sunday school talk. There are dozens of Web sites other than the Mormons’ own that present critical views of the faith.
The questions were things like:
■ Why does the church always portray Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon from golden plates, when witnesses described him looking down into a hat at a “peep stone,” a rock that he believed helped him find buried treasure?
■ Why were black men excluded from the priesthood from the mid-1800s until 1978?
■ Why did Smith claim that the Book of Abraham, a core scripture, was a translation of ancient writings from the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, when Egyptologists now identify the papyrus that Smith used in the translation as a common funerary scroll that has nothing to do with Abraham?
■ Is it true that Smith took dozens of wives, some as young as 14 and some already wed to other Mormon leaders, to the great pain of his first wife, Emma?
About that last question, Mr. Mattsson said, “That was kind of shocking.”
Mr. Mattsson said he sought the help of the church’s highest authorities. He said a senior apostle came to Sweden at his request and told a meeting of Mormons that he had a manuscript in his briefcase that, once it was published, would prove all the doubters wrong. But Mr. Mattsson said the promised text never appeared, and when he asked the apostle about it, he was told it was impertinent to ask.
(Mr. Mattsson refused to identify the apostle, but others said it was Elder L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Perry, now 91, confirmed through a church spokesman that he did visit a branch in Sweden with skeptical members, but said he recalled satisfying their questions with a letter written by the church’s history department.)
That encounter is what really set off Mr. Mattsson’s doubts. He began reading everything he could. He listened to the “Mormon Stories” podcasts. And he read “Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling,” a biography by Richard Lyman Bushman, a historian at Columbia University and a prominent Mormon.
Mr. Bushman said in a telephone interview: “You would be amazed at the number of Mormons who don’t think Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. It just wasn’t talked about. It was never mentioned in church periodicals. That was policy.”
In the last 10 or 15 years, he said, “the church has come to realize that transparency and candor and historical accuracy are really the only way to go.” The church has released seven volumes of the papers of Joseph Smith and published an essay on one of the most shameful events in church history, the Mountain Meadows massacre, in which church leaders plotted the slaughter of people in a wagon train in 1857.
But the church has not actively disseminated most of these documents, so when members come across them on Web sites or in books, Mr. Bushman said, “it’s just excruciating.”
“Sometimes people are furious because they feel they haven’t been told the truth growing up,” he said. “They feel like they were tricked or betrayed.”
Mr. Mattsson said that when he started sharing what he had learned with other Mormons in Sweden, the stake president (who oversees a cluster of congregations) told him not to talk about it to any members, even his wife and children. He did not obey: “I said to them, why are you afraid for the truth?”
He organized a discussion group in Sweden, and more than 600 participated, he said. In 2010, the church sent two of its top historians,Elder Marlin K. Jensen and Richard E. Turley Jr. to allay the Swedes’ concerns. They had a remarkably frank and sometimes testy exchange, especially about Smith and polygamy.
The Mattssons have tried other churches, but they are still attached to their Mormon faith. A few weeks ago, they moved to Spain for health reasons, they said. They left behind some family members who are unhappy with Mr. Mattsson’s decision to grant interviews to The New York Times and to the “Mormon Stories” podcast.
“I don’t want to hurt the church,” Mr. Mattsson said. “I just want the truth.”
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Click the colored title below for the original article with pictures - The original article is in The New York Times - search their website
Some Mormons Search the Web and Find Doubt ... The church is grappling with a wave of disillusionment among members who encountered information that sabotages what they were taught ...July 20, 2013 - By LAURIE GOODSTEIN - U.S. - Article - Print Headline: "Some Mormons Search the Web And Find Doubt"
Click colored areas for further info
Source: NYT
________________________________________
Black America's Real Problem Isn't White Racism
Important facts for every American and everyone else in the world to realize
PART 1 of 3
In the aftermath of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, Eric Holder, Al Sharpton and Ben Jealous of the NAACP are calling on the black community to rise up in national protest.
Yet they know — and Barack Obama, whose silence speaks volumes, knows — nothing is going to happen.
"Stand-Your-Ground" laws in Florida (see the law below after this article) and other states are not going to be repealed. George Zimmerman is not going to be prosecuted for a federal "hate crime" in the death of Trayvon Martin.
The result of all this ginned-up rage that has produced vandalism and violence is simply going to be an ever-deepening racial divide.
Consider the matter of crime and fear of crime.
From listening to cable channels and hearing Holder, Sharpton, Jealous and others, one would think the great threat to black children today emanates from white vigilantes and white cops.
Hence, every black father must have a "conversation" with his son, warning him not to resist or run if pulled over or hassled by a cop.
Make the wrong move, son, and you may be dead is the implication.
But is this the reality in Black America?
When Holder delivered his 2009 "nation-of-cowards" speech blaming racism for racial separation, Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald suggested that our attorney general study his crime statistics.
In New York from January to June, 83 percent of all gun assailants were black, according to witnesses and victims, though blacks were only 24 percent of the population. Blacks and Hispanics together accounted for 98 percent of all gun assailants. Forty-nine of every 50 muggings and murders in the Big Apple were the work of black or Hispanic criminals.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirms Mac Donald's facts. Blacks and Hispanics commit 96 percent of all crimes in the city, he says, but only 85 percent of the stop-and-frisks are of blacks and Hispanics.
And these may involve the kind of pat-downs all of us have had at the airport.
Is stop-and-frisk the work of racist cops in New York, where the crime rate has been driven down to levels unseen in decades?
According to Kelly, a majority of his police force, which he has been able to cut from 41,000 officers to 35,000, is now made up of minorities.
But blacks are also, per capita, the principal victims of crime. Would black fathers prefer their sons to grow up in Chicago, rather than low-crime New York City, with its stop-and-frisk policy?
Fernando Mateo, head of the New York taxicab union, urges his drivers to profile blacks and Hispanics for their own safety: "The God's honest truth is that 99 percent of the people that are robbing, stealing, killing these drivers are blacks and Hispanics."
Mateo is what The New York Times would describe as "a black Hispanic" Yet he may be closer to the 'hood than Holder, who says he was stopped by police when running to a movie — in Georgetown. D.C.
Which raises a relevant question. Georgetown, D.C. is an elitist enclave of a national capital that has been ruled by black mayors for half a century. It's never had a white mayor.
Is Holder saying we've got racist cops in the district where Obama carried 86 percent of the white vote and 97 percent of the black vote? And his son should fear the white cops in Washington, D.C.?
What about interracial crime, white-on-black attacks and the reverse?
After researching the FBI numbers for "Suicide of a Superpower," this writer concluded: "An analysis of 'single offender victimization figures' from the FBI for 2007 finds blacks committed 433,934 crimes against whites, eight times the 55,685 whites committed against blacks. Interracial rape is almost exclusively black on white — with 14,000 assaults on white women by African Americans in 2007. Not one case of a white sexual assault on a black female was found in the FBI study."
Though blacks are outnumbered 5-to-1 in the population by whites, they commit eight times as many crimes against whites as the reverse. By those 2007 numbers, a black male was 40 times as likely to assault a white person as the reverse.
If interracial crime is the ugliest manifestation of racism, what does this tell us about where racism really resides — in America?
And if the FBI stats for 2007 represent an average year since the Tawana Brawley rape-hoax of 1987, over one-third of a million white women have been sexually assaulted by black males since 1987 — with no visible protest from the civil rights leadership.
Today, 73 percent of all black kids are born out of wedlock. Growing up, these kids drop out, use drugs, are unemployed, commit crimes and are incarcerated at many times the rate of Asians and whites — or Hispanics, who are taking the jobs that used to go to young black Americans.
Are white vigilantes or white cops really Black America's problem?
Obama seems not to think so. The Rev. Sharpton notwithstanding, he is touting Ray Kelly as a possible chief of homeland security.
Source: Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Suicide of1 a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?" To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.
__________________________________
PART 2 of 3
The Law
The “Stand Your Ground” doctrine*) in can be found in Florida Statute § 776.013(3) (2012). Take a look at some key parts of the legislation:
§ 776.013. Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm
(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
Most states have enacted the “castle doctrine,” which says that you have a right to use deadly force to protect your home if you reasonably believe that your life is in jeopardy, but the Florida law goes one step further and permits individuals to stand their ground anywhere they have a right to be without requiring them to retreat first.
In Florida, you can use deadly force anywhere as long as you:
--Are not engaged in an unlawful activity
--Are being attacked in a place you have a right to be
--Reasonably believe that your life and safety is in danger as a result of an overt act or perceived threat committed by someone else toward you.
Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force can be found in Florida Statute § 776.032(1) (2012).
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in … s. 776.013…is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force... As used in this subsection, the term "criminal prosecution" includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.
That means you are immune from prosecution or civil liability because you are allowed to use the force. When “Stand Your Ground” is successfully asserted following a killing, the homicide is considered “justified,” which means there won’t be any criminal charges filed and you cannot held liable in a civil case either.
Possible criminal charges
Probable cause is the degree of proof required to arrest someone. Probable cause is difficult to define in certain terms, but generally probable cause exists where the facts and circumstances would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that an offense was or is being committed. In other words, there must be more evidence than not that a crime was or is being committed.
*) doctrine
1. A principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief, as by a religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group; dogma.
2. A rule or principle of law, especially when established by precedent.
3. A statement of official government policy, especially in foreign affairs and military strategy.
4. Archaic Something taught; a teaching.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin doctrna, from doctor, teacher; see doctor.]
Synonyms: doctrine, dogma, tenet
__________________________________________________________________________________________
. Florida as a model
In other states, "Stand Your Ground" laws are strikingly similar to Florida's.
In July 2013 the "Stand Your Ground" laws are in 30 States in the U.S.
PART 3 of 3
The Law in other U.S. States
The “Stand Your Ground” doctrine*)
"The biggest difference in any of the laws are where they have the right to defend themselves. Some require that you be in your home or your car. Some have expanded that to say you can just be on the street corner," said Ryan Sibley, a writer and researcher at the non-profit think tank Sunlight Foundation.
Here are several examples other notable "Stand Your Ground" differences by state, as well as some court cases where it's been applied:
Click green for further info
Texas: A person can only use Stand Your Ground if they have the right to be present at the location where the deadly force is used, and has not provoked the person against whom the deadly forced is used.
In November 2007, Joe Horn, 61, of Pasadena, Texas, saw two burglars break into his neighbors' home, according to The New York Times. He grabbed his shotgun and called 911, offering to the 911 operator, "I've got a shotgun; do you want me to stop them?" Despite the emergency operator telling him no, he allegedly went over and killed the two men. Horn claimed self-defense and was not indicted when he went before a grand jury.
North Carolina: Exceptions to the use of deadly force as listed in North Carolina's law are against police officers or law enforcement, bail bondsmen and landlords. Stand Your Ground passed in North Carolina in 2011.
Kansas: Kansas' Stand Your Ground law specifies the person can't be engaged in illegal activity while defending him or herself. The law, enacted in 2006, has rarely been applied in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle notes.
Louisiana: Byron Thomas, 21, of Lafourche Parish, La., was cleared by a grand jury in the death of 15-year-old Jamonta Miles in February 2012 because he claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot an SUV the boy was in. The two may have been in rival gangs, according to Louisiana's HoumaToday.com; Thomas fired on the vehicle after getting into an argument while trying to buy marijuana. Louisiana's Stand Your Ground law passed in 2006.
Arizona: In April 2012, Cordell Jude, 22, was driving in Phoenix when Daniel Adkins Jr. walked in front of him with his dog. "Watch it!" Jude yelled to Adkins, who was mentally disabled, according to USA TODAY. Adkins then swung what looked like a pipe in the air and Jude shot and killed him — the pipe-like object turned out to just be a dog leash. Jude claimed self-defense; he remained free for three months, but now faces second-degree murder charges and is set to go to trial next month, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's office. The Arizona Stand Your Ground law passed in 2010.
Oklahoma: In 2010, Carl England of Tulsa was shot in the chest and killed after attacking another man he accused of breaking into his daughter's apartment. His killer, Pernell Jefferson, 37, was not charged with the murder, due to Stand Your Ground, but is serving a six-year sentence on a weapons charge, according to The Associated Press. Oklahoma enacted its Stand Your Ground law, which closely mirrors Florida's, in 2006.
Georgia: John McNeil hired Brian Epp, a construction company owner, to build a new house for him in Cobb County, Ga., in 2005. In December 2005, McNeil's son got into an argument in the backyard with Epp, who allegedly pulled out a pocketknife. Upon hearing this, McNeil rushed home and fired a warning shot with his gun, reported Salon.com. But Epp charged toward him, allegedly reaching for his pocket knife again. McNeil fired another shot, this time hitting Epp in the head and killing him. In 2006, despite the state passing a Stand Your Ground law earlier in the year, McNeil was sentenced to life in prison, which was later reduced after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Many states have some form of stand-your-ground law
Alabama,[14] Alaska,[15] Arizona,[16] California,[17][18] Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa,[19] Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,[16] Maine, Massachusetts (though the term is used very loosely there),[20] Michigan,[16]Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,[16] New Hampshire,[16] North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,[16] Pennsylvania ,[21], Rhode Island,[22] South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,[16] Texas,[23] Utah,[24] West Virginia,[16], Wisconsin[25] and Wyoming have adopted Castle Doctrine statutes, and other states (Iowa,[26] Virginia,[27] and Washington) have considered stand-your-ground laws of their own.[28][29][30
Click the following links to find more information
Search the internet for any additional, related topic Source: Internet, U.S. statistics Click colored areas for further info ______________________________________________________________________________________
Important facts for every American and everyone else in the world to realize
PART 1 of 3
In the aftermath of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, Eric Holder, Al Sharpton and Ben Jealous of the NAACP are calling on the black community to rise up in national protest.
Yet they know — and Barack Obama, whose silence speaks volumes, knows — nothing is going to happen.
"Stand-Your-Ground" laws in Florida (see the law below after this article) and other states are not going to be repealed. George Zimmerman is not going to be prosecuted for a federal "hate crime" in the death of Trayvon Martin.
The result of all this ginned-up rage that has produced vandalism and violence is simply going to be an ever-deepening racial divide.
Consider the matter of crime and fear of crime.
From listening to cable channels and hearing Holder, Sharpton, Jealous and others, one would think the great threat to black children today emanates from white vigilantes and white cops.
Hence, every black father must have a "conversation" with his son, warning him not to resist or run if pulled over or hassled by a cop.
Make the wrong move, son, and you may be dead is the implication.
But is this the reality in Black America?
When Holder delivered his 2009 "nation-of-cowards" speech blaming racism for racial separation, Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald suggested that our attorney general study his crime statistics.
In New York from January to June, 83 percent of all gun assailants were black, according to witnesses and victims, though blacks were only 24 percent of the population. Blacks and Hispanics together accounted for 98 percent of all gun assailants. Forty-nine of every 50 muggings and murders in the Big Apple were the work of black or Hispanic criminals.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirms Mac Donald's facts. Blacks and Hispanics commit 96 percent of all crimes in the city, he says, but only 85 percent of the stop-and-frisks are of blacks and Hispanics.
And these may involve the kind of pat-downs all of us have had at the airport.
Is stop-and-frisk the work of racist cops in New York, where the crime rate has been driven down to levels unseen in decades?
According to Kelly, a majority of his police force, which he has been able to cut from 41,000 officers to 35,000, is now made up of minorities.
But blacks are also, per capita, the principal victims of crime. Would black fathers prefer their sons to grow up in Chicago, rather than low-crime New York City, with its stop-and-frisk policy?
Fernando Mateo, head of the New York taxicab union, urges his drivers to profile blacks and Hispanics for their own safety: "The God's honest truth is that 99 percent of the people that are robbing, stealing, killing these drivers are blacks and Hispanics."
Mateo is what The New York Times would describe as "a black Hispanic" Yet he may be closer to the 'hood than Holder, who says he was stopped by police when running to a movie — in Georgetown. D.C.
Which raises a relevant question. Georgetown, D.C. is an elitist enclave of a national capital that has been ruled by black mayors for half a century. It's never had a white mayor.
Is Holder saying we've got racist cops in the district where Obama carried 86 percent of the white vote and 97 percent of the black vote? And his son should fear the white cops in Washington, D.C.?
What about interracial crime, white-on-black attacks and the reverse?
After researching the FBI numbers for "Suicide of a Superpower," this writer concluded: "An analysis of 'single offender victimization figures' from the FBI for 2007 finds blacks committed 433,934 crimes against whites, eight times the 55,685 whites committed against blacks. Interracial rape is almost exclusively black on white — with 14,000 assaults on white women by African Americans in 2007. Not one case of a white sexual assault on a black female was found in the FBI study."
Though blacks are outnumbered 5-to-1 in the population by whites, they commit eight times as many crimes against whites as the reverse. By those 2007 numbers, a black male was 40 times as likely to assault a white person as the reverse.
If interracial crime is the ugliest manifestation of racism, what does this tell us about where racism really resides — in America?
And if the FBI stats for 2007 represent an average year since the Tawana Brawley rape-hoax of 1987, over one-third of a million white women have been sexually assaulted by black males since 1987 — with no visible protest from the civil rights leadership.
Today, 73 percent of all black kids are born out of wedlock. Growing up, these kids drop out, use drugs, are unemployed, commit crimes and are incarcerated at many times the rate of Asians and whites — or Hispanics, who are taking the jobs that used to go to young black Americans.
Are white vigilantes or white cops really Black America's problem?
Obama seems not to think so. The Rev. Sharpton notwithstanding, he is touting Ray Kelly as a possible chief of homeland security.
Source: Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Suicide of1 a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?" To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.
__________________________________
PART 2 of 3
The Law
The “Stand Your Ground” doctrine*) in can be found in Florida Statute § 776.013(3) (2012). Take a look at some key parts of the legislation:
§ 776.013. Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm
(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
Most states have enacted the “castle doctrine,” which says that you have a right to use deadly force to protect your home if you reasonably believe that your life is in jeopardy, but the Florida law goes one step further and permits individuals to stand their ground anywhere they have a right to be without requiring them to retreat first.
In Florida, you can use deadly force anywhere as long as you:
--Are not engaged in an unlawful activity
--Are being attacked in a place you have a right to be
--Reasonably believe that your life and safety is in danger as a result of an overt act or perceived threat committed by someone else toward you.
Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force can be found in Florida Statute § 776.032(1) (2012).
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in … s. 776.013…is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force... As used in this subsection, the term "criminal prosecution" includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.
That means you are immune from prosecution or civil liability because you are allowed to use the force. When “Stand Your Ground” is successfully asserted following a killing, the homicide is considered “justified,” which means there won’t be any criminal charges filed and you cannot held liable in a civil case either.
Possible criminal charges
Probable cause is the degree of proof required to arrest someone. Probable cause is difficult to define in certain terms, but generally probable cause exists where the facts and circumstances would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that an offense was or is being committed. In other words, there must be more evidence than not that a crime was or is being committed.
*) doctrine
1. A principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief, as by a religious, political, scientific, or philosophic group; dogma.
2. A rule or principle of law, especially when established by precedent.
3. A statement of official government policy, especially in foreign affairs and military strategy.
4. Archaic Something taught; a teaching.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin doctrna, from doctor, teacher; see doctor.]
Synonyms: doctrine, dogma, tenet
__________________________________________________________________________________________
. Florida as a model
In other states, "Stand Your Ground" laws are strikingly similar to Florida's.
In July 2013 the "Stand Your Ground" laws are in 30 States in the U.S.
PART 3 of 3
The Law in other U.S. States
The “Stand Your Ground” doctrine*)
"The biggest difference in any of the laws are where they have the right to defend themselves. Some require that you be in your home or your car. Some have expanded that to say you can just be on the street corner," said Ryan Sibley, a writer and researcher at the non-profit think tank Sunlight Foundation.
Here are several examples other notable "Stand Your Ground" differences by state, as well as some court cases where it's been applied:
Click green for further info
Texas: A person can only use Stand Your Ground if they have the right to be present at the location where the deadly force is used, and has not provoked the person against whom the deadly forced is used.
In November 2007, Joe Horn, 61, of Pasadena, Texas, saw two burglars break into his neighbors' home, according to The New York Times. He grabbed his shotgun and called 911, offering to the 911 operator, "I've got a shotgun; do you want me to stop them?" Despite the emergency operator telling him no, he allegedly went over and killed the two men. Horn claimed self-defense and was not indicted when he went before a grand jury.
North Carolina: Exceptions to the use of deadly force as listed in North Carolina's law are against police officers or law enforcement, bail bondsmen and landlords. Stand Your Ground passed in North Carolina in 2011.
Kansas: Kansas' Stand Your Ground law specifies the person can't be engaged in illegal activity while defending him or herself. The law, enacted in 2006, has rarely been applied in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle notes.
Louisiana: Byron Thomas, 21, of Lafourche Parish, La., was cleared by a grand jury in the death of 15-year-old Jamonta Miles in February 2012 because he claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot an SUV the boy was in. The two may have been in rival gangs, according to Louisiana's HoumaToday.com; Thomas fired on the vehicle after getting into an argument while trying to buy marijuana. Louisiana's Stand Your Ground law passed in 2006.
Arizona: In April 2012, Cordell Jude, 22, was driving in Phoenix when Daniel Adkins Jr. walked in front of him with his dog. "Watch it!" Jude yelled to Adkins, who was mentally disabled, according to USA TODAY. Adkins then swung what looked like a pipe in the air and Jude shot and killed him — the pipe-like object turned out to just be a dog leash. Jude claimed self-defense; he remained free for three months, but now faces second-degree murder charges and is set to go to trial next month, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's office. The Arizona Stand Your Ground law passed in 2010.
Oklahoma: In 2010, Carl England of Tulsa was shot in the chest and killed after attacking another man he accused of breaking into his daughter's apartment. His killer, Pernell Jefferson, 37, was not charged with the murder, due to Stand Your Ground, but is serving a six-year sentence on a weapons charge, according to The Associated Press. Oklahoma enacted its Stand Your Ground law, which closely mirrors Florida's, in 2006.
Georgia: John McNeil hired Brian Epp, a construction company owner, to build a new house for him in Cobb County, Ga., in 2005. In December 2005, McNeil's son got into an argument in the backyard with Epp, who allegedly pulled out a pocketknife. Upon hearing this, McNeil rushed home and fired a warning shot with his gun, reported Salon.com. But Epp charged toward him, allegedly reaching for his pocket knife again. McNeil fired another shot, this time hitting Epp in the head and killing him. In 2006, despite the state passing a Stand Your Ground law earlier in the year, McNeil was sentenced to life in prison, which was later reduced after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Many states have some form of stand-your-ground law
Alabama,[14] Alaska,[15] Arizona,[16] California,[17][18] Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa,[19] Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,[16] Maine, Massachusetts (though the term is used very loosely there),[20] Michigan,[16]Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,[16] New Hampshire,[16] North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,[16] Pennsylvania ,[21], Rhode Island,[22] South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,[16] Texas,[23] Utah,[24] West Virginia,[16], Wisconsin[25] and Wyoming have adopted Castle Doctrine statutes, and other states (Iowa,[26] Virginia,[27] and Washington) have considered stand-your-ground laws of their own.[28][29][30
Click the following links to find more information
- Stand-your-ground law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law
Jump to United States - Many states have some form of stand-your-ground law. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, ... - Castle doctrine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine
3.1 States with a Stand-your-ground Law; 3.2 States with a Castle Law; 3.3 States with ... Use of force in self-defense which causes damage or injuries to other, ... - States That Have Stand Your Ground Laws - FindLawcriminal.findlaw.com › Criminal Law › Criminal Law Basics
Many states have enacted “stand your ground” laws that remove the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. The following is a list of states with stand ...
Search the internet for any additional, related topic Source: Internet, U.S. statistics Click colored areas for further info ______________________________________________________________________________________
Black Pastor Speaks Frankly to Blacks
About Trayvon Martin
"On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient*)? And expedience comes along and asks the question, is it political? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular--- but one must take it because it's right," said Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
Well what I am about to say is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular, but what I believe is right.
*) expedient = Convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral
Blackness seems to be defined as a belief that in the black community you cannot be lied to by our so-called self imposed leaders and the news media. If either one of them says something, we put all our trust in it as the truth, and we act upon that truth regardless of the repercussions.
Truth can stand regardless if anyone believes in it or not, but a lie cannot stand unless someone has faith in it. So what is the truth about the Martin and Zimmerman case? Where do you want to stand and what side of this are you choosing? Laws will never accomplish what Jesus can accomplish with changed hearts in all people of all colors.
When you have a young black boy who is killed by what some are calling a white Hispanic, and Jackson and Sharpton (of the PPA or the Poverty Pimps of America),
and a liberal media involved, you have the equivalent of nitroglycerin.
Oh by the way, I never heard of "white Hispanic" before but I guess this fits the bill in this case. This incident only needed someone to light the fuse. Why is this true because black people are involved?
I believe Dr. James Manning hit it on the head when he said that black people have a difficult time accepting truth simply because they are black. That's right, black people are involved and it is impossible for the average black person to believe the truth. They refuse to believe that a black boy could be in the wrong when it comes to a white Hispanic. Blackness is the apex of victimhood and our blackness is above truth, above our Christianity, above our God, above our Holy Spirit, so that means if our blackness is above the Holy Spirit, then it is above Truth. This is so important for everyone to know this so they can understand why this Trayvon and Zimmerman case is where it is today and why blacks refuse to believe what really happened.
Let's see if we can figure out what really happened that night that Trayvon and Zimmerman met.
I have been told that the medical report revealed Trayvon had marijuana in his system that night. Someone told me if you smoke marijuana you can get the munchies and feel paranoid. So the reason may be that he was out late to get his munchies on and since he may have been a little paranoid, he could have been acting a little suspicious. That is what got Zimmerman's attention in the first place and then add the time of night, then the fact there were other robberies in the neighborhood, and Zimmerman was the head of neighborhood watch. Zimmerman got out of his truck and did not go back as soon as he was told. However, he was going back to his truck and it was then that Trayvon that came back to confront George.
The reason Trayvon attacked George is because he thought George might be a rapist and not a racist. That's right a rapist my friends, because of what Rachael Jeantel said on the Piers Morgan Show. She said she told him to run if a grown man is following you because he may be a rapist (not racist) so that is why he would not continue to go home. He turned back to confront Zimmerman because he probably did not want him to follow him home with his little brother being there.
On The Piers Morgan Show, Rachael Jeantel said that Trayvon attacked George first because that is what you do in the hood.
Now black people will not accept that because their leaders and the media said it was a racially motivated confrontation. They are living black and just can't help themselves.
This reminds me of an incident when I was in college. My professor got so mad at me in one of my freshman biology classes during a lesson on evolution. She said this is how the world was formed and I said how do you know that? She went on to explain the big bang theory and I then asked where did that concept come from? She said that atoms collided and I asked where did the atoms come from?
You get the idea and at the end of class it was obvious she was angry at this black freshman challenging this white professor in a class in 1970. She waited and the last day she was talking about genes. She looked at me and said if your genes are recessive then you are white and if your genes are dominant you are black and there is nothing you can do about it. Can you believe that shot over the bow at me? Wow I guess I have to give her some kudos because it seems that if you are black then there is nothing you can do about thinking this way.
It seems that being black allows us to not look at the truth even when it is screaming in our face because we just can't help ourselves. It is hard to believe that blacks can be guilty of wrongdoing in our society. You know when you look at the truth of blacks making up 30 percent of the population and yet the majority of those incarcerated are black men and women. Can someone please tell me if it is not true that in Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and New York that blacks are killing blacks, you know, black on black crime? In those cities blacks perpetrate serious crimes with guns over 70 per cent of the time. Now don't miss that comparison of 30 percent of the population committing over 70 percent of all crimes in our largest cities. There are many blacks who think whitey wants to get rid of us and the way we are killing each other the only thing they have to do is get out of the way and we will accomplish that ourselves. Then it does seem logical that most of the people that are in jail would be black.
Don't turn me off because this is a conversation we must have. Black people will never be the great people that we truly are until we put Jesus above our blackness.
No one is innocent of this racial divide if we don't do something to promote change. I am not talking about more talking; I am talking about doing.
Do you have friends that don't look like you? Does everyone in your church look, talk, and sound alike? Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone, to get in someone else's comfort, to teach them how to get out of their comfort zone? Are you willing to help change the conversation about racism and then do what you talk about? Are you willing to do it God's way like Jesus did in his time when there was just as great a racial divide as we are facing today?
Remember what you are speaks so loud I can't hear a word you say.
Click green for further info
Source:
Dr. Ken Hutcherson is Senior Pastor of Antioch Bible Church outside Seattle. He is a former Seattle Seahawk and Dallas Cowboy linebacker who lives with his family in Redmond, Washington.
_______________________________________________
About Trayvon Martin
"On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient*)? And expedience comes along and asks the question, is it political? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular--- but one must take it because it's right," said Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
Well what I am about to say is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular, but what I believe is right.
*) expedient = Convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral
Blackness seems to be defined as a belief that in the black community you cannot be lied to by our so-called self imposed leaders and the news media. If either one of them says something, we put all our trust in it as the truth, and we act upon that truth regardless of the repercussions.
Truth can stand regardless if anyone believes in it or not, but a lie cannot stand unless someone has faith in it. So what is the truth about the Martin and Zimmerman case? Where do you want to stand and what side of this are you choosing? Laws will never accomplish what Jesus can accomplish with changed hearts in all people of all colors.
When you have a young black boy who is killed by what some are calling a white Hispanic, and Jackson and Sharpton (of the PPA or the Poverty Pimps of America),
and a liberal media involved, you have the equivalent of nitroglycerin.
Oh by the way, I never heard of "white Hispanic" before but I guess this fits the bill in this case. This incident only needed someone to light the fuse. Why is this true because black people are involved?
I believe Dr. James Manning hit it on the head when he said that black people have a difficult time accepting truth simply because they are black. That's right, black people are involved and it is impossible for the average black person to believe the truth. They refuse to believe that a black boy could be in the wrong when it comes to a white Hispanic. Blackness is the apex of victimhood and our blackness is above truth, above our Christianity, above our God, above our Holy Spirit, so that means if our blackness is above the Holy Spirit, then it is above Truth. This is so important for everyone to know this so they can understand why this Trayvon and Zimmerman case is where it is today and why blacks refuse to believe what really happened.
Let's see if we can figure out what really happened that night that Trayvon and Zimmerman met.
I have been told that the medical report revealed Trayvon had marijuana in his system that night. Someone told me if you smoke marijuana you can get the munchies and feel paranoid. So the reason may be that he was out late to get his munchies on and since he may have been a little paranoid, he could have been acting a little suspicious. That is what got Zimmerman's attention in the first place and then add the time of night, then the fact there were other robberies in the neighborhood, and Zimmerman was the head of neighborhood watch. Zimmerman got out of his truck and did not go back as soon as he was told. However, he was going back to his truck and it was then that Trayvon that came back to confront George.
The reason Trayvon attacked George is because he thought George might be a rapist and not a racist. That's right a rapist my friends, because of what Rachael Jeantel said on the Piers Morgan Show. She said she told him to run if a grown man is following you because he may be a rapist (not racist) so that is why he would not continue to go home. He turned back to confront Zimmerman because he probably did not want him to follow him home with his little brother being there.
On The Piers Morgan Show, Rachael Jeantel said that Trayvon attacked George first because that is what you do in the hood.
Now black people will not accept that because their leaders and the media said it was a racially motivated confrontation. They are living black and just can't help themselves.
This reminds me of an incident when I was in college. My professor got so mad at me in one of my freshman biology classes during a lesson on evolution. She said this is how the world was formed and I said how do you know that? She went on to explain the big bang theory and I then asked where did that concept come from? She said that atoms collided and I asked where did the atoms come from?
You get the idea and at the end of class it was obvious she was angry at this black freshman challenging this white professor in a class in 1970. She waited and the last day she was talking about genes. She looked at me and said if your genes are recessive then you are white and if your genes are dominant you are black and there is nothing you can do about it. Can you believe that shot over the bow at me? Wow I guess I have to give her some kudos because it seems that if you are black then there is nothing you can do about thinking this way.
It seems that being black allows us to not look at the truth even when it is screaming in our face because we just can't help ourselves. It is hard to believe that blacks can be guilty of wrongdoing in our society. You know when you look at the truth of blacks making up 30 percent of the population and yet the majority of those incarcerated are black men and women. Can someone please tell me if it is not true that in Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and New York that blacks are killing blacks, you know, black on black crime? In those cities blacks perpetrate serious crimes with guns over 70 per cent of the time. Now don't miss that comparison of 30 percent of the population committing over 70 percent of all crimes in our largest cities. There are many blacks who think whitey wants to get rid of us and the way we are killing each other the only thing they have to do is get out of the way and we will accomplish that ourselves. Then it does seem logical that most of the people that are in jail would be black.
Don't turn me off because this is a conversation we must have. Black people will never be the great people that we truly are until we put Jesus above our blackness.
No one is innocent of this racial divide if we don't do something to promote change. I am not talking about more talking; I am talking about doing.
Do you have friends that don't look like you? Does everyone in your church look, talk, and sound alike? Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone, to get in someone else's comfort, to teach them how to get out of their comfort zone? Are you willing to help change the conversation about racism and then do what you talk about? Are you willing to do it God's way like Jesus did in his time when there was just as great a racial divide as we are facing today?
Remember what you are speaks so loud I can't hear a word you say.
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Dr. Ken Hutcherson is Senior Pastor of Antioch Bible Church outside Seattle. He is a former Seattle Seahawk and Dallas Cowboy linebacker who lives with his family in Redmond, Washington.
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Shape-Shifting Jesus Described in Ancient Egyptian Text
A newly deciphered Egyptian text, dating back almost 1,200 years, tells part of the crucifixion story of Jesus with apocryphal plot twists, some of which have never been seen before.
Written in the Coptic language, the ancient text tells of Pontius Pilate, the judge who authorized Jesus' crucifixion, having dinner with Jesus before his crucifixion and offering to sacrifice his own son in the place of Jesus. It also explains why Judas used a kiss, specifically, to betray Jesus — because Jesus had the ability to change shape, according to the text — and it puts the day of the arrest of Jesus on Tuesday evening rather than Thursday evening, something that contravenes the Easter timeline.
The discovery of the text doesn't mean these events happened, but rather that some people living at the time appear to have believed in them, said Roelof van den Broek, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who published the translation in the book "Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem on the Life and the Passion of Christ"(Brill, 2013).
Copies of the text are found in two manuscripts, one in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City and the other at the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Most of the translation comes from the New York text, because the relevant text in the Pennsylvania manuscript is mostly illegible. [Image Gallery: 2 Ancient Curses Deciphered]
Pontius Pilate has dinner with Jesus
While apocryphal stories about Pilate are known from ancient times, van den Broek wrote in an email to LiveScience that he has never seen this one before, with Pilate offering to sacrifice his own son in the place of Jesus.
"Without further ado, Pilate prepared a table and he ate with Jesus on the fifth day of the week. AndJesus blessed Pilate and his whole house," reads part of the text in translation. Pilate later tells Jesus, "well then, behold, the night has come, rise and withdraw, and when the morning comes and they accuse me because of you, I shall give them the only son I have so that they can kill him in your place." [Who Was Jesus, the Man?]
In the text, Jesus comforts him, saying, "Oh Pilate, you have been deemed worthy of a great grace because you have shown a good disposition to me." Jesus also showed Pilate that he can escape if he chose to. "Pilate, then, looked at Jesus and, behold, he became incorporeal: He did not see him for a long time ..." the text read.
Pilate and his wife both have visions that night that show an eagle (representing Jesus) being killed.
In the Coptic and Ethiopian churches, Pilate is regarded as a saint, which explains the sympathetic portrayal in the text, van den Broek writes.
The reason for Judas using a kiss
In the canonical bible the apostle Judas betrays Jesus in exchange for money by using a kiss to identify him leading to Jesus' arrest. This apocryphal tale explains that the reason Judas used a kiss, specifically, is because Jesus had the ability to change shape.
"Then the Jews said to Judas: How shall we arrest him [Jesus], for he does not have a single shape but his appearance changes. Sometimes he is ruddy, sometimes he is white, sometimes he is red, sometimes he is wheat coloured, sometimes he is pallid like ascetics, sometimes he is a youth, sometimes an old man ..." This leads Judas to suggest using a kiss as a means to identify him. If Judas had given the arresters a description of Jesus he could have changed shape. By kissing Jesus Judastells the people exactly who he is. [Religious Mysteries: 8 Alleged Relics of Jesus]
This understanding of Judas' kiss goes way back. "This explanation of Judas' kiss is first found in Origen [a theologian who lived A.D. 185-254]," van den Broek writes. In his work, Contra Celsum the ancient writerOrigen, stated that "to those who saw him [Jesus] he did not appear alike to all."
St. Cyril impersonation
The text is written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem who lived during the fourth century. In the story Cyril tells the Easter story as part of a homily (a type of sermon). A number of texts in ancient times claim to be homilies by St. Cyril and they were probably not given by the saint in real life, van den Broek explained in his book.
Near the beginning of the text, Cyril, or the person writing in his name, claims that a book has been found in Jerusalem showing the writings of the apostles on the life and crucifixion of Jesus. "Listen to me, oh my honored children, and let me tell you something of what we found written in the house of Mary ..." reads part of the text.
Again, it's unlikely that such a book was found in real life. Van den Broek said that a claim like this would have been used by the writer "to enhance the credibility of the peculiar views and uncanonical facts he is about to present by ascribing them to an apostolic source," adding that examples of this plot device can be found "frequently" in Coptic literature.
Arrest on Tuesday
Van den Broek says that he is surprised that the writer of the text moved the date of Jesus' Last Supper, with the apostles, and arrest to Tuesday. In fact, in this text, Jesus' actual Last Supper appears to be with Pontius Pilate. In between his arrest and supper with Pilate, he is brought before Caiaphas and Herod.
In the canonical texts, the last supper and arrest of Jesus happens on Thursday evening and present-day Christians mark this event with Maundy Thursday services. It "remains remarkable that Pseudo-Cyril relates the story of Jesus' arrest on Tuesday evening as if the canonical story about his arrest on Thursday evening (which was commemorated each year in the services of Holy Week) did not exist!" writes van den Broek in the email.
A gift to a monastery ... and then to New York
About 1,200 years ago the New York text was in the library of the Monastery of St. Michael in the Egyptian desert near present-day al-Hamuli in the western part of the Faiyum. The text says, in translation, that it was a gift from "archpriest Father Paul," who, "has provided for this book by his own labors."
The monastery appears to have ceased operations around the early 10th century, and the text was rediscovered in the spring of 1910. In December 1911, it was purchased, along with other texts, by American financier J.P. Morgan. His collections would later be given to the public and are part of the present-day Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. The manuscript is currently displayed as part of the museum's exhibition "Treasures from the Vault" running through May 5.
Who believed it?
Van den Broek writes in the email that "in Egypt, the Bible had already become canonized in the fourth/fifth century, but apocryphal stories and books remained popular among the Egyptian Christians, especially among monks."
Whereas the people of the monastery would have believed the newly translated text, "in particular the more simple monks," he's not convinced that the writer of the text believed everything he was writing down, van den Broek said.
"I find it difficult to believe that he really did, but some details, for instance the meal with Jesus, he may have believed to have really happened," van den Broek writes. "The people of that time, even if they were well-educated, did not have a critical historical attitude. Miracles were quite possible, and why should an old story not be true?"
Click the colored titles below to study the articles (if the link has expired, search the web with the title)
A newly deciphered Egyptian text, dating back almost 1,200 years, tells part of the crucifixion story of Jesus with apocryphal plot twists, some of which have never been seen before.
Written in the Coptic language, the ancient text tells of Pontius Pilate, the judge who authorized Jesus' crucifixion, having dinner with Jesus before his crucifixion and offering to sacrifice his own son in the place of Jesus. It also explains why Judas used a kiss, specifically, to betray Jesus — because Jesus had the ability to change shape, according to the text — and it puts the day of the arrest of Jesus on Tuesday evening rather than Thursday evening, something that contravenes the Easter timeline.
The discovery of the text doesn't mean these events happened, but rather that some people living at the time appear to have believed in them, said Roelof van den Broek, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who published the translation in the book "Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem on the Life and the Passion of Christ"(Brill, 2013).
Copies of the text are found in two manuscripts, one in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City and the other at the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Most of the translation comes from the New York text, because the relevant text in the Pennsylvania manuscript is mostly illegible. [Image Gallery: 2 Ancient Curses Deciphered]
Pontius Pilate has dinner with Jesus
While apocryphal stories about Pilate are known from ancient times, van den Broek wrote in an email to LiveScience that he has never seen this one before, with Pilate offering to sacrifice his own son in the place of Jesus.
"Without further ado, Pilate prepared a table and he ate with Jesus on the fifth day of the week. AndJesus blessed Pilate and his whole house," reads part of the text in translation. Pilate later tells Jesus, "well then, behold, the night has come, rise and withdraw, and when the morning comes and they accuse me because of you, I shall give them the only son I have so that they can kill him in your place." [Who Was Jesus, the Man?]
In the text, Jesus comforts him, saying, "Oh Pilate, you have been deemed worthy of a great grace because you have shown a good disposition to me." Jesus also showed Pilate that he can escape if he chose to. "Pilate, then, looked at Jesus and, behold, he became incorporeal: He did not see him for a long time ..." the text read.
Pilate and his wife both have visions that night that show an eagle (representing Jesus) being killed.
In the Coptic and Ethiopian churches, Pilate is regarded as a saint, which explains the sympathetic portrayal in the text, van den Broek writes.
The reason for Judas using a kiss
In the canonical bible the apostle Judas betrays Jesus in exchange for money by using a kiss to identify him leading to Jesus' arrest. This apocryphal tale explains that the reason Judas used a kiss, specifically, is because Jesus had the ability to change shape.
"Then the Jews said to Judas: How shall we arrest him [Jesus], for he does not have a single shape but his appearance changes. Sometimes he is ruddy, sometimes he is white, sometimes he is red, sometimes he is wheat coloured, sometimes he is pallid like ascetics, sometimes he is a youth, sometimes an old man ..." This leads Judas to suggest using a kiss as a means to identify him. If Judas had given the arresters a description of Jesus he could have changed shape. By kissing Jesus Judastells the people exactly who he is. [Religious Mysteries: 8 Alleged Relics of Jesus]
This understanding of Judas' kiss goes way back. "This explanation of Judas' kiss is first found in Origen [a theologian who lived A.D. 185-254]," van den Broek writes. In his work, Contra Celsum the ancient writerOrigen, stated that "to those who saw him [Jesus] he did not appear alike to all."
St. Cyril impersonation
The text is written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem who lived during the fourth century. In the story Cyril tells the Easter story as part of a homily (a type of sermon). A number of texts in ancient times claim to be homilies by St. Cyril and they were probably not given by the saint in real life, van den Broek explained in his book.
Near the beginning of the text, Cyril, or the person writing in his name, claims that a book has been found in Jerusalem showing the writings of the apostles on the life and crucifixion of Jesus. "Listen to me, oh my honored children, and let me tell you something of what we found written in the house of Mary ..." reads part of the text.
Again, it's unlikely that such a book was found in real life. Van den Broek said that a claim like this would have been used by the writer "to enhance the credibility of the peculiar views and uncanonical facts he is about to present by ascribing them to an apostolic source," adding that examples of this plot device can be found "frequently" in Coptic literature.
Arrest on Tuesday
Van den Broek says that he is surprised that the writer of the text moved the date of Jesus' Last Supper, with the apostles, and arrest to Tuesday. In fact, in this text, Jesus' actual Last Supper appears to be with Pontius Pilate. In between his arrest and supper with Pilate, he is brought before Caiaphas and Herod.
In the canonical texts, the last supper and arrest of Jesus happens on Thursday evening and present-day Christians mark this event with Maundy Thursday services. It "remains remarkable that Pseudo-Cyril relates the story of Jesus' arrest on Tuesday evening as if the canonical story about his arrest on Thursday evening (which was commemorated each year in the services of Holy Week) did not exist!" writes van den Broek in the email.
A gift to a monastery ... and then to New York
About 1,200 years ago the New York text was in the library of the Monastery of St. Michael in the Egyptian desert near present-day al-Hamuli in the western part of the Faiyum. The text says, in translation, that it was a gift from "archpriest Father Paul," who, "has provided for this book by his own labors."
The monastery appears to have ceased operations around the early 10th century, and the text was rediscovered in the spring of 1910. In December 1911, it was purchased, along with other texts, by American financier J.P. Morgan. His collections would later be given to the public and are part of the present-day Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. The manuscript is currently displayed as part of the museum's exhibition "Treasures from the Vault" running through May 5.
Who believed it?
Van den Broek writes in the email that "in Egypt, the Bible had already become canonized in the fourth/fifth century, but apocryphal stories and books remained popular among the Egyptian Christians, especially among monks."
Whereas the people of the monastery would have believed the newly translated text, "in particular the more simple monks," he's not convinced that the writer of the text believed everything he was writing down, van den Broek said.
"I find it difficult to believe that he really did, but some details, for instance the meal with Jesus, he may have believed to have really happened," van den Broek writes. "The people of that time, even if they were well-educated, did not have a critical historical attitude. Miracles were quite possible, and why should an old story not be true?"
Click the colored titles below to study the articles (if the link has expired, search the web with the title)
- Religious Mysteries: 8 Alleged Relics of Jesus
- In Photos: 'Alien' Skulls Reveal Odd, Ancient Tradition
- In Photos: A Journey Through Early Christian Rome ________________________________________________________________
Right to Lawyer Can Be Empty Promise for Poor
Date: March 15, 2013
ADEL, Ga. — Billy Jerome Presley spent 17 months in a Georgia jail because he did not have $2,700 for a child support payment. He had no prior jail record but also no lawyer. In Baltimore last fall, Carl Hymes, 21, was arrested on charges of shining a laser into the eyes of a police officer. Bail was set at $75,000. He had no arrest record but also no lawyer. In West Orange, N.J., last summer, Walter Bloss, 89, was served with an eviction notice from the rent-controlled apartment he had lived in for 43 years after a dispute with his landlord. He had gone to court without a lawyer.
Fifty years ago, on March 18, 1963, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that those accused of a crime have a constitutional right to a lawyer whether or not they can afford one. But as legal officials observe the anniversary of what is widely considered one of the most significant judicial declarations of equality under law, many say that the promise inherent in the Gideon ruling remains unfulfilled because so many legal needs still go unmet.
Civil matters — including legal issues like home foreclosure, job loss, spousal abuse and parental custody — were not covered by the decision. Today, many states and counties do not offer lawyers to the poor in major civil disputes, and in some criminal ones as well. Those states that do are finding that more people than ever are qualifying for such help, making it impossible to keep up with the need. The result is that even at a time when many law school graduates are without work, many Americans are without lawyers.
The Legal Services Corporation, the Congressionally financed organization that provides lawyers to the poor in civil matters, says there are more than 60 million Americans — 35 percent more than in 2005 — who qualify for its services. But it calculates that 80 percent of the legal needs of the poor go unmet. In state after state, according to a survey of trial judges, more people are now representing themselves in court and they are failing to present necessary evidence, committing procedural errors and poorly examining witnesses, all while new lawyers remain unemployed.
“Some of our most essential rights — those involving our families, our homes, our livelihoods — are the least protected,” Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson of the Texas Supreme Court, said in a recent speech at New York University. He noted that a family of four earning $30,000 annually does not qualify for legal aid in many states.
James J. Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corporation, said, “Most Americans don’t realize that you can have your home taken away, your children taken away and you can be a victim of domestic violence but you have no constitutional right to a lawyer to protect you.”
According to the World Justice Project, a nonprofit group promoting the rule of law that got its start through the American Bar Association, the United States ranks 66th out of 98 countries in access to and affordability of civil legal services.
“In most countries, equality before the law means equality between those of high and low income,” remarked Earl Johnson Jr., a retired justice of the California Court of Appeal. “In this country for some reason we are concerned more with individuals versus government.”
With law school graduates hurting for work, it may appear that there is a glut of lawyers. But many experts say that is a misunderstanding.
“We don’t have an excess of lawyers,” said Martin Guggenheim, a law professor at New York University. “What we have is a miserable fit. In many areas like family and housing law, there is simply no private bar to go to. You couldn’t find a lawyer to help you even if you had the money because there isn’t a dime to be made in those cases.”
Even in situations where an individual is up against a state prosecutor and jail may result, not every jurisdiction provides lawyers to the defendants. In Georgia, those charged with failing to pay child support face a prosecutor and jail but are not supplied with a lawyer.
Mr. Presley lost his job in the recession and fell way behind on support payments for his four children. In 2011, he was jailed after a court proceeding without a lawyer in which he said he could not pay what he owed. He was brought back to court, shackled, every month or two. Each time, he said he still could not pay. Each time, he was sent back.
A year later, he contacted a public defender who handles only criminal cases but who sent his case to the Southern Center for Human Rights. Atteeyah Hollie, a lawyer there, got him released that same day, helped him find work and set up a payment plan.
An important service lawyers can provide defendants like Mr. Presley is knowledge of what courts want — receipts of medical treatment, evidence of a job search, bank account statements. On their own, many people misstep when facing a judge.
In Adel, Ga., a town of 5,000, child support court meets monthly. On a recent morning, a dozen men in shackles and jail uniforms faced Chuck Reddick, a state prosecutor, on their second or third round in court.
“In most cases, they simply can’t pay,” said John P. Daughtrey, who was sheriff here until losing an election in November. “An attorney could explain to the judge why jail is not the solution and how to fix it. As a sheriff, I want criminals in my jail, not a debtor’s prison.”
Mr. Reddick and Judge Carson Dane Perkins of Cook County Superior Court in Adel both said they would welcome lawyers for defendants because it would make the process clearer and smoother.
“If we could extend the right to a lawyer to civil procedures where you face a loss of liberty, that would be good,” Judge Perkins said. “Lawyers can get affidavits from employers and help make cases for those who can’t pay.”
The Southern Center for Human Rights has filed a class-action suit seeking a guarantee of a lawyer for such cases in Georgia. Sarah Geraghty, a lawyer there, said the center had received thousands of calls from Georgians facing child support hearings. Among them was Russell Davis, a Navy veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who was jailed three times and lost his apartment and car while in jail.
Georgia also offers a case study on the mismatch between lawyers and clients at a time when each needs the other. According to the Legal Services Corporation, 70 percent of the state’s lawyers are in the Atlanta area, while 70 percent of the poor live outside it. There are six counties without a lawyer and dozens with only two or three.
Mr. Bloss, who faced eviction in New Jersey, went to legal services, which won for him the right to stay in his apartment while his case is under appeal.
In Baltimore, where Mr. Hymes was accused of shining a laser at a police officer and assigned bail of $75,000, first bail hearings do not include a lawyer. Tens of thousands are brought through Central Booking every year, facing a commissioner through a glass partition, who determines whether to release the detainee on his own recognizance or assign bail and at what level.
“For the poor, bail is a jail sentence,” said Douglas L. Colbert, a law professor at the University of Maryland. A study he conducted on 4,000 bail cases of nonviolent offenders found that two and a half times as many detainees were released on their own recognizance and bail was set at a far more affordable level if a lawyer was at the hearing.
Mr. Hymes was relatively lucky. When he eventually faced a judge with the help of a public defender, bail was slashed to $200 cash. It took his family a few weeks to pay. A student of Mr. Colbert’s, Iten Naguib, acted as an intermediary.
“If there had been an attorney involved at the initial stages,” Ms. Naguib said, “Mr. Hymes would likely have been released much earlier.”
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Source: NYT
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The Pope's Retirement Package
- the first one the Vatican has had to prepare in almost 600 years -
It's good to be the pope - even a retired one, it turns out
How does the Pope's package compare with an American Retiree
Date: February 2013
As Pope Benedict XVI steps down on Thursday, February 28, 2013, his retirement package - the first one the Vatican has had to prepare in almost 600 years - would likely be considered a sweet deal by the average American senior, providing a steady income and generous perks.
Pope Benedict XVI will be known as ''emeritus pope'' in his retirement and will continue to wear a white cassock, the Vatican announced Tuesday, again fueling concerns about potential conflicts arising from having both a reigning and a retired pope. Both are called "Your Holiness".
Let's start with the basics: The pope emeritus will receive a monthly pension of 2,500 euros, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa.
That translates to almost $3,300, or close to the monthly maximum of $3,350 that Social Security will pay to an American who retires this year.
Click: Cheating on Taxes Is Not Cool, Say Most Americans
Few people will actually qualify for that amount. For starters, you would have to wait until 70 to retire. You would also have to spend most of your working life earning Social Security's taxable maximum pay, which is set at $113,700 this year.
"That's quite rare," said Richard Johnson, director of the program on retirement policy at the Urban Institute.
He pointed out that the average Social Security check is about $1,200 a month - not enough to pay for the typical American retiree's expenses.
Click: Not-So-Golden Years - Over 75, and Crushed by Debt
"For most people, if you look at the median, Social Security counts for about 40 percent of their income. So it's important, but people rely a lot on other savings, like pensions or 401(k) savings," Johnson said.
A big nest egg is not something the pope emeritus has to worry about. The Roman Catholic Church will cover his living expenses, provide him with a spacious home inside the Vatican and pay for everything from cooked meals to housekeepers, according to The Telegraph.
Such services are not available to the typical American senior, unless he or she pays for an assisted living facility or resides in a nursing home, Johnson said.
What about waiting to retire until 85, as Benedict did? The average American retires at about 64, so working that long is unusual, Johnson noted.
"If you have a job you love, it's great," he said.
"(But) just like the pope, the biggest determinant of retirement is health status. When your health starts to deteriorate, that's what often pushes people into retirement, sometimes earlier than expected."
Health care costs are one of the big risks that older Americans face, and while Medicare pays for the bulk of their expenses, many things are left uncovered, Johnson said. Meanwhile, the pope emeritus will continue to be a member of the Vatican's generous private health care policy, the BBC reported.
Click: Divorcing Boomers Double Their Retirement Problems
Bottom line: rent-free living, few out-of-pocket expenses plus thousands of dollars deposited into your account each month would probably constitute a good deal in most people's minds.
Of course, the pope is not most people. His financial health is of such interest that it recently got the Saturday Night Live treatment, with a mock ad showing a worried Benedict surrounded by a pile of unpaid bills and seeking the help of a financial planning firm called "Papal Securities." Motto: "Because heaven can wait."
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- Philadelphia Monsignor’s Conviction Overturned in Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse
- Date December 26, 2013 A Pennsylvania appeals court overturned the criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic official who was accused of covering up sexual abuses by priests he supervised. The court rejected the legal basis for a prosecution that was viewed as a milestone in holding senior church officials accountable for keeping abuse reports secret in past decades and transferring predatory priests to unwary new parishes.
The official, click: Msgr. William J. Lynn of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, has spent 18 months in prison, but was not released and now must apply for bail.
He was the first senior church official in the United States to be criminally indicted not for abusing children himself, but for lax oversight of priests with histories of committing sexual abuse.
His conviction in June 2012 on one count of child endangerment, and sentence of three to six years in prison, was lauded by victim advocates as an overdue assignment of responsibility to senior church officials. But it was portrayed by Monsignor Lynn’s supporters as overly harsh for a man who made misjudgments but was following the orders of an archbishop, who has since died.
Thomas A. Bergstrom, a lawyer for Monsignor Lynn, called the ruling “a strong opinion by a unanimous court,” He said of the monsignor: “He shouldn’t have been convicted. He shouldn’t have been sentenced.”
The reversal of Monsignor Lynn’s conviction turned on disputed interpretations of Pennsylvania’s former child welfare law and does not have legal implications for other states. Prosecution of supervising officials for their handling of priests accused of abuse in past decades remains a rarity; grand juries in Boston and Los Angeles are known to have explored the issues but have not issued indictments, apparently because of legal constraints.
But experts in the priest sexual-abuse scandals said that the impact of Monsignor Lynn’s trial on the church and the public was unlikely to be diminished by Thursday’s reversal.
“The process of taking this case through the criminal system likely stirred as much change as any conviction,” said Timothy D. Lytton, a professor at the Albany Law School and the author of “Holding Bishops Accountable.”
Two grand jury reports and the Lynn trial showed “in excruciating detail,” Mr. Lytton said, that Philadelphia church officials “placed concern about scandal to the church above child welfare.”
Monsignor Lynn served as secretary of the clergy in the archdiocese from 1992 to 2004, responsible for recommending priest assignments and investigating abuse complaints. At his trial, prosecutors presented evidence that he had shielded a number of suspect priests and lied to the public to avoid bad publicity and lawsuits. His conviction involved only one former priest, Edward V. Avery, whom Monsignor Lynn sent to live in a rectory without warning parish officials of his history as an abuser.
Shortly before Monsignor Lynn’s trial, Mr. Avery pleaded guilty to engaging in oral sex with a 10-year-old altar boy in 1999, and he is serving a sentence of two and a half to five years.
In reversal, the appeals court said that the state had provided “more than adequate” evidence that Monsignor Lynn “prioritized the archdiocese’s reputation over the safety of potential victims of sexually abusive priests.” But it rejected the argument, accepted by the 2012 trial judge and jury, that a child welfare law applied to a “parent, guardian or other person supervising the welfare of a child” could be used to prosecute Monsignor Lynn. To eliminate any ambiguity, that law was modified in 2007, after his retirement, to explicitly apply to employers and supervisors as well.
“I felt all along that the trial was a freight train,” said Jeffrey M. Lindy, who as a lawyer for Monsignor Lynn during the trial had argued that the law was being misapplied. Amid public outrage over revelations of abuses and cover-ups, he said, politics had influenced the judgment of some officials.
The Philadelphia district attorney who pressed the case, R. Seth Williams, said in a statement Thursday, “I am disappointed and strongly disagree with the court’s decision.”
“While we are deciding what our next course of action will be, we most likely will be appealing this decision,” he said.
Whether or not the conviction stands up, Monsignor Lynn’s trial remains a warning to church officials everywhere, said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior analyst with The National Catholic Reporter and expert on church leadership.
“Everyone in the chancery now knows they could be arrested and prosecuted if they do not follow the law carefully,” he said.
Most of the abuse cases that have come to light occurred in earlier decades and are often beyond the criminal statute of limitations. New accusations are less frequent, Father Reese noted, “but in general when a case comes up, everyone is picking up the phone and dialing 911.”
The highest Roman Catholic official in the United States to face abuse-related charges is Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City, Mo. In September 2012 he was found guilty on one misdemeanor charge for failing to report a priest who had taken hundreds of pornographic pictures of young girls. Bishop Finn was sentenced to two years’ probation. . _______________________
More Hispanics are leaving Catholic Church: survey
(Reuters) - A growing number of U.S. Hispanics are turning away from the Roman Catholic religion of their youth and now identify as Protestant or unaffiliated with any church, according to a survey.
Catholics represented 55 percent of U.S. Hispanics in 2013, a drop from 67 percent in 2010, the Pew Research Center survey found. About 16 percent of Hispanics are evangelical Protestants, up from 12 percent three years earlier, and 18 percent are unaffiliated, up from 10 percent.
Three-quarters of those interviewed said they were raised Catholic. More than half of those who left their childhood faith said they "gradually drifted away,"
while 31 percent said they found a congregation that helps its members more.
Religious scholars said the shift could serve as something of a warning to U.S. Catholic leaders, who have relied on the growing Hispanic population to fill pews and collection plates.
"It does represent what has been a wake-up call for Catholicism for several decades now," said Allan Figueroa Deck, theology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
"We have become a little lukewarm," said Deck, a Jesuit priest. He said a particular challenge is reaching youth, who need to not just be entertained and instructed but understood.
Twenty-eight percent of former Hispanic Catholics who now identify as Protestants say they are Pentecostal.
Factors drawing them include smaller, more intimate churches and a democratic pastorate where anyone can minister, according to Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, history professor and expert on Hispanic Pentecostals at Azusa Pacific University In Los Angeles. She said Pentecostals practice emotional worship with plain, commonsense reading of the Bible replacing "traditionalist, often arcane" Catholic sacramental worship.
Hispanics make up an increasingly large share of U.S. Catholics, representing a third of the U.S. church, reflecting their growing numbers.
About 53 million U.S. residents describe themselves as Hispanic, representing 17 percent of the nation's population, according to the Census Bureau.
Just 3 percent of Hispanics identify as atheist or agnostic, half the rate in the general public.
Jose Alvarado, 40, founder of Chicago Latino Atheists, said he believes that many Latinos have doubts about religion but that it was tough to "come out" in a culture where church is such a powerful force.
"We're much more outsiders than probably any other Latino group," said Alvarado, who was raised Catholic.
Below several links relating to this same topic - click the colored link below for further info
______________________
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
Click: The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
Click: A major new Pew Research survey finds that nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults are now former Catholics, while rising numbers are Protestant or unaffiliated with any religion. In addition to changes in religious affiliation, the report also looks at a variety of other topics, including religious beliefs and practices and views of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. We also have published interactive graphics that look at religious switching among Hispanics and religious, social and political differences between Hispanics and the general public, and among Hispanic religious groups.
FACT TANK Fewer Hispanics Are Catholic, So How Can More Catholics Be Hispanic?
The percentage of Latinos in the U.S. who are Catholic is declining. A majority (55%) of the nation's estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic, but that's down from two-thirds (67%) as recently as 2010. At the same time, the percentage of all U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic is increasing. That paradox is possible because of the growing size of the Hispanic population, which has increased from 12.5% of the total U.S. population in 2000 to 16.9% in 2012.
Click: READ MORE >>
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and younger generations are less likely to affiliate with religious groups, previous Pew Research studies have found. Our new survey finds that Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click: Millennials in Adulthood - Pew Social & Demographic Trends
Definition: Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
Definition: COHORT: In statistics and demography, a cohort is a group of subjects who have shared a particular event together during a particular time span(e.g., people born in Europe between 1918 and 1939; survivors of an aircrash; truck drivers who smoked between age 30 and 40). Cohorts may be tracked over extended periods in a cohort study. The cohort can be modified by censoring, i.e. excluding certain individuals from statistical calculations relating to time periods (e.g. after death) when their data would contaminate the conclusions. Click: cohort for further info
Definition: Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western Post–World War II baby boom. Demographers, historians and commentators use beginning birth dates from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.
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Milky Way Galaxy May Be Less Massive Than Thought
Click orange for further info
The Milky Way galaxy, home of Earth's solar system, may actually be only half as massive as currently thought, scientists say.
Stars in the far outer reaches of the Milky Way, between 260,000 and 490,000 light-years from the galactic center, are cruising around surprisingly slowly, researchers found. Galactic mass and star velocities are linked, so the results could have big implications.
"Because these velocities are so low, the mass of our galaxy may be much lower than we once thought," lead author Alis Deason, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, told reporters Wednesday (Jan. 9) at the 221st meeting of the American Astronomical Socity in Long Beach, Calif.
"If we infer the properties of the stars that we think are reasonable, then we find the mass of the Milky Way could be half as massive as we currently believe," added Deason, who performed the research while at the University of Cambridge in England. [Stunning Photos of Our Milky Way Galaxy]
The Milky Way is composed of three main parts: a central bulge, a relatively flat disk and a roughly spherical surrounding halo.
Deason and her team looked far out into the Milky Way's halo, which extends far beyond the 100,000-light-year-wide disk. They measured the radial velocities of a sample of distant halo stars using two different instruments: the European Southern Observatory's 8.2-meter telescope in Chile and the 4.2-meter William Herschel Observatory in Spain.
They found that the dispersion, or spread, of halo-star velocities was about half that seen for stars closer to the galactic center.
"This was quite a surprise when we found this," Deason said.
Using this information, the team calculated that the total mass of the Milky Way out to such extreme distances may be between 500 billion and 1 trillion times that of our sun — substantially lower than the current leading estimate, Deason said.
But the new study is not necessarily the final word on the Milky Way's mass, which is not well understood.
"The problem is, we are really in unknown territory," Deason said. "We are assuming properties of these stars that are the same in the inner parts of the galaxy. And this is something that really needs to be verified, what we're assuming, in terms of their density profile and also what their orbits are like."
Future work along these lines could help astronomers map the distribution of mass throughout the Milky Way, Deason said, potentially shedding light on the mysterious dark matter that is thought to make up more than 80 percent of all matter in the universe.
"I think we will be able to use measurements like this to not only say what the total mass is, but also if the dark matter distribution is what we expect," she said. "At the moment, we just don't know."
Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com@Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
- Our Milky Way Galaxy: A Traveler's Guide (Infographic)
- Massive Star Formation Sites Discovered In Milky Way | Video
- Milky Way Quiz: Test Your Galaxy Smarts
Click orange for further info
Source: SPACE.com
For your private use only,
except can be used for education
______________________________________________________
This article is published in 2012 mid November after the 2012 Presidential election
Secession petitions filed in 20 states
Later on, in about one week, the secession petition was filed in all 50 states
It all is mostly a symbolic act - based on the 1st Amendment
(1) The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
In the wake of 2012's presidential election, thousands of Americans have signed petitions seeking permission for their states to peacefully secede
from the United States. The petitions were filed on We the People, a government website.
(2) A University of Louisville political science professor who explained that these petitions aren't uncommon.
Similar petitions were filed following the 2004 and 2008 elections. Still, should the petitions garner 25,000 signatures in a month,
they will require an official response from the White House administration.
to secede
to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc.
States with citizens filing include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Oddly, folks from Georgia have filed twice. Even stranger, several of the petitions come from states that went for President Barack Obama.
The petitions are short and to the point. For example, a petition from the Volunteer State reads: "Peacefully grant the State of Tennessee to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government." Of all the petitions, Texas has the most signatures so far, with more than 23,000.
Of course, this is mostly a symbolic gesture. The odds of the American government granting any state permission to go its own way are on par with winning the lottery while getting hit by a meteor while seeing Bigfoot while finding gluten-free pizza that tastes like the real thing.
An article from WKRC quotes a University of Louisville political science professor who explained that these petitions aren't uncommon. Similar petitions were filed following the 2004 and 2008 elections. Still, should the petitions garner 25,000 signatures in a month, they will require an official response from the Obama administration.
From the We the People site:
The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
We the People provides a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. We created We the People because we want to hear from you. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it's sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.
Not everybody who wants to secede is polite enough to write a petition. Peter Morrison, treasurer of the Hardin County (Texas) Republican Party, wrote a post-election newsletter in which he urges the Lone Star State to leave the Union.
"We must contest every single inch of ground and delay the baby-murdering, tax-raising socialists at every opportunity. But in due time, the maggots will have eaten every morsel of flesh off of the rotting corpse of the Republic, and therein lies our opportunity... Why should Vermont and Texas live under the same government? Let each go her own way in peace, sign a free trade agreement among the states and we can avoid this gut-wrenching spectacle every four years."
EXPLORE RELATED CONTENT1 - 4 of 20
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A petition for Texas to secede from the union, submitted to the White House, reached the number of signatures …Full Story »Texas Secession Petition to Obama - U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates …
Click green for further info _________________________________________________________
Source:
The New York Times
June 17, 2012
For Many Immigrants, Policy Offers Joy and Relief - 6/15/12 an Executive Action by President Obama
By IAN LOVETT - LOS ANGELES
Ana Sochitl graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, on Saturday, with a degree in sociology. But until Friday, she had worried that even after she threw her cap into the air, she would be stuck at her job at a taco shop, the price of having immigrated here illegally at age 4.
But a day after President Obama announced an executive action to permit hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants to remain in this country, Ms. Sochitl said that instead of a life working at a taco shop, she was going to look for a job that uses her degree, working in a rehabilitation center.
“Before this, I wondered what I was going to do with my life,” said Ms. Sochitl, 21. “This is opening a door for me. Now I can get a job that uses my degree. I can do something with myself.”
For many immigrants here, especially students like Ms. Sochitl, Mr. Obama’s announcement on Friday, 6/15/12 of his plan to offer work permits to some illegal immigrants under 30 years old who came to the United States before age 16, unleashed a wave of joy and relief, undercut with wariness about if and how the policy might be implemented. The policy does not grant any permanent legal status.
At the taco shop where Ms. Sochitl works in Boyle Heights, a center of Latino culture in Los Angeles and a home to immigrants from all over the world, everyone knew someone who stood to benefit from the new policy.
Even patrons who were already citizens, like María Cano, who came here from Mexico in 1979, reacted with emotion as they named cousins or neighbors who might now be able to stay in the country legally.
“Immigrants have helped build this society for many, many years, and I think it’s time that we were recognized and given a chance,” Ms. Cano, 46, said, tearing up as she spoke. “I know so many people whose parents brought them here illegally, who went to school and started working here. And now there is finally hope for them.”
For Ms. Cano, like many others in this solidly Democratic neighborhood, the new policy reaffirms her plans to support Mr. Obama in November.
But even in this area, some other Latinos had grown frustrated with the president, as immigration reform efforts stalled in Congress.
Vilma Berrios, who immigrated from El Salvador in 1975 and is now a citizen, voted for Mr. Obama in 2008. As she sat in MacArthur Park, another gathering place for immigrants, she spoke of her conflicted feelings.
She said she did not support Mr. Obama anymore, because so many people had been deported under his administration. But she added that if he followed through on the promises he made Friday, she would vote for him again.
“I have to think about who I’m going to vote for,” Ms. Berrios, 59, said in Spanish. “If he completes what he promised today, I will vote for him. It’s very important. But I want immigration reform that will benefit everyone.”
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said Friday’s announcement had the potential to reinvigorate enthusiasm for Mr. Obama among many Latinos.
“It is a game changer for him,” Ms. Salas said. “It is very motivating. It kind of keeps the hope people had for this president alive.”
Still, after years of disappointment in efforts to change immigration laws, some remained skeptical, reserving their excitement until they saw how the new policy would be implemented.
“We heard the news, and it’s great, but it’s just a first step,” said Maxima Guerrero, 22, a college student who wore a shirt that read, “I Am Undocumented” to a rally in downtown Los Angeles. “When I see it in action, then I’ll say, ‘This is fantastic.’ For now, we’re just getting the ball rolling.”
And most important, Ms. Guerrero said, the new policy did not at all diminish the need for comprehensive immigration reform — a sentiment that nearly everyone in East Los Angeles echoed.
José Pérez, 60, runs the farmers’ market in Boyle Heights with his wife and daughter. On Friday night at the market, as a singer on stage crooned in Spanish and locals perused stands selling cherries, tamales and handmade jewelry, Mr. Pérez said he hoped that eventually, a new immigration policy would offer legal status to everyone in his community.
“I know so many people who graduate, and then that’s it; they can’t do nothing,” Mr. Pérez said. “This is a country of immigrants. Why don’t we help these people who need to be helped?”
________________________________
The New York Times
June 17, 2012
For Many Immigrants, Policy Offers Joy and Relief - 6/15/12 an Executive Action by President Obama
By IAN LOVETT - LOS ANGELES
Ana Sochitl graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, on Saturday, with a degree in sociology. But until Friday, she had worried that even after she threw her cap into the air, she would be stuck at her job at a taco shop, the price of having immigrated here illegally at age 4.
But a day after President Obama announced an executive action to permit hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants to remain in this country, Ms. Sochitl said that instead of a life working at a taco shop, she was going to look for a job that uses her degree, working in a rehabilitation center.
“Before this, I wondered what I was going to do with my life,” said Ms. Sochitl, 21. “This is opening a door for me. Now I can get a job that uses my degree. I can do something with myself.”
For many immigrants here, especially students like Ms. Sochitl, Mr. Obama’s announcement on Friday, 6/15/12 of his plan to offer work permits to some illegal immigrants under 30 years old who came to the United States before age 16, unleashed a wave of joy and relief, undercut with wariness about if and how the policy might be implemented. The policy does not grant any permanent legal status.
At the taco shop where Ms. Sochitl works in Boyle Heights, a center of Latino culture in Los Angeles and a home to immigrants from all over the world, everyone knew someone who stood to benefit from the new policy.
Even patrons who were already citizens, like María Cano, who came here from Mexico in 1979, reacted with emotion as they named cousins or neighbors who might now be able to stay in the country legally.
“Immigrants have helped build this society for many, many years, and I think it’s time that we were recognized and given a chance,” Ms. Cano, 46, said, tearing up as she spoke. “I know so many people whose parents brought them here illegally, who went to school and started working here. And now there is finally hope for them.”
For Ms. Cano, like many others in this solidly Democratic neighborhood, the new policy reaffirms her plans to support Mr. Obama in November.
But even in this area, some other Latinos had grown frustrated with the president, as immigration reform efforts stalled in Congress.
Vilma Berrios, who immigrated from El Salvador in 1975 and is now a citizen, voted for Mr. Obama in 2008. As she sat in MacArthur Park, another gathering place for immigrants, she spoke of her conflicted feelings.
She said she did not support Mr. Obama anymore, because so many people had been deported under his administration. But she added that if he followed through on the promises he made Friday, she would vote for him again.
“I have to think about who I’m going to vote for,” Ms. Berrios, 59, said in Spanish. “If he completes what he promised today, I will vote for him. It’s very important. But I want immigration reform that will benefit everyone.”
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said Friday’s announcement had the potential to reinvigorate enthusiasm for Mr. Obama among many Latinos.
“It is a game changer for him,” Ms. Salas said. “It is very motivating. It kind of keeps the hope people had for this president alive.”
Still, after years of disappointment in efforts to change immigration laws, some remained skeptical, reserving their excitement until they saw how the new policy would be implemented.
“We heard the news, and it’s great, but it’s just a first step,” said Maxima Guerrero, 22, a college student who wore a shirt that read, “I Am Undocumented” to a rally in downtown Los Angeles. “When I see it in action, then I’ll say, ‘This is fantastic.’ For now, we’re just getting the ball rolling.”
And most important, Ms. Guerrero said, the new policy did not at all diminish the need for comprehensive immigration reform — a sentiment that nearly everyone in East Los Angeles echoed.
José Pérez, 60, runs the farmers’ market in Boyle Heights with his wife and daughter. On Friday night at the market, as a singer on stage crooned in Spanish and locals perused stands selling cherries, tamales and handmade jewelry, Mr. Pérez said he hoped that eventually, a new immigration policy would offer legal status to everyone in his community.
“I know so many people who graduate, and then that’s it; they can’t do nothing,” Mr. Pérez said. “This is a country of immigrants. Why don’t we help these people who need to be helped?”
________________________________
Asians have surpassed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States
- according to a new study from the Pew Research Center
Source:
By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News, 6/19/12
The study, called "The Rise of Asian Americans" and released on Tuesday, reveals that Asian-Americans also have the highest income, are the best educated and are the fastest-growing racial group in America.
About 430,000 Asians—or 36 percent of all new immigrants—arrived in the United States in 2010, according to U.S. census data. About 370,000, or 31 percent, were Hispanic.
[Related: U.S. Census: Minority babies now majority, surpassing whites for first time]
The wave of incoming Asians pushed the total number of Asian-Americans to a record 18.2 million, or 5.8 percent of the total U.S. population, according to census data. By comparison, non-Hispanic whites (197.5 million) account for 63.3 of the U.S. population, while Hispanics (52 million) and non-Hispanic blacks (38.3 million) account for 16.7 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively.
The influx of Asians reflects "a slowdown in illegal immigration while American employers increase their demand for high-skilled workers," the Associated Press said.
(Pew)
"The educational credentials of these recent [Asian] arrivals are striking," the report said. Sixty-one percent of 25-to-64-year-old Asian immigrants come with at least a bachelor's degree—more than double non-Asian immigrants, making the recent Asian arrivals "the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in U.S. history."
[Also read: The full Pew report]
The study also found that Asian-Americans are "more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place a greater value on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success."
Last month, data released by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that there were more minority children born in the United States than whites for the first time in history—signaling what the Washington Post called "the dawn of an era in which whites no longer will be in the majority."
According to the census report, 50.4 percent of children born in a 12-month period that ended July 2011 were Hispanic, black, Asian-American or from other minority groups, while non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 percent of all births in that span. In 2010, minority babies accounted for 49.5 percent of all births.
___________________________________
- according to a new study from the Pew Research Center
Source:
By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News, 6/19/12
The study, called "The Rise of Asian Americans" and released on Tuesday, reveals that Asian-Americans also have the highest income, are the best educated and are the fastest-growing racial group in America.
About 430,000 Asians—or 36 percent of all new immigrants—arrived in the United States in 2010, according to U.S. census data. About 370,000, or 31 percent, were Hispanic.
[Related: U.S. Census: Minority babies now majority, surpassing whites for first time]
The wave of incoming Asians pushed the total number of Asian-Americans to a record 18.2 million, or 5.8 percent of the total U.S. population, according to census data. By comparison, non-Hispanic whites (197.5 million) account for 63.3 of the U.S. population, while Hispanics (52 million) and non-Hispanic blacks (38.3 million) account for 16.7 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively.
The influx of Asians reflects "a slowdown in illegal immigration while American employers increase their demand for high-skilled workers," the Associated Press said.
(Pew)
"The educational credentials of these recent [Asian] arrivals are striking," the report said. Sixty-one percent of 25-to-64-year-old Asian immigrants come with at least a bachelor's degree—more than double non-Asian immigrants, making the recent Asian arrivals "the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in U.S. history."
[Also read: The full Pew report]
The study also found that Asian-Americans are "more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place a greater value on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success."
Last month, data released by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that there were more minority children born in the United States than whites for the first time in history—signaling what the Washington Post called "the dawn of an era in which whites no longer will be in the majority."
According to the census report, 50.4 percent of children born in a 12-month period that ended July 2011 were Hispanic, black, Asian-American or from other minority groups, while non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 percent of all births in that span. In 2010, minority babies accounted for 49.5 percent of all births.
___________________________________
A Lesson for Paramedics: How to Treat Dogs Who Work in a War Zone
Click the colored areas for further information
Hovering in a helicopter over an arid landscape in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Mark Joseloff thought his elite paramedic training had prepared him for whatever awaited him below.
But not this.
Tending to a military dog that had collapsed in the 110 degree heat, Sergeant Joseloff, 34, leaned on what he knew about treating humans in similar situations.
He covered the dog in a wet blanket, applied electrolyte gel and ordered the helicopter to fly with its doors open. The dog, however, refused to drink water.
The dog survived, but the experience unsettled Sergeant Joseloff, a pararescueman in the New York Air National Guard. “I just kind of winged it,” he said. “I think I got lucky. That was an eye opener.”
Filling a gap in battlefield emergency care, more than a dozen rescuers in the Air National Guard, including Sergeant Joseloff, spent two days recently learning how to treat dogs in combat settings. With military dogs playing crucial roles in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for expertise in quickly tending to wounded or sick animals has become imperative.
“There’s no reason that what we do on the battlefield should not reflect the best medicine in the world,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Rush, who helped organize the training.
The training was conducted by Long Island Veterinary Specialists, which is considered one of the most advanced veterinary hospitals in the country, and by K-9 Medic,
a company that teaches how to give emergency medical care to service dogs.
Colonel Rush, a clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery and radiation oncology at New York University, said the two-day training could serve as a model for future courses.
There are about 2,700 dogs serving in the armed forces; 29 have been killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a military spokeswoman.
The dogs sniff out bombs and detect booby-traps inside buildings and along roadways. The total value of a trained working dog — often German shepherds, black Labrador retrievers, or Belgian Malinois — can reach $40,000. In addition, the units they serve grow emotionally attached to their dogs.
“A dog is like a brother to these guys,” Sergeant Joseloff said. Elite pararescuemen, trained as emergency paramedics, are responsible for many rescue and recovery missions in remote and dangerous locations.
On a recent Monday at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, the pararescue members took turns gently rolling two black Labrador retrievers, named Angel and Shadow, onto their sides. The men learned how to carry a dog without hurting its spleen and how to carry one with a back injury. A hospital worker showed the men how to examine a dog’s gums to determine if it is sick. They took the dogs’ pulses. For the most part, Angel and Shadow kept their poise, allowing the soldiers to poke and prod them.
“You might not have it so easy in the field,” said Marissa Soto, a veterinary technician.
The facility offers some of the most advanced animal care available anywhere, with a more sophisticated M.R.I. machine than many hospitals have and specialists who include dermatologists, ophthalmologists, hip surgeons and brain surgeons. Dr. Dominic J. Marino, the hospital’s chief of staff, has become so highly regarded for his work on dogs with certain neurological disorders that he has been invited to address conferences of doctors who treat humans with similar disorders.
During the training, instructors emphasized the similarities in treating dogs and humans. The soldiers practiced sewing wounds on preserved pigs’ feet using the same kind of stitching they would use for humans. In other lessons, like treating a dog in shock, the men learned the appropriate dog-size doses of fluid to use.
But there were important differences. Humans in pain rarely bite the medic treating them. Dogs can be a different story, so muzzling the injured animal is a priority. And the men were surprised to learn that applying a tourniquet to a wound, a standard procedure on humans, might cause more harm on a dog.
As part of the training, they put on blindfolds and used their hands and feet to feel the ground and reach a stuffed dog inside the hospital’s rehabilitation center. With an instructor narrating beside them, they simulated a check of the dog’s vital signs. The instructor sprayed water to simulate blood escaping the dog’s body as the soldiers applied bandages. Many forgot to muzzle the animals.
Jo-Anne Brenner, the director of K-9 Medic, helped plan the curriculum for the training. She said the goal was to make it hands-on and to ensure that the pararescuemen committed to memory the skills necessary to treat dogs in crisis situations.
Ron Aiello, the president of United States War Dogs Association, an advocacy group for working dogs, says that the military’s treatment of working dogs has improved significantly during the last half-century.
“I was a Vietnam-era dog handler,” Mr. Aiello said. “We knew nothing. Not even first aid. Not even first aid if your dog got hurt.”
Now, military dog handlers are trained in first aid and veterinarians are stationed in war zones. Still, training military paramedics in animal emergency care is important because they are often the first on the scene providing medical attention.
As Colonel Rush put it: “That’s how we’re hard-wired — to rescue people, or people’s dogs.”
Source:
By ERIC P. NEWCOMER
NYT
This is for your private use, only
Click the colored areas for further information
MORE IN N.Y Click: Denouncing City’s Move to Regulate CircumcisionRead More »
Read the article just below - also cats can save human lives
_______________________
Buddy, the cat, is a stray cat the Chaps Family rescued
never knowing that he'd save them right back.
click the colored title below for a video of the cat
Cat's quick thinking saves owner's life
Buddy is a stray cat the Chaps rescued never knowing that he'd save them right back.
Jennifer Chap was working in her Orlando, Florida home office, when the family cat and former stray, Buddy, started acting strangely. She suspected something odd, grabbed Buddy and walked to the kitchen where she found her husband, Rick Chap going into a sudden cardiac arrest.
Ms. Chap proceeded to administer CPR until paramedics arrived and they were able to get a heart beat.
After receiving a heart procedure and six months of rehab, Rick Chap is doing well and says, "I really really owe my life to Buddy because without him, (my wife) would have never come out of that office."
click the green title below for a video of the cat
Cat's quick thinking saves owner's life
Buddy is a stray cat the Chaps rescued never knowing that he'd save them right back.
Jennifer Chap was working in her Orlando, Florida home office, when the family cat and former stray, Buddy, started acting strangely. She suspected something odd, grabbed Buddy and walked to the kitchen where she found her husband, Rick Chap going into a sudden cardiac arrest.
Ms. Chap proceeded to administer CPR until paramedics arrived and they were able to get a heart beat.
After receiving a heart procedure and six months of rehab, Rick Chap is doing well and says, "I really really owe my life to Buddy because without him, (my wife) would have never come out of that office."
Read the article just below - a shark saves a man's life
________________________________________
GCG's comment on this shark saving a man's life report:
The rescued man's partner first died. Then the surviving man started to pray to God.
God answered by sending a heavy storm with much pure water (the man had no more any drinking water left). The man gathered over 10 gallons of pure rain water for drinking. The man kept praying. God answered by sending a shark next to boat to guide the man's boat to a fishing boat.
The man's life was saved by God's mercy as the man witnesses.
In the same manner God will rescue your life when you pray. GCG's website has several praying models - use them to pray.
In the same process belongs "forgiveness". The Bible says "Forgive to others their wrongdoings - otherwise God will not forgive you your wrongdoings"
Forgiving other people's wrongdoings frees you to peace and success.
____________________________
Click the colored areas for further information
(click the title) Fisherman adrift for 106 days in Pacific says shark led him to rescuers
A man who survived while adrift in the Pacific for 106 days is crediting a shark for helping to save his life.
Toakai Teitoi, 41, a policeman from the Central Pacific island nation of Kiribati, had been traveling with his brother-in-law on what was supposed to be a short voyage, beginning May 27, from the Kiribati capital of Tarawa to his home island of Maiana.
But the mariners decided to fish along the way, and fell asleep during the night. When they awoke they were far at sea and adrift in their 15-foot wooden vessel. They soon ran out of fuel, and were short on water.
"We had food, but the problem was we had nothing to drink," Teitoi told Agence France-Presse news service.
Dehydration was severe. Falaile, the 52-year-old brother-in-law, died on July 4. That night, Teitoi slept next to him, "like at a funeral," before an emotional burial at sea the next morning.
Teitoi shared scant details of the ordeal after arriving in Majuro, in the Marshall Islands, on Saturday. He said he prayed the night Falaile died, and the next day a storm arrived and, over the next several days, he was able to fill two five-gallon containers with fresh water.
Days and weeks passed, however, and Teitoi, a father of six, did not know whether he'd live or die. He subsisted mostly on fish and protected himself against the searing tropical sun by curling up in a small, covered portion of the bow.
It was on the afternoon of Sept. 11 that he awoke to the sound of scratching against his boat. A six-foot shark was circling the boat and, Teitoi said, bumping against its hull.
"He was guiding me to a fishing boat," Teitoi said. "I looked up and there was the stern of a ship and I could see crew with binoculars looking at me."
The first thing he asked for after he was plucked from the water was a cigarette, or "a smoke." He was given food and juice and his rescuers continued to fish for several days before delivering him to Majuro.
Teitoi, who seemed in good health, said he booked flights back to his home island, adding, "I'll never go by boat again."
The record for drifting at sea is believed to be held by two fishermen, also from Kiribati, who were at sea for 177 days before coming ashore in Samoa in 1992.
--Note: Image is generic and the shark pictured is not the shark encountered by Toakai Teitoi
Click the green areas for further information
Source, Yahoo newsThis article is for your private use, only
Click the colored areas for further information
MORE
- NATURE: Sea otter pup is first in California born to oil spill survivor
- INNOVATION: 12-pound skateboard is dubbed "world's lightest electric vehicle"
- NATIONAL PARKS: Yosemite's night sky revealed in spectacular time-lapse video
_______________________________________________________________
How Long Do You Want to Live?
Click the colored areas for further information
SINCE 1900, the life expectancy of Americans has jumped to just shy of 80 from 47 years. This surge comes mostly from improved hygiene and nutrition, but also from new discoveries and interventions: everything from antibiotics and heart bypass surgery to cancer drugs that target and neutralize the impact of specific genetic mutations.
Now scientists studying the intricacies of DNA and other molecular bio-dynamics may be poised to offer even more dramatic boosts to longevity. This comes not from setting out explicitly to conquer aging, which remains controversial in mainstream science, but from researchers developing new drugs and therapies for such maladies of growing old as heart disease and diabetes.
“Aging is the major risk factor for most diseases,” says Felipe Sierra, director of the Division of Aging Biology at the National Institute on Aging. “The National Institutes of Health fund research into understanding the diseases of aging, not life extension, though this could be a side effect.”
How many years might be added to a life? A few longevity enthusiasts suggest a possible increase of decades. Most others believe in more modest gains. And when will they come? Are we a decade away? Twenty years? Fifty years?
Even without a new high-tech “fix” for aging, the United Nations estimates that life expectancy over the next century will approach 100 years for women in the developed world and over 90 years for women in the developing world. (Men lag behind by three or four years.)
Whatever actually happens, this seems like a good time to ask a very basic question: How long do you want to live?
Over the past three years I have posed this query to nearly 30,000 people at the start of talks and lectures on future trends in bioscience, taking an informal poll as a show of hands. To make it easier to tabulate responses I provided four possible answers: 80 years, currently the average life span in the West; 120 years, close to the maximum anyone has lived; 150 years, which would require a biotech breakthrough; and forever, which rejects the idea that life span has to have any limit at all.
I made it clear that participants should not assume that science will come up with dramatic new anti-aging technologies, though people were free to imagine that breakthroughs might occur — or not.
The results: some 60 percent opted for a life span of 80 years. Another 30 percent chose 120 years, and almost 10 percent chose 150 years. Less than 1 percent embraced the idea that people might avoid death altogether.
These percentages have held up as I’ve spoken to people from many walks of life in libraries and bookstores; teenagers in high schools; physicians in medical centers; and investors and entrepreneurs at business conferences. I’ve popped the question at meetings of futurists and techno-optimists and gotten perhaps a doubling of people who want to live to 150 — less than I would have thought for these groups.
Rarely, however, does anyone want to live forever, although abolishing disease and death from biological causes is a fervent hope for a small scattering of would-be immortals.
In my talks, I go on to describe some highlights of cutting-edge biomedical research that might influence human life span.
For instance, right now drug companies are running clinical trials on new compounds that may have the “side effect” of extending life span. These include a drug at Sirtris, part of GlaxoSmithKline, that is being developed to treat inflammation and other diseases of aging. Called SRT-2104, this compound works on an enzyme called SIRT1 that, when activated, seems to slow aging in mice and other animals. It may do the same thing in humans, though this remains to be proven.
“Many serious attempts are being made to come up with a pill for aging,” said Dr. Sierra, though he suspects that there will not be a single anti-aging pill, if these compounds end up working at all. “It will be a combination of things.”
For over a decade, scientists also have experimented with using stem cells — master cells that can grow into different specialized cells — to replace and repair tissue in the heart, liver and other organs in animals. Some researchers have succeeded in also using them in people. The researchers include the urologist Anthony Atala of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, who has grown human bladders and urethras from stem cells that have been successfully transplanted into patients.
But another stem cell pioneer, James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin, believes that stem cell solutions will be a long time coming for more complex organs. “We’re a long way from transplanting cells into a human brain or nervous system,” he said.
ANOTHER intervention that might thwart the impact of aging is bionics: the augmentation or replacement of biological functions with machines. For years cardiac pacemakers have saved and extended the lives of millions of people. More recent devices and machine-tooled solutions have restored hearing to thousands who are deaf and replaced damaged knees and hips. Physicians use brain implants to help control tremors brought on by Parkinson’s disease. Researchers also are working on a wide range of other machine fixes, from exoskeletons that protect joints to experimental devices that tap into the brain activity of paralyzed patients, allowing them to operate computers using thought.
Curiously, after learning about these possibilities, few people wanted to change their votes. Even if I asked them to imagine that a pill had been invented to slow aging down by one-half, allowing a person who is, say, 60 years old to have the body of a 30-year-old, only about 10 percent of audiences switched to favoring a life span of 150 years.
Overwhelmingly the reason given was that people didn’t want to be old and infirm any longer than they had to be, even if a pill allowed them to delay this inevitability.
Others were concerned about a range of issues both personal and societal that might result from extending the life spans of millions of people in a short time. These included everything from boredom and the cost of paying for a longer life to the impact of so many extra people on planetary resources and on the environment. Some worried that millions of healthy centenarians still working and calling the shots in society would leave our grandchildren and great-grandchildren without the jobs and opportunities that have traditionally come about with the passing of generations.
Long-lifers countered that extending healthy lives would delay suffering, possibly for a very long time. This would allow people to accomplish more in life and to try new things. It would also mean that geniuses like Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein might still be alive. Einstein, were he alive today, would be 133 years old.
That’s assuming that he would want to live that long. As he lay dying of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in 1955, he refused surgery, saying: “It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly.”
David Ewing Duncan is a contributor to Science Times. This essay is adapted from his most recent e-book, “When I’m 164: The New Science of Radical Life Extension and What Happens If It Succeeds.”
Source:
NYT, 8/26/12
By DAVID EWING DUNCAN
This is for your personal use, only
______________________________________
This is an important article for your health - study well & apply
How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good
Quote "Knowledge is NO power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
This drink has no calories but other serious health dangers lurk
How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good
Touted as a healthy alternative this beverage can
make you (1) gain weight, cause: (2) high blood pressure, (3) heart disease, (4) heart attack,
(5) stroke, (6) diabetes type 1 & 2, (7) cancer,(8) depression and (9) other sicknesses
The unnatural chemicals will do all this harm
Sugary sodas do the same, energy drinks are even more dangerous.
Care about your health, your life?
Drink only plain, clean water.
Frosty and fizzy diet soda may seem refreshing when the weather is hot, but diet drinks have been tied to weight gain, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure, according to an article published by a Purdue professor and researcher in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013.
Click: Study: Diet Soda Increases the Risk of Diabetes and We Still Drink This Stuff?
Artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin) present in trendy zero-calorie drinks, energy drinks, and diet sodas might seem like a smart alternative when compared to their sugary counterparts, but that’s often a false perception. “We’re taught that diet beverages are tools to help prevent health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, but the reality is, people who drink full-calorie soda have about the same health outcome of people who drink diet soda,” lead author (click: Susan E. Swithers, PhD, professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University, told.
Click: Diet Soda Linked to Heart Disease Risk
Based on her review of recent scientific studies, Swithers sees a ‘health halo effect,’ or an unhealthy pattern of thinking, in regular soda drinkers. “People often give themselves permission to indulge in fatty foods because they've consumed a diet beverage,” said Swithers. “But if they do it enough, they’ll develop consistent unhealthy eating habits.”
Artificial sugar also pulls a bait-and-switch on the body that changes the way it processes food. “Sugar isn’t always bad for you—for example, there are natural sugars in fruit and vegetables that benefit your body,” says Swithers. “When you eat real NATURAL sugar in fruits, the body releases hormones that activate the metabolism, creating feelings of satiation, regulating blood sugar, and protecting the heart. (Do NOT start eating refined white sugars (unhealthy), eat fruit & vegetables to get good, natural, healthy sugars.
However, when you consume artificial sweeteners, your body initially recognizes their sweet taste, then quickly gets confused, suppressing those hormones your body needs to function.”
What’s more, people who consume lots of artificial sweeteners actually alter patterns in their brain’s “pleasure centers” in response to them. According to Swither's paper, that process suggests that artificial sweeteners may not even satisfy one’s sweet tooth.
The takeaway, she said, is that public health campaigns for limiting sugar in soda and packaged foods should also extend to limiting artificial sugars. Recently, diet soda has been linked to a slew of health problems—the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that daily consumption of the stuff was linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke; also, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking artificially sweetened beverages raises one's risk of type 2 diabetes.
But what if you can’t envision powering through the day without your afternoon diet soda? You would be in good company—according to an article published in the New York Times, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, and Elton John have all professed their love for Diet Coke. Victoria Beckham even reportedly told Newsweek that she drinks it all the time because she doesn’t like the taste of water - that's crazy - any adult can easily understand that plain water is healthiest and making these kinds of statements publicly hurts our addicted soda drinkers causing them only more sicknesses ! “The good news is, you don’t have to quit artificial sweeteners cold turkey," Patricia Bannan, registered dietician and author of Eat Right When Time is Tight told.
“It’s true: There’s nothing like the feeling of that first sip of diet soda, but when you taper off your consumption, you’ll be surprised at how many chemicals you taste if you even have one sip,” said Bannan.
If you’re drinking one soda per day, Bannan suggests slashing your intake to one every two days, and then one every three days and so forth. “You’ll feel uncomfortable at first but you can learn to drink plain, clean water - it saves your life. Adding a splash of 100 percent fruit juice or a lemon or lime wedge can also satisfy your sweet tooth.
Another option: Brew tea. “People are often drawn to diet soda because of the caffeine, not necessarily the taste,” she says. “Black, green, white, and oolong tea all contain an amino acid called 'L-theanine' which sends the body into a calming yet alert state.”
Also, be aware that many habits are formed when people associate behaviors with their activities. If you hit the vending machine daily for your diet soda fix, you could break your dependency by simply rejiggering your schedule: When the urge strikes, swap the vending machine take a bottle of clean water, visit for a walk around the block (walking releases feel-good endorphins & dopmine that may quell your craving) or make a point to schedule a meeting during that time so your mind is otherwise occupied. Have a water bottle in the meeting - have a clean water bottle with you "always".
Also, try this mind trick: “The next time you reach for a diet beverage, take a look at the list of ingredients on the back,” says Bannan. “The more ingredients a product has, the more artificial it probably is. If you can’t pronounce it, do you really want to drink it?"
Click: Diet Soda as Bad for Your Teeth as a Meth Addiction
Click: Diet Soda May Increase Risk of Depression
Click green for further info
Source: (1) the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013, (2) other sources mentioned in the article
See the next article below
______________________________________________________________________________________
Danger Lurking in Energy Drinks?
Date: March 22, 2013
A new study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association analyzed seven earlier studies of the effects of energy drinks and found evidence that the beverages appear to affect a consumer’s natural heart rhythm and may lead to increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat or even death. The high caffeine content of the drinks could be to blame. Energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST), along with privately held firms like Living Essentials (makers of 5-hour Energy drinks) and Red Bull have been subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigations in response to complaints that the drinks are linked to hospitalizations and death.The new study’s lead author avoids sweeping conclusions however. Bloomberg cites him:
We need to look at the effects of long-term energy drinks consumption and see what the consequences are. Everything is good in moderation. Drink them within the limits that have been provided and be vigilant of what else you’re consuming with it.
Because the drinks are often sold as dietary supplements, they are unregulated by the FDA, even though they may contain up to 700 milligrams of caffeine, nearly 10 times the amount in a 12-ounce can of soda.
Monster Beverage claims that its own investigators earlier this month found no link between its drinks and the death of a teenager last year. The company still faces a lawsuit for the girl’s death, however, based on the report of a Maryland medical examiner that the 14-year old was the victim of “caffeine toxicity.”
Shares of Monster plunged more than 8% this morning, but are now trading down about 2.2%, at $49.23 in a 52-week range of $39.99 to $83.96.
Source: Study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association
_______________________________________________________
How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good
Quote "Knowledge is NO power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
This drink has no calories but other serious health dangers lurk
How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good
Touted as a healthy alternative this beverage can
make you (1) gain weight, cause: (2) high blood pressure, (3) heart disease, (4) heart attack,
(5) stroke, (6) diabetes type 1 & 2, (7) cancer,(8) depression and (9) other sicknesses
The unnatural chemicals will do all this harm
Sugary sodas do the same, energy drinks are even more dangerous.
Care about your health, your life?
Drink only plain, clean water.
Frosty and fizzy diet soda may seem refreshing when the weather is hot, but diet drinks have been tied to weight gain, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure, according to an article published by a Purdue professor and researcher in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013.
Click: Study: Diet Soda Increases the Risk of Diabetes and We Still Drink This Stuff?
Artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin) present in trendy zero-calorie drinks, energy drinks, and diet sodas might seem like a smart alternative when compared to their sugary counterparts, but that’s often a false perception. “We’re taught that diet beverages are tools to help prevent health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, but the reality is, people who drink full-calorie soda have about the same health outcome of people who drink diet soda,” lead author (click: Susan E. Swithers, PhD, professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University, told.
Click: Diet Soda Linked to Heart Disease Risk
Based on her review of recent scientific studies, Swithers sees a ‘health halo effect,’ or an unhealthy pattern of thinking, in regular soda drinkers. “People often give themselves permission to indulge in fatty foods because they've consumed a diet beverage,” said Swithers. “But if they do it enough, they’ll develop consistent unhealthy eating habits.”
Artificial sugar also pulls a bait-and-switch on the body that changes the way it processes food. “Sugar isn’t always bad for you—for example, there are natural sugars in fruit and vegetables that benefit your body,” says Swithers. “When you eat real NATURAL sugar in fruits, the body releases hormones that activate the metabolism, creating feelings of satiation, regulating blood sugar, and protecting the heart. (Do NOT start eating refined white sugars (unhealthy), eat fruit & vegetables to get good, natural, healthy sugars.
However, when you consume artificial sweeteners, your body initially recognizes their sweet taste, then quickly gets confused, suppressing those hormones your body needs to function.”
What’s more, people who consume lots of artificial sweeteners actually alter patterns in their brain’s “pleasure centers” in response to them. According to Swither's paper, that process suggests that artificial sweeteners may not even satisfy one’s sweet tooth.
The takeaway, she said, is that public health campaigns for limiting sugar in soda and packaged foods should also extend to limiting artificial sugars. Recently, diet soda has been linked to a slew of health problems—the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that daily consumption of the stuff was linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke; also, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking artificially sweetened beverages raises one's risk of type 2 diabetes.
But what if you can’t envision powering through the day without your afternoon diet soda? You would be in good company—according to an article published in the New York Times, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, and Elton John have all professed their love for Diet Coke. Victoria Beckham even reportedly told Newsweek that she drinks it all the time because she doesn’t like the taste of water - that's crazy - any adult can easily understand that plain water is healthiest and making these kinds of statements publicly hurts our addicted soda drinkers causing them only more sicknesses ! “The good news is, you don’t have to quit artificial sweeteners cold turkey," Patricia Bannan, registered dietician and author of Eat Right When Time is Tight told.
“It’s true: There’s nothing like the feeling of that first sip of diet soda, but when you taper off your consumption, you’ll be surprised at how many chemicals you taste if you even have one sip,” said Bannan.
If you’re drinking one soda per day, Bannan suggests slashing your intake to one every two days, and then one every three days and so forth. “You’ll feel uncomfortable at first but you can learn to drink plain, clean water - it saves your life. Adding a splash of 100 percent fruit juice or a lemon or lime wedge can also satisfy your sweet tooth.
Another option: Brew tea. “People are often drawn to diet soda because of the caffeine, not necessarily the taste,” she says. “Black, green, white, and oolong tea all contain an amino acid called 'L-theanine' which sends the body into a calming yet alert state.”
Also, be aware that many habits are formed when people associate behaviors with their activities. If you hit the vending machine daily for your diet soda fix, you could break your dependency by simply rejiggering your schedule: When the urge strikes, swap the vending machine take a bottle of clean water, visit for a walk around the block (walking releases feel-good endorphins & dopmine that may quell your craving) or make a point to schedule a meeting during that time so your mind is otherwise occupied. Have a water bottle in the meeting - have a clean water bottle with you "always".
Also, try this mind trick: “The next time you reach for a diet beverage, take a look at the list of ingredients on the back,” says Bannan. “The more ingredients a product has, the more artificial it probably is. If you can’t pronounce it, do you really want to drink it?"
Click: Diet Soda as Bad for Your Teeth as a Meth Addiction
Click: Diet Soda May Increase Risk of Depression
Click green for further info
Source: (1) the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013, (2) other sources mentioned in the article
See the next article below
______________________________________________________________________________________
Danger Lurking in Energy Drinks?
Date: March 22, 2013
A new study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association analyzed seven earlier studies of the effects of energy drinks and found evidence that the beverages appear to affect a consumer’s natural heart rhythm and may lead to increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat or even death. The high caffeine content of the drinks could be to blame. Energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST), along with privately held firms like Living Essentials (makers of 5-hour Energy drinks) and Red Bull have been subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigations in response to complaints that the drinks are linked to hospitalizations and death.The new study’s lead author avoids sweeping conclusions however. Bloomberg cites him:
We need to look at the effects of long-term energy drinks consumption and see what the consequences are. Everything is good in moderation. Drink them within the limits that have been provided and be vigilant of what else you’re consuming with it.
Because the drinks are often sold as dietary supplements, they are unregulated by the FDA, even though they may contain up to 700 milligrams of caffeine, nearly 10 times the amount in a 12-ounce can of soda.
Monster Beverage claims that its own investigators earlier this month found no link between its drinks and the death of a teenager last year. The company still faces a lawsuit for the girl’s death, however, based on the report of a Maryland medical examiner that the 14-year old was the victim of “caffeine toxicity.”
Shares of Monster plunged more than 8% this morning, but are now trading down about 2.2%, at $49.23 in a 52-week range of $39.99 to $83.96.
Source: Study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association
_______________________________________________________
Underwater, Feeling Our Ocean Origins
I've always loved scuba diving and the cell-tickling feel of being underwater, though it poses unique frustrations. Alone, but with others, you may share the same sights and feelings, but you can't communicate well.
There are few ways to convey joy, amazement or thrill. How many divers know American Sign Language? The vocabulary of scuba talk is small and inadequate, circling around the transactional analyst's bywords, I'm O.K. Are you O.K.? One can also signal: I'm in trouble, I'm low on air, I'm going to surface, Look at that, I'm cold, Danger over there, My ears haven't pressurized, Stay where you are - but little more.
"Isn't that fish on the rock face spending his whole life guarding a minute territory mind-blowing?" is just as unsayable as "I've got to go to the toilet." Or "My throat feels parched from the wheeze of the regulator." Or "Those brown angelfish are hanging like flak in the water."
I think some people may dive, in part, for the thick layers of quiet and the luxury of not having to converse.
Once, offshore in Jamaica, I swam through a variety of vividly colored fish, including some I'd never seen before, and was so spellbound that one hand automatically touched my chest and my eyes teared. My guide's eyes questioned me through the fishbowl of his face mask. There was no way to signal that I wasn't hurt or frightened, but jubilant, merely glad to the brink of tears. How do you scuba-sign wonder?
Are you in trouble? he signaled.
No, no, I answered emphatically. I'm O.K. I put an open palm over my heart, then made a stirring motion in the water. My heart is stirred, and my eyes ... I made a rain-falling movement beside one eye with my fingers.
Surface? he motioned, his knitted brow adding a question mark.
No! I signaled stiffly. I'm O.K. Wait. Wait. I thought for a moment, then made the sign French chefs use in commercials, the gestural Esperanto for "This dish is perfection," making a purse of my fingers and exploding open the purse just after it touched my mouth. Then I swept a hand wide.
Even with the regulator stuffed in his mouth and his eyes distorted behind the face plate, he made an exaggerated smile, yawning around the mouthpiece. He nodded his head in a magnified "Yes!" then made an O.K. sign and led me deeper, using his compass and surfacing once to check his direction by sighting the boat.
After a 10-minute swim, we suddenly came to a maze of underwater canyons thick with enormous sponges and coral fans, around which schools of circus-colored fish zigzagged. Plump purple sea pens with feathery quills stood in sand inkwells. Tiny tube worms - shaped like Christmas trees, feather dusters, maypole streamers, parasols - jutted out of the coral heads. Sea relationships are sometimes like those in a Russian novel; a worm enters the larder of a fine, respectable coral to steal its food, and just stays there, never being evicted. I moved my palm over a red-and-white striped parasol, and in a flash it folded up its umbrella and dragged it back inside the coral. It's a game divers love to play with tube worms: abracadabra, and the tube worm vanishes.
On a coral butte just in front of us, a dark sea whip jutted out between the canyon walls, its Medusa-like hair straggling in the current. I laughed. That sea whip's hair is just like my own.
Then I remembered: We're mainly salt water, we carry the ocean inside us. The simple, stupefying truth that, as a woman, I am a minute ocean, in the dark tropic of whose womb eggs lay coded as roe, floating in the sea that wet-nursed us all, moved me deeply. I pulled my mask up and washed my face with salt water, fitted it back on and exhaled through my nose to clear it.
From then on, I was hooked, and often returned to the sea to re-experience the visible links of that invisible chain.
Source:
NYT
AUGUST 25, 2012
By DIANE ACKERMAN
This is for your private use, only
_____________________________________________
You for Sale: Mapping, and Sharing, the Consumer Genome
By NATASHA SINGERIT knows who you are. It knows where you live. It knows what you do.
It peers deeper into American life than the F.B.I. or the I.R.S., or those prying digital eyes at Facebook and Google. If you are an American adult, the odds are that it knows things like your age, race, sex, weight, height, marital status, education level, politics, buying habits, household health worries, vacation dreams — and on and on.
Right now in Conway, Ark., north of Little Rock, more than 23,000 computer servers are collecting, collating and analyzing consumer data for a company that, unlike Silicon Valley’s marquee names, rarely makes headlines. It’s called the Acxiom Corporation, and it’s the quiet giant of a multibillion-dollar industry known as database marketing.
Few consumers have ever heard of Acxiom. But analysts say it has amassed the world’s largest commercial database on consumers — and that it wants to know much, much more. Its servers process more than 50 trillion data “transactions” a year. Company executives have said its database contains information about 500 million active consumers worldwide, with about 1,500 data points per person. That includes a majority of adults in the United States.
Such large-scale data mining and analytics — based on information available in public records, consumer surveys and the like — are perfectly legal. Acxiom’s customers have included big banks like Wells Fargo and HSBC, investment services like E*Trade, automakers like Toyota and Ford, department stores like Macy’s — just about any major company looking for insight into its customers.
For Acxiom, based in Little Rock, the setup is lucrative. It posted profit of $77.26 million in its latest fiscal year, on sales of $1.13 billion.
But such profits carry a cost for consumers. Federal authorities say current laws may not be equipped to handle the rapid expansion of an industry whose players often collect and sell sensitive financial and health information yet are nearly invisible to the public. In essence, it’s as if the ore of our data-driven lives were being mined, refined and sold to the highest bidder, usually without our knowledge — by companies that most people rarely even know exist.
Julie Brill, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, says she would like data brokers in general to tell the public about the data they collect, how they collect it, whom they share it with and how it is used. “If someone is listed as diabetic or pregnant, what is happening with this information? Where is the information going?” she asks. “We need to figure out what the rules should be as a society.”
Although Acxiom employs a chief privacy officer, Jennifer Barrett Glasgow, she and other executives declined requests to be interviewed for this article, said Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer, director of corporate communications.
In March, however, Ms. Barrett Glasgow endorsed increased industry openness. “It’s not an unreasonable request to have more transparency among data brokers,” she said in an interview with The New York Times. In marketing materials, Acxiom promotes itself as “a global thought leader in addressing consumer privacy issues and earning the public trust.”
But, in interviews, security experts and consumer advocates paint a portrait of a company with practices that privilege corporate clients’ interests over those of consumers and contradict the company’s stance on transparency. Acxiom’s marketing materials, for example, promote a special security system for clients and associates to encrypt the data they send. Yet cybersecurity experts who examined Acxiom’s Web site for The Times found basic security lapses on an online form for consumers seeking access to their own profiles. (Acxiom says it has fixed the broken link that caused the problem.)
In a fast-changing digital economy, Acxiom is developing even more advanced techniques to mine and refine data. It has recruited talent from Microsoft, Google, Amazon.com and Myspace and is using a powerful, multiplatform approach to predicting consumer behavior that could raise its standing among investors and clients.
Of course, digital marketers already customize pitches to users, based on their past activities. Just think of “cookies,” bits of computer code placed on browsers to keep track of online activity. But Acxiom, analysts say, is pursuing far more comprehensive techniques in an effort to influence consumer decisions. It is integrating what it knows about our offline, online and even mobile selves, creating in-depth behavior portraits in pixilated detail. Its executives have called this approach a “360-degree view” on consumers.
“There’s a lot of players in the digital space trying the same thing,” says Mark Zgutowicz, a Piper Jaffray analyst. “But Acxiom’s advantage is they have a database of offline information that they have been collecting for 40 years and can leverage that expertise in the digital world.”
Yet some prominent privacy advocates worry that such techniques could lead to a new era of consumer profiling.
Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a nonprofit group in Washington, says: “It is Big Brother in Arkansas.”
SCOTT HUGHES, an up-and-coming small-business owner and Facebook denizen, is Acxiom’s ideal consumer. Indeed, it created him.
Mr. Hughes is a fictional character who appeared in an Acxiom investor presentation in 2010. A frequent shopper, he was designed to show the power of Acxiom’s multichannel approach.
In the presentation, he logs on to Facebook and sees that his friend Ella has just become a fan of Bryce Computers, an imaginary electronics retailer and Acxiom client. Ella’s update prompts Mr. Hughes to check out Bryce’s fan page and do some digital window-shopping for a fast inkjet printer.
Such browsing seems innocuous — hardly data mining. But it cues an Acxiom system designed to recognize consumers, remember their actions, classify their behaviors and influence them with tailored marketing.
When Mr. Hughes follows a link to Bryce’s retail site, for example, the system recognizes him from his Facebook activity and shows him a printer to match his interest. He registers on the site, but doesn’t buy the printer right away, so the system tracks him online. Lo and behold, the next morning, while he scans baseball news on ESPN.com, an ad for the printer pops up again.
That evening, he returns to the Bryce site where, the presentation says, “he is instantly recognized” as having registered. It then offers a sweeter deal: a $10 rebate and free shipping.
It’s not a random offer. Acxiom has its own classification system, PersonicX, which assigns consumers to one of 70 detailed socioeconomic clusters and markets to them accordingly. In this situation, it pegs Mr. Hughes as a “savvy single” — meaning he’s in a cluster of mobile, upper-middle-class people who do their banking online, attend pro sports events, are sensitive to prices — and respond to free-shipping offers.
Correctly typecast, Mr. Hughes buys the printer.
But the multichannel system of Acxiom and its online partners is just revving up. Later, it sends him coupons for ink and paper, to be redeemed via his cellphone, and a personalized snail-mail postcard suggesting that he donate his old printer to a nearby school.
Analysts say companies design these sophisticated ecosystems to prompt consumers to volunteer enough personal data — like their names, e-mail addresses and mobile numbers — so that marketers can offer them customized appeals any time, anywhere.
Still, there is a fine line between customization and stalking. While many people welcome the convenience of personalized offers, others may see the surveillance engines behind them as intrusive or even manipulative.
“If you look at it in cold terms, it seems like they are really out to trick the customer,” says Dave Frankland, the research director for customer intelligence at Forrester Research. “But they are actually in the business of helping marketers make sure that the right people are getting offers they are interested in and therefore establish a relationship with the company.”
DECADES before the Internet as we know it, a businessman named Charles Ward planted the seeds of Acxiom. It was 1969, and Mr. Ward started a data processing company in Conway called Demographics Inc., in part to help the Democratic Party reach voters. In a time when Madison Avenue was deploying one-size-fits-all national ad campaigns, Demographics and its lone computer used public phone books to compile lists for direct mailing of campaign material.
Today, Acxiom maintains its own database on about 190 million individuals and 126 million households in the United States. Separately, it manages customer databases for or works with 47 of the Fortune 100 companies. It also worked with the government after the September 2001 terrorist attacks, providing information about 11 of the 19 hijackers.
To beef up its digital services, Acxiom recently mounted an aggressive hiring campaign. Last July, it named Scott E. Howe, a former corporate vice president for Microsoft’s advertising business group, as C.E.O. Last month, it hired Phil Mui, formerly group product manager for Google Analytics, as its chief product and engineering officer.
In interviews, Mr. Howe has laid out a vision of Acxiom as a new-millennium “data refinery” rather than a data miner. That description posits Acxiom as a nimble provider of customer analytics services, able to compete with Facebook and Google, rather than as a stealth engine of consumer espionage.
Still, the more that information brokers mine powerful consumer data, the more they become attractive targets for hackers — and draw scrutiny from consumer advocates.
This year, Advertising Age ranked Epsilon, another database marketing firm, as the biggest advertising agency in the United States, with Acxiom second. Most people know Epsilon, if they know it at all, because it experienced a major security breach last year, exposing the e-mail addresses of millions of customers of Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Target, Walgreens and others. In 2003, Acxiom had its own security breaches.
But privacy advocates say they are more troubled by data brokers’ ranking systems, which classify some people as high-value prospects, to be offered marketing deals and discounts regularly, while dismissing others as low-value — known in industry slang as “waste.”
Exclusion from a vacation offer may not matter much, says Pam Dixon, the executive director of the World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit group in San Diego, but if marketing algorithms judge certain people as not worthy of receiving promotions for higher education or health services, they could have a serious impact.
“Over time, that can really turn into a mountain of pathways not offered, not seen and not known about,” Ms. Dixon says.
Until now, database marketers operated largely out of the public eye. Unlike consumer reporting agencies that sell sensitive financial information about people for credit or employment purposes, database marketers aren’t required by law to show consumers their own reports and allow them to correct errors. That may be about to change. This year, the F.T.C. published a report calling for greater transparency among data brokers and asking Congress to give consumers the right to access information these firms hold about them.
ACXIOM’S Consumer Data Products Catalog offers hundreds of details — called “elements” — that corporate clients can buy about individuals or households, to augment their own marketing databases. Companies can buy data to pinpoint households that are concerned, say, about allergies, diabetes or “senior needs.” Also for sale is information on sizes of home loans and household incomes.
Clients generally buy this data because they want to hold on to their best customers or find new ones — or both.
A bank that wants to sell its best customers additional services, for example, might buy details about those customers’ social media, Web and mobile habits to identify more efficient ways to market to them. Or, says Mr. Frankland at Forrester, a sporting goods chain whose best customers are 25- to 34-year-old men living near mountains or beaches could buy a list of a million other people with the same characteristics. The retailer could hire Acxiom, he says, to manage a campaign aimed at that new group, testing how factors like consumers’ locations or sports preferences affect responses.
But the catalog also offers delicate information that has set off alarm bells among some privacy advocates, who worry about the potential for misuse by third parties that could take aim at vulnerable groups. Such information includes consumers’ interests — derived, the catalog says, “from actual purchases and self-reported surveys” — like “Christian families,” “Dieting/Weight Loss,” “Gaming-Casino,” “Money Seekers” and “Smoking/Tobacco.” Acxiom also sells data about an individual’s race, ethnicity and country of origin. “Our Race model,” the catalog says, “provides information on the major racial category: Caucasians, Hispanics, African-Americans, or Asians.” Competing companies sell similar data.
Acxiom’s data about race or ethnicity is “used for engaging those communities for marketing purposes,” said Ms. Barrett Glasgow, the privacy officer, in an e-mail response to questions.
There may be a legitimate commercial need for some businesses, like ethnic restaurants, to know the race or ethnicity of consumers, says Joel R. Reidenberg, a privacy expert and a professor at the Fordham Law School.
“At the same time, this is ethnic profiling,” he says. “The people on this list, they are being sold based on their ethnic stereotypes. There is a very strong citizen’s right to have a veto over the commodification of their profile.”
He says the sale of such data is troubling because race coding may be incorrect. And even if a data broker has correct information, a person may not want to be marketed to based on race.
“DO you really know your customers?” Acxiom asks in marketing materials for its shopper recognition system, a program that uses ZIP codes to help retailers confirm consumers’ identities — without asking their permission.
“Simply asking for name and address information poses many challenges: transcription errors, increased checkout time and, worse yet, losing customers who feel that you’re invading their privacy,” Acxiom’s fact sheet explains. In its system, a store clerk need only “capture the shopper’s name from a check or third-party credit card at the point of sale and then ask for the shopper’s ZIP code or telephone number.” With that data Acxiom can identify shoppers within a 10 percent margin of error, it says, enabling stores to reward their best customers with special offers. Other companies offer similar services.
“This is a direct way of circumventing people’s concerns about privacy,” says Mr. Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy.
Ms. Barrett Glasgow of Acxiom says that its program is a “standard practice” among retailers, but that the company encourages its clients to report consumers who wish to opt out.
Acxiom has positioned itself as an industry leader in data privacy, but some of its practices seem to undermine that image. It created the position of chief privacy officer in 1991, well ahead of its rivals. It even offers an online request form, promoted as an easy way for consumers to access information Acxiom collects about them.
But the process turned out to be not so user-friendly for a reporter for The Times.
In early May, the reporter decided to request her record from Acxiom, as any consumer might. Before submitting a Social Securitynumber and other personal information, however, she asked for advice from a cybersecurity expert at The Times. The expert examined Acxiom’s Web site and immediately noticed that the online form did not employ a standard encryption protocol — called https — used by sites like Amazon and American Express. When the expert tested the form, using software that captures data sent over the Web, he could clearly see that the sample Social Security number he had submitted had not been encrypted. At that point, the reporter was advised not to request her file, given the risk that the process might expose her personal information.
Later in May, Ashkan Soltani, an independent security researcher and former technologist in identity protection at the F.T.C., also examined Acxiom’s site and came to the same conclusion. “Parts of the site for corporate clients are encrypted,” he says. “But for consumers, who this information is about and who stand the most to lose from data collection, they don’t provide security.”
Ms. Barrett Glasgow says that the form has always been encrypted with https but that on May 11, its security monitoring system detected a “broken redirect link” that allowed unencrypted access. Since then, she says, Acxiom has fixed the link and determined that no unauthorized person had gained access to information sent using the form.
On May 25, the reporter submitted an online request to Acxiom for her file, along with a personal check, sent by Express Mail, for the $5 processing fee. Three weeks later, no response had arrived.
Regulators at the F.T.C. declined to comment on the practices of individual companies. But Jon Leibowitz, the commission chairman, said consumers should have the right to see and correct personal details about them collected and sold by data aggregators.
After all, he said, “they are the unseen cyberazzi who collect information on all of us.”
Source:
June 17, 2012
The New York Times
Business, page 1
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Interesting, beneficial article
Living, Thinking Houses
By DIANE ACKERMAN (opinion)
Click the colored areas for pictures & for further information
In the sizzling summer heat I’ve been thinking about igloos. To chill out in, of course, but also because I admire their elemental simplicity. Inuits traditionally used bone knives to carve bricks from quarries of hardened snow. A short, low tunnel led to the front door, trapping heat in and keeping out fierce cold and critters. Mortar wasn’t needed, because the snow bricks were shaved to fit, and at night the dome ossified into a glistening ice fort. The human warmth inside melted the ice just enough to seal the seams.
The idea behind such homes was refuge from elements and predators, based on a watchful understanding of both. The igloo was really an extension of the self — shoulder blades of snow and backbone of ice, beneath which a family slept, swathed in thick animal fur, beside one or two small lamps burning blubber. All the building materials lay at hand, perpetually recycled, costing nothing but effort.
Picture most of our houses and apartment buildings today — full of sharp angles, lighted by bulbs and colors one doesn’t find in nature, built from plywood, linoleum, iron, cement and glass. Despite their style, efficiency and maybe good location, they don’t always offer us a sense of sanctuary, rest or well-being. Because we can’t escape our ancient hunger to live close to nature, we encircle the house with lawns and gardens, install picture windows, adopt pets and Boston ferns, and scent everything that touches our lives.
This tradition of doing and undoing doesn’t really make sense or promote healthy living or a sustainable planet, so there’s an impassioned trend worldwide toward building green cities with living walls and roofs and urban farms in skyscrapers. Referring to “the north 40” would mean crops 40 floors up. In such a cityscape, the line blurs between indoor and outdoor.
Vertical gardens and living roofs are sprouting up everywhere.Mexico City’s three eco-sculptures, carpeted in over 50,000 plants, tower above car-clogged avenues. A blooming tapestry of plants adorns the exterior walls of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. InsideLisbon’s Dolce Vita shopping center, a plush vertical meadow undulates. In Milan’s Café Trussardi, diners and flâneurs sit in a glass-box courtyard beneath a hint of heaven: a vibrant cloud of frizzy greens, cascading vines and flowers. The Plant, an oldmeatpacking building in Chicago, has morphed into an eco farm, home to tilapia fish breeders, mushroom gardeners and hydroponically grown vegetables. Xero Flor America, based in North Carolina, has already sold 1.2 million square feet of living roofs.
Jacob Magraw
Patrick Blanc, a botanist and a pioneer of the vertical garden (whose own house in the suburbs of Paris includes growing walls and an aquarium floor), has designed or inspired living walls for the New York Botanical Garden and a luxury apartment building in Sydney, among dozens of businesses, homes, schools and museums, whose walls whisper and bloom. The goal is homes and public spaces that are live organisms that will scrub the air of pollutants, increase oxygen, reduce noise, save energy and refresh the spirit. Roofs planted with low-maintenance sedums and succulents blossom, changing color with the seasons, providing a habitat for birds and, importantly, reflecting heat.
Big cities are hot spots, on average 13 to 16 degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. On some summer days in New York City, the air hangs thickly visible, like the combined exhalations of eight million souls. Steam rising from vents underground makes you wonder if there isn’t one giant sweat gland lodged beneath the city.
A big worry to environmentalists is the record number of people fleeing suburbia for city life. Three and a half billion people now live in cities, and scientists predict that by 2050 cities will contain two-thirds of the world’s population and most of its pollution.
As people flock to urban centers where ground space is limited, cities with green walls and roofs and skyscraper farms offer improved health and well-being, renewable resources, reliable food supply, and relief to the environment.
A living building is really an entity with its own metabolism, which needs a brain of some sort to nourish it. That could be a human being, or better yet a robotic Jeeves (or maybe Leeves) who tends its herbal roof, meadow walls and human family with equal pride, and is a good listener. “Smart houses” already have plenty of bells and whistles run by savvy computer brains. Artificial intelligence is growing up fast, as are robots whose facial expressions can elicit empathy and make your mirror neurons quiver.
One can easily imagine the day, famously foretold in the movies “Blade Runner” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” when computers feel pride, paranoia, love, melancholy, anger and the other stirrings of our carbon hearts. Then the already lively debate about whether machines are conscious will really heat up.
In J. G. Ballard’s science-fiction short story “The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista,” there are psycho-sensitive houses that can be driven to hysteria by their owners’ neuroses. Picture living walls sweating with anxiety, a vine-clad staircase keening when an occupant dies, roof seams fraying from a mild sense of neglect. Some days I swear I’m living in that house right now.
Source:
NYT
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See the interesting article above relating to court cases:
Insight - Neuroscience in court: My brain made me do it
Stay up to date with the information how our society changes and develops - for the better or for the worse.
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GCG's comment, by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., Pastor - Reverend
Next below 2 articles of public interest:
(1) Reckless Drivers Who Hit People Face Few Penalties in New York State
(2) Video of Police encounter shows how the police involved are making false reports knowingly just to cover their own lies and put the wrong man to prison for several years.
Fight back. Demand honest justice. Contact STAF, Inc. to help the innocent man.
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The article below, Reckless Drivers Who Hit People Face Few Penalties in New York State, in STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10, is 9 - it shows how thing should not be -
the driver might have been intoxicated while driving, sometimes nothing is done even though the proof shows the driver is guilty.
Sometimes the big organizations, companies, cities, states - as employers of the drivers, protect them to avoid big number compensation lawsuits - even though
human lives were lost. Sometimes, if the test somehow was done in an "improper manner" (= read: was done right, the results are correct), but the lawyers want to make their defense case money and be celebrating their victory - yet, human lives were lost.
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Sad, Sad, Sad stories - Shame, Shame, Shame on the injustice
Human lives were lost by drunken drivers, by red light ignorers, by texters while driving,
by cell speakers while driving, by falling a sleep, by hit and drivers, etc.
Read this article - raise your voice - demand a change in legislation protecting the big money - human lives were lost.
Help GCG fight through the necessary improvement in the justice system.
GCG contact info in Home page at the top
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Reckless Drivers Who Hit People Face Few Penalties in New York State
Roxana Sorina Buta, dark-eyed and lithe, hurried home from work as a waitress on May 24, scurrying through rain and 1:30 a.m. darkness toward the subway. She got to Broadway and stepped into the crosswalk when the light turned green.
At the same time a New York City dump truck rumbled eastbound on 14th Street and turned south on Broadway. On the video taken in a Citibank on that corner, you can see the truck making a fast, seamless turn. If you look very closely, you will also see a shadow flicker in front of the truck’s right headlight.
That was Ms. Buta, and the truck hit her square.
Ms. Buta, 21, an aspiring actress, the only child of immigrants from Romania, was no more.
Even at that hour, in the rain, witnesses screamed and yelled, and within a minute a police car pulled up. But the driver, who worked for the city’s Transportation Department, never stopped his truck; nor did he respond to pleas in subsequent days to step forward. Police investigators found him anyway. But to this day no one has been charged, or even gotten a ticket.
It is as though Roxana were collateral damage, a human fender bender in the movement of huge trucks and vans and cars through the streets of New York.
“How can you go through a crosswalk and not see a 5-7 woman in front of you?” asks Stephanie Iscovitz, one of many friends who have made a cause of her death. “Someone took Roxy’s life as if with no consequences.”
Technically, this is not so. Technically, the police continue to investigate and the Manhattan district attorney examines a possible case. But Ms. Iscovitz is not far from the mark. In this city of walkers, where we take pride in hoofing it with such a manic intensity that researchers often find us moving faster than crosstown buses, striking a pedestrian — or a biker — and driving away carries few consequences.
The State Department of Motor Vehicles recorded about 3,000 serious nonfatal accidents last year in New York City. The city Police Department’s Accident Investigation Squad investigated only 63, or 2 percent of these nonfatal serious crashes, according to the state. Squad members chalk crosswalks, measure tire tracks, and analyze video. Their expertise is unquestioned. This unit, however, numbers just 20 or so.
They investigate only when a victim is “considered likely to die.” (State law, too, remains a problem; it is difficult to criminally charge reckless drivers. As the writers of the indispensable StreetsBlog.org note, “under New York State code ‘I didn’t see her’ is a credible defense.”
The City Council, of late, has examined this closely. There are proposals to double the size of the traffic investigation squad and to ensure that each precinct has officers expert in such matters.
Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, characteristically, claims to see no problem. His department is state of the art; the streets get safer all the time; pedestrian fatalities have dropped 30 percent in the past decade.
An interagency task force, he wrote to Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. in July, would not be “beneficial or necessary.”
There is an “Alice in Wonderland” quality to this defense. Departmental procedure also prohibits officers from writing even a ticket unless they personally witnessed the accident. And few precincts appear equipped to handle investigations.
Just in the past year, officers examining the death of Clara Heyworth, a young woman who was killed crossing a street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, used improperly calibrated breath-testing equipment; as a result, the district attorney had to toss out the results, which showed the driver had been drinking.
In October 2010, a car struck Michelle Matson on her bike. Her neck was broken, her left leg was shattered and skin was scraped off her hands and wrists. The driver, who appeared to have been intoxicated, was not charged.
I conducted my own anecdotal study. This Monday morning I stood by the lamppost on Broadway and 14th Street that has become a de facto altar for Ms. Buta. In 25 minutes I watched three trucks, including an 18-wheeler, narrowly miss pedestrians walking the intersection. I counted 17 cars, trucks and a “New York Waterway” bus running red lights.
Ms. Buta’s mother has returned to Romania for several months and has hired the lawyer Joseph Tacopina to sue on her daughter’s behalf. “She is quite insistent that this not get treated like ‘Hey, that’s life in the big city,’ ” he said.
Like Ms. Iscovitz, Andrea Kristinsdottir took acting classes with Ms. Ruta, a woman of boundless energy. “It was impossible for men to watch her enter a room and not fall in love with her,” Ms. Kristindottir says. “She had such empathy. It can’t be possible that we just forget about her in death.”
Source:
NYT
By MICHAEL POWELL
Click green The Appraisal: Stoops Grow in Value, And Not Just as Seating
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See just above also the article and additional STAF, Inc. comments
by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., STAF, Inc.'s President
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Video of Police encounter shows how the police involved are making false reports knowingly just to cover their own lies and put the wrong man to prison for several years.
Fight back. Demand honest justice. Contact STAF, Inc. to help the innocent man.
Video of Police Encounter May Play Lead Role in Lawsuit
Click the colored area for further information
The shaky and frenetic video, lasting less than a minute, appears to show two New York police officers holding a man on the floor, with one repeatedly slamming his right fist into the man’s face.
The man, Luis Solivan, 19, was later charged with assaulting an officer, but his case was dismissed after a grand jury watched the video, which an acquaintance shot through an apartment window in the Bronx, his lawyers say. Now, that same footage may emerge as crucial evidence in a civil rights lawsuit that Mr. Solivan’s lawyers filed on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
The lawsuit charges that the officers, after chasing Mr. Solivan into his family’s apartment on University Avenue on Nov. 14, engaged in a “brutal and sadistic” beating beyond what the video captured, also using pepper spray and slamming his head against a wall after he was handcuffed.
The officers have provided a different account. In a criminal complaint against Mr. Solivan, they charged that he attacked both officers and tried to take one of their guns. But a Bronx grand jury declined to indict Mr. Solivan on any of the charges.
Ilann M. Maazel, a lawyer representing Mr. Solivan, said that but for the video, “I think there’s a real likelihood that the grand jury would have indicted him.”
“What it shows is shocking,” Mr. Maazel added. “It revealed that the police did not tell the truth and they wanted to put an innocent man in jail, potentially for many years.”
A police spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said in a brief statement that Mr. Solivan, as the officers had claimed, tried to grab one of their guns. He added, without elaborating, that Mr. Solivan “would not cooperate” with the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
A city lawyer said the Law Department was awaiting formal receipt of the suit and would “evaluate the claims thoroughly.”
The lawsuit names the officers as Thomas Dekoker and Brian R. O’Keeffe. In an unrelated case, Officer Dekoker was one of three police defendants found liable this summer in a jury trial over allegations of using excessive force against a man after responding to a call in the Bronx in 2008.
The jury awarded $500,000 in punitive damages and $1 in compensatory damages against the three; the city has asked that the verdict be overturned.
In the episode on the evening of Nov. 14, the lawsuit says, Mr. Solivan was returning home after buying cigarettes at a store near the apartment on University Avenue, when a police cruiser made a sudden U-turn toward him. He was unarmed and not engaged in unlawful activity, the suit says.
In an interview on Friday, Mr. Solivan said that after being asked by officers to stop, he “got paranoid” and ran toward the building.
Part of that chase was also captured on video, said Mr. Maazel, of the firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, who provided copies of both videos to The New York Times.
The chase video, taken by a security camera positioned above a door, shows a man running into the building; a police cruiser pulls onto the sidewalk and two officers go in after him.
At the time of the episode, Mr. Solivan was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of attempted murder, which stemmed from a 2010 stabbing that involved a fight with other young men, his defense lawyer, Karen Smolar, said. Mr. Solivan was later sentenced to probation and afforded youthful offender status, she added.
Mr. Solivan said the police followed him into his mother’s apartment, where his two younger brothers also were. “They just started grabbing me, started hitting me,” he said, adding that the officers accused him of resisting arrest. “I was not resisting arrest.”
The apartment’s windows, covered with metal grating, are about a foot and a half above the sidewalk. At one point, the acquaintance outside, using some kind of hand-held device, began recording through the window, Mr. Solivan said.
Mr. Solivan was eventually taken handcuffed into the hallway, where the officers banged his head against the wall, an act that was not recorded, Mr. Maazel said; he added that damage to the wall could be seen in photographs taken later.
Mr. Solivan was held for about an hour at the 46th Precinct station house, where the lawsuit alleges that he was taken into the bathroom by the officers and punched and kicked. He was later found, at St. Barnabas Hospital, to have “blunt head injury,” the suit says, including injuries to his nose and face.
The officers prepared the criminal complaint against Mr. Solivan, who was jailed for about two weeks, his lawyers said.
The criminal complaint accuses Mr. Solivan of punching both officers, and says when each officer tried to call for backup, Mr. Solivan grabbed their radios. He tried unsuccessfully to remove one officer’s holstered gun, the complaint says, adding that the altercation left both officers’ arms bruised.
Ms. Smolar, trial chief with the Bronx Defenders, a public defender organization, said she obtained the video and offered it, along with Mr. Solivan’s medical records, to the grand jury that considered the charges against him.
She said she was told that the grand jury, after viewing the video and hearing testimony from Mr. Solivan, voted against an indictment.
Ms. Smolar, who watched the beating footage again last week, recalled: “I was again moved by my reaction to his helplessness, vulnerability, his powerlessness. I wanted to reach into the video and stop them.”
Source:
NYT
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By BENJAMIN WEISER and RANDY LEONARDT
This article is for your private use, only
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Click below the colored area to go to The New York Times original article in the web:
Video of Police Encounter May Play Lead Role in Lawsuit1 day ago ... Luis Solivan, 19, of the Morris Heights neighborhood in New York City, says he was beaten by police officers in an arrest at his family's ...
September 10, 2012 - By BENJAMIN WEISER and RANDY LEONARD - N.Y. / Region - Article -Print Headline: "Video of Police Encounter May Play Lead Role in Lawsuit"
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New Archbishop of Canterbury
Who is Rev Justin Welby? Church colleague of Dr Welby tells: "He has the skills to succeed as leader of the Church.
When the the Right Reverend Justin Welby is confirmed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury on 11/9/12, it will be an announcement which has been months in the making.
The current Bishop of Durham has been the favoured candidate to succeed Dr Rowan Williams for some time, despite the Church of England drawing out the decision making process since March.
While clergymen may have delayed in reaching their verdict, for many of those who have worked closely with Dr Welby, he is a natural choice as the leader of the Church of England.
As well as fronting the Church of England in Britain, Dr Welby's role will also see him leading more than 80 million Christians in 160 countries as head of the Anglican Communion.
The 56-year-old has a fascinating background and family, having turned his back on a successful career in the oil industry 20 years ago to become a priest.
Yahoo! News UK takes a look at the self-deprecating former oil executive hoping to bring his business brain into the role as the Church's most senior bishop.
The Rt Rev Justin Welby looks set to be appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Born in London in 1956, Just Portal Welby was educated at Eton and read law at Trinity College Cambridge during formative years in a colourful family.
His father, Gavin Welby, made a living as a whisky bootlegger in 1920s Prohibition America, before at one stage dating Vanessa Redgrave.
Meanwhile his mother, Jane Gillian (nee Portal), had once been a private secretary to none other than Winston Churchill.
Dr Welby's early career gave no clue as to his anticipated position as the head of the Church of England.
He worked as a financial director in the oil business and was group treasurer for FTSE 100 oil exploration group Enterprise Oil Plc before his drastic career change.
After 11 years working in the oil business, Dr Welby quit the industry in 1992 to pursue a career as an Anglican priest.
The father-of-five, himself happily married for 30 years, took a degree in theology, later explaining that he was
"unable to get away from a sense of God calling".
His decision to join the church was also made in part due to personal tragedy.
In 1983, a car crash claimed the life of his seven-month old daughter Johanna - a tragedy which said was a "very dark time for Caroline (his wife) and myself", but one which "bought us closer to God".
Recalling the moment Dr Welby turned his back on the oil industry, his former boss at Enterprise Oil, Sir Graham Hearne, told the Guardian: "I said to him, 'Oh, Justin, that's very bad news. Why would you leave us? Which company has stolen you?'
"And he said, 'Don't worry about it. It's the Lord!' And he explained. And I of course was not happy to see him go but I understood fully the reasons.
"I think I knew he had faith, but he didn't push it in your face at all."
Dr Welby was rector at St James Church in Southam, Warwickshire from 1995 until 2002, before moving on to roles at Coventry Cathedral and as the Dean of Liverpool in 2007.
Dr Welby was consecrated as Bishop of Durham - the fifth most senior Church of England bishop - last October, in what has been a rapid ascent through the CofE heirachy.
Dr Rown Williams announced his decision to resign as Archbishop in March (PA)
But Rev John Armstrong, who took over when Dr Welby left one of his earliest church posts in Southam, believes his predecessor has the required skills to be a success as the new Archbishop.
Rev Armstrong told : "His faith made him the sort of person he is today, but he had gifts which were applicable both in the oil industry and working in the Church.
"He is good at communicating with people and getting them to communicate with each other, and that will work in his favour in his new role.
"He certainly did a good job here and was instrumental in bringing this Church a lot more alive than it was before."
Although said to be an opponent of same sex marriage and the appointment of gay bishops, Dr Welby is not said to be aggressive in his beliefs.
His more understated approach, as well as his business expertise, are likely to endear him to Church leaders more than the conservative thinking of other frontrunners such as the Archbishop of York, the Right Reverend John Sentamu.
Dr Welby's ability to listen to opponents' point of view will also be key in his new role.
Last summer as Bishop of Durham, he was called on to defuse tensions over a vote on women bishops.
Even on homosexuality, where he was defended the Church's right to oppose same sex marriage, he was keen to accommodate opposing views.
Other former colleagues of Dr Welby have described him as an "enthusiastic, hands-on vicar" who is also "very, very likeable".
Perhaps it is his ability to engage with the ethics of the City that is the clincher, however.
His work on the parliamentary commission on banking standards was an obvious extension to his previous published works, most of which have been about the rights and wrongs of finance and management.
Welby promises to be a chief executive with a conscience, to boot. But it is his political brain that matters most.
He is a healer of wounds, not an aggravator — a skill he will have need of during his time in Lambeth Palace.
From there he will take charge not just of the Church of England but also the schism-hit worldwide Anglican communion.
A tough job for a man whose working life once confined him to whizzing through slides in corporate boardroom presentations.
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Moral Dystopia
By MAUREEN DOWD
EVERYONE is good, until we’re tested.
We hope we would be Sir Thomas More in “A Man for All Seasons,” who dismisses his daughter’s pleas to compromise his ideals and save his life, saying: “When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water. And if he opens his fingers then, he needn’t hope to find himself again.”
But with formerly hallowed institutions and icons sinking into a moral dystopia all around us, has our sense of right and wrong grown more malleable? What if we’re not Thomas More but Mike McQueary?
Eight tortured young men offered searing testimony in Bellefonte, Pa., about being abused as children by Jerry Sandusky in the showers at Penn State, in the basement of his home and at hotels.
But the most haunting image in the case is that of a little boy who was never found, who was never even sought by Penn State officials.
In February 2001, McQueary was home one night watching the movie “Rudy,” about a runty football player who achieves his dream of playing at Notre Dame by the sheer force of his gutsy character. McQueary, a graduate assistant coach and former Penn State quarterback, was so inspired that he got up and went over to the locker room to get some tapes of prospective recruits.
There he ran smack into his own character test. The strapping 6-foot-4 redhead told the court he saw his revered boss and former coach reflected in the mirror: Sandusky, Joe Paterno’s right hand, was grinding against a little boy in the shower in an “extremely sexual” position, their wet bodies making “skin-on-skin slapping sounds.” He met their eyes, Sandusky’s blank, the boy’s startled.
“I’ve never been involved in anything remotely close to this,” the 37-year-old McQueary said. “You’re not sure what the heck to do, frankly.”
He was slugging back water from a paper cup, with the bristly air of a man who knows that many people wonder why he didn’t simply stop the rape and call the police instead of leaving to talk it over with his father and a family friend.
Tellingly, he compared the sickening crime to the noncomparable incident of being a college student looking for a bathroom during a party at a frat house, and inadvertently walking into a dark bedroom where a fraternity brother is having sex with a young lady.
He said he felt too “shocked, flustered, frantic” to do anything, adding defensively: “It’s been well publicized that I didn’t stop it. I physically did not remove the young boy from the shower or punch Jerry out.”
He told Paterno the next morning and went along with the mild reining in of Sandusky, who continued his deviant ways.
Put on administrative leave, McQueary has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the school. (He was promoted to receivers coach and recruiting coordinator three years after the incident.) “Frankly,” he said, “I don’t think I did anything wrong to lose that job.”
It’s jarring because McQueary looks like central casting for the square-jawed hero who stumbles upon a crime in progress, rescues the child thrilled to hear the footsteps of a savior, and puts an end to the serial preying on disadvantaged kids by a man disguised as the patron saint of disadvantaged kids.
Bellefonte, the town in the shadow of Beaver Stadium, also looks like a Hollywood creation: the perfect sepia slice of rural Americana reflecting old-fashioned values. There’s an Elks Lodge, a Loyal Order of Moose hall, a Rexall drugstore, the Hot Dog House with hand-dipped ice cream, and a nice senior citizen shooing you into the crosswalk. This was a big “American Graffiti” weekend in town: the annual sock hop and hot rod parade.
How could so many fine citizens of this college town ignore the obvious and protect a predator instead of protecting children going through the ultimate trauma: getting raped by a local celebrity offering to be their dream father figure? A Penn State police officer warned Sandusky in 1998 to stop showering with boys; Saint Jerry ignored him.
The first witness for the prosecution, now 28, recalled that Sandusky wooed him starting when he was 12, letting him wear the jersey of the star linebacker LaVar Arrington.
In his Washington Post blog, Arrington, a retired Redskin, wrote that it was “mind-blowing” to hear about the boy’s hurt. He recalled that he had asked the kid, “Why are you always walking around all mad, like a tough guy?”
He assumed that since the boy had been involved with the Second Mile charity, he must be from a troubled home.
“I will never just assume ever again,” he said of dealing with an angry child. “I will always ask, and let them know that it’s O.K. to tell the truth about why they are upset.”
That accuser testified that at the Alamo Bowl, Dottie Sandusky, a good German, came into the hotel room while her husband was in the shower threatening to send the boy home if he would not perform oral sex. Jerry came out and she asked him, “What are you doing in there?” But she soon disappeared.
“She was kind of cold,” the young man recalled. “She wasn’t mean or hateful, nothing like that, just, they’re Jerry’s kids, like that.”
Another accuser, now 18, testified that he screamed when Sandusky raped him in the basement; though Dottie was upstairs, there was no response.
NBC’s Michael Isikoff reported on a secret file discovered in Penn State’s internal investigation, led by Louis Freeh, the former F.B.I. chief. Graham Spanier, a former university president, and Gary Schultz, a former vice president, debated whether they had a legal obligation to report the 2001 shower incident, and in one e-mail, agreed it would be “humane” to Sandusky not to inform social service agencies.
That revoltingly echoes the testimony in the trial of Msgr. William Lynn in Philadelphia, where the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua ordered the shredding of a list of 35 priests believed to be child molesters. Lynn testified that he followed Bevilacqua’s orders not to tell victims if others had accused the same priest of abuse, or to inform parishes of the true reason that perverted priests were removed and recirculated.
When a seminarian told Lynn in 1992 that he was raped all through high school by the monstrous Rev. Stanley Gana, Lynn conceded he let it fall “through the cracks.” He also admitted he “forgot” to tell the police investigating a preying priest that the diocese knew of at least eight more cases.
Yet Lynn claimed he did his “best” for victims.
Inundated by instantaneous information and gossip, do we simply know more about the seamy side? Do greater opportunities and higher stakes cause more instances of unethical behavior? Have our materialism, narcissism and cynicism about the institutions knitting society — schools, sports, religion, politics, banking — dulled our sense of right and wrong?
“Most Americans continue to think of their lives in moral terms; they want to live good lives,” said James Davison Hunter, a professor of religion, culture and social theory at the University of Virginia and the author of “The Death of Character.” “But they are more uncertain about what the nature of the good is. We know more, and as a consequence, we no longer trust the authority of traditional institutions who used to be carriers of moral ideals.
“We used to experience morality as imperatives. The consequences of not doing the right thing were not only social, but deeply emotional and psychological. We couldn’t bear to live with ourselves. Now we experience morality more as a choice that we can always change as circumstances call for it. We tend to personalize our ideals. And what you end up with is a nation of ethical free agents.
“We’ve moved from a culture of character to a culture of personality. The etymology of the word character is that it’s deeply etched, not changeable in all sorts of circumstances. We don’t want to think of ourselves as transgressive or bad, but we tend to personalize our understanding of the good.”
Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor dubbed “the Elvis of cyberlaw” by Wired magazine, was seduced by his rock star choirmaster at the American Boychoir School in Princeton in the 1970s when he was 14 and turned into his supportive “wife,” as he calls it. “It made me really feel like a grown-up. Typically, sex doesn’t have to be terrible.”
In 2004, he represented another victim in a successful lawsuit against the school. He told me that “an astonishing 30 to 40 percent” of his peers there had been abused, “and everybody knew and nobody did anything.” That echoes the horror at the Horace Mann School in the Bronx in the 1970s and 1980s, where a culture of sexual abuse by teachers developed.
And as if we needed more evidence that perversity lurks everywhere, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been ordered to pay more than $20 million to a woman who was abused for two years, starting at age 9, by a congregation member in California. She had filed a lawsuit accusing the church of instructing elders to keep sex-abuse accusations quiet.
“You don’t want to be the outsider who betrays the institution; whistleblowers are always the weirdos,” Lessig said. “There are so many ways to rationalize doing the easy thing. And it’s really easy for us to overlook how our inaction to step up and do even the simplest thing leads to profoundly destructive consequences in our society.”
I asked Cory Booker, the Newark mayor, why he ignored his security team and made a snap decision to run into a burning house to save his neighbor. He said his parents taught him to feel indebted to all the people who had sacrificed for his family. And he recoiled in law school at the idea that there was not always a legal obligation to help the vulnerable.
“We have to fight the dangerous streams in culture, the consumerism and narcissism and me-ism that erode the borders of our moral culture,” he said. “We can’t put shallow celebrity before core decency. We have to have a deeper faith in the human spirit. As they say, he who has the heart to help has the right to complain.”
Source:
The New York Times
June 17, 2012
Sunday Review, p. 1
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Pakistan dismisses blasphemy case against Christian girl
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court dismissed on Tuesday a blasphemy case against a Christian girl which had drawn international condemnation and concern about the rights of religious minorities in the predominantly Muslim country.
Rimsha Masih, believed to be no older than 14, was charged with burning pages of the Koran in August but was granted bail in September after a cleric was detained on suspicion of planting evidence to stir up resentment against Christians.
Masih's lawyer, Tahir Naveed, said the Islamabad High Court's decision to throw out the case was based on the fact that no one had seen her burning pages of the Koran.
The case provoked international concern and she could, in theory, have faced execution under Pakistan's blasphemy law despite her age and reported mental problems.
Muslims consider the Koran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence. Desecration (= an act of disrespect) is considered one of the worst forms of blasphemy.
(blasphemy: (1) the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; (2) the act of claiming the attributes of deity (= the essential nature or condition of being a god or God; divinity - (3) irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable (= prohibiting violation)
The blasphemy law enjoys widespread support among ordinary Pakistanis even though critics say it is often abused by people involved in disputes or against members of religious minorities.
Over the past two years, two senior government officials who had suggested reform of the law were shot dead, one by his own bodyguard. Lawyers threw rose petals at the killer and the judge who convicted him was forced to flee the country.
The number of blasphemy cases brought under the law is rising. Since 1987, there have been almost 250 cases, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies think-tank.
Convictions are common, although the death sentence has never been carried out. Most convictions are thrown out on appeal but mobs often take the law into their own hands.
The think-tank said 52 people had been killed after being accused of blasphemy since 1990.
Reuters, November 20, 2012 (Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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- Security officials surrounding Rimsha Masih, (C, green scarf) a Christian girl accused of blasphemy, move her to a helicopter after her release from Adyala jail in Rawalpindi September 8, 2012. A Pakistani …
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court dismissed on Tuesday a blasphemy case against a Christian girl which had drawn international condemnation and concern about the rights of religious minorities in the predominantly Muslim country.
Rimsha Masih, believed to be no older than 14, was charged with burning pages of the Koran in August but was granted bail in September after a cleric was detained on suspicion of planting evidence to stir up resentment against Christians.
Masih's lawyer, Tahir Naveed, said the Islamabad High Court's decision to throw out the case was based on the fact that no one had seen her burning pages of the Koran.
The case provoked international concern and she could, in theory, have faced execution under Pakistan's blasphemy law despite her age and reported mental problems.
Muslims consider the Koran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence. Desecration (= an act of disrespect) is considered one of the worst forms of blasphemy.
(blasphemy: (1) the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; (2) the act of claiming the attributes of deity (= the essential nature or condition of being a god or God; divinity - (3) irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable (= prohibiting violation)
The blasphemy law enjoys widespread support among ordinary Pakistanis even though critics say it is often abused by people involved in disputes or against members of religious minorities.
Over the past two years, two senior government officials who had suggested reform of the law were shot dead, one by his own bodyguard. Lawyers threw rose petals at the killer and the judge who convicted him was forced to flee the country.
The number of blasphemy cases brought under the law is rising. Since 1987, there have been almost 250 cases, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies think-tank.
Convictions are common, although the death sentence has never been carried out. Most convictions are thrown out on appeal but mobs often take the law into their own hands.
The think-tank said 52 people had been killed after being accused of blasphemy since 1990.
Reuters, November 20, 2012 (Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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Creationism Controversies
The Norm Among Potential Republican 2016 Contenders
November 2012 View
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) raised eyebrows when he told GQ he couldn't answer a question about the age of the earth because "I'm not a scientist, man."
Having a top prospect for the 2016 presidential nomination say the age of the planet is "one of the great mysteries" comes at an awkward time for a party attempting to rebuild from its Nov. 6 drubbing at the hands of voters turned off by the GOP's embrace of social conservatives. But Rubio is hardly alone among potential Republican presidential contenders. Other big names for 2016 have weighed in publicly at various times over the years to position themselves as supportive ofcreationism proponents.
To science education advocates, these public statements fall into two categories: craven political panders to the conservative base and expressions of actual doubt in basic scientific principles. Both are disconcerting, the advocates say, and whether or not a president stands up for science has a broader impact than the education battles where creationism most often comes up.
"It's important beyond whether somebody has a direct impact on evolution [education] because it's an indicator of the way they look at the world and who they accept as reliable guides and authorities on subjects," said Dr. Eric Meikle, an anthropologist and director of education at the National Center for Science Education. "It's very important in terms of that."
For the record, Mitt Romney actually accepted the science of evolution and opposed the teaching of so-called "intelligent design" theory in science classrooms when he was governor of Massachusetts. That puts him to the left of some of the men potentially vying to be his replacement on the ticket in four years.
A look at some big names in 2016 Republican presidential speculation and what they've said about evolution or creationism:
Gov. Chris Christie (NJ)
The oft-mentioned 2016 contender -- and self-described straight shooter -- has declined open up about his thoughts on evolution. "That's none of your business," Christie said in May 2011 when asked where he comes down on evolution versus creationism.
At a town hall a week earlier, Christie said that he believed the decision to teach creationism alongside evolution should be made at the local level. A week later, Christie clarified that this position was not an endorsement of teaching creationism. "That is not to say, as it was interpreted by some that I was advocating for the teaching of creationism," Christie said. "Folks never really have a hard time figuring out when I'm advocating for something."
The Wall Street Journal story at the time pointed out that Christie's non-answer on creationism is a departure from the governor's promise not to use an "escape hatch" on the issues:
For a politician who has built a national reputation for straight talk and not shying from a fight, Christie's demurral on creationism stands out. In the past, he has said people need not wonder where he stands on an issue.
"When you guys ask me questions, I'm going to answer them directly, straightly, bluntly, and nobody in New Jersey is going to have to wonder where I am on an issue," he said a year ago, adding: "I think they've had enough of politicians who make them wonder ... They make them wonder so they got an escape hatch. So they have an escape hatch. And I'm not interested in an escape hatch."
Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA)
Jindal, a committed social conservative, has emerged lately as the potential 2016er most ready tocriticize the rhetoric of the last Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. But Jindal is no moderate, especially when it comes to evolution.
In 2008, Jindal signed into law the "Louisiana Science Education Act," a law that according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune's Annette Sisco, "cleared the way for creationism to be taught in biology class." That led groups like the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to boycott the state as host for national conferences.
Jindal created a new firestorm around the evolution issue this summer when schools with bible-based curriculums ended up on the list of institutions included in the state's expanded voucher program. Under Jindal's education reforms, thousands of Louisiana students can use taxpayer dollars to attend schools that, as Lance Hill, executive director of Southern Institute for Education and Research,explained to Reuters in July, "use an evangelical curriculum that teaches that humans walked the earth 6,000 years ago with dinosaurs."
A biology major at Brown and a Rhodes Scholar, Jindal has endorsed the idea that local school boards should determine whether creationism or intelligent design should be taught in schools. "I don't want any facts or theories or explanations to be withheld from [my children] because of political correctness," Jindal said during a 2008 appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Sen. Rand Paul (KY)
Paul is expected to take up his father's libertarian-bent presidential crusade next cycle. And like his dad, Paul has often mixed a healthy dose of social conservative outreach in with his fiscal libertarian purity.
Almost exactly like Rubio did this week, Paul demurred on the question of the earth's age back in 2010. Taking questions from a meeting of the Christian Homeschool Educators of Kentucky during his Senate campaign, Paul declined to answer the question "how old is the world?"
"I forgot to say I was only taking easy questions," Paul said. "I'm gonna pass on the age of the earth. I think, ah, I'm just gonna have to pass on that one."
Sen. Marco Rubio (FL)
Rubio's comments to GQ were unsurprising when compared with Rubio's rhetoric on creationism in the past. Facing creationist protests, the Florida Board of Education wrestled with curriculum standards in 2008 that accepted evolution as scientifically sound. Eventually, the board ruled that evolution should be taught, but only as a "scientific theory." It was a compromise decision that drew criticism from the scientific community who said it underplayed evolution's acceptance as the basis for biological science and criticism from creationists worried that it didn't go far enough to allow their theories about the creation of the world into the mix. Then-state House Speaker Rubio was on the side of creationists.
After the state Board of Education ruling, Rubio told the Florida Baptist Witness that he'd support legislation modeled on a proposal allowing teachers who so desired "to engage students in a critical analysis" of evolution. His reasoning, from the Witness:
The "crux" of the disagreement, according to Rubio, is "whether what a parent teaches their children at home should be mocked and derided and undone at the public school level. It goes to the fundamental core of who is ultimately, primarily responsible for the upbringing of children. Is it your public education system or is it your parents?"
Rubio added, "And for me, personally, I don't want a school system that teaches kids that what they're learning at home is wrong."
Rubio then "made a comparison to the strategy employed by the Communist Party in Cuba where schools encouraged children to turn in parents who criticized Fidel Castro."
"'Of course, I'm not equating the evolution people with Fidel Castro,' he quickly added," according to the Witness.
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Wednesday, 11/28/12 - The Miracle Show
Topic: (1) Simple Fix for Farming
A recent long-term study done on land owned by Iowa State University, called the Marsden, shows that we can grow food profitably with much fewer chemicals. No use or using less than has become customary will heal the soil, will far less endanger the human health, thus bringing substantial savings worldwide in sickness care costs. It is the same farming principle as our founding fathers used and the same as was still in use during the first half of the 1900's until in 1950's & 60's the man-made pesticides and fertilizers came on the marked produced by the new industrial chemical companies. All pesticides and fertilizers have serious negative side effects in the soil, in us humans and in the animal world. Many of the then newly produced and applied chemicals affected the human fetus to malformation and affected the health of the adult population worldwide. The same is still going on. We must be ready and willing to change our wrong farming methods.
The Iowa State's and other researchers' advice: combine crop rotation, bring the re-integration of animals into crop production and intelligent farming, and you can use very little chemicals or none at all. This and many other studies demonstrate that the chemicals contributing to "environmental externalities" can drastically be reduced at no sacrifice, except to that of the bottom line of chemical companies. That direction is in the interest of most of us - or at least those whose well-being doesn't rely on that bottom line. CONTINUE (STAF editor note)
Several thousands years ago The Bible has the same info dictated by God as the modern human scientists have figured out just recently: how to keep the soil healthy, how to have the maximum crops without damaging the crop and at the same time handling all financially in a profitable manner.
The Bible has multitudes of statements written down several thousands of years ago, statements that the human science has figured out one year, or 10 years, or 50 years of 500 years ago. The people who wrote down The Biblical text did not and could not have known any of those secrets as just the modern human science found then out much later. That proves that someone knowing much more than we humans do, someone who knew the secrets and the laws of the universe must have told the people to write it all in The Bible. This all proves that there is a higher power than we humans are. The people who wrote down The Biblical text state that God appeared to them and told them what to write down. God also told the people to apply the information. In this manner The Bible was dictated by God with success guidance for every area of life. The Bible is the success book for life. Listen to the show recordings to get the more detailed information of these matters and hear the full proof that everything in The Bible is true and has happened and the success guidance is fully valid for all of us today.
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Wednesday, 11/28/12: - The Miracle Show
A Simple Fix for Farming
Topic (1):
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IT'S becoming clear that we can grow all the food we need, and profitably, with far fewer chemicals. And I'm not talking about imposing some utopian vision of small organic farms on the world. Conventional agriculture can shed much of its chemical use - if it wants to.
This was hammered home once again in what may be the most important agricultural study this year, although it has been largely ignored by the media, two of the leading science journals and even one of the study's sponsors, the often hapless Department of Agriculture.
The study was done on land owned by Iowa State University called the Marsden Farm. On 22 acres of it, beginning in 2003, researchers set up three plots: one replicated the typical Midwestern cycle of planting corn one year and then soybeans the next, along with its routine mix of chemicals. On another, they planted a three-year cycle that included oats; the third plot added a four-year cycle and alfalfa. The longer rotations also integrated the raising of livestock, whose manure was used as fertilizer.
The results were stunning: The longer rotations produced better yields of both corn and soy, reduced the need for nitrogen fertilizer and herbicides by up to 88 percent, reduced the amounts of toxins in groundwater 200-fold and didn't reduce profits by a single cent.
In short, there was only upside - and no downside at all - associated with the longer rotations. There was an increase in labor costs, but remember that profits were stable. So this is a matter of paying people for their knowledge and smart work instead of paying chemical companies for poisons. And it's a high-stakes game; according to the Environmental Protection Agency, about five billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the United States.
No one expects Iowacorn and soybean farmers to turn this thing around tomorrow, but one might at least hope that the U.S.D.A.would trumpet the outcome. The agency declined to comment when I asked about it. One can guess that perhaps no one at the higher levels even knows about it, or that they're afraid to tell Monsantoabout agency-supported research that demonstrates a decreased need for chemicals. (A conspiracy theorist might note that the journals Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences both turned down the study. It was finally published in PLOS One; I first read about it on the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site.)
Debates about how we grow food are usually presented in a simplistic, black-and-white way, conventional versus organic. (The spectrum that includes conventional on one end and organic on the other is not unlike the one that opposes the standard American diet with veganism.) In farming, you have loads of chemicals and disastrous environmental impact against an orthodox, even dogmatic method that is difficult to carry out on a large scale.
But seeing organic as the only alternative to industrial agriculture, or veganism as the only alternative to supersize me, is a bit like saying that the only alternative to the ravages of capitalism is Stalinism; there are other ways. And positioning organic as the only alternative allows its opponents to point to its flaws and say, "See? We have to remain with conventional."
The Marsden Farm study points to a third path. And though critics of this path can be predictably counted on to say it's moving backward, the increased yields, markedly decreased input of chemicals, reduced energy costs and stable profits tell another story, one of serious progress.
Nor was this a rinky-dink study: the background and scientific rigor of the authors - who represent the U.S.D.A.'s Agricultural Research Service as well as two of the country's leading agricultural universities - are unimpeachable. When I asked Adam Davis, an author of the study who works for the U.S.D.A., to summarize the findings, he said, "These were simple changes patterned after those used by North American farmers for generations. What we found was that if you don't hold the natural forces back they are going to work for you."
THIS means that not only is weed suppression a direct result of systematic and increased crop rotation along with mulching, cultivation and other nonchemical techniques, but that by not poisoning the fields, we make it possible for insects, rodents and other critters to do their part and eat weeds and their seeds. In addition, by growing forage crops for cattle or other ruminants you can raise healthy animals that not only contribute to the health of the fields but provide fertilizer. (The same manure that's a benefit in a system like this is a pollutant in large-scale, confined animal-rearing operations, where thousands of animals make manure disposal an extreme challenge.)
Perhaps most difficult to quantify is that this kind of farming - more thoughtful and less reflexive - requires more walking of the fields, more observations, more applications of fertilizer and chemicals if, when and where they're needed, rather than on an all-inclusive schedule. "You substitute producer knowledge for blindly using inputs," Davis says.
So: combine crop rotation, the re-integration of animals into crop production and intelligent farming, and you can use chemicals (to paraphrase the report's abstract) to fine-tune rather than drive the system, with no loss in performance and in fact the gain of animal products.
Why wouldn't a farmer go this route? One answer is that first he or she has to hear about it. Another, says Matt Liebman, one of the authors of the study and an agronomy professor at Iowa State, is that, "There's no cost assigned to environmental externalities" - the environmental damage done by industrial farming, analogous to the health damage done by the "cheap" standard American diet - "and the profitability of doing things with lots of chemical input isn't questioned."
This study not only questions those assumptions, it demonstrates that the chemicals contributing to "environmental externalities" can be drastically reduced at no sacrifice, except to that of the bottom line of chemical companies. That direction is in the interest of most of us - or at least those whose well-being doesn't rely on that bottom line.
Sadly, it seems there isn't a government agency up to the task of encouraging things to move that way, even in the face of convincing evidence.
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Wednesday, 12/5/12: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
# 2 Does My Life Have a Purpose?
Teach the Biblical principles in your family - have a weekly family meeting for learning and discussing the topic of the week. Study The whole Bible to know what it is about. OPTION ONE: Read, and guide your children do the same, daily one chapter in the Old Testament and one in The New Testament (or as fits your schedule).
Then discuss the reading in your weekly family meeting. The children do (when you start early in their lives) copy their parents. The Bible is full of life wisdom and success guidance - apply the success principles & discuss them with your children.
OPTION TWO: We at the GCG definitely advise to do this: Another good idea is this (perhaps the best for your family): as a family, start studying The Bible in
the Proverbs - they are easy to understand as excellent success guidance for life. To start in The Proverbs is an easy approach and will strengthen the interest for
The Bible studying. Decide together that every family member will apply the Biblical success laws in everyone's daily life.
First every family member studies the same agreed amount of Proverbs during the week and you all discuss the material in your weekly meeting. The day & time is always the same. The smaller children who cannot read, yet, will be in the meeting - if the children are old enough to study any Biblical children book weekly. A child of any age will be present - also the babies will benefit from being in the family meeting (even though they might be sleeping).
Every family member has to have their own Bible with the same modern English translation. In GCG's home page you'll find guidance for a suitable modern English Bible. If English is not your home language and your children have not learned English, yet, use the modern language version in your own first language. Ask your local church or the book store for guidance.
Any person in your family who understands English will benefit in "double" when using a modern English language version of The Bible - you'll learn success guidance for life and you'll improve your skills in the English language.
When you have your whole family involved in studying the life success laws in The Bible, your family ties will strengthen and you will be a successful, happy family.
Start your days and your family meetings with a prayer and teach your children the same already early on. There is a saying "Family that prays together, stays together".
It is important to introduce The Bible as the success book for life. Everyone's common sense will recognize that the Biblical guidance is guidance for life success.
That is the reason God dictated The Bible and guided certain people to write the text and introduce the text to the people for health, wealth & success in life.
Guide every member of your family to apply the Biblical success laws. There is a saying "Knowledge is power" - that is a wrong statement. Here is the correct statement,
Quotation "Knowledge is no power, only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, Pastor of GCG)
Wednesday, 12/5/12 - The Miracle Show - Original text
What Did Jesus Say About the Purpose of Life?
Jesus had no doubt about the purpose of his life. He said: “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) Jesus spent his life teaching people the truth about God and His purposes.
Our life will take on real meaning if we follow Jesus’ example. In fact, Jesus invites us to learn from him. (Matthew 11:29) Consider just two ways in which we can do so.
Jesus taught that for us to be happy, we must be “conscious of [our] spiritual need.” (Matthew 5:3) We can satisfy our spiritual need if we take in knowledge of “the only true God, and of the one whom [he] sent forth, Jesus Christ.”--John 17:3.
Jesus commanded his followers to teach others about what they had learned. He said: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”--Matthew 28:19, 20.
Those who satisfy their spiritual need by studying the Bible and applying what they learn find that their life changes for the better. They gain the conviction that their life has real purpose when they start helping others learn about God.
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# 3 Wednesday, 12/12/12: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
The Sensors of the Black Fire Beetle
Is it evolution or is it by highly intelligent design
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
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Was It Designed?
The Sensors of the Black Fire Beetle
The beetle’s infrared receptors
Researchers are looking to the black fire beetle’s pit organs and antennas to improve devices that detect infrared radiation and fire
Forest fires repel most animals, but they attract black fire beetles. Why? Because newly burned trees are an ideal place for these insects to lay their eggs. Furthermore, fire drives away predators, leaving the beetle free to eat, mate, and lay eggs safely. But how do black fire beetles find forest fires in the first place?
Consider: Next to its middle legs, the fire beetle has sensors called pit organs that can detect infrared radiation from a forest fire. The radiation generates heat in the pit organs and then directs the beetle to head for the flames.
But these beetles have other sensors in their fire-detection tool kit. When their favorite trees burn, the beetles’ antennas detect minute quantities of certain chemicals that fires release into the air. According to some researchers, black fire beetles can use their “smoke detector” antennas to find a single smoldering tree over half a mile (0.8 km) away. As a result of the combination of their abilities, these beetles appear to sense and find forest fires from a distance of more than 30 miles (48.3 km)!
Researchers are looking to the black fire beetle’s pit organs and antennas to improve devices that detect infrared radiation and fire. Traditional high-resolution infrared sensors must be cooled, so the beetle may help scientists to develop better sensors that will function at room temperature. The beetle’s antennas have inspired engineers to develop fire-detection systems that are more sensitive and can distinguish between the by-products of forest fires and other chemical compounds.
Researchers are astounded by the black fire beetle’s unique way of finding a place to lay its eggs. “How did these beetles develop their ability to lay eggs this way?” asks E. Richard Hoebeke, a beetle expert at Cornell University, in the United States. “Think about how little we know of insects with incredibly sensitive and complex sensory mechanisms.”
What do you think? Did the black fire beetle’s ability to detect forest fires come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
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TOPIC
The Sensors of the Black Fire Beetle
Is it evolution or is it by highly intelligent design
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
_______________________
Was It Designed?
The Sensors of the Black Fire Beetle
The beetle’s infrared receptors
Researchers are looking to the black fire beetle’s pit organs and antennas to improve devices that detect infrared radiation and fire
Forest fires repel most animals, but they attract black fire beetles. Why? Because newly burned trees are an ideal place for these insects to lay their eggs. Furthermore, fire drives away predators, leaving the beetle free to eat, mate, and lay eggs safely. But how do black fire beetles find forest fires in the first place?
Consider: Next to its middle legs, the fire beetle has sensors called pit organs that can detect infrared radiation from a forest fire. The radiation generates heat in the pit organs and then directs the beetle to head for the flames.
But these beetles have other sensors in their fire-detection tool kit. When their favorite trees burn, the beetles’ antennas detect minute quantities of certain chemicals that fires release into the air. According to some researchers, black fire beetles can use their “smoke detector” antennas to find a single smoldering tree over half a mile (0.8 km) away. As a result of the combination of their abilities, these beetles appear to sense and find forest fires from a distance of more than 30 miles (48.3 km)!
Researchers are looking to the black fire beetle’s pit organs and antennas to improve devices that detect infrared radiation and fire. Traditional high-resolution infrared sensors must be cooled, so the beetle may help scientists to develop better sensors that will function at room temperature. The beetle’s antennas have inspired engineers to develop fire-detection systems that are more sensitive and can distinguish between the by-products of forest fires and other chemical compounds.
Researchers are astounded by the black fire beetle’s unique way of finding a place to lay its eggs. “How did these beetles develop their ability to lay eggs this way?” asks E. Richard Hoebeke, a beetle expert at Cornell University, in the United States. “Think about how little we know of insects with incredibly sensitive and complex sensory mechanisms.”
What do you think? Did the black fire beetle’s ability to detect forest fires come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
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# 4 Wednesday, 12/19/12: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
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TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
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# 5 Wednesday, 12/26/12: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
_______________________
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
_______________________
# 6 Wednesday, 1/2/13: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
Gold-Digging Termites Concentrate Minerals inn Bodies and Nests
Termites can indicate the location of undiscovered deposits of gold and other metals, according to new Australian research.
Nowadays, prospecting for Australian minerals is more time-consuming and expensive due to the resources being buried deep under layers of rock and soil.
Insects bio-accumulate some metals for physiological purposes, such as strengthening their cuticles.
In termites, subterranean gold is brought to the surface both in the insects’ bodies and also their mounds, potentially providing information about untapped mineral deposits below.
“What is really great about ants and termites is that we can use their work instead of spending vast amounts on expensive drilling,” said study co-author Aaron Stewart at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), according to Fresh Science.
“After 150 years of exploration, the easiest deposits near the surface have been discovered. We need new ways of finding gold.”
Using knowledge gleaned from termites could therefore reduce the costs of drilling, as well as being more environmentally friendly.
“In some places we have shown that termites and ants can bridge that gap by bringing up evidence from five meters down,” Stewart said.
“Our new research shows that it is not only the really big termite mounds like the ones found in northern Australia that can be useful,” he added.“Small termite and ant mounds that occur all over the country can do the job.”
What do you think? Did someone intelligent create the termites as their purpose to help us humans can be so special?
The research was published in the November issue of Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, and PLoS One on Nov. 8.
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TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
Gold-Digging Termites Concentrate Minerals inn Bodies and Nests
Termites can indicate the location of undiscovered deposits of gold and other metals, according to new Australian research.
Nowadays, prospecting for Australian minerals is more time-consuming and expensive due to the resources being buried deep under layers of rock and soil.
Insects bio-accumulate some metals for physiological purposes, such as strengthening their cuticles.
In termites, subterranean gold is brought to the surface both in the insects’ bodies and also their mounds, potentially providing information about untapped mineral deposits below.
“What is really great about ants and termites is that we can use their work instead of spending vast amounts on expensive drilling,” said study co-author Aaron Stewart at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), according to Fresh Science.
“After 150 years of exploration, the easiest deposits near the surface have been discovered. We need new ways of finding gold.”
Using knowledge gleaned from termites could therefore reduce the costs of drilling, as well as being more environmentally friendly.
“In some places we have shown that termites and ants can bridge that gap by bringing up evidence from five meters down,” Stewart said.
“Our new research shows that it is not only the really big termite mounds like the ones found in northern Australia that can be useful,” he added.“Small termite and ant mounds that occur all over the country can do the job.”
What do you think? Did someone intelligent create the termites as their purpose to help us humans can be so special?
The research was published in the November issue of Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, and PLoS One on Nov. 8.
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# 7 Wednesday, 1/9/13: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
_______________________
TOPIC
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
_______________________
# 8 Wednesday, 1/16/13: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
A leading scientist proves, based on her molecular biology research that every human being is built to live forever as the Bible tells.
The Bible tells (1) Jesus comes back to establish one world turned to a paradise where every person, dead now or alive, will live forever.
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
INTERVIEW | PAOLA CHIOZZI
A Biochemist Explains Her Faith
For more than 20 years, Dr. Paola Chiozzi has worked as a molecular biologist at the University of Ferrara in Italy. Awake! asked her about her science and her faith.
Tell us about your background.
My father was a cobbler, and my mother was a farmworker. But I wanted to be a scientist. The beautiful flowers, birds, and insects around my home fascinated me. I felt that they were products of superhuman wisdom.
So you always believed in a Creator?
No. In fact, my doubts about God began when I was a child. My father suddenly died of a heart attack, and I wondered, ‘Why would the Creator of so much beauty allow suffering and death?’
Did your study of science help you to find an answer?
Not at first. When I became a molecular biologist, I began to study death—the normal, programmed death of the cells that make up our body. This is very different from the uncontrolled cell death that causes inflammation and gangrene. Until a few years ago, scientists paid little attention to this process, even though it is vital to our health.
In what way is programmed cell death vital?
Well, our body is made up of trillions of microscopic cells. Practically all of them must die and be replaced. Each type of cell has a different life span; some are replaced every few weeks, and others every few years. Our body’s system of programmed cell death has to be highly controlled to maintain the delicate balance between cell death and cell formation.
What can go wrong?
Some studies indicate that when cells fail to die as they should, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer may result. On the other hand, when cells die before they should, it could cause Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. My research is linked to finding ways to treat these diseases.
How did your study of cell death affect you?
Frankly, it puzzled me. This marvelous process was clearly designed by someone who wants us to be healthy. So I was still left with the question, Why do people suffer and die? I couldn’t find an answer.
But you were convinced that the system of programmed cell death was designed.
Yes. The complexity of the whole process is mind-boggling, yet its elegance displays exceptional wisdom. I believe it’s the wisdom of God. I use powerful microscopes to study the many complex mechanisms that regulate the process. Some mechanisms can trigger the destruction process within seconds if need be. The cells participate in their own self-destruction. The process is so well-designed that it’s absolutely awe-inspiring.
Since nearly all our cells are regularly replaced, living forever is certainly feasible
You had questions about God and suffering. How did you find answers?
A couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses called at my home in 1991, and I asked them why we die. They showed me the Bible’s answer: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin.” (Romans 5:12) If the first man had not disobeyed God, he would have lived forever. I immediately realized that this harmonized with what I had learned from my research. In fact, it’s clear to me that God didn’t intend for people to die. Since nearly all our cells are regularly replaced, living forever is certainly feasible.
What convinced you that the Bible is God’s Word?
I learned what the Bible says about God at Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, and in your book all its parts were down in writing.” As a biochemist, I study the genetic information that is written in our cells. How did the psalmist know about such writing? The more I learned from the Bible, the more I was convinced that it is inspired of God.
How were you helped to understand what the Bible teaches?
One of Jehovah’s Witnesses offered to study the Bible with me. Finally, I learned why God has allowed suffering. I also learned that, as the Bible states, God purposes to “swallow up death forever.” (Isaiah 25:8) It will be easy for our Creator to make the marvelous systems of our body operate perfectly so that we can enjoy life without end.
How have you used your knowledge of the Bible to help others?
Well, I became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1995, and since then I have freely shared with others the things I’ve learned from the Bible. For example, a colleague of mine was devastated when her brother committed suicide. Her church teaches that God never forgives suicide. But I showed her how the Bible gives a hope of a resurrection. (John 5:28, 29) She was deeply comforted to learn that the Creator cares for us. At such moments, I feel that sharing Bible truths with others brings me more satisfaction than science itself!
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TOPIC
A leading scientist proves, based on her molecular biology research that every human being is built to live forever as the Bible tells.
The Bible tells (1) Jesus comes back to establish one world turned to a paradise where every person, dead now or alive, will live forever.
Listen to the original Miracle Show Recordings - it has instructions, advice, encouragement, motivation and other details that the text below will not have
The link to the original recordings at the top of this same tab
INTERVIEW | PAOLA CHIOZZI
A Biochemist Explains Her Faith
For more than 20 years, Dr. Paola Chiozzi has worked as a molecular biologist at the University of Ferrara in Italy. Awake! asked her about her science and her faith.
Tell us about your background.
My father was a cobbler, and my mother was a farmworker. But I wanted to be a scientist. The beautiful flowers, birds, and insects around my home fascinated me. I felt that they were products of superhuman wisdom.
So you always believed in a Creator?
No. In fact, my doubts about God began when I was a child. My father suddenly died of a heart attack, and I wondered, ‘Why would the Creator of so much beauty allow suffering and death?’
Did your study of science help you to find an answer?
Not at first. When I became a molecular biologist, I began to study death—the normal, programmed death of the cells that make up our body. This is very different from the uncontrolled cell death that causes inflammation and gangrene. Until a few years ago, scientists paid little attention to this process, even though it is vital to our health.
In what way is programmed cell death vital?
Well, our body is made up of trillions of microscopic cells. Practically all of them must die and be replaced. Each type of cell has a different life span; some are replaced every few weeks, and others every few years. Our body’s system of programmed cell death has to be highly controlled to maintain the delicate balance between cell death and cell formation.
What can go wrong?
Some studies indicate that when cells fail to die as they should, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer may result. On the other hand, when cells die before they should, it could cause Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. My research is linked to finding ways to treat these diseases.
How did your study of cell death affect you?
Frankly, it puzzled me. This marvelous process was clearly designed by someone who wants us to be healthy. So I was still left with the question, Why do people suffer and die? I couldn’t find an answer.
But you were convinced that the system of programmed cell death was designed.
Yes. The complexity of the whole process is mind-boggling, yet its elegance displays exceptional wisdom. I believe it’s the wisdom of God. I use powerful microscopes to study the many complex mechanisms that regulate the process. Some mechanisms can trigger the destruction process within seconds if need be. The cells participate in their own self-destruction. The process is so well-designed that it’s absolutely awe-inspiring.
Since nearly all our cells are regularly replaced, living forever is certainly feasible
You had questions about God and suffering. How did you find answers?
A couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses called at my home in 1991, and I asked them why we die. They showed me the Bible’s answer: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin.” (Romans 5:12) If the first man had not disobeyed God, he would have lived forever. I immediately realized that this harmonized with what I had learned from my research. In fact, it’s clear to me that God didn’t intend for people to die. Since nearly all our cells are regularly replaced, living forever is certainly feasible.
What convinced you that the Bible is God’s Word?
I learned what the Bible says about God at Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, and in your book all its parts were down in writing.” As a biochemist, I study the genetic information that is written in our cells. How did the psalmist know about such writing? The more I learned from the Bible, the more I was convinced that it is inspired of God.
How were you helped to understand what the Bible teaches?
One of Jehovah’s Witnesses offered to study the Bible with me. Finally, I learned why God has allowed suffering. I also learned that, as the Bible states, God purposes to “swallow up death forever.” (Isaiah 25:8) It will be easy for our Creator to make the marvelous systems of our body operate perfectly so that we can enjoy life without end.
How have you used your knowledge of the Bible to help others?
Well, I became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1995, and since then I have freely shared with others the things I’ve learned from the Bible. For example, a colleague of mine was devastated when her brother committed suicide. Her church teaches that God never forgives suicide. But I showed her how the Bible gives a hope of a resurrection. (John 5:28, 29) She was deeply comforted to learn that the Creator cares for us. At such moments, I feel that sharing Bible truths with others brings me more satisfaction than science itself!
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# 9 + 10 Wednesday 1/23/13 AND Wednesday, 1/30/13: - The Miracle Show
TOPIC
Raising Considerate Children in a Me-First World
# 9 Wednesday 1/23/13
EACH day presents people with numerous opportunities to do kind things for others. It may appear, though, that many think only of themselves. You see evidence of that nearly everywhere—from the shameless way people defraud others to the aggressive way they drive, from their crude language to their explosive tempers.
A me-first mentality also exists in many homes. For example, some spouses divorce simply because one partner feels that he or she “deserves better.” Even some parents may unwittingly sow the seeds of a me-first spirit. How? By indulging their child’s every whim, while hesitating to administer any kind of discipline.
By contrast, many other parents are training their children to put others before self, and with great benefits. Children who are considerate are more likely to make friends and to enjoy stable relationships. They are also more likely to be content. Why? Because, as the Bible says, “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”--Acts 20:35.
If you are a parent, how can you help your children to reap the benefits of being kind and to avoid being contaminated by the self-absorbed culture that surrounds them? Consider three traps that could foster a me-first spirit in your children, and see how you can avoid those traps.
1 Overpraising
The problem. Researchers have noted a disturbing trend: Many young adults are entering the workforce with a marked sense of entitlement—an attitude in which they expect success, even if they have done little or nothing to earn it. Some just assume that they will be promoted quickly, even without mastering their trade. Others are convinced that they are special and deserve to be treated that way—and then they become dejected when they realize that the world does not share their view.
What is behind it. Sometimes a sense of entitlement can be traced back to how a person was raised. For example, some parents have been unduly influenced by the self-esteem movement that has become popular in recent decades. Its tenets seemed plausible: If a little praise is good for kids, a lot of praise is better. On the other hand, the thinking was that showing any type of disapproval will only discourage a child. And in a world on a mission to build self-esteem, that was considered the epitome of irresponsible parenting. Children must never be made to feel bad about themselves—or so parents were told.
Many fathers and mothers thus began lavishing a constant flow of praise upon their children, even when those children did nothing particularly praiseworthy. Each accomplishment, no matter how small, was celebrated; each indiscretion, no matter how large, was overlooked. Those parents believed that the secret to building self-esteem was to ignore the bad and praise everything else. Making children feel good about themselves became more important than teaching them to accomplish things that they could actually feel good about.
What the Bible says. The Bible acknowledges that praise is appropriate when it is deserved. (Matthew 25:19-21) But praising children simply to make them feel good may cause them to develop a distorted view of themselves. The Bible aptly states: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving his own mind.” (Galatians 6:3) For good reason, the Bible tells parents: “Don’t fail to correct your children. You won’t kill them by being firm.” *--Proverbs 23:13, Contemporary English Version.
What you can do. Make it your goal to give correction when it is needed and commendation when it is genuinely deserved. Do not dole out praise just to make your children feel good about themselves. Likely, it will not work. “True self-confidence comes from honing your talents and learning things,” says the book Generation Me, “not from being told you’re great just because you exist.”
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest.”--Romans 12:3, Good News Translation
# 10 Wednesday 1/30/13
2 Overprotecting
The problem. Many young adults entering the workforce seem ill-prepared to cope with adversity. Some are devastated by the slightest criticism. Others are finicky and will accept only work that meets their highest expectations. For example, in the bookEscaping the Endless Adolescence, Dr. Joseph Allen tells of a young man who said to him during a job interview: “I get the sense that sometimes parts of the work can be a little boring, and I don’t want to be bored.” Dr. Allen writes: “He didn’t seem to understand that all jobs have some boring elements. How did one make it to age twenty-three without knowing that?”
What is behind it. In recent decades, many parents have felt compelled to protect their children from any type of adversity. Your daughter failed a test? Intervene and demand that the teacher raise the grade. Your son received a traffic ticket? Pay the fine for him. A failed romance? Lay all the blame on the other person.
While it is natural to want to protect your children,overprotecting them can send the wrong message—that they do not need to take responsibility for their actions. “Instead of learning that they can survive pain and disappointment, and even learn from it,” says the bookPositive Discipline for Teenagers, “[such] children grow up extremely self-centered, convinced that the world and their parents owe them something.”
What the Bible says. Adversity is a part of life. In fact, the Bible says: “Bad things happen to everyone!” (Ecclesiastes 9:11, Easy-to-Read Version) That includes good people. The Christian apostle Paul, for example, endured all manner of hardship during the course of his ministry. Yet, facing up to adversity benefited him! He wrote: “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be self-sufficient. . . . I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to suffer want.”--Philippians 4:11, 12.
What you can do. Taking into account the maturity level of your children, strive to follow the Bible principle: “We each must carry our own load.” (Galatians 6:5, CEV) If your son receives a traffic ticket, it might be best to let him pay the fine out of his allowance or salary. If your daughter fails a test, perhaps that should be a wake-up call to her so that next time she will be better prepared. If your son experiences the breakup of a romance, comfort him—but at the appropriate time help him to reflect on questions such as, ‘In hindsight, has this experience revealed any ways in which I need to grow?’ Children who work through their problems build resilience and self-confidence—assets they might lack if someone was constantly rescuing them.
“Let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation.”--Galatians 6:4
3 Overproviding
The problem. In a survey of young adults, 81 percent said that the most important goal of their generation is ‘to become rich’—rating it far above helping others. But striving for wealth does not bring contentment. In fact, research indicates that people who focus on material things are less happy and more depressed. They also have a higher rate of physical and mental problems.
What is behind it. In some cases, children are being raised in materialistic families. “Parents want to make their children happy, and children want stuff,” says the book The Narcissism Epidemic. “Thus parents buy them stuff. And children are happy, but only for a short period of time. Then they want even more stuff.”
Of course, the advertising industry has been all too eager to exploit this hungry consumer market. It promotes such ideas as ‘You deserve the best’ and ‘Because you’re worth it.’ Many young adults have devoured the message and are now in debt, unable to pay for the things they “deserve.”
What the Bible says. The Bible acknowledges the need for money. (Ecclesiastes 7:12) At the same time, it warns that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.” It adds: “By reaching out for this love some . . . have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10) The Bible encourages us, not to pursue material riches, but to be content with the basic necessities of life.--1 Timothy 6:7, 8.
“Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires.”--1 Timothy 6:9
What you can do. As a parent, examine your own attitude toward money and the things it can buy. Keep your priorities straight, and help your children to do the same. The Narcissism Epidemic, quoted earlier, suggests: “Parents and children can start discussions on such topics as ‘When is buying things on sale a good idea? When is it a bad idea?’ ‘What’s an interest rate?’ ‘When have you bought something because someone else thought you should?’”
Be careful not to use “stuff” as a drug to cover over family issues that need to be addressed. “Throwing material goods at problems is a notoriously unsuccessful solution,” says the book The Price of Privilege. “Problems need to be addressed with thought, insight, and empathy, not shoes and purses.”
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TOPIC
Raising Considerate Children in a Me-First World
# 9 Wednesday 1/23/13
EACH day presents people with numerous opportunities to do kind things for others. It may appear, though, that many think only of themselves. You see evidence of that nearly everywhere—from the shameless way people defraud others to the aggressive way they drive, from their crude language to their explosive tempers.
A me-first mentality also exists in many homes. For example, some spouses divorce simply because one partner feels that he or she “deserves better.” Even some parents may unwittingly sow the seeds of a me-first spirit. How? By indulging their child’s every whim, while hesitating to administer any kind of discipline.
By contrast, many other parents are training their children to put others before self, and with great benefits. Children who are considerate are more likely to make friends and to enjoy stable relationships. They are also more likely to be content. Why? Because, as the Bible says, “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”--Acts 20:35.
If you are a parent, how can you help your children to reap the benefits of being kind and to avoid being contaminated by the self-absorbed culture that surrounds them? Consider three traps that could foster a me-first spirit in your children, and see how you can avoid those traps.
1 Overpraising
The problem. Researchers have noted a disturbing trend: Many young adults are entering the workforce with a marked sense of entitlement—an attitude in which they expect success, even if they have done little or nothing to earn it. Some just assume that they will be promoted quickly, even without mastering their trade. Others are convinced that they are special and deserve to be treated that way—and then they become dejected when they realize that the world does not share their view.
What is behind it. Sometimes a sense of entitlement can be traced back to how a person was raised. For example, some parents have been unduly influenced by the self-esteem movement that has become popular in recent decades. Its tenets seemed plausible: If a little praise is good for kids, a lot of praise is better. On the other hand, the thinking was that showing any type of disapproval will only discourage a child. And in a world on a mission to build self-esteem, that was considered the epitome of irresponsible parenting. Children must never be made to feel bad about themselves—or so parents were told.
Many fathers and mothers thus began lavishing a constant flow of praise upon their children, even when those children did nothing particularly praiseworthy. Each accomplishment, no matter how small, was celebrated; each indiscretion, no matter how large, was overlooked. Those parents believed that the secret to building self-esteem was to ignore the bad and praise everything else. Making children feel good about themselves became more important than teaching them to accomplish things that they could actually feel good about.
What the Bible says. The Bible acknowledges that praise is appropriate when it is deserved. (Matthew 25:19-21) But praising children simply to make them feel good may cause them to develop a distorted view of themselves. The Bible aptly states: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving his own mind.” (Galatians 6:3) For good reason, the Bible tells parents: “Don’t fail to correct your children. You won’t kill them by being firm.” *--Proverbs 23:13, Contemporary English Version.
What you can do. Make it your goal to give correction when it is needed and commendation when it is genuinely deserved. Do not dole out praise just to make your children feel good about themselves. Likely, it will not work. “True self-confidence comes from honing your talents and learning things,” says the book Generation Me, “not from being told you’re great just because you exist.”
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest.”--Romans 12:3, Good News Translation
# 10 Wednesday 1/30/13
2 Overprotecting
The problem. Many young adults entering the workforce seem ill-prepared to cope with adversity. Some are devastated by the slightest criticism. Others are finicky and will accept only work that meets their highest expectations. For example, in the bookEscaping the Endless Adolescence, Dr. Joseph Allen tells of a young man who said to him during a job interview: “I get the sense that sometimes parts of the work can be a little boring, and I don’t want to be bored.” Dr. Allen writes: “He didn’t seem to understand that all jobs have some boring elements. How did one make it to age twenty-three without knowing that?”
What is behind it. In recent decades, many parents have felt compelled to protect their children from any type of adversity. Your daughter failed a test? Intervene and demand that the teacher raise the grade. Your son received a traffic ticket? Pay the fine for him. A failed romance? Lay all the blame on the other person.
While it is natural to want to protect your children,overprotecting them can send the wrong message—that they do not need to take responsibility for their actions. “Instead of learning that they can survive pain and disappointment, and even learn from it,” says the bookPositive Discipline for Teenagers, “[such] children grow up extremely self-centered, convinced that the world and their parents owe them something.”
What the Bible says. Adversity is a part of life. In fact, the Bible says: “Bad things happen to everyone!” (Ecclesiastes 9:11, Easy-to-Read Version) That includes good people. The Christian apostle Paul, for example, endured all manner of hardship during the course of his ministry. Yet, facing up to adversity benefited him! He wrote: “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be self-sufficient. . . . I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to suffer want.”--Philippians 4:11, 12.
What you can do. Taking into account the maturity level of your children, strive to follow the Bible principle: “We each must carry our own load.” (Galatians 6:5, CEV) If your son receives a traffic ticket, it might be best to let him pay the fine out of his allowance or salary. If your daughter fails a test, perhaps that should be a wake-up call to her so that next time she will be better prepared. If your son experiences the breakup of a romance, comfort him—but at the appropriate time help him to reflect on questions such as, ‘In hindsight, has this experience revealed any ways in which I need to grow?’ Children who work through their problems build resilience and self-confidence—assets they might lack if someone was constantly rescuing them.
“Let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation.”--Galatians 6:4
3 Overproviding
The problem. In a survey of young adults, 81 percent said that the most important goal of their generation is ‘to become rich’—rating it far above helping others. But striving for wealth does not bring contentment. In fact, research indicates that people who focus on material things are less happy and more depressed. They also have a higher rate of physical and mental problems.
What is behind it. In some cases, children are being raised in materialistic families. “Parents want to make their children happy, and children want stuff,” says the book The Narcissism Epidemic. “Thus parents buy them stuff. And children are happy, but only for a short period of time. Then they want even more stuff.”
Of course, the advertising industry has been all too eager to exploit this hungry consumer market. It promotes such ideas as ‘You deserve the best’ and ‘Because you’re worth it.’ Many young adults have devoured the message and are now in debt, unable to pay for the things they “deserve.”
What the Bible says. The Bible acknowledges the need for money. (Ecclesiastes 7:12) At the same time, it warns that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.” It adds: “By reaching out for this love some . . . have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10) The Bible encourages us, not to pursue material riches, but to be content with the basic necessities of life.--1 Timothy 6:7, 8.
“Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires.”--1 Timothy 6:9
What you can do. As a parent, examine your own attitude toward money and the things it can buy. Keep your priorities straight, and help your children to do the same. The Narcissism Epidemic, quoted earlier, suggests: “Parents and children can start discussions on such topics as ‘When is buying things on sale a good idea? When is it a bad idea?’ ‘What’s an interest rate?’ ‘When have you bought something because someone else thought you should?’”
Be careful not to use “stuff” as a drug to cover over family issues that need to be addressed. “Throwing material goods at problems is a notoriously unsuccessful solution,” says the book The Price of Privilege. “Problems need to be addressed with thought, insight, and empathy, not shoes and purses.”
________________________________________________
Wednesday 2/6/13 The Miracle Show
1. Where was Jesus before God sent him to earth?
Jesus lived as a spirit person in heaven before he was born in Bethlehem. He was God’s first creation and the only one created directly by God. Therefore, he is fittingly referred to as God’s only-begotten Son. In heaven, he often spoke as God’s representative. That is why he is called the Word. He also acted as God’s helper and took part in the creation of all other things. (John 1:2, 3, 14) Jesus lived with God in heaven for aeons (= a period of one thousand million years = "forever" as a symbolic use) before humankind was created.--Read Micah 5:2; John 17:5.
2. How did God send his Son to earth?
God transferred the life of Jesus from heaven to the womb of Mary by means of holy spirit. So Jesus was born without the aid of a human father. Angels announced his birth to some local shepherds, who were living outdoors at night as they kept watch over their flocks. (Luke 2:8-12) Thus, Jesus was born, not in the depths of winter, but likely in early October, when the weather was still warm. Some time later, Mary and her husband, Joseph, took Jesus to their home in Nazareth and raised him there. Joseph cared for Jesus as his adopted son.--Read Matthew 1:18-23.
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he was baptized, and God publicly announced that Jesus was his Son. Then Jesus began the work that God had sent him to do.--Read Matthew 3:16, 17.
3. Why did God send Jesus to earth?
God sent Jesus to teach people the truth. Jesus taught about God’s Kingdom, a government in heaven that will bring peace to all the earth. He provided the hope of everlasting life. (John 4:14; 18:36, 37) Jesus also taught people many things about finding real happiness. (Matthew 5:3; 6:19-21) He taught by example. For instance, he showed how to do God’s will even in difficult circumstances. When he was mistreated, he did not retaliate.--Read 1 Peter 2:21-24.
Jesus taught his followers self-sacrificing love. He had enjoyed many privileges living in heaven with his Father, yet he humbly obeyed his Father and came to earth to live among mankind. No one could give us a finer example of love than Jesus.--Read John 15:12, 13; Philippians 2:5-8.
4. What did Jesus accomplish by dying?
God also sent Jesus to die for our sins. (John 3:16) We are all sinners, meaning that we are imperfect and sinful. That is why we get sick and die. In contrast, the first man, Adam, was perfect. He had no sin and would never have died or become sick. But he lost his perfection when he disobeyed God. From Adam, we inherited sin and its wages, death.--Read Romans 5:12; 6:23.
Jesus, who was a perfect man, did not die for his own sins. He died for our sins. Jesus’ death makes it possible for us to enjoy everlasting life and be blessed by God.--Read 1 Peter 3:18.
_______________________________________________
1. Where was Jesus before God sent him to earth?
Jesus lived as a spirit person in heaven before he was born in Bethlehem. He was God’s first creation and the only one created directly by God. Therefore, he is fittingly referred to as God’s only-begotten Son. In heaven, he often spoke as God’s representative. That is why he is called the Word. He also acted as God’s helper and took part in the creation of all other things. (John 1:2, 3, 14) Jesus lived with God in heaven for aeons (= a period of one thousand million years = "forever" as a symbolic use) before humankind was created.--Read Micah 5:2; John 17:5.
2. How did God send his Son to earth?
God transferred the life of Jesus from heaven to the womb of Mary by means of holy spirit. So Jesus was born without the aid of a human father. Angels announced his birth to some local shepherds, who were living outdoors at night as they kept watch over their flocks. (Luke 2:8-12) Thus, Jesus was born, not in the depths of winter, but likely in early October, when the weather was still warm. Some time later, Mary and her husband, Joseph, took Jesus to their home in Nazareth and raised him there. Joseph cared for Jesus as his adopted son.--Read Matthew 1:18-23.
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he was baptized, and God publicly announced that Jesus was his Son. Then Jesus began the work that God had sent him to do.--Read Matthew 3:16, 17.
3. Why did God send Jesus to earth?
God sent Jesus to teach people the truth. Jesus taught about God’s Kingdom, a government in heaven that will bring peace to all the earth. He provided the hope of everlasting life. (John 4:14; 18:36, 37) Jesus also taught people many things about finding real happiness. (Matthew 5:3; 6:19-21) He taught by example. For instance, he showed how to do God’s will even in difficult circumstances. When he was mistreated, he did not retaliate.--Read 1 Peter 2:21-24.
Jesus taught his followers self-sacrificing love. He had enjoyed many privileges living in heaven with his Father, yet he humbly obeyed his Father and came to earth to live among mankind. No one could give us a finer example of love than Jesus.--Read John 15:12, 13; Philippians 2:5-8.
4. What did Jesus accomplish by dying?
God also sent Jesus to die for our sins. (John 3:16) We are all sinners, meaning that we are imperfect and sinful. That is why we get sick and die. In contrast, the first man, Adam, was perfect. He had no sin and would never have died or become sick. But he lost his perfection when he disobeyed God. From Adam, we inherited sin and its wages, death.--Read Romans 5:12; 6:23.
Jesus, who was a perfect man, did not die for his own sins. He died for our sins. Jesus’ death makes it possible for us to enjoy everlasting life and be blessed by God.--Read 1 Peter 3:18.
_______________________________________________
Wednesday 2/20/13 The Miracle Show
What is Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some think that Paradise is nothing more than a myth. Others believe that it is a gardenlike utopia where good people live forever and share in joyful and productive activities.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The word “paradise” has been used to designate mankind’s first home, the garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:7-15) The Bible presents that garden as a real place where the first human couple lived free of disease and death. (Genesis 1:27, 28) Because they disobeyed God, the first couple lost their paradisaic home. However, many Bible prophecies describe a future in which humans will enjoy Paradise restored.
WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU?
If God is loving, then it would make sense that he would reward his faithful worshippers with a good life in such a place as Paradise. It would also make sense that he would inform people about what they need to do in order to gain God’s approval. The Bible says that you can gain God’s approval by taking in knowledge of him and obeying his commands.--John 17:3; 1 John 5:3.
“God planted a garden in Eden, . . . and there he put the man whom he had formed.”--Genesis 2:8.
Where is Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some believe that Paradise is in heaven, while others claim that it will be established in the future on earth.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The original Paradise for mankind was on earth. God has clearly designated the earth as the permanent home for humans. The Bible says that God made our planet to last forever. (Psalm 104:5) It also states: “To God the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”--Psalm 115:16.
It is not surprising, then, that the Bible holds out the promise of Paradise on earth. In it, God will bless mankind with everlasting life. Harmony and peace will prevail. Pain and suffering will be gone. And people will be able to enjoy to the full the natural wonders of planet earth.--Isaiah 65:21-23.
“The tent of God is with mankind, . . . and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”--Revelation 21:3, 4.
Who will live in Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Many religions teach that only good people will live in Paradise. But there is much confusion as to what “good” means. Some think that it is enough simply to participate in religious ceremonies and ritualistic prayers.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible teaches that “the righteous” will live in Paradise. But who is righteous in God’s eyes? Not the person who engages in the rituals of his religion while ignoring God’s will. The Bible says: “Does God have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) Simply put, “the righteous” who will live forever in Paradise are the ones who obey God’s commands as outlined in the Bible.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Obedience to God’s commandments involves more than participation in religious ceremonies. By your everyday conduct, you may either please or displease God. You can learn to please God by carefully examining the Bible. And he is not hard to please. The Bible says that “his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) God is eager to reward your obedience by granting you entrance into Paradise.
“The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”--Psalm 37:29.
______________________________________________________________________________________
What is Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some think that Paradise is nothing more than a myth. Others believe that it is a gardenlike utopia where good people live forever and share in joyful and productive activities.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The word “paradise” has been used to designate mankind’s first home, the garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:7-15) The Bible presents that garden as a real place where the first human couple lived free of disease and death. (Genesis 1:27, 28) Because they disobeyed God, the first couple lost their paradisaic home. However, many Bible prophecies describe a future in which humans will enjoy Paradise restored.
WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU?
If God is loving, then it would make sense that he would reward his faithful worshippers with a good life in such a place as Paradise. It would also make sense that he would inform people about what they need to do in order to gain God’s approval. The Bible says that you can gain God’s approval by taking in knowledge of him and obeying his commands.--John 17:3; 1 John 5:3.
“God planted a garden in Eden, . . . and there he put the man whom he had formed.”--Genesis 2:8.
Where is Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some believe that Paradise is in heaven, while others claim that it will be established in the future on earth.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The original Paradise for mankind was on earth. God has clearly designated the earth as the permanent home for humans. The Bible says that God made our planet to last forever. (Psalm 104:5) It also states: “To God the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”--Psalm 115:16.
It is not surprising, then, that the Bible holds out the promise of Paradise on earth. In it, God will bless mankind with everlasting life. Harmony and peace will prevail. Pain and suffering will be gone. And people will be able to enjoy to the full the natural wonders of planet earth.--Isaiah 65:21-23.
“The tent of God is with mankind, . . . and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”--Revelation 21:3, 4.
Who will live in Paradise?
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Many religions teach that only good people will live in Paradise. But there is much confusion as to what “good” means. Some think that it is enough simply to participate in religious ceremonies and ritualistic prayers.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible teaches that “the righteous” will live in Paradise. But who is righteous in God’s eyes? Not the person who engages in the rituals of his religion while ignoring God’s will. The Bible says: “Does God have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look! To obey is better than a sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) Simply put, “the righteous” who will live forever in Paradise are the ones who obey God’s commands as outlined in the Bible.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Obedience to God’s commandments involves more than participation in religious ceremonies. By your everyday conduct, you may either please or displease God. You can learn to please God by carefully examining the Bible. And he is not hard to please. The Bible says that “his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) God is eager to reward your obedience by granting you entrance into Paradise.
“The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”--Psalm 37:29.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 2/27/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: If you are not satisfied with what you have, change what you are saying - change your words and you will change your life accordingly. Develop faith and God will give you what you need. Faith comes by hearing & studying the Word. The Word is The Bible - study it daily, guide your children & whole family to study it and have weekly meeting to go through that week's studied texts. You do not have any problems. All you need is faith & applying The Biblical guidance. No separate text.
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Topic: If you are not satisfied with what you have, change what you are saying - change your words and you will change your life accordingly. Develop faith and God will give you what you need. Faith comes by hearing & studying the Word. The Word is The Bible - study it daily, guide your children & whole family to study it and have weekly meeting to go through that week's studied texts. You do not have any problems. All you need is faith & applying The Biblical guidance. No separate text.
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Wednesday 3/6/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: No separate text. Practical details how to create health, wealth & success for your family in this life and beyond.
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Topic: No separate text. Practical details how to create health, wealth & success for your family in this life and beyond.
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Wednesday 3/13/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: How to be a good father based on the guidance in The Bible
Many fathers find that they and their families benefit when they follow Bible principles.
Consider five Bible principles that can help you to be a loving and balanced father.
Admittedly, it is not easy to be a good father. But there are basic principles that can help. Many fathers have found that they and their families benefit when they follow the wisdom found in the Bible. Let us consider some of the Bible’s practical advice that can help fathers.
1. Make Time for Your Family
As a father, how do you show your children that they are important to you? Surely there are many things you do for your children, including the sacrifices you make to feed them and provide them with an adequate home. You would not do such things if your children were not important to you. Yet, if you do not spend significant amounts of time with your children, they might conclude that you care more for other things, such as your job, your friends, or your hobbies, than you do for them.
When should a father begin to spend time with his children? A mother begins to form a bond with her child while it is still in the womb. Some 16 weeks after conception, an unborn baby might begin to hear. At this stage a father too can start to build his unique relationship with his unborn child. He can listen to the baby’s heartbeat, feel it kick, talk to it, and sing to it.
Bible Principle: In Bible times men were personally involved in the education of their children. Fathers were encouraged to spend time with their children on a regular basis, as is made evident by the Bible’s words at Deuteronomy 6:6, 7, which say: “These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.”
2. Good Fathers Are Good Communicators
Listen calmly without being judgmental
In order to communicate effectively with your children, you must be a careful listener. You need to cultivate the ability to listen without overreacting.
If your children think that you will lose your temper quickly and be judgmental, they will have little incentive to express their inner feelings to you. But if you listen to them calmly, you will show that you are genuinely interested in them. They will in turn be far more likely to share their precious thoughts and feelings with you.
Bible Principle: The practical wisdom found in the Bible has proved to be beneficial in many aspects of daily life. For instance, the Bible says: “Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.” (James 1:19) Fathers who apply this Bible principle are able to communicate better with their children.
3. Give Loving Discipline and Commendation
Even when you feel frustrated or angry, the discipline you administer should be an expression of loving concern for the long-term welfare of your child. It includes advice, correction, education, and chastisement when needed.
Furthermore, discipline is much more effective when a father commends his children regularly. An ancient proverb says: “As apples of gold in silver carvings is a word spoken at the right time for it.” (Proverbs 25:11) Commendation enriches a child’s character. Children blossom when they are acknowledged and appreciated. A father who looks for opportunities to give commendation will help to build confidence in his children and motivate them not to give up trying to do what is right.
Bible Principle: “You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted.”--Colossians 3:21.
4. Love and Respect Your Wife
The way a father exercises his role as a husband is certain to affect children. One group of experts on child development explains: “One of the best things a father can do for his children is to respect their mother. . . . A father and mother who respect each other and let their children know it provide a secure environment for them.”--The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children. *
Bible Principle: “Husbands, continue loving your wives . . .Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself.”--Ephesians 5:25, 33.
5. Apply God’s Practical Wisdom
Fathers who have heartfelt love for God can give their children a most precious heritage—an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father.
After decades of hard work raising six children, Antonio, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received the following note from one of his daughters: “Dear Dad, I just wanted to thank you for raising me to love Jehovah God, my neighbor, and myself—that is, to be a well-rounded individual. You showed me that you love Jehovah and that you care about me personally. Thank you, Dad, for putting Jehovah first in your life and for treating your children as gifts from God!”
Bible Principle: “You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your vital force. And these words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart.”--Deuteronomy 6:5, 6.
It is obvious that there is more involved in fatherhood than these five points and that, realistically, even when you try your best to be a good father, you are not going to be a perfect one. But to the extent that you apply these principles in a loving and balanced way, you really can be a good father. *
A Good Father Is Not Too Busy
Sylvan, originally from Barbados, is a New York City bus driver who lives with his wife and three teenage sons. Sylvan has an especially challenging schedule, working from midafternoon until three or four o’clock in the morning. He has Thursday and Friday off, but Saturday and Sunday nights he has to work. Yet, he is not too busy for his children.
“It’s tough, but I try,” explains Sylvan. “Each of my boys needs some one-on-one time with me. Thursday afternoon is set aside for the oldest one when he gets home from school. On Friday, I schedule time for the middle boy. For the youngest one, I reserve Sunday morning.”
Children tell their opinions - Fathers Who Are Appreciated
“He plays with me and reads to me at night.”—Sierra, aged 5.
“We can be having tons of fun playing, and he will say, ‘OK, it’s time to clean up now.’ At other times, after we’ve been working, he’ll stop and say, ‘Now it’s time to do something fun.’”—Michael, aged 10.
“My father has never allowed his secular work or his hobbies to prevent him from helping Mom at home. Even now, after so many years, he cooks at least as often as Mom does, washes the dishes, helps with cleaning the house, and treats her with love and tenderness.”—Andrew, aged 32.
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Topic: How to be a good father based on the guidance in The Bible
Many fathers find that they and their families benefit when they follow Bible principles.
Consider five Bible principles that can help you to be a loving and balanced father.
Admittedly, it is not easy to be a good father. But there are basic principles that can help. Many fathers have found that they and their families benefit when they follow the wisdom found in the Bible. Let us consider some of the Bible’s practical advice that can help fathers.
1. Make Time for Your Family
As a father, how do you show your children that they are important to you? Surely there are many things you do for your children, including the sacrifices you make to feed them and provide them with an adequate home. You would not do such things if your children were not important to you. Yet, if you do not spend significant amounts of time with your children, they might conclude that you care more for other things, such as your job, your friends, or your hobbies, than you do for them.
When should a father begin to spend time with his children? A mother begins to form a bond with her child while it is still in the womb. Some 16 weeks after conception, an unborn baby might begin to hear. At this stage a father too can start to build his unique relationship with his unborn child. He can listen to the baby’s heartbeat, feel it kick, talk to it, and sing to it.
Bible Principle: In Bible times men were personally involved in the education of their children. Fathers were encouraged to spend time with their children on a regular basis, as is made evident by the Bible’s words at Deuteronomy 6:6, 7, which say: “These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.”
2. Good Fathers Are Good Communicators
Listen calmly without being judgmental
In order to communicate effectively with your children, you must be a careful listener. You need to cultivate the ability to listen without overreacting.
If your children think that you will lose your temper quickly and be judgmental, they will have little incentive to express their inner feelings to you. But if you listen to them calmly, you will show that you are genuinely interested in them. They will in turn be far more likely to share their precious thoughts and feelings with you.
Bible Principle: The practical wisdom found in the Bible has proved to be beneficial in many aspects of daily life. For instance, the Bible says: “Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.” (James 1:19) Fathers who apply this Bible principle are able to communicate better with their children.
3. Give Loving Discipline and Commendation
Even when you feel frustrated or angry, the discipline you administer should be an expression of loving concern for the long-term welfare of your child. It includes advice, correction, education, and chastisement when needed.
Furthermore, discipline is much more effective when a father commends his children regularly. An ancient proverb says: “As apples of gold in silver carvings is a word spoken at the right time for it.” (Proverbs 25:11) Commendation enriches a child’s character. Children blossom when they are acknowledged and appreciated. A father who looks for opportunities to give commendation will help to build confidence in his children and motivate them not to give up trying to do what is right.
Bible Principle: “You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted.”--Colossians 3:21.
4. Love and Respect Your Wife
The way a father exercises his role as a husband is certain to affect children. One group of experts on child development explains: “One of the best things a father can do for his children is to respect their mother. . . . A father and mother who respect each other and let their children know it provide a secure environment for them.”--The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children. *
Bible Principle: “Husbands, continue loving your wives . . .Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself.”--Ephesians 5:25, 33.
5. Apply God’s Practical Wisdom
Fathers who have heartfelt love for God can give their children a most precious heritage—an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father.
After decades of hard work raising six children, Antonio, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received the following note from one of his daughters: “Dear Dad, I just wanted to thank you for raising me to love Jehovah God, my neighbor, and myself—that is, to be a well-rounded individual. You showed me that you love Jehovah and that you care about me personally. Thank you, Dad, for putting Jehovah first in your life and for treating your children as gifts from God!”
Bible Principle: “You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your vital force. And these words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart.”--Deuteronomy 6:5, 6.
It is obvious that there is more involved in fatherhood than these five points and that, realistically, even when you try your best to be a good father, you are not going to be a perfect one. But to the extent that you apply these principles in a loving and balanced way, you really can be a good father. *
A Good Father Is Not Too Busy
Sylvan, originally from Barbados, is a New York City bus driver who lives with his wife and three teenage sons. Sylvan has an especially challenging schedule, working from midafternoon until three or four o’clock in the morning. He has Thursday and Friday off, but Saturday and Sunday nights he has to work. Yet, he is not too busy for his children.
“It’s tough, but I try,” explains Sylvan. “Each of my boys needs some one-on-one time with me. Thursday afternoon is set aside for the oldest one when he gets home from school. On Friday, I schedule time for the middle boy. For the youngest one, I reserve Sunday morning.”
Children tell their opinions - Fathers Who Are Appreciated
“He plays with me and reads to me at night.”—Sierra, aged 5.
“We can be having tons of fun playing, and he will say, ‘OK, it’s time to clean up now.’ At other times, after we’ve been working, he’ll stop and say, ‘Now it’s time to do something fun.’”—Michael, aged 10.
“My father has never allowed his secular work or his hobbies to prevent him from helping Mom at home. Even now, after so many years, he cooks at least as often as Mom does, washes the dishes, helps with cleaning the house, and treats her with love and tenderness.”—Andrew, aged 32.
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Wednesday 3/20/13 The Miracle Show
Topics:
Topic (1) How to apply GCG's website & our affiliate's, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.'s website to your family's daily life to reach higher success;
Topic (2) The Resurrection of Jesus equals Eternal Life JESUS’ resurrection is not merely an isolated, ancient occurrence that has little meaning for us today. The apostle Paul pointed out its significance when he wrote: “Christ has been raised up from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a man. For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.”--1 Corinthians 15:20-22.
Jesus was resurrected on Nisan 16, 33 C.E., the day of the year on which the Jews presented the firstfruits of the first grain crop before Jehovah God at the temple sanctuary in Jerusalem. By calling Jesus the firstfruits, Paul implied that there would be other individuals brought back from death.
Paul’s next words explain what has been made possible by Jesus’ resurrection. “Since death is through a man,” said Paul, “resurrection of the dead is also through a man.” Because of the sin and imperfection passed on to us from Adam, we all die. However, by giving his perfect human life as a ransom, Jesus opened the way for mankind to be released from slavery to sin and death through the resurrection. Summing up the matter nicely, Paul wrote atRomans 6:23: “The wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus himself explained the meaning that his death and resurrection have for us. Referring to himself, he said: “The Son of man must be lifted up, that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”-John 3:14-16.
Imagine—endless life without pain, suffering, or sorrow! (Revelation 21:3, 4) What a happy prospect! One scholar put the matter this way: “While graveyards may remind one of the brevity of life, the resurrection ensures the brevity of death.” Yes, the resurrection of Jesus means life!
Five Questions & Answers Relating to the resurrection
Who will be resurrected?“
There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) The righteous will include faithful men and women such as Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. The unrighteous will include those who failed to meet God’s standards because of not having the opportunity to learn and follow them.
Where will the resurrected ones be?
Some will be resurrected to immortal spirit life in the heavens to rule with Christ as kings and priests over the earth. (Revelation 5:9, 10) Most, though, will be brought back to life on the earth. They will enjoy everlasting life in an earthly paradise.--Luke 23:39-43.
When will the resurrection take place?
At a time, yet future, after the wicked are removed from the earth. The Bible indicates a more extensive resurrection will occur during the thousand-year reign of Jesus, during which the earth will be transformed into a paradise.--Revelation 20:6.
Do the traditions of Easter have anything to do with the resurrection?
The customs of Easter involving bunnies, colored eggs, candles, and lilies were all adapted from pagan religions, as was the name Easter itself. None of these things have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter purports to represent. Does it matter? Yes. God’s Word commands us to separate ourselves from false religion and to “worship the Father with spirit and truth.”--John 4:23; 2 Corinthians 6:17.
If Jesus is God, as some churches teach, who resurrected Jesus?
Jesus is not God — but he is the Son of God. God resurrected Jesus from the dead. (Romans 10:9) One Bible scholar comments: “It is unthinkable that anyone—even Christ—could raise himself.”
______________________
Topics:
Topic (1) How to apply GCG's website & our affiliate's, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.'s website to your family's daily life to reach higher success;
Topic (2) The Resurrection of Jesus equals Eternal Life JESUS’ resurrection is not merely an isolated, ancient occurrence that has little meaning for us today. The apostle Paul pointed out its significance when he wrote: “Christ has been raised up from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a man. For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.”--1 Corinthians 15:20-22.
Jesus was resurrected on Nisan 16, 33 C.E., the day of the year on which the Jews presented the firstfruits of the first grain crop before Jehovah God at the temple sanctuary in Jerusalem. By calling Jesus the firstfruits, Paul implied that there would be other individuals brought back from death.
Paul’s next words explain what has been made possible by Jesus’ resurrection. “Since death is through a man,” said Paul, “resurrection of the dead is also through a man.” Because of the sin and imperfection passed on to us from Adam, we all die. However, by giving his perfect human life as a ransom, Jesus opened the way for mankind to be released from slavery to sin and death through the resurrection. Summing up the matter nicely, Paul wrote atRomans 6:23: “The wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus himself explained the meaning that his death and resurrection have for us. Referring to himself, he said: “The Son of man must be lifted up, that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”-John 3:14-16.
Imagine—endless life without pain, suffering, or sorrow! (Revelation 21:3, 4) What a happy prospect! One scholar put the matter this way: “While graveyards may remind one of the brevity of life, the resurrection ensures the brevity of death.” Yes, the resurrection of Jesus means life!
Five Questions & Answers Relating to the resurrection
Who will be resurrected?“
There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) The righteous will include faithful men and women such as Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. The unrighteous will include those who failed to meet God’s standards because of not having the opportunity to learn and follow them.
Where will the resurrected ones be?
Some will be resurrected to immortal spirit life in the heavens to rule with Christ as kings and priests over the earth. (Revelation 5:9, 10) Most, though, will be brought back to life on the earth. They will enjoy everlasting life in an earthly paradise.--Luke 23:39-43.
When will the resurrection take place?
At a time, yet future, after the wicked are removed from the earth. The Bible indicates a more extensive resurrection will occur during the thousand-year reign of Jesus, during which the earth will be transformed into a paradise.--Revelation 20:6.
Do the traditions of Easter have anything to do with the resurrection?
The customs of Easter involving bunnies, colored eggs, candles, and lilies were all adapted from pagan religions, as was the name Easter itself. None of these things have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter purports to represent. Does it matter? Yes. God’s Word commands us to separate ourselves from false religion and to “worship the Father with spirit and truth.”--John 4:23; 2 Corinthians 6:17.
If Jesus is God, as some churches teach, who resurrected Jesus?
Jesus is not God — but he is the Son of God. God resurrected Jesus from the dead. (Romans 10:9) One Bible scholar comments: “It is unthinkable that anyone—even Christ—could raise himself.”
______________________
Wednesday 3/27/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1) Family Meetings for Happiness, Health, Wealth - How to Communicate with your Teenager
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Topic: (1) Family Meetings for Happiness, Health, Wealth - How to Communicate with your Teenager
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Wednesday 3/27/13 The Miracle Show
Topic 1: How to Communicate with your Teenager
THE CHALLENGE - As a child, he talked to you about everything. As a teenager, he tells you nothing. When you try to converse, he either gives clipped responses or ignites an argument that turns your home ground into a battleground. You can learn to talk with your teenager.
First, though, consider two factors that may contribute to the challenge. * FOR TEENAGERS
Do you want your parents to extend you more freedom? Do you wish that they really understood you? You can make it easier for them to do both! How? Be willing to tell them what’s going on in your life. Talk openly. When you hold back, they cannot fully trust you—and trust is the key to your getting more freedom.
The point is, do not leave all the communication up to your parents. Do your part. Tell your parents about your day. Ask them about theirs. If you have a complaint, learn how to express it respectfully. Communication is a skill that you will need in adulthood. Why not acquire it now?
KEY SCRIPTURES (click the colored - connects to The Bible quote)
Topic 1: How to Communicate with your Teenager
THE CHALLENGE - As a child, he talked to you about everything. As a teenager, he tells you nothing. When you try to converse, he either gives clipped responses or ignites an argument that turns your home ground into a battleground. You can learn to talk with your teenager.
First, though, consider two factors that may contribute to the challenge. * FOR TEENAGERS
Do you want your parents to extend you more freedom? Do you wish that they really understood you? You can make it easier for them to do both! How? Be willing to tell them what’s going on in your life. Talk openly. When you hold back, they cannot fully trust you—and trust is the key to your getting more freedom.
The point is, do not leave all the communication up to your parents. Do your part. Tell your parents about your day. Ask them about theirs. If you have a complaint, learn how to express it respectfully. Communication is a skill that you will need in adulthood. Why not acquire it now?
KEY SCRIPTURES (click the colored - connects to The Bible quote)
- “Be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.”— James 1:19.
- “An answer, when mild, turns away rage.”— Proverbs 15:1
- “Do not irritate your children, but bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.”--Ephesians 6:4, The New Testament in Modern Speech, by R. F. Weymouth.
Wednesday 4/3/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1) Corruption - How Widespread is it?
Definition
“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.”—TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
“Our company provides services for a local government authority. We must often wait two or three months to receive payment for those services. Recently, though, I received a phone call from a government worker. He offered to speed up the payments—if we gave him some of the money as a kickback.”—JOHN. *
HAVE you ever been a victim of corruption? Perhaps not of the kind mentioned above, but almost certainly you have suffered the effects of corruption.
According to Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, * “the vast majority of the 183 countries and territories assessed score below five on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).” Two years earlier, TI acknowledged that its 2009 annual report exposed the pervasive reality of corruption: “It is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.”
“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.”—TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
In some cases, the consequences of corruption can be disastrous. For example, Time magazine reported that “corruption and carelessness” were at least partially responsible for the very heavy death toll in the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. It added further: “Buildings rise with little if any input from engineers and plenty of bribes to so-called government inspectors.”
Is there a lasting solution to the scourge of corruption? To answer that question, we need to understand the basic causes of corruption. We will consider these in the next article.
Why Does Corruption Persist? Click colored area to link to the info source
“Man has dominated man to his injury.”--ECCLESIASTES 8:9.
THAT statement aptly describes the history of human rulership. It has been responsible for untold suffering and misery. In all ages, well-intentioned people who have tried to establish a more just society were constantly foiled by greed and corruption. Why is that so? Why does corruption persist? Basically, because of the following three unwholesome influences.
1. The influence of sin. Click colored area to link to the info source
The Bible plainly states that we “are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) Like an incurable hereditary disease, sin “resides,” or is “dwelling,” within us. For thousands of years, sin has “ruled” over mankind like a king. Its “law” is continually at work in us. Sinful inclinations lead many to put their own interests first or to center their lives on gaining material possessions or authority at others’ expense.--Romans 5:21; 7:17, 20,23, 25.
2. The influence of the wicked world we live in.
Our world is characterized by greed and selfishness. In such an environment, some people find it difficult to be different. Driven by selfish ambition, they become power hungry. They also develop a strong desire for more money and possessions—more than they really need. Sadly, they are willing to behave in a dishonest way to achieve those goals. Rather than resisting unwholesome influences, such people “follow after the crowd for evil ends.”--Exodus 23:2.
3. The influence of Satan the Devil.
Satan, a rebellious spirit creature, is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) He thrives on manipulating humans. He may craftily exploit a person’s natural desire for material comfort and financial well-being to the point that the person acts deceitfully.
Does that mean that we are mere puppets in Satan’s hands—that we are obliged to obey him when he pulls the strings? We will learn the answer in the following article.
______________________
Topic: (1) Corruption - How Widespread is it?
Definition
“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.”—TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
“Our company provides services for a local government authority. We must often wait two or three months to receive payment for those services. Recently, though, I received a phone call from a government worker. He offered to speed up the payments—if we gave him some of the money as a kickback.”—JOHN. *
HAVE you ever been a victim of corruption? Perhaps not of the kind mentioned above, but almost certainly you have suffered the effects of corruption.
According to Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, * “the vast majority of the 183 countries and territories assessed score below five on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).” Two years earlier, TI acknowledged that its 2009 annual report exposed the pervasive reality of corruption: “It is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.”
“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.”—TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
In some cases, the consequences of corruption can be disastrous. For example, Time magazine reported that “corruption and carelessness” were at least partially responsible for the very heavy death toll in the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. It added further: “Buildings rise with little if any input from engineers and plenty of bribes to so-called government inspectors.”
Is there a lasting solution to the scourge of corruption? To answer that question, we need to understand the basic causes of corruption. We will consider these in the next article.
Why Does Corruption Persist? Click colored area to link to the info source
“Man has dominated man to his injury.”--ECCLESIASTES 8:9.
THAT statement aptly describes the history of human rulership. It has been responsible for untold suffering and misery. In all ages, well-intentioned people who have tried to establish a more just society were constantly foiled by greed and corruption. Why is that so? Why does corruption persist? Basically, because of the following three unwholesome influences.
1. The influence of sin. Click colored area to link to the info source
The Bible plainly states that we “are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) Like an incurable hereditary disease, sin “resides,” or is “dwelling,” within us. For thousands of years, sin has “ruled” over mankind like a king. Its “law” is continually at work in us. Sinful inclinations lead many to put their own interests first or to center their lives on gaining material possessions or authority at others’ expense.--Romans 5:21; 7:17, 20,23, 25.
2. The influence of the wicked world we live in.
Our world is characterized by greed and selfishness. In such an environment, some people find it difficult to be different. Driven by selfish ambition, they become power hungry. They also develop a strong desire for more money and possessions—more than they really need. Sadly, they are willing to behave in a dishonest way to achieve those goals. Rather than resisting unwholesome influences, such people “follow after the crowd for evil ends.”--Exodus 23:2.
3. The influence of Satan the Devil.
Satan, a rebellious spirit creature, is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) He thrives on manipulating humans. He may craftily exploit a person’s natural desire for material comfort and financial well-being to the point that the person acts deceitfully.
Does that mean that we are mere puppets in Satan’s hands—that we are obliged to obey him when he pulls the strings? We will learn the answer in the following article.
______________________
Wednesday 4/10/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1) Is It Possible to Be Honest in a Corrupt World?
Click colored area to link to the info source
“We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”--HEBREWS 13:18.
ALTHOUGH our sinful nature, the world we live in, and the Devil can exert great pressure on us, we can resist their influence! How? By drawing close to God and by applying time-tested principles from his Word, the Bible. Consider two examples.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Do not model your behavior on the contemporary world.”--Romans 12:2, New Jerusalem Bible.
Real-life experience: Roberto is a successful Brazilian businessman. He admits that it is not easy to be honest. “A business person can easily begin to adopt dishonest practices, perhaps because of the pressure to meet company goals or to survive in a competitive world,” he says. “Many people regard giving and receiving bribes as normal practice. When you are an entrepreneur with heavy financial responsibilities, it is a challenge to be honest.”
Even so, Roberto has successfully resisted the pressure to be dishonest. He says: “Even in a permissive business environment, it is possible to be honest. You need to have strong moral values. The Bible has helped me to see the benefits of honesty. An honest person has a clear conscience, an inner calmness, and self-respect. He can be a positive influence on those around him.”
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble.”— 1 Timothy 6:9, 10, Contemporary English Version.
Real-life experience: André is the owner of a company that installs security systems. One of his clients is a large soccer club. On one occasion, after a big game, André went to the administration offices and presented an invoice for the services he had performed. The financial department was still busy counting the money it had just received from the ticket offices. As it was already late, the supervisor hurriedly paid the suppliers, including André.
“On my way home, I noticed that the supervisor had overpaid me,” relates André. “I knew that he probably would never know who had received the extra money. But I also knew that the poor man would have to pay what was missing out of his own pocket! I decided to go back. I managed to push my way through a crowd of fans and return the extra money. The supervisor was greatly surprised. No one had ever returned any money to him.”
“That act of honesty earned the supervisor’s respect,” André continues. “A number of years have gone by, but of all the original suppliers, I am the only one who still has a contract with the club. I’m grateful that applying the Bible’s high moral principles has earned me a good reputation.”
It is encouraging to know that we can, with God’s help, resist corruptive influences. However, individual efforts will never completely root out corruption. The causes go deep—too deep for imperfect humans to solve on their own. Does this mean, then, that corruption will never end? The final article in this series highlights the Bible’s encouraging answer.
Corruption Will End!
“Hope in God and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.”— PSALM 37:34
DO YOU, like many people, fear that corruption is inevitable and will never be completely eliminated? If so, that fear is understandable. Throughout history, humans have tried every conceivable form of government. Yet, they have never succeeded in permanently eliminating corruption. Is there any hope that a time will come when all people will deal honestly with one another?
Happily, the Bible’s answer is yes! It tells us that God will soon take action to rid our earth of corruption. How will he do so? By means of his Kingdom, a heavenly government that will completely transform our earth. This is the same Kingdom that Jesus taught his followers to pray for. In what is sometimes called the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, Jesus said: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”— Matthew 6:10, King James Version.
Concerning the Ruler of that Kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Bible foretells: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul.” (Psalm 72:12-14) Note that Jesus has empathy for those who are victims of corruption, and he will do something about oppression! Is that not comforting?
In the hands of that compassionate and powerful Ruler, God’s Kingdom will rid our earth of corruption. How? By eliminating the three causes of corruption.
The Influence of Sin
At present, we must all battle sinful tendencies, which incline us to act selfishly. (Romans 7:21-23) Still, there are good people who want to do what is right. They exercise faith in the ransoming value of Jesus’ shed blood, and they can receive forgiveness of their sins. * (1 John 1:7, 9) Such people stand to benefit from God’s greatest act of love, as we read at John 3:16: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”
For faithful people, God will do something truly marvelous. In the coming new world, he will eventually remove all traces of sin, progressively raising faithful mankind to perfection and a righteous standing. (Isaiah 26:9; 2 Peter 3:13) Never again will the influence of sin cause anyone to act corruptly. Under the rule of God’s Kingdom, faithful humans “will be set free from enslavement to corruption.”— Romans 8:20-22.
The Influence of the Wicked World We Live In
Sadly, many today intentionally victimize others. They take advantage of the lowly and the poor, and they influence others to act corruptly as well. The Bible admonishes such individuals: “Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts.” If such corrupt individuals do repent, the Bible promises that God “will forgive in a large way.”--Isaiah 55:7.
However, God will have no choice but to remove those who stubbornly refuse to change their ways. By means of God’s Kingdom, the Bible’s promise will come true: “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.” * (Psalm 37:34) With the incorrigibly wicked gone, faithful worshippers of God will no longer be victims of corruption.
The Influence of Satan the Devil
Foremost among hardened sinners is Satan the Devil. How thankful we can be that Jehovah will soon restrict Satan, preventing him from influencing humans. Eventually, God will destroy Satan completely. Never again will that wicked monster be able to influence people to act corruptly.
Granted, the idea that God will do away with all causes of corruption may seem to be mere wishful thinking. You may wonder, ‘Does God really have the means to bring about such changes? If so, why hasn’t he done it already?’ Those are good questions, and the Bible provides satisfying answers. * We invite you to examine for yourself what the Bible teaches about the near future, when all corruption will be gone forever.
______________________
Topic: (1) Is It Possible to Be Honest in a Corrupt World?
Click colored area to link to the info source
“We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”--HEBREWS 13:18.
ALTHOUGH our sinful nature, the world we live in, and the Devil can exert great pressure on us, we can resist their influence! How? By drawing close to God and by applying time-tested principles from his Word, the Bible. Consider two examples.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Do not model your behavior on the contemporary world.”--Romans 12:2, New Jerusalem Bible.
Real-life experience: Roberto is a successful Brazilian businessman. He admits that it is not easy to be honest. “A business person can easily begin to adopt dishonest practices, perhaps because of the pressure to meet company goals or to survive in a competitive world,” he says. “Many people regard giving and receiving bribes as normal practice. When you are an entrepreneur with heavy financial responsibilities, it is a challenge to be honest.”
Even so, Roberto has successfully resisted the pressure to be dishonest. He says: “Even in a permissive business environment, it is possible to be honest. You need to have strong moral values. The Bible has helped me to see the benefits of honesty. An honest person has a clear conscience, an inner calmness, and self-respect. He can be a positive influence on those around him.”
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble.”— 1 Timothy 6:9, 10, Contemporary English Version.
Real-life experience: André is the owner of a company that installs security systems. One of his clients is a large soccer club. On one occasion, after a big game, André went to the administration offices and presented an invoice for the services he had performed. The financial department was still busy counting the money it had just received from the ticket offices. As it was already late, the supervisor hurriedly paid the suppliers, including André.
“On my way home, I noticed that the supervisor had overpaid me,” relates André. “I knew that he probably would never know who had received the extra money. But I also knew that the poor man would have to pay what was missing out of his own pocket! I decided to go back. I managed to push my way through a crowd of fans and return the extra money. The supervisor was greatly surprised. No one had ever returned any money to him.”
“That act of honesty earned the supervisor’s respect,” André continues. “A number of years have gone by, but of all the original suppliers, I am the only one who still has a contract with the club. I’m grateful that applying the Bible’s high moral principles has earned me a good reputation.”
It is encouraging to know that we can, with God’s help, resist corruptive influences. However, individual efforts will never completely root out corruption. The causes go deep—too deep for imperfect humans to solve on their own. Does this mean, then, that corruption will never end? The final article in this series highlights the Bible’s encouraging answer.
Corruption Will End!
“Hope in God and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.”— PSALM 37:34
DO YOU, like many people, fear that corruption is inevitable and will never be completely eliminated? If so, that fear is understandable. Throughout history, humans have tried every conceivable form of government. Yet, they have never succeeded in permanently eliminating corruption. Is there any hope that a time will come when all people will deal honestly with one another?
Happily, the Bible’s answer is yes! It tells us that God will soon take action to rid our earth of corruption. How will he do so? By means of his Kingdom, a heavenly government that will completely transform our earth. This is the same Kingdom that Jesus taught his followers to pray for. In what is sometimes called the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, Jesus said: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”— Matthew 6:10, King James Version.
Concerning the Ruler of that Kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Bible foretells: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul.” (Psalm 72:12-14) Note that Jesus has empathy for those who are victims of corruption, and he will do something about oppression! Is that not comforting?
In the hands of that compassionate and powerful Ruler, God’s Kingdom will rid our earth of corruption. How? By eliminating the three causes of corruption.
The Influence of Sin
At present, we must all battle sinful tendencies, which incline us to act selfishly. (Romans 7:21-23) Still, there are good people who want to do what is right. They exercise faith in the ransoming value of Jesus’ shed blood, and they can receive forgiveness of their sins. * (1 John 1:7, 9) Such people stand to benefit from God’s greatest act of love, as we read at John 3:16: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”
For faithful people, God will do something truly marvelous. In the coming new world, he will eventually remove all traces of sin, progressively raising faithful mankind to perfection and a righteous standing. (Isaiah 26:9; 2 Peter 3:13) Never again will the influence of sin cause anyone to act corruptly. Under the rule of God’s Kingdom, faithful humans “will be set free from enslavement to corruption.”— Romans 8:20-22.
The Influence of the Wicked World We Live In
Sadly, many today intentionally victimize others. They take advantage of the lowly and the poor, and they influence others to act corruptly as well. The Bible admonishes such individuals: “Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts.” If such corrupt individuals do repent, the Bible promises that God “will forgive in a large way.”--Isaiah 55:7.
However, God will have no choice but to remove those who stubbornly refuse to change their ways. By means of God’s Kingdom, the Bible’s promise will come true: “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.” * (Psalm 37:34) With the incorrigibly wicked gone, faithful worshippers of God will no longer be victims of corruption.
The Influence of Satan the Devil
Foremost among hardened sinners is Satan the Devil. How thankful we can be that Jehovah will soon restrict Satan, preventing him from influencing humans. Eventually, God will destroy Satan completely. Never again will that wicked monster be able to influence people to act corruptly.
Granted, the idea that God will do away with all causes of corruption may seem to be mere wishful thinking. You may wonder, ‘Does God really have the means to bring about such changes? If so, why hasn’t he done it already?’ Those are good questions, and the Bible provides satisfying answers. * We invite you to examine for yourself what the Bible teaches about the near future, when all corruption will be gone forever.
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Wednesday 7/31/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) DRAW CLOSE TO GOD - He Fills Our “Hearts to the Full”Click colored areas for further info
Does God really care about us, or is he indifferent to the plight of humans on this earth? The Bible’s answer to that question warms our heart. God does indeed care about the human family, and he wants us to enjoy life. Every day he allows humans—even the most thankless among them—to benefit from his abundant goodness. Consider the words of the apostle Paul.— Read Acts 14:16, 17.
Addressing people in the city of Lystra who were not worshippers of God, Paul said: “In the past generations [God] permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, although, indeed, he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” What did those words mean to Paul’s hearers?
The people of Lystra did not have to look far to see the truthfulness of Paul’s words. They were part of an agricultural community and lived in a fertile and well-watered region. But, as Paul reminded them, God is the Source of the rain and the fruitful seasons. Thus, every time they harvested a bountiful crop and enjoyed a delicious meal, they were benefiting from God’s goodness.
Paul’s words to the people of Lystra teach us several important lessons about Jehovah God.
God gives us free will. Note that God permitted all the Gentile nations “to go on in their ways.” A reference work for Bible translators says that this expression can mean “to go as they pleased” or “to do as they themselves thought best.” Jehovah does not force anyone to worship him. He has endowed us with free will—the ability to choose our own life course.--Deuteronomy 30:19.
God wants us to know him. He has not left “himself without witness,” explained Paul. The previously mentioned reference work says that this phrase can be rendered “he has shown people clearly just what kind of God he is.” God’s creations bear eloquent testimony to his “invisible qualities,” including his goodness, wisdom, power, and love. (Romans 1:20) Jehovah has revealed much more about himself in the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Is it not clear that he wants us to know him?
Every day God allows humans—even the most thankless among them—to benefit from his abundant goodness
God wants us to be happy. He fills our “hearts to the full with food and good cheer,” said Paul. Even the sinner who does not acknowledge Jehovah may eat food to his heart’s content and find a measure of happiness in life. However, God wants us to enjoy true and lasting happiness. That is possible only if we learn the truth about him and apply it in our life.--Psalm 144:15; Matthew 5:3.
We all benefit from Jehovah’s goodness every day. Why not learn more about how you can show your gratitude to the God who fills your heart “to the full with food and good cheer”?
Suggested Bible reading: Acts 11-28
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Topic: (1 of 1) DRAW CLOSE TO GOD - He Fills Our “Hearts to the Full”Click colored areas for further info
Does God really care about us, or is he indifferent to the plight of humans on this earth? The Bible’s answer to that question warms our heart. God does indeed care about the human family, and he wants us to enjoy life. Every day he allows humans—even the most thankless among them—to benefit from his abundant goodness. Consider the words of the apostle Paul.— Read Acts 14:16, 17.
Addressing people in the city of Lystra who were not worshippers of God, Paul said: “In the past generations [God] permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, although, indeed, he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” What did those words mean to Paul’s hearers?
The people of Lystra did not have to look far to see the truthfulness of Paul’s words. They were part of an agricultural community and lived in a fertile and well-watered region. But, as Paul reminded them, God is the Source of the rain and the fruitful seasons. Thus, every time they harvested a bountiful crop and enjoyed a delicious meal, they were benefiting from God’s goodness.
Paul’s words to the people of Lystra teach us several important lessons about Jehovah God.
God gives us free will. Note that God permitted all the Gentile nations “to go on in their ways.” A reference work for Bible translators says that this expression can mean “to go as they pleased” or “to do as they themselves thought best.” Jehovah does not force anyone to worship him. He has endowed us with free will—the ability to choose our own life course.--Deuteronomy 30:19.
God wants us to know him. He has not left “himself without witness,” explained Paul. The previously mentioned reference work says that this phrase can be rendered “he has shown people clearly just what kind of God he is.” God’s creations bear eloquent testimony to his “invisible qualities,” including his goodness, wisdom, power, and love. (Romans 1:20) Jehovah has revealed much more about himself in the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Is it not clear that he wants us to know him?
Every day God allows humans—even the most thankless among them—to benefit from his abundant goodness
God wants us to be happy. He fills our “hearts to the full with food and good cheer,” said Paul. Even the sinner who does not acknowledge Jehovah may eat food to his heart’s content and find a measure of happiness in life. However, God wants us to enjoy true and lasting happiness. That is possible only if we learn the truth about him and apply it in our life.--Psalm 144:15; Matthew 5:3.
We all benefit from Jehovah’s goodness every day. Why not learn more about how you can show your gratitude to the God who fills your heart “to the full with food and good cheer”?
Suggested Bible reading: Acts 11-28
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Wednesday 9/4/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) An Orthopedic Surgeon Explains Her Faith
Dr. Irène Hof Laurenceau practices orthopedic surgery in Switzerland. At one time she doubted God’s existence. But some years later she came to the conclusion that God exists and that he is the Creator of life. We asked her about her work and her faith.
Q: What aroused your interest in science?
A: As a child, I was fascinated by nature. I grew up in Richterswil, a beautiful Swiss village on the shore of Lake Zurich. My parents and older siblings would take me for walks and tell me about the creatures and plants we saw along the way.
Why did you study orthopedic surgery?
For a short time, my father worked as an attendant in an operating room at a local hospital. What he saw moved him to speak enthusiastically about surgery. His enthusiasm excited me so much that I later chose surgery as a profession. I specialized in orthopedic surgery because I like the mechanical aspects of it. Orthopedic surgeons have to think like an engineer in order to repair the bones, muscles, and tendons that enable us to move about.
Most of all, I enjoy seeing my patients’ health improve. I really like working closely with people.
Why did you doubt God’s existence?
My doubts began in my youth, and two factors in particular influenced me. First, I discovered that certain religious instructors at church were immoral, and this disturbed me considerably. Second, at school, some of my biology teachers believed in evolution—a teaching I came to accept, especially when I went to a university.
Why did you accept evolution?
I believed my professors. Additionally, I thought that the similarity in anatomy between certain kinds of animals pointed to a common ancestry and supported the notion that genetic mutations lead to new species.
Yet, in time you changed your mind. Why?
A friend invited me to a meeting of an evangelistic church. I was impressed by the friendly congregation and the informative talks. Later, a pleasant lady from the congregation visited me, and I asked her, “How can I be sure that the Bible is true?”
She showed me Bible prophecies about many events that characterize our times. An example is Jesus’ prophecy that the last days of the present world would be marked by international warfare, “great earthquakes,” and rampant “pestilences and food shortages.” * She also pointed out prophecies that foretold the social breakdown and increase in greed and other badness that we see so much of today. *Before long, I began to study the Bible in earnest and soon realized that its predictions always come true. I also began to reexamine my views on the origin of life.
Did your medical research help you to reason on the origin of life?
Yes. When I started studying the Bible, I was researching knee surgery. Beginning in the late 1960’s, scientists began to understand the knee’s intricate mechanism more clearly. They found that our knee does not only bend on a single axis like a hinge. Rather, it both rolls and glides—an ingenious combination that gives the knee a greater range of movement, enabling us to walk, dance, skate, and do a host of other things.
For some 40 years, researchers have tried to design an artificial knee. But the complexity of the human knee makes it difficult to duplicate. Moreover, compared with our knee, artificial products have a relatively short life span. Even with improved materials at their disposal, those designers are pleased if their products last 20 years. Our knee, of course, is made of living cells that are constantly renewed. To me, the knee testifies, not to the blind processes of evolution, but to the wisdom of God.
What about mutations and the similarity in anatomy between certain species?
That similarity points to the same Designer. Moreover, mutations do not improve the designs in living organisms by elevating them to a higher kind. Rather, mutations tend to damage genes. Of course, it is possible that an accident can serve a beneficial purpose—such as when, say, a train crashes into a bridge and wrecks it, thus protecting the city from an invading army. But that accident did not improve the city. Likewise, mutations do not improve organisms. And they could never produce something so brilliantly designed as the human knee—not to mention other parts of the human body.
Mutations could never produce something so brilliantly designed as the human knee
Why did you become one of new believers?
When I began to apply Bible principles, the quality of my life improved markedly. Additionally, in 2003, I went to an international convention of the church and saw extraordinary family-like unity there, even among delegates who had never met one another before. That was love in action, and I wanted to be a part of it.
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When Jesus was asked what are the two most important commandments = success laws, Jesus answered:
" The # one is:"Love & respect your God" and the # two is: "Love your neighbor"
Notice: the word "love" is the key in a successful life
Notice: "commandment" is an old fashioned word - the modern word for it is "success law" - Ten Commandments = Ten Success Laws
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Wednesday 10/2/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
DRAW CLOSE TO GOD
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“His Invisible Qualities Are Clearly Seen”Do you believe in God? If so, can you point to proof of his existence? The truth is that we are surrounded by evidence of a Creator who is wise, powerful, and loving. What is this evidence, and how compelling is it? For the answer, consider the words of the apostle Paul recorded in his letter to Christians in Rome.
Paul said: “His [God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.” click: (Romans 1:20) The Creator left his imprint on his handiwork, as Paul pointed out. Let us take a closer look at Paul’s words.
God’s qualities could be seen “from the world’s creation onward,” notes Paul. In this context the Greek word rendered “world” does not refer to the planet Earth. Rather, it refers to humankind. * Hence, Paul is saying that from the moment humans were created, they could see evidence of the Creator’s qualities in the things he made.
That evidence is all around us. It is not hidden in nature but is “clearly seen.” From the largest to the smallest, creation clearly reveals not only that there is a Creator but also that he has wonderful qualities. Does not the intelligent design so obvious in nature reveal to us God’s wisdom? Do not the starry heavens and the pounding surf reveal his power? Does not the variety of foods that delight our palate and the beauty of sunrises and sunsets reveal his love for mankind?
click: (1) Psalm 104:24; click: (2) Isaiah 40:26.
How plain is the evidence? It is so clear that those who do not see it and who thus refuse to believe in God “are inexcusable.” One scholar illustrates it this way: Imagine a driver who ignores a sign that says “Detour—Turn Left.” A police officer stops him and starts writing him a ticket. The driver tries to argue that he did not see the sign. But his words carry little weight because the sign is in plain view and there is nothing wrong with the driver’s vision. Besides, as a driver, the responsibility for seeing and heeding such signs is his. So it is with the evidence of God in nature. That “sign” is in plain view. As reasoning creatures, we are capable of seeing it. There is no excuse for ignoring it.
The Creator left his imprint on his handiwork
Indeed, the book of creation reveals much about our Creator. But there is another book that reveals far more about him—the Bible. Through its pages we can learn the answer to this vital question: What is God’s purpose for our earth and the humans who inhabit it? Learning the answer to that question can help you to draw closer to the God whose “invisible qualities are clearly seen” in the world around us.
Suggested Bible reading
Romans 1-16
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Wednesday 10/9/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Did Our Languages Come From the “Tower of Babel”?
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“God scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth, and they gradually left off building the city. That is why its name was called Babel, because there Jehovah had confused the language of all the earth.”--Genesis 11:8, 9.
DID that event recorded in the Bible really happen? Did people start speaking different languages all at once, as described? Some scoff at the Bible’s account of how human languages began and spread. One author claims: “The Tower of Babel myth is definitely one of the most absurd stories ever told.” Even a Jewish rabbi called it “a naive attempt to explain the origin of nations.”
Why do people reject the Babel account? Simply put, it contradicts certain theories regarding the origin of language. For example, some scholars suggest that language groups did not appear suddenly but evolved gradually from one “mother tongue.” Others believe that several original languages developed independently, advancing from simple grunts to complex speech. These and other conflicting theories have caused many to agree with Professor W. T. Fitch, who wrote in his book The Evolution of Language: “We do not yet have fully convincing answers.”
What have archaeologists and researchers uncovered regarding the origin and development of human languages? Do their discoveries confirm any of the proposed theories? Or do the findings support the Babel account? First let us take a closer look at that Bible account.
WHERE AND WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?
The Bible states that the confusion of language and dispersion of the people took place “in the land of Shinar,” later called Babylonia. (Genesis 11:2) When did that happen? “The earth [“earth’s population,” footnote] was divided,” says the Bible, in the days of Peleg, who was born about 250 years before Abraham. So the events of Babel evidently took place some 4,200 years ago.--Genesis 10:25;11:18-26.
Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language—the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. * Others claim that today’s languages are related to several root languages spoken at least 6,000 years ago. But how do linguists reconstruct the development of extinct languages? “That is tricky,” says the Economist magazine. “Unlike biologists, linguists do not have fossils to guide them through the past.” The magazine adds that one evolutionary linguist arrives at his conclusions by “mathematically informed guesswork.”
Nevertheless, “linguistic fossils” do exist. What are these fossils, and what do they reveal regarding the origin of human languages? The New Encyclopædia Britannica explains: “The earliest records of written language, the only linguistic fossils man can hope to have, go back no more than about 4,000 or 5,000 years.” Where did archaeologists discover these “linguistic fossils,” or “records of written language”? In lower Mesopotamia—the site of ancient Shinar. * Hence, the available physical evidence is in agreement with the facts stated in the Bible.
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, DIFFERENT THINKING
The Bible account says that at Babel, God acted to “confuse their language that they may not listen to [“understand,” footnote] one another’s language.” (Genesis 11:7) As a result, the workers “left off building the city” of Babel and were scattered “over all the surface of the earth.” (Genesis 11:8, 9) Thus, the Bible does not say that all modern languages can be traced to a single “mother tongue.” Rather, it describes the sudden appearance of several apparently fully developed new languages, each capable of expressing the range of human feeling and thought and each different and distinct from the others.
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What about the language groups of the world today? Are they fundamentally similar or different? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky wrote: “As linguists probed deeper into the world’s languages (7,000 or so, only a fraction of them analyzed), innumerable unpredictable differences emerged.” Yes, although tongues and dialects of one language family, such as Cantonese and Hakka in southern China, may be similar to one another, they are fundamentally different from those of another language family, say West Catalan or Valencian in Spain.
Languages shape the way people think about and describe the world around them—color, quantity, location, direction. For example, in one language a person says, “There is a bug on your right hand.” But in another language, one would say, “There is a bug on your southwest hand.” Such differences would be confusing, to say the least. No wonder the builders at Babel found it impossible to continue their project.
GRUNTS OR COMPLEX SPEECH?
What was mankind’s original language like? The Bible reports that the first man, Adam, was able to coin new words when he named all the animals and flying creatures. (Genesis 2:20) Adam also composed poetry to express his feelings for his wife, and she clearly described what God had commanded and the consequences of disobeying Him. (Genesis 2:23; 3:1-3) The first language, then, enabled humans to communicate fully and to express themselves creatively.
The confusion of languages at Babel hindered mankind’s ability to combine their intellectual and physical powers. Yet, their new languages, like the first language, were complex. Within a few centuries, men built bustling cities, assembled powerful armies, and engaged in international trade. (Genesis 13:12; 14:1-11; 37:25) Could they have made such progress without the use of an extensive vocabulary and grammar? According to the Bible, the original human tongue and the tongues introduced at Babel were, not primitive grunts and growls, but complex languages.
Modern research supports this conclusion. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language states: “Every culture which has been investigated, no matter how ‘primitive’ it may be in cultural terms, turns out to have a fully developed language, with a complexity comparable to those of the so-called ‘civilized’ nations.” Similarly, in his book The Language Instinct, Harvard College Professor Steven Pinker states: “There is no such thing as a Stone Age language.”
THE FUTURE OF LANGUAGE
After reviewing the age and location of linguistic “fossils,” the fundamental differences between language groups, and the complexity of ancient languages, what reasonable conclusion could we draw? Many conclude that the Bible’s account of what took place at Babel is a fully credible explanation.
The Bible tells us that God confused the people’s language at Babel because they rebelled against him. (Genesis 11:4-7) However, he promised that he would “give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of God, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9) This “pure language,” the truth from God’s Word, draws together a people from around the world today. It seems logical that in the future God would unite mankind further by giving them one common language, undoing the confusion at Babel.
LEGENDS THAT ECHO THE BIBLE’S ACCOUNT
“Once upon a time all the people lived in one large village and spoke one tongue,” according to a story told by a hill tribe in Myanmar. While building a great tower, the builders “gradually acquired different manners, customs, and ways of speech, [eventually] being scattered all over the land.” Similar legends are found among indigenous peoples of Africa, East Asia, Mexico, and elsewhere.
If the Babel account had been an invention by Moses, the Hebrew writer of Genesis, would it have cropped up in the legends of such far-flung national and language groups? That is very unlikely. Thus, the existence of such diverse legends and tales testifies to the credibility of the Babel account in the Bible.
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Wednesday 10/23/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Why All the Suffering?
To understand why there is so much suffering and why human efforts to eliminate it have been unsuccessful, we need to identify the real causes behind it all. Though the causes are varied and complex, we can be thankful that the Bible can help us to identify them. In this article, we will examine five fundamental reasons why there is so much suffering. We invite you to consider carefully what the Bible says and see how God’s Word helps us to look beyond the surface to discern the true cause of this important problem.--2 Timothy 3:16.
EFFECTS OF BAD GOVERNMENT
“When anyone wicked bears rule, the people sigh,” says the Bible.--Proverbs 29:2.
History is filled with dictators who ruled with an iron fist, bringing untold suffering to their subjects. Of course, that is not true of all rulers. Some may have the best of intentions for their fellowmen. However, once they are in power, they often find that their efforts are frustrated by infighting and power struggles. Or they may abuse their power for personal gain, to the detriment of the people. “History is a tale of efforts that failed, of aspirations that weren’t realized,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The Bible also points out: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Imperfect humans lack the necessary wisdom and foresight to manage all their own affairs successfully. If people cannot direct their own steps, how can they direct the steps of a nation? Can you see why human rulers do not have the ability to eliminate suffering? In fact, more often than not, bad government, or rulership, is the cause of suffering!
INFLUENCE OF FALSE RELIGION
“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves,” said Jesus.--John 13:35.
Religious leaders of every creed and denomination preach love and unity. The reality is that they have failed to instill in their followers a love strong enough to eliminate biases. Rather than helping to cultivate love, religion often contributes to the division, bigotry, and strife among peoples and national groups. In the conclusion of his book Christianity and the World Religions, theologian Hans Küng wrote: “The most fanatical, the cruelest political struggles are those that have been colored, inspired, and legitimized by religion.”
In addition, clerics of many religions have openly condoned premarital and extramarital sex and homosexuality. This has led to the spread of disease, abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and broken marriages and families, resulting in untold pain and anguish.
HUMAN IMPERFECTION AND SELFISH DESIRES
“Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin.”--James 1:14, 15.
All of us, because of inherited imperfection, are prone to errors and mistakes and have to fight against the desire for “doing the things willed by the flesh.” (Ephesians 2:3) When wrong desire coincides with opportunity, however, the battle can be especially challenging. If we give in to hurtful desire, the results can be devastating.
Author P. D. Mehta wrote: “A vast amount of suffering is due to our own lust, to our feverish pleasure-seeking and self-indulgence, to our greed and our ambition.” Cravings and addictions of all kinds—alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, and so on—have ruined many “respectable citizens” and have brought suffering to their family, friends, and others. In view of mankind’s imperfect nature, we have to agree when the Bible says: “It is plain to anyone with eyes to see that at the present time all created life groans in a sort of universal travail.”--Romans 8:22, The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips.
POWER OF WICKED SPIRITS
The Bible reveals that Satan is “the god of this system of things” and that he is joined by powerful wicked spirits called demons.--2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9.
Like Satan, the demons are actively engaged in controlling and misleading people. The apostle Paul acknowledged this when he said: “We have a wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.”--Ephesians 6:12.
While the demons delight in harassing people, that is not their primary goal. They desire to turn people away from the Most High God, Jehovah. (Psalm 83:18) Practices such as astrology, magic, sorcery, and fortune-telling are just some of the devices that the demons use to deceive and control people. That is why Jehovah alerts us to those dangers and offers protection to all who oppose Satan and the demons.--James 4:7.
WE ARE LIVING IN “THE LAST DAYS”
Some two thousand years ago, the Bible foretold: “Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.”
Pointing out what makes the times critical, it goes on to say: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, . . . having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” Surely a key reason for all the suffering we see today is that we are living in “the last days.”--2 Timothy 3:1-4.
In view of the factors we have considered, is it not clear why humans are unable to put an end to suffering, despite their good intentions? Where, then, can we turn for help? We must look to our Creator, who has promised to “break up the works of the Devil” and his followers. (1 John 3:8) The following article will consider what God will do to eliminate all causes of suffering.
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Sunday 2/2/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Do We Need God?
Jesus, for example, stated: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”
(Matthew 5:3)
“Are you good without God? Millions are.” So read a recent billboard message paid for by an atheist group. They evidently feel that they have no need for God.Why We Need God
On the other hand, many who claim to believe in God make decisions as though he did not exist. Salvatore Fisichella, a Catholic archbishop, said of members of his own church: “Looking at us probably no one would recognize we are Christians today because our style of life is the same as non-believers.”
Some are too busy to worry about God. They consider him too remote or inaccessible to play any meaningful role in their lives. At best, such individuals turn to God only when they are in trouble or need something—almost as if he were a servant at their beck and call.
Others see little practical value in religious teachings or, at any rate, fail to practice what their church preaches. To cite just one example, 76 percent of the Catholics in Germany believe that it is acceptable for a man and a woman to live together before marriage—a view contrary to the teachings of both their church and the Bible.
(1 Corinthians 6:18;Hebrews 13:4) Of course, Catholics are not alone in perceiving a disconnect between their religious affiliation and their way of life. Clergymen of many denominations lament that their congregants behave like “practical atheists.”
These examples logically lead to the question: Do we really need God? The issue is by no means a new one. It was first brought up in the opening pages of the Bible. In order to find the answer to the question, let us give attention to a number of issues raised in the Bible book of Genesis.
Why We Need God
God wants humans to be happy now and forever
Mental-health experts tell us that people need spiritual values in order to be truly happy. We see this in the fact that people want to belong to something or serve someone or some cause greater than themselves. To satisfy this need, some devote their leisure time to nature, art, music, and so on. Yet, most find no deep or lasting fulfillment in such pursuits.
The fact that humans have an inborn spiritual yearning comes as no surprise to Bible readers. The first chapters of Genesis indicate that after God created the first human couple, he spoke with them regularly, allowing them to establish a spiritual relationship with him. (Genesis 3:8-10) God did not design humans to live independently of him; they have a need to communicate with their Maker. The Bible refers to this need frequently.
Jesus, for example, stated: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” (Matthew 5:3) From those words, we may conclude that an essential ingredient of a happy and contented life is satisfying our innate spiritual appetite. How can we do that? Jesus pointed to the answer when he said: “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.” (Matthew 4:4) In what ways do God’s utterances, that is to say, God’s thoughts and instructions as found in the Bible, make it possible for us to live a happy and meaningful life? Let us consider three fundamental ways.
We Need Good Direction
Today, there are countless experts and specialists ready to offer advice on relationships, love, family life, conflict resolution, happiness, and even the very meaning of life. Yet who is best qualified to give sound, balanced direction in all these areas if not mankind’s Maker, God?
Like a user’s manual, the Bible is a guide for life
To illustrate: When you buy a new piece of equipment, such as a camera or a computer, you expect it to come with an owner’s manual, or a handbook, that explains how to get the best use and satisfaction out of your acquisition. The Bible can be likened to such a handbook. It is a manual for human life that God, the manufacturer, as it were, has made available to us, the users. This “user’s manual” explains what the product is designed to do and how it should be used for the best results.
As with any well-written instruction manual, the Bible alerts readers to practices that may compromise the safe and reliable operation of the “product”—our life. Advice or shortcuts that others offer might sound appealing, even expedient, but is it not logical to think that we are going to get the best results and avoid problems if we follow the Maker’s directions?
“I am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”--Isaiah 48:17, 18
In the Bible, we can find the direction and help that we need
Though God provides directions and instructions, he does not force us to accept them. Rather, as a loving Benefactor, he warmly appeals to us: “I am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:17, 18) In short, if we heed God’s direction, we will live well. To put it another way, to live well and be happy, we need God.
We Need Answers to Life’s Problems
Some feel that they have no need for God because they find many puzzling issues in life incompatible with belief in a loving God. For example, they may ask: ‘Why do good people have to suffer?’ ‘Why are some innocent babies born deformed?’ ‘Why is life so unjust?’ Those are serious questions indeed, and finding satisfying answers to them can have a deep impact on our life. But instead of quickly blaming God for such problems, let us see how God’s Word, the Bible, can shed light on this subject.
In the third chapter of Genesis, we find the account of Satan, who, under the guise of a serpent, attempted to get the first human couple to go against God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. “You positively will not die,” Satan told Eve. “For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”--Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:4, 5.
By those words, Satan not only asserted that God is a liar but also implied that God’s way of governing is unjust. The Devil contended that if mankind listened to him, things would work out better for them. How could those issues be resolved? God chose to allow events to take their course in order to enable all to see whether the accusations leveled against him were true or false. God was in effect giving Satan and those who have taken his side the opportunity to demonstrate whether humans can live well without God.
What do you judge to be the answer to Satan’s assertions? Can humans live well and govern themselves successfully without God? The suffering, injustice, sickness, and death as well as the crime, moral breakdown, wars, genocides, and other atrocities that have plagued mankind throughout the centuries are undeniable evidence that man’s attempts to govern himself independently of God have been a miserable failure. Rather than showing God to be responsible for mankind’s woes, the Bible points to a major cause of them: “Man has dominated man to his injury.”--Ecclesiastes 8:9.
In light of this, is it not clear that we need to turn to God not only for answers to the troubling questions facing humans but also for the solution? What will God do?
We Need God’s Help
People have long yearned for freedom from sickness, aging, and death. They have spent an enormous amount of time, effort, and resources in its pursuit, but to little or no avail. Some have hoped to find such freedom through the legendary elixir of life, the fountain of youth, Shangri-la, and the like. All these dreams have proved to be disappointing.
God wants humans to live well and be happy. That was his original purpose in creating humans, and he has not forgotten it. (Genesis 1:27, 28; Isaiah 45:18) We have God’s assurance that whatever he purposes to do will be done without fail. (Isaiah 55:10, 11) The Bible tells us about God’s promise to restore the Paradise conditions lost by the first human couple. In the last book of the Bible, we find these words: “He [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) How will God bring about these wonderful conditions, and how can we benefit from this promise?
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, taught his followers to pray for God’s will to be done. Many people are familiar with or often repeat that prayer, which some call the Lord’s Prayer. It goes this way: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) Yes, God’s Kingdom is the means by which God will do away with the woeful results of human rule and bring about the righteous new world of his promise. * (Daniel 2:44; 2 Peter 3:13) What must we do to benefit from God’s promise?
Jesus Christ points to the simple step that we must take: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes, with God’s help, unending life in the promised new world is within reach. That prospect might well convince you of yet another reason to answer yes to the question, Do we need God?
Time to Look to God
Two thousand years ago, at the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, in Athens, the apostle Paul said this about God to the freethinking Athenians: “He himself gives to all persons life and breath and all things. For by him we have life and move and exist, even as certain ones of the poets among you have said, ‘For we are also his progeny*).’”
--Acts 17:25, 28. *) progeny = children, offspring
What Paul pointed out to the Athenians is still true. Our Creator provides the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. We simply could not live without the good things God has provided for our sustenance. But why has God continued to make such provisions for all people, whether they give thought to him or not? Paul said that it is “for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”--Acts 17:27.
Would you like to know God better, that is, to learn more about his purposes and his advice for living well now and forever? If so, you are urged to speak to the person who brought you this magazine or contact its publishers. They will be pleased to assist you.
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Wednesday 9/4/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) An Orthopedic Surgeon Explains Her Faith
Dr. Irène Hof Laurenceau practices orthopedic surgery in Switzerland. At one time she doubted God’s existence. But some years later she came to the conclusion that God exists and that he is the Creator of life. We asked her about her work and her faith.
Q: What aroused your interest in science?
A: As a child, I was fascinated by nature. I grew up in Richterswil, a beautiful Swiss village on the shore of Lake Zurich. My parents and older siblings would take me for walks and tell me about the creatures and plants we saw along the way.
Why did you study orthopedic surgery?
For a short time, my father worked as an attendant in an operating room at a local hospital. What he saw moved him to speak enthusiastically about surgery. His enthusiasm excited me so much that I later chose surgery as a profession. I specialized in orthopedic surgery because I like the mechanical aspects of it. Orthopedic surgeons have to think like an engineer in order to repair the bones, muscles, and tendons that enable us to move about.
Most of all, I enjoy seeing my patients’ health improve. I really like working closely with people.
Why did you doubt God’s existence?
My doubts began in my youth, and two factors in particular influenced me. First, I discovered that certain religious instructors at church were immoral, and this disturbed me considerably. Second, at school, some of my biology teachers believed in evolution—a teaching I came to accept, especially when I went to a university.
Why did you accept evolution?
I believed my professors. Additionally, I thought that the similarity in anatomy between certain kinds of animals pointed to a common ancestry and supported the notion that genetic mutations lead to new species.
Yet, in time you changed your mind. Why?
A friend invited me to a meeting of an evangelistic church. I was impressed by the friendly congregation and the informative talks. Later, a pleasant lady from the congregation visited me, and I asked her, “How can I be sure that the Bible is true?”
She showed me Bible prophecies about many events that characterize our times. An example is Jesus’ prophecy that the last days of the present world would be marked by international warfare, “great earthquakes,” and rampant “pestilences and food shortages.” * She also pointed out prophecies that foretold the social breakdown and increase in greed and other badness that we see so much of today. *Before long, I began to study the Bible in earnest and soon realized that its predictions always come true. I also began to reexamine my views on the origin of life.
Did your medical research help you to reason on the origin of life?
Yes. When I started studying the Bible, I was researching knee surgery. Beginning in the late 1960’s, scientists began to understand the knee’s intricate mechanism more clearly. They found that our knee does not only bend on a single axis like a hinge. Rather, it both rolls and glides—an ingenious combination that gives the knee a greater range of movement, enabling us to walk, dance, skate, and do a host of other things.
For some 40 years, researchers have tried to design an artificial knee. But the complexity of the human knee makes it difficult to duplicate. Moreover, compared with our knee, artificial products have a relatively short life span. Even with improved materials at their disposal, those designers are pleased if their products last 20 years. Our knee, of course, is made of living cells that are constantly renewed. To me, the knee testifies, not to the blind processes of evolution, but to the wisdom of God.
What about mutations and the similarity in anatomy between certain species?
That similarity points to the same Designer. Moreover, mutations do not improve the designs in living organisms by elevating them to a higher kind. Rather, mutations tend to damage genes. Of course, it is possible that an accident can serve a beneficial purpose—such as when, say, a train crashes into a bridge and wrecks it, thus protecting the city from an invading army. But that accident did not improve the city. Likewise, mutations do not improve organisms. And they could never produce something so brilliantly designed as the human knee—not to mention other parts of the human body.
Mutations could never produce something so brilliantly designed as the human knee
Why did you become one of new believers?
When I began to apply Bible principles, the quality of my life improved markedly. Additionally, in 2003, I went to an international convention of the church and saw extraordinary family-like unity there, even among delegates who had never met one another before. That was love in action, and I wanted to be a part of it.
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When Jesus was asked what are the two most important commandments = success laws, Jesus answered:
" The # one is:"Love & respect your God" and the # two is: "Love your neighbor"
Notice: the word "love" is the key in a successful life
Notice: "commandment" is an old fashioned word - the modern word for it is "success law" - Ten Commandments = Ten Success Laws
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Wednesday 10/2/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
DRAW CLOSE TO GOD
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“His Invisible Qualities Are Clearly Seen”Do you believe in God? If so, can you point to proof of his existence? The truth is that we are surrounded by evidence of a Creator who is wise, powerful, and loving. What is this evidence, and how compelling is it? For the answer, consider the words of the apostle Paul recorded in his letter to Christians in Rome.
Paul said: “His [God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.” click: (Romans 1:20) The Creator left his imprint on his handiwork, as Paul pointed out. Let us take a closer look at Paul’s words.
God’s qualities could be seen “from the world’s creation onward,” notes Paul. In this context the Greek word rendered “world” does not refer to the planet Earth. Rather, it refers to humankind. * Hence, Paul is saying that from the moment humans were created, they could see evidence of the Creator’s qualities in the things he made.
That evidence is all around us. It is not hidden in nature but is “clearly seen.” From the largest to the smallest, creation clearly reveals not only that there is a Creator but also that he has wonderful qualities. Does not the intelligent design so obvious in nature reveal to us God’s wisdom? Do not the starry heavens and the pounding surf reveal his power? Does not the variety of foods that delight our palate and the beauty of sunrises and sunsets reveal his love for mankind?
click: (1) Psalm 104:24; click: (2) Isaiah 40:26.
How plain is the evidence? It is so clear that those who do not see it and who thus refuse to believe in God “are inexcusable.” One scholar illustrates it this way: Imagine a driver who ignores a sign that says “Detour—Turn Left.” A police officer stops him and starts writing him a ticket. The driver tries to argue that he did not see the sign. But his words carry little weight because the sign is in plain view and there is nothing wrong with the driver’s vision. Besides, as a driver, the responsibility for seeing and heeding such signs is his. So it is with the evidence of God in nature. That “sign” is in plain view. As reasoning creatures, we are capable of seeing it. There is no excuse for ignoring it.
The Creator left his imprint on his handiwork
Indeed, the book of creation reveals much about our Creator. But there is another book that reveals far more about him—the Bible. Through its pages we can learn the answer to this vital question: What is God’s purpose for our earth and the humans who inhabit it? Learning the answer to that question can help you to draw closer to the God whose “invisible qualities are clearly seen” in the world around us.
Suggested Bible reading
Romans 1-16
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Wednesday 10/9/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Did Our Languages Come From the “Tower of Babel”?
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“God scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth, and they gradually left off building the city. That is why its name was called Babel, because there Jehovah had confused the language of all the earth.”--Genesis 11:8, 9.
DID that event recorded in the Bible really happen? Did people start speaking different languages all at once, as described? Some scoff at the Bible’s account of how human languages began and spread. One author claims: “The Tower of Babel myth is definitely one of the most absurd stories ever told.” Even a Jewish rabbi called it “a naive attempt to explain the origin of nations.”
Why do people reject the Babel account? Simply put, it contradicts certain theories regarding the origin of language. For example, some scholars suggest that language groups did not appear suddenly but evolved gradually from one “mother tongue.” Others believe that several original languages developed independently, advancing from simple grunts to complex speech. These and other conflicting theories have caused many to agree with Professor W. T. Fitch, who wrote in his book The Evolution of Language: “We do not yet have fully convincing answers.”
What have archaeologists and researchers uncovered regarding the origin and development of human languages? Do their discoveries confirm any of the proposed theories? Or do the findings support the Babel account? First let us take a closer look at that Bible account.
WHERE AND WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?
The Bible states that the confusion of language and dispersion of the people took place “in the land of Shinar,” later called Babylonia. (Genesis 11:2) When did that happen? “The earth [“earth’s population,” footnote] was divided,” says the Bible, in the days of Peleg, who was born about 250 years before Abraham. So the events of Babel evidently took place some 4,200 years ago.--Genesis 10:25;11:18-26.
Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language—the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. * Others claim that today’s languages are related to several root languages spoken at least 6,000 years ago. But how do linguists reconstruct the development of extinct languages? “That is tricky,” says the Economist magazine. “Unlike biologists, linguists do not have fossils to guide them through the past.” The magazine adds that one evolutionary linguist arrives at his conclusions by “mathematically informed guesswork.”
Nevertheless, “linguistic fossils” do exist. What are these fossils, and what do they reveal regarding the origin of human languages? The New Encyclopædia Britannica explains: “The earliest records of written language, the only linguistic fossils man can hope to have, go back no more than about 4,000 or 5,000 years.” Where did archaeologists discover these “linguistic fossils,” or “records of written language”? In lower Mesopotamia—the site of ancient Shinar. * Hence, the available physical evidence is in agreement with the facts stated in the Bible.
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, DIFFERENT THINKING
The Bible account says that at Babel, God acted to “confuse their language that they may not listen to [“understand,” footnote] one another’s language.” (Genesis 11:7) As a result, the workers “left off building the city” of Babel and were scattered “over all the surface of the earth.” (Genesis 11:8, 9) Thus, the Bible does not say that all modern languages can be traced to a single “mother tongue.” Rather, it describes the sudden appearance of several apparently fully developed new languages, each capable of expressing the range of human feeling and thought and each different and distinct from the others.
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What about the language groups of the world today? Are they fundamentally similar or different? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky wrote: “As linguists probed deeper into the world’s languages (7,000 or so, only a fraction of them analyzed), innumerable unpredictable differences emerged.” Yes, although tongues and dialects of one language family, such as Cantonese and Hakka in southern China, may be similar to one another, they are fundamentally different from those of another language family, say West Catalan or Valencian in Spain.
Languages shape the way people think about and describe the world around them—color, quantity, location, direction. For example, in one language a person says, “There is a bug on your right hand.” But in another language, one would say, “There is a bug on your southwest hand.” Such differences would be confusing, to say the least. No wonder the builders at Babel found it impossible to continue their project.
GRUNTS OR COMPLEX SPEECH?
What was mankind’s original language like? The Bible reports that the first man, Adam, was able to coin new words when he named all the animals and flying creatures. (Genesis 2:20) Adam also composed poetry to express his feelings for his wife, and she clearly described what God had commanded and the consequences of disobeying Him. (Genesis 2:23; 3:1-3) The first language, then, enabled humans to communicate fully and to express themselves creatively.
The confusion of languages at Babel hindered mankind’s ability to combine their intellectual and physical powers. Yet, their new languages, like the first language, were complex. Within a few centuries, men built bustling cities, assembled powerful armies, and engaged in international trade. (Genesis 13:12; 14:1-11; 37:25) Could they have made such progress without the use of an extensive vocabulary and grammar? According to the Bible, the original human tongue and the tongues introduced at Babel were, not primitive grunts and growls, but complex languages.
Modern research supports this conclusion. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language states: “Every culture which has been investigated, no matter how ‘primitive’ it may be in cultural terms, turns out to have a fully developed language, with a complexity comparable to those of the so-called ‘civilized’ nations.” Similarly, in his book The Language Instinct, Harvard College Professor Steven Pinker states: “There is no such thing as a Stone Age language.”
THE FUTURE OF LANGUAGE
After reviewing the age and location of linguistic “fossils,” the fundamental differences between language groups, and the complexity of ancient languages, what reasonable conclusion could we draw? Many conclude that the Bible’s account of what took place at Babel is a fully credible explanation.
The Bible tells us that God confused the people’s language at Babel because they rebelled against him. (Genesis 11:4-7) However, he promised that he would “give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of God, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9) This “pure language,” the truth from God’s Word, draws together a people from around the world today. It seems logical that in the future God would unite mankind further by giving them one common language, undoing the confusion at Babel.
LEGENDS THAT ECHO THE BIBLE’S ACCOUNT
“Once upon a time all the people lived in one large village and spoke one tongue,” according to a story told by a hill tribe in Myanmar. While building a great tower, the builders “gradually acquired different manners, customs, and ways of speech, [eventually] being scattered all over the land.” Similar legends are found among indigenous peoples of Africa, East Asia, Mexico, and elsewhere.
If the Babel account had been an invention by Moses, the Hebrew writer of Genesis, would it have cropped up in the legends of such far-flung national and language groups? That is very unlikely. Thus, the existence of such diverse legends and tales testifies to the credibility of the Babel account in the Bible.
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Wednesday 10/23/13 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Why All the Suffering?
To understand why there is so much suffering and why human efforts to eliminate it have been unsuccessful, we need to identify the real causes behind it all. Though the causes are varied and complex, we can be thankful that the Bible can help us to identify them. In this article, we will examine five fundamental reasons why there is so much suffering. We invite you to consider carefully what the Bible says and see how God’s Word helps us to look beyond the surface to discern the true cause of this important problem.--2 Timothy 3:16.
EFFECTS OF BAD GOVERNMENT
“When anyone wicked bears rule, the people sigh,” says the Bible.--Proverbs 29:2.
History is filled with dictators who ruled with an iron fist, bringing untold suffering to their subjects. Of course, that is not true of all rulers. Some may have the best of intentions for their fellowmen. However, once they are in power, they often find that their efforts are frustrated by infighting and power struggles. Or they may abuse their power for personal gain, to the detriment of the people. “History is a tale of efforts that failed, of aspirations that weren’t realized,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The Bible also points out: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Imperfect humans lack the necessary wisdom and foresight to manage all their own affairs successfully. If people cannot direct their own steps, how can they direct the steps of a nation? Can you see why human rulers do not have the ability to eliminate suffering? In fact, more often than not, bad government, or rulership, is the cause of suffering!
INFLUENCE OF FALSE RELIGION
“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves,” said Jesus.--John 13:35.
Religious leaders of every creed and denomination preach love and unity. The reality is that they have failed to instill in their followers a love strong enough to eliminate biases. Rather than helping to cultivate love, religion often contributes to the division, bigotry, and strife among peoples and national groups. In the conclusion of his book Christianity and the World Religions, theologian Hans Küng wrote: “The most fanatical, the cruelest political struggles are those that have been colored, inspired, and legitimized by religion.”
In addition, clerics of many religions have openly condoned premarital and extramarital sex and homosexuality. This has led to the spread of disease, abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and broken marriages and families, resulting in untold pain and anguish.
HUMAN IMPERFECTION AND SELFISH DESIRES
“Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin.”--James 1:14, 15.
All of us, because of inherited imperfection, are prone to errors and mistakes and have to fight against the desire for “doing the things willed by the flesh.” (Ephesians 2:3) When wrong desire coincides with opportunity, however, the battle can be especially challenging. If we give in to hurtful desire, the results can be devastating.
Author P. D. Mehta wrote: “A vast amount of suffering is due to our own lust, to our feverish pleasure-seeking and self-indulgence, to our greed and our ambition.” Cravings and addictions of all kinds—alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, and so on—have ruined many “respectable citizens” and have brought suffering to their family, friends, and others. In view of mankind’s imperfect nature, we have to agree when the Bible says: “It is plain to anyone with eyes to see that at the present time all created life groans in a sort of universal travail.”--Romans 8:22, The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips.
POWER OF WICKED SPIRITS
The Bible reveals that Satan is “the god of this system of things” and that he is joined by powerful wicked spirits called demons.--2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9.
Like Satan, the demons are actively engaged in controlling and misleading people. The apostle Paul acknowledged this when he said: “We have a wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.”--Ephesians 6:12.
While the demons delight in harassing people, that is not their primary goal. They desire to turn people away from the Most High God, Jehovah. (Psalm 83:18) Practices such as astrology, magic, sorcery, and fortune-telling are just some of the devices that the demons use to deceive and control people. That is why Jehovah alerts us to those dangers and offers protection to all who oppose Satan and the demons.--James 4:7.
WE ARE LIVING IN “THE LAST DAYS”
Some two thousand years ago, the Bible foretold: “Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.”
Pointing out what makes the times critical, it goes on to say: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, . . . having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” Surely a key reason for all the suffering we see today is that we are living in “the last days.”--2 Timothy 3:1-4.
In view of the factors we have considered, is it not clear why humans are unable to put an end to suffering, despite their good intentions? Where, then, can we turn for help? We must look to our Creator, who has promised to “break up the works of the Devil” and his followers. (1 John 3:8) The following article will consider what God will do to eliminate all causes of suffering.
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Sunday 2/2/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
Do We Need God?
Jesus, for example, stated: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”
(Matthew 5:3)
“Are you good without God? Millions are.” So read a recent billboard message paid for by an atheist group. They evidently feel that they have no need for God.Why We Need God
On the other hand, many who claim to believe in God make decisions as though he did not exist. Salvatore Fisichella, a Catholic archbishop, said of members of his own church: “Looking at us probably no one would recognize we are Christians today because our style of life is the same as non-believers.”
Some are too busy to worry about God. They consider him too remote or inaccessible to play any meaningful role in their lives. At best, such individuals turn to God only when they are in trouble or need something—almost as if he were a servant at their beck and call.
Others see little practical value in religious teachings or, at any rate, fail to practice what their church preaches. To cite just one example, 76 percent of the Catholics in Germany believe that it is acceptable for a man and a woman to live together before marriage—a view contrary to the teachings of both their church and the Bible.
(1 Corinthians 6:18;Hebrews 13:4) Of course, Catholics are not alone in perceiving a disconnect between their religious affiliation and their way of life. Clergymen of many denominations lament that their congregants behave like “practical atheists.”
These examples logically lead to the question: Do we really need God? The issue is by no means a new one. It was first brought up in the opening pages of the Bible. In order to find the answer to the question, let us give attention to a number of issues raised in the Bible book of Genesis.
Why We Need God
God wants humans to be happy now and forever
Mental-health experts tell us that people need spiritual values in order to be truly happy. We see this in the fact that people want to belong to something or serve someone or some cause greater than themselves. To satisfy this need, some devote their leisure time to nature, art, music, and so on. Yet, most find no deep or lasting fulfillment in such pursuits.
The fact that humans have an inborn spiritual yearning comes as no surprise to Bible readers. The first chapters of Genesis indicate that after God created the first human couple, he spoke with them regularly, allowing them to establish a spiritual relationship with him. (Genesis 3:8-10) God did not design humans to live independently of him; they have a need to communicate with their Maker. The Bible refers to this need frequently.
Jesus, for example, stated: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” (Matthew 5:3) From those words, we may conclude that an essential ingredient of a happy and contented life is satisfying our innate spiritual appetite. How can we do that? Jesus pointed to the answer when he said: “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.” (Matthew 4:4) In what ways do God’s utterances, that is to say, God’s thoughts and instructions as found in the Bible, make it possible for us to live a happy and meaningful life? Let us consider three fundamental ways.
We Need Good Direction
Today, there are countless experts and specialists ready to offer advice on relationships, love, family life, conflict resolution, happiness, and even the very meaning of life. Yet who is best qualified to give sound, balanced direction in all these areas if not mankind’s Maker, God?
Like a user’s manual, the Bible is a guide for life
To illustrate: When you buy a new piece of equipment, such as a camera or a computer, you expect it to come with an owner’s manual, or a handbook, that explains how to get the best use and satisfaction out of your acquisition. The Bible can be likened to such a handbook. It is a manual for human life that God, the manufacturer, as it were, has made available to us, the users. This “user’s manual” explains what the product is designed to do and how it should be used for the best results.
As with any well-written instruction manual, the Bible alerts readers to practices that may compromise the safe and reliable operation of the “product”—our life. Advice or shortcuts that others offer might sound appealing, even expedient, but is it not logical to think that we are going to get the best results and avoid problems if we follow the Maker’s directions?
“I am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”--Isaiah 48:17, 18
In the Bible, we can find the direction and help that we need
Though God provides directions and instructions, he does not force us to accept them. Rather, as a loving Benefactor, he warmly appeals to us: “I am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:17, 18) In short, if we heed God’s direction, we will live well. To put it another way, to live well and be happy, we need God.
We Need Answers to Life’s Problems
Some feel that they have no need for God because they find many puzzling issues in life incompatible with belief in a loving God. For example, they may ask: ‘Why do good people have to suffer?’ ‘Why are some innocent babies born deformed?’ ‘Why is life so unjust?’ Those are serious questions indeed, and finding satisfying answers to them can have a deep impact on our life. But instead of quickly blaming God for such problems, let us see how God’s Word, the Bible, can shed light on this subject.
In the third chapter of Genesis, we find the account of Satan, who, under the guise of a serpent, attempted to get the first human couple to go against God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. “You positively will not die,” Satan told Eve. “For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”--Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:4, 5.
By those words, Satan not only asserted that God is a liar but also implied that God’s way of governing is unjust. The Devil contended that if mankind listened to him, things would work out better for them. How could those issues be resolved? God chose to allow events to take their course in order to enable all to see whether the accusations leveled against him were true or false. God was in effect giving Satan and those who have taken his side the opportunity to demonstrate whether humans can live well without God.
What do you judge to be the answer to Satan’s assertions? Can humans live well and govern themselves successfully without God? The suffering, injustice, sickness, and death as well as the crime, moral breakdown, wars, genocides, and other atrocities that have plagued mankind throughout the centuries are undeniable evidence that man’s attempts to govern himself independently of God have been a miserable failure. Rather than showing God to be responsible for mankind’s woes, the Bible points to a major cause of them: “Man has dominated man to his injury.”--Ecclesiastes 8:9.
In light of this, is it not clear that we need to turn to God not only for answers to the troubling questions facing humans but also for the solution? What will God do?
We Need God’s Help
People have long yearned for freedom from sickness, aging, and death. They have spent an enormous amount of time, effort, and resources in its pursuit, but to little or no avail. Some have hoped to find such freedom through the legendary elixir of life, the fountain of youth, Shangri-la, and the like. All these dreams have proved to be disappointing.
God wants humans to live well and be happy. That was his original purpose in creating humans, and he has not forgotten it. (Genesis 1:27, 28; Isaiah 45:18) We have God’s assurance that whatever he purposes to do will be done without fail. (Isaiah 55:10, 11) The Bible tells us about God’s promise to restore the Paradise conditions lost by the first human couple. In the last book of the Bible, we find these words: “He [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) How will God bring about these wonderful conditions, and how can we benefit from this promise?
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, taught his followers to pray for God’s will to be done. Many people are familiar with or often repeat that prayer, which some call the Lord’s Prayer. It goes this way: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) Yes, God’s Kingdom is the means by which God will do away with the woeful results of human rule and bring about the righteous new world of his promise. * (Daniel 2:44; 2 Peter 3:13) What must we do to benefit from God’s promise?
Jesus Christ points to the simple step that we must take: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes, with God’s help, unending life in the promised new world is within reach. That prospect might well convince you of yet another reason to answer yes to the question, Do we need God?
Time to Look to God
Two thousand years ago, at the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, in Athens, the apostle Paul said this about God to the freethinking Athenians: “He himself gives to all persons life and breath and all things. For by him we have life and move and exist, even as certain ones of the poets among you have said, ‘For we are also his progeny*).’”
--Acts 17:25, 28. *) progeny = children, offspring
What Paul pointed out to the Athenians is still true. Our Creator provides the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. We simply could not live without the good things God has provided for our sustenance. But why has God continued to make such provisions for all people, whether they give thought to him or not? Paul said that it is “for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”--Acts 17:27.
Would you like to know God better, that is, to learn more about his purposes and his advice for living well now and forever? If so, you are urged to speak to the person who brought you this magazine or contact its publishers. They will be pleased to assist you.
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Sunday 2/9/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1)
THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
Creation
What does The Bible Say?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”--Genesis 1:1.
Article 1 of 2
(Article 2 of 2 next below)
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God created the universe, including the earth, in the indefinite past—“in the beginning,” as Genesis 1:1 says. Modern science agrees that the universe had a beginning. A recent scientific model suggests it to be almost 14 billion years old.
The Bible also describes six “days” of creation. However, it does not say that these were 24-hour days. (Genesis 1:31) In fact, the Bible uses the word “day” to refer to various lengths of time. For example, it calls the entire period of creation “the day that God made earth and heaven.” (Genesis 2:4) Evidently, these “days” of creation lasted many thousands of years.--Psalm 90:4.
WHY IT MATTERS
The false ideas of creationists could lead you to dismiss the Bible altogether. On the other hand, if the Bible actually contains a credible account of creation, you stand to benefit from its storehouse of “practical wisdom.”--Proverbs 3:21.
Did God use evolution to create life on earth? “God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds.’”--Genesis 1:24.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God did not make life in a simple form and allow it to evolve into more complex forms. Instead, he created basic “kinds” of complex plants and animals, which then reproduced “according to their kinds.” (Genesis 1:11, 21, 24) This process, which continues today, has resulted in the earth being filled with the same “kinds” of life that God originally created.--Psalm 89:11.
The Bible does not specify how much variation can occur within a kind, as might result when animals within a kind interbreed and adapt to their environment. While some view such adaptations as a form of evolution, no new kind of life is produced. Modern research supports the idea that the basic categories of plants and animals have changed little over vast periods of time.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Bible’s scientific accuracy in describing basic “kinds” of life strengthens its credibility in other areas, including history and prophecy.
Where did the raw material of the universe come from? “I stretched out the heavens with my own hands.”--Isaiah 45:12.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God is the Source of infinite power, or energy. (Job 37:23) This is significant, because scientists have learned that energy can be converted into matter. The Bible says that God himself is the Source of the “vast dynamic energy” that produced the universe. (Isaiah 40:26) God promises to use his power to sustain his creation, for the Bible says regarding the sun, moon, and stars: “[God] keeps them established forever and ever.”--Psalm 148:3-6.
WHY IT MATTERS
The astronomer Allan Sandage click: Allan Sandage once said: “Science cannot answer the deepest questions. As soon as you ask why is there something instead of nothing, you have gone beyond science.” Not only does the Bible explain creation in a way that harmonizes with science but it also answers questions that science cannot—such as, What is God’s purpose for the earth and for mankind?
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Article 2 of 2 relating to the Creation
Sandage Test Affirms Biblical Creation Model and Constant Laws of Physics
March 4, 2013
By Dr. Hugh Ross
Reasons to Believe emerged from my passion to research, develop, and proclaim the most powerful new reasons to believe in Christ as Creator, Lord, and Savior and to use those new reasons to reach people for Christ.
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Sandage Test Affirms Biblical Creation Model and Constant Laws of Physics. March 4, 2013. By Dr. Hugh Ross.
More than fifty years ago, astronomer Allan Sandage proposed an assumption-free test for establishing which model for the creation and history of the universe is correct. The test can also determine the nature of dark energy, potentially uncover yet more evidence for supernatural, super-intelligent design, and establish an indisputable age for the universe. At the time Sandage suggested his test, instruments did not exist to perform it. Today, they do and the next generation of telescopes—scheduled to be operational within the next six to eleven years—will be able to perform the test within years rather than decades. As an added bonus, the Sandage test measurements have already demonstrated to a much greater degree that the biblical prediction of constant laws of physics is correct.
Allan Sandage (see Image 1), often described as the most influential astronomer of the last half-century, is credited with founding the discipline of observational cosmology. As Edwin Hubble’s star student, he took over Hubble’s mission to measure the universe’s expansion and, through those measurements, to determine the physics of the cosmic creation event. In his prime, Sandage published close to fifty papers per year in peer-reviewed astrophysical journals. Even in the last year of his life (2010), at age 84, Sandage published five papers. Throughout his career he won several awards for achievements in cosmology, including the Crafoord Prize (the astronomical equivalent of the Nobel Prize).
Image 1: Allan Sandage Inside the Dome of the 100-inch Mt. Wilson Telescope
Image credit: Permission for RTB’s use granted by Allan Sandage
Not all of Sandage’s discoveries were astronomical. I met Sandage when I was a research fellow at Caltech. A few years later, while serving as Sierra Madre Congregational Church’s minister of evangelism I noted Sandage’s name on one of the church’s registration cards. I paid him a visit. He told me he had just given his life to Christ after studying the Bible for 35 years. He then proceeded to ask me two questions: (1) Did I believe the Bible to be the error-free word of God, cover to cover, in all respects, including science and history? (2) How old did I believe the universe to be? After he heard my answers, Sandage told me ours was the only church out of sixty-six he had checked out that gave answers he felt he could endorse. Sandage not only got involved in our church, he also gave me access to library resources that greatly facilitated my writing of Creation and Time and The Creator and the Cosmos.
I first read a paper by Sandage while still in high school. In that paper Sandage proposed an elegant test, free of assumptions, that would definitely prove which of the following models for the universe is correct: steady state, oscillating, hesitating, and various ever-expanding big bang.1 The test was to measure in real time the changingredshifts of distant galaxies. That is, Sandage proposed accurate measurements of galaxy redshifts over a long span of time to determine whether the redshift values were decreasing or increasing and by how much. Sandage pointed out that observations of the 21-centimeter neutral hydrogen line by radio astronomers offered the best chance of success. However, given the instrumentation available at the time (1962) it would take nearly 1 million years of observations to establish the correct cosmological model.
Thirty-two years later, astronomer Abraham Loeb proposed the same test,2apparently without any knowledge of Sandage’s paper. (Thus, some astronomical literature attaches both names to the test.) Loeb did point out that fast echelle spectrographs—developed to detect extrasolar planets—could be exploited to directly measure the variation in the cosmic expansion rate over the universe’s entire history. Thereby, researchers could determine—independent of any assumptions—the cosmic mass density, the dark energy density, Hubble’s constant, and the age and geometry of the universe. Loeb does not say this in his paper, but he has laid out a means by which the cosmic creation event and history of the universe according to the Bible3could be proven without concern for systematic errors and without making any assumptions or preconditions.
With the best fast echelle spectrographs mounted on the world’s largest optical telescopes Loeb calculated that the Sandage test would be limited to measurements on the brightest quasars. Even then, Loeb determined that a minimum of 100 years of observations would be needed to obtain a satisfactory result. However, the test could be performed in only ten years if astronomers could make measurements on several hundred bright quasars rather than just a few dozen.
A 2007 research team led by Pier-Stefano Corasaniti,4 as well as a 2008 group led by Jochen Liske,5 drew attention to the Sandage-Loeb test as means to settle the debate over the nature of dark energy. In the realm of apologetics, dark energy is significant because it currently ranks as the most spectacular scientific evidence for supernatural, super-intelligent design.6 This evidence could be made even more potent and specific to the biblical God if astronomers could determine whether dark energy is explained by a single cosmological constant, a set of cosmological constants, or by something more complex.
While dark energy appears, at least roughly, to have been governed by a single cosmological constant throughout the past nine billion years, Corasaniti’s and Liske’s teams pointed out that astronomers lacked the tools to measure dark energy’s properties over the first five billion years of the universe’s history. It is in this very historical range, as the two teams explained, that the Sandage-Loeb test is ideally poised to deliver the much-desired measurements. Nevertheless, as noted by the Corasaniti and Liske groups, existing instruments are at least a factor of ten away from producing the needed measurements within a reasonable period of time. However, Liske’s research group demonstrated that dark energy’s nature could be determined in just 20 years, through 5,000 hours of dedicated observing time on the soon-to-be constructed European Extremely Large telescope (E-ESL).7 The E-ESL telescope will be 39.3 meters (129 feet) in diameter. Construction on it will begin in 2013 and is scheduled for completion between 2023 and 2024 (see Image 2).
Image 2: Artist’s Rendition of the European Extremely Large Telescope
When built, the E-ESL will be the world’s largest optical telescope.
Image credit: European Southern Observatory
In the December 20, 2012, issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters, Jeremy Darling presented the first serious attempt to measure the real time change in the rate of the expansion of the universe.8 By this time, spectrograph technology had advanced to the point where scientists could make redshift *) measurements accurate to a few parts per hundred million. Darling established an upper limit on the rate by which dark energy is accelerating the expansion of the universe. He did this by analyzing redshift measurements of the 21-centimeter neutral hydrogen line from ten different radio galaxies made at epochs stretching from 2000 to 2012. These measurements were performed on the 100-meter (328-feet) diameter Green Bank radio telescope (see Image 3) and several other similarly sized radio telescopes.
Image 3: The Green Bank Telescope
Located in a West Virginia valley shielded from radio interference, this telescope currently ranks as the world’s largest single-antenna, fully steerable radio telescope.
Image credit: NRAO/AUI
Darling’s upper limit was robust enough to demonstrate that in just 125 years (and without any further advance in technology), ongoing measurements of the 21-centimeter neutral hydrogen line, by the Green Bank telescope, could determine several important features of the cosmos. These include the nature of dark energy and precise values for the cosmic mass density, da rk energy density, Hubble’s constant, the age of the universe, and the universe’s geometry—again without any appeal to assumptions or cosmic model parameters.
Yet it seems 125 years is a long time to wait for such important cosmological results. Darling went on to show that the wait would be reduced to just 5 years if scientists perform the Sandage-Loeb tests on the future Square Kilometer Array (see Image 4). Observations on this array will be possible by 2019. Thus, before the end of the 2020s, humanity could be confronted with: (1) indisputable evidence for the biblical cosmic creation model, (2) dramatically improved evidence for supernatural, super-intelligent design, and (3) by implication, the God of the Bible.
Image 4: Artist’s Rendition of a Portion of the Square Kilometer Array
This array will have a light collecting area equal to 1,000,000 square meters, making it about fifty times more sensitive than any other radio instrument. The antennae will be located in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The data links between the antennae will have a capacity greater than the current global Internet traffic. Construction will begin in 2016, with initial observations by 2019, and full operation by 2024.
Image credit: Square Kilometer Array Project Development Office
Coincidentally, an immediate and very important apologetics argument resulted from Darling’s report. His analysis of existing measurements confirmed—to a much greater degree—that the Bible got it right when it stated, thousands of years ago, the physical laws governing the universe and Earth do not vary.9 The measurements to which Darling refers establish that the fine structure constant, the proton gyromagnetic factor, and the ratio of the electron mass to the proton mass indeed have remained constant over the past 10.4 billion years. The maximum fractional change in these physical constants over the past 10.4 billion years is less than 3 x 10-6.10 This translates into a maximum possible change of less than one part in 5 x 1016 per year.11 Darling’s proof of the constancy of the physical laws that govern the universe is six times superior to the best previous effort.12
The Sandage-Loeb test, and Darling’s recent attempt to apply it, have already yielded a big payoff in providing more scientific evidence for the biblical model of creation and for the God of the Bible. As that test becomes more robust through the next generation of telescopes, we can look forward to even more scientific evidence for the Christian faith. We also can expect that Sandage test measurements will definitely establish the scientifically accepted age of the universe. Research by Sandage, Loeb, Corasaniti et al., Liske et al., and Darling demonstrates that the more we learn about the universe and the physics that governs it, the more reasons we gain to believe in Christ as Creator and Lord.
Subjects: Big Bang, Universe Design
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Sunday 2/16/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) Spiritism
Definition of spiritism:
the belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with the living, esp. through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence
Is it wrong or right to attempt to communicate with the dead?
THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
“Do not turn to the spirit mediums . . . so as to become unclean by them.”--Leviticus 19:31.
Click colored areas for further info
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Understandably, people want reassurance that a dead loved one is not suffering. So they say: “Why not try to make contact with him or her by means of a spirit, or psychic, medium? Perhaps the medium can give us some sort of closure and peace of mind.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible is clear concerning attempts by the living to contact the dead—a practice that was common in ancient times. For example, Jehovah God’s Law to the nation of Israel said: “There should not be found in you anyone . . . who consults a spirit medium or . . . inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) The Bible also states that those who practice spiritism in any of its forms “will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”--Galatians 5:19-21.
Can the dead influence the living?
“The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all.”--Ecclesiastes 9:5.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Many claim that the dead live on in some form. Hence, they may try to communicate with the dead, perhaps to obtain information or to appease the dead in hopes that they will leave the living in peace.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all . . . Their love and their hate and their jealousy [all of which they felt while alive] have already perished.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6) Yes, the Bible teaches that the dead are just that—dead! They cannot think, act, or even worship God. “The dead do not praise [God]; nor do any who go down into the silence of death,” says Psalm 115:17.
Do not spirit mediums at times provide accurate details?“Should [people] inquire of the dead in behalf of the living?”--Isaiah 8:19.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some claim that spirit mediums are able to disclose information that only the dead and their family or friends could possibly know.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Chapter 28 of the book of 1 Samuel relates how an unfaithful king named Saul violated God’s command not to consult spirit mediums. He appealed to a medium, a woman who seemed to communicate with a deceased man of God named Samuel! But did she actually contact Samuel? No! She was, in fact, communicating with an impostor—someone impersonating dead Samuel.
That impostor was a wicked spirit, an agent of “the father of the lie”—Satan. (John 8:44) Why do the wicked spirits, or demons, promote the view that the dead live on? Their goal is to malign God and discredit his written Word, the Bible.--2 Timothy 3:16.
Does the foregoing mean that the dead have no hope? Not at all! The Bible promises a future resurrection for those who are ‘asleep,’ as it were, in the grave. *
(John 11:11-13; Acts 24:15) In the meantime, we are assured that our dead loved ones are not suffering in any way.
________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 2/16/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) Spiritism
Definition of spiritism:
the belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with the living, esp. through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence
Is it wrong or right to attempt to communicate with the dead?
THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
“Do not turn to the spirit mediums . . . so as to become unclean by them.”--Leviticus 19:31.
Click colored areas for further info
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Understandably, people want reassurance that a dead loved one is not suffering. So they say: “Why not try to make contact with him or her by means of a spirit, or psychic, medium? Perhaps the medium can give us some sort of closure and peace of mind.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible is clear concerning attempts by the living to contact the dead—a practice that was common in ancient times. For example, Jehovah God’s Law to the nation of Israel said: “There should not be found in you anyone . . . who consults a spirit medium or . . . inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) The Bible also states that those who practice spiritism in any of its forms “will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”--Galatians 5:19-21.
Can the dead influence the living?
“The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all.”--Ecclesiastes 9:5.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Many claim that the dead live on in some form. Hence, they may try to communicate with the dead, perhaps to obtain information or to appease the dead in hopes that they will leave the living in peace.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all . . . Their love and their hate and their jealousy [all of which they felt while alive] have already perished.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6) Yes, the Bible teaches that the dead are just that—dead! They cannot think, act, or even worship God. “The dead do not praise [God]; nor do any who go down into the silence of death,” says Psalm 115:17.
Do not spirit mediums at times provide accurate details?“Should [people] inquire of the dead in behalf of the living?”--Isaiah 8:19.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Some claim that spirit mediums are able to disclose information that only the dead and their family or friends could possibly know.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Chapter 28 of the book of 1 Samuel relates how an unfaithful king named Saul violated God’s command not to consult spirit mediums. He appealed to a medium, a woman who seemed to communicate with a deceased man of God named Samuel! But did she actually contact Samuel? No! She was, in fact, communicating with an impostor—someone impersonating dead Samuel.
That impostor was a wicked spirit, an agent of “the father of the lie”—Satan. (John 8:44) Why do the wicked spirits, or demons, promote the view that the dead live on? Their goal is to malign God and discredit his written Word, the Bible.--2 Timothy 3:16.
Does the foregoing mean that the dead have no hope? Not at all! The Bible promises a future resurrection for those who are ‘asleep,’ as it were, in the grave. *
(John 11:11-13; Acts 24:15) In the meantime, we are assured that our dead loved ones are not suffering in any way.
________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
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Sunday 2/23/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) The Bite of Death
Is The Human Death The Final End?
Death is an uncomfortable subject. Many people prefer not to talk about it. But sooner or later, we must confront it. And the sting of death is sharp and painful.
Nothing can fully prepare us for the loss of a parent, a spouse, or a child. A tragedy may strike unexpectedly or unfold relentlessly. Whatever the case, the pain of death cannot be eluded, and its finality can be devastating.
Richard, who lost his father in a road accident, explains: “It is like somebody sealing up your house and taking away the keys. You cannot return home, even for a moment. You are left with only your memories. This is the new reality. Although you try to deny it—since it seems so unfair—there is nothing you can do.”
When faced with a similar loss, Mary, who became a widow at the age of 47, resolved to find some answers. As a Sunday-school teacher, she never felt that death ended it all. But she had no clear answers. “What happens to us when we die?” she asked her Church minister. “No one really knows,” he replied. “We will just have to wait and see.”
Are we condemned merely to “wait and see”? Is there any way we can know for sure whether death ends it all?
Our Fight Against Mortality
Death is a fearsome enemy. We fight it with all our might. We may try to deny it when it strikes someone dear to us. Or, in the exuberance of youth, we may imagine that the enemy will never come to claim us—a delusion we cling to as long as we can.
Few thought more about immortality than the ancient Pharaohs. They spent much of their own lives—as well as the lives of thousands of workers—in an attempt to conquer death. The pyramids they built testify to their quest—and to their failure.
Chinese emperors followed a similar dream of immortality, albeit through a different route—that of the mythical elixir of life. Emperor Qin Shi Huang demanded that his alchemists find a magic potion that could keep death at bay. But many of their concoctions contained toxic mercury, and one of their mixtures likely killed him.
In the 16th century C.E., the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León sailed the Caribbean reportedly in search of a fountain of youth. He discovered Florida, U.S.A., in the process but died a few years later after a skirmish with Native Americans. And no fountain of youth has ever been found.
The Pharaohs, emperors, and explorers all sought to conquer death. And who of us would have belittled their goal, even if we disliked their methods? Deep down, practically all of us want to keep living.
CAN DEATH BE CONQUERED?
Why do we rebel against death? The Bible explains the reason. Regarding our Creator, God, it says: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has even put eternity in their [mankind’s] heart.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We would like to enjoy earth’s beauty forever, not for a mere 80 years or so. (Psalm 90:10) That is our heart’s desire.
Why did God put “eternity” in our hearts? Merely to frustrate us? That is unthinkable. On the contrary, God promises us that there will come a victory over death. The Bible repeatedly speaks about the elimination of death and God’s promise of everlasting life.
Jesus Christ himself clearly stated: “This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) So the battle against death is not a hopeless one. Jesus confirms, however, that only God can win that battle for us.
Victory Over Death
“He will swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces.”--Isaiah 25:8.
“This is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life.”--John 6:40.
“The last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing.”--1 Corinthians 15:26.
“We have the hope of the everlasting life that God, who cannot lie, promised long ago.”--Titus 1:2.
“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.”--Revelation 21:4.
Death Does Not End Our Life - There Is A New Life Waiting
Jesus said. “The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.”--John 11:25.
Bethany was a small village that lay two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem. (John 11:18) A tragedy unfolded there a few weeks before Jesus’ death. Lazarus, one of Jesus’ close friends, unexpectedly became seriously ill and died.
When Jesus first heard the news, he told his disciples that Lazarus was asleep and that he intended to awaken him. (John 11:11) But Jesus’ disciples did not grasp his meaning, so Jesus told them plainly: “Lazarus has died.”--John 11:14.
Four days after the burial, Jesus arrived at Bethany and sought to comfort Martha, a sister of the deceased. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” Martha said. (John 11:17, 21) “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus replied. “The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.”--John 11:25.
To demonstrate that those words were not an empty promise, Jesus then approached the tomb and cried out: “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43) And to the astonishment of the onlookers, the dead man emerged.
Jesus had performed at least two resurrections previously. On one occasion he raised a young girl from the dead—the daughter of Jairus. Right before Jesus resurrected her, he also described her as being asleep.--Luke 8:52.
Notice that regarding the death of both Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, Jesus compared death to sleep. That is a fitting comparison. Why? Sleep is an unconscious state and suitably conveys the idea of rest from pain and suffering. (Ecclesiastes 9:5; see the accompanying box, “Death Is Like a Deep Sleep.”) Jesus’ early disciples clearly understood the true condition of the dead. “To the followers of Jesus death was a sleep, and the grave a resting-place . . . for those who had died in the faith,”* states theEncyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.
It comforts us to know that the dead are asleep in the grave and are not suffering. Death thereby loses its mystery and no longer needs to cause us dread.
“IF A MAN DIES, CAN HE LIVE AGAIN?”
But while we appreciate a good night’s rest, who wants to go to sleep forever? What hope do we have that the dead who lie asleep in the grave will return to life—as Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter did?
The patriarch Job raised that very question when he felt near to death. “If a man dies, can he live again?” he asked.--Job 14:14.
Addressing Almighty God, Job answered his own question, saying: “You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.” (Job 14:15) Job felt sure that God longed for the day when He would resurrect His faithful servant. Was that mere wishful thinking on Job’s part? Not at all.
The resurrections performed by Jesus offered clear proof that God gave Jesus power over death. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus now possesses “the keys of death.” (Revelation 1:18) So Jesus will unlock the gates of the grave, just as he ordered that the stone of Lazarus’ tomb be rolled away.
The Bible repeats this resurrection promise time and again. An angel assured the prophet Daniel: “You will rest, but you will stand up for your lot at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13) Jesus told the Sadducees, Jewish leaders who denied the resurrection promise: “You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:23, 29) The apostle Paul said: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”--Acts 24:15.
WHEN WILL THE DEAD ARISE?
When will this resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous occur? The angel told righteous Daniel that he would rise up “at the end of the days.” Martha likewise believed that her brother, Lazarus, would “rise in the resurrection on the last day.”--John 11:24.
The Bible connects this “last day” with Christ’s Kingdom rule. Paul wrote: “For he [Christ] must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing.” (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26) This is a powerful reason why we should pray for God’s Kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on the earth.*
As Job well knew, God’s will is to resurrect the dead. When that day arrives, death will truly be brought to nothing. And never again will anyone wonder, ‘Does death end it all?’
The English word “cemetery” comes from a Greek word meaning “sleeping place.”
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin coemētērium < Greek koimētḗrion a sleeping place,equivalent to koimē- (variant stem of koimân to put to sleep) + -tērion suffix of locality
Death Is Like a Deep Sleep
“Give light to my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death.”--Psalm 13:3.
“‘Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.’ The disciples then said to him: ‘Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.’ Jesus, however, had spoken about his death.”--John 11:11-13.
“David, on the one hand, rendered service to God in his own generation [and] fell asleep in death.”--Acts 13:36.
“Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death.”--1 Corinthians 15:20.
“We do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope.”--1 Thessalonians 4:13.
The Dead Will Rise
“Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully!”--Isaiah 26:19.
“Many of those asleep in the dust of the earth will wake up.”--Daniel 12:2.
“The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.”--John 5:28, 29.
________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 2/23/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) The Bite of Death
Is The Human Death The Final End?
Death is an uncomfortable subject. Many people prefer not to talk about it. But sooner or later, we must confront it. And the sting of death is sharp and painful.
Nothing can fully prepare us for the loss of a parent, a spouse, or a child. A tragedy may strike unexpectedly or unfold relentlessly. Whatever the case, the pain of death cannot be eluded, and its finality can be devastating.
Richard, who lost his father in a road accident, explains: “It is like somebody sealing up your house and taking away the keys. You cannot return home, even for a moment. You are left with only your memories. This is the new reality. Although you try to deny it—since it seems so unfair—there is nothing you can do.”
When faced with a similar loss, Mary, who became a widow at the age of 47, resolved to find some answers. As a Sunday-school teacher, she never felt that death ended it all. But she had no clear answers. “What happens to us when we die?” she asked her Church minister. “No one really knows,” he replied. “We will just have to wait and see.”
Are we condemned merely to “wait and see”? Is there any way we can know for sure whether death ends it all?
Our Fight Against Mortality
Death is a fearsome enemy. We fight it with all our might. We may try to deny it when it strikes someone dear to us. Or, in the exuberance of youth, we may imagine that the enemy will never come to claim us—a delusion we cling to as long as we can.
Few thought more about immortality than the ancient Pharaohs. They spent much of their own lives—as well as the lives of thousands of workers—in an attempt to conquer death. The pyramids they built testify to their quest—and to their failure.
Chinese emperors followed a similar dream of immortality, albeit through a different route—that of the mythical elixir of life. Emperor Qin Shi Huang demanded that his alchemists find a magic potion that could keep death at bay. But many of their concoctions contained toxic mercury, and one of their mixtures likely killed him.
In the 16th century C.E., the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León sailed the Caribbean reportedly in search of a fountain of youth. He discovered Florida, U.S.A., in the process but died a few years later after a skirmish with Native Americans. And no fountain of youth has ever been found.
The Pharaohs, emperors, and explorers all sought to conquer death. And who of us would have belittled their goal, even if we disliked their methods? Deep down, practically all of us want to keep living.
CAN DEATH BE CONQUERED?
Why do we rebel against death? The Bible explains the reason. Regarding our Creator, God, it says: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has even put eternity in their [mankind’s] heart.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We would like to enjoy earth’s beauty forever, not for a mere 80 years or so. (Psalm 90:10) That is our heart’s desire.
Why did God put “eternity” in our hearts? Merely to frustrate us? That is unthinkable. On the contrary, God promises us that there will come a victory over death. The Bible repeatedly speaks about the elimination of death and God’s promise of everlasting life.
Jesus Christ himself clearly stated: “This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) So the battle against death is not a hopeless one. Jesus confirms, however, that only God can win that battle for us.
Victory Over Death
“He will swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces.”--Isaiah 25:8.
“This is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life.”--John 6:40.
“The last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing.”--1 Corinthians 15:26.
“We have the hope of the everlasting life that God, who cannot lie, promised long ago.”--Titus 1:2.
“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.”--Revelation 21:4.
Death Does Not End Our Life - There Is A New Life Waiting
Jesus said. “The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.”--John 11:25.
Bethany was a small village that lay two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem. (John 11:18) A tragedy unfolded there a few weeks before Jesus’ death. Lazarus, one of Jesus’ close friends, unexpectedly became seriously ill and died.
When Jesus first heard the news, he told his disciples that Lazarus was asleep and that he intended to awaken him. (John 11:11) But Jesus’ disciples did not grasp his meaning, so Jesus told them plainly: “Lazarus has died.”--John 11:14.
Four days after the burial, Jesus arrived at Bethany and sought to comfort Martha, a sister of the deceased. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” Martha said. (John 11:17, 21) “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus replied. “The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.”--John 11:25.
To demonstrate that those words were not an empty promise, Jesus then approached the tomb and cried out: “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43) And to the astonishment of the onlookers, the dead man emerged.
Jesus had performed at least two resurrections previously. On one occasion he raised a young girl from the dead—the daughter of Jairus. Right before Jesus resurrected her, he also described her as being asleep.--Luke 8:52.
Notice that regarding the death of both Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, Jesus compared death to sleep. That is a fitting comparison. Why? Sleep is an unconscious state and suitably conveys the idea of rest from pain and suffering. (Ecclesiastes 9:5; see the accompanying box, “Death Is Like a Deep Sleep.”) Jesus’ early disciples clearly understood the true condition of the dead. “To the followers of Jesus death was a sleep, and the grave a resting-place . . . for those who had died in the faith,”* states theEncyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.
It comforts us to know that the dead are asleep in the grave and are not suffering. Death thereby loses its mystery and no longer needs to cause us dread.
“IF A MAN DIES, CAN HE LIVE AGAIN?”
But while we appreciate a good night’s rest, who wants to go to sleep forever? What hope do we have that the dead who lie asleep in the grave will return to life—as Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter did?
The patriarch Job raised that very question when he felt near to death. “If a man dies, can he live again?” he asked.--Job 14:14.
Addressing Almighty God, Job answered his own question, saying: “You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.” (Job 14:15) Job felt sure that God longed for the day when He would resurrect His faithful servant. Was that mere wishful thinking on Job’s part? Not at all.
The resurrections performed by Jesus offered clear proof that God gave Jesus power over death. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus now possesses “the keys of death.” (Revelation 1:18) So Jesus will unlock the gates of the grave, just as he ordered that the stone of Lazarus’ tomb be rolled away.
The Bible repeats this resurrection promise time and again. An angel assured the prophet Daniel: “You will rest, but you will stand up for your lot at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13) Jesus told the Sadducees, Jewish leaders who denied the resurrection promise: “You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:23, 29) The apostle Paul said: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”--Acts 24:15.
WHEN WILL THE DEAD ARISE?
When will this resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous occur? The angel told righteous Daniel that he would rise up “at the end of the days.” Martha likewise believed that her brother, Lazarus, would “rise in the resurrection on the last day.”--John 11:24.
The Bible connects this “last day” with Christ’s Kingdom rule. Paul wrote: “For he [Christ] must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing.” (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26) This is a powerful reason why we should pray for God’s Kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on the earth.*
As Job well knew, God’s will is to resurrect the dead. When that day arrives, death will truly be brought to nothing. And never again will anyone wonder, ‘Does death end it all?’
The English word “cemetery” comes from a Greek word meaning “sleeping place.”
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin coemētērium < Greek koimētḗrion a sleeping place,equivalent to koimē- (variant stem of koimân to put to sleep) + -tērion suffix of locality
Death Is Like a Deep Sleep
“Give light to my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death.”--Psalm 13:3.
“‘Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.’ The disciples then said to him: ‘Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.’ Jesus, however, had spoken about his death.”--John 11:11-13.
“David, on the one hand, rendered service to God in his own generation [and] fell asleep in death.”--Acts 13:36.
“Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death.”--1 Corinthians 15:20.
“We do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope.”--1 Thessalonians 4:13.
The Dead Will Rise
“Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully!”--Isaiah 26:19.
“Many of those asleep in the dust of the earth will wake up.”--Daniel 12:2.
“The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.”--John 5:28, 29.
________________________________________________________
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Sunday 3/2/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 2) Hope for the Dead—The Resurrection
Do you believe in the Bible’s promise of a resurrection? * The prospect of being reunited with our loved ones who have died is appealing, to say the least. But is it realistic to nourish such a hope? To help answer that, we do well to consider the example of the apostles of Jesus Christ.
The apostles firmly believed in the resurrection of the dead. Why? For at least two reasons. First, their hope was primarily based on this fact: Jesus himself had been raised from the dead. The apostles—and “more than 500 brothers at one time”—saw the resurrected Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:6) Additionally, Jesus’ resurrection was widely attested to and accepted, as the four Gospels show.--Matthew 27:62–28:20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1–21:25.
Second, the apostles had witnessed Jesus carry out at least three resurrections—first at Nain, then at Capernaum, and finally at Bethany. (Luke 7:11-17; 8:49-56; John 11:1-44) The last of those resurrections, described earlier in this issue, involved a family especially close to Jesus. Let us look further at what happened.
“I AM THE RESURRECTION”
“Your brother will rise.” Jesus spoke those words to Martha, whose brother, Lazarus, had been dead for four days. Martha did not at first understand the meaning of Jesus’ words. “I know he will rise,” she responded, but she thought that it would be at some time in the future. Imagine her surprise when after hearing Jesus say, “I am the resurrection and the life,” she saw Jesus raise her brother from the dead!--John 11:23-25.
Where was Lazarus during the four days after his death? Lazarus said nothing to suggest that he had been alive somewhere else during those four days. No, Lazarus did not have an immortal soul that had gone to heaven. By resurrecting Lazarus, Jesus did not bring him back down to earth, dragging him away from enjoying heavenly bliss in a place near to God. So where was Lazarus during those four days? He was, in fact, asleep in the grave.--Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10.
Remember, Jesus compared death to a sleep from which one is awakened by resurrection. The account reads: “‘Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.’ The disciples then said to him: ‘Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.’ Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly: ‘Lazarus has died.’” (John 11:11-14) By resurrecting Lazarus, Jesus gave him back his life and reunited him with his family. What a marvelous gift Jesus gave to that family!
The resurrections Jesus performed when on earth were a foregleam of what he will do in the future as King of God’s Kingdom. * During his rule over the earth, the heavenly Jesus will bring back to life those humans who are asleep in mankind’s common grave. That is why he said: “I am the resurrection.” Think of the happiness you will feel when you see your loved ones again! Think, too, of the joy that resurrected ones will experience!--Luke 8:56.
Think of the happiness you will feel when you see your loved ones again!
FAITH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE
Jesus said to Martha: “The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone who is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all.” (John 11:25, 26) Those whom Jesus resurrects during his thousand-year reign will have the prospect of living forever—as long as they truly put faith in him.
“The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life.”--John 11:25
After making those remarkable statements about the resurrection, Jesus asked Martha a soul-searching question: “‘Do you believe this?’ She said to him: ‘Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God.’” (John 11:26, 27) What about you—would you like to develop the kind of faith in the resurrection hope that Martha had? A first step is to take in knowledge of God’s purpose for humankind. (John 17:3; 1 Timothy 2:4) Such knowledge can lead to faith. Why not ask Jehovah’s Witnesses to show you what the Bible teaches about this subject? They will be happy to discuss with you the marvelous hope of the resurrection.
Below article 2 of 2
Sunday 3/2/14
____________________________
Topic: (2 of 2) - PART A
WAS IT DESIGNED?
The Lantern of the Photuris Firefly
click: Photuris (genus)
click: Images for Photuris Firefly
The Lantern of the Photuris Firefly
Could that concept improve the efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs),
which are used in electronic devices?
THE lantern, or light organ, of a particular Photuris firefly is covered with jagged scales that dramatically enhance the brightness of the light that the insect produces. *
Jagged scales
Consider: Researchers have found that tiny scales on the lantern surface of some fireflies form a corrugated pattern, somewhat like overlapping shingles or tiles.
The scales tilt up at one end by just 3 micrometers—less than one twentieth the thickness of a human hair. Yet this tiny tilt lets the lantern shine almost 50 percent more brightly than it would if the scales formed an even surface!
Could that concept improve the efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are used in electronic devices? To find out, scientists coated LEDs with a corrugated surface similar to that of the firefly’s lantern. The result? The LEDs emitted up to 55 percent more light! Physicist Annick Bay says: “The most important aspect of this work is that it shows how much we can learn by carefully observing nature.”
What do you think? Did the lantern of those Photuris fireflies come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
See below PART B
_______________
Scientists Make Brighter LEDs by Mimicking Fireflies
Topic: (2 of 2) - PART B
Fireflies have inspired scientists to modify LEDs so that they are more than one and a half times more efficient. Researchers have studied the internal structure of firefly lanterns, the organs responsible for the insects’ bioluminescence.
The scientists published their findings in two papers in the journal Optics Express¹ ². The scientists identified an unexpected pattern of jagged scales, which enhances the overall glow. If this were to be applied to the LED design, it would create an LED overlayer that mimics the natural structure. This overlayer would increase light extraction by up to 55% and could be easily tailored to existing designs.
Fireflies create light thanks to a chemical reaction taking place in photocytes. The light is emitted through the cuticle, which is part of the insect’s exoskeleton. Light travels slower through the cuticle than through air, so there is a portion of the light that is reflected back into the lantern, dimming the glow. The unique surface geometry of the fireflies’ cuticle helps minimize internal reflections, allowing more light escapes to reach the eyes of potential firefly suitors.
Using scanning electron microscopes, the researchers were able to identify structures like nanoscale ribs and misfit scales on the fireflies’ cuticles¹. They then used computer simulations to model the structures to see how it would affect light transmission, finding that the sharp edges of the jagged, misfit scales let out the most light.
The researchers refer to the edge structures as having a factor roof shape, where the tips of the scales protrude and have a tilted slope. The protrusions repeat every 10 micrometers, with a height of about 3 micrometers. The researchers also found that a big-scale structure was more effective at reflecting light that the nanoscale ones.
In the other paper², the researchers created a jagged overlayer on top of a standard gallium nitride LED. Light-sensitive material was deposited on top of the LED, and sections were exposed using a laser to create the triangular factory-roof profile. The dimensions were adjusted for the size of the LED.
Other research groups have studied the photonic structures in firefly lanterns as well, and have even mimicked some of the structures to enhance light extraction in LEDs, but their work focused on nanoscale features.
References
Click colored titles for further info:
- “Improved light extraction in the bioluminescent lantern of a Photuris firefly (Lampyridae),” Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 764-780 (2013).
- “An optimal light-extracting overlayer, inspired by the lantern of a Photuris firefly, to improve the external efficiency of existing light-emitting diode,” Optics Express,Vol. 21 Issue S1, pp. A179-A189 (2013).
Other web links:
click:
Optimal overlayer inspired by Photuris firefly improves light
What do you think? Did the lantern of those Photuris fireflies come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
God uses scientists as His prophets guiding us to have use of our Creator's knowledge
That's what also The Bible is about: How to stay healthy & succeed in life in every aspect, including financially
________________________________________________________
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Sunday 3/23/14 - The Miracle Show
Civilization’s Starter Kit By LEWIS DARTNELL
I’M an astrobiologist *) — I study the essential building blocks of life, on this planet and others. But I don’t know how to fix a dripping tap, or what to do when the washing machine goes on the blink. I don’t know how to bake bread, let alone grow wheat. I’m utterly useless with my hands. My father-in-law used to joke that I had three degrees, but didn’t know anything about anything, whereas he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Life.
*) Click: Astrobiology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe: extraterrestrial life and life on Earth. This interdisciplinary field ...
Overview - Methodology - Life in the Solar System - Rare Earth hypothesis
It’s not just me. Many purchases today no longer even come with an instruction manual. If something breaks it’s easier to chuck it and buy a new model than to reach for the screwdriver. Over the past generation or two we’ve gone from being producers and tinkerers to consumers. As a result, I think we feel a sense of disconnect between our modern existence and the underlying processes that support our lives. Who has any real understanding of where their last meal came from or how the objects in their pockets were dug out of the earth and transformed into useful materials? What would we do if, in some science-fiction scenario, a global catastrophe collapsed civilization and we were members of a small society of survivors?
My research has to do with what factors planets need to support life. Recently, I’ve been wondering what factors are needed to support our modern civilization. What key principles of science and technology would be necessary to rebuild our world from scratch?
The great physicist Richard Feynman once posed a similar question: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis that all things are made of atoms — little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.”
That certainly does encapsulate a huge amount of understanding, but it also wouldn’t be particularly useful, in a practical sense. So, allowing myself to be a little more expansive than a single sentence, I have some suggestions for what someone scrabbling around the ruins of civilization would need to know about basic necessities.
You would need to start with germ theory — the notion that contagious diseases are not caused by whimsical gods but by invisibly small organisms invading your body. Drinking water can be disinfected with diluted household bleach or even swimming pool chlorine. Soap for washing hands can be made from any animal fat or plant oil stirred with lye, which is soda from the ashes of burned seaweed combined with quicklime from roasted chalk or limestone. When settling down, ensure that your excrement isn’t allowed to contaminate your water source — this may sound obvious, but wasn’t understood even as late as the mid-19th century.
In the longer term, you’ll need to remaster the principles of agriculture and the ability to stockpile a food reserve and support dense cities away from the fields. The cereal crops that have sustained civilizations throughout history — wheat, rice and maize — are fast growing, perfect as fodder for livestock or, after processing, for human sustenance.
The millstone grinding grain into flour is a technological extension of our molar teeth. And when we bake bread or boil rice or pasta, we wield the transformative power of heat to help break down the complex molecules and release more easily absorbed nourishment. So in a sense, the pots and pans we use in the kitchen today are a pre-digestive system, processing what we consume so that it doesn’t poison us and maximizing the nutrition our body can extract.
Then there are the many materials society requires: How do you transform base substances like clay and iron into brick or concrete or steel, and then shape that material into a useful tool? To learn a small piece of this, I spent a day in a traditional, 18th-century iron forge, learning the essentials of the craft of the blacksmith. Sweating over an open coke-fired hearth, I managed to beat a lump of steel into a knife. Once shaped, I got it cherry-red hot and then quenched it with a satisfying squeal into a water trough, before reheating the blade slightly to temper it for extra toughness.
The first thing I did when I got home was to use the knife to slice some Cheddar and bread and make myself a grilled cheese. Unfortunately, the blade immediately developed a ruinous crack, and I’ve not had the nerve to use it again. But I made something real with my own hands and I’ve got a good idea of how to do it better next time.
Of course, it needn’t take a catastrophic collapse of civilization to make you appreciate the importance of understanding the basics of how devices around you work. Localized disasters can disrupt normal services, making a reasonable reserve of clean water, canned food and backup technologies like kerosene lamps a prudent precaution. And becoming a little more self-reliant is immensely rewarding in its own right. Thought experiments like these can help us to explore how our modern world actually came to be, and to appreciate all that we take for granted.
Take, for example, plain old glass — a wonder material that is somehow relatively strong and yet perfectly transparent. The recipe to create it is simple enough and uses some of the same ingredients as soap: a handful of silica (pure white sand, quartz or flint), some potash or soda ash (extracted by soaking wood or seaweed ash in water, straining the water and then boiling it down) and quicklime (roasted chalk or limestone); mix them together and bake in a kiln. Once the substance is fluid and bubble-free, you can form it into jars or bottles or window panes.
Glass also happens to be a crucial material for understanding the world, in the form of thermometers and test tubes, and even for manipulating light itself, when shaped into lenses for microscopes and telescopes — tools that are indispensable for science, including my own field of astrobiology. I may never have to practice the alchemy that transforms sand, soda and quicklime into this miraculous transparent membrane, but the world outside my window feels closer and more in focus for the knowing.
Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiology research fellow at the University of Leicester and the author of the forthcoming book click: “The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch.” Click: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch - Amazon.comwww.amazon.com › Books › Science & Math › Technology
Amazon.com The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch (9781594205231): Lewis Dartnell: Books.
____________________________________________________
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Sunday 3/30/14 - The Miracle Show
The Christian Penumbra
Penumbra = a surrounding or adjoining region in which something exists in a lesser degree : shadow, fringe
HERE is a seeming paradox of American life. One the one hand, there is a broad social-science correlation between religious faith and various social goods -- health and happiness, upward mobility, social trust, charitable work and civic participation.Yet at the same time, some of the most religious areas of the country — the Bible Belt, the deepest South — struggle mightily with poverty, poor health, political corruption and social disarray.
Part of this paradox can be resolved by looking at nonreligious variables like race. But part of it reflects an important fact about religion in America: The social goods associated with faith flow almost exclusively from religious participation, not from affiliation or nominal belief. And where practice ceases or diminishes, in what you might call America’s “Christian penumbra,” the remaining residue of religion can be socially damaging instead.
Consider, as a case study, the data on divorce. Earlier this year, a pair of demographers released a study showing that regions with heavy populations of conservative Protestants had higher-than-average divorce rates, even when controlling for poverty and race.
Their finding was correct, but incomplete. As the sociologist Charles Stokes pointed out, practicing conservative Protestants have much lower divorce rates, and practicing believers generally divorce less frequently than the secular and unaffiliated.
But the lukewarmly religious are a different matter. What Stokes calls “nominal” conservative Protestants, who attend church less than twice a month, have higher divorce rates even than the nonreligious. And you can find similar patterns with other indicators — out-of-wedlock births, for instance, are rarer among religious-engaged evangelical Christians, but nominal evangelicals are a very different story.
It isn’t hard to see why this might be. In the Christian penumbra, certain religious expectations could endure (a bias toward early marriage, for instance) without support networks for people struggling to live up to them. Or specific moral ideas could still have purchase without being embedded in a plausible life script. (For instance, residual pro-life sentiment could increase out-of-wedlock births.) Or religious impulses could survive in dark forms rather than positive ones — leaving structures of hypocrisy intact and ratifying social hierarchies, without inculcating virtue, charity or responsibility.
And it isn’t hard to see places in American life where these patterns could be at work. Among those working-class whites whose identification with Christianity is mostly a form of identity politics, for instance. Or among second-generation Hispanic immigrants who have drifted from their ancestral Catholicism. Or in African-American communities where the church is respected as an institution without attracting many young men on Sunday morning.
Seeing some of the problems in our culture through this lens might be useful for the religious and secular alike. For nonbelievers inclined to look down on the alleged backwardness of the Bible Belt, it would be helpful to recognize that at least some the problems they see at work reflect traditional religion’s growing weakness rather than its potency.
For believers, meanwhile, the Christian penumbra’s pathologies could just be seen as a kind of theological vindication — proof, perhaps, of the New Testament admonition that it’s much worse to be lukewarm than hot or cold.
________________________________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 3/23/14 - The Miracle Show
Civilization’s Starter Kit By LEWIS DARTNELL
I’M an astrobiologist *) — I study the essential building blocks of life, on this planet and others. But I don’t know how to fix a dripping tap, or what to do when the washing machine goes on the blink. I don’t know how to bake bread, let alone grow wheat. I’m utterly useless with my hands. My father-in-law used to joke that I had three degrees, but didn’t know anything about anything, whereas he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Life.
*) Click: Astrobiology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe: extraterrestrial life and life on Earth. This interdisciplinary field ...
Overview - Methodology - Life in the Solar System - Rare Earth hypothesis
It’s not just me. Many purchases today no longer even come with an instruction manual. If something breaks it’s easier to chuck it and buy a new model than to reach for the screwdriver. Over the past generation or two we’ve gone from being producers and tinkerers to consumers. As a result, I think we feel a sense of disconnect between our modern existence and the underlying processes that support our lives. Who has any real understanding of where their last meal came from or how the objects in their pockets were dug out of the earth and transformed into useful materials? What would we do if, in some science-fiction scenario, a global catastrophe collapsed civilization and we were members of a small society of survivors?
My research has to do with what factors planets need to support life. Recently, I’ve been wondering what factors are needed to support our modern civilization. What key principles of science and technology would be necessary to rebuild our world from scratch?
The great physicist Richard Feynman once posed a similar question: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis that all things are made of atoms — little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.”
That certainly does encapsulate a huge amount of understanding, but it also wouldn’t be particularly useful, in a practical sense. So, allowing myself to be a little more expansive than a single sentence, I have some suggestions for what someone scrabbling around the ruins of civilization would need to know about basic necessities.
You would need to start with germ theory — the notion that contagious diseases are not caused by whimsical gods but by invisibly small organisms invading your body. Drinking water can be disinfected with diluted household bleach or even swimming pool chlorine. Soap for washing hands can be made from any animal fat or plant oil stirred with lye, which is soda from the ashes of burned seaweed combined with quicklime from roasted chalk or limestone. When settling down, ensure that your excrement isn’t allowed to contaminate your water source — this may sound obvious, but wasn’t understood even as late as the mid-19th century.
In the longer term, you’ll need to remaster the principles of agriculture and the ability to stockpile a food reserve and support dense cities away from the fields. The cereal crops that have sustained civilizations throughout history — wheat, rice and maize — are fast growing, perfect as fodder for livestock or, after processing, for human sustenance.
The millstone grinding grain into flour is a technological extension of our molar teeth. And when we bake bread or boil rice or pasta, we wield the transformative power of heat to help break down the complex molecules and release more easily absorbed nourishment. So in a sense, the pots and pans we use in the kitchen today are a pre-digestive system, processing what we consume so that it doesn’t poison us and maximizing the nutrition our body can extract.
Then there are the many materials society requires: How do you transform base substances like clay and iron into brick or concrete or steel, and then shape that material into a useful tool? To learn a small piece of this, I spent a day in a traditional, 18th-century iron forge, learning the essentials of the craft of the blacksmith. Sweating over an open coke-fired hearth, I managed to beat a lump of steel into a knife. Once shaped, I got it cherry-red hot and then quenched it with a satisfying squeal into a water trough, before reheating the blade slightly to temper it for extra toughness.
The first thing I did when I got home was to use the knife to slice some Cheddar and bread and make myself a grilled cheese. Unfortunately, the blade immediately developed a ruinous crack, and I’ve not had the nerve to use it again. But I made something real with my own hands and I’ve got a good idea of how to do it better next time.
Of course, it needn’t take a catastrophic collapse of civilization to make you appreciate the importance of understanding the basics of how devices around you work. Localized disasters can disrupt normal services, making a reasonable reserve of clean water, canned food and backup technologies like kerosene lamps a prudent precaution. And becoming a little more self-reliant is immensely rewarding in its own right. Thought experiments like these can help us to explore how our modern world actually came to be, and to appreciate all that we take for granted.
Take, for example, plain old glass — a wonder material that is somehow relatively strong and yet perfectly transparent. The recipe to create it is simple enough and uses some of the same ingredients as soap: a handful of silica (pure white sand, quartz or flint), some potash or soda ash (extracted by soaking wood or seaweed ash in water, straining the water and then boiling it down) and quicklime (roasted chalk or limestone); mix them together and bake in a kiln. Once the substance is fluid and bubble-free, you can form it into jars or bottles or window panes.
Glass also happens to be a crucial material for understanding the world, in the form of thermometers and test tubes, and even for manipulating light itself, when shaped into lenses for microscopes and telescopes — tools that are indispensable for science, including my own field of astrobiology. I may never have to practice the alchemy that transforms sand, soda and quicklime into this miraculous transparent membrane, but the world outside my window feels closer and more in focus for the knowing.
Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiology research fellow at the University of Leicester and the author of the forthcoming book click: “The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch.” Click: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch - Amazon.comwww.amazon.com › Books › Science & Math › Technology
Amazon.com The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch (9781594205231): Lewis Dartnell: Books.
____________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 3/30/14 - The Miracle Show
The Christian Penumbra
Penumbra = a surrounding or adjoining region in which something exists in a lesser degree : shadow, fringe
HERE is a seeming paradox of American life. One the one hand, there is a broad social-science correlation between religious faith and various social goods -- health and happiness, upward mobility, social trust, charitable work and civic participation.Yet at the same time, some of the most religious areas of the country — the Bible Belt, the deepest South — struggle mightily with poverty, poor health, political corruption and social disarray.
Part of this paradox can be resolved by looking at nonreligious variables like race. But part of it reflects an important fact about religion in America: The social goods associated with faith flow almost exclusively from religious participation, not from affiliation or nominal belief. And where practice ceases or diminishes, in what you might call America’s “Christian penumbra,” the remaining residue of religion can be socially damaging instead.
Consider, as a case study, the data on divorce. Earlier this year, a pair of demographers released a study showing that regions with heavy populations of conservative Protestants had higher-than-average divorce rates, even when controlling for poverty and race.
Their finding was correct, but incomplete. As the sociologist Charles Stokes pointed out, practicing conservative Protestants have much lower divorce rates, and practicing believers generally divorce less frequently than the secular and unaffiliated.
But the lukewarmly religious are a different matter. What Stokes calls “nominal” conservative Protestants, who attend church less than twice a month, have higher divorce rates even than the nonreligious. And you can find similar patterns with other indicators — out-of-wedlock births, for instance, are rarer among religious-engaged evangelical Christians, but nominal evangelicals are a very different story.
It isn’t hard to see why this might be. In the Christian penumbra, certain religious expectations could endure (a bias toward early marriage, for instance) without support networks for people struggling to live up to them. Or specific moral ideas could still have purchase without being embedded in a plausible life script. (For instance, residual pro-life sentiment could increase out-of-wedlock births.) Or religious impulses could survive in dark forms rather than positive ones — leaving structures of hypocrisy intact and ratifying social hierarchies, without inculcating virtue, charity or responsibility.
And it isn’t hard to see places in American life where these patterns could be at work. Among those working-class whites whose identification with Christianity is mostly a form of identity politics, for instance. Or among second-generation Hispanic immigrants who have drifted from their ancestral Catholicism. Or in African-American communities where the church is respected as an institution without attracting many young men on Sunday morning.
Seeing some of the problems in our culture through this lens might be useful for the religious and secular alike. For nonbelievers inclined to look down on the alleged backwardness of the Bible Belt, it would be helpful to recognize that at least some the problems they see at work reflect traditional religion’s growing weakness rather than its potency.
For believers, meanwhile, the Christian penumbra’s pathologies could just be seen as a kind of theological vindication — proof, perhaps, of the New Testament admonition that it’s much worse to be lukewarm than hot or cold.
________________________________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/13/14 - The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) Why Do People Pray? - Should You Pray?
Click colored Bible links
Is prayer part of your life? It is for many people, even some atheists. But why do people pray? According to a poll in France, half of French citizens pray or meditate at times “simply to feel better.” Like many Europeans, they do not pray in a religious sense. Rather, they seek “the soothing effects of prayer.” On the other hand, some believers turn to God only when they are in need, expecting immediate answers to their requests.— Isaiah 26:16.
What about you personally? Do you think that prayer is just a way to sort out your thoughts? If you believe in God, do you see the effects of prayer in your life? Or does it seem to you that your prayers go unanswered? The Bible can help you to view prayer, not as a feel-good therapy, but as a precious means to draw close to God.
Should You Pray?
‘If God knows everything, including my thoughts and needs, why should I pray?’ you might ask. That is a valid question. Did not Jesus say that God “knows what you need even before you ask him”? (Matthew 6:8) King David of ancient Israel realized this, and he wrote: “There is not a word on my tongue, but look! O Jehovah, you already know it well.” (Psalm 139:4) Why, then, should we turn to God in prayer? To answer that, let us consider what the Bible says about the prayers of God’s worshippers. If we ant God to listen to our prayers, we must sincerely endeavor to meet his requirements. If we do we may experience the power of prayer as discussed in this article.
“Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”--James 4:8
PRAYER DRAWS US CLOSE TO GOD
Although the Bible says that God knows everything, it also shows that he is not interested in merely collecting facts about his worshippers. (Psalm 139:6; Romans 11:33) His limitless memory is not like that of a computer that impersonally stores data about individuals. In fact, God is keenly interested in our innermost thoughts because he wants us to draw closer to him. (Psalm 139:23, 24; James 4:8) That is why Jesus encouraged his followers to pray, even though his Father well knows our basic needs. (Matthew 6:6-8) The more we share our thoughts with our Creator, the more we will draw close to him.
At times, we may find it difficult to know precisely what to ask for in prayer. In such cases, God can even look beyond our unexpressed feelings and use his perfect knowledge of our circumstances to respond to our needs. (Romans 8:26, 27; Ephesians 3:20) When we realize that God has intervened in our personal life, even in very subtle ways, we feel drawn to him.
DOES GOD ANSWER ALL PRAYERS?
The Bible assures us that Almighty God answers the prayers of his faithful servants, but it also gives reasons why he does not listen to some prayers. For example, at a time when violence was rampant in ancient Israel, God directed his prophet Isaiah to tell the people: “Although you offer many prayers, I am not listening; your hands are filled with blood.” (Isaiah 1:15) Clearly, those who show contempt for God’s laws or pray with improper motives cannot expect to be heard by God.--Proverbs 28:9; James 4:3.
On the other hand, the Bible states: “No matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Does that mean, though, that God will automatically grant his worshippers every request? Not necessarily. Consider the case of the apostle Paul, who begged God three times to remove “a thorn in the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, 8) It may be that Paul suffered from a chronic eye affliction. How frustrating that must have been for him! Paul had been given the gift of healing and had even performed a resurrection, yet he had to endure his own illness. (Acts 19:11, 12; 20:9, 10) Even though the answer to his petitions did not take the form he wanted, Paul accepted God’s response with gratitude.--2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
“This is the confidence that we have toward him, that no matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.”--1 John 5:14
True, some Bible characters did receive miraculous answers to their prayers. (2 Kings 20:1-7) But such answers were hardly the norm, even in Bible times. Some believers were disturbed when it seemed that God had not responded to their prayers. King David asked: “How long, O God, will you forget me? Forever?” (Psalm 13:1) But when that faithful man realized how often Jehovah had come to his rescue, David reaffirmed his trust in God. In the same prayer, David added: “As for me, I trust in your loyal love.” (Psalm 13:5) Just like David, God’s worshippers today may have to persevere in prayer until they perceive God’s response to their petitions.--Romans 12:12.
HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
God responds to our genuine needs
For good reason, caring parents do not always give their children what they ask for when they ask for it. In like manner, God may not respond to our requests in the way we think he should or at the moment we expect. But we can be confident that our Creator, like a loving father, will respond to our genuine needs at the right time and in the right way.--Luke 11:11-13.
God’s answer to a plea for help may come through the pages of the Bible
God may answer in subtle ways
What, though, if we pray to find relief from an ongoing problem? Should we conclude that because there is no miraculous answer, Jehovah has not answered at all? On the contrary, we would do well to consider whether God has supported us in more subtle ways. For example, perhaps a caring friend did what he could to help us at just the right time. (Proverbs 17:17) Is it possible that Jehovah moved that concerned friend to reach out to us? In addition, God’s answer to a plea for help may come through the pages of the Bible. In it we may find the insight needed to cope with a challenging situation.--2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
God may use caring friends to help us at just the right time
Instead of removing a personal problem, God often gives his people the strength needed to cope with it. (2 Corinthians 4:7) For example, when Jesus begged his Father to remove an ordeal, fearing that it would bring reproach on God’s name, Jehovah dispatched an angel to strengthen his Son. (Luke 22:42, 43) Similarly, God may use a close friend to give us a word of encouragement when we need it most. (Proverbs 12:25) Because this kind of answer is subtle, we may have to be more alert to the way God responds to our prayers.
Some answers must await God’s timetable
The Bible says that Almighty God shows favor to humble individuals “in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) So if there seems to be a delay in his answering our sincere requests, we need not see this as a lack of interest on Jehovah’s part. Rather, with his vastly superior perspective, our caring Creator no doubt evaluates our petitions in the light of what he knows is best for us.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.”--1 Peter 5:6
To illustrate: Imagine that you have a young son who asks you for a bicycle. Will you automatically grant his request? If you feel that he is not yet responsible enough to ride a bicycle, you might decide to postpone the purchase. In time, however, you may grant his request when you know that doing so would be in his best interests. In like manner, God may grant the proper “desires of [our] heart” in due time if we keep praying.--Psalm 37:4.
BE CONFIDENT THAT GOD LISTENS
The Bible urges true Christians not to lose confidence in the value of prayer. ‘That is easier said than done,’ some might say. True, if we have been enduring a nagging problem or some sort of injustice, we may find it hard to wait for God’s answer. We do well, though, to remember what Jesus taught about persistence in prayer.
Jesus gave the illustration of a needy widow who kept going to an unfair judge to obtain justice. (Luke 18:1-3) Although the judge at first refused to help her, he finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice so that she will not keep coming and wearing me out with her demand.” (Luke 18:4, 5) According to the text in the original language, the judge paid attention to the widow so that she would not “strike [him] under the eye,” or figuratively, “damage [his] reputation.” If even an unjust judge, out of fear for his reputation, will help a poor widow, how much more so will our caring God grant justice to those “who cry out to him day and night”! As Jesus said, God “will cause justice to be done to them speedily.”--Luke 18:6-8.
“Keep on asking, and it will be given you.”--Luke 11:9
Though we may at times get weary of asking for help or favor, we should not give up. By persevering in prayer, we show the genuineness of our desire to see God’s hand in our life. We also learn to recognize God’s answers to our petitions and, as a result, draw closer to him. Yes, we can be confident that Jehovah will answer our proper prayers if we keep asking in faith.--Luke 11:9.
___________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/13/14 - The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) Why Do People Pray? - Should You Pray?
Click colored Bible links
Is prayer part of your life? It is for many people, even some atheists. But why do people pray? According to a poll in France, half of French citizens pray or meditate at times “simply to feel better.” Like many Europeans, they do not pray in a religious sense. Rather, they seek “the soothing effects of prayer.” On the other hand, some believers turn to God only when they are in need, expecting immediate answers to their requests.— Isaiah 26:16.
What about you personally? Do you think that prayer is just a way to sort out your thoughts? If you believe in God, do you see the effects of prayer in your life? Or does it seem to you that your prayers go unanswered? The Bible can help you to view prayer, not as a feel-good therapy, but as a precious means to draw close to God.
Should You Pray?
‘If God knows everything, including my thoughts and needs, why should I pray?’ you might ask. That is a valid question. Did not Jesus say that God “knows what you need even before you ask him”? (Matthew 6:8) King David of ancient Israel realized this, and he wrote: “There is not a word on my tongue, but look! O Jehovah, you already know it well.” (Psalm 139:4) Why, then, should we turn to God in prayer? To answer that, let us consider what the Bible says about the prayers of God’s worshippers. If we ant God to listen to our prayers, we must sincerely endeavor to meet his requirements. If we do we may experience the power of prayer as discussed in this article.
“Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”--James 4:8
PRAYER DRAWS US CLOSE TO GOD
Although the Bible says that God knows everything, it also shows that he is not interested in merely collecting facts about his worshippers. (Psalm 139:6; Romans 11:33) His limitless memory is not like that of a computer that impersonally stores data about individuals. In fact, God is keenly interested in our innermost thoughts because he wants us to draw closer to him. (Psalm 139:23, 24; James 4:8) That is why Jesus encouraged his followers to pray, even though his Father well knows our basic needs. (Matthew 6:6-8) The more we share our thoughts with our Creator, the more we will draw close to him.
At times, we may find it difficult to know precisely what to ask for in prayer. In such cases, God can even look beyond our unexpressed feelings and use his perfect knowledge of our circumstances to respond to our needs. (Romans 8:26, 27; Ephesians 3:20) When we realize that God has intervened in our personal life, even in very subtle ways, we feel drawn to him.
DOES GOD ANSWER ALL PRAYERS?
The Bible assures us that Almighty God answers the prayers of his faithful servants, but it also gives reasons why he does not listen to some prayers. For example, at a time when violence was rampant in ancient Israel, God directed his prophet Isaiah to tell the people: “Although you offer many prayers, I am not listening; your hands are filled with blood.” (Isaiah 1:15) Clearly, those who show contempt for God’s laws or pray with improper motives cannot expect to be heard by God.--Proverbs 28:9; James 4:3.
On the other hand, the Bible states: “No matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Does that mean, though, that God will automatically grant his worshippers every request? Not necessarily. Consider the case of the apostle Paul, who begged God three times to remove “a thorn in the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, 8) It may be that Paul suffered from a chronic eye affliction. How frustrating that must have been for him! Paul had been given the gift of healing and had even performed a resurrection, yet he had to endure his own illness. (Acts 19:11, 12; 20:9, 10) Even though the answer to his petitions did not take the form he wanted, Paul accepted God’s response with gratitude.--2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
“This is the confidence that we have toward him, that no matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.”--1 John 5:14
True, some Bible characters did receive miraculous answers to their prayers. (2 Kings 20:1-7) But such answers were hardly the norm, even in Bible times. Some believers were disturbed when it seemed that God had not responded to their prayers. King David asked: “How long, O God, will you forget me? Forever?” (Psalm 13:1) But when that faithful man realized how often Jehovah had come to his rescue, David reaffirmed his trust in God. In the same prayer, David added: “As for me, I trust in your loyal love.” (Psalm 13:5) Just like David, God’s worshippers today may have to persevere in prayer until they perceive God’s response to their petitions.--Romans 12:12.
HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
God responds to our genuine needs
For good reason, caring parents do not always give their children what they ask for when they ask for it. In like manner, God may not respond to our requests in the way we think he should or at the moment we expect. But we can be confident that our Creator, like a loving father, will respond to our genuine needs at the right time and in the right way.--Luke 11:11-13.
God’s answer to a plea for help may come through the pages of the Bible
God may answer in subtle ways
What, though, if we pray to find relief from an ongoing problem? Should we conclude that because there is no miraculous answer, Jehovah has not answered at all? On the contrary, we would do well to consider whether God has supported us in more subtle ways. For example, perhaps a caring friend did what he could to help us at just the right time. (Proverbs 17:17) Is it possible that Jehovah moved that concerned friend to reach out to us? In addition, God’s answer to a plea for help may come through the pages of the Bible. In it we may find the insight needed to cope with a challenging situation.--2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
God may use caring friends to help us at just the right time
Instead of removing a personal problem, God often gives his people the strength needed to cope with it. (2 Corinthians 4:7) For example, when Jesus begged his Father to remove an ordeal, fearing that it would bring reproach on God’s name, Jehovah dispatched an angel to strengthen his Son. (Luke 22:42, 43) Similarly, God may use a close friend to give us a word of encouragement when we need it most. (Proverbs 12:25) Because this kind of answer is subtle, we may have to be more alert to the way God responds to our prayers.
Some answers must await God’s timetable
The Bible says that Almighty God shows favor to humble individuals “in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) So if there seems to be a delay in his answering our sincere requests, we need not see this as a lack of interest on Jehovah’s part. Rather, with his vastly superior perspective, our caring Creator no doubt evaluates our petitions in the light of what he knows is best for us.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.”--1 Peter 5:6
To illustrate: Imagine that you have a young son who asks you for a bicycle. Will you automatically grant his request? If you feel that he is not yet responsible enough to ride a bicycle, you might decide to postpone the purchase. In time, however, you may grant his request when you know that doing so would be in his best interests. In like manner, God may grant the proper “desires of [our] heart” in due time if we keep praying.--Psalm 37:4.
BE CONFIDENT THAT GOD LISTENS
The Bible urges true Christians not to lose confidence in the value of prayer. ‘That is easier said than done,’ some might say. True, if we have been enduring a nagging problem or some sort of injustice, we may find it hard to wait for God’s answer. We do well, though, to remember what Jesus taught about persistence in prayer.
Jesus gave the illustration of a needy widow who kept going to an unfair judge to obtain justice. (Luke 18:1-3) Although the judge at first refused to help her, he finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice so that she will not keep coming and wearing me out with her demand.” (Luke 18:4, 5) According to the text in the original language, the judge paid attention to the widow so that she would not “strike [him] under the eye,” or figuratively, “damage [his] reputation.” If even an unjust judge, out of fear for his reputation, will help a poor widow, how much more so will our caring God grant justice to those “who cry out to him day and night”! As Jesus said, God “will cause justice to be done to them speedily.”--Luke 18:6-8.
“Keep on asking, and it will be given you.”--Luke 11:9
Though we may at times get weary of asking for help or favor, we should not give up. By persevering in prayer, we show the genuineness of our desire to see God’s hand in our life. We also learn to recognize God’s answers to our petitions and, as a result, draw closer to him. Yes, we can be confident that Jehovah will answer our proper prayers if we keep asking in faith.--Luke 11:9.
___________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/20/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) The Reasons to live despite the hardships now and then
Old Saying
"When God wants to give you a gift he always puts it in form of a problem"
A challenge is the ONLY road to a better life. See below why.
Thus, bless the challenges, do not curse them.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Quotation
I have found that if you love life,
life will love you back.
Arthur Rubinstein
click: Arthur Rubinstein
click: Arthur Rubinstein - The Artist
God does not look upon trouble as we do. Where we see stress sees opportunities. Where we see crisis, He sees growth and betterment. God's purpose in times of crisis and trouble is to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to educate, and build us up. And when we learn from them and ride out these storms of life, we will see the great promise fulfilled. His glorious recompense will come to us throughout eternity. We need to see the joy and opportunities through times of problems. Because we will learn that there is a sweet and wonderful joy we can have here too. We do not have to wait until Heaven. We can learn to make our life joy filled by seizing the crisis and growing from it. To become the person that we are capable of being for our benefit and His glory.
So when God tests you, or bad stuff happens, we need to see it as a time for you to learn and to trust Him by changing what is wrong with you while putting His promises in your heart and feet. And when it is over we can look back and see that our trials have been necessary. We are better, He is glorified!
Thus, bless the challenges, do not curse them. The challenges are your way to a better life because when you conquer the challenge (as you always will when you just decide to find the solution). Solving the challenge makes you and anyone of us wiser, stronger and more capable of figuring out how to build a better life.
Have you or has someone you know thought about suicide? Finding a reason to live can make all the difference. There always is a reason to stay alive.
“Some studies have shown that for every death by suicide, 200 people have attempted suicide and 400 other people have thought about it.”
IF YOU met Kathryn, you would find her to be an intelligent, friendly, and gregarious young woman. But beneath Kathryn's charming exterior lurks a crippling despair that leaves her feeling utterly worthless for days, weeks, or even months at a time. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about dying,” she says. “I truly believe that the world would be a better place without me.”
Kathryn says that she would never kill herself. Still, at times she sees little point in going on with life. “My greatest wish is to be killed in an accident,” she says. “I’ve come to view death as a friend—not an enemy.”
Many people can relate to Kathryn’s feelings, and some of them have contemplated—or attempted—suicide. Experts point out, however, that most people who try to kill themselves do not really want to end their life; they merely want to end their suffering. In short, they believe that they have a reason to die; what they need is a reason to live.
MYTH: Talking about suicide—or even using the word—encourages people to try it.
FACT: Bringing the topic out into the open often helps a person with suicidal thoughts to consider other options.
Why stay alive? Consider three reasons to keep living.
(1) Because You Can Make Your Life Exciting & Enjoyable
“We are hard-pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out.”--2 CORINTHIANS 4:8.
Suicide has been called “a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” As hard as it may be to believe, a distressing circumstance—even one that seems beyond your control—may well be temporary. In fact, it can change for the better unexpectedly.—See below “Their Circumstances Changed.”
Even if that does not happen, it is best to tackle your problems one day at a time. “Never be anxious about the next day,” Jesus said, “for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.”--Matthew 6:34.
But what if your circumstance cannot change? For example, suppose you have a chronic illness. Or what if your despair is the result of an irreversible situation, such as the breakup of a marriage or the death of a loved one?
Even in such cases, there is something you can change: your outlook on the situation. By learning to accept what you cannot change, you become more likely to view things from a more positive standpoint. (Proverbs 15:15) You are also more likely to look for ways to cope with the situation rather than resort to drastic means to end it. The result? You start to take a measure of control of what seems to be an uncontrollable situation.--Job 2:10.
REMEMBER THIS: You cannot scale a mountain in a single step; however, you can take on the challenge one step at a time. The same is true of most obstacles you face, no matter how mountainlike they might seem to be.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Talk to someone—perhaps a friend or a family member—about your situation. That person may be able to help you view your situation in a more balanced way.--Proverbs 11:14.
THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES CHANGED (Click the colored Bible link below)
Consider four faithful people mentioned in the Bible who suffered despair to the point of not wanting to go on.
(2) Because There is Guidance, Solutions & Help
“Throw all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you.”--1 PETER 5:7.
Death can seem preferable to life when you feel that there is nothing you can do to improve your situation. But consider some avenues of help that are available to you.
Prayer. Prayer is not merely some psychological crutch; nor is it a last resort for desperate souls. It is real communication with God, who cares about you. God wants you to tell him your concerns. In fact, the Bible urges us: “Throw your burden on God, and he will sustain you.”--Psalm 55:22.
Why not talk to God in prayer today? Speak from your heart. (Psalm 62:8) God wants you to come to know him as a friend. (Isaiah 55:6; James 2:23) Prayer is an avenue of communication that can become available to you anytime, anywhere.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, click: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
“studies have consistently found that the overwhelming majority of people who die by suicide—90% or more—had a mental disorder at the time of their deaths. Often, however, these disorders had not been recognized, diagnosed, or adequately treated”
People who care. Your life matters to others—including your family members or friends who may already have expressed concern for you. People who care also include some whom you may never have met. For example, at times in their ministry, Jehovah’s Witnesses encounter distraught people, some of whom have admitted that they were desperate for help and had considered ending their life. The door-to-door ministry has given our church a unique opportunity to help such people. Following Jesus’ example, we care about our fellowman. They care about you.--John 13:35.
Professional assistance. Suicidal thoughts often indicate the presence of a mood disorder, such as clinical depression. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you suffer from an emotional illness—any more than if you suffered from a physical illness. In fact, depression has been called “the common cold of the mind.” Just about anyone can get it—and it can be treated. *
REMEMBER THIS: It is usually not possible to climb out of a deep pit of depression by yourself. With a helping hand, however, you can succeed.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Seek out a reputable physician who treats mood disorders such as depression.
(3)Because There Is A Good Future
“The meek will possess the earth, and they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”--PSALM 37:11.
The Bible acknowledges that life is “filled with trouble.” (Job 14:1) Today, everyone is touched by tragedy of one sort or another. But some people feel utterly hopeless about life, as if there were no light on the horizon, no prospect for a better future. Is that how you feel? If so, be assured that the Bible offers genuine hope—not just for you but for all humankind. For example:
REMEMBER THIS: Although your emotions may toss and turn like a boat on a turbulent sea, the Bible’s message of hope can be like an anchor that keeps you stabilized.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Start investigating what the Bible teaches about a genuine hope for the future.
_________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/20/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 1) The Reasons to live despite the hardships now and then
Old Saying
"When God wants to give you a gift he always puts it in form of a problem"
A challenge is the ONLY road to a better life. See below why.
Thus, bless the challenges, do not curse them.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Quotation
I have found that if you love life,
life will love you back.
Arthur Rubinstein
click: Arthur Rubinstein
click: Arthur Rubinstein - The Artist
God does not look upon trouble as we do. Where we see stress sees opportunities. Where we see crisis, He sees growth and betterment. God's purpose in times of crisis and trouble is to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to educate, and build us up. And when we learn from them and ride out these storms of life, we will see the great promise fulfilled. His glorious recompense will come to us throughout eternity. We need to see the joy and opportunities through times of problems. Because we will learn that there is a sweet and wonderful joy we can have here too. We do not have to wait until Heaven. We can learn to make our life joy filled by seizing the crisis and growing from it. To become the person that we are capable of being for our benefit and His glory.
So when God tests you, or bad stuff happens, we need to see it as a time for you to learn and to trust Him by changing what is wrong with you while putting His promises in your heart and feet. And when it is over we can look back and see that our trials have been necessary. We are better, He is glorified!
Thus, bless the challenges, do not curse them. The challenges are your way to a better life because when you conquer the challenge (as you always will when you just decide to find the solution). Solving the challenge makes you and anyone of us wiser, stronger and more capable of figuring out how to build a better life.
Have you or has someone you know thought about suicide? Finding a reason to live can make all the difference. There always is a reason to stay alive.
“Some studies have shown that for every death by suicide, 200 people have attempted suicide and 400 other people have thought about it.”
IF YOU met Kathryn, you would find her to be an intelligent, friendly, and gregarious young woman. But beneath Kathryn's charming exterior lurks a crippling despair that leaves her feeling utterly worthless for days, weeks, or even months at a time. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about dying,” she says. “I truly believe that the world would be a better place without me.”
Kathryn says that she would never kill herself. Still, at times she sees little point in going on with life. “My greatest wish is to be killed in an accident,” she says. “I’ve come to view death as a friend—not an enemy.”
Many people can relate to Kathryn’s feelings, and some of them have contemplated—or attempted—suicide. Experts point out, however, that most people who try to kill themselves do not really want to end their life; they merely want to end their suffering. In short, they believe that they have a reason to die; what they need is a reason to live.
MYTH: Talking about suicide—or even using the word—encourages people to try it.
FACT: Bringing the topic out into the open often helps a person with suicidal thoughts to consider other options.
Why stay alive? Consider three reasons to keep living.
(1) Because You Can Make Your Life Exciting & Enjoyable
“We are hard-pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out.”--2 CORINTHIANS 4:8.
Suicide has been called “a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” As hard as it may be to believe, a distressing circumstance—even one that seems beyond your control—may well be temporary. In fact, it can change for the better unexpectedly.—See below “Their Circumstances Changed.”
Even if that does not happen, it is best to tackle your problems one day at a time. “Never be anxious about the next day,” Jesus said, “for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.”--Matthew 6:34.
But what if your circumstance cannot change? For example, suppose you have a chronic illness. Or what if your despair is the result of an irreversible situation, such as the breakup of a marriage or the death of a loved one?
Even in such cases, there is something you can change: your outlook on the situation. By learning to accept what you cannot change, you become more likely to view things from a more positive standpoint. (Proverbs 15:15) You are also more likely to look for ways to cope with the situation rather than resort to drastic means to end it. The result? You start to take a measure of control of what seems to be an uncontrollable situation.--Job 2:10.
REMEMBER THIS: You cannot scale a mountain in a single step; however, you can take on the challenge one step at a time. The same is true of most obstacles you face, no matter how mountainlike they might seem to be.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Talk to someone—perhaps a friend or a family member—about your situation. That person may be able to help you view your situation in a more balanced way.--Proverbs 11:14.
THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES CHANGED (Click the colored Bible link below)
Consider four faithful people mentioned in the Bible who suffered despair to the point of not wanting to go on.
- Rebekah: “If this is the way it is, why should I go on living?”--Genesis 25:22.
- Moses: “Please kill me right now. . . . Do not make me see any more calamity.”--Numbers 11:15.
- Elijah: “Take my life away, for I am no better than my forefathers.”--1 Kings 19:4.
- Job: “Why did I not die at birth?”--Job 3:11.
(2) Because There is Guidance, Solutions & Help
“Throw all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you.”--1 PETER 5:7.
Death can seem preferable to life when you feel that there is nothing you can do to improve your situation. But consider some avenues of help that are available to you.
Prayer. Prayer is not merely some psychological crutch; nor is it a last resort for desperate souls. It is real communication with God, who cares about you. God wants you to tell him your concerns. In fact, the Bible urges us: “Throw your burden on God, and he will sustain you.”--Psalm 55:22.
Why not talk to God in prayer today? Speak from your heart. (Psalm 62:8) God wants you to come to know him as a friend. (Isaiah 55:6; James 2:23) Prayer is an avenue of communication that can become available to you anytime, anywhere.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, click: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
“studies have consistently found that the overwhelming majority of people who die by suicide—90% or more—had a mental disorder at the time of their deaths. Often, however, these disorders had not been recognized, diagnosed, or adequately treated”
People who care. Your life matters to others—including your family members or friends who may already have expressed concern for you. People who care also include some whom you may never have met. For example, at times in their ministry, Jehovah’s Witnesses encounter distraught people, some of whom have admitted that they were desperate for help and had considered ending their life. The door-to-door ministry has given our church a unique opportunity to help such people. Following Jesus’ example, we care about our fellowman. They care about you.--John 13:35.
Professional assistance. Suicidal thoughts often indicate the presence of a mood disorder, such as clinical depression. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you suffer from an emotional illness—any more than if you suffered from a physical illness. In fact, depression has been called “the common cold of the mind.” Just about anyone can get it—and it can be treated. *
REMEMBER THIS: It is usually not possible to climb out of a deep pit of depression by yourself. With a helping hand, however, you can succeed.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Seek out a reputable physician who treats mood disorders such as depression.
(3)Because There Is A Good Future
“The meek will possess the earth, and they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”--PSALM 37:11.
The Bible acknowledges that life is “filled with trouble.” (Job 14:1) Today, everyone is touched by tragedy of one sort or another. But some people feel utterly hopeless about life, as if there were no light on the horizon, no prospect for a better future. Is that how you feel? If so, be assured that the Bible offers genuine hope—not just for you but for all humankind. For example:
- The Bible teaches that God intended something far better for us.--Genesis 1:28.
- God promises to make our earth a paradise.--Isaiah 65:21-25.
- The fulfillment of that promise is certain. Revelation 21:3, 4 says:
“The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
REMEMBER THIS: Although your emotions may toss and turn like a boat on a turbulent sea, the Bible’s message of hope can be like an anchor that keeps you stabilized.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Start investigating what the Bible teaches about a genuine hope for the future.
_________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/27/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 3) Study all 3 articles 1 of 3, 2 of 3 and 3 of 3
Colton Burpo Story ‘Heaven Is for Real’
Opens in Movie Theaters Across U.S.April 16, 2014 - See this movie with your whole family - its worth it - Rated PG
Buy a copy of the movie for you home use - your family probably wants to see it several times. This movie will be a well-known classic.
Show the to your guests.
Buy the book also: it's worth it: click: Heaven Is For Real In Books - Amazon.com
To see the article pictures click: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306G05q9x
Quote from the article:
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
The famous story of Colton Burpo, son of Nebraska Rev. Todd Burpo, is hitting movie theaters across the United States on April 16.
Colton was just four years old when he had a near-death experience in 2003.
Waking from surgery after a burst appendix, Burpo told his parents that he visited heaven.
Several details were enough to convince the parents–such as Burpo describing meeting his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and one of his great-grandfathers, who died three decades before Colton was born.
Colton’s father was inspired to write the book “Heaven Is for Real,” along with Lynn Vincent. Published in November 2010 it became a best-seller, selling more than 8 million copies around the world and being translated into 30 languages.
Now a movie made about the story, with the same title and starring George Kinnear as the reverend and Kelly Reilly as his wife, opens in theaters in April.
It also stars six-year-old Connor Chum as Colton.
The Burpo family approve the movie and said they actually held out for a long time to make sure the story stayed true and family members be depicted true to life.
The reverend told Omaha.com that he did research into Kinnear upon learning of the casting.
“Randall Wallace had worked with him before, in ‘We Were Soldiers,’ and he thought of him right away to play me,” he said. “He has a brother who worked for Billy Graham’s ministries some years ago, and he wanted the accuracy of the screenplay as much as we did.”
Kinnear and Burpo corresponded during the filming, with Kinnear asking questions about various points in the story.
“What was really nice was he introduced me to his daughter,” Burpo said. “ ‘Heaven Is for Real’ was one of her favorite books. She had already read it. The book was part of his family before the script came to him.”
Not all of the details are true, though. For instance, Burpo never took a leave of absence from ministry as depicted in the movie.
He is still pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska but he also heads a non-profit called Heaven Is for Real Ministries, which uses money generated by Colton’s story for work such as speaking appearances.
Colton, now 14, often tells children about his trip, and also sings in a choir and plays trumpet in jazz band.
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306G05q9x
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306Fg6A7C
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
_________________________________
Topic: (2 of 3) To see the article pictures click: News for Heaven is for real Daring, Disarming ...
‘Heaven Is for Real’: Daring, Disarming, Dogma-Challenging
Quote from the article:
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
To see the article pictures click: News for Heaven is for real Daring, Disarming ...
Highly recommended for those struggling with belief in spiritual realities
Movie and The Book - both
The book has sold for over 80 million copies and counting, translated in 30 languages and counting
America’s best products are movies and music.
What’s the deal with Christian movies? They tend to share an overly saccharine sweetness. The recent “Son of God” being a case in point.
“Heaven Is for Real” falls solidly in the saccharine sweet category. However, the story itself is quite interesting. It’s also true.
Greg Kinnear is Todd Burpo, Iowan pastor, volunteer fireman, wrestling coach, and business owner. He’s a do-gooder of extreme do-goodness.
Fracturing an ankle sliding into home at the local softball game is an experience that immediately goes into his Sunday sermon. He preaches in a small town.
When his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) insists it’s time for a vacation, the family sets out for Denver, shouting Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in the car.
His 4-year-old son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) ruptures his appendix and gets an MRI. It’s bad. Pastor Todd goes to the hospital chapel and throws chairs around, hollering heavenward, “Don’t you take my son!”
Meanwhile, back home, word gets around. The entire community becomes engrossed in prayers for the pastor’s son. Colton lives.
Back to life as usual? Not really. The boy is starting to say some very interesting things. When they go to the Denver petting zoo to hold Rosie the tarantula, Colton says, “I’ve been here before.”
He also says, “The angels sang to me.” Todd asks when they did that, to which Colton replies, “When you were in the other room, yelling at God.”
Colton says he met Jesus. Jesus has a multicolored horse. Jesus has “markers” too, he says, pointing at both hands and feet.
Well, if pastor Todd is going to talk about his busted ankle, he’s definitely going to tell his flock about Jesus’s multicolored horse too.
You’d think a congregation of true Christian believers would cotton to this. That they’d cotton to it like multicolored cotton candy.
But no. It scares people. Pastor Todd keeps talking like that, he might get fired. Especially with newspaper reporters sniffing around, trying to get stories about the boy who went to heaven.
When the article comes out, the teasing starts. In one of the movie’s funniest scenes, schoolyard brat-boys tease Colton’s older sister. She whacks them, but good.
This of course sets us up for one of the many Christian teachings: “You should have turned the other cheek.”
This is the kind of thing a religious movie needs to be careful with. You have to explain in detail why that’s a good thing. Because in this day and age, turning the other cheek has long become a scorned concept.
And because most of us thoroughly enjoy the concept of a tiny girl with tremendous attitude going all Clint Eastwood on some schoolyard punks.
Meanwhile, the proofs and clues that Colton actually went to heaven keep piling up. To relate all of them is to spoil the movie. So we’ll just say one more.
We see him early on, in heaven, with Jesus. A little girl comes up to him and hugs him for a very long time.
Later, back in Iowa, Colton tells his mom, “Did you know I have a sister?”
“Well of course you have a sister.”
“No, I have two sisters. One died in your belly.”
“What was her name?”
“She didn’t have a name. You hadn’t named her yet.”
Sold! Heretofore skeptical mom buys the multicolored cotton candy on the spot. Now Sonja’s a believer.
As Colton says, “I see it, so I believe it.” Maybe if you go see this movie, you’ll believe it too. Highly recommended for those struggling with belief in spiritual realities.
Warning: don’t buy cotton candy at the movie theater. Because what will you have if you combine that sugar with the saccharine sweetness of “Heaven Is for Real?”
A toothache. You will have a toothache. But if you’ve lost your faith—you just might find it again.
‘Heaven Is for Real’
Director: Randall Wallace
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, Thomas Haden Church
Run Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rated PG
Release Date: April 16
3 stars out of 5
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/639171-heaven-is-for-real-daring-disarming-dogma-challenging/?photo=2#ixzz306HKphp6
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
Washington Post
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 4/27/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: (1 of 3) Study all 3 articles 1 of 3, 2 of 3 and 3 of 3
Colton Burpo Story ‘Heaven Is for Real’
Opens in Movie Theaters Across U.S.April 16, 2014 - See this movie with your whole family - its worth it - Rated PG
Buy a copy of the movie for you home use - your family probably wants to see it several times. This movie will be a well-known classic.
Show the to your guests.
Buy the book also: it's worth it: click: Heaven Is For Real In Books - Amazon.com
To see the article pictures click: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306G05q9x
Quote from the article:
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
The famous story of Colton Burpo, son of Nebraska Rev. Todd Burpo, is hitting movie theaters across the United States on April 16.
Colton was just four years old when he had a near-death experience in 2003.
Waking from surgery after a burst appendix, Burpo told his parents that he visited heaven.
Several details were enough to convince the parents–such as Burpo describing meeting his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and one of his great-grandfathers, who died three decades before Colton was born.
Colton’s father was inspired to write the book “Heaven Is for Real,” along with Lynn Vincent. Published in November 2010 it became a best-seller, selling more than 8 million copies around the world and being translated into 30 languages.
Now a movie made about the story, with the same title and starring George Kinnear as the reverend and Kelly Reilly as his wife, opens in theaters in April.
It also stars six-year-old Connor Chum as Colton.
The Burpo family approve the movie and said they actually held out for a long time to make sure the story stayed true and family members be depicted true to life.
The reverend told Omaha.com that he did research into Kinnear upon learning of the casting.
“Randall Wallace had worked with him before, in ‘We Were Soldiers,’ and he thought of him right away to play me,” he said. “He has a brother who worked for Billy Graham’s ministries some years ago, and he wanted the accuracy of the screenplay as much as we did.”
Kinnear and Burpo corresponded during the filming, with Kinnear asking questions about various points in the story.
“What was really nice was he introduced me to his daughter,” Burpo said. “ ‘Heaven Is for Real’ was one of her favorite books. She had already read it. The book was part of his family before the script came to him.”
Not all of the details are true, though. For instance, Burpo never took a leave of absence from ministry as depicted in the movie.
He is still pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska but he also heads a non-profit called Heaven Is for Real Ministries, which uses money generated by Colton’s story for work such as speaking appearances.
Colton, now 14, often tells children about his trip, and also sings in a choir and plays trumpet in jazz band.
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306G05q9x
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/622875-colton-burpo-story-heaven-is-for-real-opens-in-movie-theaters-across-u-s-this-week/#ixzz306Fg6A7C
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
_________________________________
Topic: (2 of 3) To see the article pictures click: News for Heaven is for real Daring, Disarming ...
‘Heaven Is for Real’: Daring, Disarming, Dogma-Challenging
Quote from the article:
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
To see the article pictures click: News for Heaven is for real Daring, Disarming ...
Highly recommended for those struggling with belief in spiritual realities
Movie and The Book - both
The book has sold for over 80 million copies and counting, translated in 30 languages and counting
America’s best products are movies and music.
What’s the deal with Christian movies? They tend to share an overly saccharine sweetness. The recent “Son of God” being a case in point.
“Heaven Is for Real” falls solidly in the saccharine sweet category. However, the story itself is quite interesting. It’s also true.
Greg Kinnear is Todd Burpo, Iowan pastor, volunteer fireman, wrestling coach, and business owner. He’s a do-gooder of extreme do-goodness.
Fracturing an ankle sliding into home at the local softball game is an experience that immediately goes into his Sunday sermon. He preaches in a small town.
When his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) insists it’s time for a vacation, the family sets out for Denver, shouting Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in the car.
His 4-year-old son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) ruptures his appendix and gets an MRI. It’s bad. Pastor Todd goes to the hospital chapel and throws chairs around, hollering heavenward, “Don’t you take my son!”
Meanwhile, back home, word gets around. The entire community becomes engrossed in prayers for the pastor’s son. Colton lives.
Back to life as usual? Not really. The boy is starting to say some very interesting things. When they go to the Denver petting zoo to hold Rosie the tarantula, Colton says, “I’ve been here before.”
He also says, “The angels sang to me.” Todd asks when they did that, to which Colton replies, “When you were in the other room, yelling at God.”
Colton says he met Jesus. Jesus has a multicolored horse. Jesus has “markers” too, he says, pointing at both hands and feet.
Well, if pastor Todd is going to talk about his busted ankle, he’s definitely going to tell his flock about Jesus’s multicolored horse too.
You’d think a congregation of true Christian believers would cotton to this. That they’d cotton to it like multicolored cotton candy.
But no. It scares people. Pastor Todd keeps talking like that, he might get fired. Especially with newspaper reporters sniffing around, trying to get stories about the boy who went to heaven.
When the article comes out, the teasing starts. In one of the movie’s funniest scenes, schoolyard brat-boys tease Colton’s older sister. She whacks them, but good.
This of course sets us up for one of the many Christian teachings: “You should have turned the other cheek.”
This is the kind of thing a religious movie needs to be careful with. You have to explain in detail why that’s a good thing. Because in this day and age, turning the other cheek has long become a scorned concept.
And because most of us thoroughly enjoy the concept of a tiny girl with tremendous attitude going all Clint Eastwood on some schoolyard punks.
Meanwhile, the proofs and clues that Colton actually went to heaven keep piling up. To relate all of them is to spoil the movie. So we’ll just say one more.
We see him early on, in heaven, with Jesus. A little girl comes up to him and hugs him for a very long time.
Later, back in Iowa, Colton tells his mom, “Did you know I have a sister?”
“Well of course you have a sister.”
“No, I have two sisters. One died in your belly.”
“What was her name?”
“She didn’t have a name. You hadn’t named her yet.”
Sold! Heretofore skeptical mom buys the multicolored cotton candy on the spot. Now Sonja’s a believer.
As Colton says, “I see it, so I believe it.” Maybe if you go see this movie, you’ll believe it too. Highly recommended for those struggling with belief in spiritual realities.
Warning: don’t buy cotton candy at the movie theater. Because what will you have if you combine that sugar with the saccharine sweetness of “Heaven Is for Real?”
A toothache. You will have a toothache. But if you’ve lost your faith—you just might find it again.
‘Heaven Is for Real’
Director: Randall Wallace
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, Thomas Haden Church
Run Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rated PG
Release Date: April 16
3 stars out of 5
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/639171-heaven-is-for-real-daring-disarming-dogma-challenging/?photo=2#ixzz306HKphp6
Follow us: @EpochTimes on Twitter | epochtimes on Facebook
Washington Post
- 'Heaven Is for Real': Daring, Disarming,Dogma-Challenging
The Epoch Times - by Mark Jackson - 2 days ago
Heaven Is for Real” falls solidly in the saccharine sweet category. ... By Mark Jackson, Epoch Times | April 25, 2014 ... When his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) insists it's time for a vacation, the family sets out for Denver, shouting Queen's “We Will ... _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article 3 of 3
Meet the boy whose story about 'meeting Jesus in heaven' inspired a Hollywood blockbuster
To see the article pictures and the boy whose story inspired this movie: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/colton-burpo-heaven-real-inspired-3463536#ixzz307WdzZxv
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
Quote from the article:
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
When three-year-old Colton Burpo’s appendix burst, doctors didn’t think he would survive surgery and warned his parents to expect the worst.
Distraught, his preacher dad Todd shut himself in a hospital room and started yelling at God in despair.
Colton not only pulled through, against all the odds, but was well enough to go home just 17 days later.
And he told his parents how – while the surgeons were fighting to save him – he visited heaven, sat on Jesus’s lap, patted his rainbow-striped horse and was serenaded by winged angels.
Now the youngster’s extraordinary story has been turned into a Hollywood movie called Heaven Is For Real.
And it caused a sensation over Easter in America, taking almost £13million at the box office and trouncing Johnny Depp’s latest film Transcendance.
Heaven is for Real opens in Britain on May 9 and is based on a book Todd wrote about his son’s astounding story.
Devout Baptist Todd – played on screen by Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear – and his wife Sonja at first thought their little boy was just repeating stories he had heard during chapel services.
But then Colton stunned his parents with a string of revelations.
He claimed he had met Todd’s grandfather, who had died 30 years earlier.
He said he had a conversation with a sister who revealed she had died while still inside Sonja.
And he even described rising from his own body then seeing his dad shouting at God while his mum wept.
See the article pictures click: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news
New York Times / Redux / eyevine
Recovered: Colton, now 11, at home with mum Sonja
Todd and Sonja insist they had never told him any of these things before.
Cynics have dismissed the stories as no more than a child’s fantasy.
And even Todd’s congregation in his tiny Midwestern home-town of Imperial, Nebraska, were sceptical.
But 10 years on, Todd, Sonja and Colton stand by the story of the youngster’s visit to the afterlife.
And Colton – now a 14-year-old school wrestling star and budding musician – uses his experience to comfort terminally ill children and their parents.
He said: “It helps the kids realize, ‘Hey, I don’t have to deal with all this pain... I got something better waiting for me.
“It also helps the family. It reassures them because if you go to heaven you’re going to have the time of your life.”
Colton talks to doomed children using live internet link-up Skype and tells them: “I’m not scared of dying because I know where I’m going.”
And as for people who accuse him of peddling fairy tales, he says: “Believe what you want but it won’t stop me from sharing what I saw.”
Part-time fireman Todd, 45, admits he was upset when members of his own congregation doubted Colton.
He said: “I expect it from the atheists but when you see a person who claims to be Christian attack you it’s awful.”
See the article pictures click: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news
Star: Greg Kinnear as Todd in Heaven Is For Real
He confesses he had scoured the Bible in the hope of finding other accounts of experiences of heaven because he initially thought his son must have imagined it.
But that changed when Colton described his great-grandad and the sister lost in a miscarriage a year before he was born.
Todd recalled how the little boy said his long-dead relative was known as Pops – and picked out a photo of him as a young man in the 1940s. Todd is adamant he’d never mentioned Pops to his son.
Later Sonja was shocked when Colton claimed he met his unborn sister and said: “She told me she died in your tummy.”
Todd and Sonja insist they had never talked about the miscarriage because they were so traumatised by it.
Nor did they tell him where they were when surgeons were battling to save his life – another reason Todd is convinced his son didn’t just dream it. The preacher said: “They didn’t think Colton was going to make it. When they tell you people aren’t going to make it, then they don’t.
“I found a small room, slammed the door shut and screamed at God.”
Months afterwards, Colton related how he had seen the whole thing.
The youngster told how he rose off the operating table as angels sang Jesus Loves You to keep him calm.
He claimed he sat on Jesus’s lap in heaven, saw Mary praying at God’s throne and talked to John the Baptist.
Colton said Jesus had “brown hair, a brown beard, a very bright smile and his eyes were just beautiful sea blue”.
Our story: The Burpo family attend the world premiere - See the article pictures click: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news
Critics say it’s just a child’s storybook description of Christ and dismiss Colton’s vision of a picture postcard land full of angels as pure fantasy.
They also point out the youngster didn’t clinically die during surgery, unlike many others who claim to have visited the afterlife.
But Todd said: “There’s no medical explanation for all this – there is only a heavenly one.
“We seem to avoid talking about things like life and death until we are confronted with them, like at a funeral.
“But it can be comforting to know there is more out there.”
Todd has denied accusations that he exaggerated his son’s claims to boost sales of his book, also called Heaven is for Real, which spent three years on the best-seller list in the US.
He said: “People say we did it to pay our medical bills. No we didn’t.
“Fewer than 10 per cent of books make anything in royalties. People don’t understand that.”
Colton lives with his parents, sister Cassie, 17, and brother Colby, nine, in the modest house the family have always called home.
And Sonja makes sure he stays grounded about his heavenly experience.She said: “His friends think it’s no big deal and we think that’s healthy.”
But sceptics warn against taking Colton’s divine claims as gospel.
Atheist author and academic Susan Jacoby wrote: “Only in America could this book be classified as non-fiction.
Poster: Heaven Is For Real See the article pictures click: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news
“At age four, an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality is charming. But among American adults, widespread identification with the mind of a pre-schooler is scary.”
And John MacArthur, a California-based Baptist minister and writer, said: “I’m convinced the entire book is a hoax from start to finish.”
Even the film’s director Randall Wallace – who wrote Braveheart and whose parents founded a church in Tennessee – admits he was a sceptic.
He said: “It was crucial I had doubts about Colton’s story.
“If someone is trying to convince me of a dogma, I’m not interested.
“But if someone is recounting an authentic experience, I’m fascinated.”
American audiences, especially across the deeply religious Midwest, have flocked to see the movie.
And even hardened reviewers have admitted to weeping throughout.
Colton – played by newcomer Connor Corum – loves the Hollywood film.
But he insists their version of the hereafter isn’t a patch on the real thing.
He said: “They do a good job but they haven’t experienced it like I have.”
Colton added: “Heaven is just so much better than that.”
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/colton-burpo-heaven-real-inspired-3463536#ixzz307WL5D6L
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________________________________________________
Study the next article also: Buy the movie for your home use
Another older movie from 2013
Retooled Superman is Superb
The superman story is the same as the story of Jesus
The movie audience mostly does NOT know that the SUPERMAN story is based and built on the Bible and on the story
of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ & Superman were both sent off from the universe, from outside our world, to Earth to save
the people before the earth would fully collapse. Both did miracles, both rescued the mankind out of love
What do you get when you have producer Chris Nolan (of Dark Knight fame), director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), and a modernized take on the most famous superhero of all time? A stupendously entertaining movie with an all-star cast including Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, and Laurence Fishburne.
Superman aka Clark Kent aka Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is born in the midst of his planet literally imploding. His parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) make the ultimate sacrifice and send him off to Earth just moments before they and their kind perish as their planet explodes.
Fast-forward to a few years later (in Smallville, Kan., obviously). Clark is a young boy living with his parents Martha and Jonathan Kent, played by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. Clark is struggling to deal with his supernormal abilities.
This portrayal of Superman’s human side is what sets Man of Steel apart from its predecessors. We are given a glimpse of the superhero’s internal struggles as he comes to terms with who he is and the responsibilities that fall on his shoulders. For the first time, we’re privy to the insecurities and internal conflicts that plague Kal-El as he balances his supernormal abilities while trying to fit into the human world.
These internal struggles are heightened when he’s forced to choose between saving his new home/mankind and preserving the Kryptonite DNA, which would mean wiping out all human life on Earth.
Michael Shannon plays General Zod, a fellow Kryptonian who is zealously dedicated to preserving his people’s legacy and future. While Zod isn’t purely evil, per se, his role as an antagonist serves to bring out Superman’s humanness and his compassion.
Man of Steel is a well-rounded story of self-discovery and the importance of choosing your character and destiny. It is made whole with amazing acting, cinematography, special effects, and music by the talented Hans Zimmer, as well as action scenes that will leave you breathless.
The risks that the filmmakers took in tweaking and updating the storyline paid off, as Superman 2.0 is everything that captured our imaginations and hearts decades ago. And the character is a lot more relatable, as his complexities and tough decisions ground him with normal people.
One of the most enjoyable movies, Man of Steel stands up to all of its hype—just like Superman stands up for justice and peace on his adopted home turf.
4 stars
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne
Running Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Rating: PG-13
____________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/4/14 The Miracle Show
Article 1 of 2
Topic: 1 of 2
INTERVIEW: Frédéric Dumoulin has works in the field of pharmaceutical research at Ghent University in Belgium
click: Homepage — Ghent Universitywww.ugent.be/en Ghent University
click: Dumoulin Frédéric — Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences ...www.ugent.be › ... › Laboratory of Food Analysis › Staff Ghent University
“I Am Convinced That There Is a Creator”
For more than a decade, Frédéric Dumoulin has worked in the field of pharmaceutical research at Ghent University in Belgium. At one time he was an atheist. But later Frédéric became convinced that God created life. Awake! asked Frédéric—who is now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses—about his work and his faith.
Did religion have any role in your childhood?
Yes. My mother was Roman Catholic. But when I read about the Crusades and the Inquisition, I felt disgusted with religion and wanted nothing more to do with it. I also read about non-Christian religions and saw that they were no better. When I was 14, I reasoned that the prevalence of corruption in religion proves that God doesn’t exist. So when I was taught the evolution theory at school, I concluded that life originated by natural processes.
How were you attracted to science?
When I was seven, I was given a microscope and it became my favorite toy. Among other things, I used it to examine fascinating insects, such as butterflies.
How did you become interested in the origin of life?
When I was 22, I met a scientist who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She believed that God created life. That seemed really strange to me. I thought I could easily prove her faith to be ridiculous. But to my surprise, she had sensible answers to my questions. I became curious about people who believe in God.
A few months later, I met another Witness who was quite knowledgeable about medical matters. When he offered to explain what he believed, I accepted his offer because I wanted to know why people believe in God. I wanted to save him from his delusion.
Did you convince him that he was mistaken?
No, I didn’t. I began researching theories on the origin of life. To my surprise, I found that some eminent scientists say that even the simplest living cell is so complex that it couldn’t have originated on earth. Some of them think such cells came from outer space. There is a lot of disagreement about how life began.
Is there a point of agreement?
Strangely, many scientists agree that somehow natural processes caused life to spring from nonliving matter. I began to wonder, ‘If they don’t know how life could come about without a Creator, how can they be so sure that it happened that way?’ I began to look into what the Bible says about the origin of life.
What conclusions did you draw about the Bible?
The more I learned from the Bible, the more I became convinced that it’s true. For example, only recently have scientists found evidence that the universe had a beginning. But the opening verse of the Bible, written some 3,500 years ago, says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” * And I found that whenever the Bible comments on scientific matters, it is accurate.
I found that whenever the Bible comments on scientific matters, it is accurate
Did your knowledge of science make believing in God difficult?
No. When I first came to believe in God, I had been studying science at a university for three years. To this day, the more I study the design of living things, the more I am convinced that there is a Creator.
Can you give us an example?
Yes. I’ve studied the effects of medications and toxins on living creatures. A design that impresses me is how our brain is protected from dangerous substances and from bacteria. There is a barrier that keeps our blood separate from our brain cells.
What is remarkable about that?
Over a hundred years ago, researchers noticed that substances introduced into the bloodstream enter every area of the body—except the brain and spinal cord. That fact is astonishing to me, because an immense network of tiny capillary vessels takes blood to every cell in the brain. All brain cells are cleaned, fed, and oxygenated by blood. So, how can our blood be kept separate from our brain cells? For many years it was a mystery.
How does the barrier work?
Microscopic blood vessels are not like plastic tubes that keep what’s inside separate from what’s outside. The walls of blood vessels are made of cells. These cells allow substances and microbes to pass through them and between them. However, the cells making up the blood vessels in our brain are different. They’re tightly connected to each other. These cells and the tight junctions between them are amazing. A vast array of complex mechanisms ensure that some things—such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glucose—pass between the bloodstream and the brain in a regulated way. But other compounds, proteins, and cells are kept out. So the blood-brain barrier operates at a molecular level to produce physical, chemical, and electrical barriers. For me, such design simply could not have evolved.
____________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 2
WAS IT DESIGNED? The Butterfly’s Wing
THE wings of a butterfly are so fragile that even the weight of specks of dust or drops of moisture could make flying difficult. Nevertheless, the wings stay clean and dry. What is the butterfly’s secret?
The butterfly’s wing has minute overlapping scales
Consider: Researchers at Ohio State University studying the Giant Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho didius) found that although the insect’s wings look smooth to the naked eye, the surfaces are covered with minute overlapping scales that resemble tiles on a roof. Even tinier parallel grooves on the surface of these scales cause dirt or drops of water to roll off with ease. Engineers are seeking to copy the wings’ texture in order to make high-tech coatings for industry and medical equipment that are resistant to dirt and water. click: The Ohio State University
click: Images for Giant Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho didius)
0
The butterfly’s wing is another example of how science is trying to mimic the designs found in living things. “Nature is full of engineering marvels, from the micro to the macro scale, that have inspired mankind for centuries,” says researcher Bharat Bhushan.
What do you think? Did the butterfly’s wing come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
click: Morpho didius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
____________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/4/14 The Miracle Show
Article 1 of 2
Topic: 1 of 2
INTERVIEW: Frédéric Dumoulin has works in the field of pharmaceutical research at Ghent University in Belgium
click: Homepage — Ghent Universitywww.ugent.be/en Ghent University
click: Dumoulin Frédéric — Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences ...www.ugent.be › ... › Laboratory of Food Analysis › Staff Ghent University
“I Am Convinced That There Is a Creator”
For more than a decade, Frédéric Dumoulin has worked in the field of pharmaceutical research at Ghent University in Belgium. At one time he was an atheist. But later Frédéric became convinced that God created life. Awake! asked Frédéric—who is now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses—about his work and his faith.
Did religion have any role in your childhood?
Yes. My mother was Roman Catholic. But when I read about the Crusades and the Inquisition, I felt disgusted with religion and wanted nothing more to do with it. I also read about non-Christian religions and saw that they were no better. When I was 14, I reasoned that the prevalence of corruption in religion proves that God doesn’t exist. So when I was taught the evolution theory at school, I concluded that life originated by natural processes.
How were you attracted to science?
When I was seven, I was given a microscope and it became my favorite toy. Among other things, I used it to examine fascinating insects, such as butterflies.
How did you become interested in the origin of life?
When I was 22, I met a scientist who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She believed that God created life. That seemed really strange to me. I thought I could easily prove her faith to be ridiculous. But to my surprise, she had sensible answers to my questions. I became curious about people who believe in God.
A few months later, I met another Witness who was quite knowledgeable about medical matters. When he offered to explain what he believed, I accepted his offer because I wanted to know why people believe in God. I wanted to save him from his delusion.
Did you convince him that he was mistaken?
No, I didn’t. I began researching theories on the origin of life. To my surprise, I found that some eminent scientists say that even the simplest living cell is so complex that it couldn’t have originated on earth. Some of them think such cells came from outer space. There is a lot of disagreement about how life began.
Is there a point of agreement?
Strangely, many scientists agree that somehow natural processes caused life to spring from nonliving matter. I began to wonder, ‘If they don’t know how life could come about without a Creator, how can they be so sure that it happened that way?’ I began to look into what the Bible says about the origin of life.
What conclusions did you draw about the Bible?
The more I learned from the Bible, the more I became convinced that it’s true. For example, only recently have scientists found evidence that the universe had a beginning. But the opening verse of the Bible, written some 3,500 years ago, says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” * And I found that whenever the Bible comments on scientific matters, it is accurate.
I found that whenever the Bible comments on scientific matters, it is accurate
Did your knowledge of science make believing in God difficult?
No. When I first came to believe in God, I had been studying science at a university for three years. To this day, the more I study the design of living things, the more I am convinced that there is a Creator.
Can you give us an example?
Yes. I’ve studied the effects of medications and toxins on living creatures. A design that impresses me is how our brain is protected from dangerous substances and from bacteria. There is a barrier that keeps our blood separate from our brain cells.
What is remarkable about that?
Over a hundred years ago, researchers noticed that substances introduced into the bloodstream enter every area of the body—except the brain and spinal cord. That fact is astonishing to me, because an immense network of tiny capillary vessels takes blood to every cell in the brain. All brain cells are cleaned, fed, and oxygenated by blood. So, how can our blood be kept separate from our brain cells? For many years it was a mystery.
How does the barrier work?
Microscopic blood vessels are not like plastic tubes that keep what’s inside separate from what’s outside. The walls of blood vessels are made of cells. These cells allow substances and microbes to pass through them and between them. However, the cells making up the blood vessels in our brain are different. They’re tightly connected to each other. These cells and the tight junctions between them are amazing. A vast array of complex mechanisms ensure that some things—such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glucose—pass between the bloodstream and the brain in a regulated way. But other compounds, proteins, and cells are kept out. So the blood-brain barrier operates at a molecular level to produce physical, chemical, and electrical barriers. For me, such design simply could not have evolved.
____________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 2
WAS IT DESIGNED? The Butterfly’s Wing
THE wings of a butterfly are so fragile that even the weight of specks of dust or drops of moisture could make flying difficult. Nevertheless, the wings stay clean and dry. What is the butterfly’s secret?
The butterfly’s wing has minute overlapping scales
Consider: Researchers at Ohio State University studying the Giant Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho didius) found that although the insect’s wings look smooth to the naked eye, the surfaces are covered with minute overlapping scales that resemble tiles on a roof. Even tinier parallel grooves on the surface of these scales cause dirt or drops of water to roll off with ease. Engineers are seeking to copy the wings’ texture in order to make high-tech coatings for industry and medical equipment that are resistant to dirt and water. click: The Ohio State University
click: Images for Giant Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho didius)
0
The butterfly’s wing is another example of how science is trying to mimic the designs found in living things. “Nature is full of engineering marvels, from the micro to the macro scale, that have inspired mankind for centuries,” says researcher Bharat Bhushan.
What do you think? Did the butterfly’s wing come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
click: Morpho didius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
____________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/11/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
More Hispanics are leaving Catholic Church: survey
(Reuters) - A growing number of U.S. Hispanics are turning away from the Roman Catholic religion of their youth and now identify as Protestant or unaffiliated with any church, according to a survey.
Catholics represented 55 percent of U.S. Hispanics in 2013, a drop from 67 percent in 2010, the Pew Research Center survey found. About 16 percent of Hispanics are evangelical Protestants, up from 12 percent three years earlier, and 18 percent are unaffiliated, up from 10 percent.
Three-quarters of those interviewed said they were raised Catholic. More than half of those who left their childhood faith said they "gradually drifted away,"
while 31 percent said they found a congregation that helps its members more.
Religious scholars said the shift could serve as something of a warning to U.S. Catholic leaders, who have relied on the growing Hispanic population to fill pews and collection plates.
"It does represent what has been a wake-up call for Catholicism for several decades now," said Allan Figueroa Deck, theology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. click: Loyola Marymount Universitywww.lmu.edu/
"We have become a little lukewarm," said Deck, a Jesuit priest. He said a particular challenge is reaching youth, who need to not just be entertained and instructed but understood.
Twenty-eight percent of former Hispanic Catholics who now identify as Protestants click: Protestantism
say they are Pentecostal. click: Pentecostalism
Factors drawing them include smaller, more intimate churches and a democratic pastorate where anyone can minister, according to Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, history professor and expert on Hispanic Pentecostals at Azusa Pacific University In Los Angeles. click: Azusa Pacific University
She said Pentecostals practice emotional worship with plain, commonsense reading of the Bible replacing "traditionalist, often arcane" Catholic sacramental worship.
Hispanics make up an increasingly large share of U.S. Catholics, representing a third of the U.S. church, reflecting their growing numbers.
About 53 million U.S. residents describe themselves as Hispanic, representing 17 percent of the nation's population, according to the Census Bureau. click: Census Bureau
Just 3 percent of Hispanics identify as atheist or agnostic, half the rate in the general public.
Jose Alvarado, 40, founder of Chicago Latino Atheists click: The Chicago Latino Atheists said he believes that many Latinos have doubts about religion but that it was tough to "come out" in a culture where church is such a powerful force.
"We're much more outsiders than probably any other Latino group," said Alvarado, who was raised Catholic.
(Reuters)
"We have become a little lukewarm," said Deck, a Jesuit priest. He said a particular challenge is reaching youth, who need to not just be entertained and instructed but understood.
Twenty-eight percent of former Hispanic Catholics who now identify as Protestants say they are Pentecostal.
Factors drawing them include smaller, more intimate churches and a democratic pastorate where anyone can minister, according to Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, history professor and expert on Hispanic Pentecostals at Azusa Pacific University In Los Angeles. She said Pentecostals practice emotional worship with plain, commonsense reading of the Bible replacing "traditionalist, often arcane" Catholic sacramental worship.
Hispanics make up an increasingly large share of U.S. Catholics, representing a third of the U.S. church, reflecting their growing numbers.
About 53 million U.S. residents describe themselves as Hispanic, representing 17 percent of the nation's population, according to the Census Bureau.
Just 3 percent of Hispanics identify as atheist or agnostic, half the rate in the general public.
Jose Alvarado, 40, founder of Chicago Latino Atheists,
said he believes that many Latinos have doubts about religion but that it was tough to "come out" in a culture where church is such a powerful force.
"We're much more outsiders than probably any other Latino group," said Alvarado, who was raised Catholic.
Below several links relating to this same topic - click the colored link below for further info
______________________
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
Click: The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
Click: A major new Pew Research survey finds that nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults are now former Catholics, while rising numbers are Protestant or unaffiliated with any religion. In addition to changes in religious affiliation, the report also looks at a variety of other topics, including religious beliefs and practices and views of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. We also have published interactive graphics that look at religious switching among Hispanics and religious, social and political differences between Hispanics and the general public, and among Hispanic religious groups.
FACT TANK Fewer Hispanics Are Catholic, So How Can More Catholics Be Hispanic?
The percentage of Latinos in the U.S. who are Catholic is declining. A majority (55%) of the nation's estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic, but that's down from two-thirds (67%) as recently as 2010. At the same time, the percentage of all U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic is increasing. That paradox is possible because of the growing size of the Hispanic population, which has increased from 12.5% of the total U.S. population in 2000 to 16.9% in 2012.
Click: READ MORE >>
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and younger generations are less likely to affiliate with religious groups, previous Pew Research studies have found. Our new survey finds that Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click: Millennials in Adulthood - Pew Social & Demographic Trends
Definition: Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
Definition: COHORT: In statistics and demography, a cohort is a group of subjects who have shared a particular event together during a particular time span(e.g., people born in Europe between 1918 and 1939; survivors of an aircrash; truck drivers who smoked between age 30 and 40). Cohorts may be tracked over extended periods in a cohort study. The cohort can be modified by censoring, i.e. excluding certain individuals from statistical calculations relating to time periods (e.g. after death) when their data would contaminate the conclusions. Click: cohort for further info
Definition: Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western Post–World War II baby boom. Demographers, historians and commentators use beginning birth dates from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.
______________________________________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/11/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
More Hispanics are leaving Catholic Church: survey
(Reuters) - A growing number of U.S. Hispanics are turning away from the Roman Catholic religion of their youth and now identify as Protestant or unaffiliated with any church, according to a survey.
Catholics represented 55 percent of U.S. Hispanics in 2013, a drop from 67 percent in 2010, the Pew Research Center survey found. About 16 percent of Hispanics are evangelical Protestants, up from 12 percent three years earlier, and 18 percent are unaffiliated, up from 10 percent.
Three-quarters of those interviewed said they were raised Catholic. More than half of those who left their childhood faith said they "gradually drifted away,"
while 31 percent said they found a congregation that helps its members more.
Religious scholars said the shift could serve as something of a warning to U.S. Catholic leaders, who have relied on the growing Hispanic population to fill pews and collection plates.
"It does represent what has been a wake-up call for Catholicism for several decades now," said Allan Figueroa Deck, theology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. click: Loyola Marymount Universitywww.lmu.edu/
"We have become a little lukewarm," said Deck, a Jesuit priest. He said a particular challenge is reaching youth, who need to not just be entertained and instructed but understood.
Twenty-eight percent of former Hispanic Catholics who now identify as Protestants click: Protestantism
say they are Pentecostal. click: Pentecostalism
Factors drawing them include smaller, more intimate churches and a democratic pastorate where anyone can minister, according to Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, history professor and expert on Hispanic Pentecostals at Azusa Pacific University In Los Angeles. click: Azusa Pacific University
She said Pentecostals practice emotional worship with plain, commonsense reading of the Bible replacing "traditionalist, often arcane" Catholic sacramental worship.
Hispanics make up an increasingly large share of U.S. Catholics, representing a third of the U.S. church, reflecting their growing numbers.
About 53 million U.S. residents describe themselves as Hispanic, representing 17 percent of the nation's population, according to the Census Bureau. click: Census Bureau
Just 3 percent of Hispanics identify as atheist or agnostic, half the rate in the general public.
Jose Alvarado, 40, founder of Chicago Latino Atheists click: The Chicago Latino Atheists said he believes that many Latinos have doubts about religion but that it was tough to "come out" in a culture where church is such a powerful force.
"We're much more outsiders than probably any other Latino group," said Alvarado, who was raised Catholic.
(Reuters)
"We have become a little lukewarm," said Deck, a Jesuit priest. He said a particular challenge is reaching youth, who need to not just be entertained and instructed but understood.
Twenty-eight percent of former Hispanic Catholics who now identify as Protestants say they are Pentecostal.
Factors drawing them include smaller, more intimate churches and a democratic pastorate where anyone can minister, according to Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, history professor and expert on Hispanic Pentecostals at Azusa Pacific University In Los Angeles. She said Pentecostals practice emotional worship with plain, commonsense reading of the Bible replacing "traditionalist, often arcane" Catholic sacramental worship.
Hispanics make up an increasingly large share of U.S. Catholics, representing a third of the U.S. church, reflecting their growing numbers.
About 53 million U.S. residents describe themselves as Hispanic, representing 17 percent of the nation's population, according to the Census Bureau.
Just 3 percent of Hispanics identify as atheist or agnostic, half the rate in the general public.
Jose Alvarado, 40, founder of Chicago Latino Atheists,
said he believes that many Latinos have doubts about religion but that it was tough to "come out" in a culture where church is such a powerful force.
"We're much more outsiders than probably any other Latino group," said Alvarado, who was raised Catholic.
Below several links relating to this same topic - click the colored link below for further info
______________________
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
Click: The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
Click: A major new Pew Research survey finds that nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults are now former Catholics, while rising numbers are Protestant or unaffiliated with any religion. In addition to changes in religious affiliation, the report also looks at a variety of other topics, including religious beliefs and practices and views of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. We also have published interactive graphics that look at religious switching among Hispanics and religious, social and political differences between Hispanics and the general public, and among Hispanic religious groups.
FACT TANK Fewer Hispanics Are Catholic, So How Can More Catholics Be Hispanic?
The percentage of Latinos in the U.S. who are Catholic is declining. A majority (55%) of the nation's estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic, but that's down from two-thirds (67%) as recently as 2010. At the same time, the percentage of all U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic is increasing. That paradox is possible because of the growing size of the Hispanic population, which has increased from 12.5% of the total U.S. population in 2000 to 16.9% in 2012.
Click: READ MORE >>
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and younger generations are less likely to affiliate with religious groups, previous Pew Research studies have found. Our new survey finds that Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click: Millennials in Adulthood - Pew Social & Demographic Trends
Definition: Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
Definition: COHORT: In statistics and demography, a cohort is a group of subjects who have shared a particular event together during a particular time span(e.g., people born in Europe between 1918 and 1939; survivors of an aircrash; truck drivers who smoked between age 30 and 40). Cohorts may be tracked over extended periods in a cohort study. The cohort can be modified by censoring, i.e. excluding certain individuals from statistical calculations relating to time periods (e.g. after death) when their data would contaminate the conclusions. Click: cohort for further info
Definition: Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western Post–World War II baby boom. Demographers, historians and commentators use beginning birth dates from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/18/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 3
HELP FOR THE FAMILY | YOUNG PEOPLE
How to Accept Correction - About Pre-Teenagers & Teenagers
Do you find it hard to accept correction from your parents, teachers, and other adults? If so, this article will help you.
Proverb 9:15:
Correct your children,
and they will be wise;
children out of control
disgrace themselves
and their parents.
________________
The Bible also talks about physically spanking and using a rod.
In the U.S. and in many other countries round the world spanking is illegal and can lead the spanker or rod user to face criminal charges.
Then what to do?
The Bible also states that we have to follow the earthly laws:
Click: Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?
Here we have 2 different pieces of advice: The Bible says: spank, use rod. The earthly law says "Don't". What to do?
GCG answer is: Always guide your child with respect, without raising your voice and with respect and showing love.
Avoid all physical punishment. Your child will understand when you speak in a firm but respectful & kind manner.
Then: when is spanking or rod needed? When you show love and talk in a respectful manner, a mentally healthy child will listen and copy his/her parent's behavior - then there is no need for any physical punishment. Talk to your child about these things, "negotiate" and make a deal how you both will behave but at the same time make sure your child understands that the parent is the "judge" and has the duty to raise his/her child to become successful in life (= explain that fact to your child).
However a wrong behavior must be corrected and the correct behavior must be described, given & discussed together.
Correcting a child's behavior will help him/her to succeed.
Most likely you never need to use any physical punishment when you show respect & love and peacefully explain to your child what is wrong and what is right. Many parents too easily just blame the child when the child's behavior in most cases actually only is a copy of what the child has seen the parents doing. Realize: the children always do what they SEE their parents doing NOT what the parents tell them to do.
A person who dismisses correction
is like a pilot who ignores direction from the control tower.
The result can be disastrous.
“When someone gives you correction, that person is basically telling you that you’re doing something wrong.
And I don’t know anyone who says, ‘I just love to be told that I’m doing something wrong!’”—Amy, 17. *
Do you find it hard to accept correction from your parents, teachers, and other adults? If so, this article will help you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Everyone needs correction.
“We all stumble many times.”--James 3:2.
“There’s nothing shameful about needing to be corrected when you do something wrong.”—Jessica.
Being corrected does not mean you are a failure.
“Those whom God * loves he reproves, just as a father does a son in whom he delights.”--Proverbs 3:12.
“When people give me correction, I try to focus on how difficult it must be for them to do it and how loving it is for them to give me advice.”—Tamara.
Correction can help you become a better person.
“Listen to discipline and become wise.”--Proverbs 8:33.
“Correction is essential for growth. It gives you insight into how you are perceived by others and helps you to curb negative traits that you may not even know you have developed.”—Deanne.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Look at the matter objectively. You might be inclined to take offense at the correction. But try to put your feelings aside. To help you do that, take yourself out of the situation for a moment and imagine that you are giving the same correction to someone else—perhaps a younger sibling. Can you now see at least some merit in the counsel? Now put yourself back into the situation and try to view the matter the same way.—Bible principle: Ecclesiastes 7:9.
“Sometimes you can get so upset over the criticism that you forget that this person was trying to help you become a better person, not trying to hurt your feelings.”—Theresa.
Stay humble. Do not let pride cause you to reject the correction. On the other hand, do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed with discouragement just because you have something to work on. Humility will help you to avoid either extreme. Remember: The correction that hurts the most may be the correction that you need the most. If, for whatever reason, you reject it, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to grow.—Bible principle: Proverbs 16:18.
The correction that hurts the most may be the correction that you need the most
“Accepting correction is an important part of becoming a mature adult. If we don’t learn to take it and grow from it, we hurt ourselves in the long run.”—Lena.
Be thankful. Even if you find the correction difficult to accept, why not express your gratitude to the person who gave it? Undoubtedly, that person has your best interests at heart and truly wants you to succeed.—Bible principle: Psalm 141:5.
“You can never go wrong with saying ‘Thanks,’ especially if you needed the counsel. Even if you didn’t, you can be gracious and express thanks for the effort the person took to approach you.”—Carla.
KEY SCRIPTURES
“Criticism can hurt, but I try to remember that the person who gives it wants me to be the best that I can be. I try to view him as a friend helping me to succeed.”--JUSTIN
“I know that I’ll make mistakes, so I appreciate it when people tell me when I’m wrong. That way I know what I need to work on.”--CHARLETTE
Topic: 2 of 3
THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
Racism
What is the origin of the races of mankind?“Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to become the mother of everyone living.”--Genesis 3:20.
WHAT EXPERTS SAY
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that “all human beings belong to a single species and are descended from a common stock.”—Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, 1978.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God created two humans, Adam and Eve, and he said to them: “Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) Thus, Adam and Eve came to be the father and mother of all humankind. Later, when a flood wiped out most of the earth’s population, four couples survived—Noah and his wife along with their three sons and their wives. The Bible teaches that all of us descended from Noah’s sons.--Genesis 9:18, 19.
Is any race superior to another?“[God] made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth.”--Acts 17:26.
WHAT SOME HAVE SAID
During the 20th century, a number of groups adopted racist ideologies. The Nazis, for example, argued that there was a biological basis for beliefs concerning racial superiority. On the other hand, the UNESCO document cited earlier recognized “the essential unity of the human race and consequently the fundamental equality of all human beings and all peoples.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Acts 10:34, 35 states: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” For this reason, nobody can rightly consider one race to be superior to another.
Jesus set the standard for Christians when he said to his disciples: “All of you are brothers.” (Matthew 23:8) He prayed that his followers be united and be “perfected into one,” not divided or segregated.--John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10.
Will there ever be an end to racism?
“In the final part of the days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established . . . , and to it all the nations will stream.”--Isaiah 2:2.
WHAT SOME THINK
Ongoing racial tension leads people in many lands to question whether society has made any significant progress in dealing with racism. Some conclude that they will never see racial equality.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God will not tolerate racial hatred indefinitely. On the contrary, under his Kingdom, men and women “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” will serve him in unity, demonstrating genuine love for their fellow man. (Revelation 7:9) God’s Kingdom is not some abstract condition of the heart. Rather, it is a government that will have profound effects on our earth—the very place that God intended for all peoples to dwell without racial barriers. *
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/18/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 3
HELP FOR THE FAMILY | YOUNG PEOPLE
How to Accept Correction - About Pre-Teenagers & Teenagers
Do you find it hard to accept correction from your parents, teachers, and other adults? If so, this article will help you.
Proverb 9:15:
Correct your children,
and they will be wise;
children out of control
disgrace themselves
and their parents.
________________
The Bible also talks about physically spanking and using a rod.
In the U.S. and in many other countries round the world spanking is illegal and can lead the spanker or rod user to face criminal charges.
Then what to do?
The Bible also states that we have to follow the earthly laws:
Click: Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?
Here we have 2 different pieces of advice: The Bible says: spank, use rod. The earthly law says "Don't". What to do?
GCG answer is: Always guide your child with respect, without raising your voice and with respect and showing love.
Avoid all physical punishment. Your child will understand when you speak in a firm but respectful & kind manner.
Then: when is spanking or rod needed? When you show love and talk in a respectful manner, a mentally healthy child will listen and copy his/her parent's behavior - then there is no need for any physical punishment. Talk to your child about these things, "negotiate" and make a deal how you both will behave but at the same time make sure your child understands that the parent is the "judge" and has the duty to raise his/her child to become successful in life (= explain that fact to your child).
However a wrong behavior must be corrected and the correct behavior must be described, given & discussed together.
Correcting a child's behavior will help him/her to succeed.
Most likely you never need to use any physical punishment when you show respect & love and peacefully explain to your child what is wrong and what is right. Many parents too easily just blame the child when the child's behavior in most cases actually only is a copy of what the child has seen the parents doing. Realize: the children always do what they SEE their parents doing NOT what the parents tell them to do.
A person who dismisses correction
is like a pilot who ignores direction from the control tower.
The result can be disastrous.
“When someone gives you correction, that person is basically telling you that you’re doing something wrong.
And I don’t know anyone who says, ‘I just love to be told that I’m doing something wrong!’”—Amy, 17. *
Do you find it hard to accept correction from your parents, teachers, and other adults? If so, this article will help you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Everyone needs correction.
“We all stumble many times.”--James 3:2.
“There’s nothing shameful about needing to be corrected when you do something wrong.”—Jessica.
Being corrected does not mean you are a failure.
“Those whom God * loves he reproves, just as a father does a son in whom he delights.”--Proverbs 3:12.
“When people give me correction, I try to focus on how difficult it must be for them to do it and how loving it is for them to give me advice.”—Tamara.
Correction can help you become a better person.
“Listen to discipline and become wise.”--Proverbs 8:33.
“Correction is essential for growth. It gives you insight into how you are perceived by others and helps you to curb negative traits that you may not even know you have developed.”—Deanne.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Look at the matter objectively. You might be inclined to take offense at the correction. But try to put your feelings aside. To help you do that, take yourself out of the situation for a moment and imagine that you are giving the same correction to someone else—perhaps a younger sibling. Can you now see at least some merit in the counsel? Now put yourself back into the situation and try to view the matter the same way.—Bible principle: Ecclesiastes 7:9.
“Sometimes you can get so upset over the criticism that you forget that this person was trying to help you become a better person, not trying to hurt your feelings.”—Theresa.
Stay humble. Do not let pride cause you to reject the correction. On the other hand, do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed with discouragement just because you have something to work on. Humility will help you to avoid either extreme. Remember: The correction that hurts the most may be the correction that you need the most. If, for whatever reason, you reject it, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to grow.—Bible principle: Proverbs 16:18.
The correction that hurts the most may be the correction that you need the most
“Accepting correction is an important part of becoming a mature adult. If we don’t learn to take it and grow from it, we hurt ourselves in the long run.”—Lena.
Be thankful. Even if you find the correction difficult to accept, why not express your gratitude to the person who gave it? Undoubtedly, that person has your best interests at heart and truly wants you to succeed.—Bible principle: Psalm 141:5.
“You can never go wrong with saying ‘Thanks,’ especially if you needed the counsel. Even if you didn’t, you can be gracious and express thanks for the effort the person took to approach you.”—Carla.
KEY SCRIPTURES
- “Do not be quick to take offense.”--Ecclesiastes 7:9.
- “Pride is before a crash.”--Proverbs 16:18.
- “Should the righteous one strike me [with reproof], it would be an act of loyal love.”--Psalm 141:5.
“Criticism can hurt, but I try to remember that the person who gives it wants me to be the best that I can be. I try to view him as a friend helping me to succeed.”--JUSTIN
“I know that I’ll make mistakes, so I appreciate it when people tell me when I’m wrong. That way I know what I need to work on.”--CHARLETTE
Topic: 2 of 3
THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT
Racism
What is the origin of the races of mankind?“Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to become the mother of everyone living.”--Genesis 3:20.
WHAT EXPERTS SAY
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that “all human beings belong to a single species and are descended from a common stock.”—Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, 1978.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God created two humans, Adam and Eve, and he said to them: “Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) Thus, Adam and Eve came to be the father and mother of all humankind. Later, when a flood wiped out most of the earth’s population, four couples survived—Noah and his wife along with their three sons and their wives. The Bible teaches that all of us descended from Noah’s sons.--Genesis 9:18, 19.
Is any race superior to another?“[God] made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth.”--Acts 17:26.
WHAT SOME HAVE SAID
During the 20th century, a number of groups adopted racist ideologies. The Nazis, for example, argued that there was a biological basis for beliefs concerning racial superiority. On the other hand, the UNESCO document cited earlier recognized “the essential unity of the human race and consequently the fundamental equality of all human beings and all peoples.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Acts 10:34, 35 states: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” For this reason, nobody can rightly consider one race to be superior to another.
Jesus set the standard for Christians when he said to his disciples: “All of you are brothers.” (Matthew 23:8) He prayed that his followers be united and be “perfected into one,” not divided or segregated.--John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10.
Will there ever be an end to racism?
“In the final part of the days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established . . . , and to it all the nations will stream.”--Isaiah 2:2.
WHAT SOME THINK
Ongoing racial tension leads people in many lands to question whether society has made any significant progress in dealing with racism. Some conclude that they will never see racial equality.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God will not tolerate racial hatred indefinitely. On the contrary, under his Kingdom, men and women “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” will serve him in unity, demonstrating genuine love for their fellow man. (Revelation 7:9) God’s Kingdom is not some abstract condition of the heart. Rather, it is a government that will have profound effects on our earth—the very place that God intended for all peoples to dwell without racial barriers. *
Topic: 3 of 3
Vatican official arrested in corruption plot
Is this the way a servant of Jesus & a servant of God is meant to behave?
Whatabout the child molestors in the Catholic Church - worldwide ?
VATICAN CITY (AP), 6/28/13 — A Vatican official has been arrested by Italian police for allegedly trying to illegally bring 20 million euros ($26 million) in cash into the country from Switzerland with a private jet.
Prosecutor Nello Rossi says Monsignor Nunzio Scarano is accused of corruption and slander stemming from the plot and was being held at a Rome prison.
He was allegedly asked by friends to bring back the money that had been given to financier Giovanni Carenzio in Switzerland. Scarano is supposed to have asked Giovanni Zito, a military official, to bring the money back by jet, avoiding customs.
Scarano was allegedly due to pay Zito a commission of 600,000 euros for the work. He paid only an initial installment of 400,000 euros before being arrested.
Source: Internet news
_______________________________________________________
Vatican official arrested in corruption plot
Is this the way a servant of Jesus & a servant of God is meant to behave?
Whatabout the child molestors in the Catholic Church - worldwide ?
VATICAN CITY (AP), 6/28/13 — A Vatican official has been arrested by Italian police for allegedly trying to illegally bring 20 million euros ($26 million) in cash into the country from Switzerland with a private jet.
Prosecutor Nello Rossi says Monsignor Nunzio Scarano is accused of corruption and slander stemming from the plot and was being held at a Rome prison.
He was allegedly asked by friends to bring back the money that had been given to financier Giovanni Carenzio in Switzerland. Scarano is supposed to have asked Giovanni Zito, a military official, to bring the money back by jet, avoiding customs.
Scarano was allegedly due to pay Zito a commission of 600,000 euros for the work. He paid only an initial installment of 400,000 euros before being arrested.
Source: Internet news
_______________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 5/25/14 The Miracle Show
Please notice:
The show presentation has added information, the text below is the basic topic text
Topic # 1 of 2
Click for further info
The Bible allows drinking wine - Here good advice how to serve the wine
How to Serve Wine 101:
Why and When to Decant
Expert advice on enjoying your bottles at their best
PART A
Part B next below
Seems like serving a wine should be easy enough: Just open and pour. But anyone who has ever struggled with a crumbling cork, or listened to a debate over whether the Cabernet they’re drinking needs to “breathe” more, knows that sometimes it’s not quite so simple.
Decanting is one of those elements of wine service that remains mysterious and intimidating to many drinkers: Which wines need it? When to do it? And how? Is it really even necessary or just a bit of wine pomp and circumstance?
Get the Sed(iment) Out
Fundamentally, decanting serves two purposes: to separate a wine from any sediment that may have formed and to aerate a wine in the hope that its aromas and flavors will be more vibrant upon serving.
Older red wines and Vintage Ports naturally produce sediment as they age (white wines rarely do); the color pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of solution. Stirring up the sediment when pouring will cloud a wine’s appearance and can impart bitter flavors and a gritty texture. It’s not harmful, but definitely less enjoyable.
Decanting is simply the process of separating this sediment from the clear wine. It’s fairly safe to assume that a red will have accumulated sediment after five to 10 years in the bottle, even if this can’t be verified visually, and should be decanted. Here’s how to do it well:
- Set the bottle upright for 24 hours or more before drinking, so the sediment can slide to the bottom of the bottle, making it easier to separate.
- Locate a decanter or other clean, clear vessel from which the wine can easily be poured into glasses.
- Remove the capsule and cork; wipe the bottle neck clean.
- Hold a light under the neck of the bottle; a candle or flashlight works well.
- Pour the wine into the decanter slowly and steadily, without stopping; when you get to the bottom half of the bottle, pour even more slowly.
- Stop as soon as you see the sediment reach the neck of the bottle. Sediment isn’t always chunky and obvious; stop if the wine’s color becomes cloudy or if you see what looks like specks of dust in the neck.
- The wine is now ready to serve. Discard the remaining ounce or two of sediment-filled liquid in the bottle.
Others feel that decanting makes a wine fade faster, and that a wine is exposed to plenty of oxygen when you swirl it in your glass. Plus, it can be fun to experience the full evolution of wine as it opens up in your glass; you might miss an interesting phase if you decant too soon.
A particularly fragile or old wine (especially one 15 or more years old) should only be decanted 30 minutes or so before drinking. A younger, more vigorous, full-bodied red wine—and yes, even whites—can be decanted an hour or more before serving. At some tastings, wines are decanted for hours beforehand and may show beautifully, but these experiments can be risky (the wine could end up click: oxidized) and are best done by people very familiar with how those wines age and evolve.
If you’re curious, experiment for yourself with multiple bottles of the same wine—one decanted and one not, or bottles decanted for different lengths of time—and see which you prefer.
More about decanting: Ask Dr. Vinny: What actually happens to a wine when you decant it?
Ask Dr. Vinny: How do I decant a really large bottle of wine?
Ask Dr. Vinny: Can you tell me how long I should decant a specific wine before drinking?
__________________
PART B
Part A next above
A second wine decanting article by another specialist
The How and Why of Decanting Wine
To decant … or not to decant. That is the question.
In recent years, at many of the better restaurants, the sommelier or wine steward (= a waiter in a restaurant or club who is in charge of wine; sommelier)
will decant that is, slowly transfer your still wine selection, especially the big reds, from the bottle you selected, to a large, wide-bottomed crystal or glass carafe to let it breathe for 20 or so minutes before pouring you a glass. click: Sommelier
Wine decanting has been seen as pompous, and may sound silly—how can pouring wine from one container into another make it taste better?—yet it works. It is a practice that truly enhances the wine drinking experience.
Originally, wine was decanted to remove sediment from older vintages. Wines aged in bottles threw sediment after perhaps 10 years. Not only was this sediment displeasing
to the eye, it could also be quite unpleasant in the mouth. Nowadays, because of better fining and filtering methods, and because wines are drunk relatively younger, even the very big reds of Spain, France, and Italy rarely throw off sediment. Decanting is performed to aerate the wine, vaporize some of the alcohol, soften the hard tannins, enhance the aromatics, and bring forth the wine’s depth and complexity.
Don’t let anybody tell you that you should only decant certain types of wine (Bordeaux) and not others (Burgundy). I recommend decanting everything. I’m one of those who insists on decanting reds, especially older reds.
A couple of days before I plan to open a big, tannic red, I stand it upright on the off chance that sediment has formed. I open the bottle a day in advance, and then decant it the morning before dinner. I have a number of vessels, crystal decanters and glass carafes—gifts from friends and associates—and take full advantage of decanting. I do not discard the original bottle after decanting, unless I believe that none of the decanted wine will remain after the meal. I rinse the bottle with cold water and the next morning, should there be any leftover, I pour it back to be used in cooking.
Wine professionals think that the best decanter has a long neck and a wide bottom surface. These features permit oxygen to reach the wine for a smoother, mellower finish. A clear, crystal decanter allows you to see the wine at its best. Be sure that the decanter is spotless and free from any musty odors. Never clean your decanter with detergent, because the shape of a decanter makes it very difficult to get the soapy residue out.
If the wine is very mature (over 15 years), take great caution when uncorking. The cork may be very brittle, causing it to split or break. If you’ve properly stored your bottle in a dark, cool cellar, you would be probably fine, but it is not guaranteed, as the quality of cork has decreased due to the vast demand from increased wine production.
For these older bottles, instead of a standard corkscrew, I personally use an AhSo cork remover. It is a two-bladed implement that when inserted in the neck of a bottle, grips the cork from the sides, and insures that even a brittle cork can be twisted and removed intact.click: Ah-so Cork Puller
I find that Italian reds, Barolos, Brolios, Chiantis, Barbarescos, and the better sangiovese-based bottles, such as Brunello, benefit from judicious aeration; and so do most of the Spanish Riojas. Chilean cabernet sauvignon and carmenère also benefit from decanting, and of course the Bordeaux, Burgundy, Catalan garnachas, California and Oregon pinot noirs.
Even white wines, especially chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, will usually benefit from decanting, which enhances the fruit aromas.
So, when in doubt, decant...decant...decant
Source: Manos Angelakis is a well-known wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He has been certified as a Tuscan Wine Master, by the Tuscan Wine Masters Academy, as well as being an expert on Greek, Chilean and Brazilian wines. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior Food & Wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine www.luxuryweb.com and The Oenophile Blog www.oenophileblog.com
__________________________________________________________
Topic # 2 of 2
Click green for further info
We handle also other topics in the radio show than striclty biblical questions
This info can save your life
Travel topic
Hotels, Alarms, and Fires….oh my!
I recently took a few days off from work and treated myself to a mini getaway at a very nice New York City hotel near Central Park. My room ended up being on the top floor, the 46th, with a lovely view. On my first night, I was in a very deep sleep with my IPOD headphones still in my ears, when I vaguely sensed an alarm bell and announcement going off in the hallway at 2:45 a.m.
I ripped my earphones off, stood by my door, and sure enough the fire alarm was sounding and someone was explaining on the emergency sound system that the “incident” was all clear and they were sorry for any inconvenience. Well, this type of announcement is a bit unnerving, after all I had no idea what the “incident” was. Could it have been a shooter running loose in the building, a fire, or something else? I attempted to call the manager on duty to find out what was happening, but the phone line was busy and I eventually gave up.
Since I did not see or smell smoke, the most immediate danger I could think of, I stayed in my room. However, who could sleep? This extremely loud alarm and announcement proceeded to go off every 10 minutes or so, until about 3:30 a.m. At this point, a new voice came over the sound system and told all the hotel guests to go back to their rooms. The drama was apparently over.
The next morning, as I took the elevator to the lobby I asked a gentleman who entered on the 43rd floor if he knew what had happened. Apparently, there was a small fire in a wastebasket in one of the rooms on his floor. He said that there had been confusion over what to do exactly, because one set of firefighters asked those on his floor to evacuate to the 40th floor, while another group of firefighters earlier did not require an evacuation. He felt the instructions were not clear or consistent. I would have to agree.
In the end, all of the hotel guests and staff were safe, but this incident was a great reminder of being prepared in case this ever happens to you. I would like to review a few basic safety tips for you to apply on all of your trips going forward:
1. Top floor risks: Yes, the views are amazing when you are way up high. However, if there is an emergency and evacuation is needed, you will most likely need to take the stairs. If you are not physically able to handle such a requirement or are not willing to take the risk, request to make stay on a lower floor when you check in.
2. Keep your essentials packed: If an emergency strikes in the middle of the night, and you need to run out of your room, it is important to get in the habit of keeping all of your essentials ready to go in a backpack or handbag before you retire for the night. By essentials, I mean things such as passport/ID, wallet, medication, and glasses. Don’t try to take everything with you.
3. Put your shoes on: Unless immediate danger is about to strike you, take a minute to put your shoes on before you run out of your room. If you need to run down the stairs or exit the hotel and stand in the street, this may be difficult to do with bare feet or slippers.
4. Always pack a mini-flashlight: In case the hotel lights go out and you need to find the exit and staircase, having a small flashlight will be a lifesaver for you and your fellow hotel guests. Keep it in a handy place, like your bedside table. When your room is dark and your adrenaline is on high alert from the sound of alarms, trust me, the last thing you want to do is fumble around in your luggage to find a flashlight. Mobile phones sometimes have lights already built into them, which can be a good substitute, or you can also explore different flashlight Apps available for your phone. Just don’t forget to charge your phone so that you have enough battery power to get you to safety.
As always I wish you all the happiest of travels!
Source: Consummate Traveler
_______________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 6/1/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Study Finds Nearly 29% of World Population Is Overweight or Obese
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Jumped 27.5% for Adults, 47.1% for Kids From 1980 to 2013
Obesity = body adiposity click: Body adiposity index
The obesity epidemic is global: 2.1 billion people, or about 29% of the world's population, were either overweight or obese in 2013, and nearly two out of three of the obese live in developing countries,
according to click: a study released in May 2014.
The prevalence (= the fact of being common) of overweight and obese people rose by 27.5% for adults and 47.1% for children between 1980 and 2013, according to the study, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, click: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation www.healthdata.org/ IHME click: University of Washington and published on May 29, 2014 in the journal the Lancet.
click:The Lancetwww.thelancet.com/The Lance - The Lancet is the world's leading general medical journal
In 1980, 857 million people were overweight or obese.
The increases in overweight and obese people "have been substantial, widespread, and have arisen over a short time," said the study, which analyzed data that included the heights and weights of people in 183 countries. Today, it said, 36.9% of the world's men and 38% of women are overweight or obese.
No nation reported a significant decrease in obesity during that period, said Christopher Murray, director of IHME. click: Christopher J.L. Murray
"The fact that no country has had a statistically significant reduction in the time period was a surprise," he said, showing that policies to address the epidemic haven't had an effect yet.
The study didn't examine reasons for the sharp rise, though it cited a well-known litany of possible factors: diet, physical inactivity, and one that hasn't gotten as much attention—changes in the gut microbiome that affect metabolism.
Obesity is generally thought of as a disease of prosperity. Indeed, the U.S. had the heftiest population in 2013, with 13% of the world's obese, according to the IHME study. And obesity rates are highest in the developed world.
But while North America and Europe stood out as the world's heavyweights in 1980, increases in the prevalence of adult obesity there have slowed since 2006, and now "you see the share in the rest of the world going up very dramatically," Dr. Murray said.
He cited South Africa as an extreme case: 42% of women are obese, meaning that a country battling malnutrition and a substantial burden of HIV/AIDS also grapples with chronic conditions linked to excess weight.
More than 50% of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries, the study said, ranking them in order: the U.S., China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and Indonesia.
In Tonga, 52.4% of men are obese. More than 50% of women are obese in Tonga, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and other countries.
In 2013, 23.8% of boys and 22.6% of girls were overweight or obese in developed countries. In developing countries, 12.9% of boys and 13.4% of girls were overweight or obese. Middle Eastern and North African countries had particularly high rates of childhood obesity, the authors said.
The authors said a goal set by the World Health Organization to halt the rise in obesity by 2025 is "very ambitious and unlikely to be attained without concerted action and further research."
"I think of obesity as uniquely concerning because it's one of the top health risks, and among the top risks it's the only one going up," said Dr. Murray. Other significant risks include smoking, alcohol consumption and high blood pressure, he noted.
The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is the most comprehensive to date on global obesity trends,examining obesity data country by country over time, he said. click: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
__________________
Topic 1 of 1
PART B (Part A next above)
What does The Bible say & teach about overweight & obesity?
Let me assure you that God does want you to do what is right — not just so you’ll feel better about yourself, but because He loves you, and He doesn’t want anyone to be burdened with the serious health problems that accompany overweight or obesity.
The Bible bluntly says: “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony” (Proverbs 23:2 ) - in other words, avoid overeating at all costs". About the "knife" - please do not misunderstand, it does not mean to hurt yourself - it is only symbolic statement. MEANS: stop.
If you are overweight or you have some other wrong, negative habits (WE ALL HAVE SOME) think about this:
Be patient and don’t get discouraged; it probably took you years to get into your present condition, and it may take time to see new results. The Bible says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience” (Proverbs 19:11). Make a shopping list also and be disciplined when you buy food; avoid buying anything on impulse. Once something is in your freezer or on the kitchen shelf, it’s probably going to get eaten.
Most of all, open your heart and life to Christ, and make it your goal to put Him first in your life. That you do by simply following what The Bible teaches to do. Yes, your physical health is important—but even more important is your spiritual health BECAUSE from the spiritual strength comes the physical strength and the correct action. Give your life to Christ today meaning: start living the way The Bible, our success guide for life, guides us all to do. You do that by learning what The Bible says and then applying the biblical guidance.
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, Founding Pastor of GCG)
The Bible was inspired & dictated by God to be our success guide in life. Make a plan to study the whole Bible from cover to cover by reading it daily and using a modern English language version. See in this website, home page, what Bible version to use. Use only a Bible written in the modern, today's English - the message is still the same, original guidance but in an understandable language. If English is your 2nd language, use still a modern English language Bible = you learn English (use a dictionary as needed - printed &/or online). In addition, the online translators can help you in your studies. It is a good idea to learn both at the same time: today's English and the biblical success guidance. Have a weekly family meeting handling the material every family member has studied that week - decide together what everyone reads during the week and then discuss the material together and apply the information. If you are single, perhaps you could create a study group with your friends and do the same as you would with your family.
Overeating, over drinking and over "doing" anything is a health hazard.
Written by Dr. Christian, Pastor of GCG
____________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/6/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
God’s View of Smoking
Knowing what He thinks could help you to quit
A Global Epidemic
Smoking is a relentless killer.
It killed 100,000,000 people during the last century.
It takes about 6,000,000 lives a year.
On average, it kills one person every six seconds.
And there is no sign of a turnaround.
Authorities estimate that if current trends persist, by 2030, the annual death toll from smoking will climb to more than 8,000,000. And they predict that smoking will have taken 1,000,000,000 lives by the end of the 21st century.
Tobacco’s victims are not just the smokers. Included are the surviving family members, who suffer emotional and financial loss, as well as the 600,000 nonsmokers who die each year from breathing secondhand smoke. The burden spreads to everyone in the form of rising health-care costs.
Unlike epidemics that send doctors racing to discover a cure, this scourge is eminently curable; the solution is well-known. Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, stated: “The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made, and it can be turned around through the concerted efforts of governments and civil society.”
International response to combat this health crisis has been unprecedented. As of August 2012, some 175 (in the old we have about 196) countries have agreed to take measures to curb tobacco use.*However, powerful forces keep the pandemic raging. Each year, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising to attract new customers, especially among women and young adults living in developing countries. The addictive nature of tobacco almost ensures that casualties will remain high among the one billion smokers already hooked. Unless current users quit, the death toll will climb sharply over the next four decades.
Advertising and addiction keep many trapped in a habit they wish they could break. That was the experience of Renei. She began smoking as a teen. Copying the way the habit was portrayed in the media made her feel sophisticated. Despite seeing both of her parents die from lung cancer, she continued smoking, even while raising her two daughters. “I was concerned about getting lung cancer and worried about my children’s health,” she admits, “but I still couldn’t quit. I thought I would never stop smoking.”
Yet, Renei did stop. She found the motivation to overcome her smoking habit in the same source that has helped millions remain free of tobacco. What is that source?
These measures include educating people about the dangers of smoking, restricting tobacco-industry marketing, raising tobacco taxes, and establishing programs to help people quit smoking.
What Is God’s View of Smoking?
Throughout the text, click the colored links for further info
Renei, mentioned in the opening article, said of her victory over smoking, “I was able to change my life because of learning the truth about God’s qualities and purpose.” What she learned is found in the Bible. Even though the Bible never mentions tobacco, it helps us to understand how God views smoking.* For many, that knowledge provided the incentive they needed to resist or quit the habit. click: (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Let us consider three well-known harmful effects of smoking and see what the Bible says about them.
SMOKING IS ADDICTIVE
Tobacco contains one of the most addictive drugs known—nicotine. It acts as a stimulant as well as a depressant. Smoking delivers nicotine to the brain quickly and repeatedly. Since each puff supplies a single dose of nicotine, the average one-pack-a-day smoker inhales the equivalent of about 200 doses a day, a higher dosage than in any other drug use. Such frequent dosing makes nicotine uniquely addictive. Once hooked, a smoker experiences withdrawal symptoms if his craving for nicotine is not satisfied.
The Bible helps us to have the correct view of the matter when it says: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey?” (Romans 6:16) When an individual’s thinking and actions are dominated by a craving for tobacco, he soon becomes a slave to a degrading practice. However, God wants us to be free, not only from practices that harm our body but also from those that corrupt our spirit, that is, our dominant mental inclination. (Psalm 83:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1) Thus, as a person grows in appreciation and respect for God, he recognizes that God deserves his best and that he cannot give God his best while remaining enslaved to a lethal habit. That realization helps to give a person the will to resist hurtful desires.
Olaf, who lives in Sweden, overcame a 16-year addiction to cigarettes that began when he was 12. “The first cigarette seemed like a harmless snowball,” he said. “But over the years it amounted to a huge avalanche. One time when I ran out of cigarettes, I was so frustrated that I collected all the stubs from an ashtray, scraped the tobacco together, and rolled a cigarette with a scrap of newspaper. In hindsight, I can see that it was really shameful.” How did he break the degrading habit of smoking? “The crucial factor was the desire to please God,” he said. “God’s love for mankind and the hope he provides gave me the strength to break this addiction once and for all.”
SMOKING DAMAGES THE BODY
“You must love (= respect) your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”--Matthew 22:37
Are you showing love and respect for God if you abuse your God-given body by indulging in a defiling habit?
“Smoking cigarettes . . . has been scientifically proven to harm nearly every organ in the body and to increase morbidity and mortality,” says The Tobacco Atlas*). It is well-known that smoking causes noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and lung ailments. But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking is also a major cause of death from communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis.
*) click:or search withe the title: The Tobacco Atlas 4th Edition from the World Lung ...www.tobaccoatlas.org/
Download the Tobacco Atlas. Note: These .pdfs represent the last printed edition and updates may have occurred online. Please check the authors Notes blog ...
Through his Word, the Bible, God teaches us to have a proper view of our life, our body, and our faculties. His Son, Jesus, pointed to this when he said: “You must love your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Clearly, God wants us to make good use of our life and body and to treat them with respect. As we learn about God and his promises, we come to love and value all that he has done for us. This motivates us to keep free from anything that defiles our body.
Kalle, a physician in Finland , smoked for 38 years. He said: “I learned about the dangers of smoking through medical journals. I knew it was wrong, and I advised my patients to give up the habit. But I could not quit it myself, despite trying five or six times.” What helped him finally to stop? He relates: “I quit smoking as a result of having a Bible study. The desire to please God motivated me to quit the habit straight away.”
SMOKING HARMS OTHERS
Exhaled smoke and smoke that comes from smoldering tobacco are toxic. Inhaling such secondhand smoke can cause cancer and other diseases, and each year it kills 600,000 nonsmokers, mostly women and children. A report by WHO*) warns: “There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.”
*) WHO click: World Health Organization:
According to Jesus, love of neighbor—our family, friends, and others around us—is second only to love of God. “You must love your neighbor as yourself,” he said. (Matthew 22:39) If we pursue a habit that hurts those close to us, we are not showing neighborly love. Genuine love moves us to follow the Bible’s admonition: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”-- 1 Corinthians 10:24.
Heinrich, who lives in Germany, recalls: “Because they were affected by it, my family begged me to quit smoking. But I didn’t want to admit that it could have a bad effect on them.” He explains what changed his view: “My knowledge of the Bible and love for God helped me to quit smoking and admit that it was harmful not only to me but also to those around me.”
SMOKING EXTINGUISHED FOR GOOD
Through a global educational campaign, God is now helping millions of people to break free or keep free from enslavement to tobacco. (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Very soon, by means of his Kingdom—a heavenly government under his Son, Jesus Christ—God will eliminate the greedy commercial system that is responsible for enslaving millions to tobacco. He will extinguish the smoking epidemic for good and raise obedient humankind to perfection in body and mind.--Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 19:11, 15.
If you are struggling to quit smoking, take heart. By learning to love God and to appreciate his view of smoking, you too can find the motivation you need to succeed. GCG will be happy to provide you with practical, one-on-one assistance to learn and apply Bible principles. Be assured that if you want God’s help to break free from tobacco addiction, he will supply the power and strength you need.--Philippians 4:13.
__________________________________________________________
Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/13/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
Can Any Human Being Predict The Future ?
Successes & Failures
Would you like to know your future? The notion appeals to many. There are a lot of people who predict upcoming events—with varying results. Consider the following:
We all think about the future. We wonder what life will be like for ourselves and our loved ones. We ask such questions as these: ‘Will my children live in a better world? Will the earth be destroyed in a disaster? Is there something I can change now to make my future better?’ This curiosity is part of who we are; we naturally yearn for reassurance, certainty, order, and stability. If you could be more certain about the future, you could prepare for it, both physically and emotionally.
So, what is in your future? Can anyone know? Professionals who try to predict the future have met with some successes but also many failures. Yet, it is said that God can accurately foretell upcoming events. His Word says: “From the beginning I foretell the outcome, and from long ago the things that have not yet been done.” (Isaiah 46:10) How successful has he been?
What God Has Revealed About the Future
to be continued in The Miracle Show on another date
_______________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 6/1/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Study Finds Nearly 29% of World Population Is Overweight or Obese
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Jumped 27.5% for Adults, 47.1% for Kids From 1980 to 2013
Obesity = body adiposity click: Body adiposity index
The obesity epidemic is global: 2.1 billion people, or about 29% of the world's population, were either overweight or obese in 2013, and nearly two out of three of the obese live in developing countries,
according to click: a study released in May 2014.
The prevalence (= the fact of being common) of overweight and obese people rose by 27.5% for adults and 47.1% for children between 1980 and 2013, according to the study, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, click: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation www.healthdata.org/ IHME click: University of Washington and published on May 29, 2014 in the journal the Lancet.
click:The Lancetwww.thelancet.com/The Lance - The Lancet is the world's leading general medical journal
In 1980, 857 million people were overweight or obese.
The increases in overweight and obese people "have been substantial, widespread, and have arisen over a short time," said the study, which analyzed data that included the heights and weights of people in 183 countries. Today, it said, 36.9% of the world's men and 38% of women are overweight or obese.
No nation reported a significant decrease in obesity during that period, said Christopher Murray, director of IHME. click: Christopher J.L. Murray
"The fact that no country has had a statistically significant reduction in the time period was a surprise," he said, showing that policies to address the epidemic haven't had an effect yet.
The study didn't examine reasons for the sharp rise, though it cited a well-known litany of possible factors: diet, physical inactivity, and one that hasn't gotten as much attention—changes in the gut microbiome that affect metabolism.
Obesity is generally thought of as a disease of prosperity. Indeed, the U.S. had the heftiest population in 2013, with 13% of the world's obese, according to the IHME study. And obesity rates are highest in the developed world.
But while North America and Europe stood out as the world's heavyweights in 1980, increases in the prevalence of adult obesity there have slowed since 2006, and now "you see the share in the rest of the world going up very dramatically," Dr. Murray said.
He cited South Africa as an extreme case: 42% of women are obese, meaning that a country battling malnutrition and a substantial burden of HIV/AIDS also grapples with chronic conditions linked to excess weight.
More than 50% of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries, the study said, ranking them in order: the U.S., China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and Indonesia.
In Tonga, 52.4% of men are obese. More than 50% of women are obese in Tonga, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and other countries.
In 2013, 23.8% of boys and 22.6% of girls were overweight or obese in developed countries. In developing countries, 12.9% of boys and 13.4% of girls were overweight or obese. Middle Eastern and North African countries had particularly high rates of childhood obesity, the authors said.
The authors said a goal set by the World Health Organization to halt the rise in obesity by 2025 is "very ambitious and unlikely to be attained without concerted action and further research."
"I think of obesity as uniquely concerning because it's one of the top health risks, and among the top risks it's the only one going up," said Dr. Murray. Other significant risks include smoking, alcohol consumption and high blood pressure, he noted.
The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is the most comprehensive to date on global obesity trends,examining obesity data country by country over time, he said. click: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
__________________
Topic 1 of 1
PART B (Part A next above)
What does The Bible say & teach about overweight & obesity?
Let me assure you that God does want you to do what is right — not just so you’ll feel better about yourself, but because He loves you, and He doesn’t want anyone to be burdened with the serious health problems that accompany overweight or obesity.
The Bible bluntly says: “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony” (Proverbs 23:2 ) - in other words, avoid overeating at all costs". About the "knife" - please do not misunderstand, it does not mean to hurt yourself - it is only symbolic statement. MEANS: stop.
If you are overweight or you have some other wrong, negative habits (WE ALL HAVE SOME) think about this:
Be patient and don’t get discouraged; it probably took you years to get into your present condition, and it may take time to see new results. The Bible says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience” (Proverbs 19:11). Make a shopping list also and be disciplined when you buy food; avoid buying anything on impulse. Once something is in your freezer or on the kitchen shelf, it’s probably going to get eaten.
Most of all, open your heart and life to Christ, and make it your goal to put Him first in your life. That you do by simply following what The Bible teaches to do. Yes, your physical health is important—but even more important is your spiritual health BECAUSE from the spiritual strength comes the physical strength and the correct action. Give your life to Christ today meaning: start living the way The Bible, our success guide for life, guides us all to do. You do that by learning what The Bible says and then applying the biblical guidance.
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, Founding Pastor of GCG)
The Bible was inspired & dictated by God to be our success guide in life. Make a plan to study the whole Bible from cover to cover by reading it daily and using a modern English language version. See in this website, home page, what Bible version to use. Use only a Bible written in the modern, today's English - the message is still the same, original guidance but in an understandable language. If English is your 2nd language, use still a modern English language Bible = you learn English (use a dictionary as needed - printed &/or online). In addition, the online translators can help you in your studies. It is a good idea to learn both at the same time: today's English and the biblical success guidance. Have a weekly family meeting handling the material every family member has studied that week - decide together what everyone reads during the week and then discuss the material together and apply the information. If you are single, perhaps you could create a study group with your friends and do the same as you would with your family.
Overeating, over drinking and over "doing" anything is a health hazard.
Written by Dr. Christian, Pastor of GCG
____________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/6/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
God’s View of Smoking
Knowing what He thinks could help you to quit
A Global Epidemic
Smoking is a relentless killer.
It killed 100,000,000 people during the last century.
It takes about 6,000,000 lives a year.
On average, it kills one person every six seconds.
And there is no sign of a turnaround.
Authorities estimate that if current trends persist, by 2030, the annual death toll from smoking will climb to more than 8,000,000. And they predict that smoking will have taken 1,000,000,000 lives by the end of the 21st century.
Tobacco’s victims are not just the smokers. Included are the surviving family members, who suffer emotional and financial loss, as well as the 600,000 nonsmokers who die each year from breathing secondhand smoke. The burden spreads to everyone in the form of rising health-care costs.
Unlike epidemics that send doctors racing to discover a cure, this scourge is eminently curable; the solution is well-known. Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, stated: “The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made, and it can be turned around through the concerted efforts of governments and civil society.”
International response to combat this health crisis has been unprecedented. As of August 2012, some 175 (in the old we have about 196) countries have agreed to take measures to curb tobacco use.*However, powerful forces keep the pandemic raging. Each year, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising to attract new customers, especially among women and young adults living in developing countries. The addictive nature of tobacco almost ensures that casualties will remain high among the one billion smokers already hooked. Unless current users quit, the death toll will climb sharply over the next four decades.
Advertising and addiction keep many trapped in a habit they wish they could break. That was the experience of Renei. She began smoking as a teen. Copying the way the habit was portrayed in the media made her feel sophisticated. Despite seeing both of her parents die from lung cancer, she continued smoking, even while raising her two daughters. “I was concerned about getting lung cancer and worried about my children’s health,” she admits, “but I still couldn’t quit. I thought I would never stop smoking.”
Yet, Renei did stop. She found the motivation to overcome her smoking habit in the same source that has helped millions remain free of tobacco. What is that source?
These measures include educating people about the dangers of smoking, restricting tobacco-industry marketing, raising tobacco taxes, and establishing programs to help people quit smoking.
What Is God’s View of Smoking?
Throughout the text, click the colored links for further info
Renei, mentioned in the opening article, said of her victory over smoking, “I was able to change my life because of learning the truth about God’s qualities and purpose.” What she learned is found in the Bible. Even though the Bible never mentions tobacco, it helps us to understand how God views smoking.* For many, that knowledge provided the incentive they needed to resist or quit the habit. click: (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Let us consider three well-known harmful effects of smoking and see what the Bible says about them.
SMOKING IS ADDICTIVE
Tobacco contains one of the most addictive drugs known—nicotine. It acts as a stimulant as well as a depressant. Smoking delivers nicotine to the brain quickly and repeatedly. Since each puff supplies a single dose of nicotine, the average one-pack-a-day smoker inhales the equivalent of about 200 doses a day, a higher dosage than in any other drug use. Such frequent dosing makes nicotine uniquely addictive. Once hooked, a smoker experiences withdrawal symptoms if his craving for nicotine is not satisfied.
The Bible helps us to have the correct view of the matter when it says: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey?” (Romans 6:16) When an individual’s thinking and actions are dominated by a craving for tobacco, he soon becomes a slave to a degrading practice. However, God wants us to be free, not only from practices that harm our body but also from those that corrupt our spirit, that is, our dominant mental inclination. (Psalm 83:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1) Thus, as a person grows in appreciation and respect for God, he recognizes that God deserves his best and that he cannot give God his best while remaining enslaved to a lethal habit. That realization helps to give a person the will to resist hurtful desires.
Olaf, who lives in Sweden, overcame a 16-year addiction to cigarettes that began when he was 12. “The first cigarette seemed like a harmless snowball,” he said. “But over the years it amounted to a huge avalanche. One time when I ran out of cigarettes, I was so frustrated that I collected all the stubs from an ashtray, scraped the tobacco together, and rolled a cigarette with a scrap of newspaper. In hindsight, I can see that it was really shameful.” How did he break the degrading habit of smoking? “The crucial factor was the desire to please God,” he said. “God’s love for mankind and the hope he provides gave me the strength to break this addiction once and for all.”
SMOKING DAMAGES THE BODY
“You must love (= respect) your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”--Matthew 22:37
Are you showing love and respect for God if you abuse your God-given body by indulging in a defiling habit?
“Smoking cigarettes . . . has been scientifically proven to harm nearly every organ in the body and to increase morbidity and mortality,” says The Tobacco Atlas*). It is well-known that smoking causes noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and lung ailments. But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking is also a major cause of death from communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis.
*) click:or search withe the title: The Tobacco Atlas 4th Edition from the World Lung ...www.tobaccoatlas.org/
Download the Tobacco Atlas. Note: These .pdfs represent the last printed edition and updates may have occurred online. Please check the authors Notes blog ...
Through his Word, the Bible, God teaches us to have a proper view of our life, our body, and our faculties. His Son, Jesus, pointed to this when he said: “You must love your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Clearly, God wants us to make good use of our life and body and to treat them with respect. As we learn about God and his promises, we come to love and value all that he has done for us. This motivates us to keep free from anything that defiles our body.
Kalle, a physician in Finland , smoked for 38 years. He said: “I learned about the dangers of smoking through medical journals. I knew it was wrong, and I advised my patients to give up the habit. But I could not quit it myself, despite trying five or six times.” What helped him finally to stop? He relates: “I quit smoking as a result of having a Bible study. The desire to please God motivated me to quit the habit straight away.”
SMOKING HARMS OTHERS
Exhaled smoke and smoke that comes from smoldering tobacco are toxic. Inhaling such secondhand smoke can cause cancer and other diseases, and each year it kills 600,000 nonsmokers, mostly women and children. A report by WHO*) warns: “There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.”
*) WHO click: World Health Organization:
According to Jesus, love of neighbor—our family, friends, and others around us—is second only to love of God. “You must love your neighbor as yourself,” he said. (Matthew 22:39) If we pursue a habit that hurts those close to us, we are not showing neighborly love. Genuine love moves us to follow the Bible’s admonition: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”-- 1 Corinthians 10:24.
Heinrich, who lives in Germany, recalls: “Because they were affected by it, my family begged me to quit smoking. But I didn’t want to admit that it could have a bad effect on them.” He explains what changed his view: “My knowledge of the Bible and love for God helped me to quit smoking and admit that it was harmful not only to me but also to those around me.”
SMOKING EXTINGUISHED FOR GOOD
Through a global educational campaign, God is now helping millions of people to break free or keep free from enslavement to tobacco. (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Very soon, by means of his Kingdom—a heavenly government under his Son, Jesus Christ—God will eliminate the greedy commercial system that is responsible for enslaving millions to tobacco. He will extinguish the smoking epidemic for good and raise obedient humankind to perfection in body and mind.--Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 19:11, 15.
If you are struggling to quit smoking, take heart. By learning to love God and to appreciate his view of smoking, you too can find the motivation you need to succeed. GCG will be happy to provide you with practical, one-on-one assistance to learn and apply Bible principles. Be assured that if you want God’s help to break free from tobacco addiction, he will supply the power and strength you need.--Philippians 4:13.
__________________________________________________________
Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/13/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
Can Any Human Being Predict The Future ?
Successes & Failures
Would you like to know your future? The notion appeals to many. There are a lot of people who predict upcoming events—with varying results. Consider the following:
- SCIENTISTS utilize sophisticated equipment and vast amounts of money to forecast various matters, such as how pollution will eventually affect the earth and whether it will rain in your neighborhood tomorrow.
- PROFESSIONAL ANALYSTS predict trends in business and politics. Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world, has been dubbed an oracle for his successful business investments. Nate Silver, another analyst, has interpreted statistics to help him make predictions about everything from U.S. politics to Hollywood film awards.
- ANCIENT SOURCES have been interpreted as prophecies. Some people see modern-day fulfillment in the vague writings of 16th-century Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus). A Mayan calendar cycle that ended on December 21, 2012, was interpreted by some as a portent of cataclysmic events.
- RELIGIOUS LEADERS sometimes predict tragic worldwide events to warn mankind and gather followers. Doomsday prophet Harold Camping and his disciples widely advertised that the earth would be destroyed in 2011. Needless to say, the world is still here.
- PSYCHICS claim to have special abilities to predict the future. Edgar Cayce and Jeane Dixon both made some accurate predictions about 20th-century events. Each also uttered many failed predictions. For instance, Dixon foretold the outbreak of a World War III in 1958, and Cayce predicted that New York would slide into the ocean in the mid-1970’s.
We all think about the future. We wonder what life will be like for ourselves and our loved ones. We ask such questions as these: ‘Will my children live in a better world? Will the earth be destroyed in a disaster? Is there something I can change now to make my future better?’ This curiosity is part of who we are; we naturally yearn for reassurance, certainty, order, and stability. If you could be more certain about the future, you could prepare for it, both physically and emotionally.
So, what is in your future? Can anyone know? Professionals who try to predict the future have met with some successes but also many failures. Yet, it is said that God can accurately foretell upcoming events. His Word says: “From the beginning I foretell the outcome, and from long ago the things that have not yet been done.” (Isaiah 46:10) How successful has he been?
What God Has Revealed About the Future
- Contrary to what doomsday prophets say, God assures us that our planet Earth will never be destroyed.--Psalm 104:5;Ecclesiastes 1:4.
- Humans will be in the process of ruining the earth when God steps in and stops them.--Psalm 92:7; Revelation 11:18.
- God is aware that the majority of religions have slandered him and ignored the Bible, and he will destroy those institutions.--Revelation 18:4-9.
- God’s heavenly government—not any humans or forces on earth—will destroy all wicked, disobedient people. “The future of wicked people will be cut off.”--Psalm 37:10, 38; Daniel 2:44.
- God will preserve individuals whom he approves, and they will flourish on a beautiful earth. “Take note of the blameless one, and keep the upright one in sight, for the future of that man will be peaceful.”--Psalm 37:11, 37; Revelation 21:3, 4.
- God kindly explains in the Bible how you may gain his approval and how “you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur." Luke 21:36; John 17:3.
to be continued in The Miracle Show on another date
_______________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/20/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Easy Ways to Eat, Lose Weight Naturally & Stay Healthy
Based on Today's Nutritional Science
Click colored areas for further info
God wants you have a healthy body.
God has given the principles of healthy lifestyle and correct nutrition in The Bible. The modern nutritional science has in its research "revealed" the same facts that were written in The Bible already 4000 years ago.
Quotation "If it was made by a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan)
Quotation "To stay healthy and have a long life you need to eat what your body wants not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, GCG Pastor with a Ph.D. in Nutritional & Health Sciences, and D.D.in Biblical Sciences)
The focus of the modern nutritional sciences is to create wellness. By practicing these 11 dietary habits presented below you will have health and energy for life.
”Health is not simply the absence of sickness.” — Hannah Green click: Hannah Green
Consider ways to eat what you enjoy and enjoy what you eat by following these easy science principles..
This list has been perfected and practiced and good results will follow.
To paraphrase Sun Simiao, the great Chinese physician in the sixth century, one wastes the skill of a great physician if one does not first consider the food he or she are eating. This is still true today. Consider also when you eat and how you eat as you read the tips below.click: Sun Simiao
Habits #1. Limit Drinks, Especially Cold Drinks With Meals
Americans have a bad habit of drinking a cold glass of water or soda with meals. Changing this habit alone will create better digestion of food. Limit fluid intake with your meals and you will stop diluting your digestive enzymes which are so important for proper digestion. Green tea or other hot teas before a meal supports enzymatic activity and helps enhance your digestive abilities. It’s best to add liquids 30 minutes before or after meals, not during.
The digestive process starts in the mouth. The purpose of chewing is not only to cut the food in smaller pieces but also to mix it well with the saliva. Saliva is an important ingredients in a healthy digestive balance. That's why slow eating is important - to chew every bite 20 - 30 times is needed. Also water must be blended with saliva - roll every water-"mouth-ful" well to mix it with saliva.
#2. Enjoy Soup Often As An Appetizer Or As The \Main Item
Soup is a nutrient dense food and fills you up quickly. You don’t need much, just a half cup is beneficial. Most Asian soups are made with bones and/or combinations of vegetables so you’re getting lots of vitamins and minerals even with a small portion. Whether it is bone broth soup, vegetable or miso*), soups are rich in vitamins and minerals and easily absorbed. Secondly, but equally important is that the warm temperature of soup (like tea) can improve the entire digestive process.
*) click: Miso - Wikipedia
click: Miso - The World's Healthiest Foods
#3. Eat a 3:1 Ratio Vegetables to Meat
3:1 means three times the amount of vegetables to the amount of meat. The meat and potato American diet does not make much room for vegetables on the plate. In fact, the favorite American vegetable, potatoes, (i.e., French fries) should be replaced with sweet potatoes if you absolutely can’t live without that starch. Better still, consider vegetables with bitter flavors. Give radishes, radicchio and bitter melon a spot on your plate.
#4. Small Plates and Chopsticks
Small serving bowls and small plates are a great way to eat smaller portions. I love to mix up attractive small plates and bowls in different shapes and sizes. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to eat from these but it helps you eat smaller portions. Chopsticks are another easy way to avoid the shovel techniques of eating. For the average American inexperienced chopstick user, they are guaranteed to slow down your rate of consumption and give your stomach time to send the message to your brain that you’re full and it’s time to stop eating.
#5. Rice Combining
Rice combinations like black, brown, red, or even purple rice are nutritionally denser than white or brown alone. (The best is unpolished/less processed rice, because it is rich in B vitamins.) Rice is eaten to supplement the meal in Asia, not a main course. Rice has always been a popular carbohydrate, cheap to grow and easy to transport and store. But as a carbohydrate it is converted into sugar during the digestive process. This means it can cause a dramatic effect in our glycemic index. This is good for fast energy, but bad if you want to avoid blood sugar fluctuations and bad for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Rice combinations are less starchy therefore less sugar conversion and lower in calories.
#6. Not Every Night Is Dessert Night
My kids will tell you from the time they were very little if they asked about dessert, my standard answer was “tonight is not dessert night.” Admittedly, this didn’t work so well past the age of 7, but it’s still a great rule of thumb. If you must have dessert make it fruit. Fruit is nutritious and delicious and a common Asian dessert. Cut and serve it up in a fun and interesting way to make it that much more exciting. Sugary cakes, cookies and ice cream can be for special celebrations only.
#7. Seafood — See Food Differently
No need to repeat what we already know. Research supports this common Asian diet practice of eating fish daily. We’ve heard all about the healthy oils from fish. Fish has always been part of man’s diet nearly everywhere in the world, not just Asia. But the Asian culture has kept this part of their heritage alive better than most.
#8. Asian Type Snacks are Healthier
Take a look at what Asians eat for snacks and compare it with the American chips and cookies and you’ll understand part of the reason Americans are so overweight and Asians are not. Choose seaweed snacks, nuts, dried fruit and seeds. I love pumpkin and sunflower seeds. All are easy to find in nearly every market. These healthy snacks are packed full of micro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals and the choices are limitless. One caveat, do watch out for the salt content of nuts. Raw is preferred but admittedly not as tasty as salted. If you really want the salt, try “lightly salted” versions.
#9. Optimize Food Temperatures With Seasons
Energetic temperatures of foods should not be overlooked. Eat warming foods in cold weather and cooling foods in hot weather. This common-sense rule of thumb is barely spoken in Asia because it’s simply practiced. Cold drinks and cold foods such celery, melons and cold salads are not eaten in the middle of winter. Hot soups and stews with meat are preferred because this is what the body needs in cold weather. A hot summer day is the perfect time for watermelon or a cooling drink made with aloe and cucumber. Every food has an energetic temperature and acts on the body accordingly. Eating the right temperature foods during the various season of the year is an important part of a healthy diet.
#10. Avoid Cow’s Milk and Milk Combining
Milk combines horribly with just about everything, while supplying vastly too much calcium and not enough magnesium. Cow’s milk is completely absent in Asian diets. Other cultures such as Jewish kosher rules recognized thousands of years ago that milk products should be eaten apart from other foods. If you just can’t give up cow’s milk, at the very least don’t ignore the tenet of food combining. Combining the wrong foods, i.e., dairy, slows down gut motility to a snail’s pace, the exact opposite of what is best for healthy digestion. Replacements for cow’s milk are easier than ever today with the arrival of convenient cartons of almond, coconut, rice or organic soy milk.
#11 is regular bowel movements.
Healthy eating and good digestion create healthy bowel movements and a healthy gut is a clean gut. Although often not talked about in the S.A.D. Standard American Diet, a minimum of one bowel movement a day is an absolute necessity. So much of our immune system is dependent on our gut health and this is one reason proper digestion is key to optimizing our health and wellness. This is our body’s natural detox method and the last on this list of Asian diet tips.
Source::
(1) The Epoch Times GCG endorses click: The Epoch Times GCG
(2) GCG
_______________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 7/20/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Easy Ways to Eat, Lose Weight Naturally & Stay Healthy
Based on Today's Nutritional Science
Click colored areas for further info
God wants you have a healthy body.
God has given the principles of healthy lifestyle and correct nutrition in The Bible. The modern nutritional science has in its research "revealed" the same facts that were written in The Bible already 4000 years ago.
Quotation "If it was made by a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan)
Quotation "To stay healthy and have a long life you need to eat what your body wants not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, GCG Pastor with a Ph.D. in Nutritional & Health Sciences, and D.D.in Biblical Sciences)
The focus of the modern nutritional sciences is to create wellness. By practicing these 11 dietary habits presented below you will have health and energy for life.
”Health is not simply the absence of sickness.” — Hannah Green click: Hannah Green
Consider ways to eat what you enjoy and enjoy what you eat by following these easy science principles..
This list has been perfected and practiced and good results will follow.
To paraphrase Sun Simiao, the great Chinese physician in the sixth century, one wastes the skill of a great physician if one does not first consider the food he or she are eating. This is still true today. Consider also when you eat and how you eat as you read the tips below.click: Sun Simiao
Habits #1. Limit Drinks, Especially Cold Drinks With Meals
Americans have a bad habit of drinking a cold glass of water or soda with meals. Changing this habit alone will create better digestion of food. Limit fluid intake with your meals and you will stop diluting your digestive enzymes which are so important for proper digestion. Green tea or other hot teas before a meal supports enzymatic activity and helps enhance your digestive abilities. It’s best to add liquids 30 minutes before or after meals, not during.
The digestive process starts in the mouth. The purpose of chewing is not only to cut the food in smaller pieces but also to mix it well with the saliva. Saliva is an important ingredients in a healthy digestive balance. That's why slow eating is important - to chew every bite 20 - 30 times is needed. Also water must be blended with saliva - roll every water-"mouth-ful" well to mix it with saliva.
#2. Enjoy Soup Often As An Appetizer Or As The \Main Item
Soup is a nutrient dense food and fills you up quickly. You don’t need much, just a half cup is beneficial. Most Asian soups are made with bones and/or combinations of vegetables so you’re getting lots of vitamins and minerals even with a small portion. Whether it is bone broth soup, vegetable or miso*), soups are rich in vitamins and minerals and easily absorbed. Secondly, but equally important is that the warm temperature of soup (like tea) can improve the entire digestive process.
*) click: Miso - Wikipedia
click: Miso - The World's Healthiest Foods
#3. Eat a 3:1 Ratio Vegetables to Meat
3:1 means three times the amount of vegetables to the amount of meat. The meat and potato American diet does not make much room for vegetables on the plate. In fact, the favorite American vegetable, potatoes, (i.e., French fries) should be replaced with sweet potatoes if you absolutely can’t live without that starch. Better still, consider vegetables with bitter flavors. Give radishes, radicchio and bitter melon a spot on your plate.
#4. Small Plates and Chopsticks
Small serving bowls and small plates are a great way to eat smaller portions. I love to mix up attractive small plates and bowls in different shapes and sizes. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to eat from these but it helps you eat smaller portions. Chopsticks are another easy way to avoid the shovel techniques of eating. For the average American inexperienced chopstick user, they are guaranteed to slow down your rate of consumption and give your stomach time to send the message to your brain that you’re full and it’s time to stop eating.
#5. Rice Combining
Rice combinations like black, brown, red, or even purple rice are nutritionally denser than white or brown alone. (The best is unpolished/less processed rice, because it is rich in B vitamins.) Rice is eaten to supplement the meal in Asia, not a main course. Rice has always been a popular carbohydrate, cheap to grow and easy to transport and store. But as a carbohydrate it is converted into sugar during the digestive process. This means it can cause a dramatic effect in our glycemic index. This is good for fast energy, but bad if you want to avoid blood sugar fluctuations and bad for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Rice combinations are less starchy therefore less sugar conversion and lower in calories.
#6. Not Every Night Is Dessert Night
My kids will tell you from the time they were very little if they asked about dessert, my standard answer was “tonight is not dessert night.” Admittedly, this didn’t work so well past the age of 7, but it’s still a great rule of thumb. If you must have dessert make it fruit. Fruit is nutritious and delicious and a common Asian dessert. Cut and serve it up in a fun and interesting way to make it that much more exciting. Sugary cakes, cookies and ice cream can be for special celebrations only.
#7. Seafood — See Food Differently
No need to repeat what we already know. Research supports this common Asian diet practice of eating fish daily. We’ve heard all about the healthy oils from fish. Fish has always been part of man’s diet nearly everywhere in the world, not just Asia. But the Asian culture has kept this part of their heritage alive better than most.
#8. Asian Type Snacks are Healthier
Take a look at what Asians eat for snacks and compare it with the American chips and cookies and you’ll understand part of the reason Americans are so overweight and Asians are not. Choose seaweed snacks, nuts, dried fruit and seeds. I love pumpkin and sunflower seeds. All are easy to find in nearly every market. These healthy snacks are packed full of micro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals and the choices are limitless. One caveat, do watch out for the salt content of nuts. Raw is preferred but admittedly not as tasty as salted. If you really want the salt, try “lightly salted” versions.
#9. Optimize Food Temperatures With Seasons
Energetic temperatures of foods should not be overlooked. Eat warming foods in cold weather and cooling foods in hot weather. This common-sense rule of thumb is barely spoken in Asia because it’s simply practiced. Cold drinks and cold foods such celery, melons and cold salads are not eaten in the middle of winter. Hot soups and stews with meat are preferred because this is what the body needs in cold weather. A hot summer day is the perfect time for watermelon or a cooling drink made with aloe and cucumber. Every food has an energetic temperature and acts on the body accordingly. Eating the right temperature foods during the various season of the year is an important part of a healthy diet.
#10. Avoid Cow’s Milk and Milk Combining
Milk combines horribly with just about everything, while supplying vastly too much calcium and not enough magnesium. Cow’s milk is completely absent in Asian diets. Other cultures such as Jewish kosher rules recognized thousands of years ago that milk products should be eaten apart from other foods. If you just can’t give up cow’s milk, at the very least don’t ignore the tenet of food combining. Combining the wrong foods, i.e., dairy, slows down gut motility to a snail’s pace, the exact opposite of what is best for healthy digestion. Replacements for cow’s milk are easier than ever today with the arrival of convenient cartons of almond, coconut, rice or organic soy milk.
#11 is regular bowel movements.
Healthy eating and good digestion create healthy bowel movements and a healthy gut is a clean gut. Although often not talked about in the S.A.D. Standard American Diet, a minimum of one bowel movement a day is an absolute necessity. So much of our immune system is dependent on our gut health and this is one reason proper digestion is key to optimizing our health and wellness. This is our body’s natural detox method and the last on this list of Asian diet tips.
Source::
(1) The Epoch Times GCG endorses click: The Epoch Times GCG
(2) GCG
_______________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/3/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
What is The Bible ? How Was The Bible Written and by Whom?
.
Who Wrote the Bible - A Letter from God
“Who wrote the Bible” is a question that is undoubtedly asked by many who are familiar with the impact this book has made on people around the world. The Bible gives guidance in our journey through life to eternity, as well as leads us to a relationship with the God of the universe. It is a historical book that is backed by archeology, and a prophetic book that has lived up to all of its claims thus far. In light of all these facts, asking, “who wrote the bible,” is a vital question that deserves serious investigation and a serious response. The Bible is God’s letter to humanity collected into 66 books written by 40 divinely inspired writers. These writers come from all walks of life (i.e., kings to fishermen) and spans over a period of 1,500 years or more. These claims may seem dramatic (or unrealistic to some), but a careful and honest study of the biblical scriptures will show them to be true.
Who Wrote the Bible - Evidence of Divine Inspiration
“Who wrote the Bible” is a question that can be definitively answered by examining the biblical texts in light of the external evidences that supports its claims. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All scripture is inspired by God….” In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter reminds the reader to “know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, …but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” The Bible itself tells us that it is God who is the author of His book.
God does not leave us with just claims of His divine handiwork in the Bible, but also supports it with compelling evidence.
The design of the Bible itself is a miracle. Written over more than 1,500 years by vastly different writers, yet every book in the Bible is consistent in its message. These 66 books talk about history, prophecy, poetry, and theology. Despite their complexity, differences in writing styles and vast time periods, the books of the Bible agree miraculously well in theme, facts and cross-referencing. No human beings could have planned such an intricate combination of books over a 1,500-year time span. Bible manuscripts (remember, there were no printing presses until 1455) have survived despite weather, persecution and time. Most ancient writings written on weak materials like papyrus have vanished all together. Yet many copies of the Old Testament scriptures survived. For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls*) contain all books of the Old Testament, except Esther, and have been dated to before the time of Christ. Consider Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Only ten copies written about 1,000 years after the event are in existence. In comparison, there are over 24,000+ New Testament manuscripts, the earliest one dating to within 24 years after Christ.
*) Click:The Dead Sea Scrolls www.deadseascrolls.org.
The Bible also validates its divine authorship through fulfilled prophecies. An astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false (three are unconfirmed). An honest study of biblical prophecy will compellingly show the divine authorship of the Bible. Further, archeology confirms (or in some cases supports) accounts in the biblical record. No other holy book comes close to the Bible in the amount of evidence supporting its divine authorship.
Who Wrote the Bible - A Question of Eternal Significance
“Who Wrote the Bible” is indeed a question that everyone must ask. If indeed it is the Word of the living God, then no other book gives us more insight into our lives, more hope for our future, and a true path to a relationship with God. Search the Bible with openness and honesty and see for yourself what the Creator of the universe wants to tell you!
Click: Learn More Now!
- See more at: copy, paste, search: http://www.allabouttruth.org/who-wrote-the-bible.htm#sthash.VKk7rMpt.dpuf
Topic: 2 of 2
WAS IT DESIGNED?
Snake Skin
BECAUSE they move without limbs, snakes need robust skin that can withstand constant friction. Some species climb up rough tree trunks, while others burrow into abrasive sand. What makes the skin of a snake so durable?
Consider: The skin of snakes can differ in thickness and structure from one species to another. However, the skin of all snakes has one thing in common: It is firm on the outside and becomes progressively softer toward the inside. Why is this advantageous? “Material that has a transition from a stiff outside to a flexible inside can distribute an impacting force over a larger area,” says researcher Marie-Christin Klein. The unique structure of snake skin allows sufficient traction between body and ground for the snake to be able to move, and at the same time, it evenly distributes pressure from sharp-edged stones so that there is less damage to the skin. Durability is vital, since snakes usually shed their skin only every two to three months.
Materials with the properties of snake skin may be useful in the field of medicine—for example, in manufacturing slip-resistant and extra-durable artificial implants. Also, drive and conveyor machinery that mimics the construction of snake skin may require fewer pollutive lubricants.
What do you think? Did snake skin come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
_________________________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/3/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 2
What is The Bible ? How Was The Bible Written and by Whom?
.
Who Wrote the Bible - A Letter from God
“Who wrote the Bible” is a question that is undoubtedly asked by many who are familiar with the impact this book has made on people around the world. The Bible gives guidance in our journey through life to eternity, as well as leads us to a relationship with the God of the universe. It is a historical book that is backed by archeology, and a prophetic book that has lived up to all of its claims thus far. In light of all these facts, asking, “who wrote the bible,” is a vital question that deserves serious investigation and a serious response. The Bible is God’s letter to humanity collected into 66 books written by 40 divinely inspired writers. These writers come from all walks of life (i.e., kings to fishermen) and spans over a period of 1,500 years or more. These claims may seem dramatic (or unrealistic to some), but a careful and honest study of the biblical scriptures will show them to be true.
Who Wrote the Bible - Evidence of Divine Inspiration
“Who wrote the Bible” is a question that can be definitively answered by examining the biblical texts in light of the external evidences that supports its claims. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All scripture is inspired by God….” In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter reminds the reader to “know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, …but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” The Bible itself tells us that it is God who is the author of His book.
God does not leave us with just claims of His divine handiwork in the Bible, but also supports it with compelling evidence.
The design of the Bible itself is a miracle. Written over more than 1,500 years by vastly different writers, yet every book in the Bible is consistent in its message. These 66 books talk about history, prophecy, poetry, and theology. Despite their complexity, differences in writing styles and vast time periods, the books of the Bible agree miraculously well in theme, facts and cross-referencing. No human beings could have planned such an intricate combination of books over a 1,500-year time span. Bible manuscripts (remember, there were no printing presses until 1455) have survived despite weather, persecution and time. Most ancient writings written on weak materials like papyrus have vanished all together. Yet many copies of the Old Testament scriptures survived. For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls*) contain all books of the Old Testament, except Esther, and have been dated to before the time of Christ. Consider Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Only ten copies written about 1,000 years after the event are in existence. In comparison, there are over 24,000+ New Testament manuscripts, the earliest one dating to within 24 years after Christ.
*) Click:The Dead Sea Scrolls www.deadseascrolls.org.
The Bible also validates its divine authorship through fulfilled prophecies. An astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false (three are unconfirmed). An honest study of biblical prophecy will compellingly show the divine authorship of the Bible. Further, archeology confirms (or in some cases supports) accounts in the biblical record. No other holy book comes close to the Bible in the amount of evidence supporting its divine authorship.
Who Wrote the Bible - A Question of Eternal Significance
“Who Wrote the Bible” is indeed a question that everyone must ask. If indeed it is the Word of the living God, then no other book gives us more insight into our lives, more hope for our future, and a true path to a relationship with God. Search the Bible with openness and honesty and see for yourself what the Creator of the universe wants to tell you!
Click: Learn More Now!
- See more at: copy, paste, search: http://www.allabouttruth.org/who-wrote-the-bible.htm#sthash.VKk7rMpt.dpuf
Topic: 2 of 2
WAS IT DESIGNED?
Snake Skin
BECAUSE they move without limbs, snakes need robust skin that can withstand constant friction. Some species climb up rough tree trunks, while others burrow into abrasive sand. What makes the skin of a snake so durable?
Consider: The skin of snakes can differ in thickness and structure from one species to another. However, the skin of all snakes has one thing in common: It is firm on the outside and becomes progressively softer toward the inside. Why is this advantageous? “Material that has a transition from a stiff outside to a flexible inside can distribute an impacting force over a larger area,” says researcher Marie-Christin Klein. The unique structure of snake skin allows sufficient traction between body and ground for the snake to be able to move, and at the same time, it evenly distributes pressure from sharp-edged stones so that there is less damage to the skin. Durability is vital, since snakes usually shed their skin only every two to three months.
Materials with the properties of snake skin may be useful in the field of medicine—for example, in manufacturing slip-resistant and extra-durable artificial implants. Also, drive and conveyor machinery that mimics the construction of snake skin may require fewer pollutive lubricants.
What do you think? Did snake skin come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
_________________________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
day 8/10/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Beginning of The Universe - The Biblical Facts about Creation
BILLIONS of people have read or heard what the Bible says about the beginning of the universe. The 3,500-year-old account starts with the well-known statement:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The 3500 years ago God started dictating The Bible using mostly Jewish people as His secretaries. Why Jewish people?
(1) because they had an advanced writing technology and because (2) God had chosen his only begotten son to be boin as a human in the jewish lineage. Amazing enough, one can often meet people who seriously argue that The Bible teaches that our world was created 3500 years ago.
Many people, however, are unaware of the fact that Christendom’s leaders, including so-called creationists and fundamentalists, have spun the Bible account of creation into numerous tales that deviate from what the Bible really says. These interpretations fly in the face of scientific fact. Even though those tales are not found in the Bible, they have caused some people to dismiss the Bible account as mythical allegory.
The real Bible story of creation has gone largely unnoticed. This is a shame, for the Bible actually presents a very logical and credible explanation of the beginning of the universe. What is more, that explanation harmonizes with scientific discovery. Yes, you might be pleasantly surprised by the Bible’s untold story of creation!
The topic of creation continues on the next show date below
_______________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
day 8/10/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Beginning of The Universe - The Biblical Facts about Creation
BILLIONS of people have read or heard what the Bible says about the beginning of the universe. The 3,500-year-old account starts with the well-known statement:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The 3500 years ago God started dictating The Bible using mostly Jewish people as His secretaries. Why Jewish people?
(1) because they had an advanced writing technology and because (2) God had chosen his only begotten son to be boin as a human in the jewish lineage. Amazing enough, one can often meet people who seriously argue that The Bible teaches that our world was created 3500 years ago.
Many people, however, are unaware of the fact that Christendom’s leaders, including so-called creationists and fundamentalists, have spun the Bible account of creation into numerous tales that deviate from what the Bible really says. These interpretations fly in the face of scientific fact. Even though those tales are not found in the Bible, they have caused some people to dismiss the Bible account as mythical allegory.
The real Bible story of creation has gone largely unnoticed. This is a shame, for the Bible actually presents a very logical and credible explanation of the beginning of the universe. What is more, that explanation harmonizes with scientific discovery. Yes, you might be pleasantly surprised by the Bible’s untold story of creation!
The topic of creation continues on the next show date below
_______________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/17/14 The Miracle Show
The topic of Creation continues here from the previous show date next above
THE UNCREATED CREATOR
The Bible account of creation hinges on the fact that there is a Supreme Being, Almighty God, who created all things. Who is he, and what is his nature? The Bible reveals that he is quite different from the deities found in popular culture and mainstream religion. He is the Creator of all things, but most people know very little about him.
HOW LONG DID GOD TAKE TO CREATE THE UNIVERSE?
The Bible states that God created “the heavens and the earth.” This broad statement, however, makes no reference to the length of time involved in creating the universe or to the methods he used to shape it. What about the widespread creationist belief that God created the universe in six literal 24-hour days? This concept, widely rejected by scientists, is based on a gross misunderstanding of the Bible account. Consider what the Bible really says.
The Bible does not support fundamentalists and creationists who claim that the creative days were literal 24-hour days
DID GOD USE EVOLUTION?
Many who do not believe in the Bible embrace the theory that living things emerged from lifeless chemicals through unknown and mindless processes. Supposedly, at some point a bacteria-like, self-replicating organism arose, gradually branching out into all the species that exist today. This would imply that ultimately the mind-bogglingly complex human actually evolved from bacteria.
The theory of evolution is also embraced by many who claim to accept the Bible as the word of God. They believe that God produced the first burst of life on earth but then simply monitored, and perhaps steered, the process of evolution. That, however, is not what the Bible says.
The Bible account of creation does not conflict with the scientific observation that variations occur within a kind
A CREATOR PERCEIVED IN CREATION
Int he mid-1800’s, British biologist Alfred Russel Wallace agreed with Charles Darwin on the theory of evolution by natural selection. But even this renowned evolutionist is said to have stated: “For those who have eyes to see and minds accustomed to reflect, in the minutest cells, in the blood, in the whole earth, and throughout the stellar universe . . . , there is intelligent and conscious direction; in a word, there is Mind.”
Almost two thousand years before Wallace, the Bible had already observed: “For [God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship.” (Romans 1:20) From time to time, you might want to take a moment to reflect on the marvelous complexities found in nature—from a single blade of grass to the countless heavenly bodies. By examining creation you can perceive the Creator.
‘But if there is a loving God who created all things,’ you may ask, ‘why would he permit suffering? Has he abandoned his earthly creation? What does the future hold?’
The Bible contains many other untold stories—truths that have been buried under human ideas and religious agendas and, therefore, hidden from most people.
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/17/14 The Miracle Show
The topic of Creation continues here from the previous show date next above
THE UNCREATED CREATOR
The Bible account of creation hinges on the fact that there is a Supreme Being, Almighty God, who created all things. Who is he, and what is his nature? The Bible reveals that he is quite different from the deities found in popular culture and mainstream religion. He is the Creator of all things, but most people know very little about him.
- God is a person, an individual. He is not a vague force devoid of personality, floating aimlessly throughout the universe. He has thoughts, feelings, and goals.
- God has infinite power and wisdom. This explains the complex design found everywhere in creation, especially in living things.
- God created all physical matter. Hence, he cannot be made of physical elements that he himself has created. Rather, he is of a spiritual, or nonphysical, nature.
- God’s existence is not limited by time. He has always existed and will always exist. Hence, no one created him.
- God has a personal name, which is used thousands of times in the Bible. That name is Jehovah.
- God loves and cares for humans.
HOW LONG DID GOD TAKE TO CREATE THE UNIVERSE?
The Bible states that God created “the heavens and the earth.” This broad statement, however, makes no reference to the length of time involved in creating the universe or to the methods he used to shape it. What about the widespread creationist belief that God created the universe in six literal 24-hour days? This concept, widely rejected by scientists, is based on a gross misunderstanding of the Bible account. Consider what the Bible really says.
The Bible does not support fundamentalists and creationists who claim that the creative days were literal 24-hour days
- The Bible does not support fundamentalists and creationists who claim that the creative days were literal 24-hour days.
- The Bible frequently uses the term “day” to designate various periods of time. In some cases these periods are of an unspecified length. The account of creation found in the Bible book of Genesis is one example of this.
- In the Bible account, each of the six creative days could have lasted for thousands of years.
- God had already created the universe, including a lifeless planet Earth, by the time the first creative day began.
- Evidently the six creative days were long periods during which Jehovah God prepared the earth for human habitation.
- The Bible account of creation does not conflict with scientific conclusions about the age of the universe.
DID GOD USE EVOLUTION?
Many who do not believe in the Bible embrace the theory that living things emerged from lifeless chemicals through unknown and mindless processes. Supposedly, at some point a bacteria-like, self-replicating organism arose, gradually branching out into all the species that exist today. This would imply that ultimately the mind-bogglingly complex human actually evolved from bacteria.
The theory of evolution is also embraced by many who claim to accept the Bible as the word of God. They believe that God produced the first burst of life on earth but then simply monitored, and perhaps steered, the process of evolution. That, however, is not what the Bible says.
The Bible account of creation does not conflict with the scientific observation that variations occur within a kind
- According to the Bible, Jehovah God created all the basic kinds of plant and animal life, as well as a perfect man and woman who were capable of self-awareness, love, wisdom, and justice.
- The kinds of animals and plants created by God have obviously undergone changes and have produced variations within the kinds. In many cases, the resulting life-forms are remarkably different from one another.
- The Bible account of creation does not conflict with the scientific observation that variations occur within a kind
- The topic continues next below on an other show date
- ___________________________
- Sunday 8/24/14 The Miracle Show
- The topic of Creation continues here from the previous show date next above
- Topic: 1 of 1 PART A (Part B next below)
- THE TIME LINE OF CREATION
- THE BEGINNING
The material heavens and earth are created.--Genesis 1:1. - DARKNESS
The earth is formless, desolate, and dark.--Genesis 1:2 - FIRST DAY
Diffused light evidently penetrates the earth’s atmosphere. If there had been any observer on the surface of the earth, the sources of light would have been imperceptible to him. Yet, the difference between night and day became discernible.--Genesis 1:3-5.
SECOND DAY
The earth is covered with water and a dense mantle of vapor. These two elements are separated, creating a gap between the watery surface and the canopy of vapor. The Bible describes this space as “an expanse between the waters,” and calls it “Heaven.”--Genesis 1:6-8.
THIRD DAY
Surface water subsides and dry ground appears. The atmosphere clears up to allow more sunlight to reach the ground. Some vegetation appears, with new species sprouting through the third and subsequent creative days.--Genesis 1:9-13.
FOURTH DAY
The sun and moon become discernible from the earth’s surface.--Genesis 1:14-19.
FIFTH DAY
God creates underwater creatures and flying creatures in great numbers with the ability to procreate within their kinds.--Genesis 1:20-23.
SIXTH DAY
Land animals are created, both large and small. The sixth day culminates with a masterpiece of God’s physical creation: the first human couple.--Genesis 1:24-31.
- THE BEGINNING
A CREATOR PERCEIVED IN CREATION
Int he mid-1800’s, British biologist Alfred Russel Wallace agreed with Charles Darwin on the theory of evolution by natural selection. But even this renowned evolutionist is said to have stated: “For those who have eyes to see and minds accustomed to reflect, in the minutest cells, in the blood, in the whole earth, and throughout the stellar universe . . . , there is intelligent and conscious direction; in a word, there is Mind.”
Almost two thousand years before Wallace, the Bible had already observed: “For [God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship.” (Romans 1:20) From time to time, you might want to take a moment to reflect on the marvelous complexities found in nature—from a single blade of grass to the countless heavenly bodies. By examining creation you can perceive the Creator.
‘But if there is a loving God who created all things,’ you may ask, ‘why would he permit suffering? Has he abandoned his earthly creation? What does the future hold?’
The Bible contains many other untold stories—truths that have been buried under human ideas and religious agendas and, therefore, hidden from most people.
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/31/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
THE BIBLE: Money - Is money the root of all evil?
“The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.”--1 Timothy 6:10
WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY
Money is the root of all evil.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“The love of money”—not money itself—causes “injurious things.” In the Bible, wealthy King Solomon identified three kinds of injurious things that often happen to people who love money. Worry: “The plenty belonging to the rich one does not permit him to sleep.” (Ecclesiastes 5:12) Dissatisfaction: “A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Temptation to break the law: “The one hastening to get rich will not remain innocent.”--Proverbs 28:20.
What purpose does money serve?“Money is a protection.”--Ecclesiastes 7:12.
WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY
Money makes you secure and happy.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The myth that money buys happiness and security is part of “the deceptive power of riches.” (Mark 4:19)
Still, “money answers every need.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19)
For example, money can buy the things you need to survive—such as food and medicine.--2 Thessalonians 3:12.
Money also helps you to take care of your family. In fact, the Bible states:
“If anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith.”--1 Timothy 5:8.
How can you use money wisely? “First sit down and calculate the expense.”--Luke 14:28
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Use money in a way that has God’s approval. (Luke 16:9) It is wise to use money responsibly and honestly. (Hebrews 13:18) To avoid the burden of living beyond your means, “let your way of life be free of the love of money.”--Hebrews 13:5.
Although the Bible does not condemn debt, it warns: “The borrower is a slave to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7) Avoid impulse buying, because “all who are hasty surely head for poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5) Instead, “set something aside according to [your] own means” and save money for what is important to you.--1 Corinthians 16:2.
The Bible encourages us to “practice giving.” (Luke 6:38)
People who want to please God have good reason to be generous, because “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Therefore, “do not forget to do good and to share what you have with others, for God is well-pleased with such sacrifices.”--Hebrews 13:16.
__________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 8/31/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
THE BIBLE: Money - Is money the root of all evil?
“The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.”--1 Timothy 6:10
WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY
Money is the root of all evil.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“The love of money”—not money itself—causes “injurious things.” In the Bible, wealthy King Solomon identified three kinds of injurious things that often happen to people who love money. Worry: “The plenty belonging to the rich one does not permit him to sleep.” (Ecclesiastes 5:12) Dissatisfaction: “A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Temptation to break the law: “The one hastening to get rich will not remain innocent.”--Proverbs 28:20.
What purpose does money serve?“Money is a protection.”--Ecclesiastes 7:12.
WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY
Money makes you secure and happy.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The myth that money buys happiness and security is part of “the deceptive power of riches.” (Mark 4:19)
Still, “money answers every need.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19)
For example, money can buy the things you need to survive—such as food and medicine.--2 Thessalonians 3:12.
Money also helps you to take care of your family. In fact, the Bible states:
“If anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith.”--1 Timothy 5:8.
How can you use money wisely? “First sit down and calculate the expense.”--Luke 14:28
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Use money in a way that has God’s approval. (Luke 16:9) It is wise to use money responsibly and honestly. (Hebrews 13:18) To avoid the burden of living beyond your means, “let your way of life be free of the love of money.”--Hebrews 13:5.
Although the Bible does not condemn debt, it warns: “The borrower is a slave to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7) Avoid impulse buying, because “all who are hasty surely head for poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5) Instead, “set something aside according to [your] own means” and save money for what is important to you.--1 Corinthians 16:2.
The Bible encourages us to “practice giving.” (Luke 6:38)
People who want to please God have good reason to be generous, because “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Therefore, “do not forget to do good and to share what you have with others, for God is well-pleased with such sacrifices.”--Hebrews 13:16.
__________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 9/7/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
HELP FOR THE FAMILY | MARRIAGE
When You Are Disappointed With Your Marriage
The Challenge
You and your spouse seemed to have so much in common—before you got married, that is. Now, disillusionment has driven a wedge between you, making you feel more like cell mates than soul mates.
You can improve your relationship. First, though, consider why you might be disillusioned.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Reality sets in. The daily routine of working, raising children, and dealing with in-laws can chip away at marital bliss. Additionally, unexpected problems—perhaps a financial setback or caring for a family member who suffers from a chronic illness—can strain a marriage.
Differences seem irreconcilable. While dating, couples tend to overlook differences. Once married, though, a man and woman discover just how unalike they are in such areas as communication styles, money management, and problem solving. Differences that once were merely an annoyance may now seem intolerable.
You have become emotionally distant. Over time, a buildup of unkind words or actions and a backlog of unresolved conflicts can cause a husband or wife to withdraw into an emotional shell or, worse yet, begin to form an emotional attachment with someone else.
Your expectations were unrealistic. Some people walk into marriage believing that they have found the one person they were meant to be with. While that notion may seem romantic, it can be a setup for disaster. As soon as problems arise, the myth of the “perfect match” is shattered, leaving both spouses with the feeling that they made a mistake.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Focus on your spouse’s good qualities. Try this: Write down three positive qualities that your mate possesses. Keep the list with you, perhaps on the back of a small wedding picture or in a mobile device. Regularly refer to this list as a reminder of why you married your spouse. Focusing on the positive qualities of your mate promotes peace and will help you put up with your differences.—Bible principle: Romans 14:19.
Plan special time together. Before you were married, likely you both set aside time to do things together. Dating was new and exciting, but it was not left to chance. Why not do something similar now? Plan occasions where you and your spouse can spend special times together, as if on a date. Doing so can help you draw closer to each other and enable you to cope better with life’s unexpected problems.—Bible principle: Proverbs 5:18.
Discuss your feelings. If you have been hurt by your spouse’s words or actions, can you overlook the matter? If not, do not play games by resorting to the silent treatment. Calmly talk things out with your mate as soon as you can, that very day if at all possible.—Bible principle:Ephesians 4:26.
If you have been hurt by your spouse’s words or actions, can you overlook the matter?
Discern the difference between your feelings and your spouse’sintentions. Likely neither one of you ever intends to hurt the other. Assure your spouse of this by sincerely apologizing for any hurt feelings you may have caused. Then discuss what specific things you both can do to avoid unwittingly causing hurt feelings. Follow the Bible’s advice: “Become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another.”--Ephesians 4:32.
Be realistic in your expectations. The Bible acknowledges that those who marry “will have tribulation.” (1 Corinthians 7:28) When you experience such tribulation, do not hastily conclude that your marriage was a mistake. Instead, work with your mate to resolve differences and “continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely.”--Colossians 3:13.
KEY SCRIPTURES
- “Pursue the things making for peace.”--Romans 14:19.
- “Rejoice with the wife of your youth.”--Proverbs 5:18.
- “Do not let the sun set while you are still angry.”--Ephesians 4:26.
LIVING UP TO YOUR WEDDING VOW
Do you remember the words of your wedding vow? Why not review them and ask yourself, ‘How well am I doing in living up to what I promised?’ Resist the urge to dwell on how your spouse may be doing in this regard. Your vow contains words that you expressed regarding what you would do. If each of you focuses on living up to your vow, both of you will likely be pleased with the results.
Samples: click: Marriage vows
_____________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Show part appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 9/24/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Show, next below) Will The Mankind's Activities Kill The Earth?
“A generation is going, and a generation is coming, but the earth remains forever.”—KING SOLOMON, 11TH CENTURY B.C.E.
Click the colored links for further info
To the ancient Bible writer, the fleeting nature of man stood in sharp contrast with the permanence of the earth. Indeed, for thousands of years, generations have come and gone, and yet the planet Earth has proved to be remarkably resilient and stable in its ability to host life—until now.
The years since World War II have been dubbed by some as the Great Acceleration. In a single lifetime, people have seen remarkable advances in transportation, communication, and other technologies, which have brought unprecedented economic changes. Many enjoy a standard of living once thought impossible. In the meantime, the earth’s population has nearly tripled.
All of this, however, has not come without cost. Human activities are said to be pushing the earth beyond its natural cycles. In fact, some scientists say we have entered a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene*)—an age in which humans are making an increasingly notable impact on the planet.
The Bible foretold a time when man would ‘ruin the earth.’ (Revelation 11:18; click: New International Version)
Some wonder if we are living in such a time. How much further damage will be done? Is there a point of no return? Indeed, will man ruin the earth beyond repair?
*) Anthropocene = relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.the Anthropocene period - the word is an adjective & a a noun;
Origin, etymology: The name Anthropocene is a combination of Greek roots: anthropo- (Greek: ἄνθρωπος meaning "human" and -cene meaning "new".
All epochs in the Cenozoic Era end in "-cene".
Click: Anthropocene - Wikipedia
Click: What is the Anthropocene and Are We in It? - Smithsonianwww.smithsonianmag.com
Man’s Mismanagement of Our Planet
- Atmosphere. “There is unequivocal evidence that Earth’s lower atmosphere, ocean, and land surface are warming . . . The dominant cause of the warming since the 1950s is human activities.”—American Meteorological Society, 2012.Click: Climate Change - American Meteorological Society
- Land. “Nearly 50% of the land surface has been transformed by direct human action, with significant consequences for biodiversity, nutrient cycling, . . . and climate.”--Global Change and the Earth System. Click: Global Change and the Earth System
- Oceans. “Around 85% of global fish stocks are over-exploited, depleted, fully exploited or in recovery from exploitation.”—BBC, September 2012.
- Biodiversity. “Many scientists think . . . the blame for [the next mass extinction], perhaps the fastest in Earth’s history, falls firmly on the shoulders of humans.”—From science.nationalgeographic.com. _____________________________________
- Only those Radio Show part appear on this list that have a written text
- The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 10/15/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART B (Part A next above on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 Show) Will The Mankind's Activities Kill The Earth?
“A generation is going, and a generation is coming, but the earth remains forever.”—KING SOLOMON, 11TH CENTURY B.C.E.
Click the colored links for further info - A POINT OF NO RETURN? Is the earth headed for a point of no return? Some scientists feel that the effect of changes can be difficult to predict. Because of this, they are concerned that we might be approaching “tipping points” where sudden and unanticipated climate changes could bring disastrous results. Consider, for example, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Some believe that with sustained global warming, there is a point where the melt of this ice sheet could be irreversible. This is because ice cover naturally reflects the sun’s rays. But as the ice sheet thins and shrinks, the ocean below, which is less reflective, is eventually exposed. The dark ocean surface absorbs more heat, which in turn leads to greater melting. A self-feeding, runaway cycle could be created. The resulting rise in sea levels from the meltwater could spell disaster for hundreds of millions of people.MOUNTING ECOLOGICAL DEBTVarious road maps have been drawn up to deal with the “planetary emergency” we now face. One long-standing strategy has been called sustainable development, which means promoting economic and social growth within the ecological limits of the planet. What have been the results?
Sadly, like the global financial debt crisis, earth’s ecological debt continues to mount unabated. Humans continue to consume our planet’s resources faster than these can be replenished naturally. Can something be done? One ecologist frankly acknowledged: “In a sense, we don’t have any clue how to manage the planet successfully.” The situation very much fits the Bible’s assessment: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”--Jeremiah 10:23.
On the other hand, the Bible assures us that God, the Creator, will not allow man to bankrupt the planet environmentally. At Psalm 115:16, we read: “The earth [God] has given to the sons of men.” Yes, our planet is a “good gift” from our heavenly Father. (James 1:17) Would we expect God’s gift to be temporary in nature, as though it came with an expiration date? Of course not! That is evident from the inherent design of our planet. MOUNTING ECOLOGICAL DEBT Various road maps have been drawn up to deal with the “planetary emergency” we now face. One long-standing strategy has been called sustainable development, which means promoting economic and social growth within the ecological limits of the planet. What have been the results?
Sadly, like the global financial debt crisis, earth’s ecological debt continues to mount unabated. Humans continue to consume our planet’s resources faster than these can be replenished naturally. Can something be done? One ecologist frankly acknowledged: “In a sense, we don’t have any clue how to manage the planet successfully.” The situation very much fits the Bible’s assessment: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”--Jeremiah 10:23.
On the other hand, the Bible assures us that God, the Creator, will not allow man to bankrupt the planet environmentally. At Psalm 115:16, we read: “The earth [God] has given to the sons of men.” Yes, our planet is a “good gift” from our heavenly Father. (James 1:17) Would we expect God’s gift to be temporary in nature, as though it came with an expiration date? Of course not! That is evident from the inherent design of our planet.
WHAT THE CREATOR PURPOSES The Bible book of Genesis tells in great detail how God carefully crafted the earth. Initially, the earth was described as “formless and desolate, and there was darkness upon the surface.” Yet, specific mention is made of “waters”—essential for life—existing on the planet. (Genesis 1:2) God then said: “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3) Evidently the sun’s rays penetrated the atmosphere, and there came to be light visible on earth for the first time. The formation of dry land and seas is then recounted. (Genesis 1:9, 10) Next, “grass, seed-bearing plants and trees yielding fruit” made their appearance. (Genesis 1:12) Elements needed for processes and cycles that are vital for life—such as photosynthesis—were thus in place. What was the purpose behind such extensive preparation?
The ancient prophet Isaiah described God as “the One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) Clearly, God’s purpose is for the earth to be inhabited by man forever.
Sadly, man has misused God’s beautiful gift to the point of ruination. Yet, the Creator’s purpose has not changed. A man of old said: “God is not a mere man who tells lies, nor a son of man who changes his mind. When he says something, will he not do it?” (Numbers 23:19) In fact, rather than allow the earth to be ruined, the time is rapidly approaching for God to “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”--Revelation 11:18.
EARTH FOREVER OUR HOME Jesus Christ in his famous Sermon on the Mount said: “Happy are the mild-tempered, since they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Later in that same sermon, Jesus revealed the means by which the earth would be rescued from ruin. He instructed his followers to pray: “Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.” Yes, God’s Kingdom, or government, will accomplish God’s purpose for the earth.--Matthew 6:10.
Regarding the remarkable changes the Kingdom will bring, God declares: “Look! I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) Does this mean that God will replace the earth with a new one? No, for there is really nothing inherently wrong with our planet. Rather, God will do away with those responsible for the planetary crisis, “those ruining the earth,” that is, the present-day human system with its governmental structure. This will be replaced by “a new heaven and a new earth”— a new heavenly government, God’s Kingdom, ruling over a new earthly society.--Revelation 21:1.
To eliminate the ecological debt caused by man, God will rebalance the ecological budget, so to speak. Describing what God will do, the psalmist was inspired to write: “You care for the earth, making it abundantly fruitful and very rich.” With a regulated climate and, above all, God’s blessing, the earth will become a paradise yielding plenty of food.--Psalm 65:9-13.
According to his secretary Pyarelal, Mohandas Gandhi, the late spiritual leader of India, observed: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not for every man’s greed.” God’s Kingdom will address the root cause of earth’s problems by bringing about a change in people’s hearts. The prophet Isaiah foretold that under Kingdom rule, people “will not cause any harm or any ruin” to one another or to the earth. (Isaiah 11:9) In fact, millions of people today from all walks of life are already learning about God’s elevated standards. They are being taught to love God and neighbor, to show a thankful spirit, to care for the environment, to conserve natural resources, and to lead a life supportive of the Creator’s purpose. They are being prepared for life in a paradise earth.--Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 22:37-39; Colossians 3:15. The creation account in Genesis concludes with the words: “God saw everything he had made, and look! it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Truly, the earth is far too precious to end up in environmental bankruptcy. We are comforted in knowing that our planet’s future rests safely in the hands of our loving Creator, Jehovah God. He promises: “The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.” (Psalm 37:29) May you be counted among “the righteous,” who will call earth their eternal home.- The earth is far too precious to end up in environmental bankruptcy
- The Zone of Life What is the “zone of life,” or biosphere? According to NASA, it is “the portion of Earth and its atmosphere that can support life.” Like the shell of an egg, the biosphere is a very thin layer, or zone, that encompasses our planet. The biosphere consists of living things and the environment—the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans--from which they derive the energy and nutrients needed for life. For instance, plants capture solar energy and use it to convert carbon dioxide, water, and minerals into oxygen and food. Humans and animals take in oxygen and food and return carbon dioxide and other matter to the system. And the cycle repeats itself. Thus, the biosphere can sustain life indefinitely. For good reason, then, God is described as “the One who established the productive land by his wisdom.” (Jeremiah 10:12) As one Bible scholar observed, “the habitable part of the earth is admirably fitted for the use and service of man.” click: Biosphere
____________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 10/29/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Callous Little Kids May Have Behavior Trouble Later
Important info for every parent and for every educator
callous*) = showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
Longitudinal, ongoing study
By University of Michigan | October 20, 201
click: University of Michigan
Early preschool behavior problems often improve over time, but if kids don’t get over their behavior problems in grade school*), they are more likely to become aggressive and violent as teens and adults, a new study shows.
*) grade school = elementary school - typically during the last elementary year the student are age 11
click: Elementary school (United States)
click: Kindergarten a school or class that prepares children for first grade. A child in kindergarten is typically 4 to 6 years old.
Toddlers who don’t feel guilty after misbehaving or don’t care much about giving or receiving affection may be more prone to behavior problems when they get to first grade.
Early preschool behavior problems seldom raise a red flag and often improve over time. But when that doesn’t happen through grade school, children are more likely to become aggressive and violent as teens and adults, a new study shows.
Previous research on these different types of behavior problems has focused on older children and teens.
“Little analysis had been done among preschoolers, who undergo rapid physical and psychological development, making this a difficult time for parents to manage behaviors and an important time to help children improve their behavior,” says lead author Rebecca Waller, a psychology research fellow at University of Michigan.
Click: Rebecca Waller
Click: Rebecca Waller - ResearchGate
Click: Rebecca Waller - Google Scholar Citations
“Adults who are aggressive or violent have often shown early-starting behavior problems as young children. Thus, a focus on understanding the emergence and development of behavior problems before they become severe is important for creating new treatments that could help prevent children following a lifetime of violence or crime.”
Less Empathy and Guilt
Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the research uses data from 240 children and their parents who were part of the Michigan Longitudinal Study, an ongoing study of young children at risk for behavior problems.
Data were collected from parents when children were 3 years old and again by teachers when they were 6 years old. Parents completed questionnaires about their children’s behavior, while the children completed six tasks that were videotaped and coded by researchers.
The study identified three types of early behavior problems at age 3, including oppositional behaviors, ADHD*) behaviors, and callous and unemotional behaviors. For oppositional behavior, parents reported that their children were often angry, frustrated, and had difficulty regulating their emotions.
*) Click: NIMH · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Not surprisingly, children whose parents rated them high on ADHD behaviors had difficulty maintaining their focus and attention during tasks. Finally, if parents reported “callous and unemotional behavior” in their preschooler, the children were reported to have less empathy, guilt, and moral regulation of their behavior.
Early Intervention
Children with the highest levels of these kinds of behaviors were more likely to show this behavior during first grade and were also more likely to have continued behavior problems as rated by their teachers.
“A key thing for parents and educators to take from this work is that many children during the preschool years show normative levels of behavior problems and aggression, but there may be different types of behavior problems that may need different interventions if the behavior is not declining as children get towards school age,” says study co-author Luke Hyde, assistant professor of psychology.
*) Click: Luke Hyde
For example, children with callous and unemotional behavior may be the most at risk and need treatment that focuses on the child’s emotional understanding of others, he said.
“The good news is that we know from other work that early interventions are very successful and helpful with early child behavior problems,” Hyde says.
“If parents or teachers are concerned about a child’s behavior, they should seek out a mental health provider such as a clinical psychologist, who is trained in a treatment called Parent Management Training. This treatment is very effective and can help a child learn better behavior, particularly early in childhood.”
Source:
From University of Michigan via Futurity.org Click: Futurity.org
GCG
callous = showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
"his callous comments about the murder made me shiver"
synonyms: heartless, unfeeling, uncaring, cold, cold-hearted, hard, as hard as nails, hard-hearted, insensitive, lacking compassion, hard-bitten, hard-nosed, hard-edged, unsympathetic "his callous disregard for other people's feelings"
from Latin callōsus
adj. callous = about 1400, "hardened," in the physical sense, from Latin callosus "thick-skinned," from callus, callum "hard skin" (see callus ). The figurative sense of "unfeeling" appeared in English by 1670s. Related: Callously; callousness.
callus (pron. kalo/es; plur. calluses) = a thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction MEDICINE = the bony healing tissue that forms around the ends of broken bone BOTANY = a hard formation of tissue, especially new tissue formed over a wound
Click: Education in the United States
_____________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 10/29/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Callous Little Kids May Have Behavior Trouble Later
Important info for every parent and for every educator
callous*) = showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
Longitudinal, ongoing study
By University of Michigan | October 20, 201
click: University of Michigan
Early preschool behavior problems often improve over time, but if kids don’t get over their behavior problems in grade school*), they are more likely to become aggressive and violent as teens and adults, a new study shows.
*) grade school = elementary school - typically during the last elementary year the student are age 11
click: Elementary school (United States)
click: Kindergarten a school or class that prepares children for first grade. A child in kindergarten is typically 4 to 6 years old.
Toddlers who don’t feel guilty after misbehaving or don’t care much about giving or receiving affection may be more prone to behavior problems when they get to first grade.
Early preschool behavior problems seldom raise a red flag and often improve over time. But when that doesn’t happen through grade school, children are more likely to become aggressive and violent as teens and adults, a new study shows.
Previous research on these different types of behavior problems has focused on older children and teens.
“Little analysis had been done among preschoolers, who undergo rapid physical and psychological development, making this a difficult time for parents to manage behaviors and an important time to help children improve their behavior,” says lead author Rebecca Waller, a psychology research fellow at University of Michigan.
Click: Rebecca Waller
Click: Rebecca Waller - ResearchGate
Click: Rebecca Waller - Google Scholar Citations
“Adults who are aggressive or violent have often shown early-starting behavior problems as young children. Thus, a focus on understanding the emergence and development of behavior problems before they become severe is important for creating new treatments that could help prevent children following a lifetime of violence or crime.”
Less Empathy and Guilt
Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the research uses data from 240 children and their parents who were part of the Michigan Longitudinal Study, an ongoing study of young children at risk for behavior problems.
Data were collected from parents when children were 3 years old and again by teachers when they were 6 years old. Parents completed questionnaires about their children’s behavior, while the children completed six tasks that were videotaped and coded by researchers.
The study identified three types of early behavior problems at age 3, including oppositional behaviors, ADHD*) behaviors, and callous and unemotional behaviors. For oppositional behavior, parents reported that their children were often angry, frustrated, and had difficulty regulating their emotions.
*) Click: NIMH · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Not surprisingly, children whose parents rated them high on ADHD behaviors had difficulty maintaining their focus and attention during tasks. Finally, if parents reported “callous and unemotional behavior” in their preschooler, the children were reported to have less empathy, guilt, and moral regulation of their behavior.
Early Intervention
Children with the highest levels of these kinds of behaviors were more likely to show this behavior during first grade and were also more likely to have continued behavior problems as rated by their teachers.
“A key thing for parents and educators to take from this work is that many children during the preschool years show normative levels of behavior problems and aggression, but there may be different types of behavior problems that may need different interventions if the behavior is not declining as children get towards school age,” says study co-author Luke Hyde, assistant professor of psychology.
*) Click: Luke Hyde
For example, children with callous and unemotional behavior may be the most at risk and need treatment that focuses on the child’s emotional understanding of others, he said.
“The good news is that we know from other work that early interventions are very successful and helpful with early child behavior problems,” Hyde says.
“If parents or teachers are concerned about a child’s behavior, they should seek out a mental health provider such as a clinical psychologist, who is trained in a treatment called Parent Management Training. This treatment is very effective and can help a child learn better behavior, particularly early in childhood.”
Source:
From University of Michigan via Futurity.org Click: Futurity.org
GCG
callous = showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
"his callous comments about the murder made me shiver"
synonyms: heartless, unfeeling, uncaring, cold, cold-hearted, hard, as hard as nails, hard-hearted, insensitive, lacking compassion, hard-bitten, hard-nosed, hard-edged, unsympathetic "his callous disregard for other people's feelings"
from Latin callōsus
adj. callous = about 1400, "hardened," in the physical sense, from Latin callosus "thick-skinned," from callus, callum "hard skin" (see callus ). The figurative sense of "unfeeling" appeared in English by 1670s. Related: Callously; callousness.
callus (pron. kalo/es; plur. calluses) = a thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction MEDICINE = the bony healing tissue that forms around the ends of broken bone BOTANY = a hard formation of tissue, especially new tissue formed over a wound
Click: Education in the United States
_____________________________________________
Part B (Part A next above) The Miracle Show October 29, 2014
48 Bible Verses about Discipline of Children
Before we go to the 48 verses below it is important to know the earthly laws:
Notice:
When a parent (or anyone) beats a child
it is not only defined as child abuse .... it is also a felony.
Felonies are the most serious type of criminal offense.
Click: Felony
Click: Felonies, Misdemeanors, and Infractions
When a parent (or anyone) beats a child it is not only defined as child abuse .... it is also a felony.
Never get physical with child. Never get physical with any of your family members.
Think twice before you get physical with anyone anywhere. The category of self-defense outside your home is a different story. (See links below)
In many states it is mandatory for anyone witnessing child abuse or neglect to report it to the city or state officials.
Find out what the laws are in your area - call your local city hall for further information. Mandatory means "required by law or rules": the one who witnesses child abuse or neglect MUST report it to the officials.
Each State has a system to receive and respond to reports of possible child abuse and neglect. Professionals and concerned citizens can call statewide hotlines, local child protective services, or law enforcement agencies to share their concerns.
The contact information in your area you can find on the internet.
Next below the 48 Bible verses about Discipline of Children
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Note from GCG:
This Bible verse above does not mean to physically beat a child - the "rod" means "the rod of tongue in a loving manner with respect & love yet in a manner the child will understand".
Every child will understand when the parent's love and respect for the child is present. Make these facts clear to your baby sitters, housekeepers, day care center and to anyone who deals with your child.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV / 416 helpful votes For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Proverbs 23:13-15 ESV / 322 helpful votes Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.
Proverbs 22:6 ESV / 295 helpful votes Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 ESV / 231 helpful votes Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:15 ESV / 230 helpful votes Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
Proverbs 29:17 ESV / 196 helpful votes Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
Proverbs 19:18 ESV / 164 helpful votes Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
Proverbs 29:15 ESV / 157 helpful votes The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Colossians 3:21 ESV / 145 helpful votes Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV / 129 helpful votes Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 12:1 ESV / 122 helpful votes Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Hebrews 12:5-11 ESV / 112 helpful votes And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Proverbs 15:32 ESV / 90 helpful votesWhoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
Proverbs 6:23 ESV / 86 helpful votesFor the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
Proverbs 13:1 ESV / 78 helpful votesA wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 10:17 ESV / 77 helpful votesWhoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
Proverbs 15:5 ESV / 66 helpful votesA fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
Exodus 20:12 ESV / 66 helpful votes“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Galatians 6:1 ESV / 61 helpful votesBrothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Hebrews 12:9 ESV / 58 helpful votesBesides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV / 57 helpful votesAnd have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV / 57 helpful votes“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Romans 16:17 ESV / 52 helpful votesI appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Proverbs 20:30 ESV / 47 helpful votesBlows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.
2 Thessalonians 3:14 ESV / 42 helpful votesIf anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
Isaiah 53:1-12 ESV / 40 helpful votesWho has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Psalm 127:3 ESV / 37 helpful votesBehold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Deuteronomy 21:18 ESV / 33 helpful votes“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,
2 Thessalonians 3:15 ESV / 30 helpful votesDo not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
John 3:16 ESV / 27 helpful votes“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ESV / 26 helpful votes“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Deuteronomy 6:7-8 ESV / 25 helpful votesYou shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV / 18 helpful votesFor this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 5:8 ESV / 18 helpful votesAlthough he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV / 18 helpful votesBecause the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
James 5:16 ESV / 17 helpful votesTherefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV / 17 helpful votesMy son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Deuteronomy 1:1-46 ESV / 17 helpful votesThese are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying,
Psalm 64:1-10 ESV / 15 helpful votesTo the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
Psalm 91:1-16 ESV / 14 helpful votesHe who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Hebrews 12:9-14 ESV / 13 helpful votesBesides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Proverbs 1:1-33 ESV / 11 helpful votesThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
1 Peter 3:13 ESV / 10 helpful votesNow who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
Revelation 3:19 ESV / 9 helpful votesThose whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
James 1:5-7 ESV / 8 helpful votesIf any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Deuteronomy 21:19 ESV / 7 helpful votesThen his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives,
Proverbs 17:1 ESV / 3 helpful votesBetter is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
_________________________________________________________
48 Bible Verses about Discipline of Children
Before we go to the 48 verses below it is important to know the earthly laws:
Notice:
When a parent (or anyone) beats a child
it is not only defined as child abuse .... it is also a felony.
Felonies are the most serious type of criminal offense.
Click: Felony
Click: Felonies, Misdemeanors, and Infractions
When a parent (or anyone) beats a child it is not only defined as child abuse .... it is also a felony.
Never get physical with child. Never get physical with any of your family members.
Think twice before you get physical with anyone anywhere. The category of self-defense outside your home is a different story. (See links below)
In many states it is mandatory for anyone witnessing child abuse or neglect to report it to the city or state officials.
Find out what the laws are in your area - call your local city hall for further information. Mandatory means "required by law or rules": the one who witnesses child abuse or neglect MUST report it to the officials.
Each State has a system to receive and respond to reports of possible child abuse and neglect. Professionals and concerned citizens can call statewide hotlines, local child protective services, or law enforcement agencies to share their concerns.
The contact information in your area you can find on the internet.
- Click: Mandated reporting
- Click: Mandatory Reporters of Child
Next below the 48 Bible verses about Discipline of Children
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Note from GCG:
This Bible verse above does not mean to physically beat a child - the "rod" means "the rod of tongue in a loving manner with respect & love yet in a manner the child will understand".
Every child will understand when the parent's love and respect for the child is present. Make these facts clear to your baby sitters, housekeepers, day care center and to anyone who deals with your child.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV / 416 helpful votes For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Proverbs 23:13-15 ESV / 322 helpful votes Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.
Proverbs 22:6 ESV / 295 helpful votes Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 ESV / 231 helpful votes Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:15 ESV / 230 helpful votes Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
Proverbs 29:17 ESV / 196 helpful votes Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
Proverbs 19:18 ESV / 164 helpful votes Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
Proverbs 29:15 ESV / 157 helpful votes The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Colossians 3:21 ESV / 145 helpful votes Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV / 129 helpful votes Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 12:1 ESV / 122 helpful votes Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Hebrews 12:5-11 ESV / 112 helpful votes And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Proverbs 15:32 ESV / 90 helpful votesWhoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
Proverbs 6:23 ESV / 86 helpful votesFor the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
Proverbs 13:1 ESV / 78 helpful votesA wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 10:17 ESV / 77 helpful votesWhoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
Proverbs 15:5 ESV / 66 helpful votesA fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
Exodus 20:12 ESV / 66 helpful votes“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Galatians 6:1 ESV / 61 helpful votesBrothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Hebrews 12:9 ESV / 58 helpful votesBesides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV / 57 helpful votesAnd have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV / 57 helpful votes“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Romans 16:17 ESV / 52 helpful votesI appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Proverbs 20:30 ESV / 47 helpful votesBlows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.
2 Thessalonians 3:14 ESV / 42 helpful votesIf anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
Isaiah 53:1-12 ESV / 40 helpful votesWho has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Psalm 127:3 ESV / 37 helpful votesBehold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Deuteronomy 21:18 ESV / 33 helpful votes“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,
2 Thessalonians 3:15 ESV / 30 helpful votesDo not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
John 3:16 ESV / 27 helpful votes“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ESV / 26 helpful votes“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Deuteronomy 6:7-8 ESV / 25 helpful votesYou shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV / 18 helpful votesFor this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 5:8 ESV / 18 helpful votesAlthough he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV / 18 helpful votesBecause the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
James 5:16 ESV / 17 helpful votesTherefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV / 17 helpful votesMy son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Deuteronomy 1:1-46 ESV / 17 helpful votesThese are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying,
Psalm 64:1-10 ESV / 15 helpful votesTo the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
Psalm 91:1-16 ESV / 14 helpful votesHe who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Hebrews 12:9-14 ESV / 13 helpful votesBesides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Proverbs 1:1-33 ESV / 11 helpful votesThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
1 Peter 3:13 ESV / 10 helpful votesNow who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
Revelation 3:19 ESV / 9 helpful votesThose whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
James 1:5-7 ESV / 8 helpful votesIf any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Deuteronomy 21:19 ESV / 7 helpful votesThen his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives,
Proverbs 17:1 ESV / 3 helpful votesBetter is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
_________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/5/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
Did God’s Law Authorize Revenge?
The Bible is the most published book in the world history. In addition, its original text is still the same as about 4000 years ago when God started dictating it. The Bible was given by God as a success book for the good life, for health, financial success and for a long, happy, enjoyable life. God put plenty of proof that The Bible was not a human creation. The evidence is there so everyone studying the Bible will believe it is dictated by someone else than a human being.
In this website we have placed 101 examples of predictions, science facts and other statements that no human could have known in those years the Bible was dictated. These 101 pieces of evidence will logically prove that the rest of the Bible text must be true also. You'll find these 101 evidence statement in this website in tab:
He used Jewish people as his secretary - one reason being that the Jewish had one of the most advanced writing system & technology at that time. In addition
God knew his own plan to have his only begotten son, Jesus, born through a Jewish mother.
Click: God's Only Begotten Son - Institute for Creation Research
Click: What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?
The words “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” found in the Bible, have caused no little contention. (Exodus 21:24) To some people, it is nothing less than divine approval of
revenge. But such thinking conflicts with God’s command: “You must not take vengeance nor hold a grudge against the sons of your people.” (Leviticus 19:18) How, then, are we to understand those words in Exodus?
Exodus 21:22 presents a scenario in which two men are fighting and one of them strikes a pregnant woman, causing her to deliver prematurely. If mother and baby survived, the injured woman’s husband would not be authorized to strike back. Rather, the man who struck the new mother would have to “pay the damages imposed on him by the husband of the woman; and he must pay it through the judges.” In other words, the judges in court would make the striker pay a fine to the husband of the injured mother. If she or her child died because of injuries, those same judges would have the perpetrator put to death.
In this case, the court, not the victim, applied “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth . . .” (Exodus 21:23, 24) That principle reminded judges that punishment should be neither excessive nor insufficient. Bible scholar Richard Elliott Friedman states: “The basic principle appears to be that punishment should correspond to the crime and never exceed it.”
What gave rise to the idea that God’s Law authorized personal acts of revenge? It is noteworthy that at Matthew 5:38, 39, we find Jesus’ words: “You heard that it was said: ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: Do not resist the one who is wicked, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him.” It seems that by Jesus’ day, some religious teachers had included the ‘law of retaliation’ in their oral tradition as approval for personal vengeance. Jesus, however, made clear that such a teaching had no support in God’s Law to Israel.
___________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/5/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
Did God’s Law Authorize Revenge?
The Bible is the most published book in the world history. In addition, its original text is still the same as about 4000 years ago when God started dictating it. The Bible was given by God as a success book for the good life, for health, financial success and for a long, happy, enjoyable life. God put plenty of proof that The Bible was not a human creation. The evidence is there so everyone studying the Bible will believe it is dictated by someone else than a human being.
In this website we have placed 101 examples of predictions, science facts and other statements that no human could have known in those years the Bible was dictated. These 101 pieces of evidence will logically prove that the rest of the Bible text must be true also. You'll find these 101 evidence statement in this website in tab:
He used Jewish people as his secretary - one reason being that the Jewish had one of the most advanced writing system & technology at that time. In addition
God knew his own plan to have his only begotten son, Jesus, born through a Jewish mother.
Click: God's Only Begotten Son - Institute for Creation Research
Click: What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?
The words “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” found in the Bible, have caused no little contention. (Exodus 21:24) To some people, it is nothing less than divine approval of
revenge. But such thinking conflicts with God’s command: “You must not take vengeance nor hold a grudge against the sons of your people.” (Leviticus 19:18) How, then, are we to understand those words in Exodus?
Exodus 21:22 presents a scenario in which two men are fighting and one of them strikes a pregnant woman, causing her to deliver prematurely. If mother and baby survived, the injured woman’s husband would not be authorized to strike back. Rather, the man who struck the new mother would have to “pay the damages imposed on him by the husband of the woman; and he must pay it through the judges.” In other words, the judges in court would make the striker pay a fine to the husband of the injured mother. If she or her child died because of injuries, those same judges would have the perpetrator put to death.
In this case, the court, not the victim, applied “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth . . .” (Exodus 21:23, 24) That principle reminded judges that punishment should be neither excessive nor insufficient. Bible scholar Richard Elliott Friedman states: “The basic principle appears to be that punishment should correspond to the crime and never exceed it.”
What gave rise to the idea that God’s Law authorized personal acts of revenge? It is noteworthy that at Matthew 5:38, 39, we find Jesus’ words: “You heard that it was said: ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: Do not resist the one who is wicked, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him.” It seems that by Jesus’ day, some religious teachers had included the ‘law of retaliation’ in their oral tradition as approval for personal vengeance. Jesus, however, made clear that such a teaching had no support in God’s Law to Israel.
___________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/19/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Air Pollution Linked to Children’s Attention Problems
The study adds to earlier evidence that mothers' exposures to PAH's = polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
which are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, are linked to children’s behavioral problems associated
with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD and other sicknesses click: NIMH · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderwww.nimh.nih.gov/.../attention-deficit...National Institute of Mental Health - A detailed booklet that describes ADHD symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping.
click: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
click: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Fact Sheetwww.epa.gov/
click: ToxFAQs™: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
New York City children exposed in the womb to high levels of pollutants in vehicle exhaust had a five times higher risk of attention problems at age 9, according to research by Columbia University scientists published in November 2014.
The study adds to earlier evidence that mothers’ exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, are linked to children’s behavioral problems associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“Our research suggests that environmental factors may be contributing to attention problems in a significant way,” said Frederica Perera, an environmental health scientist at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health who was the study’s lead author.
Click: Mailman School of Public Health - Columbia University
About one in 10 U.S. kids is diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with ADHD are at greater risk of poor academic performance, risky behaviors and lower earnings in adulthood, the researchers wrote.
“Air pollution has been linked to adverse effects on attention span, behavior and cognitive functioning in research from around the globe. There is little question that air pollutants may pose a variety of potential health risks to children of all ages, possibly beginning in the womb,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. He did not participate in the new study.
Low income and minority children are often at higher risk of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. (Leon Fishman, CC BY 2.0)
Previous studies by the Columbia University researchers linked prenatal PAHs to reduced IQs, anxiety and depression, attention problems and developmental delays in younger children, between the ages of 3 and 7.
In addition to PAHs, a variety of other pollutants have been linked to ADHD or ADHD-like behaviors. Included are organophosphate pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates and perfluorinated compounds.
Click: Organophosphate
Click: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)| Wastes | US EPAwww.epa.gov/
Click: Phthalates
Click: NIEHS Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) fact sheetwww.niehs.nih.gov/...National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
For the new study, the researchers followed the children of 233 African-American and Dominican women in New York City. They measured the amount of benzo[a]pyrene bound to DNA – a biological marker for PAHs – in the mothers’ blood at the time of birth. Forty-two percent had detectable levels in their blood.
When the children were about 9 years old, parents filled out a questionnaire commonly used to screen for ADHD behavior problems. The researchers found that children whose mothers had the highest amounts of the PAH at the time of birth were five times more likely to show more behaviors associated with inattention than children whose mothers had the lowest levels. They were three times more likely to exhibit more total behaviors (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) associated with ADHD.
The levels of PAHs were “quite typical of other urban areas that have been monitored,” Perera said.
It’s not known how many of the children had an ADHD diagnosis.
The questionnaires indicated some behaviors involved in ADHD, but they do not mean that the child necessarily has ADHD, said David Bellinger, a Harvard professor of neurology who studies effects of environmental exposures on kids’ developing brains.
“The diagnosis of ADHD involves much more extensive information-gathering and ruling out of other diagnoses,” he said.
The researchers were the first to measure PAHs directly in people’s bodies rather than using air pollution levels as a proxy for their exposures.
“Having these individual measures of exposure reinforces the possibility that there is a causal connection,” said Jonathan Chevrier, an environmental health scientist at McGill University in Montreal.
Click: McGill University
The scientists tested the children’s urine samples to distinguish prenatal from postnatal air pollution exposures. They also controlled for other factors in the child’s genetics and early life experiences, such as tobacco smoke and stress, that could contribute to ADHD-like symptoms.
The researchers, however, did not account for children’s exposures to lead or mercury, two contaminants that also have been linked to attention problems. “It’s possible that exposure to one of these substances is highly correlated with PAH exposure,” Bellinger said.
It’s not clear how PAHs might affect developing brains. “We know that these chemicals damage DNA. They also mimic natural hormones and may interfere with placental growth,” which could deplete oxygen and nutrients for the developing fetus, Perera said.
Since the Columbia team started tracking air pollution levels in 1998, PAHs have declined, which Perera attributes to stricter anti-idling laws and phaseout of older diesel buses in New York City.
“Air pollution knows no boundaries. These involuntary exposures are largely the provenance of policy makers,” Perera said.
Sources:
(1) Click: Environmental Health News - www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
(2) STAF, Inc.
__________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/19/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Air Pollution Linked to Children’s Attention Problems
The study adds to earlier evidence that mothers' exposures to PAH's = polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
which are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, are linked to children’s behavioral problems associated
with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD and other sicknesses click: NIMH · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderwww.nimh.nih.gov/.../attention-deficit...National Institute of Mental Health - A detailed booklet that describes ADHD symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping.
click: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
click: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Fact Sheetwww.epa.gov/
click: ToxFAQs™: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
New York City children exposed in the womb to high levels of pollutants in vehicle exhaust had a five times higher risk of attention problems at age 9, according to research by Columbia University scientists published in November 2014.
The study adds to earlier evidence that mothers’ exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels and other organic materials, are linked to children’s behavioral problems associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“Our research suggests that environmental factors may be contributing to attention problems in a significant way,” said Frederica Perera, an environmental health scientist at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health who was the study’s lead author.
Click: Mailman School of Public Health - Columbia University
About one in 10 U.S. kids is diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with ADHD are at greater risk of poor academic performance, risky behaviors and lower earnings in adulthood, the researchers wrote.
“Air pollution has been linked to adverse effects on attention span, behavior and cognitive functioning in research from around the globe. There is little question that air pollutants may pose a variety of potential health risks to children of all ages, possibly beginning in the womb,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. He did not participate in the new study.
Low income and minority children are often at higher risk of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. (Leon Fishman, CC BY 2.0)
Previous studies by the Columbia University researchers linked prenatal PAHs to reduced IQs, anxiety and depression, attention problems and developmental delays in younger children, between the ages of 3 and 7.
In addition to PAHs, a variety of other pollutants have been linked to ADHD or ADHD-like behaviors. Included are organophosphate pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates and perfluorinated compounds.
Click: Organophosphate
Click: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)| Wastes | US EPAwww.epa.gov/
Click: Phthalates
Click: NIEHS Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) fact sheetwww.niehs.nih.gov/...National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
For the new study, the researchers followed the children of 233 African-American and Dominican women in New York City. They measured the amount of benzo[a]pyrene bound to DNA – a biological marker for PAHs – in the mothers’ blood at the time of birth. Forty-two percent had detectable levels in their blood.
When the children were about 9 years old, parents filled out a questionnaire commonly used to screen for ADHD behavior problems. The researchers found that children whose mothers had the highest amounts of the PAH at the time of birth were five times more likely to show more behaviors associated with inattention than children whose mothers had the lowest levels. They were three times more likely to exhibit more total behaviors (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) associated with ADHD.
The levels of PAHs were “quite typical of other urban areas that have been monitored,” Perera said.
It’s not known how many of the children had an ADHD diagnosis.
The questionnaires indicated some behaviors involved in ADHD, but they do not mean that the child necessarily has ADHD, said David Bellinger, a Harvard professor of neurology who studies effects of environmental exposures on kids’ developing brains.
“The diagnosis of ADHD involves much more extensive information-gathering and ruling out of other diagnoses,” he said.
The researchers were the first to measure PAHs directly in people’s bodies rather than using air pollution levels as a proxy for their exposures.
“Having these individual measures of exposure reinforces the possibility that there is a causal connection,” said Jonathan Chevrier, an environmental health scientist at McGill University in Montreal.
Click: McGill University
The scientists tested the children’s urine samples to distinguish prenatal from postnatal air pollution exposures. They also controlled for other factors in the child’s genetics and early life experiences, such as tobacco smoke and stress, that could contribute to ADHD-like symptoms.
The researchers, however, did not account for children’s exposures to lead or mercury, two contaminants that also have been linked to attention problems. “It’s possible that exposure to one of these substances is highly correlated with PAH exposure,” Bellinger said.
It’s not clear how PAHs might affect developing brains. “We know that these chemicals damage DNA. They also mimic natural hormones and may interfere with placental growth,” which could deplete oxygen and nutrients for the developing fetus, Perera said.
Since the Columbia team started tracking air pollution levels in 1998, PAHs have declined, which Perera attributes to stricter anti-idling laws and phaseout of older diesel buses in New York City.
“Air pollution knows no boundaries. These involuntary exposures are largely the provenance of policy makers,” Perera said.
Sources:
(1) Click: Environmental Health News - www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
(2) STAF, Inc.
__________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/26/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Please notice:
The Use Less Day - The Third Thursday of November
Important info for every person on our planet
Use Less Stuff: An Interview With Sustainability Expert Bob Lilienfeld
You can help to save our planet - ULS -principles for every person
Bob Lilienfeld is editor of “The ULS Report,” a newsletter aimed at spreading the benefits of source reduction (ULS means Use Less Stuff). He and co-author Dr. William L. Rathje of the University of Arizona, wrote “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.” He served on the Corporate Environmental Management Program Advisory Board at the University of Michigan Business School, and the Sustainable Enterprise Institute Advisory Board at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
Click: The Use Less Stuffwww.use-less-stuff.com/
The Use Less Stuff (ULS) Report helps people conserve resources and reduce waste.
Our world with rapidly diminishing natural resources, conservation is incredibly important.
Use Less Stuff Day is all about re-using, patching up, recycling and handing things down rather than throwing them away and buying new things.
Using less stuff keeps our earth cleaner - The Devil wants us humans to pollute more until the whole earth will suffer.
Dates The Third Thursday of November
The Use Less Stuff-Day guides us to a better life.
The interview (below) done by The Epoch Times
Global Church of God - GCG endorses The Epoch Times - subscribe it, read it - it will inform and improve your life like our organization, the new leading in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition, in all family matter, in financial matter and in everything
for the good life
Click: The Epoch Times - Breaking news, independent China newswww.theepochtimes.com/
Epoch Times is an independent, global news source, headquartered in New York
The Bible is the success book for the good life.
The Devil, also called the Satan, Lucifer(us) (etc. other names - see below a link for further info), is the destroyer of the good life.
The Devil does NOT want you to succeed - God does. The Devil is "Hate". God is "Love".
The Devil is a fallen archangel who was kicked out from the heaven by our God, placed on this earth and you and I, all humans, were created in the image of our God to be stronger than the Devil, the Satan, with the purpose of destroying The Devil's power. However, already the 2 first people (Adam & Eve) failed and as a result they and we all with them lost our eternal life option in the Paradise. However, God is also "Forgiveness", still loves that much all us humans that He sent his only begotten son to deliver us all a real chance to enter again the Paradise and live forever happily in the God's Kingdom. Whoever believes all this will be getting the promise, but: whoever curses this will be separated from God and will lose his/her life. When you study (in tab: Successology) the 101 pieces of evidence God placed in The Bible you can then believe that what is written here based on The Bible, is true and then also everything else in The Bible is true.
All what The Devil does, is bad and causes suffering. We humans have been given a free will to decide what we do. If we did not have a free will we would be suffering as slaves. We can be the slaves and suffer when we let the Devil guide us or we can be the winners and enjoy life and succeed when we let Jesus and God guide us.
The 10 Commandments, in today's language "The 10 Success Laws", have given to us humans as a model for the good, successful life. Global Church of God is your earthly guide for the biblical success guidance.
Study the first link next below to know what t he Devil has been and what it is now.
Click: Lucifer (= bearer of light when still in heaven), Satan and the Devil - The Mark of the Beast
Click: Who Is Satan?: What Does the Bible Say About the Devil?
Click: Devil - Online Etymology Dictionary
Click: Devil
Click: Devil in Christianity
Click: Satan
Click: Names of Satan and other names for Satan
When it comes to polluting our oceans and our lands it is the devil guiding us humans to pollute and destroy the pure nature that is necessary for us humans and other living creatures, vegetation and. Devil always tries to convince his human victims to believe that the human is weaker than the devil - the opposite is the truth. You and I, and every human being, is and can be stronger in everything than the Satan, the Devil.
Overeating, overdrinking, smoking, drug use, ignorance, unnatural sexual relations, violence, etc. bad is from the Satan. Devil wants us all believe that he is stronger - YOU and I and all humans are stronger than the devil. The Bible, God's success law book for us all, has the detailed success information.
The first step is to start studying the Bible (takes years) and learn,as you go, to apply its guidance in your daily life. In a weekly family meeting study the whole Bible (takes years). Start from the 101 evidence statements in this website to prove that the Bible text is dictated by God himself and is NOT the brainchild of any human. You will find the "101" in this website in the tab: Successology (C). The Bible studying can be started from the Bible Section "Proverbs" (practical success knowledge) and then step by step going through The Old and The New Testament. In the Radio Show "The Miracle Show" recordings have additional info for your successful family meetings. First decide together what you, as a family, will study during the week (everyone studies the same material) and then in the weekly meeting you discuss in details the studied material and decide what and how you all will apply the info in your daily life as a family. A study group can be also made of friends if you live alone. Rotate the leader of the study group to allow everyone learn the meeting techniques. The weekly family meeting will (1) effectively strengthen your marriage, will (2) strengthen your whole family union and will (3) give you, the adults, and your children skills, knowledge & wisdom to apply the biblical success knowledge to develop a better, more enjoyable, richer life.
The ULS - "the use less stuff" idea comes from God and blesses the world.
The Satan the Devil, wants us to pollute and destroy.
The interview
Use Less Stuff Day is celebrated in America on the Thursday before Thanksgiving (the 3rd Thursday in November). As the holidays can mark a peak of consumerism and waste, ULS offers a way to enjoy the period in a more sustainable way.
Environmentalist, author, commentator, and photographer Bob Lilienfeld started the observance. Here is an interview with him.
Epoch Times: Why did you start Use Less Stuff Day?
Bob Lilienfeld: Americans throw away 25 percent more stuff per week between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Use Less Stuff Day was created to alert people to this incremental 5 million tons of waste, and help them learn how to reduce it.
Epoch Times: Tell us more about the Sustainable Products Certification Program.
Mr. Lilienfeld: We want to help businesses and other organizations promote products that have undergone significant decreases in material usage or energy consumption. If at least a 10 percent reduction versus similar or previous products can be proven, we allow the products to feature the ULS logo for a two-year period. The cost to do so is minimal. We charge only our time to certify and announce the claim. There is no ongoing royalty fee.
Epoch Times: Sometimes I hear contradictory things about the greenness or lack of greenness of things such as cloth versus disposable diapers and paper versus plastic bags. How can a regular person cut through the mass of information?
Mr. Lilienfeld: There is a great deal of scientific evidence that generally supports lighter weight products and packages, regardless of the material used. In many cases, this means that from a larger lifecycle perspective, plastics produce the least amount of waste in terms of materials used, energy consumed, and greenhouse gases that are generated. So, consumers should simply focus on being moderate in terms of the amount of materials and energy they use. If they think about saving time and money, they will save natural resources as well.
Epoch Times: I’ve read that solving environmental problems needs concerted, governmental/corporate efforts, and that emphasizing individual things like home recycling is too small. What do you think?
Mr. Lilienfeld: There is no question that by itself, home recycling is not going to solve the big environmental issues such as greenhouse gas production, loss of biodiversity, and deforestation. In fact, there is a danger that by simply putting their trash in the recycling bin rather than the trash bin, people inadvertently reward themselves for consuming!
Frankly, consumption is the real environmental problem, and its key causes are global population growth and increasing affluence. Governments and industries must work together to ensure a sustainable quality of life while continually innovating to help people do more with less.
Epoch Times: Anything else people should think about or do to use less stuff?
Mr. Lilienfeld: It’s holiday time. Think about your own childhood memories and you’ll realize that they were experiential, not material. Give gifts that provide lasting experiences: tickets to sporting or cultural events, trips to local theaters or museums, and even restaurant gift cards. No material goods, wrapping paper, or ribbons are needed. The gift receiver will enjoy the gift today, and will also remember it for years to come.
Epoch Times: Thank you so much for being willing to do an email interview. We like to highlight green living and sustainable practices.
Bob Lilienfeld is editor of “The ULS Report,” a newsletter aimed at spreading the benefits of source reduction (ULS means Use Less Stuff). He and co-author Dr. William L. Rathje of the University of Arizona, wrote “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.” He served on the Corporate Environmental Management Program Advisory Board at the University of Michigan Business School, and the Sustainable Enterprise Institute Advisory Board at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
You may also like to read:
Click the green title - if the link has expired search the web with the article title
Sources:
(1) The Epoch Times: The interview - Click: The Epoch Times
(2) Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. Click: www.staf1org.weebly.com
.
___________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 11/26/14 The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Please notice:
The Use Less Day - The Third Thursday of November
Important info for every person on our planet
Use Less Stuff: An Interview With Sustainability Expert Bob Lilienfeld
You can help to save our planet - ULS -principles for every person
Bob Lilienfeld is editor of “The ULS Report,” a newsletter aimed at spreading the benefits of source reduction (ULS means Use Less Stuff). He and co-author Dr. William L. Rathje of the University of Arizona, wrote “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.” He served on the Corporate Environmental Management Program Advisory Board at the University of Michigan Business School, and the Sustainable Enterprise Institute Advisory Board at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
Click: The Use Less Stuffwww.use-less-stuff.com/
The Use Less Stuff (ULS) Report helps people conserve resources and reduce waste.
Our world with rapidly diminishing natural resources, conservation is incredibly important.
Use Less Stuff Day is all about re-using, patching up, recycling and handing things down rather than throwing them away and buying new things.
Using less stuff keeps our earth cleaner - The Devil wants us humans to pollute more until the whole earth will suffer.
Dates The Third Thursday of November
- 19th Nov, 2015
- 20th Nov, 2014
- 21st Nov, 2013
- 15th Nov, 2012
The Use Less Stuff-Day guides us to a better life.
The interview (below) done by The Epoch Times
Global Church of God - GCG endorses The Epoch Times - subscribe it, read it - it will inform and improve your life like our organization, the new leading in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition, in all family matter, in financial matter and in everything
for the good life
Click: The Epoch Times - Breaking news, independent China newswww.theepochtimes.com/
Epoch Times is an independent, global news source, headquartered in New York
The Bible is the success book for the good life.
The Devil, also called the Satan, Lucifer(us) (etc. other names - see below a link for further info), is the destroyer of the good life.
The Devil does NOT want you to succeed - God does. The Devil is "Hate". God is "Love".
The Devil is a fallen archangel who was kicked out from the heaven by our God, placed on this earth and you and I, all humans, were created in the image of our God to be stronger than the Devil, the Satan, with the purpose of destroying The Devil's power. However, already the 2 first people (Adam & Eve) failed and as a result they and we all with them lost our eternal life option in the Paradise. However, God is also "Forgiveness", still loves that much all us humans that He sent his only begotten son to deliver us all a real chance to enter again the Paradise and live forever happily in the God's Kingdom. Whoever believes all this will be getting the promise, but: whoever curses this will be separated from God and will lose his/her life. When you study (in tab: Successology) the 101 pieces of evidence God placed in The Bible you can then believe that what is written here based on The Bible, is true and then also everything else in The Bible is true.
All what The Devil does, is bad and causes suffering. We humans have been given a free will to decide what we do. If we did not have a free will we would be suffering as slaves. We can be the slaves and suffer when we let the Devil guide us or we can be the winners and enjoy life and succeed when we let Jesus and God guide us.
The 10 Commandments, in today's language "The 10 Success Laws", have given to us humans as a model for the good, successful life. Global Church of God is your earthly guide for the biblical success guidance.
Study the first link next below to know what t he Devil has been and what it is now.
Click: Lucifer (= bearer of light when still in heaven), Satan and the Devil - The Mark of the Beast
Click: Who Is Satan?: What Does the Bible Say About the Devil?
Click: Devil - Online Etymology Dictionary
Click: Devil
Click: Devil in Christianity
Click: Satan
Click: Names of Satan and other names for Satan
When it comes to polluting our oceans and our lands it is the devil guiding us humans to pollute and destroy the pure nature that is necessary for us humans and other living creatures, vegetation and. Devil always tries to convince his human victims to believe that the human is weaker than the devil - the opposite is the truth. You and I, and every human being, is and can be stronger in everything than the Satan, the Devil.
Overeating, overdrinking, smoking, drug use, ignorance, unnatural sexual relations, violence, etc. bad is from the Satan. Devil wants us all believe that he is stronger - YOU and I and all humans are stronger than the devil. The Bible, God's success law book for us all, has the detailed success information.
The first step is to start studying the Bible (takes years) and learn,as you go, to apply its guidance in your daily life. In a weekly family meeting study the whole Bible (takes years). Start from the 101 evidence statements in this website to prove that the Bible text is dictated by God himself and is NOT the brainchild of any human. You will find the "101" in this website in the tab: Successology (C). The Bible studying can be started from the Bible Section "Proverbs" (practical success knowledge) and then step by step going through The Old and The New Testament. In the Radio Show "The Miracle Show" recordings have additional info for your successful family meetings. First decide together what you, as a family, will study during the week (everyone studies the same material) and then in the weekly meeting you discuss in details the studied material and decide what and how you all will apply the info in your daily life as a family. A study group can be also made of friends if you live alone. Rotate the leader of the study group to allow everyone learn the meeting techniques. The weekly family meeting will (1) effectively strengthen your marriage, will (2) strengthen your whole family union and will (3) give you, the adults, and your children skills, knowledge & wisdom to apply the biblical success knowledge to develop a better, more enjoyable, richer life.
The ULS - "the use less stuff" idea comes from God and blesses the world.
The Satan the Devil, wants us to pollute and destroy.
The interview
Use Less Stuff Day is celebrated in America on the Thursday before Thanksgiving (the 3rd Thursday in November). As the holidays can mark a peak of consumerism and waste, ULS offers a way to enjoy the period in a more sustainable way.
Environmentalist, author, commentator, and photographer Bob Lilienfeld started the observance. Here is an interview with him.
Epoch Times: Why did you start Use Less Stuff Day?
Bob Lilienfeld: Americans throw away 25 percent more stuff per week between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Use Less Stuff Day was created to alert people to this incremental 5 million tons of waste, and help them learn how to reduce it.
Epoch Times: Tell us more about the Sustainable Products Certification Program.
Mr. Lilienfeld: We want to help businesses and other organizations promote products that have undergone significant decreases in material usage or energy consumption. If at least a 10 percent reduction versus similar or previous products can be proven, we allow the products to feature the ULS logo for a two-year period. The cost to do so is minimal. We charge only our time to certify and announce the claim. There is no ongoing royalty fee.
Epoch Times: Sometimes I hear contradictory things about the greenness or lack of greenness of things such as cloth versus disposable diapers and paper versus plastic bags. How can a regular person cut through the mass of information?
Mr. Lilienfeld: There is a great deal of scientific evidence that generally supports lighter weight products and packages, regardless of the material used. In many cases, this means that from a larger lifecycle perspective, plastics produce the least amount of waste in terms of materials used, energy consumed, and greenhouse gases that are generated. So, consumers should simply focus on being moderate in terms of the amount of materials and energy they use. If they think about saving time and money, they will save natural resources as well.
Epoch Times: I’ve read that solving environmental problems needs concerted, governmental/corporate efforts, and that emphasizing individual things like home recycling is too small. What do you think?
Mr. Lilienfeld: There is no question that by itself, home recycling is not going to solve the big environmental issues such as greenhouse gas production, loss of biodiversity, and deforestation. In fact, there is a danger that by simply putting their trash in the recycling bin rather than the trash bin, people inadvertently reward themselves for consuming!
Frankly, consumption is the real environmental problem, and its key causes are global population growth and increasing affluence. Governments and industries must work together to ensure a sustainable quality of life while continually innovating to help people do more with less.
Epoch Times: Anything else people should think about or do to use less stuff?
Mr. Lilienfeld: It’s holiday time. Think about your own childhood memories and you’ll realize that they were experiential, not material. Give gifts that provide lasting experiences: tickets to sporting or cultural events, trips to local theaters or museums, and even restaurant gift cards. No material goods, wrapping paper, or ribbons are needed. The gift receiver will enjoy the gift today, and will also remember it for years to come.
Epoch Times: Thank you so much for being willing to do an email interview. We like to highlight green living and sustainable practices.
Bob Lilienfeld is editor of “The ULS Report,” a newsletter aimed at spreading the benefits of source reduction (ULS means Use Less Stuff). He and co-author Dr. William L. Rathje of the University of Arizona, wrote “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.” He served on the Corporate Environmental Management Program Advisory Board at the University of Michigan Business School, and the Sustainable Enterprise Institute Advisory Board at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
You may also like to read:
Click the green title - if the link has expired search the web with the article title
- Snakes: Keepers of the Ecological Balance
- Ecological Insults and Injuries Revealed Four Years After Deepwater Horizon
- NYC Sewer Upgrades to Protect Ecologically-Sensitive Waters
Sources:
(1) The Epoch Times: The interview - Click: The Epoch Times
(2) Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. Click: www.staf1org.weebly.com
.
___________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Sunday 1/4/15 - The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Is Satan Just a Symbol of Evil?
Which of the following opinions seems reasonable to you?
- Satan is not real; he is just a symbolic representation of evil.
- Satan exists, but he has little interest in humans.
- Satan is a powerful spirit creature who exerts great influence on mankind.
Let us examine how the Holy Scriptures answer these questions: What or who is Satan—a symbol of evil or a spirit person? If he is a person, is Satan a danger to you? If so, how can you protect yourself?
It is fairly easy to assert that the Satan we read about in the Bible is merely a symbol of all that is evil. But is that really what the Bible teaches? If so, why does the Bible describe Satan as speaking with Jesus Christ and with Almighty God himself? Consider two instances of such conversations.
WHEN SATAN SPOKE WITH JESUS
When Jesus began his ministry, the Devil tried to entice him with three temptations. First, Satan endeavored to pressure Jesus to use his God-given powers in a selfish way to satisfy his own hunger. Then, the Devil dared Jesus to risk his life foolishly and draw attention to himself. Finally, Satan offered Jesus rulership over all the kingdoms of the world in return for one small act of worship. Jesus rebuffed all three clever attacks, each time quoting the Scriptures.--Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13.
To whom was Jesus talking? To an evil quality within himself? According to the Scriptures, Jesus “has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) The Bible also says: “He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22) Jesus remained perfect, holding to a course of integrity. He never let any evil quality develop within himself. Clearly, Jesus was not talking to some evil part of himself; he was talking to a real person.
The same conversation reveals further evidence that Satan is a real person.
- Recall that the Devil offered Jesus worldwide rulership in return for an act of worship. (Matthew 4:8, 9) This offer would have been meaningless if Satan were not real. Furthermore, Jesus did not question Satan’s claim to such impressive authority.
- After Jesus rejected the temptations, the Devil “departed from him until another convenient time.” (Luke 4:13) Does Satan in this case seem like a quality of evil or, rather, a persistent, determined adversary?
- Notice that “angels came and began to minister” to Jesus. (Matthew 4:11) Were those angels actual spirit persons, providing encouragement and practical assistance to Jesus? Clearly so. Why, then, should we assume that Satan was something other than an actual spirit being?
WHEN SATAN SPOKE WITH GOD
Our second instance involves the account of the God-fearing man Job. That record recounts two conversations between the Devil and God. In both cases, God praised Job for his integrity. Satan asserted that Job served God only for selfish reasons, insinuating that God was buying Job’s loyalty. In effect, the Devil claimed to know Job better than God did. Jehovah allowed Satan to rob Job of his possessions, his children, and even his health. * In time, it became obvious that God was right about Job, and Satan was proved a liar. God blessed Job for his integrity.--Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7.
In those conversations between God and Satan, was Jehovah speaking to an evil quality within himself? The Bible says: “The way of the true God is perfect.” (2 Samuel 22:31) God’s Word also says: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah God, the Almighty.” (Revelation 4:8) Holy means pure, sacred, set apart from sin. Jehovah is perfect and flawless. He simply cannot have any evil characteristics.
Satan’s conversation with God brought real consequences to the man Job
Still, some might argue that even Job was not an actual person, so the whole conversation was allegorical. But does that argument make sense? Other Bible texts indicate that Job was a real person. For example, at James 5:7-11, we find that Job is used as an example to motivate Christians to endure hard times and as a comforting reminder that Jehovah rewards such endurance. What force would that example have if Job were not a real person and the attacks from Satan, only fictitious? Furthermore, at Ezekiel 14:14, 20, Job is included with Noah and Daniel in the list of three righteous men. Like Noah and Daniel, Job was an actual person, a man of great faith. If Job was real, must not his attacker, the source of his persecution, have been real as well?
Clearly, the Bible presents Satan as a real spirit person. You might wonder, though, ‘Does he present any danger to me and my family today in this modern world?’
WHAT ABOUT OUR TIME?Imagine that a group of criminals suddenly flooded into your city. Obviously, personal safety and neighborhood morals would decline. Now consider a similar scenario: Satan and his demons—real spirit beings who, like Satan, rebelled against God—are suddenly confined to the earth. What would result? Well, think about what you see on the news locally and internationally.
- Do you see an increase in senseless, violent acts, regardless of worldwide attempts to stop them?
- Do you see an increase in entertainment featuring spiritism, in spite of the concern of many parents?
- Do you see the environment being relentlessly destroyed, despite well-meaning efforts to save it?
- Does it seem that something is seriously wrong with society—that some force is pushing mankind toward disaster?
You might wonder how you can find protection. That is a valid concern. The next Miracle Show will offer some practical help.
Topic 2 of 2
What Does the Bible Say About Christmas & Other X-MAS Related Facts
The Bible does not give the date of Jesus’ birth, nor does it say that we should celebrate his birthday. As McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopediastates: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of NT [New Testament] origin.”
Instead, an examination of the history of Christmas exposes its roots in pagan religious rites. The Bible shows that we offend God if we try to worship him in a way that he does not approve of.--Exodus 32:5-7.
History of Christmas customs
- Celebrating Jesus’ birthday: “The early Christians did not celebrate [Jesus’] birth because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.”--The World Book Encyclopedia.
- December 25: There is no proof that Jesus was born on that date. Church leaders likely chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals held on or around the winter solstice.
- Gift-giving, feasting, partying: The Encyclopedia Americanasays: “Saturnalia, a Roman feast celebrated in mid-December, provided the model for many of the merry-making customs of Christmas. From this celebration, for example, were derived the elaborate feasting, the giving of gifts, and the burning of candles.” The Encyclopædia Britannica notes that “all work and business were suspended” during Saturnalia.
- Christmas lights: According to The Encyclopedia of Religion, Europeans decorated their homes “with lights and evergreens of all kinds” to celebrate the winter solstice*) and to combat evil spirits. *) Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year.Winter solstice occurs for the Northern Hemisphere in December and for the Southern Hemisphere in June.
- Mistletoe, holly: “The Druids ascribed magical properties to the mistletoe in particular. The evergreen holly was worshiped as a promise of the sun’s return.”--The Encyclopedia Americana Druids = in pres-christian times a priest, magician, or soothsayer*) in the ancient Celtic religion. )* soothsayer = a person supposed to be able to foresee the future;
synonyms: seer, oracle, augur, prophet/prophetess, sage, prognosticator, diviner, fortune teller, crystal gazer, clairvoyant, psychic - Christmas tree: “Tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity.” One of the ways in which tree worship survived is in the custom of “placing a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house in the midwinter holidays.”--Encyclopædia Britannica - According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime." CLICK:Yule Alternatively, it is identified with the "tree of paradise" of medieval mystery plays that were given on 24 December, the commemoration and name day of Adam and Eve in various countries. In such plays, a tree decorated with apples (to represent the forbidden fruit) and wafers (to represent the Eucharist and redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like the Christmas crib, the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls. Click: Christmas tree
The Article
What are the facts about Christmas
Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, not his birth.--Luke 22:19, 20.
- Jesus’ apostles and early disciples did not celebrate Christmas. The New Catholic Encyclopedia says that “the Nativity feast was instituted no earlier than 243 [C.E.],” more than a century after the last of the apostles died.
- There is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25; his birth date is not recorded in the Bible.
- Millions of people worldwide celebrate Christmas for various reasons. Some enjoy festive times with friends and family. Others think about God or devote time to helping the poor or needy. By themselves, these are undoubtedly worthy deeds. However, they are clouded by the dark side of this holiday.
First, many celebrants believe that Christmas is a birthday celebration for Jesus. However, historians widely concur that the date of his birth is unknown. The Christian Book of Why notes that “the early Christians refused to set aside a date marking Jesus’ birth” because they wanted “to divorce themselves from all pagan practices.” Interestingly, the Bible gives no indication that Jesus ever celebrated his own birthday or anyone else’s. In contrast, he did command his followers to commemorate his death.--Luke 22:19.
Second, many scholars agree that most Christmas traditions have their roots in non-Christian and pagan customs. These include Santa Claus, as well as using mistletoe and the Christmas tree, exchanging gifts, burning candles and Yule logs, hanging decorative wreaths, and caroling. Regarding some of these customs, the book The Externals of the Catholic Church observed: “When we give or receive Christmas gifts, and hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs?” - Click Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus Click: Santa Claus
- “When we give or receive Christmas gifts, and hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs?”--The Externals of the Catholic Church
You, though, may wonder what is wrong with following these seemingly innocent customs. Consider this third point as an answer. God does not approve of the blending of pagan customs with pure worship. Through His prophet Amos, God said to His wayward worshippers in ancient Israel: “I hate, I despise your festivals . . . Spareme the din of your songs.”--Amos 5:21, 23.
Why such strong words? Consider what the people of the northern kingdom of ancient Israel were doing. Their first king, Jeroboam, placed golden calves in the cities of Dan and Bethel and induced the people to worship these rather than to worship God properly at the temple in Jerusalem. The king also instituted festivals and appointed priests to help the people celebrate them.--1 Kings 12:26-33.
What those Israelites did was seemingly for a good cause. After all, were they not doing all these things in the name of worshipping God and pleasing him? God’s strong words through Amos and other prophets indicate clearly just how God felt about such practices. Through the prophet Malachi, God said: “I am God; I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6) Does that not tell us how God feels about the many Christmas celebrations today?
After considering the above facts, millions of people have decided to abstain from celebrating Christmas. Instead, they find joy and true satisfaction in spending time with their friends and family and in helping the poor and needy whenever they wish throughout the year.
__________________________________________________
.
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 1/14/15 - The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
To Fear Satan, The Devil - Is It Necessary or Reasonable?
If you fear Satan, The Devil, here is the way to conquer Satan,The Devils power, always
The name etymology of Satan and The Devil:
Satan: from Greek Satanas, from Hebrew satan means "adversary, one who plots against another"
The Devil: The Latin word is from Greek "diabolos", in general use means" "accuser, slanderer"
to slander means = to give a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report
to accuse means = to blame (someone) for something wrong or illegal : to say that someone is guilty of a fault or crime
defamatory means = damaging the good reputation of someone; slanderous or libelous. "a defamatory allegation"
Carbon monoxide is very hard to detect click:Carbon monoxide
'It's colorless and odorless, it may catch its victims unawares (= without being aware of a situation).
Perhaps over half of all deaths by poisoning worldwide may be traced to this single culprit: carbon monoxide. However, there is no need to panic. There are ways to detect that gas and to protect yourself. Many people wisely install warning monitors and then carefully heed any alarms.
Like carbon monoxide, Satan is invisible, very hard for humans to detect, and extremely dangerous. But God has not left us without help. You need not fear Satan if you take advantage of the following gifts God offers.
The power of choice. James 4:7 tells us: “Oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.” Although Satan is powerful, he cannot force you to do things that you do not want to do. You have a choice. As a human being you and we all humans, were created stronger than the Satan ans Satan, The Devil's mental power. It is your choice to say NO to Satan and simply ask "In the name of Jesus Christ, Satan, you Devil, get out from my life and do not come back, never, ever, In Jesus name disappear right now and do not eve come back". Satan will come back sooner or later, just say the same sentence. It always works because Satan, the Devil is afraid of Jesus power and frightened to hear Jesus name. In the same way, for good things and advice and solutions, when your pray to God for help, always pray in Jesus' name, states the Bible.
Look at these quotes from The Bible:
John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
John 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
So, asking anything in Jesus name and believing it (see it to happen in your mind) you will get the results. Understand that what you ask has to be in good standing with the correctness and natural laws. You bad and wrong requests will not be answered by God (because God does only good) - the Devil does only bad and harmful even though it may first on surface look good. Satan's work is to deceive and harm - that's Satan The Devil's daily "food". Satan, The Devil never does any, if his bad & wrong deeds are not accepted, followed & fulfilled, he will disappear. Satan, The Devil is also called the "Great Deceiver" The verb "to deceive" means "to mislead by a false appearance or statement". Satan The Devil is the Prince of the world The Bible: Jesus said "I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me" (John 14:30)
Click: John 14:30 - Bible Gateway
This means: YOU, I, and every human being can ALWAYS conquer Satan's, the Devil's power and make him disappear from your life". Ask GOD in Jesus name for guidance and for everything every day and you will get the correct answers and the results-bringing advice & solutions, as long as, once more: your requests are in a line to benefit you correctly (based on pure, natural laws) and are not harm anyone or anything. Study the whole Bible and and apply the information and great success will be yours. WHY? Because God dictated the Bible for us all as our life-success book. That's why The Bible brings the results. E.g. The Ten Commandments in our today's English means "The 10 Success Laws).
Is The Devil going to lead the new U.S. Congress as Devil is the King of the world - or is The Bible going to be the guide book as The Bible was in the hands of our Founding Fathers?
E.g. 92 % of the new 2015 U.S. Congress, House & Senate, are Christian - all Republicans in the new
U.S. Congress are Christians except one who is Jewish (but as a Jewish he knows The Bible)
It has been about this level for a longer time.
First Peter 5:9 says: “Take your stand against him [the Devil], firm in the faith.” Remember, Satan left after Jesus firmly rejected the three temptations. (Matthew 4:11) You can likewise choose to resist Satan’s efforts.
Divine friendship. James 4:8 encourages us to “draw close to God.” God personally invites you to cultivate a close friendship with him. How can you do that? The best way to start is to learn more about him from the Bible. (John 17:3) What you learn about God will move you to love him, and that love will, in turn, motivate you to do his will. (1 John 5:3) As you draw closer to your heavenly Father, how will he respond? James continues: “[God] will draw close to you.”
God offers spiritual provisions for your protection
The promise of protection. Proverbs 18:10 reads: “ God is a strong tower. Into it the righteous one runs and receives protection.” Of course, that does not mean that God’s personal name is some kind of good-luck charm. Rather, it means that those who truly revere God’s name can call on him for protection at any time.
A practical example. Acts 19:19 tells us something enlightening about newly converted Christians in Ephesus: “Quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody. And they calculated their value and found them worth 50,000 pieces of silver.” Those Christians destroyed any objects associated with spiritism, regardless of monetary value. That example can do us a lot of good today. This world is steeped in the occult*) and spiritism. Even spiritistic items and practices that seem innocent may invite demonic influence. It is vital to keep such things out of your life, at any cost.--Deuteronomy 18:10-12. *) occult = supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena
One gentleman I know, did not believe in the Devil during his first 50 years. But then he reconsidered his views. Why? “For the first time in my life, I obtained a Bible,” recalls he. “Knowledge from the Scriptures convinced me that the Devil exists. That same knowledge now protects me from falling victim to his influence.”
“Knowledge from the Scriptures convinced me that the Devil exists. That same knowledge now protects me from falling victim to his influence”
Would you like to see the day when Satan no longer exists? You can. The Scriptures foretell a future time when the Devil, who misleads so many, will be “hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur.” (Revelation 20:10) Of course, physical fire and sulfur cannot harm an invisible spirit creature. Therefore, the lake of fire must represent eternal destruction. Satan will be gone forever. What a joyful time that will be for lovers of God!
In the meantime, keep learning all you can about God and his ways. * Imagine being alive when it can, at last, truthfully be said, “Satan does not exist!”
_________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 1/21/15 & Wednesday 1/28/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Beginning of Life?
How would you complete the following sentence? LIFE IS THE RESULT OF ․․․․․.
- EVOLUTION
- CREATION
But not always.
Rama Singh, professor of biology at Canada’s McMaster University, says: “The opposition to evolution goes beyond religious fundamentalism and includes a great many people from educated sections of the population.”
Consider Gerard, a professor of entomology who was taught evolution at college. “When I took tests,” he says, “I would give the professors the answers they wanted—but I did not believe it.”
Why is it that even some scientifically-minded people have trouble accepting evolution as the origin of life? To answer that, consider two questions that baffle many researchers: (1) How did life get its start? and (2) How did living things develop?
1 How Did Life Get Its Start?
WHAT SOME SAY.
Life arose spontaneously from nonliving matter.
WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER.
Scientists know more about the chemistry and molecular structure of life than ever before, yet they still cannot define with certainty just what life is. A wide gulf separates nonliving matter from even the simplest living cell.
Scientists can only speculate about what conditions on earth were like billions of years ago. They have differing views about where life began—for instance, whether within a volcano or under the ocean floor. Another belief is that life’s building blocks first formed elsewhere in the universe and arrived here embedded in meteors. But that does not answer the question of how life began; it just pushes the issue farther into space.
Scientists speculate about the existence of molecules that preceded genetic material as we know it today. These molecules are supposedly more likely to arise spontaneously from inert material and are self-replicating. Yet, science has found no evidence that such molecules ever existed, nor have scientists been able to create any such molecule in a laboratory.
Living things are unique in the way they store and process information. Cells convey, interpret, and carry out instructions contained within their genetic code. Some scientists liken the genetic code to computer software and the chemical structure of the cell to computer hardware. But evolution cannot explain the source of the information.
Protein molecules are necessary for the function of a cell. A typical protein molecule consists of hundreds of amino acids strung together in a specific sequence. Additionally, the protein molecule must fold into a specific three-dimensional shape for it to be useful. Some scientists conclude that the odds of even one protein molecule forming spontaneously are extremely improbable. “Since a functioning cell requires thousands of different proteins,” writes physicist Paul Davies, “it is not credible to suppose they formed by chance alone.”
CONCLUSION.
After decades of research in virtually all branches of science, the fact remains that life comes only from preexisting life.
The End of the Miracle Show on Wednesday, January 21/15
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The following material continues the same topic material
HOW DID LIFE GET ITS START
but the recording will be in the next shows and will be dated accordingly
2 How Did Living Things Develop?
WHAT SOME SAY. The first living organism gradually developed into a variety of living things, including humans, through a process of random mutation and natural selection.
WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER.Some cells are more complex than others. According to one reference, how simpler cells could develop into more complex cells is “often rated the second major evolutionary mystery, after the origin of life.”
Scientists have discovered within each cell intricate molecular machines composed of protein molecules that cooperate to perform complex tasks. These tasks include transporting and converting nutrients into energy, repairing parts of the cell, and conveying messages throughout the cell. Could random mutations and natural selection account for the assembling and functioning of such sophisticated components? Many find that concept difficult to accept.
Animals and humans develop from a single fertilized egg. Inside the embryo, cells multiply and eventually specialize, taking on different shapes and functions to form distinct parts of the body. Evolution cannot explain how each cell “knows” what to become and where it should move within the organism.
Scientists now realize that for one kind of animal to develop into another kind of animal would require that changes take place within the cell, at the molecular level. Since scientists cannot demonstrate how evolution can produce even the “simplest” cell, is it plausible that random mutations and natural selection could be responsible for the different kinds of animals on the planet? Regarding the structure of animals, Michael Behe, professor of biological sciences, says that while research “has revealed unexpected, stunning complexity, no progress at all has been made in understanding how that complexity could evolve by unintelligent processes.”
Human beings are conscious and self-aware, have the ability to think and reason, and possess moral qualities such as generosity, self-sacrifice, and a sense of right and wrong. Random mutations and natural selection cannot explain the existence of these unique qualities of the human mind.
CONCLUSION.
While many insist that an evolutionary origin of life is an indisputable fact, others are not satisfied with the answers that evolution provides regarding how life began and how life developed.
An Answer Worth Considering
AFTER considering the evidence, many people conclude that life is the product of a superior intelligence. Consider the example of Antony Flew, a professor of philosophy who at one time was a leading advocate of atheism. When he learned about the staggering complexity of life and the physical laws of the universe, Flew changed his opinion. Citing an ancient approach to reasoning, he wrote: “We must follow the argument wherever it leads.” For Professor Flew, the evidence pointed to the existence of a Creator.
Gerard, mentioned earlier in this series of articles, came to a similar conclusion. Despite his advanced education and his career in entomology, he said: “I saw no proof that life arose spontaneously from nonliving matter. The order and complexity of living things convinced me that there has to be an Organizer and Designer.”
Just as a person can learn about an artist by examining his artwork, Gerard came to discern the Creator’s qualities by studying the natural world. Gerard also took time to consider a book attributed to the Creator—the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) There he found satisfying answers to questions about mankind’s past and practical solutions to the problems facing people today. He thus became convinced that the Bible was also the product of a superior mind.
As Gerard found, the Bible’s answers are worth considering. We encourage you to examine them for yourself.
Did You Know?
THE BIBLE IS NOT ANTISCIENCE. On the contrary, it encourages people to examine the natural world. (Isaiah 40:26) While the Bible is not a science textbook, it is consistent with scientific fact. For example, the Bible does not support creationism. It does not state that the earth was created in six literal 24-hour days. The term “day” as used in Genesis applies to periods of considerable length. *
The Bible Teaches That . . .
LIFE COMES ONLY FROM LIFE. “With you [God] is the source of life.”--Psalm 36:9.
GOD MADE PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE “ACCORDING TO THEIR KINDS.” (Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25) The Bible does not define the boundaries of these “kinds.” This allows for a degree of variation within each kind.
GOD CREATED HUMANS WITH THE CAPACITY TO DISPLAY THE SAME MORAL QUALITIES THAT HE POSSESSES. These qualities include love, goodness, and justice. “God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.’”--Genesis 1:26.
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Did God create the earth in just six 24-hour days, as some creationists claim?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”--Genesis 1:1.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God created the universe, including the earth, in the indefinite past—“in the beginning,” as Genesis 1:1 says. Modern science agrees that the universe had a beginning. A recent scientific model suggests it to be almost 14 billion years old.
The Bible also describes six “days” of creation. However, it does not say that these were 24-hour days. (Genesis 1:31) In fact, the Bible uses the word “day” to refer to various lengths of time. For example, it calls the entire period of creation “the day that God made earth and heaven.” (Genesis 2:4) Evidently, these “days” of creation lasted many thousands of years.--Psalm 90:4.
WHY IT MATTERS The false ideas of creationists could lead you to dismiss the Bible altogether. On the other hand, if the Bible actually contains a credible account of creation, you stand to benefit from its storehouse of “practical wisdom.”--Proverbs 3:21.
Did God use evolution to create life on earth?“God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds.’”--Genesis 1:24.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS God did not make life in a simple form and allow it to evolve into more complex forms. Instead, he created basic “kinds” of complex plants and animals, which then reproduced “according to their kinds.” (Genesis 1:11, 21, 24) This process, which continues today, has resulted in the earth being filled with the same “kinds” of life that God originally created.--Psalm 89:11.
The Bible does not specify how much variation can occur within a kind, as might result when animals within a kind interbreed and adapt to their environment. While some view such adaptations as a form of evolution, no new kind of life is produced. Modern research supports the idea that the basic categories of plants and animals have changed little over vast periods of time.
WHY IT MATTERS The Bible’s scientific accuracy in describing basic “kinds” of life strengthens its credibility in other areas, including history and prophecy.
Where did the raw material of the universe come from?“I stretched out the heavens with my own hands.”--Isaiah 45:12.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS God is the Source of infinite power, or energy. (Job 37:23) This is significant, because scientists have learned that energy can be converted into matter. The Bible says that God himself is the Source of the “vast dynamic energy” that produced the universe. (Isaiah 40:26) God promises to use his power to sustain his creation, for the Bible says regarding the sun, moon, and stars: “[God] keeps them established forever and ever.”--Psalm 148:3-6.
WHY IT MATTERS The astronomer Allan Sandage once said: “Science cannot answer the deepest questions. As soon as you ask why is there something instead of nothing, you have gone beyond science.” Not only does the Bible explain creation in a way that harmonizes with science but it also answers questions that science cannot—such as, What is God’s purpose for the earth and for mankind? *
Click: Allan Sandage
Click: Reasons To Believe : Sandage Test
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God gave the earth to men and women. To us all. It is our home.
Therefore, the first human couple, Adam and Eve, were not created to populate the heavens—God had already created angels to live in heaven. (Job 38:4, 7) Rather, God took the first man and settled him in a delightful paradise called the garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15-17)
God gave him and his future offspring the prospect of enjoying life without end on earth.--Read Psalm 37:29; 115:16.
Originally, only the garden of Eden was a paradise. The first human couple were to fill the earth with their offspring. In time, they were to subdue the entire globe and make it a paradise. (Genesis 1:28) The earth will never be destroyed. It will always be mankind’s home.--Read Psalm 104:5.
2. Why is the earth not a paradise now?
Adam and Eve disobeyed God, so God put them out of the garden. Paradise was lost, and no man has succeeded in restoring it. The Bible says: “The earth has been handed over to the wicked.”--Job 9:24.--Read Genesis 3:23, 24.
Has God abandoned his original purpose for mankind? No! He is almighty. He cannot fail. (Isaiah 45:18) He will restore the human race to the way he meant it to be.--Read Psalm 37:11, 34.
3. How will Paradise be restored?
Paradise will be restored on earth during Jesus’ rule as God’s King. In a battle called Armageddon, Jesus will lead God’s angels and destroy all who oppose God. Then Jesus will imprison Satan for 1,000 years. God’s people will survive the destruction because Jesus will guide and protect them. They will enjoy everlasting life in Paradise on earth.--Read Revelation 20:1-3; 21:3, 4.
4. When will suffering end?
When will God bring an end to evil on earth? Jesus gave a “sign” to indicate when the end would be near. Present world conditions threaten man’s survival and show that we now live in “the conclusion of the system of things.”--Read Matthew 24:3, 7-14, 21, 22.
During Jesus’ 1,000-year rule from heaven over the earth, he will bring all suffering to an end. (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:9) Besides serving as King, Jesus will act as High Priest and will cancel the sins of those who love God. Thus, by means of Jesus, God will eliminate sickness, aging, and death.--Read Isaiah 25:8; 33:24.
5. Who will live in the future Paradise?
People who obey God will live in Paradise. (1 John 2:17) Jesus sent his followers to search for meek people and to teach them how to become acceptable to God. Today, God is preparing millions of people for life in the future Paradise on earth. (Zephaniah 2:3) Based on the Bible teaching we people will learn to be better husbands and fathers and to be better wives and mothers. Children and parents worship together and learn how to benefit from the good news.--Read Micah 4:1-4.
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Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 2/4/15 - Wednesday 2/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
TAKE A MODEL FROM THEIR FAITH -
The facts about the Biblical Joseph, the son of Jacob (later God named Jacob as "Israel (Genesis 35:10)
Joseph's destiny: Genesis Chapter 37 & Chapter 39
Joseph story teaches us patience and understanding that our difficult times, when handled with the belief in trusting God and Jesus who says: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6), will lead to a better life.
Quotation: "When God wants to give you a gift He always puts it in a form of a problem"
When you struggle through the problem and learn to recognize the steps to the solution, we grow wiser & stronger and can build a better life with our improved capability see and understand the secrets of life success. A problem, a challenge in life, is always a blessing - thus, thank God in Jesus name for the problem AND ask God in the name of Jesus to guide you to find the correct, the best solution to your situation. God always will, sooner or later and as needed, will send one or some of his angels to guide you.
Experience God’s Power for Yourself
Nothing can quite compare to experiencing the power of God for yourself. Once you have experienced it, no devil out of hell will ever be able to convince you otherwise. So, if you’re in a trial right now, hang on and do not despair. Simply wait on the power of God to deliver you. And, don’t give place to the devil while you’re waiting on your deliverance. Satan, The Devil will tell you that you’re never going to come out of this trial, he will say that God doesn’t love you and that God has forsaken you—but that’s just not true. God does love you and no matter what type of situation you’re in God is going to bring you out. Satan, the Devil, hates us humans because God is our father and wants our best and as long as we believe in Jesus' help and follow Jesus' guidance we will succeed in this life and when it is our time to leave this world we will land in the paradise and are given an eternal life with health, wisdom and success. Devil, The Satan, who rebelled God, gets an eternal death after Jesus comes back to earth.
The life story of Joseph guides us to understand better our own life.
Click colored areas for further info
Click: Genesis 37 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 39 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 35:10
Click colored areas for further info
God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but
you will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel“
Etymology of the name "Israel": "Triumphant with God", "who prevails with God"
Joseph is an important person in the Hebrew Bible: his story connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
The Book of Genesis tells that Joseph was the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons and Rachel's firstborn, and tells how Joseph came to be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and rose to become vizier*): the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. When famine struck Canaan, Jacob (Joseph's father) and Joseph's brothers came to the Land of Goshen in Egypt. According to the book of Jubilees, Joseph was born on 1 Tammuz.
*) vizier = a high official
Joseph was appointed as a vizier by Pharaoh.
In Egypt the viziers were appointed by the pharaohs, but often (not always) belonged to a pharaoh's family. The vizier's paramount duty was to supervise the running of the country, such as a prime minister, at times even small details of it such as sampling the city's water supply. All other lesser supervisors and officials, such as tax collectors and scribes, would report to the vizier. The judiciary was part of the civil administration and the vizier also sat in the High Court. However at any time, the pharaoh could exert his own control over any aspect of government, overriding the vizier's decisions. The vizier also supervised the security of the pharaoh and the palace. The viziers often acted as the pharaoh's seal bearer as well, and the vizier would record trade. In the New Kingdom, there were two viziers, one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower Egypt.
God guided Joseph to interpret Pharaoh's Dreams in Egypt
- that gave Joseph his freedom and he became (2nd to the Pharaoh)
# 2 "ruler" in Egypt
This is also historically correct story about how Joseph's work in Egypt, based on
God's guidance, and resulted in saving Israel's (the country) freedom. Egypt did not occupy Israel and
also when the famine came to Israel the food from Egypt saved the nation
Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. Later Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph or raping her and Joseph landed in prison in Egypt. Obviously it was not believed that Joseph had tried to rape the woman - otherwise he may have been killed. Read: Genesis 37:36 and further.
In prison JOSEPH walked along the dark corridor, dripping with sweat from his toil in the stifling heat. Outside, the Egyptian sun was baking the prison like a kiln. It seemed at times as if he knew every brick in the place, every crack in every wall. This was his whole world now. True, he was highly regarded here. Nonetheless, he was a prisoner.
How often he must have cast his thoughts back to his life in the high rocky hills in Hebron, where he had tended his father’s flocks! He was about 17 years old when his father, Jacob, sent him on an errand that took him dozens of miles (km) from home. Such freedom seemed almost unimaginable now. Joseph’s jealous brothers had turned on him with murderous hatred and then sold him as a slave. He was taken down to Egypt, where he first served in the household of the Egyptian official Potiphar. Joseph held his master’s trust until a false accusation of rape from Potiphar’s wife landed him here in this prison..
Joseph was 28 years old now, with about a decade of slavery and imprisonment behind him. To put it mildly, his life was not turning out as he had hoped. Would he ever be set free? Would he see his dear elderly father again or his beloved younger brother, Benjamin? How long would he be stuck in this pit?
Click: Genesis 37 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 39 - Bible Gateway
Have you ever felt as Joseph did? Sometimes life turns out to be a far cry from our youthful hopes. Indeed, painful situations can seem to drag on endlessly, and it can be hard to see a way out or a way to endure. Let us see what we can learn from the faith of Joseph.
“GOD CONTINUED WITH JOSEPH”
Joseph knew that his God never lost sight of him, and this knowledge surely helped him to endure. Even here in a foreign prison, Jehovah found ways to bless Joseph. Thus, we read: “Jehovah continued with Joseph and kept showing loyal love to him and granting him favor in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison.” As Joseph continued to work hard, he kept giving his God a basis for blessing him. How comforting it must have been for him to know that God was always with him!
Click: Genesis 39:21–23 - Biblia.com
Did God intend to let Joseph remain in that prison indefinitely? Joseph could only guess at the answer, and he surely kept the matter before his God in prayer. As it so often happens, the answer came in a most unexpected way. One day, there was some commotion in the prison as two new inmates arrived—officers from Pharaoh’s personal staff. One was the king’s chief baker; the other was the chief cupbearer. Click: Genesis 40:1-3 - Bible Study Tools
Notice:
The ancient Egyptians enjoyed over 90 varieties of breads
and cakes. So the chief baker, chief of Pharaoh’s baking staff, was a prominent
man.
And the chief cupbearer led a staff of servants who
made sure that Pharaoh’s wine and perhaps beer were of high
quality and were kept safe from any attempt to poison the monarch--
a real risk, for court intrigue and assassinations were common.
It was not unusual for the cupbearer to become a trusted
adviser to the king.
The chief of the guard entrusted Joseph with the care of those two formerly prominent men. * One night they each had a vivid and puzzling dream. When Joseph saw them in the morning, he could tell that something was wrong. So he asked: “Why are your faces gloomy today?” Click: Genesis 40:3-7 - Bible Gateway
Perhaps his kindly manner assured the men that it was safe for them to reveal their troubles. Joseph did not know it, but that conversation would lead to a turning point in his life. Would there have been any conversation, though, had Joseph not chosen to show a little kind concern for others? His choice may move us to ask ourselves, ‘Do I express my faith in God by showing an interest in fellow humans?’
Joseph treated his fellow prisoners with kindness and dignity.
End of the Miracle Show on 2/4/15 - Continues next below on Wednesday 2/25/15
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Joseph in Egypt continues
Wednesday 2/25/15 - The Miracle Show
New links to be placed for the Bible references
Do not use the links given below
Meanwhile take referral from
the Bible version
New International Version
Instructions:
Copy each colored link below, search the web with it - it connects to different Bible translation choices -
then choose to read the referral in the translation
"New International Version"
The two men explained that they were agitated by their vivid and puzzling dreams—and by the fact that they had no interpreter with them. The Egyptians placed a lot of weight on dreams and depended heavily on the men who claimed to be able to interpret them. The two men did not know that their dreams had come from Joseph’s God. But Joseph knew. He assured them: “Do not interpretations belong to God? Relate it [the dream] to me, please.” (Genesis 40:8) Joseph’s words resound today for all sincere students of the Bible. If only every religious person showed the same humility! We need to be willing to set aside prideful human thinking and to rely on God as we seek correct interpretations of his word.--1 Thessalonians 2:13; James 4:6.
The cupbearer went first. He told Joseph of a dream about a vine with three twigs that bore clusters of grapes. The grapes ripened, and the cupbearer squeezed the juice into Pharaoh’s cup. Thanks to Jehovah, Joseph instantly knew the meaning behind the dream. He told the cupbearer that the three twigs meant three days; within that time, Pharaoh would restore the cupbearer to his former position. As relief swept over the cupbearer’s features, Joseph added this request: “Please show me loyal love and mention me to Pharaoh.” Joseph explained that he had been kidnapped from his home and imprisoned without just cause.--Genesis 40:9-15.
Encouraged by the good news the cupbearer had received, the baker asked Joseph the meaning of his own dream in which he had seen three baskets of bread as well as birds eating from one of the baskets on his head. The answer to this riddle was also given to Joseph. But it did not mean good news for the baker. Joseph said: “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Three days from now, Pharaoh will behead you and will hang you on a stake, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” (Genesis 40:16-19) Like all of God’s faithful servants, Joseph boldly revealed God’s messages, both the good news and the news of impending judgment.--Isaiah 61:2.
Three days later, Joseph’s words came true. Pharaoh held a birthday party—a practice not found among God’s people in Bible times—and pronounced judgment on his two servants. The baker was executed, just as Joseph had foretold, whereas the cupbearer was restored to his former position. Sadly, though, that neglectful man forgot all about Joseph.--Genesis 40:20-23.
“I NEED NOT BE CONSIDERED!”
Two full years passed. (Genesis 41:1) Imagine how frustrating that must have been for Joseph! Perhaps his hopes were high after Jehovah gave him the understanding of the puzzling dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. Thereafter, as each day dawned, Joseph may have awakened with renewed hope that this would be the day of his release—only to find once again that the dull routine of prison life dragged on, unchanged. Those two years might well have been the most challenging of all for Joseph to endure. Yet, he never gave up his trust in his God, Jehovah. Rather than giving in to despair, he was determined to endure, and he emerged from that trying time all the stronger.--James 1:4.
In these difficult times, who of us does not need to work on our endurance? In order to face life’s ongoing trials, we need the kind of determination, patience, and inner peace that only God can give us. As he did with Joseph, he can help us to fight despair and hold on to hope.--Romans 12:12; 15:13.
The cupbearer may have forgotten Joseph, but God never did. One night, he sent Pharaoh a pair of unforgettable dreams. In the first, the king saw seven fine-looking, fat cows emerge from the Nile River, followed by seven ugly, thin cows. The thin ones devoured the fat ones. Later, Pharaoh dreamed that he saw a stalk of grain sprouting seven choice ears. But then another seven ears, wind-parched and sickly, sprouted up and devoured the choice ones. In the morning, Pharaoh awoke deeply agitated over the dreams, so he called on all his wise men and magic-practicing priests to interpret them. They all failed. (Genesis 41:1-8) Whether that means that they were dumbfounded or that they came up with a variety of conflicting ideas, we do not know. At any rate, Pharaoh was let down—yet he was more desperate than ever to find an answer to this puzzle.
Finally, the cupbearer remembered Joseph! His conscience stung him, and he told Pharaoh about the remarkable young man in prison who two years earlier had correctly interpreted his dream and that of the baker. Immediately, Pharaoh had Joseph summoned from prison.--Genesis 41:9-13.
Imagine Joseph’s feelings as Pharaoh’s messengers came with the royal summons. He quickly changed his clothes and shaved—likely removing all the hair from his head, for such was the Egyptian custom. No doubt he prayed fervently that God would bless him in this interview! Soon he found himself in the opulent court of the royal palace, standing before the monarch. We read: “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: ‘I had a dream, but there is no one to interpret it. Now I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.’” Joseph’s response showed, once again, both his humility and his faith in his God: “I need not be considered! God will speak concerning Pharaoh’s welfare.”--Genesis 41:14-16.
Joseph humbly said to Pharaoh: “I need not be considered!”
God loves humble, faithful people, so it is no wonder that he gave Joseph the answer that had eluded the wise men and priests. Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s two dreams had the same meaning. By repeating the message, God was signifying that the matter was “firmly established”—absolutely sure of fulfillment. The fat cows and the healthy ears of grain represented seven years of plenty in Egypt, while the lean cows and the sickly ears of grain pictured seven years of famine that would follow the years of plenty. That famine would devour the land’s abundance.--Genesis 41:25-32.
Pharaoh knew that Joseph had the answer. But what could be done? Joseph recommended a plan of action. Pharaoh needed to find a man both “discreet and wise” to oversee the gathering of the land’s surplus grain into storehouses during the seven years of plenty and then to distribute that surplus to the needy during the ensuing famine. (Genesis 41:33-36) Joseph’s experience and abilities more than qualified him for that job, but he did not promote himself. His humility made such a presumptuous course unthinkable; his faith made it unnecessary. If we have real faith in Jehovah, we have no need for ambition or self-promotion. We can be at peace, leaving matters in his capable hands!
“CAN ANOTHER MAN BE FOUND LIKE THIS ONE?”
Pharaoh and all his servants saw the wisdom in Joseph’s plan. The king also acknowledged that Joseph’s God was the real force behind Joseph’s wise words. He said to his servants there in the royal court: “Can another man be found like this one in whom there is the spirit of God?” To Joseph, he said: “Since God has caused you to know all of this, there is no one as discreet and wise as you. You will personally be over my house, and all my people will obey you implicitly. Only in my role as king will I be greater than you.”--Genesis 41:38-41.
Pharaoh was as good as his word. Joseph was soon clothed in fine linen. Pharaoh gave him a gold necklace, a signet ring, a royal chariot, and full authority to travel through the land and put his plan into effect. (Genesis 41:42-44) Within the space of a day, then, Joseph went from prison to palace. He awoke a lowly convict, and he fell asleep as the ruler second to Pharaoh. How clear that Joseph’s faith in God was justified! Jehovah saw all the injustices that his servant had suffered through the years. He addressed those issues at just the right time and in just the right way. God had in mind not only correcting the wrongs done to Joseph but also preserving the future nation of Israel. We will see how that was so in a future article in this series.
If you face a trialsome situation, perhaps an injustice that seems to drag on for years on end, do not despair. Remember Joseph. Because he never lost his kindness, his humility, his endurance, and his faith, he gave God every reason to reward him in the end.
___________________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 2/4/15 - Wednesday 2/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
TAKE A MODEL FROM THEIR FAITH -
The facts about the Biblical Joseph, the son of Jacob (later God named Jacob as "Israel (Genesis 35:10)
Joseph's destiny: Genesis Chapter 37 & Chapter 39
Joseph story teaches us patience and understanding that our difficult times, when handled with the belief in trusting God and Jesus who says: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6), will lead to a better life.
Quotation: "When God wants to give you a gift He always puts it in a form of a problem"
When you struggle through the problem and learn to recognize the steps to the solution, we grow wiser & stronger and can build a better life with our improved capability see and understand the secrets of life success. A problem, a challenge in life, is always a blessing - thus, thank God in Jesus name for the problem AND ask God in the name of Jesus to guide you to find the correct, the best solution to your situation. God always will, sooner or later and as needed, will send one or some of his angels to guide you.
Experience God’s Power for Yourself
Nothing can quite compare to experiencing the power of God for yourself. Once you have experienced it, no devil out of hell will ever be able to convince you otherwise. So, if you’re in a trial right now, hang on and do not despair. Simply wait on the power of God to deliver you. And, don’t give place to the devil while you’re waiting on your deliverance. Satan, The Devil will tell you that you’re never going to come out of this trial, he will say that God doesn’t love you and that God has forsaken you—but that’s just not true. God does love you and no matter what type of situation you’re in God is going to bring you out. Satan, the Devil, hates us humans because God is our father and wants our best and as long as we believe in Jesus' help and follow Jesus' guidance we will succeed in this life and when it is our time to leave this world we will land in the paradise and are given an eternal life with health, wisdom and success. Devil, The Satan, who rebelled God, gets an eternal death after Jesus comes back to earth.
The life story of Joseph guides us to understand better our own life.
Click colored areas for further info
Click: Genesis 37 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 39 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 35:10
Click colored areas for further info
God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but
you will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel“
Etymology of the name "Israel": "Triumphant with God", "who prevails with God"
Joseph is an important person in the Hebrew Bible: his story connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
The Book of Genesis tells that Joseph was the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons and Rachel's firstborn, and tells how Joseph came to be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and rose to become vizier*): the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. When famine struck Canaan, Jacob (Joseph's father) and Joseph's brothers came to the Land of Goshen in Egypt. According to the book of Jubilees, Joseph was born on 1 Tammuz.
*) vizier = a high official
Joseph was appointed as a vizier by Pharaoh.
In Egypt the viziers were appointed by the pharaohs, but often (not always) belonged to a pharaoh's family. The vizier's paramount duty was to supervise the running of the country, such as a prime minister, at times even small details of it such as sampling the city's water supply. All other lesser supervisors and officials, such as tax collectors and scribes, would report to the vizier. The judiciary was part of the civil administration and the vizier also sat in the High Court. However at any time, the pharaoh could exert his own control over any aspect of government, overriding the vizier's decisions. The vizier also supervised the security of the pharaoh and the palace. The viziers often acted as the pharaoh's seal bearer as well, and the vizier would record trade. In the New Kingdom, there were two viziers, one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower Egypt.
God guided Joseph to interpret Pharaoh's Dreams in Egypt
- that gave Joseph his freedom and he became (2nd to the Pharaoh)
# 2 "ruler" in Egypt
This is also historically correct story about how Joseph's work in Egypt, based on
God's guidance, and resulted in saving Israel's (the country) freedom. Egypt did not occupy Israel and
also when the famine came to Israel the food from Egypt saved the nation
Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. Later Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph or raping her and Joseph landed in prison in Egypt. Obviously it was not believed that Joseph had tried to rape the woman - otherwise he may have been killed. Read: Genesis 37:36 and further.
In prison JOSEPH walked along the dark corridor, dripping with sweat from his toil in the stifling heat. Outside, the Egyptian sun was baking the prison like a kiln. It seemed at times as if he knew every brick in the place, every crack in every wall. This was his whole world now. True, he was highly regarded here. Nonetheless, he was a prisoner.
How often he must have cast his thoughts back to his life in the high rocky hills in Hebron, where he had tended his father’s flocks! He was about 17 years old when his father, Jacob, sent him on an errand that took him dozens of miles (km) from home. Such freedom seemed almost unimaginable now. Joseph’s jealous brothers had turned on him with murderous hatred and then sold him as a slave. He was taken down to Egypt, where he first served in the household of the Egyptian official Potiphar. Joseph held his master’s trust until a false accusation of rape from Potiphar’s wife landed him here in this prison..
Joseph was 28 years old now, with about a decade of slavery and imprisonment behind him. To put it mildly, his life was not turning out as he had hoped. Would he ever be set free? Would he see his dear elderly father again or his beloved younger brother, Benjamin? How long would he be stuck in this pit?
Click: Genesis 37 - Bible Gateway
Click: Genesis 39 - Bible Gateway
Have you ever felt as Joseph did? Sometimes life turns out to be a far cry from our youthful hopes. Indeed, painful situations can seem to drag on endlessly, and it can be hard to see a way out or a way to endure. Let us see what we can learn from the faith of Joseph.
“GOD CONTINUED WITH JOSEPH”
Joseph knew that his God never lost sight of him, and this knowledge surely helped him to endure. Even here in a foreign prison, Jehovah found ways to bless Joseph. Thus, we read: “Jehovah continued with Joseph and kept showing loyal love to him and granting him favor in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison.” As Joseph continued to work hard, he kept giving his God a basis for blessing him. How comforting it must have been for him to know that God was always with him!
Click: Genesis 39:21–23 - Biblia.com
Did God intend to let Joseph remain in that prison indefinitely? Joseph could only guess at the answer, and he surely kept the matter before his God in prayer. As it so often happens, the answer came in a most unexpected way. One day, there was some commotion in the prison as two new inmates arrived—officers from Pharaoh’s personal staff. One was the king’s chief baker; the other was the chief cupbearer. Click: Genesis 40:1-3 - Bible Study Tools
Notice:
The ancient Egyptians enjoyed over 90 varieties of breads
and cakes. So the chief baker, chief of Pharaoh’s baking staff, was a prominent
man.
And the chief cupbearer led a staff of servants who
made sure that Pharaoh’s wine and perhaps beer were of high
quality and were kept safe from any attempt to poison the monarch--
a real risk, for court intrigue and assassinations were common.
It was not unusual for the cupbearer to become a trusted
adviser to the king.
The chief of the guard entrusted Joseph with the care of those two formerly prominent men. * One night they each had a vivid and puzzling dream. When Joseph saw them in the morning, he could tell that something was wrong. So he asked: “Why are your faces gloomy today?” Click: Genesis 40:3-7 - Bible Gateway
Perhaps his kindly manner assured the men that it was safe for them to reveal their troubles. Joseph did not know it, but that conversation would lead to a turning point in his life. Would there have been any conversation, though, had Joseph not chosen to show a little kind concern for others? His choice may move us to ask ourselves, ‘Do I express my faith in God by showing an interest in fellow humans?’
Joseph treated his fellow prisoners with kindness and dignity.
End of the Miracle Show on 2/4/15 - Continues next below on Wednesday 2/25/15
_________________________________________________________
Joseph in Egypt continues
Wednesday 2/25/15 - The Miracle Show
New links to be placed for the Bible references
Do not use the links given below
Meanwhile take referral from
the Bible version
New International Version
Instructions:
Copy each colored link below, search the web with it - it connects to different Bible translation choices -
then choose to read the referral in the translation
"New International Version"
The two men explained that they were agitated by their vivid and puzzling dreams—and by the fact that they had no interpreter with them. The Egyptians placed a lot of weight on dreams and depended heavily on the men who claimed to be able to interpret them. The two men did not know that their dreams had come from Joseph’s God. But Joseph knew. He assured them: “Do not interpretations belong to God? Relate it [the dream] to me, please.” (Genesis 40:8) Joseph’s words resound today for all sincere students of the Bible. If only every religious person showed the same humility! We need to be willing to set aside prideful human thinking and to rely on God as we seek correct interpretations of his word.--1 Thessalonians 2:13; James 4:6.
The cupbearer went first. He told Joseph of a dream about a vine with three twigs that bore clusters of grapes. The grapes ripened, and the cupbearer squeezed the juice into Pharaoh’s cup. Thanks to Jehovah, Joseph instantly knew the meaning behind the dream. He told the cupbearer that the three twigs meant three days; within that time, Pharaoh would restore the cupbearer to his former position. As relief swept over the cupbearer’s features, Joseph added this request: “Please show me loyal love and mention me to Pharaoh.” Joseph explained that he had been kidnapped from his home and imprisoned without just cause.--Genesis 40:9-15.
Encouraged by the good news the cupbearer had received, the baker asked Joseph the meaning of his own dream in which he had seen three baskets of bread as well as birds eating from one of the baskets on his head. The answer to this riddle was also given to Joseph. But it did not mean good news for the baker. Joseph said: “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Three days from now, Pharaoh will behead you and will hang you on a stake, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” (Genesis 40:16-19) Like all of God’s faithful servants, Joseph boldly revealed God’s messages, both the good news and the news of impending judgment.--Isaiah 61:2.
Three days later, Joseph’s words came true. Pharaoh held a birthday party—a practice not found among God’s people in Bible times—and pronounced judgment on his two servants. The baker was executed, just as Joseph had foretold, whereas the cupbearer was restored to his former position. Sadly, though, that neglectful man forgot all about Joseph.--Genesis 40:20-23.
“I NEED NOT BE CONSIDERED!”
Two full years passed. (Genesis 41:1) Imagine how frustrating that must have been for Joseph! Perhaps his hopes were high after Jehovah gave him the understanding of the puzzling dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. Thereafter, as each day dawned, Joseph may have awakened with renewed hope that this would be the day of his release—only to find once again that the dull routine of prison life dragged on, unchanged. Those two years might well have been the most challenging of all for Joseph to endure. Yet, he never gave up his trust in his God, Jehovah. Rather than giving in to despair, he was determined to endure, and he emerged from that trying time all the stronger.--James 1:4.
In these difficult times, who of us does not need to work on our endurance? In order to face life’s ongoing trials, we need the kind of determination, patience, and inner peace that only God can give us. As he did with Joseph, he can help us to fight despair and hold on to hope.--Romans 12:12; 15:13.
The cupbearer may have forgotten Joseph, but God never did. One night, he sent Pharaoh a pair of unforgettable dreams. In the first, the king saw seven fine-looking, fat cows emerge from the Nile River, followed by seven ugly, thin cows. The thin ones devoured the fat ones. Later, Pharaoh dreamed that he saw a stalk of grain sprouting seven choice ears. But then another seven ears, wind-parched and sickly, sprouted up and devoured the choice ones. In the morning, Pharaoh awoke deeply agitated over the dreams, so he called on all his wise men and magic-practicing priests to interpret them. They all failed. (Genesis 41:1-8) Whether that means that they were dumbfounded or that they came up with a variety of conflicting ideas, we do not know. At any rate, Pharaoh was let down—yet he was more desperate than ever to find an answer to this puzzle.
Finally, the cupbearer remembered Joseph! His conscience stung him, and he told Pharaoh about the remarkable young man in prison who two years earlier had correctly interpreted his dream and that of the baker. Immediately, Pharaoh had Joseph summoned from prison.--Genesis 41:9-13.
Imagine Joseph’s feelings as Pharaoh’s messengers came with the royal summons. He quickly changed his clothes and shaved—likely removing all the hair from his head, for such was the Egyptian custom. No doubt he prayed fervently that God would bless him in this interview! Soon he found himself in the opulent court of the royal palace, standing before the monarch. We read: “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: ‘I had a dream, but there is no one to interpret it. Now I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.’” Joseph’s response showed, once again, both his humility and his faith in his God: “I need not be considered! God will speak concerning Pharaoh’s welfare.”--Genesis 41:14-16.
Joseph humbly said to Pharaoh: “I need not be considered!”
God loves humble, faithful people, so it is no wonder that he gave Joseph the answer that had eluded the wise men and priests. Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s two dreams had the same meaning. By repeating the message, God was signifying that the matter was “firmly established”—absolutely sure of fulfillment. The fat cows and the healthy ears of grain represented seven years of plenty in Egypt, while the lean cows and the sickly ears of grain pictured seven years of famine that would follow the years of plenty. That famine would devour the land’s abundance.--Genesis 41:25-32.
Pharaoh knew that Joseph had the answer. But what could be done? Joseph recommended a plan of action. Pharaoh needed to find a man both “discreet and wise” to oversee the gathering of the land’s surplus grain into storehouses during the seven years of plenty and then to distribute that surplus to the needy during the ensuing famine. (Genesis 41:33-36) Joseph’s experience and abilities more than qualified him for that job, but he did not promote himself. His humility made such a presumptuous course unthinkable; his faith made it unnecessary. If we have real faith in Jehovah, we have no need for ambition or self-promotion. We can be at peace, leaving matters in his capable hands!
“CAN ANOTHER MAN BE FOUND LIKE THIS ONE?”
Pharaoh and all his servants saw the wisdom in Joseph’s plan. The king also acknowledged that Joseph’s God was the real force behind Joseph’s wise words. He said to his servants there in the royal court: “Can another man be found like this one in whom there is the spirit of God?” To Joseph, he said: “Since God has caused you to know all of this, there is no one as discreet and wise as you. You will personally be over my house, and all my people will obey you implicitly. Only in my role as king will I be greater than you.”--Genesis 41:38-41.
Pharaoh was as good as his word. Joseph was soon clothed in fine linen. Pharaoh gave him a gold necklace, a signet ring, a royal chariot, and full authority to travel through the land and put his plan into effect. (Genesis 41:42-44) Within the space of a day, then, Joseph went from prison to palace. He awoke a lowly convict, and he fell asleep as the ruler second to Pharaoh. How clear that Joseph’s faith in God was justified! Jehovah saw all the injustices that his servant had suffered through the years. He addressed those issues at just the right time and in just the right way. God had in mind not only correcting the wrongs done to Joseph but also preserving the future nation of Israel. We will see how that was so in a future article in this series.
If you face a trialsome situation, perhaps an injustice that seems to drag on for years on end, do not despair. Remember Joseph. Because he never lost his kindness, his humility, his endurance, and his faith, he gave God every reason to reward him in the end.
___________________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
Click the colored links for further except the titles and subtitles that normally are also colored - (test any colored area to be sure)
Any link to the Bible may refer to different Bibles - sometimes to the Bible of Jehovah's Witnesses' Bible - they call God "Jehovah" because the
the real name of click: God is YHWH, the four letters that make up His name found in click: Exodus 3:14
However, for info click: What Is the Real Name of God?|YHWH
If the link mentions "Jehovah's Witnesses" or "Any other church organization by its name" it is only because we find the info in that link worthwhile as the info - not because we promote anything else than the original Biblical truth.
For teaching purposes we at the GCG take information from many sources as long as the info reflects what is said in the Bible.
The message is the same no matter what Bible version is used as long you will understand the language correctly - to do that use a modern English language Bible
or a modern translation in your first language - use both - you will learn English at the same time
GCG (= our church) recommends you use a modern language Bible, e.g. New International Version NIV
Click: Bible Versions and Translations Online
Is There a God?'
How do we humans benefit from God's guidance?
The Answer Will Please You:
The question of whether God exists seems to be either unanswerable or irrelevant to many. Pear who grew up in France, says: “Although I don’t define myself as atheist or agnostic, I am not a believer. For me, the best way to live is to use common sense. That doesn’t require belief in a deity.”
agnostic = a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God. synonyms: skeptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, cynic; More
Others may feel as did Henry, in the United States. He said: “I was raised by parents who did not believe in God. As a young man, I had no position on whether God exists. Still, at times I would wonder about it.”
Have you ever wondered if there is a God and, if there is, whether there is a larger purpose to life? Perhaps you have encountered facts that are difficult to explain without the existence of a Creator, such as scientific data on the finely tuned balance in nature that makes life on our planet possible and evidence that life does not come from lifeless matter.
“The theory of evolution tries to account for the origin of life on earth without the necessity of divine intervention. However, the more that scientists discover about life, the less likely it appears that it could arise by chance.”
“Many people claim that science disproves the Bible’s account of creation. However, the contradiction is, not between science and the Bible, but between science and the opinions of Christian Fundamentalists.”
Christian Fundamentalism is a conservative movement within American Protestantism that aims to uphold traditional Christian beliefs in the face of many modernist challenges.
Click: Christian Fundamentalism
Click: Christian fundamentalism - Wikipedia
Click: What is Fundamentalism?
Click: What is a fundamentalist Christian?
Consider the significance of the facts mentioned above. They are like signposts pointing to a treasure.
When you find convincing evidence that God exists, along with trustworthy information about him, you will have much to gain.
Here are four examples.
1. THE MEANING OF LIFE
If there is a larger meaning to life, we want to know what it is and to understand our place in it. After all, if God exists and we are unaware of it, then we are living without knowing the most fundamental truth in the universe.
The Bible says that God is the Source of all life. (Revelation 4:11) How can knowing this give our lives meaning? Consider what the Bible teaches on the matter.
Among all of earth’s creatures, humans are unique. According to the Bible, we were created by God to be like him, to reflect his personality. (Genesis 1:27) Furthermore, the Bible teaches that humans can become God’s friends. (James 2:23) Nothing can give our life more meaning than to have such a relationship with our Creator.
What does it mean to be God’s friend? Friends of God can express themselves directly to him. And he promises that he will listen to them and act in their behalf.
(Psalm 91:15) As friends of God, we can come to know his thoughts on many matters. This can give us reliable insight into the deepest questions about our lives.
If God exists and we are unaware of it, then we are living without knowing the most fundamental truth in the universe
2. PEACE OF MIND
For example, some find it difficult to believe in God because of the suffering they see worldwide. They ask, ‘Why would an all-powerful Creator permit suffering and evil?’
The Bible’s comforting answer is that God never intended for humans to suffer. At the time of man’s creation, human life was free from suffering. Even death was not part of God’s original purpose for mankind. (Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17) Is this hard to believe? A fantasy? No. If there is an all-powerful Creator and if love is indeed his foremost quality, then this is exactly the kind of life that we would expect him to purpose for humans to have.
What brought about mankind’s current situation? The Bible explains that God created humans with the ability to exercise free will. We are not robots, forced to obey God. The first human couple, from whom all others have descended, chose to reject God’s guidance. Instead, they selfishly pursued their own will. (Genesis 3:1-6, 22-24) We now experience the painful results.
We can gain great peace of mind from knowing that human suffering is not part of God’s purpose. But, naturally, we also want relief. We need hope for the future.
3. HOPE
Immediately after mankind rebelled, God promised that he would in time fulfill his original purpose for the earth. Because he is almighty, nothing can prevent him from doing so. (Isaiah 55:11) Soon, God will undo all the consequences of the rebellion against him, and the earth and mankind will be brought in line with his original purpose.
What can this mean for you? Consider just two of the many promises God has made for our future, as found in the Bible.
4. HELP WITH PROBLEMS AND DECISIONS
God provides guidance to help us cope with problems and make good decisions. Many decisions are small, but others have lifelong consequences. No human can offer us wisdom as effective as the wisdom that our Creator can provide. He has a timeless perspective and is the very Source of human life. So he knows what is best for us.
The Bible contains the thoughts of Jehovah God, as he inspired various human writers to record them. In the Bible, we find this statement: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One guiding you in the way you should walk.”--Isaiah 48:17, 18.
God has unlimited power, and he is willing to use his power in our behalf. The Bible describes God as a loving father who wants to help us. It says: “The Father in heaven [will] give holy spirit to those asking him!” (Luke 11:13) This power from God can guide and strengthen us.
How can you obtain such help from God? The Bible answers: “Whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews 11:6) To become convinced that God exists, you need to examine the evidence for yourself.
WILL YOU INVESTIGATE?
It takes time to seek out the truth about God, but clearly you can benefit from doing so. Consider the experience of Xiujin Xiao, who was born in China and now lives in the United States. He says: “Although I believed the theory of evolution, I was curious about the Bible. So I began to study the Bible. In my last year of college, I got so busy that I had little time for what I was learning from the Bible. But I was less happy. When I again made my Bible study a priority, I found inner joy.”
Would you like to learn more about our Creator, click: God? Why not take time to investigate for yourself?
What Does the Bible Say About God?
The Bible’s message about God is simple yet thought-provoking—and to some it is surprising.
__________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
Click the colored links for further except the titles and subtitles that normally are also colored - (test any colored area to be sure)
Any link to the Bible may refer to different Bibles - sometimes to the Bible of Jehovah's Witnesses' Bible - they call God "Jehovah" because the
the real name of click: God is YHWH, the four letters that make up His name found in click: Exodus 3:14
However, for info click: What Is the Real Name of God?|YHWH
If the link mentions "Jehovah's Witnesses" or "Any other church organization by its name" it is only because we find the info in that link worthwhile as the info - not because we promote anything else than the original Biblical truth.
For teaching purposes we at the GCG take information from many sources as long as the info reflects what is said in the Bible.
The message is the same no matter what Bible version is used as long you will understand the language correctly - to do that use a modern English language Bible
or a modern translation in your first language - use both - you will learn English at the same time
GCG (= our church) recommends you use a modern language Bible, e.g. New International Version NIV
Click: Bible Versions and Translations Online
Is There a God?'
How do we humans benefit from God's guidance?
The Answer Will Please You:
The question of whether God exists seems to be either unanswerable or irrelevant to many. Pear who grew up in France, says: “Although I don’t define myself as atheist or agnostic, I am not a believer. For me, the best way to live is to use common sense. That doesn’t require belief in a deity.”
agnostic = a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God. synonyms: skeptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, cynic; More
Others may feel as did Henry, in the United States. He said: “I was raised by parents who did not believe in God. As a young man, I had no position on whether God exists. Still, at times I would wonder about it.”
Have you ever wondered if there is a God and, if there is, whether there is a larger purpose to life? Perhaps you have encountered facts that are difficult to explain without the existence of a Creator, such as scientific data on the finely tuned balance in nature that makes life on our planet possible and evidence that life does not come from lifeless matter.
“The theory of evolution tries to account for the origin of life on earth without the necessity of divine intervention. However, the more that scientists discover about life, the less likely it appears that it could arise by chance.”
“Many people claim that science disproves the Bible’s account of creation. However, the contradiction is, not between science and the Bible, but between science and the opinions of Christian Fundamentalists.”
Christian Fundamentalism is a conservative movement within American Protestantism that aims to uphold traditional Christian beliefs in the face of many modernist challenges.
Click: Christian Fundamentalism
Click: Christian fundamentalism - Wikipedia
Click: What is Fundamentalism?
Click: What is a fundamentalist Christian?
Consider the significance of the facts mentioned above. They are like signposts pointing to a treasure.
When you find convincing evidence that God exists, along with trustworthy information about him, you will have much to gain.
Here are four examples.
1. THE MEANING OF LIFE
If there is a larger meaning to life, we want to know what it is and to understand our place in it. After all, if God exists and we are unaware of it, then we are living without knowing the most fundamental truth in the universe.
The Bible says that God is the Source of all life. (Revelation 4:11) How can knowing this give our lives meaning? Consider what the Bible teaches on the matter.
Among all of earth’s creatures, humans are unique. According to the Bible, we were created by God to be like him, to reflect his personality. (Genesis 1:27) Furthermore, the Bible teaches that humans can become God’s friends. (James 2:23) Nothing can give our life more meaning than to have such a relationship with our Creator.
What does it mean to be God’s friend? Friends of God can express themselves directly to him. And he promises that he will listen to them and act in their behalf.
(Psalm 91:15) As friends of God, we can come to know his thoughts on many matters. This can give us reliable insight into the deepest questions about our lives.
If God exists and we are unaware of it, then we are living without knowing the most fundamental truth in the universe
2. PEACE OF MIND
For example, some find it difficult to believe in God because of the suffering they see worldwide. They ask, ‘Why would an all-powerful Creator permit suffering and evil?’
The Bible’s comforting answer is that God never intended for humans to suffer. At the time of man’s creation, human life was free from suffering. Even death was not part of God’s original purpose for mankind. (Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17) Is this hard to believe? A fantasy? No. If there is an all-powerful Creator and if love is indeed his foremost quality, then this is exactly the kind of life that we would expect him to purpose for humans to have.
What brought about mankind’s current situation? The Bible explains that God created humans with the ability to exercise free will. We are not robots, forced to obey God. The first human couple, from whom all others have descended, chose to reject God’s guidance. Instead, they selfishly pursued their own will. (Genesis 3:1-6, 22-24) We now experience the painful results.
We can gain great peace of mind from knowing that human suffering is not part of God’s purpose. But, naturally, we also want relief. We need hope for the future.
3. HOPE
Immediately after mankind rebelled, God promised that he would in time fulfill his original purpose for the earth. Because he is almighty, nothing can prevent him from doing so. (Isaiah 55:11) Soon, God will undo all the consequences of the rebellion against him, and the earth and mankind will be brought in line with his original purpose.
What can this mean for you? Consider just two of the many promises God has made for our future, as found in the Bible.
- PEACE EARTH WIDE AND WICKEDNESS REMOVED. “Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; you will look at where they were, and they will not be there. But the meek will possess the earth, and they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”--Psalm 37:10, 11.
- SICKNESS AND DEATH ELIMINATED. “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) “He will swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces.”--Isaiah 25:8.
4. HELP WITH PROBLEMS AND DECISIONS
God provides guidance to help us cope with problems and make good decisions. Many decisions are small, but others have lifelong consequences. No human can offer us wisdom as effective as the wisdom that our Creator can provide. He has a timeless perspective and is the very Source of human life. So he knows what is best for us.
The Bible contains the thoughts of Jehovah God, as he inspired various human writers to record them. In the Bible, we find this statement: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One guiding you in the way you should walk.”--Isaiah 48:17, 18.
God has unlimited power, and he is willing to use his power in our behalf. The Bible describes God as a loving father who wants to help us. It says: “The Father in heaven [will] give holy spirit to those asking him!” (Luke 11:13) This power from God can guide and strengthen us.
How can you obtain such help from God? The Bible answers: “Whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews 11:6) To become convinced that God exists, you need to examine the evidence for yourself.
WILL YOU INVESTIGATE?
It takes time to seek out the truth about God, but clearly you can benefit from doing so. Consider the experience of Xiujin Xiao, who was born in China and now lives in the United States. He says: “Although I believed the theory of evolution, I was curious about the Bible. So I began to study the Bible. In my last year of college, I got so busy that I had little time for what I was learning from the Bible. But I was less happy. When I again made my Bible study a priority, I found inner joy.”
Would you like to learn more about our Creator, click: God? Why not take time to investigate for yourself?
What Does the Bible Say About God?
The Bible’s message about God is simple yet thought-provoking—and to some it is surprising.
- Our Creator is not an impersonal force. God has a personality like any human has - we humans we created by God to His image. *--Isaiah 42:8.
- God’s existence has no beginning and will have no end.--Psalm 93:2; Isaiah 40:28.
- God is not a stern judge, as he is portrayed by some religions. Rather, his foremost quality is love.--1 John 4:8.
- God is interested in humans and has communicated his purpose for our lives.--Ecclesiastes 12:13; Micah 6:8.
__________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 3
PART A
(Part B next below)
Click the colored links for further except the titles and subtitles that normally are also colored - (test any colored area to be sure)
Any link to the Bible may refer to different Bibles - sometimes to the Bible of Jehovah's Witnesses' Bible - they call God "Jehovah" because the
the real name of click: God is YHWH, the four letters that make up His name found in click: Exodus 3:14
Is The Modern Easter a Christian Celebration or Something Else?
Easter is described in the Encyclopædia Britannica as the “principal festival of the Christian church that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
However, is it a Christian celebration?
To establish the authenticity of an artifact, attention to detail is critical. Similarly, for us to see whether Easter is a Christian celebration, it is essential that we take a look at the details related to Easter.
First of all, Jesus asked his followers to commemorate, not his resurrection, but his death.
The apostle Paul called this occasion “the Lord’s Evening Meal.”--1 Corinthians 11:20; Luke 22:19, 20.
Additionally, many of the Easter traditions “have little to do” with Jesus’ resurrection, states the Britannica, “but derive from folk customs.” For instance, regarding the popular Easter symbols the egg and the rabbit, The Encyclopedia of Religion says: “The egg symbolizes new life breaking through the apparent death (hardness) of the eggshell.” It adds: “The rabbit was known as an extraordinarily fertile creature, and hence it symbolized the coming of spring.”
Philippe Walter, a professor of medieval literature, explains how such customs became part of the Easter celebration. He wrote that “in the process of the Christianization of pagan religions,” it was easy to associate the pagan festival that celebrated “the passage from the death of winter to the life of springtime” with Jesus’ resurrection. Walter adds that it was a key step in introducing “Christian commemorations” to the pagan calendar, thus smoothing the way to mass conversion.
This process of “Christianization” did not occur while the apostles were still alive, because they acted as a “restraint” against paganism. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) The apostle Paul warned that after his “going away,” men would “rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29, 30) And late in the first century, the apostle John wrote that some men were already misleading Christians. (1 John 2:18, 26) The way was open for the eventual adoption of pagan customs.
“Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.”--2 Corinthians 6:14
Some may feel, however, that allowing some of the Easter customs was not wrong—that it gave “pagans” a better understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection. Paul, however, would never have agreed. Although exposed to many pagan customs while traveling through the Roman Empire, he never adopted any of them to give people a better understanding of Jesus. On the contrary, he warned the Christians: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? ‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’”--2 Corinthians 6:14, 17.
What is the result of our brief examination of the details? It has clearly revealed that Easter is not a Christian celebration.
Additional info:
Article 1 of 3
PART B
The Bible’s answer
The modern celebration of Easter is not based on the Bible.
If you look into its history, though, you will see the true meaning of Easter—it is a tradition based on ancient fertility rites. Consider the following.
The Bible warns against worshipping God by following traditions or customs that displease him. (Mark 7:6-8) Second Corinthians 6:17
_________________________
Article 2 of 3
WAS IT DESIGNED?
The Remarkable Hearing of the Greater Wax Moth
The greater wax moth can hear high-pitched sound better than any known creature in the world. Yet its ears are very simple in structure, each being about the size of a pinhead.
Click: Galleria mellonella - Wikipedia - The greater wax moth or honeycomb moth
Consider: For years, the greater wax moth’s hearing has been a subject of study. More recently, scientists at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, tested the moth’s hearing with a wide range of sounds. They measured the vibrations of these tympanal membranes and recorded the activity of their auditory nerves. The “eardrums” still responded when exposed to sounds at a frequency of 300 kilohertz. By comparison, bat echolocation has been recorded at up to 212 kilohertz, the hearing of dolphins peaks at 160 kilohertz, and humans do not hear beyond 20 kilohertz.
Researchers would like to use the superior hearing capability of the greater wax moth as the basis for new technology. How? “To help make better, and smaller, microphones,” says Dr. James Windmill of the University of Strathclyde. “These could be put in a wide range of devices such as mobile phones and hearing aids.”
What do you think? Did the remarkable hearing of the greater wax moth come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
Additional links:
Click: Science Shot: Wax Moth Has Most Sensitive Ears in Insect ...news.sciencemag.org/
Click: Greater Wax Moth Has World's Most Extreme Hearing - The ...www.nytimes.com/
Click: World's most extreme hearing animal: The greater wax moth ...www.sciencedaily.com
_______________
One more topic
Article 3 of 3
Many organizations and individuals continue to put forth efforts to improve the quality of life in Africa. The region, however, is still plagued by seemingly insurmountable problems.
Rhino Poaching in Africa
to poach = to take game or fish illegally
A total of 1,004 rhinos in South Africa were illegally killed in 2013, compared with just 13 in 2007. Despite this increased supply of rhino horn, though, it continues to be in such high demand that it can cost more per kilogram than gold. A single horn can fetch up to half a million dollars.
TO THINK ABOUT: Will governments ever be able to eliminate lawlessness?--Jeremiah 10:23.
Click: Rhinoceros - Wikipedia
Click: Images for Rhino
Unreported Bribery
Countries in East Africa have some of the highest rates of bribery in the world, says Transparency International. Yet, some 90 percent of the people who encounter bribery do not report it. A spokesman for the organization’s Kenya chapter says: “Citizens do not seem to trust their governments to respond to the reports on corruption.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: “The bribe blinds clear-sighted men.”--Exodus 23:8.
Africans Online
Almost 20 percent of Africans were expected to be using the Internet by the end of 2014, according to the International Telecommunication Union. The number of mobile Internet subscriptions in Africa is growing at a rate twice the global average.
________________________________________________
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 3
PART A
(Part B next below)
Click the colored links for further except the titles and subtitles that normally are also colored - (test any colored area to be sure)
Any link to the Bible may refer to different Bibles - sometimes to the Bible of Jehovah's Witnesses' Bible - they call God "Jehovah" because the
the real name of click: God is YHWH, the four letters that make up His name found in click: Exodus 3:14
Is The Modern Easter a Christian Celebration or Something Else?
Easter is described in the Encyclopædia Britannica as the “principal festival of the Christian church that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
However, is it a Christian celebration?
To establish the authenticity of an artifact, attention to detail is critical. Similarly, for us to see whether Easter is a Christian celebration, it is essential that we take a look at the details related to Easter.
First of all, Jesus asked his followers to commemorate, not his resurrection, but his death.
The apostle Paul called this occasion “the Lord’s Evening Meal.”--1 Corinthians 11:20; Luke 22:19, 20.
Additionally, many of the Easter traditions “have little to do” with Jesus’ resurrection, states the Britannica, “but derive from folk customs.” For instance, regarding the popular Easter symbols the egg and the rabbit, The Encyclopedia of Religion says: “The egg symbolizes new life breaking through the apparent death (hardness) of the eggshell.” It adds: “The rabbit was known as an extraordinarily fertile creature, and hence it symbolized the coming of spring.”
Philippe Walter, a professor of medieval literature, explains how such customs became part of the Easter celebration. He wrote that “in the process of the Christianization of pagan religions,” it was easy to associate the pagan festival that celebrated “the passage from the death of winter to the life of springtime” with Jesus’ resurrection. Walter adds that it was a key step in introducing “Christian commemorations” to the pagan calendar, thus smoothing the way to mass conversion.
This process of “Christianization” did not occur while the apostles were still alive, because they acted as a “restraint” against paganism. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) The apostle Paul warned that after his “going away,” men would “rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29, 30) And late in the first century, the apostle John wrote that some men were already misleading Christians. (1 John 2:18, 26) The way was open for the eventual adoption of pagan customs.
“Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.”--2 Corinthians 6:14
Some may feel, however, that allowing some of the Easter customs was not wrong—that it gave “pagans” a better understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection. Paul, however, would never have agreed. Although exposed to many pagan customs while traveling through the Roman Empire, he never adopted any of them to give people a better understanding of Jesus. On the contrary, he warned the Christians: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? ‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’”--2 Corinthians 6:14, 17.
What is the result of our brief examination of the details? It has clearly revealed that Easter is not a Christian celebration.
Additional info:
Article 1 of 3
PART B
The Bible’s answer
The modern celebration of Easter is not based on the Bible.
If you look into its history, though, you will see the true meaning of Easter—it is a tradition based on ancient fertility rites. Consider the following.
- Name: The Encyclopædia Britannica says: “The English name Easter is of uncertain origin; the Anglo-Saxon priest Venerable Bede in the 8th century derived it from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre.” Others link it to Astarte, the Phoenician fertility goddess who had the Babylonian counterpart Ishtar.
- Hares, rabbits: These are symbols of fertility “handed down from the ancient ceremonial and symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.
- Eggs: According to Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, the hunt for Easter eggs, supposedly brought by the Easter rabbit, “is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite.” Some cultures believed that the decorated Easter egg “could magically bring happiness, prosperity, health, and protection.”--Traditional Festivals.
- New Easter outfit: “It was considered discourteous and therefore bad luck to greet the Scandinavian goddess of Spring, or Eastre, in anything but fresh garb.”--The Giant Book of Superstitions.
- Sunrise services: These have been linked to rites of ancient sun worshippers “performed at the vernal equinox welcoming the sun and its great power to bring new life to all growing things.”--Celebrations—The Complete Book of American Holidays.
The Bible warns against worshipping God by following traditions or customs that displease him. (Mark 7:6-8) Second Corinthians 6:17
_________________________
Article 2 of 3
WAS IT DESIGNED?
The Remarkable Hearing of the Greater Wax Moth
The greater wax moth can hear high-pitched sound better than any known creature in the world. Yet its ears are very simple in structure, each being about the size of a pinhead.
Click: Galleria mellonella - Wikipedia - The greater wax moth or honeycomb moth
Consider: For years, the greater wax moth’s hearing has been a subject of study. More recently, scientists at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, tested the moth’s hearing with a wide range of sounds. They measured the vibrations of these tympanal membranes and recorded the activity of their auditory nerves. The “eardrums” still responded when exposed to sounds at a frequency of 300 kilohertz. By comparison, bat echolocation has been recorded at up to 212 kilohertz, the hearing of dolphins peaks at 160 kilohertz, and humans do not hear beyond 20 kilohertz.
Researchers would like to use the superior hearing capability of the greater wax moth as the basis for new technology. How? “To help make better, and smaller, microphones,” says Dr. James Windmill of the University of Strathclyde. “These could be put in a wide range of devices such as mobile phones and hearing aids.”
What do you think? Did the remarkable hearing of the greater wax moth come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
Additional links:
Click: Science Shot: Wax Moth Has Most Sensitive Ears in Insect ...news.sciencemag.org/
Click: Greater Wax Moth Has World's Most Extreme Hearing - The ...www.nytimes.com/
Click: World's most extreme hearing animal: The greater wax moth ...www.sciencedaily.com
_______________
One more topic
Article 3 of 3
Many organizations and individuals continue to put forth efforts to improve the quality of life in Africa. The region, however, is still plagued by seemingly insurmountable problems.
Rhino Poaching in Africa
to poach = to take game or fish illegally
A total of 1,004 rhinos in South Africa were illegally killed in 2013, compared with just 13 in 2007. Despite this increased supply of rhino horn, though, it continues to be in such high demand that it can cost more per kilogram than gold. A single horn can fetch up to half a million dollars.
TO THINK ABOUT: Will governments ever be able to eliminate lawlessness?--Jeremiah 10:23.
Click: Rhinoceros - Wikipedia
Click: Images for Rhino
Unreported Bribery
Countries in East Africa have some of the highest rates of bribery in the world, says Transparency International. Yet, some 90 percent of the people who encounter bribery do not report it. A spokesman for the organization’s Kenya chapter says: “Citizens do not seem to trust their governments to respond to the reports on corruption.”
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: “The bribe blinds clear-sighted men.”--Exodus 23:8.
Africans Online
Almost 20 percent of Africans were expected to be using the Internet by the end of 2014, according to the International Telecommunication Union. The number of mobile Internet subscriptions in Africa is growing at a rate twice the global average.
________________________________________________
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
Only those Radio Shows appear on this list that have a written text
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The actual broadcasted show has additional comments & added info - the text published on this list is the basic material
Wednesday 3/25/15
The Miracle Show
Topic: 1 of 1
PART A (Part B next below)
The Top Importance
of Honey Bees for Sustaining Life on Earth,
Including yours
The secrets of
The Honeycomb
- the miracle structure that has taught the modern engineers -
Did the superior structure of the honeycomb come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
The Importance of Honey Bees for Sustaining Life on Earth is handled in several articles below
- every person needs to know these facts - it 's about life on earth
HONEYBEES (Apis mellifera) construct their honeycombs with wax secreted from glands found on the underside of their abdomen. The honeycomb is regarded as an engineering marvel. Why?
Click: Gland
Let's first introduce the stars, the honeybees, of this important article topic:
Click: Western honey bee
Then let's introduce the home of these stars, the honeycomb, and the secrets of the honeycomb
Consider: For centuries, mathematicians suspected that partitions in the shape of hexagons - hexagon explaned below*) were better than equilateral triangles or squares—or any other shape—for maximizing space with the least amount of building material.
But they could not fully explain why.
In 1999, Professor Thomas C. Hales provided mathematical proof for the advantage of what he termed “honeycomb conjecture.” He demonstrated that regular hexagons are the best way to divide a space into equal parts with minimal structural support.
By using hexagonal cells, bees can make the best use of all the space available to them, produce a light but sturdy honeycomb with a minimum amount of wax, and store the maximum amount of honey in a given space. Not surprisingly, the honeycomb has been described as “an architectural masterpiece.”
Today, scientists mimic the bees’ honeycomb to create structures that are both resilient and space efficient. Aircraft engineers, for example, use panels patterned after the honeycomb to build planes that are stronger and lighter and thus use less fuel.
What do you think? Did the superior structure of the honeycomb come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
*) hexagon In geometry, a hexagon (from Greek ἕξ hex, "six" and γωνία, gonía, "corner, angle") is a click: polygon with six edges and six click: vertices. The total of the internal angles of any hexagon is 720°.
Click: Hexagon
Study these added links to related articles - important for everyone to know how the honeybees sustain life:
Click: Importance of Honey Bees for Sustaining Life on Earth www.fourthbranchofamerica.com/importanceofbees.aspx
Just how important are honeybees to the human diet? ... Their loss could effect not only dietary staples such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, ...all
Click: Bee Benefits to Agriculture - ARSwww.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/.../form0304.pdf
Agricultural Research Service - Bee Benefits to Agriculture. One mouthful in three of the foods you eat directly or indirectly depends on pollination by honey bees. The value of honey bee ...
Click: BBC News - The economic value of honeybeesnews.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8015136.stBritish Broadcasting CorporationApr 23, 2009 - Their role in the food chain is so important that in 2007 The National Audit Office collated research working out the value of honeybees to the
Click: Scholarly articles for HONEYBEES (Apis mellifera)
_______________________________
Native Americans came to America 13,000 years ago from
a tiny mountain region in Siberia, DNA research reveals
They are thought to have walked across the ice from Russia to America
Altai in southern Siberia, sits right at the center of Russia - next to Mongolia & Kazakhstan. But the tiny, mountainous republic has a claim to fame unknown until now - Native Americans can trace their origins to the remote region.
DNA research revealed that genetic markers linking people living in the Russian republic of Altai, southern Siberia, with indigenous populations in North America.
A study of the mutations indicated a lineage shift between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago - when people are thought to have walked across the ice from Russia to America.
Altai in southern Siberia - it right at the center next to Mongolia & Kazakhstan: A study of genetic markers in DNA showed that the lineage of Native Americans changed around 13-14,000 years ago - when people are thought to have walked across the Bering Strait
This roughly coincides with the period when humans from Siberia are thought to have crossed what is now the Bering strait and entered America.
'Altai is a key area because it's a place where people have been coming and going for thousands and thousands of years,' said Dr Theodore Schurr, from the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
Among the people who may have emerged from the Altai region are the predecessors of the first Native Americans.
More... Click colored areas - if the link is expired, search with the topic
Roughly 20-25,000 years ago, these prehistoric humans carried their Asian genetic lineages up into the far reaches of Siberia and eventually across the then-exposed Bering land mass into the Americas.
'Our goal in working in this area was to better define what those founding lineages or sister lineages are to Native American populations,' Schurr said.
The region lies at the intersection of what is now Russia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
An engraving of early native Americans from the 1500s: DNA research hints that their ancestors came from one tiny region in central Russia
Dr Schurr's team checked Altai DNA samples for markers in mitochondrial DNA which is always passed on by mothers, and Y chromosome DNA which sons inherit from their fathers.
Because of the large number of gene markers examined, the findings have a high degree of precision.
'At this level of resolution we can see the connections more clearly,' Schurr said.
Looking at the Y chromosome DNA, the researchers found a unique mutation shared by Native Americans and southern Altaians in the lineage known as Q.
Mitochondrial DNA is found in tiny rod-like 'powerplants' in cells that generate energy.
Both kinds of DNA showed links between Altaians and Native Americans.
In the Y chromosome DNA, the researchers found a unique mutation shared by Native Americans and people from southern Altai.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Human Genetics in January 2012.
Calculating how long the mutations they noted took to arise, Schurr's team estimated that the southern Altaian lineage diverged genetically from the Native American lineage 13,000 to 14,000 years ago, a timing scenario that aligns with the idea of people moving into the Americas from Siberia between 15,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Though it's possible, even likely, that more than one wave of people crossed the land bridge, Schurr said that other researchers have not yet been able to identify another similar geographic focal point from which Native Americans can trace their heritage.
'It may change with more data from other groups, but, so far, even with intensive work in Mongolia, they're not seeing the same things that we are,' he said.
In addition to elucidating the Asia-America connection, the study confirms that the modern cultural divide between southern and northern Altaians has ancient genetic roots
Source: The American Journal of Human Genetics
_________________________________________________________________________________
a tiny mountain region in Siberia, DNA research reveals
They are thought to have walked across the ice from Russia to America
- Tiny Altai mountain region in central Russia has DNA link to native Americans today
- Ancestors thought to have walked across ice 13,000 years ago
- Altai is 'key place', because central location means ancient peoples passed through
Altai in southern Siberia, sits right at the center of Russia - next to Mongolia & Kazakhstan. But the tiny, mountainous republic has a claim to fame unknown until now - Native Americans can trace their origins to the remote region.
DNA research revealed that genetic markers linking people living in the Russian republic of Altai, southern Siberia, with indigenous populations in North America.
A study of the mutations indicated a lineage shift between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago - when people are thought to have walked across the ice from Russia to America.
Altai in southern Siberia - it right at the center next to Mongolia & Kazakhstan: A study of genetic markers in DNA showed that the lineage of Native Americans changed around 13-14,000 years ago - when people are thought to have walked across the Bering Strait
This roughly coincides with the period when humans from Siberia are thought to have crossed what is now the Bering strait and entered America.
'Altai is a key area because it's a place where people have been coming and going for thousands and thousands of years,' said Dr Theodore Schurr, from the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
Among the people who may have emerged from the Altai region are the predecessors of the first Native Americans.
More... Click colored areas - if the link is expired, search with the topic
- Creepy? Clever? A robotic baby built to play the role of premature infants on television
- The Monet machine? 'Art-ificial' painter improvises all its works - and often surprises its creator
Roughly 20-25,000 years ago, these prehistoric humans carried their Asian genetic lineages up into the far reaches of Siberia and eventually across the then-exposed Bering land mass into the Americas.
'Our goal in working in this area was to better define what those founding lineages or sister lineages are to Native American populations,' Schurr said.
The region lies at the intersection of what is now Russia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
An engraving of early native Americans from the 1500s: DNA research hints that their ancestors came from one tiny region in central Russia
Dr Schurr's team checked Altai DNA samples for markers in mitochondrial DNA which is always passed on by mothers, and Y chromosome DNA which sons inherit from their fathers.
Because of the large number of gene markers examined, the findings have a high degree of precision.
'At this level of resolution we can see the connections more clearly,' Schurr said.
Looking at the Y chromosome DNA, the researchers found a unique mutation shared by Native Americans and southern Altaians in the lineage known as Q.
Mitochondrial DNA is found in tiny rod-like 'powerplants' in cells that generate energy.
Both kinds of DNA showed links between Altaians and Native Americans.
In the Y chromosome DNA, the researchers found a unique mutation shared by Native Americans and people from southern Altai.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Human Genetics in January 2012.
Calculating how long the mutations they noted took to arise, Schurr's team estimated that the southern Altaian lineage diverged genetically from the Native American lineage 13,000 to 14,000 years ago, a timing scenario that aligns with the idea of people moving into the Americas from Siberia between 15,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Though it's possible, even likely, that more than one wave of people crossed the land bridge, Schurr said that other researchers have not yet been able to identify another similar geographic focal point from which Native Americans can trace their heritage.
'It may change with more data from other groups, but, so far, even with intensive work in Mongolia, they're not seeing the same things that we are,' he said.
In addition to elucidating the Asia-America connection, the study confirms that the modern cultural divide between southern and northern Altaians has ancient genetic roots
Source: The American Journal of Human Genetics
_________________________________________________________________________________
A Cheetah’s Turn: They are the fastest animal on land, but new research shows
that much of their predatory success is based not on sprinting, but on stopping and starting with extraordinary agility
Cheetahs’ Secret Weapon: A Tight Turning Radius
What do you think? Did cheetah's special maneuver come about as the result of a mindless process? Or was it designed by an intelligent mind?
Anyone who has watched a cheetah run down an antelope knows that these cats are impressively fast. But it turns out that speed is not the secret to their prodigious hunting skills: a novel study of how cheetahs chase prey in the wild shows that it is their agility — their skill at leaping sideways, changing directions abruptly and slowing down quickly — that gives those antelope such bad odds.
“Cheetahs don’t actually go very fast when they’re hunting,” said Alan M. Wilson, a professor at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London who studied cheetahs in Botswana and published a paper about them on Wednesday in the journal Nature. “The hunt is much more about maneuvering, about acceleration, about ducking and diving to capture the prey.”
Until now researchers had been able to gather data on the hunting habits of cheetahs only by studying the animals in captivity, or from direct — though relatively imprecise — observations of their movements in the wild. But Dr. Wilson and his team spent nearly 10 years designing and building a battery-powered, solar-charged tracking collar, one that uses an accelerometer, a gyroscope and GPS technology to monitor the animal’s movements.
They attached these collars to five cheetahs in the Okavango Delta region and observed 367 of their hunting runs over six to nine months. The cheetahs ran as fast as 58 miles an hour, and their average speed was 33 m.p.h. High-speed runs accounted for only a small portion of the total distance covered by the cheetahs each day, the researchers found.
They also found that a cheetah can slow down by as much as 9 m.p.h. in a single stride — a feat that proves more helpful in hunting than the ability to break highway speed records. A cheetah often decelerates before turning, the data showed, and this enables it to make the tight turns that give it an advantage over its fast and nimble prey.
“Its muscles are very powerful,” Dr. Wilson said. “They’re arranged in a way that gives it the ability to accelerate very quickly.”
Along with those leg muscles, cheetahs have a flexible spine and big claws that give them a great deal of grip — “more grip than even a motorbike,” as Dr. Wilson put it. This anatomy helps the cats get their feet in the right positions to turn and maneuver.
“If you’ve ever done snow skiing or skateboarding really fast, you realize that stability and maneuverability at high speeds are a real problem,” said John Bertram, a professor of medicine at the University of Calgary in Alberta, who was not involved in the study. Cheetahs have adapted to handle these challenges of physics in a way “we hadn’t expected,” he said.
Dr. Bertram praised the team’s tracking collar as “a very clever approach” that uses the latest technology to study cheetah movement in a way that had never been done before. Dr. Wilson previously tested a version of the collar on pigeons in a 2011 study published in Nature, but this was the first time the device had been used to capture movement data on an animal in the wild.
Dr. Wilson’s paper may have also put to rest the question of how fast cheetahs can actually run. In the 1960s, researchers in Africa recorded cheetahs running as fast as 65 m.p.h., but since then a number of scientists, including Dr. Wilson, have been able to clock them at speeds of only 30 to 40 m.p.h. This made some researchers “a little bit suspicious,” Dr. Bertram said. He added that Dr. Wilson’s latest data seems to confirm that cheetahs do reach speeds approaching 60 m.p.h. “on a fairly regular basis,” making them the fastest land mammals.
What is more, the cheetah’s ability to maneuver at high speeds far surpasses that of the greyhound and the horse, its closest competitors in that category, Dr. Wilson said. “The cheetah is way out there ahead of those animals,” he added. “It’s really the all-around athlete, the all-around pursuit predator.”
Click colored area for further info
Source: Journal Nature
Click below for further info
- Cheetah - Wikipedia
- Cheetahs, Cheetah Pictures, Cheetah Facts - National Geographic.cheetah/ Learn all you wanted to know about cheetahs with pictures, videos, photos, facts, and news from National Geographic.
What do you think? Did cheetah's special maneuver come about as the result of a mindless process? Or was it designed by an intelligent mind?
______________________________________________________________
100 Billion Alien Planets Fill Our Milky Way Galaxy
Click colored areas for further info
Our Milky Way galaxy is home to at least 100 billion alien planets, and possibly many more, a new study suggests.
"It's a staggering number, if you think about it," lead author Jonathan Swift, of Caltech in Pasadena, said in a statement. "Basically there's one of these planets per star."
Swift and his colleagues arrived at their estimate after studying a five-planet system called Kepler-32, which lies about 915 light-years from Earth. The five worlds were detected by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which flags the tiny brightness dips caused when exoplanets cross their star's face from the instrument's perspective.
The Kepler-32 planets orbit an M dwarf, a type of star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. M dwarfs are the most common star in the Milky Way, accounting for about 75 percent of the galaxy's 100 billion or so stars, researchers said.
Further, the five Kepler-32 worlds are similar in size to Earth and orbit quite close to their parent star, making them typical of the planets Kepler has spotted around other M dwarfs. So the Kepler-32 system should be representative of many of the galaxy's planets, scientists said. [The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery)]
"I usually try not to call things 'Rosetta stones,' but this is as close to a Rosetta stone as anything I've seen," said co-author John Johnson, also of Caltech. "It's like unlocking a language that we're trying to understand — the language of planet formation."
Kepler can detect planetary systems only if they're oriented edge-on to the telescope; otherwise, the instrument won't observe any star-dimming planetary transits. So the researchers calculated the odds that an M-dwarf system in the Milky Way would have this orientation, then combined that with the number of such systems Kepler is able to detect to come up with their estimate of 100 billionexoplanets.
The team considered only planets orbiting close to M dwarfs; their analysis didn't include outer planets in M-dwarf systems, or any worlds circling other types of stars. So the galaxy may actually harbor many more planets than the conservative estimate implies — perhaps 200 billion, or about two per star, Swift said.
The new analysis confirms three of the five Kepler-32 planets (the other two had been confirmed previously). The Kepler-32 worlds have diameters ranging from 0.8 to 2.7 times that of Earth, and all of them orbit within 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) of their star. For comparison, Earth circles the sun at an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million km).
Because the Kepler-32 star is smaller and less luminous than our sun, the five planets are likely not as heat-blasted as their tight orbits might imply. In fact, the outermost planet in the system appears to lie in the habitable zone, a range of distances that could support the existence of liquid water on a world's system.
The new analysis also suggests that the Kepler-32 planets originally formed farther away from the star and then migrated closer in over time, researchers said.
Several pieces of evidence point toward this conclusion. For example, the team estimated that the five Kepler-32 worlds coalesced from material containing about as much mass as three Jupiters. But models suggest that this much gas and dust cannot be squeezed into the small area circumscribed by the planets' current orbits, researchers said.
"You look in detail at the architecture of this very special planetary system, and you're forced into saying these planets formed farther out and moved in," Johnson said.
- 9 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life
- Planets Large and Small Populate Our Galaxy (Infographic)
- Kepler Reveals Lots of Planets: Some Habitable?
- Source: The new study was published Jan. 2, 2013 in The Astrophysical Journal For your private use, only - can be used for educational purposes
____________________________________________________________________
Universe’s Structure Similar to Human Brain and Internet
The universe may develop according to similar as yet unknown laws that control the growth of other complex networks like the human brain and the Internet.
Using a supercomputer and other calculations, an international research team found that the causal network representing space-time is a graph that looks like other systems, such as social or biological networks.
“By no means do we claim that the universe is a global brain or a computer,” said study co-author Dmitri Krioukov at the University of California-San Diego in a press release.
“But the discovered equivalence between the growth of the universe and complex networks strongly suggests that unexpectedly similar laws govern the dynamics of these very different complex systems.”
Krioukov believes this pattern is not a coincidence.
“Of course it could be, but the probability of such a coincidence is extremely low,” he said. “Coincidences in physics are extremely rare, and almost never happen.”
“There is always an explanation, which may be not immediately obvious.”
he results are important for cosmology and network science.
“Such an explanation could one day lead to a discovery of common fundamental laws whose two different consequences or limiting regimes are the laws of gravity (Einstein’s equations in general relativity) describing the dynamics of the universe, and some yet-unknown equations describing the dynamics of complex networks,” said study co-author Marián Boguñá at Spain’s Universitat de Barcelona in the release.
Source: The findings were published in Nature’s Scientific Reports on Nov. 16, 2012
______________________________________________________________
The universe may develop according to similar as yet unknown laws that control the growth of other complex networks like the human brain and the Internet.
Using a supercomputer and other calculations, an international research team found that the causal network representing space-time is a graph that looks like other systems, such as social or biological networks.
“By no means do we claim that the universe is a global brain or a computer,” said study co-author Dmitri Krioukov at the University of California-San Diego in a press release.
“But the discovered equivalence between the growth of the universe and complex networks strongly suggests that unexpectedly similar laws govern the dynamics of these very different complex systems.”
Krioukov believes this pattern is not a coincidence.
“Of course it could be, but the probability of such a coincidence is extremely low,” he said. “Coincidences in physics are extremely rare, and almost never happen.”
“There is always an explanation, which may be not immediately obvious.”
he results are important for cosmology and network science.
“Such an explanation could one day lead to a discovery of common fundamental laws whose two different consequences or limiting regimes are the laws of gravity (Einstein’s equations in general relativity) describing the dynamics of the universe, and some yet-unknown equations describing the dynamics of complex networks,” said study co-author Marián Boguñá at Spain’s Universitat de Barcelona in the release.
Source: The findings were published in Nature’s Scientific Reports on Nov. 16, 2012
______________________________________________________________
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life - below
GCG: Comment to this article:
Excellent level of information - The Bible tells the same facts - knowledge, education of God's word, The Bible, is the key to a long life.
Knowing The Bible is education. The article below refers to our earthly education (High School, College, University) and shows: the broader the education the better choices we make and the longer we stay healthy and the longer we live. The same principle applies to becoming financially rich. God wants you, us all, to stay healthy, live long, and be rich financially (as long as the money is not becoming our "god").
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
- Best U.S. States to Live-in 2032
- Updating Your Retirement-Savings Calculations
- Making the Most of a Disappointing Retirement Nest Egg
- _________________________________________
The Story Treasure
Thousands dated article-gems of interest
handling different local, nationwide & worldwide topics
The treasure starts here
Click the colored title below to connect to the article
(If the link has expired copy the title & search with the title)
The topic list starts with the most recent date - the further down you go the more out-of-the present date the article will be, still with important information
Links to articles with outdated, changed information are deleted
___________________________________________________
APRIL 16, 2015
FACT TANK
By 2050, India to have world’s largest populations of Hindus and Muslims
In the coming decades, India will have the distinction of having the largest populations of two of the three largest religions in the world – Islam and Hinduism – according to new religious projections data from Pew Research Center. India is already home to most of the world’s Hindus. In 2010, 94% of the world’s Hindus lived in India, and this is expected to remain true in 2050, when 1.3 billion Hindus are projected to live in the country. But India also is expected have 311 million Muslims in 2050 (11% of the global total), making it the country with the largest population of Muslims in the world. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Is America beginning to accept atheists?
APRIL 19 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
The Christian Science Monitor cites several Pew Research Center analyses that measured public opinions of atheists and found that overall, 40% of Americans viewed atheists negatively.
IN THE NEWS
Opponents of gay marriage ponder strategy as issue reaches Supreme Court
APRIL 22 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
'Killing Jews is Worship' posters will soon appear on NYC subways and buses
APRIL 22 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
New Jersey rabbi and two others convicted for torturing husbands in Jewish divorce scam
APRIL 22 - THE STAR-LEDGER
Pope accepts resignation of U.S. bishop who failed to report abuse
APRIL 22 - USA TODAY
Nigerian forces invade last known stronghold of Boko Haram
APRIL 22 - REUTERS
Pope Francis to visit Cuba in September
APRIL 22 - CRUX
Former SS member, on trial in Germany, says he was 'morally complicit' at Auschwitz
APRIL 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
complicit = involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
e.g.: "all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy & atrocities
atrocity = an extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury.
"war atrocities"
synonyms:abomination, cruelty, enormity, outrage, horror, monstrosity, obscenity,violation, crime, abuse; More
Islamic State shoots and beheads 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya: video
APRIL 20 - REUTERS
Six Minnesotans held in plot to join ISIS
APRIL 20 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Migrants killed in 'religious clash' on Mediterranean boat
APRIL 16 - BBC NEWS
FACT TANK
By 2050, India to have world’s largest populations of Hindus and Muslims
In the coming decades, India will have the distinction of having the largest populations of two of the three largest religions in the world – Islam and Hinduism – according to new religious projections data from Pew Research Center. India is already home to most of the world’s Hindus. In 2010, 94% of the world’s Hindus lived in India, and this is expected to remain true in 2050, when 1.3 billion Hindus are projected to live in the country. But India also is expected have 311 million Muslims in 2050 (11% of the global total), making it the country with the largest population of Muslims in the world. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Is America beginning to accept atheists?
APRIL 19 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
The Christian Science Monitor cites several Pew Research Center analyses that measured public opinions of atheists and found that overall, 40% of Americans viewed atheists negatively.
IN THE NEWS
Opponents of gay marriage ponder strategy as issue reaches Supreme Court
APRIL 22 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
'Killing Jews is Worship' posters will soon appear on NYC subways and buses
APRIL 22 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
New Jersey rabbi and two others convicted for torturing husbands in Jewish divorce scam
APRIL 22 - THE STAR-LEDGER
Pope accepts resignation of U.S. bishop who failed to report abuse
APRIL 22 - USA TODAY
Nigerian forces invade last known stronghold of Boko Haram
APRIL 22 - REUTERS
Pope Francis to visit Cuba in September
APRIL 22 - CRUX
Former SS member, on trial in Germany, says he was 'morally complicit' at Auschwitz
APRIL 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
complicit = involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.
e.g.: "all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy & atrocities
atrocity = an extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury.
"war atrocities"
synonyms:abomination, cruelty, enormity, outrage, horror, monstrosity, obscenity,violation, crime, abuse; More
Islamic State shoots and beheads 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya: video
APRIL 20 - REUTERS
Six Minnesotans held in plot to join ISIS
APRIL 20 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Migrants killed in 'religious clash' on Mediterranean boat
APRIL 16 - BBC NEWS
Click: Please: click the colored link to read the article
APRIL 16, 2015
FACT TANK
Muslims expected to surpass Jews as second-largest U.S. religious group
Two trends that are already well underway – the decline of Christians and the growth of religiously unaffiliated people as a share of the U.S. population – are expected to continue in the decades ahead, according to the Pew Research Center’s click: projections of major religious groups around the world. But, if current demographic trends hold, there also will be other significant changes in the U.S. religious landscape: Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion in the country and, by 2050, Muslims are projected to be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion. Click: READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Immigrants resurrect Catholic parish in Santa Fe
APRIL 13 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press interviews Pew Research Center Research Associate Jessica Martinez in an article about a growing Catholic parish in New Mexico. The article cites a Pew Research survey on the shifting religious identity of Latinos in the United States.
IN THE NEWS
Vatican ends controversial investigation of U.S. nuns with olive branch
APRIL 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Tennessee House votes Bible as official state book
APRIL 15 - THE TENNESSEAN *
Quebec town can’t have prayers at council meetings, Canada’s Supreme Court rules
APRIL 15 - THE GLOBE AND MAIL *
U.N. chief to open Vatican climate change conference
APRIL 14 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Her majesty’s jihadists
APRIL 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Indonesian Islamic parties seek ban on alcohol consumption
APRIL 14 - REUTERS
Obama meets with Jewish American leaders to defuse Iran fears
APRIL 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Gay rights, religious rights and a compromise in an unlikely place: Utah
APRIL 12 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Pope Armenian 'genocide' speech sparks bitter row with Turkey
APRIL 12 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
To keep free of federal reins, Wyoming Catholic college rejects student aid
APRIL 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
APRIL 16, 2015
FACT TANK
Muslims expected to surpass Jews as second-largest U.S. religious group
Two trends that are already well underway – the decline of Christians and the growth of religiously unaffiliated people as a share of the U.S. population – are expected to continue in the decades ahead, according to the Pew Research Center’s click: projections of major religious groups around the world. But, if current demographic trends hold, there also will be other significant changes in the U.S. religious landscape: Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion in the country and, by 2050, Muslims are projected to be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion. Click: READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Immigrants resurrect Catholic parish in Santa Fe
APRIL 13 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press interviews Pew Research Center Research Associate Jessica Martinez in an article about a growing Catholic parish in New Mexico. The article cites a Pew Research survey on the shifting religious identity of Latinos in the United States.
IN THE NEWS
Vatican ends controversial investigation of U.S. nuns with olive branch
APRIL 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Tennessee House votes Bible as official state book
APRIL 15 - THE TENNESSEAN *
Quebec town can’t have prayers at council meetings, Canada’s Supreme Court rules
APRIL 15 - THE GLOBE AND MAIL *
U.N. chief to open Vatican climate change conference
APRIL 14 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Her majesty’s jihadists
APRIL 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Indonesian Islamic parties seek ban on alcohol consumption
APRIL 14 - REUTERS
Obama meets with Jewish American leaders to defuse Iran fears
APRIL 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Gay rights, religious rights and a compromise in an unlikely place: Utah
APRIL 12 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Pope Armenian 'genocide' speech sparks bitter row with Turkey
APRIL 12 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
To keep free of federal reins, Wyoming Catholic college rejects student aid
APRIL 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
MARCH 19, 2015
Pope Francis’ popularity extends beyond Catholics
BY DAVID MASCILEAVE A COMMENT
As Pope Francis approaches the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, he is riding a growing wave of popularity in the United States – not just among Catholics, but also in the eyes of non-Catholics, including those who have no religious affiliation.
Pope Francis, who recently celebrated the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, is riding a growing wave of popularity in the United States – not just among Catholics, but also in the eyes of non-Catholics, including those who have no religious affiliation. In a Pew Research Center survey conducted last month, Pope Francis enjoyed a 90% favorability rating among U.S. Catholics. In addition, Francis now is rated favorably by 70% of all Americans, up from 57% in March 2013.
Click: READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Pope Francis very popular among both U.S. Catholics, non-Catholics
MARCH 13 - NPR
NPR interviews Associate Director of Research Greg Smith about click: Pew Research Center survey that found seven-in-ten U.S. adults overall (both Catholic and non-Catholic) view Pope Francis favorably.
Pope Francis’ popularity extends beyond Catholics
BY DAVID MASCILEAVE A COMMENT
As Pope Francis approaches the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, he is riding a growing wave of popularity in the United States – not just among Catholics, but also in the eyes of non-Catholics, including those who have no religious affiliation.
Pope Francis, who recently celebrated the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, is riding a growing wave of popularity in the United States – not just among Catholics, but also in the eyes of non-Catholics, including those who have no religious affiliation. In a Pew Research Center survey conducted last month, Pope Francis enjoyed a 90% favorability rating among U.S. Catholics. In addition, Francis now is rated favorably by 70% of all Americans, up from 57% in March 2013.
Click: READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Pope Francis very popular among both U.S. Catholics, non-Catholics
MARCH 13 - NPR
NPR interviews Associate Director of Research Greg Smith about click: Pew Research Center survey that found seven-in-ten U.S. adults overall (both Catholic and non-Catholic) view Pope Francis favorably.
MARCH 12, 2015
FACT TANK
Americans are still divided on why people are gay
Potential Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson made news last week when he said that being gay is a “choice,” but when it comes to public opinion, polls show that Americans remain divided over whether “nature” or “nurture” is ultimately responsible for sexual orientation. Four-in-ten Americans (42%) said that being gay or lesbian is “just the way some choose to live,” while a similar share (41%) said that “people are born gay or lesbian,” according to the most recent Pew Research Center poll on the issue, conducted in 2013. People with the most education are the most likely to say that gays and lesbians were born that way.
Click: READ MORE >> __________
Click: Two years in, survey shows Pope Francis' popularity is high in the United States
Crux covers a new click: Pew Research Center survey that found nearly seven-in-ten U.S. adults overall (both Catholic and non-Catholic) view Pope Francis favorably.
IN THE NEWS
Click colored title to read the article
Utah passes antidiscrimination bill backed by Mormon leaders
MARCH 12 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Utah vote for firing squad shows frustration with drug shortages
MARCH 11 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cardinal previews Francis' encyclical on the environment
MARCH 10 -CRUX
Jury sees Boston bomber's writings on Islam and 'killing innocent people'
MARCH 10 - LOS ANGELES TIMES *
China choosing Dalai Lama like Castro naming pope: Tibetan exile leader
MARCH 10 - REUTERS
New Jewish prayer book speaks to gay equality, women and doubt
MARCH 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Becoming Jihadi John
MARCH 8 - POLITICO
Outcry as IS bulldozers attack ancient Iraq site
MARCH 6 - BBC NEWS
Mumbai Muslims stung by beef ban
MARCH 5 - VICE NEWS
States weigh legislation to let businesses refuse to serve gay couples
MARCH 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
_______________________
FACT TANK
Americans are still divided on why people are gay
Potential Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson made news last week when he said that being gay is a “choice,” but when it comes to public opinion, polls show that Americans remain divided over whether “nature” or “nurture” is ultimately responsible for sexual orientation. Four-in-ten Americans (42%) said that being gay or lesbian is “just the way some choose to live,” while a similar share (41%) said that “people are born gay or lesbian,” according to the most recent Pew Research Center poll on the issue, conducted in 2013. People with the most education are the most likely to say that gays and lesbians were born that way.
Click: READ MORE >> __________
Click: Two years in, survey shows Pope Francis' popularity is high in the United States
Crux covers a new click: Pew Research Center survey that found nearly seven-in-ten U.S. adults overall (both Catholic and non-Catholic) view Pope Francis favorably.
IN THE NEWS
Click colored title to read the article
Utah passes antidiscrimination bill backed by Mormon leaders
MARCH 12 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Utah vote for firing squad shows frustration with drug shortages
MARCH 11 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cardinal previews Francis' encyclical on the environment
MARCH 10 -CRUX
Jury sees Boston bomber's writings on Islam and 'killing innocent people'
MARCH 10 - LOS ANGELES TIMES *
China choosing Dalai Lama like Castro naming pope: Tibetan exile leader
MARCH 10 - REUTERS
New Jewish prayer book speaks to gay equality, women and doubt
MARCH 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Becoming Jihadi John
MARCH 8 - POLITICO
Outcry as IS bulldozers attack ancient Iraq site
MARCH 6 - BBC NEWS
Mumbai Muslims stung by beef ban
MARCH 5 - VICE NEWS
States weigh legislation to let businesses refuse to serve gay couples
MARCH 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
_______________________
MARCH 05, 2015
POLLING & ANALYSISIn U.S., pope's popularity continues to grow
Nearly two years after becoming the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis continues to grow more popular among Americans. Fully nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics now say they have a favorable view of Francis, including nearly six-in-ten who have a “very favorable” view. Francis’ favorability rating among U.S. Catholics is comparable to ratings for Pope John Paul II in the 1980s and ’90s, and has surpassed any favorability rating for Pope Benedict XVI in Pew Research Center surveys. Among U.S. adults overall , seven-in-ten see the pope favorably. Click: READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Religious restrictions among the world’s most populous countries
0
Levels of religious restrictions and hostilities among the world’s 25 most populous countries — where more than 5 billion people live — vary tremendously, from some of the lowest in the world (South Africa) to among the very highest (Indonesia). Burma (Myanmar), Egypt, Pakistan and Russia also had some of the highest levels of religious restrictions, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center, using 2013 data (the most recent year analyzed). READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
When we leave one religion for another
MARCH 3 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
The Wall Street Journal interviews Associate Director for Research Greg Smith and cites Pew Research Center data in an article about people who change religious affiliation as adults.
IN THE NEWS
In Israel, a vote to choose a leader and an identity
MARCH 5 - NPR
Mormon leaders, LGBT groups trumpet new anti-bias bill as a ‘model’
MARCH 4 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
New York City adds 2 Muslim holy days to public school calendar
MARCH 4 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
In defiant ruling, Alabama Supreme Court stops same-sex marriage in state
MARCH 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
India's Maharashtra state bans beef
MARCH 3 - BBC NEWS
A thin line of defense against 'honor killings'
MARCH 3 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Prosecutors to seek death penalty for N.C. man charged in Muslims' killings
MARCH 2 - REUTERS
Scientists slam government’s religion course for high school students
MARCH 2 - EL PAIS
Islamic State releases 19 Christians, more than 200 still captive: monitor
MARCH 1 - REUTERS
American atheist blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh
FEB. 27 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
Click colored links for the articles
RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGION
Latest trends in religious restrictions and hostilities
FACT TANK
Nearly all states allow religious exemptions for vaccinations
Forty-seven states allow children to be exempt from vaccinations because of religious concerns, including 18 states that also allow exemptions for “personal reasons,” according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. Even though religious exemptions for vaccinations are commonplace, researchers and journalists have struggled to identify a single major U.S. religious group that currently advocates against vaccination for children. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The world is becoming more hostile toward Jews
FEB. 26 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic reports on a new Pew Research Center study, which found that Jews were harassed by governments or social groups in 77 out of 198 countries and territories in 2013, a seven-year high in the study.
IN THE NEWS
‘Jihadi John’: Islamic State killer is identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi
FEB. 26 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Air strikes hit Islamic State in Syria after Christians abducted
FEB. 26 - REUTERS
Supreme Court seems to side with Muslim woman in discrimination case
FEB. 25 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
3 in N.Y., Florida accused of plot to help Islamic State group
FEB. 25 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England pays some workers below living wage
FEB. 23 - BBC NEWS
Debating a change of faith under brutal captivity
FEB. 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Gov. Scott Walker: ‘I don’t know’ whether Obama is a Christian
FEB. 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Irish voters to decide on same-sex marriage in May referendum
FEB. 19 - THE GUARDIAN
Muslim leaders in U.S. seek to counteract extremist recruiters
FEB. 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
D.C. rabbi pleads guilty to voyeurism charges
FEB. 19 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Click colored links for the articles
RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGION
Latest trends in religious restrictions and hostilities
FACT TANK
Nearly all states allow religious exemptions for vaccinations
Forty-seven states allow children to be exempt from vaccinations because of religious concerns, including 18 states that also allow exemptions for “personal reasons,” according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. Even though religious exemptions for vaccinations are commonplace, researchers and journalists have struggled to identify a single major U.S. religious group that currently advocates against vaccination for children. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The world is becoming more hostile toward Jews
FEB. 26 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic reports on a new Pew Research Center study, which found that Jews were harassed by governments or social groups in 77 out of 198 countries and territories in 2013, a seven-year high in the study.
IN THE NEWS
‘Jihadi John’: Islamic State killer is identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi
FEB. 26 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Air strikes hit Islamic State in Syria after Christians abducted
FEB. 26 - REUTERS
Supreme Court seems to side with Muslim woman in discrimination case
FEB. 25 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
3 in N.Y., Florida accused of plot to help Islamic State group
FEB. 25 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England pays some workers below living wage
FEB. 23 - BBC NEWS
Debating a change of faith under brutal captivity
FEB. 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Gov. Scott Walker: ‘I don’t know’ whether Obama is a Christian
FEB. 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Irish voters to decide on same-sex marriage in May referendum
FEB. 19 - THE GUARDIAN
Muslim leaders in U.S. seek to counteract extremist recruiters
FEB. 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
D.C. rabbi pleads guilty to voyeurism charges
FEB. 19 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
JANUARY 22, 2015
IN THE NEWS
Muslim population in India grows 24%, slower than previous decade
JAN. 22 - THE TIMES OF INDIA
Abortion bill dropped amid concerns of female GOP lawmakers
JAN. 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Argentine phone calls detail efforts to shield Iran from charges in Jewish center bombing
JAN. 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Germany anti-Islam protest leader quits after photo shows him dressed as Hitler
JAN. 21 - BBC NEWS
California 'right-to-die' bill proposed
JAN. 20 - SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
Supreme Court upholds religious rights of prisoners
JAN. 20 - USA TODAY
Pope says birth control ban doesn't mean breed 'like rabbits'
JAN. 19 - REUTERS
Pressure mounts on Saudi Arabia to end flogging
JAN. 19 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court to decide marriage rights for gay couples nationwide
JAN. 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Duke University reverses decision, cancels weekly Muslim call to prayer
JAN. 15 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
IN THE NEWS
Muslim population in India grows 24%, slower than previous decade
JAN. 22 - THE TIMES OF INDIA
Abortion bill dropped amid concerns of female GOP lawmakers
JAN. 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Argentine phone calls detail efforts to shield Iran from charges in Jewish center bombing
JAN. 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Germany anti-Islam protest leader quits after photo shows him dressed as Hitler
JAN. 21 - BBC NEWS
California 'right-to-die' bill proposed
JAN. 20 - SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
Supreme Court upholds religious rights of prisoners
JAN. 20 - USA TODAY
Pope says birth control ban doesn't mean breed 'like rabbits'
JAN. 19 - REUTERS
Pressure mounts on Saudi Arabia to end flogging
JAN. 19 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court to decide marriage rights for gay couples nationwide
JAN. 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Duke University reverses decision, cancels weekly Muslim call to prayer
JAN. 15 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
JANUARY 14, 2015
Daily Religion Headlines
The French have positive views of both Jews and Muslims, a click: Fact Tank analysis finds.
Click: colored headlines to study the article
U.S. HEADLINES
Kansas City Catholics divided over Vatican investigation of bishop
NPR
If a gay Mormon man marries a woman, divorce is likely, study says
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Cardinal Timothy Dolan denounces Paris attacks, says satirists not to blame
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Muslim groups seek to revive New York police surveillance suit
BLOOMBERG
Minister sues Michigan for right to marry same-sex couples
THE DETROIT NEWS
Nancy Pelosi to name first Muslim lawmaker to House Intelligence Committee
POLITICO
Online ordinations aren’t just for weddings anymore
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
French Muslims feel deeply torn by viral ‘I am Charlie’ slogan
THE WASHINGTON POST *
Nearly half of British Jews say they have no future in Europe, study finds
THE JERUSALEM POST
Egypt urges West to provide military support to tackle Islamic extremists
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Qaeda group in Yemen claims responsibility for Charlie Hebdo attack
THE NEW YORK TIMES *
French comedian Dieudonne arrested after Charlie Hebdo gag
REUTERS
Pope travels to war-torn north Sri Lanka, urges forgiveness
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Egypt moves to ban foreign publications ‘offensive to religion’ amid condemnation of new Charlie Hebdo edition
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES *
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
Islam’s problem with blasphemy
THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Je suis Juif? Not so much
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
What binds our hearts to the Jewish state
COMMENTARY *
If ‘je ne suis pas Chalie,’ am I a bad person?
THE GUARDIAN
Daily Religion Headlines
The French have positive views of both Jews and Muslims, a click: Fact Tank analysis finds.
Click: colored headlines to study the article
U.S. HEADLINES
Kansas City Catholics divided over Vatican investigation of bishop
NPR
If a gay Mormon man marries a woman, divorce is likely, study says
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Cardinal Timothy Dolan denounces Paris attacks, says satirists not to blame
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Muslim groups seek to revive New York police surveillance suit
BLOOMBERG
Minister sues Michigan for right to marry same-sex couples
THE DETROIT NEWS
Nancy Pelosi to name first Muslim lawmaker to House Intelligence Committee
POLITICO
Online ordinations aren’t just for weddings anymore
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
French Muslims feel deeply torn by viral ‘I am Charlie’ slogan
THE WASHINGTON POST *
Nearly half of British Jews say they have no future in Europe, study finds
THE JERUSALEM POST
Egypt urges West to provide military support to tackle Islamic extremists
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Qaeda group in Yemen claims responsibility for Charlie Hebdo attack
THE NEW YORK TIMES *
French comedian Dieudonne arrested after Charlie Hebdo gag
REUTERS
Pope travels to war-torn north Sri Lanka, urges forgiveness
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Egypt moves to ban foreign publications ‘offensive to religion’ amid condemnation of new Charlie Hebdo edition
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES *
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
Islam’s problem with blasphemy
THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Je suis Juif? Not so much
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
What binds our hearts to the Jewish state
COMMENTARY *
If ‘je ne suis pas Chalie,’ am I a bad person?
THE GUARDIAN
JANUARY 08, 2015
IN THE NEWS
France hunts for 2 suspects; nation mourns their victims
JAN. 8 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. appeals court hears arguments on restrictive Texas abortion law
JAN. 7 - REUTERS
Has Jeb Bush shown Republicans a new way to talk about same-sex marriage?
JAN. 7 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Inside the new anti-Muslim group gaining strength in Germany
JAN. 7 - BUZZFEED
All-English affair for pope's Sri Lanka-Philippines trip
JAN. 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Controversial Episcopal seminary dean Katherine Hancock Ragsdale to step down
JAN. 6 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
As gay marriages begin in Florida, Supreme Court is set to meet on issue
JAN. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Mario Cuomo spoke willingly of his religion and politics
JAN. 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pope Francis names new cardinals, reflecting shift to developing world
JAN. 4 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Turkey gives go-ahead for first new church in century
JAN. 3 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
IN THE NEWS
France hunts for 2 suspects; nation mourns their victims
JAN. 8 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. appeals court hears arguments on restrictive Texas abortion law
JAN. 7 - REUTERS
Has Jeb Bush shown Republicans a new way to talk about same-sex marriage?
JAN. 7 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Inside the new anti-Muslim group gaining strength in Germany
JAN. 7 - BUZZFEED
All-English affair for pope's Sri Lanka-Philippines trip
JAN. 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Controversial Episcopal seminary dean Katherine Hancock Ragsdale to step down
JAN. 6 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
As gay marriages begin in Florida, Supreme Court is set to meet on issue
JAN. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Mario Cuomo spoke willingly of his religion and politics
JAN. 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pope Francis names new cardinals, reflecting shift to developing world
JAN. 4 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Turkey gives go-ahead for first new church in century
JAN. 3 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
DECEMBER 18, 2014
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Most say religious holiday displays on public property are OK
Controversies over public displays of religious symbols on government property annually pop up during the holiday season. For example, Florida officials faced a quandary again this year when they invited religious groups to erect displays in the State Capitol building and wound up not only with a Christian nativity scene but also with an atheist’s “Festivus” pole made of beer cans and a local satanic temple’s depiction of a fallen angel. Such controversies often end up in the courts, creating a set of legal precedents that public officials – and their lawyers – have to take into account. (Fact Tank has more information on court cases involving religious displays on public property.) A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 44% of Americans say Christian symbols like nativity scenes should be allowed on government property even if they are not accompanied by symbols from other religions. In addition, 28% of U.S. adults say that such symbols should be permitted, but only if they are accompanied by symbols from other religions. One-in-five say there should be no religious displays on government property, period. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
How Pope Francis helped broker Cuba deal
DEC. 17 - TIME
Time reports on Pope Francis' role in negotiations between the United States and Cuba. The article cites Pew Research data on the Catholic population of Cuba.
Overall, Americans feel pretty good about all those religious Christmas displays
DEC. 15 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The Washington Post examines a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults and their opinions on religious holiday displays on public property.
IN THE NEWS
Saudi rulers reconsider ties to Wahhabi clergy
DEC. 17 - REUTERS
Alan Gross release hailed as Hanukkah ‘miracle,’ first step in ‘normalized’ U.S.-Cuba relations
DEC. 17 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
First woman bishop: Parish priest Libby Lane is surprise choice
DEC. 17 - THE TELEGRAPH
Vatican report cites achievements and challenges of U.S. nuns
DEC. 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
300 years after his birth, Whitefield has staying power with evangelicals
DEC. 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
'Deluded' hostage-taker saw himself as a martyr
DEC. 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For jihadists, Denmark tries rehabilitation
DEC. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Gay Christians choosing celibacy emerge from the shadows
DEC. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Psychologist who helped devise CIA interrogation program lost Mormon role
DEC. 11 - REUTERS
Pope Francis snubs the Dalai Lama at Nobel Peace Prize event
DEC. 11 - THE TELEGRAPH
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Most say religious holiday displays on public property are OK
Controversies over public displays of religious symbols on government property annually pop up during the holiday season. For example, Florida officials faced a quandary again this year when they invited religious groups to erect displays in the State Capitol building and wound up not only with a Christian nativity scene but also with an atheist’s “Festivus” pole made of beer cans and a local satanic temple’s depiction of a fallen angel. Such controversies often end up in the courts, creating a set of legal precedents that public officials – and their lawyers – have to take into account. (Fact Tank has more information on court cases involving religious displays on public property.) A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 44% of Americans say Christian symbols like nativity scenes should be allowed on government property even if they are not accompanied by symbols from other religions. In addition, 28% of U.S. adults say that such symbols should be permitted, but only if they are accompanied by symbols from other religions. One-in-five say there should be no religious displays on government property, period. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
How Pope Francis helped broker Cuba deal
DEC. 17 - TIME
Time reports on Pope Francis' role in negotiations between the United States and Cuba. The article cites Pew Research data on the Catholic population of Cuba.
Overall, Americans feel pretty good about all those religious Christmas displays
DEC. 15 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The Washington Post examines a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults and their opinions on religious holiday displays on public property.
IN THE NEWS
Saudi rulers reconsider ties to Wahhabi clergy
DEC. 17 - REUTERS
Alan Gross release hailed as Hanukkah ‘miracle,’ first step in ‘normalized’ U.S.-Cuba relations
DEC. 17 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
First woman bishop: Parish priest Libby Lane is surprise choice
DEC. 17 - THE TELEGRAPH
Vatican report cites achievements and challenges of U.S. nuns
DEC. 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
300 years after his birth, Whitefield has staying power with evangelicals
DEC. 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
'Deluded' hostage-taker saw himself as a martyr
DEC. 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For jihadists, Denmark tries rehabilitation
DEC. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Gay Christians choosing celibacy emerge from the shadows
DEC. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Psychologist who helped devise CIA interrogation program lost Mormon role
DEC. 11 - REUTERS
Pope Francis snubs the Dalai Lama at Nobel Peace Prize event
DEC. 11 - THE TELEGRAPH
DECEMBER 11, 2014
ANALYSIS & POLLING
Pope Francis' image positive in much of the world
Pope Francis, leader of the world’s nearly 1.1 billion Catholics, enjoys broad support across much of the world. A median of 60% across 43 nations have a favorable view of the pontiff. Francis’ strongest support comes from Europe, where a median of 84% offer a favorable rating. Latin America – the pope’s home region – also gives him high marks, with 72% saying they have a positive opinion. However, Francis is less well-known in other parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa. The Middle East is the most negative toward Francis, with a quarter viewing him unfavorably. Americans are particularly fond of Pope Francis, with more than three-quarters giving him positive marks. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Many U.S. congregations are still racially segregated, but things are changing
Nearly a half century after Martin Luther King Jr. called 11 a.m. on Sunday morning the most segregated hour in America, two Florida churches with different racial compositions – one with a predominantly black congregation, the other predominantly white – are set to merge. The move occurs amid a larger, but slow-moving, national trend. While the degree of racial segregation within religious congregations remains high, some houses of worship in the U.S. have become more diverse in recent years, according to findings from the most recent (2012) National Congregations Study, directed by Duke University researcher Mark Chaves. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
On religion, Mexicans are more Catholic and often more traditional than Mexican Americans
Even though Mexican Americans and Mexicans share common cultural roots, Mexican Americans are not as heavily Catholic as Mexicans. In addition, Mexican-American Catholics hold less traditional views on some core Catholic teachings than do Catholics living in Mexico. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about two-thirds of U.S. Hispanics – more than 20 million adults – are of Mexican descent. Many of these Mexican Americans were born in Mexico, carrying their language, culture and religion across the border. In terms of religious affiliation, however, there are significant differences between Mexicans and Americans of Mexican descent, according to two recent Pew Research surveys. Read More >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
'Merry Christmas' returns: How conservatives are winning the Christmas war
DEC. 9 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
The Christian Science Monitor examines how major retail chains are addressing holiday greetings. The article cites a Pew Research Center survey that asked Americans whether they prefer stores and businesses to greet their customers by saying “Merry Christmas” or using “less religious terms such as ‘Happy Holidays’ and ‘Season’s Greetings.’” The survey found that a majority chose "Merry Christmas."
IN THE NEWS
Jihadism: Tracking a month of deadly attacks
DEC. 10 - BBC NEWS
Is President Obama’s ‘glass houses’ scripture reference in the Bible? Not exactly
DEC. 10 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
For Yazidi women, escaping ISIS doesn't mean the ordeal is over
DEC. 10 - NPR
No terrorism link seen in Brooklyn Jewish center stabbing span>
DEC. 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Can Iran 'control' its cohabiting couples?
DEC. 9 - BBC NEWS
Three American teens, recruited online, are caught trying to join the Islamic State
DEC. 8 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Israel struggles with its identity
DEC. 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Religious nonprofits challenge health law
DEC. 8 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In seven states, atheists push to end largely forgotten ban
DEC. 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
.
Copy this title and with it search the web: Decline in church-building reflects changed tastes and times
(The Article has been published in Wall Street Journal on Dec. 4, 2014)
___________________
DECEMBER 04, 2014
FACT TANK
64 countries, a third of the world's countries have religious symbols on their national flags
FACT TANK
64 countries have religious symbols on their national flags
A third, 64, of the world’s 196 countries currently have national flags that include religious symbols, according to a new Pew Research analysis. Of the 64 countries in this category, about half have Christian symbols (48%) and about a third include Islamic religious symbols (33%), with imagery on flags from the world’s two largest religious groups appearing across several regions. Christian symbols are found on 31 national flags from Europe, Asia and the Pacific and the Americas. Islamic symbols are found on the flags of 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East and North Africa. Buddhist or Hindu religious symbols appear on five national flags; in three of those cases, the symbols apply to both religions. Israel is the lone country with Jewish symbols on its national flag, including the Star of David and a white and blue striped background representative of a traditional Jewish prayer shawl.
Read the facts, see the flags, Click: READ MORE >>
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FACT TANK
Why has Pentecostalism grown so dramatically in Latin America?
Tens of millions of Latin Americans have left the Roman Catholic Church in recent decades and embraced Pentecostal Christianity, according to a new Pew Research Center survey on religion in 18 Latin American countries and Puerto Rico. Indeed, nearly one-in-five Latin Americans now describe themselves as Protestant, and across the countries surveyed majorities of them self-identify as Pentecostal or belong to a Pentecostal denomination. Pentecostals share many beliefs with other evangelical Protestants, but they put more emphasis on the “gifts of the Holy Spirit,” such as speaking in tongues, faith healing and prophesying. Fact Tank asked Andrew Chesnut, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, to discuss how and why Pentecostalism has grown so dramatically in Latin America in recent years. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Will Pope Francis' first U.S. visit help promote his progressive agenda?
NOV. 17 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
The Christian Science Monitor cites a new Pew Research survey on religion in Latin America, which found a decline in the percentage of Catholics across the region, in an article about Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families.
In a digital age, blind faith is not so blind
NOV. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The Washington Post examines the role of the Internet in global trends in religious affiliation and the transparency of religious leaders, citing the Pew Research report "'Nones' on the Rise"and the new "Religion in Latin America" report in its analysis.
IN THE NEWS
Montana legalizes gay marriage, South Carolina to follow
NOV. 20 - BLOOMBERG
Four sentenced to death for Pakistan 'honor killing'
NOV. 19 - BBC NEWS
Fugitive guru arrested in India after standoff with police
NOV. 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Kenya police seize weapons in fresh mosque raids
NOV. 19 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Fear of deadly ‘religious war’ between Jews and Muslims raised after synagogue attack
NOV. 19 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Vatican’s new tone gains a voice in Chicago
NOV. 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pope confirms Philly trip for families conference
NOV. 17 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England formally approves plans for women bishops
NOV. 17 - BBC NEWS
Court rejects challenge to Obamacare rules on contraceptives
NOV. 14 - NPR
Homeland security chief, in national mosque tour, looks to fight radicalization
NOV. 13 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
__________________________________________________
FACT TANK
Why has Pentecostalism grown so dramatically in Latin America?
Tens of millions of Latin Americans have left the Roman Catholic Church in recent decades and embraced Pentecostal Christianity, according to a new Pew Research Center survey on religion in 18 Latin American countries and Puerto Rico. Indeed, nearly one-in-five Latin Americans now describe themselves as Protestant, and across the countries surveyed majorities of them self-identify as Pentecostal or belong to a Pentecostal denomination. Pentecostals share many beliefs with other evangelical Protestants, but they put more emphasis on the “gifts of the Holy Spirit,” such as speaking in tongues, faith healing and prophesying. Fact Tank asked Andrew Chesnut, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, to discuss how and why Pentecostalism has grown so dramatically in Latin America in recent years. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Will Pope Francis' first U.S. visit help promote his progressive agenda?
NOV. 17 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
The Christian Science Monitor cites a new Pew Research survey on religion in Latin America, which found a decline in the percentage of Catholics across the region, in an article about Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families.
In a digital age, blind faith is not so blind
NOV. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The Washington Post examines the role of the Internet in global trends in religious affiliation and the transparency of religious leaders, citing the Pew Research report "'Nones' on the Rise"and the new "Religion in Latin America" report in its analysis.
IN THE NEWS
Montana legalizes gay marriage, South Carolina to follow
NOV. 20 - BLOOMBERG
Four sentenced to death for Pakistan 'honor killing'
NOV. 19 - BBC NEWS
Fugitive guru arrested in India after standoff with police
NOV. 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Kenya police seize weapons in fresh mosque raids
NOV. 19 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Fear of deadly ‘religious war’ between Jews and Muslims raised after synagogue attack
NOV. 19 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Vatican’s new tone gains a voice in Chicago
NOV. 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pope confirms Philly trip for families conference
NOV. 17 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England formally approves plans for women bishops
NOV. 17 - BBC NEWS
Court rejects challenge to Obamacare rules on contraceptives
NOV. 14 - NPR
Homeland security chief, in national mosque tour, looks to fight radicalization
NOV. 13 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
__________________________________________________
OCTOBER 30, 2014
FACT TANK
5 facts about evolution and religion
Are faith and belief in evolution necessarily at odds? According to Pope Francis, the answer is no. Indeed, the pope recently reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s view that “evolution in nature is not inconsistent” with church teaching on creation, pushing the debate on human origins back into the news. Although most U.S. Catholics accept the idea of evolution in some form, a substantial percentage of American adults reject the scientific explanation for the origins of human life, and a number of religious groups in the U.S. maintain that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection is not correct because it conflicts with their views of creation. Fact Tank has compiled five facts about evolution and religion.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click the colored title for the article
MEDIA MENTIONS
Churches proceed carefully when encouraging members to get politically involved
OCT. 28 - DESERET NEWS
Deseret News looks at two Pew Research surveys in an analysis of the involvement of churches in politics, citing both the "'Nones' on the Rise" survey and a more recent analysis that found that many Americans think religion is losing influence in American life and see this as a bad thing.
In El Paso, a mirror of Catholicism's challenges
OCT. 26 - THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
The Texas Tribune cites the Pew Research Center's report on the shifting religious identity of Latinos in the United States in an article about possible reasons for the decline of Catholicism in El Paso, Texas.
IN THE NEWS
Singapore's ban on gay male sex is upheld by top court
OCT. 30 - BLOOMBERG
Jerusalem holy site closure 'declaration of war' - Abbas
OCT. 30 - BBC NEWS
Houston mayor's decision to drop pastor subpoenas fails to quell criticism
OCT. 29 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Fight over abortion dominates Tennessee election
OCT. 29 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Southern Baptists tell pastors: Hold line on gays
OCT. 28 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cuba builds first new Catholic church in 55 years
OCT. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UC Berkeley students seek to block Bill Maher speech
OCT. 27 - LOS ANGELES TIMES *
Methodist minister who performed son's gay marriage to keep ordination
OCT. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The horror before the beheadings
OCT. 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Drugs and religion key themes in Ottawa shooter’s troubled life
OCT. 24 - THE GLOBE AND MAIL
FACT TANK
5 facts about evolution and religion
Are faith and belief in evolution necessarily at odds? According to Pope Francis, the answer is no. Indeed, the pope recently reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s view that “evolution in nature is not inconsistent” with church teaching on creation, pushing the debate on human origins back into the news. Although most U.S. Catholics accept the idea of evolution in some form, a substantial percentage of American adults reject the scientific explanation for the origins of human life, and a number of religious groups in the U.S. maintain that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection is not correct because it conflicts with their views of creation. Fact Tank has compiled five facts about evolution and religion.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click the colored title for the article
MEDIA MENTIONS
Churches proceed carefully when encouraging members to get politically involved
OCT. 28 - DESERET NEWS
Deseret News looks at two Pew Research surveys in an analysis of the involvement of churches in politics, citing both the "'Nones' on the Rise" survey and a more recent analysis that found that many Americans think religion is losing influence in American life and see this as a bad thing.
In El Paso, a mirror of Catholicism's challenges
OCT. 26 - THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
The Texas Tribune cites the Pew Research Center's report on the shifting religious identity of Latinos in the United States in an article about possible reasons for the decline of Catholicism in El Paso, Texas.
IN THE NEWS
Singapore's ban on gay male sex is upheld by top court
OCT. 30 - BLOOMBERG
Jerusalem holy site closure 'declaration of war' - Abbas
OCT. 30 - BBC NEWS
Houston mayor's decision to drop pastor subpoenas fails to quell criticism
OCT. 29 - HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Fight over abortion dominates Tennessee election
OCT. 29 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Southern Baptists tell pastors: Hold line on gays
OCT. 28 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cuba builds first new Catholic church in 55 years
OCT. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UC Berkeley students seek to block Bill Maher speech
OCT. 27 - LOS ANGELES TIMES *
Methodist minister who performed son's gay marriage to keep ordination
OCT. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The horror before the beheadings
OCT. 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Drugs and religion key themes in Ottawa shooter’s troubled life
OCT. 24 - THE GLOBE AND MAIL
OCTOBER 16, 2014
FACT TANK
Gay marriage arrives in the South, where the public is less enthused
The Supreme Court’s recent decision not to take up several same-sex marriage cases has led to several more states legalizing gay marriage. And for the first time, much of this expansion of same-sex marriage is occurring in the South – including Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina – where public support for allowing gays and lesbians to wed is not as great as in other regions. Nationwide, 52% of Americans now support gay marriage. In the South, aggregated Pew Research Center polls from 2014 have found that 44% of people support gay marriage – well below the East (61%), West (58%) and Midwest (52%). Click: READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Young U.S. Catholics overwhelmingly accepting of homosexuality
The Roman Catholic Church signaled a more accepting stance toward gay people in a report bishops released this week during the Vatican’s synod on the family. The new document follows Pope Francis’ more inclusive language regarding homosexuality and has been praised by gay rights groups for its “dramatic new tone.” The report also moves the church toward a position on homosexuality already embraced by a majority of American Catholics, particularly younger adults. Fully 85% of self-identified Catholics ages 18-29 said in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey that homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with just 13% who said it should be discouraged. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
With persecution now ended, Protestants in Russia sputter along, pastor says
OCT. 8 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service cites a Pew Research survey on major religious groups in Russia in coverage of a Russian pastor's recent trip to the U.S. to study church ministries.
Answering the Pew
OCT. 9 - HUFFINGTON POST
A rabbinical student examines the implications of the Pew Research Center's "Portrait of Jewish Americans" report, released one year ago this month.
IN THE NEWS
Female British Muslims as vulnerable to radicalization as men, study shows
OCT. 15 - THE GUARDIAN
Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill Church
OCT. 15 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Supreme Court Blocks Some Texas Abortion Restrictions
OCT. 14 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Next gay marriage fight: religious exemptions
OCT. 14 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
At the Vatican, a shift in tone toward gays and divorce
OCT. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
A church of many colors: The most segregated hour in America gets less so
OCT. 13 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Clergy among those arrested in Ferguson police station protest
OCT. 13 - LA TIMES
Nigeria's 'megachurches': a hidden pillar of Africa's top economy
OCT. 12 - REUTERS
Taliban shooting victim Malala Yousafzai shares Nobel Peace Prize
OCT. 11 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
National contraception bill takes center stage as candidates woo women voters
OCT. 9 - THE BOSTON GLOBE *
______________________________
FACT TANK
Gay marriage arrives in the South, where the public is less enthused
The Supreme Court’s recent decision not to take up several same-sex marriage cases has led to several more states legalizing gay marriage. And for the first time, much of this expansion of same-sex marriage is occurring in the South – including Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina – where public support for allowing gays and lesbians to wed is not as great as in other regions. Nationwide, 52% of Americans now support gay marriage. In the South, aggregated Pew Research Center polls from 2014 have found that 44% of people support gay marriage – well below the East (61%), West (58%) and Midwest (52%). Click: READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Young U.S. Catholics overwhelmingly accepting of homosexuality
The Roman Catholic Church signaled a more accepting stance toward gay people in a report bishops released this week during the Vatican’s synod on the family. The new document follows Pope Francis’ more inclusive language regarding homosexuality and has been praised by gay rights groups for its “dramatic new tone.” The report also moves the church toward a position on homosexuality already embraced by a majority of American Catholics, particularly younger adults. Fully 85% of self-identified Catholics ages 18-29 said in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey that homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with just 13% who said it should be discouraged. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
With persecution now ended, Protestants in Russia sputter along, pastor says
OCT. 8 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service cites a Pew Research survey on major religious groups in Russia in coverage of a Russian pastor's recent trip to the U.S. to study church ministries.
Answering the Pew
OCT. 9 - HUFFINGTON POST
A rabbinical student examines the implications of the Pew Research Center's "Portrait of Jewish Americans" report, released one year ago this month.
IN THE NEWS
Female British Muslims as vulnerable to radicalization as men, study shows
OCT. 15 - THE GUARDIAN
Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill Church
OCT. 15 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Supreme Court Blocks Some Texas Abortion Restrictions
OCT. 14 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Next gay marriage fight: religious exemptions
OCT. 14 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
At the Vatican, a shift in tone toward gays and divorce
OCT. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
A church of many colors: The most segregated hour in America gets less so
OCT. 13 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Clergy among those arrested in Ferguson police station protest
OCT. 13 - LA TIMES
Nigeria's 'megachurches': a hidden pillar of Africa's top economy
OCT. 12 - REUTERS
Taliban shooting victim Malala Yousafzai shares Nobel Peace Prize
OCT. 11 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
National contraception bill takes center stage as candidates woo women voters
OCT. 9 - THE BOSTON GLOBE *
______________________________
OCTOBER 09, 2014
FACT TANK
What this week’s Supreme Court decision means for gay marriage
The U.S. Supreme Court this week rejected requests to review lower court decisions that overturned bans on same-sex marriage in five states: Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. By denying these requests, the court effectively legalized gay marriage in these states. The lower court rulings had been on hold until the Supreme Court weighed in, but soon after the high court’s decision was made known, a number of states, including Virginia and Wisconsin, announced that gay and lesbian couples would be able to marry almost immediately. Fact Tank compiled an explainer on the news and its possible impact.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Blacks are lukewarm to gay marriage, but most say businesses must provide wedding services to gay couples
African Americans remain less likely than white Americans to support same-sex marriage, as has been the case for several years. But at the same time, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that a majority of blacks – a significantly bigger share than among whites – say that wedding-related businesses, such as caterers or florists, should be required to provide wedding services to gay and lesbian couples. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Supreme Court to decide whether inmates have religious right to grow beards
This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Holt v. Hobbs, a case that will test the limits of religious liberty for prison inmates. Specifically, the court will determine whether prison officials may prohibit or limit a Muslim inmate from growing a beard, which many Muslims believe is required by their faith. Fact Tank explains the case and why it matters.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Vatican synod on family highlights discord between church teachings and U.S. Catholics’ views
This past weekend in Rome, the Catholic Church began a wide-ranging synod (assembly) on family issues. The two-week meeting comes at a time when most American Catholics say they disagree with their church’s teachings on family-related issues, such as birth control and divorce. It also takes place in the wake of recent actions by Pope Francis that hint at the possibility of changing attitudes within the Vatican on questions related to marriage and family. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2012 found that relatively few U.S. Catholics (19%) said that getting a divorce is morally wrong. About a third (32%) said divorce is morally acceptable, while 45% said it is not a moral issue. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The diversity of Islam
OCT. 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Columnist Nicholas Kristoff analyzes a much-publicized debate between Bill Maher and Ben Affleck about whether Islam itself inspires conflict, citing Pew Research data on the world's Muslims.
Preaching politics, pastors defy ban
OCT. 5 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
The Wall Street Journal examines church endorsements of political candidates, citing a recentPew Research survey that finds nearly three-quarters of Americans believe religion is losing influence in the lives of Americans. The survey also finds that more citizens want religious leaders to weigh in on political issues.
IN THE NEWS
Top Vatican cardinal wants streamlined annulments
OCT. 9 -THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seminaries awarded $1.5 million to include science in coursework
OCT. 8 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Justices say case of inmate’s beard may not be the best test of religious liberty
OCT. 7 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
The Virgin Mary wins a medal in Spain – and triggers a lawsuit
OCT. 7 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court delivers tacit win to gay marriage
OCT. 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
In a D.C. rabbi’s e-mail, revelation and relief: ‘I am a gay man’
OCT. 6 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Supreme Leader's health raises questions about Iranian succession
OCT. 6 - REUTERS
Hong Kong democracy protests carry a Christian mission for some
OCT. 3 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court to rule on Abercrombie & Fitch 'religious bias' over hijab
OCT. 2 - THE GUARDIAN
Pope Francis works at reconciling decades-old divisions among Latin American Catholics
OCT. 2 - MCCLATCHY DC
_________________________________________
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Growing concern about rise of Islamic extremism at home and abroad
Before President Obama addressed the nation about the militant group ISIS on Wednesday night, an increasing share of Americans said they are “very concerned” about the rise of Islamic extremism, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Six-in-ten Americans (62%) said they are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world — up from 37% in 2011 — and 53% said the same about Islamic extremism in the U.S. In addition, 50% said they believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, up from 43% in July and 38% in February. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Indians among most likely in the world to see extremist groups as ‘major threat’
Although India is home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population, al-Qaeda has so far had only a limited presence in the country. But last week, India’s intelligence agencies reportedly were put on high alert after the terrorist group announced the establishment of a new al-Qaeda branch on the Indian subcontinent. Even before the announcement, two-thirds of Indians (67%) said that Islamic extremist groups are a “major threat” to their country, according to a 2011 Pew Research Center estimate. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
The divide over ordaining women
The recent election of the Rev. Amy Butler as senior pastor of New York City’s influential and historic Riverside Church, as well as the installation of a number of other women at high-profile American congregations, has brought new attention to the theological divide among religious groups concerning the ordination of women. While many major religious denominations in the United States now allow women to pastor churches and synagogues, only 11% of American congregations were led by women in 2012, according to press reports of an upcoming National Congregations Study survey. That figure hasn’t changed since 1998. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
With U.S. youth losing religion, evangelicals struggle to spread ‘good news’
SEPT. 4 - AL JAZEERA
Citing the 2012 Pew Research report "'Nones' on the Rise," Al Jazeera America examines the trend of young adults turning from organized religion, specifically focusing on the impact on evangelical Protestants.
IN THE NEWS
Missouri lawmakers override governor's veto on '72-hour' abortion law
SEPT. 11 - REUTERS
ACLU challenges Pennsylvania over execution drugs secrecy in federal court
SEPT. 11 - THE GUARDIAN
U.S. Muslim leaders denounce ISIS, pledge to dissuade youth from joining
SEPT. 10 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Philippines plans to give Muslims autonomous zone
SEPT. 10 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Religious employers to go ahead with contraception lawsuits
SEPT. 9 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
French imams to use pulpit against Islamic State
SEPT. 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Evidence grows of Russian Orthodox clergy’s aiding Ukraine rebels
SEPT. 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Some Christians arm as Mideast perils mount
SEPT. 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Al-Qaeda in India tests Modi’s bid to unite Muslims, Hindus
SEPT. 5 - BLOOMBERG
Appeals court strikes down same-sex marriage bans in Indiana, Wisconsin
SEPT. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Growing concern about rise of Islamic extremism at home and abroad
Before President Obama addressed the nation about the militant group ISIS on Wednesday night, an increasing share of Americans said they are “very concerned” about the rise of Islamic extremism, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Six-in-ten Americans (62%) said they are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world — up from 37% in 2011 — and 53% said the same about Islamic extremism in the U.S. In addition, 50% said they believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, up from 43% in July and 38% in February. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Indians among most likely in the world to see extremist groups as ‘major threat’
Although India is home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population, al-Qaeda has so far had only a limited presence in the country. But last week, India’s intelligence agencies reportedly were put on high alert after the terrorist group announced the establishment of a new al-Qaeda branch on the Indian subcontinent. Even before the announcement, two-thirds of Indians (67%) said that Islamic extremist groups are a “major threat” to their country, according to a 2011 Pew Research Center estimate. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
The divide over ordaining women
The recent election of the Rev. Amy Butler as senior pastor of New York City’s influential and historic Riverside Church, as well as the installation of a number of other women at high-profile American congregations, has brought new attention to the theological divide among religious groups concerning the ordination of women. While many major religious denominations in the United States now allow women to pastor churches and synagogues, only 11% of American congregations were led by women in 2012, according to press reports of an upcoming National Congregations Study survey. That figure hasn’t changed since 1998. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
With U.S. youth losing religion, evangelicals struggle to spread ‘good news’
SEPT. 4 - AL JAZEERA
Citing the 2012 Pew Research report "'Nones' on the Rise," Al Jazeera America examines the trend of young adults turning from organized religion, specifically focusing on the impact on evangelical Protestants.
IN THE NEWS
Missouri lawmakers override governor's veto on '72-hour' abortion law
SEPT. 11 - REUTERS
ACLU challenges Pennsylvania over execution drugs secrecy in federal court
SEPT. 11 - THE GUARDIAN
U.S. Muslim leaders denounce ISIS, pledge to dissuade youth from joining
SEPT. 10 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Philippines plans to give Muslims autonomous zone
SEPT. 10 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Religious employers to go ahead with contraception lawsuits
SEPT. 9 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
French imams to use pulpit against Islamic State
SEPT. 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Evidence grows of Russian Orthodox clergy’s aiding Ukraine rebels
SEPT. 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Some Christians arm as Mideast perils mount
SEPT. 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Al-Qaeda in India tests Modi’s bid to unite Muslims, Hindus
SEPT. 5 - BLOOMBERG
Appeals court strikes down same-sex marriage bans in Indiana, Wisconsin
SEPT. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
AUGUST 21, 2014
Click the colored title below to connect to the article (If the link has expired copy the title & search with the title)
FACT TANK
Who are the Iraqi Kurds?
In the continuing conflict in Iraq, Kurds frequently are mentioned alongside Iraq’s Sunni and Shia Muslim populations as one of the key groups involved in power struggles for which sharp religious divides have played a major part. But while the Kurds are a crucial part of Iraq’s political makeup, they are an ethnic group, not a distinct religious sect within Islam. Kurds are more appropriately compared to Arabs, the largest ethnic group in Iraq, or other regional ethnic groups such as Assyrians or Turkmen. Much has been reported about the desire of many Kurds for greater autonomy or even independence from Baghdad. However, when it comes to religion, Kurds share a good deal in common with the Arab majority, especially Sunni Muslims. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
A New Mosque Rises – in Alaska
AUG. 14 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Alaska's small but growing Muslim community is building the state's first newly constructed mosque. The Wall Street Journal uses Pew Research data to discuss the growing Muslim population in the U.S. and the way Americans say they feel about Muslims.
IN THE NEWS
Ebola crisis provides glimpse into Christian relief
AUG. 20 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Global religious hot spots get their own U.S. envoy
AUG. 20 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
More people going to Switzerland for assisted suicide, study finds
AUG. 20 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Virginia same-sex marriage ruling is placed on hold
AUG. 20 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Islamist militants execute N.H. reporter James Foley
AUG. 19 - THE BOSTON GLOBE
'No' from one Iraq villager to ISIS demands for conversion to Islam triggered mass killings
AUG. 19 - REUTERS
Pope says use of force in Iraq OK if UN-led
AUG. 18 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York farm is fined for refusal to hold same-sex wedding
AUG. 18 - NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL
Arizona loose with its rules in executions, records show
AUG. 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pope makes tough sell on materialism in South Korea
AUG. 15 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUST 07, 2014
FACT TANK
Kaiser: Americans' views of Hobby Lobby ruling are evenly divided
On June 30 – the final day of its term – the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in the case involving Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., ruling that some for-profit corporations have religious rights and can opt out of the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate. The U.S. public is evenly split in its view of the decision, with 49% disapproving and 47% approving, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Synagogue closes, merging its congregation
JULY 31 - THE BOSTON GLOBE*
In an article about the closing of a 116-year-old synagogue in Salem, Mass., The Boston Globe cites a finding from our 2013 survey of Jewish Americans that 31% of U.S. Jews said they belonged to a synagogue.
IN THE NEWS
Iraq Christians flee as Islamic State takes Qaraqosh
AUG. 7 - BBC NEWS
U.S. appeals court conflicted over gay marriage cases from four states
AUG. 6 - REUTERS
Korean ferry victims' kin: Pope's visit won't end protest
AUG. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
U.K. Muslim cabinet member quits over Gaza policies
AUG. 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis lifts 29-year suspension on liberation theology icon
AUG. 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Federal judge overturns Alabama abortion law one week after similar decision in Mississippi
AUG. 4 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Gay, Christian and ... celibate: The changing face of the homosexuality debate
AUG. 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Fresh doubts over a Texas execution
AUG. 3 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Dozens protest Mars Hill Church after leader resignations and Mark Driscoll apology
AUG. 3 - SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER*
Uganda anti-gay law declared 'null and void' by constitutional court
AUG. 1 - THE GUARDIAN
_______________________________________________________
FACT TANK
Kaiser: Americans' views of Hobby Lobby ruling are evenly divided
On June 30 – the final day of its term – the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in the case involving Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., ruling that some for-profit corporations have religious rights and can opt out of the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate. The U.S. public is evenly split in its view of the decision, with 49% disapproving and 47% approving, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Synagogue closes, merging its congregation
JULY 31 - THE BOSTON GLOBE*
In an article about the closing of a 116-year-old synagogue in Salem, Mass., The Boston Globe cites a finding from our 2013 survey of Jewish Americans that 31% of U.S. Jews said they belonged to a synagogue.
IN THE NEWS
Iraq Christians flee as Islamic State takes Qaraqosh
AUG. 7 - BBC NEWS
U.S. appeals court conflicted over gay marriage cases from four states
AUG. 6 - REUTERS
Korean ferry victims' kin: Pope's visit won't end protest
AUG. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
U.K. Muslim cabinet member quits over Gaza policies
AUG. 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis lifts 29-year suspension on liberation theology icon
AUG. 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Federal judge overturns Alabama abortion law one week after similar decision in Mississippi
AUG. 4 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Gay, Christian and ... celibate: The changing face of the homosexuality debate
AUG. 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Fresh doubts over a Texas execution
AUG. 3 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Dozens protest Mars Hill Church after leader resignations and Mark Driscoll apology
AUG. 3 - SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER*
Uganda anti-gay law declared 'null and void' by constitutional court
AUG. 1 - THE GUARDIAN
_______________________________________________________
JULY 31, 2014
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Hamas seen as more to blame than Israel for current violence
As fighting continues to rage in Gaza amid calls for a cease-fire, about twice as many Americans say Hamas (40%) as Israel (19%) is responsible for the current violence. Just a quarter (25%) believe that Israel has gone too far in responding to the conflict; far more think Israel’s response has been about right (35%) or that it has not gone far enough (15%).
The new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds substantial partisan divisions over which side is most responsible for the violence and Israel’s response to the conflict.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Americans divided on how the Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution
Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided about how the U.S. Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center. And there are many differences across demographic groups – especially when it comes to religious affiliation. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The spiritual significance of a traditional church wedding
JULY 25 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic uses three Pew Research reports -- "Millennials in Adulthood," "'Nones' on the Rise" and "Faith in Flux" -- to examine the possible reasons behind the steady decline in church weddings for Catholics.
IN THE NEWS
Minnesota archbishop declares he won't step down
JULY 31 - STAR TRIBUNE
Two U.S.-based missionary organizations evacuating non-essential personnel in Liberia
JULY 31 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Chief imam at Kashgar mosque stabbed to death as violence surges in Xinjiang
JULY 31 - THE GUARDIAN
Anti-Jewish slogans return to the streets in Germany as Mideast protests sweep Europe
JULY 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Governor signs Massachusetts abortion buffer zone bill
JULY 30 - BOSTON.COM
In reversal, Nepal to allow cremation of Tibetan monk
JULY 29 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Colorado Supreme Court puts halt to Boulder gay marriage licenses
JULY 29 - THE DENVER POST
France offers asylum to thousands of Christians driven from homes by Islamic State
JULY 28 - THE TELEGRAPH
Rabbi David Saperstein tapped as first non-Christian to serve as U.S. ambassador for religious freedom
JULY 28 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Lengthy Arizona execution heightens lethal-injection questions
JULY 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
FOLLOW THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND RSS.
POLLING & ANALYSIS
Hamas seen as more to blame than Israel for current violence
As fighting continues to rage in Gaza amid calls for a cease-fire, about twice as many Americans say Hamas (40%) as Israel (19%) is responsible for the current violence. Just a quarter (25%) believe that Israel has gone too far in responding to the conflict; far more think Israel’s response has been about right (35%) or that it has not gone far enough (15%).
The new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds substantial partisan divisions over which side is most responsible for the violence and Israel’s response to the conflict.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Americans divided on how the Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution
Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided about how the U.S. Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center. And there are many differences across demographic groups – especially when it comes to religious affiliation. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The spiritual significance of a traditional church wedding
JULY 25 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic uses three Pew Research reports -- "Millennials in Adulthood," "'Nones' on the Rise" and "Faith in Flux" -- to examine the possible reasons behind the steady decline in church weddings for Catholics.
IN THE NEWS
Minnesota archbishop declares he won't step down
JULY 31 - STAR TRIBUNE
Two U.S.-based missionary organizations evacuating non-essential personnel in Liberia
JULY 31 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Chief imam at Kashgar mosque stabbed to death as violence surges in Xinjiang
JULY 31 - THE GUARDIAN
Anti-Jewish slogans return to the streets in Germany as Mideast protests sweep Europe
JULY 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Governor signs Massachusetts abortion buffer zone bill
JULY 30 - BOSTON.COM
In reversal, Nepal to allow cremation of Tibetan monk
JULY 29 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Colorado Supreme Court puts halt to Boulder gay marriage licenses
JULY 29 - THE DENVER POST
France offers asylum to thousands of Christians driven from homes by Islamic State
JULY 28 - THE TELEGRAPH
Rabbi David Saperstein tapped as first non-Christian to serve as U.S. ambassador for religious freedom
JULY 28 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Lengthy Arizona execution heightens lethal-injection questions
JULY 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
FOLLOW THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND RSS.
JULY 24, 2014
FACT TANK
In 30 Countries, Heads of States Must Belong to a Certain Religion
A new Pew Research analysis finds that 30 of the world’s countries (15%) belong to a unique group of nations that call for their heads of state to have a particular religious affiliation. From monarchies to republics, candidates (including descendants of royal monarchies) in these countries must belong to a specific religious group. This list includes Lebanon, which requires its president to be a member of the Maronite Christian Church. On Wednesday, Lebanon’s parliament made a ninth attempt since May at filling the office. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
What does Mormon 'temperature' reading mean in new Pew Survey?
JULY 20 - DESERET NEWS
Deseret News uses a new Pew Research "feeling thermometer" report to examine the way different groups in the U.S., specifically Republicans and Democrats, feel about Mormons.
Examining the growth of the 'spiritual but not religious'
JULY 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
The New York Times uses Pew Research data from the 2012 "'Nones' on the Rise" report to discuss the growing number of people who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" and what that descriptor means to both the religious and the spiritual.
IN THE NEWS
Pope Francis meets Sudanese apostasy woman Meriam Ibrahim
JULY 24 - THE INDEPENDENT
Iraqi Christians in Mosul told by Isis to convert to Islam or be executed
JULY 24 - THE GUARDIAN
Arizona inmate dies 2 hours after execution began
JULY 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. religious leaders embrace cause of immigrant children
JULY 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Federal judge declares Colorado ban on gay marriage unconstitutional
JULY 23 - THE DENVER POST
In a Syrian city, ISIS puts its vision into practice
JULY 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
France jails pro-Palestinian rioters
JULY 23 - BBC NEWS
Greek Orthodox church in Gaza shelters Muslims fleeing war
JULY 22 - REUTERS
Obama government looks to satisfy religious groups on Obamacare
JULY 22 - REUTERS
Obama calls for a ban on job bias against gays
JULY 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
FACT TANK
In 30 Countries, Heads of States Must Belong to a Certain Religion
A new Pew Research analysis finds that 30 of the world’s countries (15%) belong to a unique group of nations that call for their heads of state to have a particular religious affiliation. From monarchies to republics, candidates (including descendants of royal monarchies) in these countries must belong to a specific religious group. This list includes Lebanon, which requires its president to be a member of the Maronite Christian Church. On Wednesday, Lebanon’s parliament made a ninth attempt since May at filling the office. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
What does Mormon 'temperature' reading mean in new Pew Survey?
JULY 20 - DESERET NEWS
Deseret News uses a new Pew Research "feeling thermometer" report to examine the way different groups in the U.S., specifically Republicans and Democrats, feel about Mormons.
Examining the growth of the 'spiritual but not religious'
JULY 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
The New York Times uses Pew Research data from the 2012 "'Nones' on the Rise" report to discuss the growing number of people who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" and what that descriptor means to both the religious and the spiritual.
IN THE NEWS
Pope Francis meets Sudanese apostasy woman Meriam Ibrahim
JULY 24 - THE INDEPENDENT
Iraqi Christians in Mosul told by Isis to convert to Islam or be executed
JULY 24 - THE GUARDIAN
Arizona inmate dies 2 hours after execution began
JULY 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. religious leaders embrace cause of immigrant children
JULY 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Federal judge declares Colorado ban on gay marriage unconstitutional
JULY 23 - THE DENVER POST
In a Syrian city, ISIS puts its vision into practice
JULY 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
France jails pro-Palestinian rioters
JULY 23 - BBC NEWS
Greek Orthodox church in Gaza shelters Muslims fleeing war
JULY 22 - REUTERS
Obama government looks to satisfy religious groups on Obamacare
JULY 22 - REUTERS
Obama calls for a ban on job bias against gays
JULY 21 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
JULY 17, 2014
POLLING & ANALYSIS
How Americans Feel About Religious Groups
Jews, Catholics and evangelical Christians are all viewed warmly by the American public, according to a new national Pew Research Center survey. The survey asked respondents to rate each group on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100 – where 0 reflects the coldest, most negative possible rating and 100 the warmest, most positive rating. Buddhists, Hindus and Mormons receive neutral ratings on average, while the public views atheists and Muslims more coldly. The analysis also looks at how different groups view each other. A Fact Tank post delves into the fact that some of the chilliest feelings are between evangelical Christians and atheists. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
How many people of different faiths do you know?
Given the wide variety of faith groups in the United States, it would seem natural that most Americans know someone of a religion different from their own. With that in mind, we recently asked members of the Pew Research Center’s new American Trends Panel whether they personally know members of other religious groups. READ MORE >>
POLLING & ANALYSIS
As Mideast Violence Continues, a Wide Partisan Gap in Israel-Palestinian Sympathies
As violence between Israel and Hamas shows no signs of abating, the sympathies of the American public continue to lie with Israel rather than the Palestinians. And dating back to the late 1970s, the partisan gap in Mideast sympathies has never been wider. Currently, according to a new Pew Research poll, 51% of Americans say that in the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, they sympathize more with Israel. These views are little changed from April, before the recent outbreak of Mideast violence. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Americans say Jews are the coolest
JULY 16 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic discusses the fact that respondents to a new Pew Research survey on Americans' feelings toward different religious groups reported feeling more warmly toward Jews than to people of any other faith -- and how that wasn't always the case.
Americans view Jews, Christians warmly
JULY 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service examines the results of the new Pew Research report on American feelings toward different religious groups and interviews Greg Smith, associate director of religion research, about the results.
IN THE NEWS
Humanitarian cease-fire appears to hold in Gaza
JULY 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Israeli prosecutors charge a Jewish man and two youths with murder of Palestinian teenager
JULY 17 - BBC NEWS
Hobby Lobby’s Green family postpones launch of public school Bible curriculum
JULY 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Federal judge rules California death penalty is unconstitutional
JULY 16 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
White House Iftar dinner guests press Obama on surveillance of Muslims
JULY 16 - THE GUARDIAN
Atheist to open NY meeting; top court OKed prayers
JULY 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England General Synod approves female bishops
JULY 14 - THE GUARDIAN
Nepal retracts permission for Tibet monk’s cremation
JULY 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
In Malaysia, Islam's legal advance divides families and nation
JULY 12 - REUTERS
Among justices, considering a divide not of gender or politics, but of beliefs
JULY 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
POLLING & ANALYSIS
How Americans Feel About Religious Groups
Jews, Catholics and evangelical Christians are all viewed warmly by the American public, according to a new national Pew Research Center survey. The survey asked respondents to rate each group on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100 – where 0 reflects the coldest, most negative possible rating and 100 the warmest, most positive rating. Buddhists, Hindus and Mormons receive neutral ratings on average, while the public views atheists and Muslims more coldly. The analysis also looks at how different groups view each other. A Fact Tank post delves into the fact that some of the chilliest feelings are between evangelical Christians and atheists. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
How many people of different faiths do you know?
Given the wide variety of faith groups in the United States, it would seem natural that most Americans know someone of a religion different from their own. With that in mind, we recently asked members of the Pew Research Center’s new American Trends Panel whether they personally know members of other religious groups. READ MORE >>
POLLING & ANALYSIS
As Mideast Violence Continues, a Wide Partisan Gap in Israel-Palestinian Sympathies
As violence between Israel and Hamas shows no signs of abating, the sympathies of the American public continue to lie with Israel rather than the Palestinians. And dating back to the late 1970s, the partisan gap in Mideast sympathies has never been wider. Currently, according to a new Pew Research poll, 51% of Americans say that in the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, they sympathize more with Israel. These views are little changed from April, before the recent outbreak of Mideast violence. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Americans say Jews are the coolest
JULY 16 - THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic discusses the fact that respondents to a new Pew Research survey on Americans' feelings toward different religious groups reported feeling more warmly toward Jews than to people of any other faith -- and how that wasn't always the case.
Americans view Jews, Christians warmly
JULY 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service examines the results of the new Pew Research report on American feelings toward different religious groups and interviews Greg Smith, associate director of religion research, about the results.
IN THE NEWS
Humanitarian cease-fire appears to hold in Gaza
JULY 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Israeli prosecutors charge a Jewish man and two youths with murder of Palestinian teenager
JULY 17 - BBC NEWS
Hobby Lobby’s Green family postpones launch of public school Bible curriculum
JULY 16 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Federal judge rules California death penalty is unconstitutional
JULY 16 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
White House Iftar dinner guests press Obama on surveillance of Muslims
JULY 16 - THE GUARDIAN
Atheist to open NY meeting; top court OKed prayers
JULY 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Church of England General Synod approves female bishops
JULY 14 - THE GUARDIAN
Nepal retracts permission for Tibet monk’s cremation
JULY 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
In Malaysia, Islam's legal advance divides families and nation
JULY 12 - REUTERS
Among justices, considering a divide not of gender or politics, but of beliefs
JULY 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
JULY 10, 2014
FACT TANK
Click: A look at the damage governments inflict on religious property
For gay newlyweds in some states, ‘limbo’ may last another year
READ MORE >>
JULY 10, 2014
FACT TANK
A look at the damage governments inflict on religious property
The Chinese government’s demolition of a large church in the city of Wenzhou in April and recent reports of other, similar demolitions drew attention to fears of persecution among Christians in that country – and such incidents are not isolated to China or Christians, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
Since 2007, as part of a broader study on global restrictions on religion, we have collected data on religious property damage – including demolition of houses of worship, and the seizure of religious groups’ property and government raids of houses of worship that result in property damage. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
For gay newlyweds in some states, 'limbo' may last another year
It has happened in four states so far, and may well happen in others – a kind of marital limbo where licenses have been granted and vows exchanged, but the marriages themselves have not been officially recognized. The most recent instance occurred June 25 in Indiana, where hundreds of same-sex couples married during a brief two-day window created after a federal district court struck down the Hoosier State’s gay marriage ban, and before an appeals court put that ruling on hold. READ MORE >>
IN THE NEWS
In Iraq, death toll rises among Shiite recruits battling insurgency
JULY 10 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Report: U.S. monitored e-mails of prominent Muslim Americans
JULY 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Judge tosses Colorado gay marriage ban but stays ruling
JULY 9 - THE DENVER POST
Utah to appeal gay marriage ruling to high court
JULY 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gay rights groups withdrawing support of ENDA after contraceptive decision
JULY 8 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Faith groups seek exclusion from bias rule
JULY 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Central African Republic fighters attack church sheltering civilians
JULY 8 - REUTERS
With arrest of 6 Jews in Arab teen’s killing, Israel confronts its own extremists
JULY 7 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
India Supreme Court will not recognize Shariah law
JULY 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PERESS
China's Christians fear new persecution after latest wave of church demolitions
JULY 4 - THE GUARDIAN
FACT TANK
Click: A look at the damage governments inflict on religious property
For gay newlyweds in some states, ‘limbo’ may last another year
READ MORE >>
JULY 10, 2014
FACT TANK
A look at the damage governments inflict on religious property
The Chinese government’s demolition of a large church in the city of Wenzhou in April and recent reports of other, similar demolitions drew attention to fears of persecution among Christians in that country – and such incidents are not isolated to China or Christians, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
Since 2007, as part of a broader study on global restrictions on religion, we have collected data on religious property damage – including demolition of houses of worship, and the seizure of religious groups’ property and government raids of houses of worship that result in property damage. READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
For gay newlyweds in some states, 'limbo' may last another year
It has happened in four states so far, and may well happen in others – a kind of marital limbo where licenses have been granted and vows exchanged, but the marriages themselves have not been officially recognized. The most recent instance occurred June 25 in Indiana, where hundreds of same-sex couples married during a brief two-day window created after a federal district court struck down the Hoosier State’s gay marriage ban, and before an appeals court put that ruling on hold. READ MORE >>
IN THE NEWS
In Iraq, death toll rises among Shiite recruits battling insurgency
JULY 10 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Report: U.S. monitored e-mails of prominent Muslim Americans
JULY 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Judge tosses Colorado gay marriage ban but stays ruling
JULY 9 - THE DENVER POST
Utah to appeal gay marriage ruling to high court
JULY 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gay rights groups withdrawing support of ENDA after contraceptive decision
JULY 8 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Faith groups seek exclusion from bias rule
JULY 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Central African Republic fighters attack church sheltering civilians
JULY 8 - REUTERS
With arrest of 6 Jews in Arab teen’s killing, Israel confronts its own extremists
JULY 7 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
India Supreme Court will not recognize Shariah law
JULY 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PERESS
China's Christians fear new persecution after latest wave of church demolitions
JULY 4 - THE GUARDIAN
JULY 03, 2014
FACT TANK
The Hobby Lobby Decision and the Future of Religious-Liberty Rights
The Supreme Court on Monday expanded the scope of religious-liberty rights and dealt a blow to part of the Obama administration’s health care overhaul when it ruled 5-4 that some for-profit businesses have religious rights and, as a result, can opt out of the law’s contraception mandate. But the ruling, while important, is limited because it applies only to smaller, closely held businesses and specifically warns against companies using religious-liberty claims to discriminate. We spoke to an expert on church-state issues about what the ruling might mean for businesses, for future challenges to the contraception mandate, and even for the future of church-state law.
READ MORE >>
For more Hobby Lobby coverage, see the special edition of the Daily Religion Headlines.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Forget Republican or Democrat: Americans divide by their values
JUNE 27 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service writes about the Pew Research's new survey “Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology” and its findings on the intersection of religion, politics and morality.
IN THE NEWS
Palestinian teenager found dead in suspected revenge attack
JULY 2 - THE GUARDIAN
Colorado leaders seek gay marriage resolution
JULY 2 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
France's burqa ban upheld by human rights court
JULY 1 - THE GUARDIAN
Syria-Iraq 'caliph' incites Muslims to holy war
JULY 1 - REUTERS
Israelis mourn slain teens at public funeral
JULY 1 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The cross on Mount Soledad can stay — for now
JUNE 30 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Children enlist in African religious battles
JUNE 30 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Egypt moves to restrict Ramadan sermons
JUNE 29 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republicans launch digital effort to rally evangelicals to the polls
JUNE 27 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
A year after DOMA ruling, benefits for same-sex federal workers
JUNE 26 - THE WASHINGTON POST
FACT TANK
The Hobby Lobby Decision and the Future of Religious-Liberty Rights
The Supreme Court on Monday expanded the scope of religious-liberty rights and dealt a blow to part of the Obama administration’s health care overhaul when it ruled 5-4 that some for-profit businesses have religious rights and, as a result, can opt out of the law’s contraception mandate. But the ruling, while important, is limited because it applies only to smaller, closely held businesses and specifically warns against companies using religious-liberty claims to discriminate. We spoke to an expert on church-state issues about what the ruling might mean for businesses, for future challenges to the contraception mandate, and even for the future of church-state law.
READ MORE >>
For more Hobby Lobby coverage, see the special edition of the Daily Religion Headlines.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Forget Republican or Democrat: Americans divide by their values
JUNE 27 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service writes about the Pew Research's new survey “Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology” and its findings on the intersection of religion, politics and morality.
IN THE NEWS
Palestinian teenager found dead in suspected revenge attack
JULY 2 - THE GUARDIAN
Colorado leaders seek gay marriage resolution
JULY 2 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
France's burqa ban upheld by human rights court
JULY 1 - THE GUARDIAN
Syria-Iraq 'caliph' incites Muslims to holy war
JULY 1 - REUTERS
Israelis mourn slain teens at public funeral
JULY 1 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
The cross on Mount Soledad can stay — for now
JUNE 30 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Children enlist in African religious battles
JUNE 30 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Egypt moves to restrict Ramadan sermons
JUNE 29 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republicans launch digital effort to rally evangelicals to the polls
JUNE 27 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
A year after DOMA ruling, benefits for same-sex federal workers
JUNE 26 - THE WASHINGTON POST
JUNE 26, 2014
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
New Political Typology Data Show Deep Divisions Over Religious Beliefs
TYPOLOGY = a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, religion, or the social sciences.
A new Pew Research religious typology report finds deep divisions in opinion over religious beliefs, views of the Bible and social issues such as homosexuality and abortion. On fundamental views related to belief in God, for example, 53% of the public says it is not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values, while 45% believes it is necessary. While overall opinion is fairly evenly split, opinion among the typology groups is not: Large majorities of all groups are on one side or the other of this question.
READ MORE >>
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
As FIFA Attempts to Curb Racism at the World Cup, a Look at Hate Speech Laws Worldwidew
Reports of racist and xenophobic slurs against players and fans have continued to emerge during the World Cup. Hate speech is taken seriously in Brazil, where racist or religiously intolerant speech or actions are prohibited by law and carry penalties including imprisonment. Brazil is not the only country with a law that penalizes hate speech. A new Pew Research analysis finds hate speech laws in 89 countries around the world (45%), according to 2012 data. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Pew Report Inspires Theatrics, Literally
JUNE 23 - THE JEWISH WEEK
The Jewish Week reports on the upcoming dramatic production of "PEW-ish," a collection of 10 new plays written by well-known playwrights and aimed at expanding the conversation about Jewish identity. The production was inspired by the 2013 Pew Research report "Portrait of Jewish Americans."
IN THE NEWS
Sudanese Christian Woman Freed Again
JUNE 26 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ruling Pushes Gay Marriage Closer to Supreme Court
JUNE 26 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shiite Violence Traps Baghdad's Sunnis, Haunted by a Grim Past
JUNE 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Explosion at Nigerian Mall Kills at Least 21
JUNE 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Methodists Reinstate Pastor, Deepening Church’s Rift Over Gays
JUNE 24 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Founder of Mormon Women's Movement Excommunicated by All-Male Church Panel
JUNE 23 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Reading, Writing and Allegations: UK Muslim School at Center of Debate
JUNE 22 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Divestment Vote by Presbyterian Church Strains Long Ties With Jewish Community
JUNE 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
U.S. Cuts Aid to Uganda, Cancels Military Exercise Over Anti-Gay Law
JUNE 19 - REUTERS
Presbyterians Vote to Allow Same-Sex Marriages
JUNE 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
New Political Typology Data Show Deep Divisions Over Religious Beliefs
TYPOLOGY = a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, religion, or the social sciences.
A new Pew Research religious typology report finds deep divisions in opinion over religious beliefs, views of the Bible and social issues such as homosexuality and abortion. On fundamental views related to belief in God, for example, 53% of the public says it is not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values, while 45% believes it is necessary. While overall opinion is fairly evenly split, opinion among the typology groups is not: Large majorities of all groups are on one side or the other of this question.
READ MORE >>
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
As FIFA Attempts to Curb Racism at the World Cup, a Look at Hate Speech Laws Worldwidew
Reports of racist and xenophobic slurs against players and fans have continued to emerge during the World Cup. Hate speech is taken seriously in Brazil, where racist or religiously intolerant speech or actions are prohibited by law and carry penalties including imprisonment. Brazil is not the only country with a law that penalizes hate speech. A new Pew Research analysis finds hate speech laws in 89 countries around the world (45%), according to 2012 data. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Pew Report Inspires Theatrics, Literally
JUNE 23 - THE JEWISH WEEK
The Jewish Week reports on the upcoming dramatic production of "PEW-ish," a collection of 10 new plays written by well-known playwrights and aimed at expanding the conversation about Jewish identity. The production was inspired by the 2013 Pew Research report "Portrait of Jewish Americans."
IN THE NEWS
Sudanese Christian Woman Freed Again
JUNE 26 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ruling Pushes Gay Marriage Closer to Supreme Court
JUNE 26 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shiite Violence Traps Baghdad's Sunnis, Haunted by a Grim Past
JUNE 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Explosion at Nigerian Mall Kills at Least 21
JUNE 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Methodists Reinstate Pastor, Deepening Church’s Rift Over Gays
JUNE 24 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Founder of Mormon Women's Movement Excommunicated by All-Male Church Panel
JUNE 23 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
Reading, Writing and Allegations: UK Muslim School at Center of Debate
JUNE 22 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Divestment Vote by Presbyterian Church Strains Long Ties With Jewish Community
JUNE 21 - THE WASHINGTON POST *
U.S. Cuts Aid to Uganda, Cancels Military Exercise Over Anti-Gay Law
JUNE 19 - REUTERS
Presbyterians Vote to Allow Same-Sex Marriages
JUNE 19 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
JUNE 19, 2014
FACT TANK
Rally Reflects Steadfast (= steady, solid, strong) Opposition to Gay Marriage Among Evangelical Christians, But Where Does Everyone Else Stand?
Throughout the titles and the article texts click colored links for further info
At a time when polls show a growing number of Americans favor same-sex marriage, a coalition of groups
opposing gay marriage are holding a “March for Marriage” in June 2014 in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) this week meets in Detroit and is scheduled to vote on whether to allow same-sex marriages, a move some Christian leaders believe could influence other centrist and liberal mainline Protestant churches as they also grapple (= struggle, "fight", argue) with the issue.
The Sunni-Shia Divide: Where They Live, What They Believe and How They View Each Other
The ongoing and intensifying conflict in Iraq has fallen – at least in part – along sectarian lines, with the Sunni Muslim militant group ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) advancing against the Shia Muslim-led Iraqi government and Shia militias. Sectarian affiliation has played a role in the politics of the region for hundreds of years. READ MORE >>
So, You Married an Atheist…
A new Pew Research Center survey found that despite high levels of political polarization overall, most Americans in each major political party said “it wouldn’t matter” if an immediate family member married someone who identifies with the opposite party. But fewer U.S. adults – especially Christians – are neutral toward the idea of welcoming someone who doesn’t believe in God into their family through marriage. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Some religious groups are okay with same-sex marriage
JUNE 19 - VOX
Vox looks at our recent analysis of major U.S. religious groups' stances on same-sex marriage and the way those positions compare with the opinions of a religious group's members.
IN THE NEWS
Presbyterians Set Vote on Same-Sex Marriage at Convention in Detroit ON FRIDAY /20/14
JUNE 19 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
As Moderate Islamists Retreat, Extremists Surge Unchecked
JUNE 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Luxembourg Approves Same Sex Marriage
JUNE 18 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stirring Republican Doubts About the Death Penalty
JUNE 18 - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
As Sunnis Die in Iraq, a Cycle Is Restarting
JUNE 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pakistan Police Clash With Supporters of Canada-Based Cleric
JUNE 17 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court upholds decision barring graduation in church
JUNE 17 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Meet the ‘Evangelical’ Catholics Who Are Remaking the GOP
JUNE 16 - RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE
Hobby Lobby Aims for Obamacare Win, Christian Nation
JUNE 16 - POLITICO
Gunmen Singled out Non-Muslims in Kenya Attack
JUNE 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
______________________________
FACT TANK
Rally Reflects Steadfast (= steady, solid, strong) Opposition to Gay Marriage Among Evangelical Christians, But Where Does Everyone Else Stand?
Throughout the titles and the article texts click colored links for further info
At a time when polls show a growing number of Americans favor same-sex marriage, a coalition of groups
opposing gay marriage are holding a “March for Marriage” in June 2014 in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) this week meets in Detroit and is scheduled to vote on whether to allow same-sex marriages, a move some Christian leaders believe could influence other centrist and liberal mainline Protestant churches as they also grapple (= struggle, "fight", argue) with the issue.
The Sunni-Shia Divide: Where They Live, What They Believe and How They View Each Other
The ongoing and intensifying conflict in Iraq has fallen – at least in part – along sectarian lines, with the Sunni Muslim militant group ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) advancing against the Shia Muslim-led Iraqi government and Shia militias. Sectarian affiliation has played a role in the politics of the region for hundreds of years. READ MORE >>
So, You Married an Atheist…
A new Pew Research Center survey found that despite high levels of political polarization overall, most Americans in each major political party said “it wouldn’t matter” if an immediate family member married someone who identifies with the opposite party. But fewer U.S. adults – especially Christians – are neutral toward the idea of welcoming someone who doesn’t believe in God into their family through marriage. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Some religious groups are okay with same-sex marriage
JUNE 19 - VOX
Vox looks at our recent analysis of major U.S. religious groups' stances on same-sex marriage and the way those positions compare with the opinions of a religious group's members.
IN THE NEWS
Presbyterians Set Vote on Same-Sex Marriage at Convention in Detroit ON FRIDAY /20/14
JUNE 19 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
As Moderate Islamists Retreat, Extremists Surge Unchecked
JUNE 18 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Luxembourg Approves Same Sex Marriage
JUNE 18 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stirring Republican Doubts About the Death Penalty
JUNE 18 - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
As Sunnis Die in Iraq, a Cycle Is Restarting
JUNE 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES *
Pakistan Police Clash With Supporters of Canada-Based Cleric
JUNE 17 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Supreme Court upholds decision barring graduation in church
JUNE 17 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Meet the ‘Evangelical’ Catholics Who Are Remaking the GOP
JUNE 16 - RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE
Hobby Lobby Aims for Obamacare Win, Christian Nation
JUNE 16 - POLITICO
Gunmen Singled out Non-Muslims in Kenya Attack
JUNE 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
______________________________
JUNE 12, 2014 FACT TANK
Southern Baptists Confront a 'Third Way' on Homosexuality and Sin
The Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting this week. The country's largest Protestant body has been confronting an issue agitating many conservative evangelical Christian churches: How to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of same-sex marriage and homosexuality. In 2013, a Pew Research survey found that 78% of white evangelicals said it is a sin to engage in homosexual behavior. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Israel no longer a cause that unifies U.S. Jews
JUNE 8 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In an article about divides within the American Jewish community regarding support for Israel, the Associated Press cites data from last year's Pew Research survey of U.S. Jews. While most Jewish Americans say they are at least somewhat attached to Israel, nearly half (44%) say the continued building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank hurts the security of Israel.
IN THE NEWS
Sunni militants, pushing south, aim at Baghdad
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Opponent resonated with Christian conservatives in a way Cantor could not
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Campaign to crack down on fringe sects in China worries mainstream churches
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Ireland to investigate adoptions, baby deaths at church homes
JUNE 10 - REUTERS
St. Louis archbishop claims to be uncertain if he knew sexual abuse was a crime
JUNE 10 - ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
U.S. law firms flock to gay-marriage proponents, shun other side
JUNE 10 - REUTERS
Pope prays with Israeli, Palestinian presidents
JUNE 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
A Christian climate scientist's mission to convert non-believers
JUNE 8 - NPR
Egypt bans unlicensed preachers, tightens grip on mosques
JUNE 7 - REUTERS
Opponents of health-care law turn to faith-based nonprofits to cover medical expenses
JUNE 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
___________________________
Southern Baptists Confront a 'Third Way' on Homosexuality and Sin
The Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting this week. The country's largest Protestant body has been confronting an issue agitating many conservative evangelical Christian churches: How to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of same-sex marriage and homosexuality. In 2013, a Pew Research survey found that 78% of white evangelicals said it is a sin to engage in homosexual behavior. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Israel no longer a cause that unifies U.S. Jews
JUNE 8 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In an article about divides within the American Jewish community regarding support for Israel, the Associated Press cites data from last year's Pew Research survey of U.S. Jews. While most Jewish Americans say they are at least somewhat attached to Israel, nearly half (44%) say the continued building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank hurts the security of Israel.
IN THE NEWS
Sunni militants, pushing south, aim at Baghdad
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Opponent resonated with Christian conservatives in a way Cantor could not
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Campaign to crack down on fringe sects in China worries mainstream churches
JUNE 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Ireland to investigate adoptions, baby deaths at church homes
JUNE 10 - REUTERS
St. Louis archbishop claims to be uncertain if he knew sexual abuse was a crime
JUNE 10 - ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
U.S. law firms flock to gay-marriage proponents, shun other side
JUNE 10 - REUTERS
Pope prays with Israeli, Palestinian presidents
JUNE 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
A Christian climate scientist's mission to convert non-believers
JUNE 8 - NPR
Egypt bans unlicensed preachers, tightens grip on mosques
JUNE 7 - REUTERS
Opponents of health-care law turn to faith-based nonprofits to cover medical expenses
JUNE 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
___________________________
JUNE 05, 2014- FACT TANK
Four-in-Ten Pakistanis Say Honor Killing of Women Can Be At Least Sometimes Justified
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for "immediate action" last week over the stoning death of a pregnant 25-year-old woman in Lahore. Farzana Parveen’s murder, carried out by her family members because she married a man without their consent, has shined a light on so-called "honor killing," a practice in which relatives end the lives of women and men who are said to bring shame to the family. Sharif called Parveen's death "totally unacceptable," but a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2011 found that his position is unlikely to resonate with all Pakistanis.
READ MORE >>
INTERACTIVES
Same-Sex Marriage: Public Opinion and State-by-State Laws
A recently updated slideshow displays changing U.S. public opinion toward same-sex marriage over time, including differences by generation, religious group, political party, race and gender. We also updated our interactive map, which shows changes in state laws regarding same-sex marriage since 1995, to reflect court rulings that legalized same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania and Oregon.
MEDIA MENTIONS
The complex causes of Pakistan's horrific honor killings problem
JUNE 2 - VOX
Vox's Max Fisher explores the issue of "honor killing" in Pakistan, using public opinion data from our recent Fact Tank post on the issue and our survey of Muslims in 39 countries.
IN THE NEWS
Witnesses: Boko Haram militants slaughter hundreds in northeastern Nigeria
JUNE 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Inquiry urged on site called mass grave of Irish babies
JUNE 4 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Supreme Court declines to halt same-sex marriages in Oregon
JUNE 4 - THE OREGONIAN
Presbyterian Church's realignment persisting
JUNE 3 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE*
Church of England to bar clergy from joining parties seen as racist
JUNE 3 - REUTERS
'Millions denied end-of-life drugs' around the world
JUNE 2 - BBC NEWS
Suspect held by French in Belgian Jewish Museum killings
JUNE 1 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Catholic bishops push (again) on immigration reform
MAY 29 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Southern Baptist membership declines for 7th year
MAY 28 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For Jewish groups, a stand-off between open debate and support of Israel
MAY 28 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION - apostasy = the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.FACT TANK \
- BLASPHEMY = THE ACT OR OFFENSE OF SPEAKING SACRILEGIOUSLY*) ABOUT GOD OR SACRED THINGS; PROFANE TALK. *) SYNONYMS:PROFANE, BLASPHEMOUS, IMPIOUS, SINFUL, IRREVERENT, IRRELIGIOUS, UNHOLY,DISRESPECTFUL
- Which Countries Still Outlaw Apostasy and Blasphemy?
Earlier this month, Sudan sentenced a pregnant woman to death for apostasy, the act of abandoning one's faith — including by converting to another religion. And in Pakistan, a TV station was the latest target in a rash of recent government accusations of blasphemy, defined as speech or actions considered to be contemptuous of God or the divine.
A new Pew Research analysis finds that as of 2012, nearly a quarter of the world's countries and territories (22%) had anti-blasphemy laws or policies, and one-in-ten (11%) had laws or policies penalizing apostasy.
READ MORE >>
Americans Are Somewhat More Open to the Idea of an Atheist President
Many Americans remain uncomfortable with electing a president who does not believe in God, as evidenced by a recent Pew Research survey. Asked about a list of traits and how each would impact their likelihood of supporting a presidential candidate, about half (53%) of Americans said they would be less likely to support an atheist. But that number has gone down since 2007, when six-in-ten Americans (61%) said the same.
READ MORE >>
A Half Century of Well-Traveled Popes
Fifty years after Pope Paul VI traveled to the Holy Land on what was the first trip by a pope outside Italy since 1809, Pope Francis made a pilgrimage to Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel last weekend. It was only Francis' second trip outside Italy – he went to Brazil last year for World Youth Day – but three of his predecessors have covered a significant percentage of the globe.
Led by the prolific travels of Pope John Paul II, pontiffs have reached 135 different countries and territories at least once (not including Vatican City, Italy and San Marino) since 1964. Poland (10 visits), the United States (nine), Spain and France (eight each) are among the most frequent destinations, but popes also have traveled to small African nations such as Lesotho and Pacific islands such as Fiji.
READ MORE >>
Mexicans, Dominicans Are More Catholic Than Most Other Hispanics
The share of Hispanic adults who identify as Catholic is declining as the share of Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated rise, according to a Pew Research survey of U.S. Hispanics. But differences exist among Hispanics when they are looked at by their country of origin. Mexicans and Dominicans are more likely than most other Hispanic origin groups to say they are Catholic. Meanwhile, Salvadorans are more likely to say they are evangelical Protestant than Mexicans, Cubans and Dominicans, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Where offending a religion is against the law
MAY 28 - THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post's World Views blog looks at our recent analysis of laws penalizing blasphemy and apostasy around the world and the distinction between the two types of laws.
IN THE NEWS
Pakistan PM demands prompt report on 'honor killing' of pregnant woman
MAY 29 - REUTERS
Catholic archbishop on Detroit diocese: 'We are a shrinking community'
MAY 28 - DETROIT FREE PRESS*
Witnesses say that attack on church in Central African Republic kills up to 30
MAY 28 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Sudanese woman facing death for apostasy gives birth in jail
MAY 27 - BBC NEWS
Abuse victims skeptical about meeting with pope
MAY 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
One-in-four Canadians declare affiliation to no religion, but why are so many 'nones' surprisingly religious?
MAY 26 - NATIONAL POST*
Crips in Utah: Gang culture invades an unlikely turf
MAY 26 - USA TODAY
How Pennsylvania governor reached decision not to appeal same-sex marriage ruling
MAY 25 - THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER*
3 shot dead at Brussels Jewish Museum
MAY 24 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Tennessee brings back electric chair
MAY 23 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MAY 22, 2014
FACT TANK
Middle East's Christian Population in Flux as Pope Francis Visits Holy Land
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Jordan, the West Bank and Israel this weekend. Since becoming pope, he has expressed concern for the situation of Christians in the region, whom he said "suffer in a particularly severe way the consequences of tensions and conflicts in many parts of the Middle East." After meeting with Christian leaders from the region last fall in the Vatican, Francis said he and other Catholic leaders "will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians."
Between 1900 and 2010, the total number of Christians in the region grew from 1.6 million to 7.5 million. But while the Christian population in the Middle East more than quadrupled in that period, the non-Christian population increased ten-fold. As a result, the Christian share of the overall population in the region decreased from 10% in 1900 to 5% in 2010.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
More Americans willing to vote for an atheist president
MAY 20 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
A new Pew Research survey finds that 53% of Americans say they would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who does not believe in God. But opposition to an atheist president has declined since 2007, as a Religion News Service article points out.
IN THE NEWS
What's behind rising violence in China's west?
MAY 22 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
No appeal of Pennsylvania gay marriage ruling
MAY 21 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE*
Anti-Semitism taboo under threat in Hungary
MAY 21 - REUTERS
Supreme Court puts execution of Missouri man on hold
MAY 21 - ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Christian college faces uproar after bolstering its view on evolution
MAY 20 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Pope picks one of dueling baptism sites in visit to Holy Land
MAY 20 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Gay marriage now appears set in Oregon, but future legal clouds could appear
MAY 19 - THE OREGONIAN
The exodus of Nigeria's Christians
MAY 17 - THE TELEGRAPH
For India's persecuted Muslim minority, caution follows Hindu party's victory
MAY 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
News groups sue for data on Missouri's executions
MAY 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
MAY 15, 2014
FACT TANK
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Pew Research surveys in recent years have found that Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and less likely than older Americans to affiliate with religious groups. Our new survey of U.S. Hispanics and religionenables us to take a more detailed look at whether the trend holds true among the country's largest ethnic minority. And indeed, Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Latinos in the U.S. Have a Strong Belief in the Spirit World
Pope Francis has "sought to rekindle the Devil's image as a supernatural entity with the forces of evil at his beck and call*)," according to a recent Washington Post article.
*) at one's beck and call: = ready to obey one's command immediately
Our survey finds that many U.S. Latinos believe in the spirit world, including some who say they've seen the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Synagogue reaches out to 'Jews of no religion'
MAY 13 - CHICAGO TRIBUNE*
Citing findings from last year's Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans about "Jews of no religion" — the 22% of U.S. Jews who say they have no religion but identify as Jewish or partially Jewish through ancestry or culture — the Chicago Tribune reports on Jewish leaders' efforts to connect with this group.
IN THE NEWS
Sudan woman faces death for apostasy (= the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief) click: Apostasy
MAY 15 - BBC NEWS
Indian Muslims wary of man poised to take reins
MAY 15 - LOS ANGELES TIMES*
Tales of escapees in Nigeria add to worries about other kidnapped girls
MAY 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Conservative states emerge as battleground on same-sex marriage
MAY 14 - DESERET NEWS
Execution of Texas inmate halted by appeals court
MAY 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
26 percent of world's adults are anti-Semitic, survey finds
MAY 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Bobby Jindal, raised Hindu, uses Christian conversion to woo GOP base for 2016 run
MAY 12 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
After Supreme Court's decision on prayers at meetings, what about crosses?
MAY 11 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Ohio Catholic teacher backs gay son, quits to protest contract
MAY 10 - THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER*
Increasing violence in Pakistan surrounding blasphemy cases deters opposition
MAY 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
FACT TANK
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Pew Research surveys in recent years have found that Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and less likely than older Americans to affiliate with religious groups. Our new survey of U.S. Hispanics and religionenables us to take a more detailed look at whether the trend holds true among the country's largest ethnic minority. And indeed, Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Latinos in the U.S. Have a Strong Belief in the Spirit World
Pope Francis has "sought to rekindle the Devil's image as a supernatural entity with the forces of evil at his beck and call*)," according to a recent Washington Post article.
*) at one's beck and call: = ready to obey one's command immediately
Our survey finds that many U.S. Latinos believe in the spirit world, including some who say they've seen the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Synagogue reaches out to 'Jews of no religion'
MAY 13 - CHICAGO TRIBUNE*
Citing findings from last year's Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans about "Jews of no religion" — the 22% of U.S. Jews who say they have no religion but identify as Jewish or partially Jewish through ancestry or culture — the Chicago Tribune reports on Jewish leaders' efforts to connect with this group.
IN THE NEWS
Sudan woman faces death for apostasy (= the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief) click: Apostasy
MAY 15 - BBC NEWS
Indian Muslims wary of man poised to take reins
MAY 15 - LOS ANGELES TIMES*
Tales of escapees in Nigeria add to worries about other kidnapped girls
MAY 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Conservative states emerge as battleground on same-sex marriage
MAY 14 - DESERET NEWS
Execution of Texas inmate halted by appeals court
MAY 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
26 percent of world's adults are anti-Semitic, survey finds
MAY 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Bobby Jindal, raised Hindu, uses Christian conversion to woo GOP base for 2016 run
MAY 12 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
After Supreme Court's decision on prayers at meetings, what about crosses?
MAY 11 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Ohio Catholic teacher backs gay son, quits to protest contract
MAY 10 - THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER*
Increasing violence in Pakistan surrounding blasphemy cases deters opposition
MAY 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
MAY 08, 2014
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
A major new Pew Research survey finds that nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults are now former Catholics, while rising numbers are Protestant or unaffiliated with any religion. In addition to changes in religious affiliation, the report also looks at a variety of other topics, including religious beliefs and practices and views of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. We also have published interactive graphics that look at religious switching among Hispanics and religious, social and political differences between Hispanics and the general public, and among Hispanic religious groups.
FACT TANK
Fewer Hispanics Are Catholic, So How Can More Catholics Be Hispanic?
The percentage of Latinos in the U.S. who are Catholic is declining. A majority (55%) of the nation's estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic, but that's down from two-thirds (67%) as recently as 2010. At the same time, the percentage of all U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic is increasing. That paradox is possible because of the growing size of the Hispanic population, which has increased from 12.5% of the total U.S. population in 2000 to 16.9% in 2012.
READ MORE >>
Hispanic Millennials Are Less Religious Than Older U.S. Hispanics
Millennial adults in the United States are more "detached from institutions," including traditional religion, and younger generations are less likely to affiliate with religious groups, previous Pew Research studies have found. Our new survey finds that Hispanic Millennials mirror young American adults overall in their lower rates of religious affiliation and commitment compared with their older counterparts.
READ MORE >>
Supreme Court Affirms Town Council's Right to Prayer
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case regarding legislative prayer. By a 5-4 majority, the high court ruled that prayer before legislative bodies is not only constitutional, but that it can contain Christian and other faith-specific language, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
How Religious Harassment Varies by Region Across the Globe
Religious harassment and intimidation take many forms, including physical or verbal assaults; desecration of holy sites; and discrimination against religious groups in employment, education and housing. In nearly three out of every four countries of the world, religious groups experience harassment by individuals or groups in society. A recent Fact Tank post looks at which religious groups experience harassment in each major region of the world.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Even as Hispanics lift Catholicism, they're leaving it
MAY 7 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
An article on The New York Times' "The Upshot" website explores the findings from our major survey of U.S. Hispanics and religion and explains the "seemingly mind-bending result: Even as a rising percentage of American Catholics is Hispanic, a falling percentage of American Hispanics is Catholic."
Growing number of Hispanics in U.S. leave Catholic Church
MAY 7 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
The Wall Street Journal's article about our new report on Hispanics and religion looks at two examples of Hispanic adults who have left the Catholic Church and gone in different directions religiously. One has become a Seventh-day Adventist, and the other is religiously unaffiliated
Young Latinos leave Catholicism for no religious affiliation
MAY 7 - NBC NEWS LATINO
Quoting researcher Jessica Martinez, one of the lead authors of the new Pew Research report, NBC News points out that many Latinos ages 18-29 who have left their childhood religion are becoming unaffiliated with any religion.
IN THE NEWS
Jewish Americans ask: What does it mean to be 'pro-Israel'?
MAY 7 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Public school Bible curriculum part of evangelization push from Hobby Lobby's Green
MAY 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Christian leaders say Middle East Christians must not be forgotten
MAY 7 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Vatican tells of 848 priests ousted in decade
MAY 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
White House to send specialists to help recover abducted Nigerian schoolgirls
MAY 6 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Town meetings can have prayer, justices decide
MAY 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Sisi says Muslim Brotherhood will not exist under his reign
MAY 5 - THE GUARDIAN
Fresh doubts raised about papyrus scrap known as 'Gospel of Jesus' Wife'
MAY 4 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Gene Robinson, first openly gay Episcopal bishop, announces his divorce
MAY 3 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
India deploys army in Assam after 31 Muslims killed
MAY 3 - REUTERS
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MAY 01, 2014
FACT TANK
5 Facts About Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer, on which presidents annually proclaim that "the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals." A Fact Tank post looks at the origins and history of the day, as well as survey data on how often Americans pray: 55% of U.S. adults say they pray at least once a day, including 21% of those who are not religiously affiliated.
READ MORE >>
Botched Execution in Oklahoma Renews Death Penalty Debate
Tuesday night's botched execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett is renewing debate about how, and whether, the U.S. should continue to impose the death penalty. A Fact Tank post explores responses from a 2011 Pew Research survey about why Americans support or oppose the death penalty. Roughly half (53%) of supporters said death was the appropriate punishment for murder; among opponents, the leading reasons for not supporting the death penalty (27% each) were that it's morally wrong and that an innocent person could be executed by mistake.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Americans don't like the death penalty as much as they used to
APRIL 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST
A Washington Post blog post uses recent Pew Research survey data to point out that support for the death penalty among Americans dropped from 78% in 1996 to 55% in 2013.
IN THE NEWS
China blames religious extremists for station bombing
MAY 1 - REUTERS
To the dying, spiritual caregivers can be godsend
MAY 1 - THE BOSTON GLOBE*
For more states, execution means improvisation as drug supplies dwindle
APRIL 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Jewish coalition rejects lobbying group's bid to join
APRIL 30 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Sultan of Brunei unveils strict sharia penal code
APRIL 30 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Two U.S. soldiers lose bid to dress according to religious custom
APRIL 28 - REUTERS
North Carolina's gay marriage ban is challenged by church
APRIL 28 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Amid crisis, Ukraine's Jews say 'leave us out of it'
APRIL 28 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Egypt sentences 683 to death in another mass trial
APRIL 28 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ancient Vatican ceremony makes saints of John Paul II and John XXIII
APRIL 27 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
FACT TANK
5 Facts About Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer, on which presidents annually proclaim that "the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals." A Fact Tank post looks at the origins and history of the day, as well as survey data on how often Americans pray: 55% of U.S. adults say they pray at least once a day, including 21% of those who are not religiously affiliated.
READ MORE >>
Botched Execution in Oklahoma Renews Death Penalty Debate
Tuesday night's botched execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett is renewing debate about how, and whether, the U.S. should continue to impose the death penalty. A Fact Tank post explores responses from a 2011 Pew Research survey about why Americans support or oppose the death penalty. Roughly half (53%) of supporters said death was the appropriate punishment for murder; among opponents, the leading reasons for not supporting the death penalty (27% each) were that it's morally wrong and that an innocent person could be executed by mistake.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Americans don't like the death penalty as much as they used to
APRIL 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST
A Washington Post blog post uses recent Pew Research survey data to point out that support for the death penalty among Americans dropped from 78% in 1996 to 55% in 2013.
IN THE NEWS
China blames religious extremists for station bombing
MAY 1 - REUTERS
To the dying, spiritual caregivers can be godsend
MAY 1 - THE BOSTON GLOBE*
For more states, execution means improvisation as drug supplies dwindle
APRIL 30 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Jewish coalition rejects lobbying group's bid to join
APRIL 30 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Sultan of Brunei unveils strict sharia penal code
APRIL 30 - AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Two U.S. soldiers lose bid to dress according to religious custom
APRIL 28 - REUTERS
North Carolina's gay marriage ban is challenged by church
APRIL 28 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Amid crisis, Ukraine's Jews say 'leave us out of it'
APRIL 28 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Egypt sentences 683 to death in another mass trial
APRIL 28 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ancient Vatican ceremony makes saints of John Paul II and John XXIII
APRIL 27 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
APRIL 24, 2014
FACT TANK
Papal Saints: Once a Given, Now Extremely Rare
Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will both be canonized this weekend in the Vatican — the first time in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church that two popes will be declared saints at the same time. While nearly all of the popes from the church's first several centuries eventually became saints, it has become a much rarer occurrence in modern times. After this weekend, only seven popes from the last 1,000 years will have been canonized, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Cameron's 'Christian Country': What the Numbers Say About Religion in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom "should be more confident about [its] status as a Christian country," Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a recent opinion piece published before Easter. His statement has generated a debate about the religious makeup of the U.K. The 2011 census found a majority of England and Wales is Christian — as well as majorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland. But some surveys show a lower level of affiliation with Christianity.
READ MORE >>
When Easter and Christmas Near, More Americans Search Online for 'Church'
Priests and ministers have long noted a sharp increase in church attendance around the two most significant Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter. More Americans search for "church" on Google around Easter than at any other time, with the Christmas season usually ranking second, according to Google Trends data between 2004 and 2013. The lowest share of searches occur the week of Thanksgiving in November each year.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Extreme measures for boosting church attendance
APRIL 21 - THE COLBERT REPORT
In a bit on his satirical comedy show, Stephen Colbert cited recent Pew Research data showing a modestly growing share of Americans who say they seldom or never attend religious services.
IN THE NEWS
Historic canonization of two popes brings joy and controversy
APRIL 24 - REUTERS
Path to executions cleared as Oklahoma Supreme Court reverses lower court's ruling
APRIL 24 - TULSA WORLD
Mississippi sets 20-week limit on abortions
APRIL 24 - REUTERS
Film at 9/11 museum sets off clash over reference to Islam
APRIL 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
France clamps down on radicalization of would-be Syria jihadis
APRIL 22 - THE GUARDIAN
U.S. Army approves 'humanist' as religious preference
APRIL 22 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Cameron's Christianity remarks divisive, public figures claim
APRIL 21 - BBC NEWS
French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
APRIL 21 - REUTERS
Openly gay judge in spotlight overseeing Oregon same-sex marriage case
APRIL 17 - THE OREGONIAN
Demands that Jews register in eastern Ukraine are denounced, and denied
APRIL 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
FACT TANK
Papal Saints: Once a Given, Now Extremely Rare
Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will both be canonized this weekend in the Vatican — the first time in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church that two popes will be declared saints at the same time. While nearly all of the popes from the church's first several centuries eventually became saints, it has become a much rarer occurrence in modern times. After this weekend, only seven popes from the last 1,000 years will have been canonized, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Cameron's 'Christian Country': What the Numbers Say About Religion in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom "should be more confident about [its] status as a Christian country," Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a recent opinion piece published before Easter. His statement has generated a debate about the religious makeup of the U.K. The 2011 census found a majority of England and Wales is Christian — as well as majorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland. But some surveys show a lower level of affiliation with Christianity.
READ MORE >>
When Easter and Christmas Near, More Americans Search Online for 'Church'
Priests and ministers have long noted a sharp increase in church attendance around the two most significant Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter. More Americans search for "church" on Google around Easter than at any other time, with the Christmas season usually ranking second, according to Google Trends data between 2004 and 2013. The lowest share of searches occur the week of Thanksgiving in November each year.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
Extreme measures for boosting church attendance
APRIL 21 - THE COLBERT REPORT
In a bit on his satirical comedy show, Stephen Colbert cited recent Pew Research data showing a modestly growing share of Americans who say they seldom or never attend religious services.
IN THE NEWS
Historic canonization of two popes brings joy and controversy
APRIL 24 - REUTERS
Path to executions cleared as Oklahoma Supreme Court reverses lower court's ruling
APRIL 24 - TULSA WORLD
Mississippi sets 20-week limit on abortions
APRIL 24 - REUTERS
Film at 9/11 museum sets off clash over reference to Islam
APRIL 23 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
France clamps down on radicalization of would-be Syria jihadis
APRIL 22 - THE GUARDIAN
U.S. Army approves 'humanist' as religious preference
APRIL 22 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Cameron's Christianity remarks divisive, public figures claim
APRIL 21 - BBC NEWS
French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
APRIL 21 - REUTERS
Openly gay judge in spotlight overseeing Oregon same-sex marriage case
APRIL 17 - THE OREGONIAN
Demands that Jews register in eastern Ukraine are denounced, and denied
APRIL 17 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
APRIL 17, 2014
FACT TANK
Africans Among the Most Morally Opposed to Contraception
Last week, Pope Francis praised church workers in Africa for their work encouraging "sexual responsibility and chastity" to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. A Fact Tank post explains how relatively large shares of some African nations see contraception as immoral, in agreement with Catholic Church teaching. For example, 54% of Nigerians and 52% of Ghanaians say that using contraceptives is morally unacceptable; out of 40 countries surveyed by Pew Research, only Pakistan (65%) had a higher rate of moral opposition.
READ MORE >>
Attending a Seder is Common Practice for American Jews
The Jewish festival of Passover is underway, and many Jews gathered with family and friends at Seders earlier this week. A 2013 Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans found that attending a Seder is an extremely common practice for the group: While only 23% of U.S. Jews said they attend religious services at least monthly, 70% said they participated in a Seder last year.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
A surprising map of the world's most and least religiously diverse countries
APRIL 15 - VOX
The results of a recent Pew Research study of religious diversity around the world were surprising in some ways, according to Vox, which created its own map based on the data and explored the findings from several angles.
IN THE NEWS
Church must be open to sick, homeless, pope says on Holy Thursday
APRIL 17 - REUTERS
Oklahoma gay marriage case before U.S. appeals court
APRIL 17 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palestinians, Israeli police clash at Jerusalem holy site
APRIL 16 - REUTERS
Egypt clamps hold over mosques to control message
APRIL 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York drops unit that spied on Muslims
APRIL 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Hobby Lobby's Steve Green launches a new project: a public school Bible curriculum
APRIL 15 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Capital murder among charges for suspect in Kansas shooting
APRIL 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
India's Muslims worried about controversial Hindu leader as national elections begin
APRIL 14 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Task force faults Twin Cities archdiocese for 'dreadful' abuses
APRIL 14 - STAR TRIBUNE*
Nigeria violence: More than 70 killed in Abuja bus blast
APRIL 14 - BBC NEWS
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
FACT TANK
Africans Among the Most Morally Opposed to Contraception
Last week, Pope Francis praised church workers in Africa for their work encouraging "sexual responsibility and chastity" to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. A Fact Tank post explains how relatively large shares of some African nations see contraception as immoral, in agreement with Catholic Church teaching. For example, 54% of Nigerians and 52% of Ghanaians say that using contraceptives is morally unacceptable; out of 40 countries surveyed by Pew Research, only Pakistan (65%) had a higher rate of moral opposition.
READ MORE >>
Attending a Seder is Common Practice for American Jews
The Jewish festival of Passover is underway, and many Jews gathered with family and friends at Seders earlier this week. A 2013 Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans found that attending a Seder is an extremely common practice for the group: While only 23% of U.S. Jews said they attend religious services at least monthly, 70% said they participated in a Seder last year.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
A surprising map of the world's most and least religiously diverse countries
APRIL 15 - VOX
The results of a recent Pew Research study of religious diversity around the world were surprising in some ways, according to Vox, which created its own map based on the data and explored the findings from several angles.
IN THE NEWS
Church must be open to sick, homeless, pope says on Holy Thursday
APRIL 17 - REUTERS
Oklahoma gay marriage case before U.S. appeals court
APRIL 17 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palestinians, Israeli police clash at Jerusalem holy site
APRIL 16 - REUTERS
Egypt clamps hold over mosques to control message
APRIL 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York drops unit that spied on Muslims
APRIL 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Hobby Lobby's Steve Green launches a new project: a public school Bible curriculum
APRIL 15 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Capital murder among charges for suspect in Kansas shooting
APRIL 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
India's Muslims worried about controversial Hindu leader as national elections begin
APRIL 14 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Task force faults Twin Cities archdiocese for 'dreadful' abuses
APRIL 14 - STAR TRIBUNE*
Nigeria violence: More than 70 killed in Abuja bus blast
APRIL 14 - BBC NEWS
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
APRIL 10, 2014
DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY
Global Religious Diversity: Half of the Most Religiously Diverse Countries are in Asia-Pacific Region
A new Pew Research Center study ranks 232 countries and territories by level of religious diversity, looking at the share of each country's population that belongs to eight major religious groups, including the unaffiliated. The closer a country comes to having equal shares of the eight groups, the higher its score on a 10-point Religious Diversity Index. By our measure, Singapore ranks as the world's most religiously diverse nation; an online table shows each country's religious composition and rank.
FACT TANK
U.S. Doesn't Rank High in Religious Diversity
The United States has often been described as a religiously diverse country, but from a global perspective, it really is not all that religiously diverse, according to a new Pew Research study. In fact, 95% of the U.S. population is either Christian or religiously unaffiliated, while all other religions combined account for just 5% of Americans. As a result, the U.S. ranks 68th out of 232 countries and territories on our Religious Diversity Index.
READ MORE >>
Gay Marriage Battle Moves Back to Courts
A federal appeals court today heard arguments in a constitutional challenge to Utah's same-sex marriage ban – the first of several upcoming court challenges to state bans. The first few states to legalize same-sex marriage did so via court decisions, but just a year ago, most of the battles about the issue were occurring in state legislatures or at the ballot box.
READ MORE >>
INTERACTIVE ESSAY
The Next America
The changing religious makeup of Americans is among the demographic transformations highlighted in a new Pew Research book. An interactive essay explores some of the key trends, including the religious divide among generations. The young are the least religiously affiliated group in modern American history; older Americans are the most devout believers in the advanced, industrialized world.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The countries with the highest religious diversity are mostly in Asia-Pacific
APRIL 6 - THE HUFFINGTON POST
Exploring findings from the new Pew Research study on global religious diversity, The Huffington Post includes a slideshow of the 12 countries and territories with "very high" religious diversity, six of which are in the Asia-Pacific region.
IN THE NEWS
As riot-hit Indian region votes, religious divide favors Modi
APRIL 10 - REUTERS
Same-sex marriage battle escalates to force Supreme Court decision on constitutionality
APRIL 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Will the latest Catholic Mass translation get another overhaul?
APRIL 9 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Future of Quebec's separatist party in doubt
APRIL 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brandeis cancels plan to give honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a critic of Islam
APRIL 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Turkey opposition embattled after big election loss
APRIL 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Gunman kills Dutch priest in Syrian city of Homs
APRIL 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mormon women again turned away from priesthood meeting
APRIL 5 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Mozilla CEO steps down after protests from gay marriage supporters
APRIL 3 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Fleeing sectarian wrath in Central African Republic, Muslim families try to escape bloody reprisals
MARCH 30 - LOS ANGELES TIMES*
* SOME WEBSITES MAY REQUIRE A PAID SUBSCRIPTION
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY
Global Religious Diversity: Half of the Most Religiously Diverse Countries are in Asia-Pacific Region
A new Pew Research Center study ranks 232 countries and territories by level of religious diversity, looking at the share of each country's population that belongs to eight major religious groups, including the unaffiliated. The closer a country comes to having equal shares of the eight groups, the higher its score on a 10-point Religious Diversity Index. By our measure, Singapore ranks as the world's most religiously diverse nation; an online table shows each country's religious composition and rank.
FACT TANK
U.S. Doesn't Rank High in Religious Diversity
The United States has often been described as a religiously diverse country, but from a global perspective, it really is not all that religiously diverse, according to a new Pew Research study. In fact, 95% of the U.S. population is either Christian or religiously unaffiliated, while all other religions combined account for just 5% of Americans. As a result, the U.S. ranks 68th out of 232 countries and territories on our Religious Diversity Index.
READ MORE >>
Gay Marriage Battle Moves Back to Courts
A federal appeals court today heard arguments in a constitutional challenge to Utah's same-sex marriage ban – the first of several upcoming court challenges to state bans. The first few states to legalize same-sex marriage did so via court decisions, but just a year ago, most of the battles about the issue were occurring in state legislatures or at the ballot box.
READ MORE >>
INTERACTIVE ESSAY
The Next America
The changing religious makeup of Americans is among the demographic transformations highlighted in a new Pew Research book. An interactive essay explores some of the key trends, including the religious divide among generations. The young are the least religiously affiliated group in modern American history; older Americans are the most devout believers in the advanced, industrialized world.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
The countries with the highest religious diversity are mostly in Asia-Pacific
APRIL 6 - THE HUFFINGTON POST
Exploring findings from the new Pew Research study on global religious diversity, The Huffington Post includes a slideshow of the 12 countries and territories with "very high" religious diversity, six of which are in the Asia-Pacific region.
IN THE NEWS
As riot-hit Indian region votes, religious divide favors Modi
APRIL 10 - REUTERS
Same-sex marriage battle escalates to force Supreme Court decision on constitutionality
APRIL 9 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Will the latest Catholic Mass translation get another overhaul?
APRIL 9 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Future of Quebec's separatist party in doubt
APRIL 9 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brandeis cancels plan to give honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a critic of Islam
APRIL 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Turkey opposition embattled after big election loss
APRIL 8 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Gunman kills Dutch priest in Syrian city of Homs
APRIL 7 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mormon women again turned away from priesthood meeting
APRIL 5 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Mozilla CEO steps down after protests from gay marriage supporters
APRIL 3 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL*
Fleeing sectarian wrath in Central African Republic, Muslim families try to escape bloody reprisals
MARCH 30 - LOS ANGELES TIMES*
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APRIL 03, 2014
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
Shrinking Majority of Americans Support Death Penalty
While a majority of U.S. adults still support the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, public support for capital punishment has been ticking downward for the past two decades, a new analysis of a 2013 Pew Research Center survey shows. Since 1996, the margin between those who favor the death penalty and those who oppose it has narrowed from a 60-point gap (78% favor vs. 18% oppose) to an 18-point difference in 2013 (55% favor vs. 37% oppose).
READ MORE >>
Number of Executions in Each State Since 1977
An interactive timeline and gif show how many executions have occurred in each state in a given year or overall since 1977, the year after the Supreme Court reaffirmed its approval of the death penalty. Each dot represents one execution by the state, according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center.
SEE THE INTERACTIVE >>
FACT TANK
Lower Support for Death Penalty Tracks With Falling Crime Rates, More Exonerations
Researchers have suggested several reasons for the decline in support for the death penalty since the mid-1990s, including a steep drop in the incidence of violent crime and greater attention to wrongful convictions. In general, public support for the death penalty has tracked rates of violent crime, as calculated by the FBI.
READ MORE >>
Among Afghan Public, Mixed Support for Women's Rights
The debate about women's participation in Afghanistan's political process has intensified ahead of this weekend's elections, in part due to the unusually high level of women's involvement in campaigns. A record number of women are running for provincial council seats, according to The New York Times, and Habiba Sarobi is the first female vice presidential candidate on a leading ticket. Surveys show mixed feelings among the Afghan public about women's role in society, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Catholics, Other Christians Support Immigration Reform, But Say Faith Plays Small Role
Several prominent U.S. Catholic bishops called attention to immigration reform this week at the border with Mexico. Roughly three-quarters of American adults (73%) say that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be able to stay, according to a 2014 Pew Research survey, and Catholics closely resemble the general public on this question. A survey we conducted in 2010 found that just 7% of U.S. adults said their religious beliefs were the biggest influence on their thinking regarding illegal immigration.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
See where every execution has taken place since 1977, in one map
MARCH 28 - THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post's Gov Beat blog explores findings from a recent Pew Research analysis of public opinion about the death penalty and a state-by-state map of how many executions have occurred since 1977.
IN THE NEWS
Supreme Court to decide Texas execution drug case
APRIL 3 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clergy take a moral stand in Central African Republic conflict
APRIL 3 - THE IRISH TIMES
Abortion providers in Texas sue over a restrictive rule that could close clinics
APRIL 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Pope Francis calls traditional marriage an icon of God's love
APRIL 2 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Atlanta archbishop apologizes for $2.2 million home
APRIL 1 - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION*
Cardinal O'Malley: Immigrant outreach on Mexican border inspired by Pope Francis
APRIL 1 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time
APRIL 1 - REUTERS
UK's Cameron orders probe of Muslim Brotherhood
APRIL 1 - BBC NEWS
Christian charity backtracks on gays
MARCH 27 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Church door slowly opens to Italy's gay Catholics
MARCH 27 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
Shrinking Majority of Americans Support Death Penalty
While a majority of U.S. adults still support the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, public support for capital punishment has been ticking downward for the past two decades, a new analysis of a 2013 Pew Research Center survey shows. Since 1996, the margin between those who favor the death penalty and those who oppose it has narrowed from a 60-point gap (78% favor vs. 18% oppose) to an 18-point difference in 2013 (55% favor vs. 37% oppose).
READ MORE >>
Number of Executions in Each State Since 1977
An interactive timeline and gif show how many executions have occurred in each state in a given year or overall since 1977, the year after the Supreme Court reaffirmed its approval of the death penalty. Each dot represents one execution by the state, according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center.
SEE THE INTERACTIVE >>
FACT TANK
Lower Support for Death Penalty Tracks With Falling Crime Rates, More Exonerations
Researchers have suggested several reasons for the decline in support for the death penalty since the mid-1990s, including a steep drop in the incidence of violent crime and greater attention to wrongful convictions. In general, public support for the death penalty has tracked rates of violent crime, as calculated by the FBI.
READ MORE >>
Among Afghan Public, Mixed Support for Women's Rights
The debate about women's participation in Afghanistan's political process has intensified ahead of this weekend's elections, in part due to the unusually high level of women's involvement in campaigns. A record number of women are running for provincial council seats, according to The New York Times, and Habiba Sarobi is the first female vice presidential candidate on a leading ticket. Surveys show mixed feelings among the Afghan public about women's role in society, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
Catholics, Other Christians Support Immigration Reform, But Say Faith Plays Small Role
Several prominent U.S. Catholic bishops called attention to immigration reform this week at the border with Mexico. Roughly three-quarters of American adults (73%) say that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be able to stay, according to a 2014 Pew Research survey, and Catholics closely resemble the general public on this question. A survey we conducted in 2010 found that just 7% of U.S. adults said their religious beliefs were the biggest influence on their thinking regarding illegal immigration.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
See where every execution has taken place since 1977, in one map
MARCH 28 - THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post's Gov Beat blog explores findings from a recent Pew Research analysis of public opinion about the death penalty and a state-by-state map of how many executions have occurred since 1977.
IN THE NEWS
Supreme Court to decide Texas execution drug case
APRIL 3 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clergy take a moral stand in Central African Republic conflict
APRIL 3 - THE IRISH TIMES
Abortion providers in Texas sue over a restrictive rule that could close clinics
APRIL 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Pope Francis calls traditional marriage an icon of God's love
APRIL 2 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Atlanta archbishop apologizes for $2.2 million home
APRIL 1 - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION*
Cardinal O'Malley: Immigrant outreach on Mexican border inspired by Pope Francis
APRIL 1 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time
APRIL 1 - REUTERS
UK's Cameron orders probe of Muslim Brotherhood
APRIL 1 - BBC NEWS
Christian charity backtracks on gays
MARCH 27 - THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Church door slowly opens to Italy's gay Catholics
MARCH 27 - THE WASHINGTON POST*
MARCH 27, 2014
Throughout the list click colored areas for further info
FACT TANK
Click: U.S. Catholics Mirror General Public on Views of Inequality
When President Obama met with Pope Francis today at the Vatican, among the issues they reportedly discussed were poverty and growing income inequality. Pew Research surveys show that many U.S. Catholics are supportive of government action meant to address these issues, but they are not necessarily more supportive of such action than the public as a whole.
Click: READ MORE >>
Resources on the Supreme Court and the Affordable Care Act's Contraception Mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two related cases, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, involving for-profit business owners' religious objections to regulations in the Affordable Care Act that require many employers to include free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees' health insurance plans. A Fact Tank post answers five key questions about the cases and why they are important. Another looks ahead at the possibility of the high court considering the same issue again in a challenge brought by religiously affiliated nonprofits.
Click: MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 24 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Here's what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case
In its preview of the Supreme Court cases regarding religious objections to the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog quotes a Pew Research legal backgrounder on the cases.
Click: READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
Click: RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama, Francis find common ground among divisions
MARCH 27 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Harsh laws in some African nations serve as a catalyst for gay activists
MARCH 26 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
World Vision reverses course on same-sex marriage policy
MARCH 26 - REUTERS
Missouri executes killer of teenage girl
MARCH 25 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Supreme Court divided as it hears argument on contraceptive coverage
MARCH 24 - POLITICO
Taxpayers fund creationism in the classroom
MARCH 24 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
Legal questions abound over same-sex marriages in Michigan
MARCH 24 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Uganda's anti-gay law complicates U.S. aid in rebel hunt
MARCH 23 - THE GUARDIAN
War is over – now Serbs and Bosniaks fight to win control of a brutal history
MARCH 22 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope taps women, victims for sex abuse commission
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
Throughout the list click colored areas for further info
FACT TANK
Click: U.S. Catholics Mirror General Public on Views of Inequality
When President Obama met with Pope Francis today at the Vatican, among the issues they reportedly discussed were poverty and growing income inequality. Pew Research surveys show that many U.S. Catholics are supportive of government action meant to address these issues, but they are not necessarily more supportive of such action than the public as a whole.
Click: READ MORE >>
Resources on the Supreme Court and the Affordable Care Act's Contraception Mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two related cases, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, involving for-profit business owners' religious objections to regulations in the Affordable Care Act that require many employers to include free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees' health insurance plans. A Fact Tank post answers five key questions about the cases and why they are important. Another looks ahead at the possibility of the high court considering the same issue again in a challenge brought by religiously affiliated nonprofits.
Click: MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 24 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Here's what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case
In its preview of the Supreme Court cases regarding religious objections to the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog quotes a Pew Research legal backgrounder on the cases.
Click: READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
Click: RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama, Francis find common ground among divisions
MARCH 27 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Harsh laws in some African nations serve as a catalyst for gay activists
MARCH 26 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
World Vision reverses course on same-sex marriage policy
MARCH 26 - REUTERS
Missouri executes killer of teenage girl
MARCH 25 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Supreme Court divided as it hears argument on contraceptive coverage
MARCH 24 - POLITICO
Taxpayers fund creationism in the classroom
MARCH 24 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
Legal questions abound over same-sex marriages in Michigan
MARCH 24 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Uganda's anti-gay law complicates U.S. aid in rebel hunt
MARCH 23 - THE GUARDIAN
War is over – now Serbs and Bosniaks fight to win control of a brutal history
MARCH 22 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope taps women, victims for sex abuse commission
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan source of data and analysis. It does not take
advocacy positions. Its Religion & Public Life Project delivers information on issues
at the intersection of religion and public affairs in the U.S. and around the world.
© PEW RESEARCH CENTER | 1615 L Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036
Click. Pew Research Center
: __________________________________________________________________
MARCH 20, 2014
LEGAL BACKGROUNDER
Health Care Law's 'Contraception Mandate' Reaches the Supreme Court
On March 25, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases arising from the Affordable Care Act. Both involve for-profit businesses whose owners object – for religious reasons – to free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees' health insurance plans. A new Pew Research backgrounder looks at both sides' arguments and why the eventual decision may have broad significance.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Religious Police Found in Nearly One-in-Ten Countries Worldwide
As of 2012, at least 17 nations (9% worldwide) have police that enforce religious norms, according to a new Fact Tank post based on a recent Pew Research analysis. These actions are particularly common in the Middle East and North Africa, where roughly one-third of countries (35%) have police enforcing religious norms.
READ MORE >>
Support for Gay Marriage Up Among Black Protestants in Last Year, Flat Among White Evangelicals
New Pew Research data from 2014 show that just within the past year, growing shares of some Christian groups favor same-sex marriage, with the sharpest change occurring among black Protestants.
READ MORE >>
New Muslim American Council Aims to Measure a Diverse Community
The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations recently announced its formation, uniting 10 major American Muslim groups and aiming to "serve as a representative voice" for the population of about 2.75 million — a community that Pew Research surveys have found to be diverse in many ways, whether by racial or ethnic identity or political ideology.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Synagogue, rebooted: Lab/Shul is an experimental Jewish gathering still in its beta phase
In an article about a New York "pop-up synagogue," The New York Times cites last year's Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans, which found that roughly one-third of U.S. Jews (31%) say they belong to a synagogue.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 20 - USA TODAY
Religious challenge to health care law hits high court
MARCH 19 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Gay rights, money and morals: Guinness sent a message about role of business in social change
MARCH 18 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
Gay community watching Michigan for change, and not just judge's marriage ruling
MARCH 17 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Christian-Muslim marriages are latest casualty of sectarian strife in Central African Republic
MARCH 17 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Mormon women seeking priesthood may be blocked from Temple Square
MARCH 16 - THE BOSTON GLOBE
Crisis stirs old fears for Ukraine's Jews
MARCH 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Denominations downsizing and selling assets in more secular era
MARCH 14 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
In Syrian province, Islamist militant group flexing its muscle
MARCH 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saudi's lonely, costly bid for Sunni-Shiite equality
MARCH 13 - REUTERS
In Vatican shake-up, Pope Francis redefines role of second-in-command
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
advocacy positions. Its Religion & Public Life Project delivers information on issues
at the intersection of religion and public affairs in the U.S. and around the world.
© PEW RESEARCH CENTER | 1615 L Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036
Click. Pew Research Center
: __________________________________________________________________
MARCH 20, 2014
LEGAL BACKGROUNDER
Health Care Law's 'Contraception Mandate' Reaches the Supreme Court
On March 25, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases arising from the Affordable Care Act. Both involve for-profit businesses whose owners object – for religious reasons – to free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees' health insurance plans. A new Pew Research backgrounder looks at both sides' arguments and why the eventual decision may have broad significance.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Religious Police Found in Nearly One-in-Ten Countries Worldwide
As of 2012, at least 17 nations (9% worldwide) have police that enforce religious norms, according to a new Fact Tank post based on a recent Pew Research analysis. These actions are particularly common in the Middle East and North Africa, where roughly one-third of countries (35%) have police enforcing religious norms.
READ MORE >>
Support for Gay Marriage Up Among Black Protestants in Last Year, Flat Among White Evangelicals
New Pew Research data from 2014 show that just within the past year, growing shares of some Christian groups favor same-sex marriage, with the sharpest change occurring among black Protestants.
READ MORE >>
New Muslim American Council Aims to Measure a Diverse Community
The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations recently announced its formation, uniting 10 major American Muslim groups and aiming to "serve as a representative voice" for the population of about 2.75 million — a community that Pew Research surveys have found to be diverse in many ways, whether by racial or ethnic identity or political ideology.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Synagogue, rebooted: Lab/Shul is an experimental Jewish gathering still in its beta phase
In an article about a New York "pop-up synagogue," The New York Times cites last year's Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans, which found that roughly one-third of U.S. Jews (31%) say they belong to a synagogue.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 20 - USA TODAY
Religious challenge to health care law hits high court
MARCH 19 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Gay rights, money and morals: Guinness sent a message about role of business in social change
MARCH 18 - DETROIT FREE PRESS
Gay community watching Michigan for change, and not just judge's marriage ruling
MARCH 17 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Christian-Muslim marriages are latest casualty of sectarian strife in Central African Republic
MARCH 17 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Mormon women seeking priesthood may be blocked from Temple Square
MARCH 16 - THE BOSTON GLOBE
Crisis stirs old fears for Ukraine's Jews
MARCH 15 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Denominations downsizing and selling assets in more secular era
MARCH 14 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
In Syrian province, Islamist militant group flexing its muscle
MARCH 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saudi's lonely, costly bid for Sunni-Shiite equality
MARCH 13 - REUTERS
In Vatican shake-up, Pope Francis redefines role of second-in-command
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
MARCH 13, 2014
FACT TANK
U.S. Catholics More Hopeful Than Expectant of Changes to Church Teachings
Thursday marks one year since Pope Francis was elected to the papacy — a year in which the former Argentine archbishop’s tone and approach raised expectations of change in the church’s direction. A recent Pew Research survey found that many U.S. Catholics would like to see changes on specific church teachings, but they are less certain that those changes will happen, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
Click:: READ MORE >>
Is the Mormon Church Expanding the Role of Women?
The number of women signing up for Mormon missions has nearly tripled since October 2012, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered its age requirement for female missionaries from 21 to 19, according to a recent New York Times article. Gender issues are receiving more attention among the all-male church leadership, but Mormon men and women have been much more supportive of traditional gender roles than other Americans.
Click: READ MORE >>
Controversy Over New Israeli Law Highlights Growing Ultra-Orthodox Population
Israel’s legislative body, the Knesset, passed a law Wednesday aimed at drafting Haredim (also called ultra-Orthodox Jews) into the military. The ultra-Orthodox appear to be growing as a share of the Israeli population: The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, for instance, projects that the percentage of Israelis who identify as ultra-Orthodox will increase from 11% to 18% between 2011 and 2030.
Click: READ MORE >>
PEW RESEARCH'S GLOBAL ATTITUDES PROJECT
Worldwide, Many See Belief in God as Essential to Morality
Many people around the world think it is necessary to believe in God to be a moral person, according to surveys in 40 countries by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. However, this view is more common in poorer countries than in wealthier ones.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click: MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 11 - REUTERS
A year on, Pope Francis faces challenges meeting reform hopes
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis' election, Reuters looks at the expectations of change the pontiff has raised among Catholics. The article cites a recent Pew Research survey, which found that majorities of U.S. Catholics say the church should allow its members to use birth control (77%), allow priests to get married (72%) and ordain women as priests (68%).
Click: READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
Click: RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Catholics, evangelicals press GOP on immigration
MARCH 12 - USA TODAY
Malaysians lift up missing flight in prayers
MARCH 12 - THE WASHINGTON TIMES
New group aims to conduct census of Muslim Americans
MARCH 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israel passes law meant to draft ultra-Orthodox
MARCH 12 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Pope Francis 'as real as it gets' in first year
MARCH 11 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Fewer than 1,000 Muslims left in Central African Republic capital
MARCH 11 - NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
Some US dioceses report results of questionnaire on family issues
MARCH 10 - REUTERS
US lawmakers urge Pentagon to allow Sikhs leeway in military attire
MARCH 10 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Methodist bishop to end trials for ministers who perform gay weddings
MARCH 9 - REUTERS
Orthodox patriarchs urge peace in Ukraine, plan first council in 1,200 years
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
FACT TANK
U.S. Catholics More Hopeful Than Expectant of Changes to Church Teachings
Thursday marks one year since Pope Francis was elected to the papacy — a year in which the former Argentine archbishop’s tone and approach raised expectations of change in the church’s direction. A recent Pew Research survey found that many U.S. Catholics would like to see changes on specific church teachings, but they are less certain that those changes will happen, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
Click:: READ MORE >>
Is the Mormon Church Expanding the Role of Women?
The number of women signing up for Mormon missions has nearly tripled since October 2012, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered its age requirement for female missionaries from 21 to 19, according to a recent New York Times article. Gender issues are receiving more attention among the all-male church leadership, but Mormon men and women have been much more supportive of traditional gender roles than other Americans.
Click: READ MORE >>
Controversy Over New Israeli Law Highlights Growing Ultra-Orthodox Population
Israel’s legislative body, the Knesset, passed a law Wednesday aimed at drafting Haredim (also called ultra-Orthodox Jews) into the military. The ultra-Orthodox appear to be growing as a share of the Israeli population: The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, for instance, projects that the percentage of Israelis who identify as ultra-Orthodox will increase from 11% to 18% between 2011 and 2030.
Click: READ MORE >>
PEW RESEARCH'S GLOBAL ATTITUDES PROJECT
Worldwide, Many See Belief in God as Essential to Morality
Many people around the world think it is necessary to believe in God to be a moral person, according to surveys in 40 countries by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. However, this view is more common in poorer countries than in wealthier ones.
Click: READ MORE >>
Click: MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 11 - REUTERS
A year on, Pope Francis faces challenges meeting reform hopes
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis' election, Reuters looks at the expectations of change the pontiff has raised among Catholics. The article cites a recent Pew Research survey, which found that majorities of U.S. Catholics say the church should allow its members to use birth control (77%), allow priests to get married (72%) and ordain women as priests (68%).
Click: READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
Click: RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Catholics, evangelicals press GOP on immigration
MARCH 12 - USA TODAY
Malaysians lift up missing flight in prayers
MARCH 12 - THE WASHINGTON TIMES
New group aims to conduct census of Muslim Americans
MARCH 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israel passes law meant to draft ultra-Orthodox
MARCH 12 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Pope Francis 'as real as it gets' in first year
MARCH 11 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Fewer than 1,000 Muslims left in Central African Republic capital
MARCH 11 - NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
Some US dioceses report results of questionnaire on family issues
MARCH 10 - REUTERS
US lawmakers urge Pentagon to allow Sikhs leeway in military attire
MARCH 10 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Methodist bishop to end trials for ministers who perform gay weddings
MARCH 9 - REUTERS
Orthodox patriarchs urge peace in Ukraine, plan first council in 1,200 years
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
MARCH 6, 2014
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis as a Change for the Better
One year into his pontificate, Pope Francis remains immensely popular among American Catholics and is widely seen as a force for positive change within the Roman Catholic Church, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. More than eight-in-ten U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of the pontiff, while seven-in-ten now say Francis represents a major change in direction for the church.
READ MORE >>
How U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis: In Their Own Words
To understand a little more about the popularity of Pope Francis, we asked respondents if they would be willing to elaborate on their answers to our survey questions. We called some of those Catholics back for longer conversations about their faith; the results are not meant to be comprehensive or representative of all Catholics, but they are illustrative of how some feel about the pope.
READ MORE >>
Media Coverage of Pope Francis' First Year
Francis, in his first year, has brought renewed visibility to the papacy, a new analysis by Pew Research's Journalism Project finds. The new pope ranks among major world leaders in total media attention, and has benefited from more positive treatment on Twitter than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, received in his final year as pontiff.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Francis has changed American Catholics' attitudes, but not their behavior, a poll finds
The New York Times explores the findings in the new Pew Research survey on Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, including the level of expectation among Catholics that the church will change its doctrines on issues such as allowing priests to marry.
MARCH 6 - FOX NEWS
Pope Francis' popularity rivals that of John Paul II among American Catholics, survey finds
Fox News' article about our survey compares U.S. Catholics' favorable views toward Pope Francis with their opinions about the highly popular John Paul II, whose papacy lasted from 1978 until his death in 2005.
MARCH 6 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Pope Francis is making more Catholics excited about faith, but actions slow to follow
Pope Francis "appears not to have had much impact on the number of Americans attending Mass, converting to Catholicism, giving to Catholic charities and other conventional measures," The Washington Post observes. "... And yet, his effect is undeniably everywhere."
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 5 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Women could have greater role in church, says pope
MARCH 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope offended by his own myth and mystique
MARCH 5 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Buddhist monks join protests in Thailand
MARCH 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
U.S. evangelicals on the defense over Uganda's new Anti-Homosexuality Act
MARCH 3 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Supreme Court agrees to weigh an inmate's right to grow a beard for religious reasons
MARCH 3 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Train station rampage further strains ethnic relations in China
MARCH 2 - REUTERS
Indian Hindu nationalist Modi turns to Muslim voters
MARCH 1 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Missions signal a growing role for Mormon women
MARCH 1 - CHICAGO TRIBUNE
An unheeded voice against abusive priests
FEB. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kentucky must recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, federal judge says
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
POLLING AND ANALYSIS
U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis as a Change for the Better
One year into his pontificate, Pope Francis remains immensely popular among American Catholics and is widely seen as a force for positive change within the Roman Catholic Church, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. More than eight-in-ten U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of the pontiff, while seven-in-ten now say Francis represents a major change in direction for the church.
READ MORE >>
How U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis: In Their Own Words
To understand a little more about the popularity of Pope Francis, we asked respondents if they would be willing to elaborate on their answers to our survey questions. We called some of those Catholics back for longer conversations about their faith; the results are not meant to be comprehensive or representative of all Catholics, but they are illustrative of how some feel about the pope.
READ MORE >>
Media Coverage of Pope Francis' First Year
Francis, in his first year, has brought renewed visibility to the papacy, a new analysis by Pew Research's Journalism Project finds. The new pope ranks among major world leaders in total media attention, and has benefited from more positive treatment on Twitter than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, received in his final year as pontiff.
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MEDIA MENTIONS
MARCH 6 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Francis has changed American Catholics' attitudes, but not their behavior, a poll finds
The New York Times explores the findings in the new Pew Research survey on Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, including the level of expectation among Catholics that the church will change its doctrines on issues such as allowing priests to marry.
MARCH 6 - FOX NEWS
Pope Francis' popularity rivals that of John Paul II among American Catholics, survey finds
Fox News' article about our survey compares U.S. Catholics' favorable views toward Pope Francis with their opinions about the highly popular John Paul II, whose papacy lasted from 1978 until his death in 2005.
MARCH 6 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Pope Francis is making more Catholics excited about faith, but actions slow to follow
Pope Francis "appears not to have had much impact on the number of Americans attending Mass, converting to Catholicism, giving to Catholic charities and other conventional measures," The Washington Post observes. "... And yet, his effect is undeniably everywhere."
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
MARCH 5 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Women could have greater role in church, says pope
MARCH 5 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope offended by his own myth and mystique
MARCH 5 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Buddhist monks join protests in Thailand
MARCH 4 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
U.S. evangelicals on the defense over Uganda's new Anti-Homosexuality Act
MARCH 3 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Supreme Court agrees to weigh an inmate's right to grow a beard for religious reasons
MARCH 3 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Train station rampage further strains ethnic relations in China
MARCH 2 - REUTERS
Indian Hindu nationalist Modi turns to Muslim voters
MARCH 1 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Missions signal a growing role for Mormon women
MARCH 1 - CHICAGO TRIBUNE
An unheeded voice against abusive priests
FEB. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kentucky must recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, federal judge says
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
2014, 2014, February 27
FACT TANK
Strong Support for Israel in U.S. Cuts Across Religious Lines
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which holds its annual policy conference in Washington, D.C., beginning Sunday, is sometimes referred to as the "Jewish lobby." But its mission is as an Israel lobby, and when it comes to public backing for that country in the U.S., evangelical Christians are even more supportive of Israel than American Jews by some measures. A new Fact Tank post explains.
READ MORE >>
Arizona Bill Sparks Debate About Religious Objections to Gay Marriage
Arizona became the center of a national debate after its legislature passed a "religious freedom" bill last week. The measure, which was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday, would have allowed business owners to cite religious beliefs as a reason for denying services – including to same-sex couples – without fear of legal retribution. More than half of Americans (56%) say same-sex marriage would go against their religious beliefs, but about half of that group also says that gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
2014, FEB. 20 - THE TELEGRAPH
America is turning secular much faster than we realize
An article in the British publication The Telegraph looks at research by Duke University professor Mark Chaves and also cites a Pew Research survey of religious "nones" showing that younger generations of Americans are less likely to affiliate with a religion.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
2014
FEB. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Korean missionary jailed in North seeks mercy
FEB. 26 - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes right-to-refuse-service bill
FEB. 26 - THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Federal judge rules Texas' gay marriage ban is unconstitutional
FEB. 26 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Google ordered to take anti-Muslim video off its platforms
FEB. 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Islamist militants blamed for deadly college attack in Nigeria
FEB. 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Riots hit Jerusalem holy site
FEB. 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Uganda's president signs anti-gay bill
FEB. 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope makes first overhaul of Vatican bureaucracy in 25 years
FEB. 22 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Presbyterian stances on Israel causing tension with Jews
FEB. 20 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Judge: Spying on N.J. Muslims by NYPD was legal
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
FACT TANK
Strong Support for Israel in U.S. Cuts Across Religious Lines
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which holds its annual policy conference in Washington, D.C., beginning Sunday, is sometimes referred to as the "Jewish lobby." But its mission is as an Israel lobby, and when it comes to public backing for that country in the U.S., evangelical Christians are even more supportive of Israel than American Jews by some measures. A new Fact Tank post explains.
READ MORE >>
Arizona Bill Sparks Debate About Religious Objections to Gay Marriage
Arizona became the center of a national debate after its legislature passed a "religious freedom" bill last week. The measure, which was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday, would have allowed business owners to cite religious beliefs as a reason for denying services – including to same-sex couples – without fear of legal retribution. More than half of Americans (56%) say same-sex marriage would go against their religious beliefs, but about half of that group also says that gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
2014, FEB. 20 - THE TELEGRAPH
America is turning secular much faster than we realize
An article in the British publication The Telegraph looks at research by Duke University professor Mark Chaves and also cites a Pew Research survey of religious "nones" showing that younger generations of Americans are less likely to affiliate with a religion.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
2014
FEB. 27 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Korean missionary jailed in North seeks mercy
FEB. 26 - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes right-to-refuse-service bill
FEB. 26 - THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Federal judge rules Texas' gay marriage ban is unconstitutional
FEB. 26 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Google ordered to take anti-Muslim video off its platforms
FEB. 25 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Islamist militants blamed for deadly college attack in Nigeria
FEB. 25 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Riots hit Jerusalem holy site
FEB. 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Uganda's president signs anti-gay bill
FEB. 24 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope makes first overhaul of Vatican bureaucracy in 25 years
FEB. 22 - PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Presbyterian stances on Israel causing tension with Jews
FEB. 20 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Judge: Spying on N.J. Muslims by NYPD was legal
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>
2014, February 14
FACT TANK
Pope Francis Moves Beyond Europe With First Class of Cardinals
Cardinals from around the world are gathered in the Vatican for a consistory, at which Pope Francis will formally name 19 new "princes of the church." The new cardinals include six from the Latin America-Caribbean region, as explained in a recent Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
FEB. 14, 2014 - TORONTO STAR
Meet Canada's defender of the faiths
In an article about the ambassador in charge of Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom, the Toronto Star cites data from the most recent Pew Research study on global religious restrictions and hostilities, pointing out that social hostilities involving religion reached a six-year high in 2012.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
2014
RELIGION NEWS
FEB. 20 - REUTERS
Pope tells cardinals to tackle divisive family issues with courage
FEB. 20 - THE GUARDIAN
Pakistan urged to release British man sentenced to death for blasphemy
FEB. 19 - REUTERS
Kiev monastery a sanctuary for the bloodied and bruised
FEB. 19 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pennsylvania couple sent to prison for second faith-healing death
FEB. 19 - LOS ANGELES TIMES
L.A. Archdiocese settles final priest abuse case for $13 million, bringing total to more than $740 million
FEB. 19 - REUTERS
Second foreign Christian missionary held by North Korea
FEB. 18 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Activist nun gets 35-month prison sentence for anti-nuclear peace protest
FEB. 17 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israel's Netanyahu calls boycotters 'anti-Semites'
FEB. 16 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
In Kansas, right joins left to halt bill on gays
FEB. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Federal judge strikes down Virginia ban on gay marriage
READ MORE RELIGION NEWS >>RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGION
Religious Hostilities Reach Six-Year High
The share of countries with a high or very high level of social hostilities involving religion reached a six-year peak in 2012, according to a new Pew Research study. A third (33%) of the 198 countries and territories included in the study had high religious hostilities in 2012, up from 29% in 2011 and 20% as of mid-2007.
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FACT TANK
Q&A With Author of U. Mich. Study on Preferred Dress for Women in Muslim Countries
A Fact Tank post last week looked at survey findings from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research in seven Muslim-majority countries about preferences for women’s style of dress. Fact Tank went back to the researchers and asked them to share more data and to talk about their methods and their findings.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
JAN. 14 - REUTERS
Religious groups face increased hostility worldwide - report
Reuters looks at the new Pew Research study of global restrictions on religion from several angles, including the share of countries where religion-related terrorism and sectarian violence occurred in 2012.
JAN. 11 - THE ECONOMIST
Who is a Jew? Competing answers to an increasingly pressing question
In exploring the question of Jewish identity, The Economist cites findings from the 2013 Pew Research survey of Jewish Americans. About one-in-five American Jews (22%) describe themselves as having no religion.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
JAN. 16 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vatican comes under sharp criticism for sex abuse
JAN. 15 - CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Chicago archdiocese turns over 6,000 pages on clergy abuse
JAN. 15 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Wanted: a new ambassador-at-large for religious freedom
JAN. 15 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gay marriage rulings in Okla., Utah build momentum
JAN. 14 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Nigeria: Rights chief assails law as roundup of gays begins
JAN. 13 - THE GUARDIAN
Christian counsellors ban therapy aimed at 'converting' gay patients
JAN. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Pope with the humble touch is firm in reshaping the Vatican
JAN. 13 - THE INDEPENDENT
Afghan atheist to get asylum in Britain on religious grounds
JAN. 13 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Supreme Court won’t revive Arizona law banning most abortions after 20 weeks
JAN. 13 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
New Mexico judge affirms right to 'aid in dying'
JAN. 12 - REUTERS
Pope's choice of new cardinals puts emphasis on poor
JAN. 12 - THE BOSTON GLOBE
Can the evangelical church embrace gay couples?
JAN. 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brawl hurts Berlin Jewish community
JAN. 12 - THE TELEGRAPH
BBC plans Easter spectacle for the non-religious
JAN. 10 - THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Mormon church sends missive to leaders about same-sex marriage
missive = a letter, esp. a long or official one
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2014
FEB. 5 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
An Olympics in the shadow of a war zone
FEB. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST
UN panel blasts Vatican handling of clergy sex abuse, church teachings on gays, abortion
FEB. 5 - REUTERS
Israel cuts seminary funds, angers ultra-Orthodox Jews
FEB. 5 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Bill Nye versus Ken Ham: Who won?
FEB. 4 - THE SCOTSMAN
Scotland passes same-sex marriage bill
FEB. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Federal judge pledges quick ruling on Virginia's same-sex marriage ban
FEB. 3 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Faith leaders wrestle over growing support for marijuana
FEB. 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Abortions declining in US, study finds
FEB. 2 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Court to review religious law once hailed by Democrats but now used to battle Obamacare
FEB. 1 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teens, other amateurs among hundreds of French Muslims drawn to Syria war
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FACT TANK
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham: Are Evolution and Religion at Odds?
Before their debate about evolution between creationist Ken Ham and science education advocate Bill Nye, a Fact Tank post explored what polls say about the intersection between religion and evolution. In addition, an updated Pew Research Center research package looks at religious groups' views on evolution and summarizes recent action in 13 states regarding the teaching of evolution in public schools.
President Obama Advocates for Global Religious Freedom at a Time of High Restrictions
At the annual National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama spoke about what he sees as the importance of religious freedom, observing that it's "clear that around the world freedom of religion is under threat." According to a recent Pew Research study of 198 countries and territories, as of 2012, 29% of the nations studied had high or very high levels of government restrictions on religion, with 64% of the global population living in those countries. READ MORE >>
Coke, "America the Beautiful," and the Language of Diversity
An ad for Coca-Cola that ran during the Super Bowl sought to portray ethnic diversity in the U.S. by featuring "America the Beautiful" sung in several languages. The many different kinds of people in the ad – including Hispanics, Muslims, Jews and Asians – were united by their identity as "American." A Fact Tank post quantifies the linguistic diversity of the U.S.: 21% of Americans ages 5 and older speak a language other than English at home. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
FEB. 4, 2014 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vatican surveys find Catholics reject sex rules
The Associated Press reports that "surveys commissioned by the Vatican show that the vast majority of Catholics in Germany and Switzerland reject church teaching on contraception, sexual morality, gay unions and divorce." The article also cites a 2013 Pew Research survey, which found that roughly three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say the church should permit members to use birth control.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
FEB. 5, 2014
THE NEW YORK TIMES
An Olympics in the shadow of a war zone
FEB. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST
UN panel blasts Vatican handling of clergy sex abuse, church teachings on gays, abortion
FEB. 5 - REUTERS
Israel cuts seminary funds, angers ultra-Orthodox Jews
FEB. 5 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Bill Nye versus Ken Ham: Who won?
FEB. 4 - THE SCOTSMAN
Scotland passes same-sex marriage bill
FEB. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Federal judge pledges quick ruling on Virginia's same-sex marriage ban
FEB. 3 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Faith leaders wrestle over growing support for marijuana
FEB. 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Abortions declining in US, study finds
FEB. 2 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Court to review religious law once hailed by Democrats but now used to battle Obamacare
FEB. 1 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teens, other amateurs among hundreds of French Muslims drawn to Syria war
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An Olympics in the shadow of a war zone
FEB. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST
UN panel blasts Vatican handling of clergy sex abuse, church teachings on gays, abortion
FEB. 5 - REUTERS
Israel cuts seminary funds, angers ultra-Orthodox Jews
FEB. 5 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Bill Nye versus Ken Ham: Who won?
FEB. 4 - THE SCOTSMAN
Scotland passes same-sex marriage bill
FEB. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Federal judge pledges quick ruling on Virginia's same-sex marriage ban
FEB. 3 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Faith leaders wrestle over growing support for marijuana
FEB. 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Abortions declining in US, study finds
FEB. 2 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Court to review religious law once hailed by Democrats but now used to battle Obamacare
FEB. 1 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teens, other amateurs among hundreds of French Muslims drawn to Syria war
Click above & below the colored titled to see the article
(If the link has expired copy the title & search with the title)
FACT TANK
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham: Are Evolution and Religion at Odds?
Before their debate about evolution between creationist Ken Ham and science education advocate Bill Nye, a Fact Tank post explored what polls say about the intersection between religion and evolution. In addition, an updated Pew Research Center research package looks at religious groups' views on evolution and summarizes recent action in 13 states regarding the teaching of evolution in public schools.
President Obama Advocates for Global Religious Freedom at a Time of High Restrictions
At the annual National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama spoke about what he sees as the importance of religious freedom, observing that it's "clear that around the world freedom of religion is under threat." According to a recent Pew Research study of 198 countries and territories, as of 2012, 29% of the nations studied had high or very high levels of government restrictions on religion, with 64% of the global population living in those countries. READ MORE >>
Coke, "America the Beautiful," and the Language of Diversity
An ad for Coca-Cola that ran during the Super Bowl sought to portray ethnic diversity in the U.S. by featuring "America the Beautiful" sung in several languages. The many different kinds of people in the ad – including Hispanics, Muslims, Jews and Asians – were united by their identity as "American." A Fact Tank post quantifies the linguistic diversity of the U.S.: 21% of Americans ages 5 and older speak a language other than English at home. READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
FEB. 4, 2014 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vatican surveys find Catholics reject sex rules
The Associated Press reports that "surveys commissioned by the Vatican show that the vast majority of Catholics in Germany and Switzerland reject church teaching on contraception, sexual morality, gay unions and divorce." The article also cites a 2013 Pew Research survey, which found that roughly three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say the church should permit members to use birth control.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
FEB. 5, 2014
THE NEW YORK TIMES
An Olympics in the shadow of a war zone
FEB. 5 - THE WASHINGTON POST
UN panel blasts Vatican handling of clergy sex abuse, church teachings on gays, abortion
FEB. 5 - REUTERS
Israel cuts seminary funds, angers ultra-Orthodox Jews
FEB. 5 - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Bill Nye versus Ken Ham: Who won?
FEB. 4 - THE SCOTSMAN
Scotland passes same-sex marriage bill
FEB. 4 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Federal judge pledges quick ruling on Virginia's same-sex marriage ban
FEB. 3 - RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Faith leaders wrestle over growing support for marijuana
FEB. 2 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Abortions declining in US, study finds
FEB. 2 - THE WASHINGTON POST
Court to review religious law once hailed by Democrats but now used to battle Obamacare
FEB. 1 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teens, other amateurs among hundreds of French Muslims drawn to Syria war
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FEBRUARY 13, 2014
ANALYSIS AND POLLING
Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church
Between 1991 and 2008, the share of Russian adults identifying as Orthodox Christian rose from 31% to 72%, according to data from the International Social Survey Programme. During the same period, which immediately followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, the share of Russia’s population that does not identify with any religion dropped from 61% to 18%, a new Pew Research Center analysis shows.
READ MORE >>
FACT TANK
Sochi Olympics Shine Spotlight on Russia’s Muslim Population
Security has been among the main storylines surrounding the Winter Olympics. While Islamic extremist groups have launched attacks in recent years in the North Caucasus region, not far from Sochi, the vast majority of Russia's Muslims reject the use of violence against civilians in the name of Islam. Just how many Muslims live in Russia is hard to say with precision, but estimates generally range from about 5% to 10% of Russia's population.
READ MORE >>
Gay Rights in Russia and the Former Soviet Republics
The Winter Olympic Games in Sochi have brought attention to a recently enacted Russian law banning the distribution of gay "propaganda" to minors, but among the
15 countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union, Russia is not the only state to restrict LGBT speech. A Fact Tank post looks at major laws aimed at the LGBT community in those countries.
READ MORE >>
Support for Death Penalty Drops Among Americans
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that his state will not use the death penalty while he's in office. While a majority of Americans (55%) favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey, that number has declined significantly over the last two decades, as explained in a Fact Tank post.
READ MORE >>
MEDIA MENTIONS
FEB. 10 - THE HUFFINGTON POST
Religious minorities in Islamic Pakistan struggle but survive amid increasing persecution
In a report from Pakistan about the hostility religious minorities face in that country, The Huffington Post cites a few pieces of Pew Research data. The 2012 Global Religious Landscape report shows that Pakistan is 96% Muslim; our latest study of restrictions on religion around the world finds very high government restrictions and social hostilities in Pakistan; and a recent survey of Muslims in Pakistan finds that a majority (57%) see religious conflict as a very big problem in their country.
READ MORE MEDIA MENTIONS >>
RELIGION NEWS
FEB. 13 - REUTERS
Thai police target human traffickers but rescued Rohingya may face more abuse
FEB. 12 - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Judges push back on Notre Dame challenge to contraception-coverage rule
FEB. 12 - THE GUARDIAN
Belgian law on euthanasia for children, with no age limit, will be first in world
FEB. 12 - LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER
Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages from other states, federal judge rules
FEB. 12 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Amnesty, UN say Muslim exodus in Central African Republic is 'ethnic cleansing'
FEB. 11 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington state governor suspends death penalty
FEB. 11 - THE TIMES OF INDIA
Academics, writers decry Penguin's withdrawal of Doniger's book 'The Hindus'
FEB. 11 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Christian school faulted for halting abuse study
FEB. 11 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Assisted suicide charge dropped against Pennsylvania woman
FEB. 8 - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Wielding whip and a hard new law, Nigeria tries to 'sanitize' itself of gays
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The Radio Show The Miracle Show list of topics & original texts are in
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To connect to the original show recordings for the past 10 years click: The Miracle Show
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“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Philippians 4:6
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“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Philippians 4:6
___________________
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