Next coronation to involve other faiths besides Christianity
Transcription
Next coronation to involve other faiths besides Christianity
FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page No. EDS022: June –July 2013 Next coronation to involve other faiths besides Christianity By Cole Moreton 18 May 2013 www.telegraph.co.uk The coronation of the next monarch will include a role for people of other faiths besides Christianity, in a break with a thousand years of history, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. the sense of a ceremony that treats all faiths as equal. Representatives of other religions are likely to be asked to participate in a neutral symbolic act such as the lighting of candles, or to read from a text expressing shared values, rather than praying out loud or reading their own sacred texts.... There was some consternation in the Church seven years ago when it was reported that the Prince of Wales would like a multi-faith service to follow the Christian one, with readings and prayers by people of the Muslim, Sikh and Jewish faiths. Three arrested over attack on Lee Rigby in Woolwich, London have been bailed AFP http://www.news.com.au May 27, 2013 The coronation of Elizabeth II, 2 June 1953 Photo: PA Church of England leaders have accepted the need to be “hospitable” to other faiths within any future service at Westminster Abbey, in order to reflect the spiritual diversity of modern Britain. The Church has resisted calls for a multi-faith service in recent years, preferring to stress that the Christian nature of the coronation is preserved by law. Senior church figures told this newspaper that it was now accepted that other faiths should be recognised within the coronation service for the first time. It will not, however, be a “multi-faith” service in CONTENTS Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6-8 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Coronation; From Christian Family to Brutal Murder; Afghan war veteran Editorial: 75th Anni; Recommendations Churches-destroyed; First Muslim Woman Lego banned; Canonizing; Abusive Priests City Harvest Church; Ashes/Dust; Cremation Water; Star People; Ham; Metro-Tabernacle Mystery of Iniquity Eye Tattoos, Body Markings Power to Kill; bones 2Million years; 6,000 year earth; Abortion Protests; Parent 1 & 2 Marriage=Prostitution; Gay-Marriage Hip—; Jerusalem; Syria-Russia; Egypt-USA Feminism; RCC; Rudd-same sex Michael Adebolajo (C), seen after a 2010 arrest in Kenya on suspicions of being linked to Islamists Al -Shabaab, remains under armed guard in hospital. Three other suspects linked to the brutal murder of drummer Lee Rigby have been released on bail in London. Picture: AFP THREE people arrested over the grisly murder of a soldier in London have been released on bail, British police said on Monday, while the two main suspects remain in hospital. Detectives are trawling through CCTV footage, social media, forensic evidence and intelligence reports relating to the hacking to death of 25year-old Lee Rigby near a barracks in Woolwich by two Islamists. They have arrested a total of nine people, but have yet to formally interview the prime suspects because of the men's injuries sustained in police gunfire at the scene. Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, both British Muslim converts from Nigerian Christian families, remain under armed guard at separate London hospitals. They are "in a stable condition and will be formally interviewed when it is possible to do so", Scotland Yard said on Monday. Those who are truly born again (John 3:3, 5, 7), cannot lose their salvation. Likewise, some may come from Christian families but that doesn’t make them Christians. Jesus Christ said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand,” (John 10:27, 28). Lee Rigby's family speaks about their grief following the soldier's Woolwich murder May 25, 2013 http://www.abc.net.au The family of Lee Rigby has spoken for the first time about their shock and grief following the soldier's murder in London. The 25-year-old Afghan war veteran was killed near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, on Wednesday…. At an emotional media conference at the regimental headquarters of Drummer Rigby's unit, his widow Rebecca said she expected him to be safe after his tour of Afghanistan….The two men suspected of murdering Drummer Rigby were previously known to the intelligence services, but were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat. Adebolajo had attended meetings of a nowbanned Islamist group and reportedly sold extremist leaflets in Woolwich. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 2 EDITORIAL The Faith and Freedom Ministries which began under the guidance of the late Rev. John MacKenzie 48years ago in 1965 has been extended an invitation to present the ministry at the 75th Anniversary of the Collingswood Bible Presbyterian Church, New Jersey USA, 26th27th October 2013 (Reformation Sunday) FAITHFUL ONLINE COURSES: There are folk who have written and asked about the availability of online Bible College Courses. A most faithful suggestion are the courses available through the Far Eastern Bible College, which has 51 Years of Faithfulness 1962-2013, withstanding the attacks from instruments of the Adversary. The Bible Presbyterian Church was formed in 1937, predominantly through the efforts of such conservative Presbyterian clergymen as Carl McIntire, J. Oliver Buswell and Allan MacRae. Francis Schaeffer was the first minister to be ordained in the new denomination. The First General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church was held in 1938 in Collingswood, New Jersey. Bible Presbyterian Church of Collingswood http://www.carlmcintire.org We are a people who believe the Bible is the Word of God. - We believe the Almighty God has given us this record in order that we may know Him as the great Creator, that we may know man's relationship to his Maker. In the Bible we learn that man is a sinner, estranged from God, but that He in His mercy has provided a Saviour, His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and whosoever believes in Him is forgiven of his sins and washed in His blood and receives eternal life as a gift from God. We believe the Bible reveals God's plan for your life and for the future of the world and all mankind. The Bible Presbyterian Church is not a part of the regular U.S.A. Presbyterian Church. Until 1936 most of us were members of that denomination, but the leadership of that denomination began to turn away from the Bible and the teachings of the Presbyterian Church. For several years faithful members of the Presbyterian Church vigorously protested this unbelief manifested in mission boards and educational institutions, with the result that some of these true Presbyterians were put on trial, the ministers deposed, and congregations which would not compromise with unbelief were dispossessed of their property. The congregation now meeting in the tabernacle on the corner of Haddon Avenue and Cuthbert Boulevard was dispossessed of its beautiful stone building standing on the corner of Fern and Maple Avenues, Collingswood. The congregation of 1200 had to choose between obedience to the mandates of men or obedience to God. In March of 1938 the court of New Jersey upheld the decision of the church courts and ordered the building with all its contents surrendered to the denomination. The last service was held there Sunday evening, March 27, 1938, at the close of which the large congregation walked out singing, "Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still," the benediction being pronounced by the pastor as the people stood on the lawn. A very small group who were willing to bow to the commands of unbelieving church leaders retained the building while the majority of the congregation left behind all that their own money had paid for, to start all over, first to worship in a tent, and since then in the tabernacle. The reason - they chose to obey God rather than men. God has blessed the faith of this congregation. A new denomination has resulted, with Bible Presbyterian churches now in 27 states and many faithful missionaries, on every continent. Online courses available 15th July to 8th Nov. include: Knowing God’s Will; the Theology of Giving; and 1st Peter. For further information please contact FEBC's IT Manager Murray Ong at [email protected] FAITHFUL CHURCHES: There are often folk who arrive at certain places around the world and cannot find a faithful Bible believing Church. The suggestion given in such situations is to pray about using the 24 hour Bible Witness web radio Singapore at http://www.biblewitness.com/webradio How to Become a Member of the Bible Presbyterian Church: To become a member of the Bible Presbyterian Church a person must confess that he believes that Jesus Christ is his personal Saviour. At some time he has seen himself a sinner, lost for eternity, and by faith be has accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and acknowledges, as the Bible says in I John 11:7: "The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanseth us from all sin." He promises, with God's help, to be obedient to the will of God as made plain in 'the Bible. Enemies of the Christian Faith: Those who deny the Bible to be the Word of God are enemies of the Christian faith. There are many religions in the world based upon the teachings of men who reject Christianity. Communism, as a political system, is openly opposed to Christianity, but a more subtle enemy is in our midst to be feared and opposed. The Lord Jesus Christ as well as the apostles warned the church of those who would he enemies from within. Jesus said, in Matthew 7:15: "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." The Bible has many such warnings, and we believe there are many today with the cloak of a lamb, gentle and kind, but underneath they are wolves that tear and destroy the souls of men. FAITHFUL DAILY DEVOTIONAL: The recommendation for a daily reading is the RPG (Read, Pray & Grow), a daily Bible reading guide published by Tabernacle Books, Singapore. Today, by God’s grace, RPGs are helping Christians around the world read God’s Word regularly and meaningfully. The writers are conservative Bible –believing pastor-teachers of fundamentalist persuasion, with a “high view” of Holy Scripture. RPG uses the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the Bible of the Reformation, most loved and trustworthy, and a bulwark in the path of unbiblical ecumenical union. http://calvarypandan.sg/rpg FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 3 TOP SAUDI CLERIC ORDERS CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DESTROYED by markulyseas Saudi Arabia's top Muslim cleric, Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al alShaikh, issued a fatwah against his country's Christians in March, demanding that every Christian church on the Arabian Peninsula be demolished. Photo Credit:AP Saudi Arabia’s top Muslim leader recently issued a religious decree calling for all Christian churches on the Arabian peninsula to be demolished, a move that elicited protests from the U.S. government and undermines recent efforts in the kingdom to promote interfaith tolerance…. http://my.telegraph.co.uk April 7th, 2012 Abusive priests prey on the devout: expert By Genevieve Gannon, AAPUpdated April 4, 2013 Children of devout religious families are an attractive target for pedophile priests because they are less likely to report abuse, a parliamentary inquiry has heard. Exposing an abusive religious leader puts such a child at risk of isolation from their community, their peers and their family, experts said. Even if children do muster the courage to tell their mother or father that a priest has abused them, there is a chance they won't be believed…. Whistle blowing priest April 23, 2013, 6:18 pm Kristy Wettenhall Today Tonight The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse has recently began and a priest has accused the Victorian Archdiocese of a cover-up. It's the Royal Commission thousands of child sex abuse victims have wanted for decades - a chance to finally expose the truth through investigating institutions like the Catholic Church. Pakistan-born first Muslim female to enter Australian state parliament By Web Desk Published: April 24, 2013 http://tribune.com.pk AUSTRALIA: A Pakistan-born migrant Mehreen Faruqi became the first Muslim woman to enter the Australian state parliament as she was selected by the New South Wales Greens to fill a position in the upper house of the state legislature, Voice of America (VOA) reported on Wednesday. But one man fears criminal clergy will carry on undetected, claiming the Victorian Archdiocese is determined to keep its sordid secrets buried. Victor Buhagiar has recently quit his post as a Catholic priest, walking away from the faith after 12 years leading parishes across Victoria. Buhagiar claims it has became impossible to continue after he found out the Church was deleting records relating to child sexual abuse…. Cardinal George Pell appears at Victorian Government inquiry into child abuse Lego withdraws 'anti-Islamic' Star Wars Jabba the Hutt palace model from sale after complaints From: News Limited Network April 02, 2013 The Lego kit at the centre of the row. Source: Supplied TOY giant Lego has reportedly agreed to stop producing a Star Wars toy product Muslims find offensive. According to Britain's Independent newspaper, Lego agreed to withdraw the Jabba’s Palace product from production in 2014 to appease those who think it depicts Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, a churchturned-mosque, which is now a museum and one of the city's top tourist attractions. Muslim groups also said the watchtower/spire of the toy palace - a Lego version of Hutt Castle, a monastery-turned-palace belonging to crime lord Jabba the Hutt - resembled the minaret of a Beirut mosque. Pope Francis canonises his first saints From: AAP May 12, 2013 POPE Francis has created the first saints of his reign, canonising some 800 Italian martyrs who refused to convert to Islam in the 15th century, as well as a Colombian and a Mexican who founded congregations. Thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square on Sunday to attend the service to formally bestow the sainthoods, which had been approved by Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI. The new saints include Italian cobbler Antonio Primaldo, who was killed along with an estimated 800 other Italians in 1480 by Ottoman forces for refusing to convert to Islam. Also canonised was Colombia's Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upeguila, and Mexico's Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala, who both died in the 20th century... http://www.abc.net.au 31/05/2013 • • • Key points: What Pell told the inquiry • Apologised for decades of abuse in Melbourne diocese. • Admitted a systemic cover-up of child abuse within the Church. • Said former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns destroyed documents relating to abuse cases. Said former Melbourne archbishop Frank Little covered up cases of abuse. Said abuse became widespread because the clergy did not talk about the problem…. Defended maximum compensation level of $75,000 for victims of abuse. (Roman) Catholic Church reveals names of 29 priests it acknowledges are guilty of child sex abuse Anthony Bongiorno, John Byrne, Peter Chalk, David Daniel, Bernard Day, Anthony Eames, Nazareno Fasciale, Desmond Gannon, Michael Glennon, Jack Gubbels, Barry Gwillim, Penn Jones, Bernie Mackin, Terry Merivale, Syd Morey, John O'Callaghan, Kevin O'Donnell, Tom O'Keefe, Paul Pavlou, Dominic Phillips, Ronald Pickering, Terrence Pidoto, Victor Rubeo, Peter Searson, Ray Whitehouse. “THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH-A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS” “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth,” (1 Tim. 4:1-3) FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 4 Church on trial in pop star scandal By HEATHER TAN | Associated Press May 16, 2013, 4:47 pm Singapore has opened a long-anticipated corruption trial of six church leaders accused of embezzling more than $40 million to fund the pop music career of the wife of their evangelical movement's founder. City Harvest Church faithful queued at a Singapore court overnight and packed the public gallery to show support for the accused who prosecutors say diverted the congregation's funds into "sham" investments to advance the career of aspiring star Ho Yeow Sun, popularly known as Sun Ho. The church with affiliates in neighboring Malaysia and other countries is one of Singapore's richest and biggest, with membership of more than 30,000. It is known in the region for staging large-scale, elaborate services resembling pop concerts which are conducted by Ho's husband, Kong Hee. Ho is not on trial but turned up in court Wednesday dressed in a black leather jacket, skinny pants, stiletto boots and sporting streaky blonde hair and grey contact lenses. Her husband chatted confidently with his lawyers. Kong is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust. Also charged are church pastor Tan Ye Peng, church members Chew Eng Han and Lam Leng Hung, and accountants Serina Wee Gek Yin and Sharon Tan Shao Yuen. The six, who have yet to say how they will plea, could face prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years. The prosecution's opening statement ridiculed the contention of church leaders that pop music was a tool of evangelism that would help spread God's message. It said Ho recorded and launched secular music albums to influence people "who would never choose to step foot into a church to listen to a preacher." Investments by the church in two companies, Xtron Productions and Firna, were in substance fake transactions that were orchestrated by the accused who were all involved in the planning and financing of Ho's music career, according to prosecutors. State media reported that 24 million Singapore dollars ($19 million) was channeled through Xtron and Firna and another S$26 million was misappropriated to cover up the initial sum. Prosecutors allege that the falsification of church accounts occurred in 2009. Singapore's media have painted Ho, who is in her early 40s, as an aspiring superstar who hoped for international fame to help spread her church's influence. She collaborated on a song and raunchy music video 'China Wine' with rapper Wyclef Jean in 2007 and attended the 46th annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2004. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,” (Rom. 12:1-2) Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust Bible Verse http://www.reference.com The phrase "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is spoken as part of a eulogy at many funerals, leading to a widespread misconception that it comes from the Bible. It does not; it is a text in "Book of Common Prayer" from the following eulogy: In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God: (name). We commit her body... CREMATION “Burning of the dead. The following are the reasons we are convinced that cremation should not be practiced by Christians: Cremation has a heathen origin and purpose. Why do the Hindus and those of other heathen religions cremate?... God's people have always practiced burial. Abraham (Gen. 25:8-10), Sarah (Gen. 23:1-4), Rachel (Gen. 35:19-20), Isaac (Gen. 35:29), Jacob (Gen. 49:33; 50:1-13), Joseph (Gen. 50:26), Joshua (Joshua 24:29-30), Eleazar (Joshua 24:33), Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1), David (1 Kings 2:10), John the Baptist (Matt. 14:1012), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5-10), Stephen (Acts 8:2). In Rom. 15:4 and 1 Cor. 10:11 God tells us that we are to follow the Bible's examples as well as its direct instructions. Even in difficult circumstances God's people in olden days practiced burial. For example, Joseph's body was kept for over 400 years in Egypt and then carried through the 40 years of wilderness wanderings before being buried in the Promised Land. We read of this in Gen. 50:2425; Ex. 13:19 and Josh. 24:32.... From this important example, we learn that even if cremation is less expensive or easier than burial, it is still to be rejected, as the Israelites rejected the economical and simpler way to transport Joseph's body. Burial looks forward to resurrection. The reason God's people have always been careful to practice burial is not difficult to understand. We believe in a bodily resurrection (Ro. 8:22-23; 1 Cor. 15:20-23; 2 Cor. 5:1; 1 Cor. 15:51-57). Yes, the buried body will decompose in time. Yes, there are occasions in which Christians die in ways which render burial impossible--in the sinking of ships, in fires, etc. But when at all possible we bury. Why the trouble? Because it is our certain hope that the same individual will be raised in the same body, only changed. The physical body is called the seed for the resurrection body. When planted, a seed decomposes, and the new plant comes forth. The Bible uses this to illustrate resurrection. In 1 Cor. 15:3544 the Apostle answers those who would ask how it is possible for God to raise again a decomposed body. The terminology used by the Holy Spirit in this passage is that of husbandry--planting seed. The farmer does not destroy his seed; he plants it, then from the decaying seed comes forth the new life. Such is burial and the resurrection. When we bury a Christian loved one, we are planting the seed for the resurrection body!...the promise of bodily resurrection. Contrast heathenism. They have no such knowledge or hope. The Hindus and Buddhists, for example, believe in reincarnation. Though they believe in a human soul which is distinct from the body, they do not believe that soul, once departed from the body at death, will be resurrected in any relation whatsoever to the first body. Rather they believe the soul will be reincarnated in another entirely unrelated body, or into a non-physical sphere of existence. God's people have always buried their dead with this magnificent hope burning in their hearts. "We will see that brother or sister again in that same body, only changed, glorified!" Hallelujah! Only through the death and shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can we have this certain hope. He has taken upon Himself on the cross the punishment for our sins, carried our sins into the grave, and risen again in eternal triumph three days later…. God practices burial (Deut. 34:5, 6). Cremation is a sign of God's curse. Throughout the Bible the destruction of a human body...by fire is used as a sign of divine wrath (Ex. 32:20; Lev. 10:1-2; Deut. 7:25; Num. 16:35; 2 Kings 10:26; 1 Chron. 14:12; Acts 19:18-19; Rev. 20:15). For a person not to have a proper burial was considered a dishonor (1 Kings 21:23-24; Psalm 83:9-10). The Christian's body belongs to God. The body is not ours to destroy by fire or by any other means (Ro. 14:8; 1 Co. 6:19-20). God has plainly called cremation wickedness (Am. 2:1). The Lord Jesus Christ was buried, and He is our great example (John 19:38-42)”….FundamentalBaptistLibrary FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 5 Controversial Televangelist Peter Popoff Hawks 'Miracle Water' WE ARE STAR PEOPLE By Leonardo Blair , CP Contributor April 4, 2013 http://www.christianpost.com DON'T be alarmed, but you have alien DNA in your genetic code. Science says so. Scientists from Kazakhstan believe that human DNA was encoded with an extraterrestrial signal by an ancient alien civilisation, Discovery.com reports. They call it "biological SETI" and the researchers claim that the mathematical code in human DNA cannot be explained by evolution. In a nutshell, we're living, breathing vessels for some kind of alien message which is more easily used to detect extra terrestrial life than via radio transmission. "Once fixed, the code might stay unchanged over cosmological timescales; in fact, it is the most durable construct known," the researchers wrote in scientific journal, Icarus. "Therefore it represents an exceptionally reliable storage for an intelligent signature. "Once the genome is appropriately rewritten the new code with a signature will stay frozen in the cell and its progeny, which might then be delivered through space and time." The scientists also claim that human DNA is ordered so precisely that it reveals an "ensemble of arithmetical and ideographical patterns of symbolic language". Their research has led the scientists to conclude that we were invented "outside the solar system, already several billion years ago". The thesis supports the hypothesis that Earth is the result of interstellar life forms distributed by meteors and comets. Peter Popoff, the controversial televangelist who amassed millions from a "prophetic anointing" that was later revealed to have come, at least in part, from information fed to him over a radio by his wife, Elizabeth, is now hawking baggies of "miracle spring water" that promises to rid its drinkers from debt. The wealth-attracting water is being marketed through Popoff's website and early morning and late night broadcasts on popular Cable TV channels like Black Entertainment Television (BET) despite a wealth of evidence, including a report by noted skeptic, James Randi, that his miracle ministry reeks of chicanery. The Christian Post reached out to a representative of BET programming on Thursday who said questions regarding the Popoff broadcasts should be directed to its public affairs section. A response to questions directed to that section has not been returned. In the electric infomercial about the miracle water, which Popoff provides for "free," several of its sippers swear by its potency and report hundreds, even thousands of dollars in debt being cancelled by the water's power. "This lady right here, Gloria Freeman, guess how much money she got after you prayed with her and sent her the miracle spring water, how much did you get?" prompts an excited host in the infomercial. "Um, $23,000," replied Freeman to delirious applause from an awestruck crowd. "It was close to $11,000," gushed another miracle water drinker. "When you don't have that in your wallet, $11,000 is like $2 million to you and I give God praise for that," she said. "So trust and believe God, It'll happen for you. That's a true prophet," she charged. Follow us. The miracle spring water comes with a miracle tool and its peddlers suggest it can get you on your way to debt free living. It can also influence divine money transfers directly into your account. The Christian Post reached out to Popoff's toll free number to get a sample of the water rushed to the publication's office, but was met with an automated recording of Popoff's voice asking for a name and contact information in order to send the water in a rush. CP decided to rely, however, on the YouTube testimony of "Josh," who posted a recording of his order of the miracle water last March under the username Ankh Infinitus. One commenter on the video identified as MissSwaggaLovesYou noted three weeks ago that: "I sent off for that crap a week ago. It came today, I threw it in the trash. The stories I've read seem like witchcraft or wiccan nonsense." The Better Business Bureau (BBB), which gave Popoff's People United for Christ an F rating in the past, does not have a current rating for his organization. "This charitable organization either has not responded to written BBB requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Charity participation in BBB review is voluntary. However, without the requested information, it is not possible to determine whether this charity adheres to all of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability," noted the BBB on its website. "The BBB encourages charities to disclose accountability information beyond that typically included in financial statements and government filings, in order to demonstrate transparency and strengthen public trust in the charitable sector," it said. Scientific proof we were created by aliens by: Staff Writers From:news.com.au April 10, 2013 Creationist Ken Ham Calls Out Atheists for Intolerance, Self-Righteousness Stoyan Zaimov http://www.christianpost.com 22/05/2013 (Photo: AP / Ed Reinke) Ken Ham, founder of the nonprofit ministry Answers in Genesis, poses with one of his favorite animatronic dinosaurs during a tour of the new Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., Thursday, May 24, 2007. Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum has posted a video of atheist Internet users who are planning on protesting his participation at a homeschool convention in Texas. In a two-hour video chat titled "Home School Abuse by Creationists," the atheist members talk about their opposition to Ham's planned speech at the Texas Home School Coalition Convention on Aug. 1–3. "Every pastor, Christian leader, homeschooler, teenager, Christian parent, and, in fact, all Christians need to see this video chat featuring a number of very intolerant atheists (and some are hateful and angry)," the creationist writes about the video, which he breaks down into separate parts in his blog post to address the various criticism thrown at him. Metropolitan Tabernacle Annual Conference 2013 School of Theology Friday, March 29, 2013 http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org RECOVERY FROM SPIRITUAL DECLINE Proving the Methods of Scripture School of Theology 2-4 July 2013 How may evangelical witness be rebuilt to reach vastly more people in our day? The answer to evangelical decline is not to be found in radical new ways of ‘doing church’, and the adoption of entertainment culture, as some claim. Worldly methods will only produce worldly churches. The answer lies in much greater effort and prayer being invested in the ‘old paths’ and the ‘good way’. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 6 Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues By Richard Bennett http://www.bereanbeacon.org As Pope Francis moves onto the world stage, many people are wondering how he will be generally accepted. The pleasant aura of John Paul II still lingers for many, while the shortcomings of Benedict XVI still color the current scene. More importantly, given the Pope’s exalted position in the world, many will be asking how Pope Francis will change the Papacy. The fact remains, however, that since the early 19th century the Office of the Papacy has been set on a course of action that no individual pope will reverse. How can this be so? Constantine decreed Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire Setting the Stage for the Mystery of Iniquity In 330 A.D., Emperor Constantine moved the seat of the Imperial Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople. By that time, he had decreed Christianity the religion of the Empire in hopes that by means of its acceptance a new unifying strength could be infused into his crumbling empire. The new “state religion” was organized much like the Roman Empire’s military. It was divided into four major districts, having a head over each. Without persecution, the simple faith of the early church had declined, so that by the fifth century, the church at Rome was no longer a fellowship of strong believers under Christ Jesus. Rather it had become part of an institution dominated by a hierarchy in which the Bishop of Rome eventually commanded the most power. Mystery of Iniquity becomes Manifest: Scripture speaks of the “mystery of iniquity.” This particular lawlessness arose gradually within the church as the Imperial Roman Empire gave way to what became the Holy Roman Empire. The mystery of iniquity has been visible in the form of the “man of sin” for well over eight centuries. The Reformers and general population of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century did not recognize it, however, until the recovery of the Gospel and the Bible. The outcome of apostasy is the “deceivableness of unrighteousness.” Such apostasy is marked by hypocrisy and deceit, while appearing righteous and holy, and is aimed at deceiving even the very elect, were that possible. For centuries, the reigning Pope has assumed to himself the titles of “Holy Father” and “Vicar of Christ,” which fulfills in the unqualified sense the definition of Antichrist given by the Apostle John: “who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” The Pontiff, in taking these designations to himself, denies the supremacy and honor due both the Father and the Son alone. A further qualification of “the man of sin” is that he sits in the temple of God showing himself to be God. Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., it is clear from Scripture that it is true Christians who are the temple of God. They are scattered throughout the world. While the Pope calls true Christians schismatics, because they are not in “his” church, he nevertheless purports to be the head of the church of Jesus Christ on earth and parades himself about under the titles of Holy Father and Vicar of Christ. Emperor Justinian I, more than anyone else, was the one to establish the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome in the sixth century. He did it in a formal and legal manner, bringing even things religious under the control of civil law. Le Roy Edwin Froom summarized, “Justinian I (527-565) [was the] greatest of all the rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire ... [His] great achievement was the regulation of ecclesiastical and theological matters, crowned by the imperial Decretal Letter seating the bishop of Rome in the churches as the ‘Head of all the holy churches,’ thus laying the legal foundation for papal ecclesiastical supremacy.” Justinian’s decree did not create the Office of the Papacy but rather set a legal foundation for the acquisition of civil ruling power by the bishops of Rome. Soon the bishops of Rome desired to reign like kings. The very thing that the Lord had warned against was now transpiring, “And he said unto them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them…but ye shall not be so.” Vitalian the Bishop of Rome from 657-672 A.D., was the first to actually be addressed with the title “Pope,” when he was called in Latin, “Papa Vitalianus”; i.e., Pope Vitialian. It took time for the Pope of Rome to spread the exercise of his state-given title over the bishops of Europe and the British Isles. For example, even in northern Italy in 800 A.D., Claude, the bishop of Turin, did not recognize the bishop of Rome’s authority. The Papacy Grows Strong via Civil Power From the fourth century through the eighth century, much of the growth of papal power was acquired in trade-offs with kings throughout what had been the old Imperial Roman Empire. To be sure, in these centuries there was evangelism with the true Gospel throughout the area. However, the pagan religion of those still heathen was not so different from the religion of the Pope, which was more easily accepted than the Gospel. Then, too, in the eighth century, when the Pope needed defending against the Saracens and the Lombards, the French kings provided it and presented the Pope with ruling title to the cities they had won. As a reward, in 800 A.D., Pope Leo III famously crowned Charlemagne Emperor and Augustus. Thus began the Holy Roman Empire, ever in turmoil over issues of the legal limits of jurisdiction of each sovereign: the Pope on one hand, and the Emperor on the other. These issues could not be solved except throughout the actual course of history. In 1203 as head of the state religion, the Pope Innocent III began through its courts of Inquisition mandatory subjection to its unbiblical doctrines enforced by the civil state. This papal killing machine worked tirelessly for six hundred years, standing at least on par with the largest bloodbaths that Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, and other 20th century dictators managed to inflict on humanity. Thus the form of the mystery of iniquity, the state-ordained Roman Catholic Church with its Office of the Papacy, grew in strength and civil power throughout the Dark and Middle Ages. It had amassed to itself wealth, property, and influence through the Inquisition and other cruel, unethical, totally unbiblical means, including murder and wholesale theft. Pope Innocent III who in 1203 started the Inquisition of Torture and Burning at the stake. The Reformation Brings the Rise of the Modern Era In 1547, the Church of Rome went fully apostate at the Council of Trent when it formally declared, If anyone shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is this confidence alone by which we are justified: let him be anathema [cursed]. From the sixth century until the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the mystery of iniquity had acquired great political power and earthly wealth. Nevertheless, the murderous Inquisition of the Papacy was unable to stop the spread of the Reformation throughout northern Europe, England, Scotland, and the Scandinavian countries. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, thousands of Bible believers were unmercifully persecuted. Providentially, many were able to flee to the new land of America, a country born out of the Reformation. In 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years’ War between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran and Calvinistic princes. The Reformation first of all had restored the absolute authority of God’s written Word, the Bible. Then with the widespread recovery of the Gospel of grace, and the Bible being made available in the ordinary languages of the people, the forms of civil government were bound to change because the religion of many people had changed. Thus, it was agreed that each nation was to be sovereign; there was to be no Holy Roman Empire to which sovereign nations bowed. With that idea manifested in force by treaty, the Modern Era began. Clearly, such a monumental change as the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire might have signaled the end of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the mystery of iniquity, the heart and soul of the Papacy, was not so easily finished. Mystery of Iniquity’s Transition into a Modern Nation State In 1798, after the removal of Pope Pius VI from his throne by a staff general of Napoleon’s army, it appeared that the Papacy as an institution of the collapsed Holy Roman Empire might also be at an end. That was not the case. Rather, throughout the nineteenth century, the Papacy was reorganizing. True, it had lost its power in the civil arena, having now no official civil status over the modern nation states. However, it still had its visible institutional structure, infrastructure, and Jesuits; its religious rituals, false gospel, and traditions; its clergy and laity. All these remained in place; oiled and functioning. Externally, the Papacy lost no time in attacking England, which had produced so many strong and staunch Puritans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In the nineteenth century, England was still in the forefront of sending forth many Evangelical missionaries to far corners of the earth. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 7 Continued from p. 6 Thus, in 1844, the Papacy launched the Oxford Movement through John Henry Newman to bring the Church of England back under its thumb. The strategy was to gradually remove by stealth the teaching of the Gospel and the great doctrines of faith from the Bible. These were to be replaced with rituals and personal testimonials. If the Papacy could accomplish this, England could again be a Catholic country. Internally, to strengthen the hold on ordinary Catholics, the Papacy in 1854 declared Mary to have been immaculately conceived. With their elevated Mary, the Papacy had manufactured an alternate but “visible” figurehead to which the Catholic faithful could be united in prayer. The attention of the faithful was thus deflected away from the “invisible” Lord Jesus Christ and His Written Word. Without these, their attention naturally focused on the visible image in front of them as the center of their prayers. Further, Pope Pius IX was highly instrumental in bringing about the declaration of “papal infallibility.” With remarkable ingenuity, against not only the Scriptural absurdity of the concept, but also in spite of the historical fact of popes declared heretical by the same Roman Catholic Church, this was made doctrine at Vatican Council I in 1870. This doctrine consolidated in the hands of the reigning pope dictatorial powers heretofore unknown within the Catholic Church. Succeeding popes reestablished the Papacy internally by reorganizing Roman Catholic law into the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Vatican Achieves Civil Status in the Modern Era The apparent mortal wound of 1798 was healed in 1929, when, under Mussolini, the Vatican was again recognized as a sovereign civil power, known as the Holy See, where Vatican City is seated geographically within the city of Rome that encompasses all seven hills. The concordat with Mussolini was only the beginning of many civil concordats, one of the most infamous being that between Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler. Thus, the Papacy had consolidated its power from within by the 1917 Code of Canon Law and from without by legal concordats with various nations. Consequently, the Vatican has a growing civil power with which to be reckoned—for it has its own faithful living within most sovereign nations around the world while its civil agreements with the same nations allow the Catholic Church to teach the faith to its people. This is a double cord of power. The individual Catholic fearing for his salvation, and laden with his first allegiance being to “Holy Mother Church,” becomes a pliable pawn in the hand of the Papacy. Mystery of Iniquity Makes Strategic Change Vatican Council II (1962-1965) formally declared the Papacy’s strategic change of tactics regarding the reunification of Protestants under Catholicism, along with incorporating other faiths under its rule. Therefore, the Council moved from a position of “separation from other religions” to one of an all-encompassing ecumenism, not only with the religions of the world, but also with Bible believers in particular. “Separated brethren” was the new term for these Bible believers who previously were called heretics. Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism previously called pagan religions were now accepted as religions that contain, “what is true and holy.” This new approach was established by the Roman Catholic Church to win the world to herself, primarily by means of dialogue. The Council formulated its rules and goals of dialogue, which are carefully spelled out in her post-Conciliar Document No. 42, on ecumenism. It states that, “dialogue is not an end in itself ... it is not just an academic discussion.” Rather, “ecumenical dialogue…serves to transform modes of thought and behavior and the daily life of those [non-Catholic] communities. In this way, it aims at preparing the way for their unity of faith in the bosom of a Church one and visible.” Unlike the Body of Christ, whose unity is in Jesus Christ, the unity for which the Roman Church strives is an outward, visible unity, and one that will be enforceable through civil law – as her “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” spells out by means of many deceptive words. The Pope’s official position is that “ecumenical encounter is not merely an individual work, but also a task of the Roman Church, which takes precedence over all individual opinions.” The Papacy expects this process of dialogue to take time. The Roman Catholic Church’s aim of bringing “all Christian churches” under her authority is her clearly stated goal. She says, “…little by little, as the obstacles to perfect ecclesial communion are overcome, all Christians will be gathered, in a common celebration of the Eucharist [the Mass] into that unity of the one and only Church… This unity, we believe, dwells in the Catholic Church as something we can never lose.” Pope John Paul II, while initially having been thought to be liberal and modern, further consolidated the dictatorial powers afforded him by the 1917 Code of Canon Law and by his purported infallibility, bequeathed him by Vatican Council I. This he did by revising the 1917 Code, making it even more conservative than it had been, and he was careful to appoint new bishops in line with his centralized way of thinking…. Mystery of Iniquity: Power Player in the Post-Modern Era The Roman Catholic Church is not content to rule only over her own faithful. Rather, now with the dawn of the Post-Modern era, globalism is the manifesting idea of the day, a day for which the Papacy throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has been preparing. The “Compendium of Social Doctrine of the [Catholic] Church,” which began to be collected by the end of the nineteenth century under Pope Leo, is a catalog of Catholic law. It lays out the Papal ideas and strategies for restructuring the current civil political world and extends the application of its laws and dictates to all individuals worldwide. For instance, it states that all human individuals worldwide are part of “the common good.” Everybody has a share in the common good and everybody has something to contribute to the common good. The rallying cry of the Compendium is for “fairness, equality, social justice, economic justice, etc.,” which defined by them means that everyone must participate in sharing what he has with whomever the state says he must, regardless of whether or not one agrees with this view. For a while, those who maintain such backward and recalcitrant attitudes will be tolerated; then individuals will be coerced into taking part. Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI called for a new governmental structure to rule over the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN). This new governmental body, conferring among themselves, is to hand down laws and dictates which the nation states of the UN would then enforce – in other words, a new sovereign world empire in which the nation states are simply to enforce the laws and dictates of a higher, unelected body. All goods, resources, and property of any kind would be subject to management by the UN and the nations. In a word, the Papacy wants a totally centralized world government, one in which the Roman Catholic Church will be the moral and juridical authority. To that end, the Roman Church has been increasingly bold in infusing into national and international public forums her agenda for restructuring the civil secular world. Regardless of the type of persona Pope Francis displays, he will not change this central objective of the Papacy. The Compendium is constantly being updated as information is gathered, collated, and taught to individual lay Catholics. Most Catholics have not recognized the agenda that is behind the change in what they are being taught. Yet, it is the specific duty of all lay Catholics to change the thinking within their societies to align with the Papal understanding of church and civil government. In the fifty years since Vatican Council II, dutiful lay Catholics in every walk of life have been quite successful at rolling Catholic social doctrine like a new Trojan horse into all sorts of religious, political, and social groups. The Evangelical church, for the most part, has felt honored to receive such a prize. For at least seventy years, Catholic social doctrine has been mainstreamed into the political arena. Witness the buzzwords of today, coined not by Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists, but by the Roman Catholic Church: phrases such as “redistribution of wealth,” “social justice,” “economic justice,” “dignity of the human person,” “the common good,” “fairness,” and the “right to life, food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, education, and employment.” Catholic social doctrine is pushed worldwide by individual Catholics and Catholic groups, as the latest addenda to what the Papacy says are included in evangelization. The Papacy says this is the particular duty of the Catholic laity. Thus, the “mystery of iniquity,” made manifest in the institution of the Roman Catholic Church and its Office of the Papacy, has for the last century been moving effectively into the civil governmental sphere, everywhere pressing its own unbiblical ideas into the public forum. These ideas are to be formulated into ruinous and unjust laws to the enslavement of those living under them. Utopianism, socialism, communism, totalitarianism are children of the Papacy’s doctrine and practice. These ungodly ideas are found in the Compendium as integral parts of Roman Catholic social doctrine. Under the civil title of Holy See, the Catholic Church has ambassadors in many nations. Declining to come under the dominion of the United Nations, she preferred to take an official place as observer rather than member. The Holy See has observer status in many other international bodies as well. Moreover, the Roman Church has a viable infrastructure in most countries of the world. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 8 Continued from p. 7 Therefore, she is in an excellent position to take advantage of the burgeoning idea of globalism in every sector of life that the statists, utopians, and totalitarians intend to harness to their own ends. She, with her “fifth column” in every nation, is able to pervert the Gospel, sideline the truths taught in the Scripture as irrelevant or false, and deceptively divert Bible believers away from the love of the truth. What then is to stop her from once again making wholesale merchandise of men’s souls in deals with modern leaders of the nations to the glory of her own power? Conclusion: The “mystery of iniquity” arose under the Imperial Roman Empire and survived the empire’s demise. In 537 A.D., Justinian gave the legal base for it to acquire civil power, which it did throughout the course of the next ten centuries. Its temporal power was arrested by the recovery of the Bible and the Gospel during the Reformation of the sixteenth century. It was held at bay by the Puritans of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Nevertheless, it survived the demise of the Holy Roman Empire to become a sovereign nation in the 20th century and is now set to be a major power player in the Post Modern Era. Currently Pope Francis is the visible head of the Roman church; but the mystery of iniquity is still the power behind the throne. The mystery of iniquity is nothing less than the satanic counterfeit of the mystery of godliness. The Scripture states, “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” The “mystery of godliness” is the great revelation of God, which had its full manifestation in the Person of the Christ of God. Thus, Scripture proclaims, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” As we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Father, we also behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ; for as mediator, He has the nature and perfections of God in Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ alone can satisfy our hearts. There is absolutely no church system that satisfies; it is only our personal relationship with our Lord that truly satisfies. Thus, His Word expresses it, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” How trivial and vain are the promises of the Papal system compared to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is revealed as the “chiefest among ten thousand.” Were it not for the recovery of the absolute authority of the Bible alone and the Gospel of grace in salvation during the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the “mystery of iniquity” might still be undetected. Contrary to this, and in spite of the mystery of iniquity being so rampantly displayed in the world today, the Holy Spirit still convicts individual men of their sin before Holy God, sends them repentance unto life in Christ Jesus. “For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” The true believer is thus “accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” The frightening words of the Lord in Matthew 7:21 ought to ring in the ears of those who have spent their whole lives believing a religious system, “not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” No person, by merely acknowledging Christ’s authority, believing in His divinity, professing faith in His perfection and in the infinite merit of His atonement, shall have any part with God in His glory, but only he who does the will of His Father. The Lord put the command to believe in a nutshell when He said, “this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” Likewise, the Apostle Paul and Silas declared, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The godliness of Jesus Christ stands, so also is His call on your life. Before you the question stands, have you tasted of “the mystery of godliness”? To personally know Christ Jesus is to know the everlasting arms of the All-Holy God. Does your very heart and soul cry out to Him, “Abba, Father”? The water of life is offered to you in the abundance of grace, which far surpasses the evils of sin. Thus, the Lord’s call in Scripture says, “the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Once a convicted sinner believes on Christ Jesus alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, as his only surety and refuge before the All-Holy God, he finds himself not only freed from his sins, but made to “reign in life ... for if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Those who receive the abundant grace given by Christ are not only redeemed from the dominion of death, they live and reign with Christ as they are sanctified daily through His Word by the Holy Spirit, and by constant fellowship with Him. With Him, they shall reign forever and glorify Him for all eternity. Believe on Him alone and you will be secure in Him, “to the praise of the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved.” Then you will behold “the mystery of godliness.” “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” By Richard Bennett http://www.bereanbeacon.org Mathew Whelan, Britain's Most Tattooed Man Legally Changes Name To ‘Body Art' Caters News | By Sara C Nelson Posted: 05/03/2013 A tattoo enthusiast who has spent 300 hours in the chair and more than £20,000 on ink, has legally changed his name to ‘Body Art’. Born Mathew Whelan, the 33-year-old has even had the white of one of his eyes tattooed. With ink covering 80 per cent of his body, he is believed to be Britain’s most tattooed man. Born Mathew Whelan, Body Art is believed to be Britain's most tattooed man An occasional volunteer for the Liberal Democrats, Body Art is keen to share his enthusiasm for tattooing, and even likens his fervour to a religious passion. http://metro.co.uk Tuesday 5 Mar 2013 Born-again Christian Terry O’Neill shows off a similarly impressive tattoo (Picture: Cascade News) ‘I’ve got so much respect for the history of body modification,’ explained the Birmingham native. ‘It’s an art and a culture and when a group of kids stare at me, I’ll talk to them and explain the history of it. ‘People who do what I do treat their body like a temple. Like Christian’s have Jesus, we have our bodies.’ Body Art has set up his own nonprofit organisation, called Modify, to help those with body modifications to get work. He said: ‘For me it’s a lifestyle. I have a personal belief in skinology and bodistry which is my adaptation of skin and story of the body. ‘I don’t see why someone should be discriminated against just because of the way they look, so I want to help those people as much as I can to find employment.’ Earlier this year, a tattoo-ly in love woman hit the headlines after she had her partner’s name inked on her face. The Old Testament is specific about the prohibition against tattoos (Lev. 19:28; cf. 1 Cor. 6:19-20). During Bible times, tattoos were common in both pagan culture and amongst pagan priests. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 9 The Government Is Gaining Power To Kill Anyone Who Does Not Have Proper "Quality of Life"! [email protected] 25/04/203 Legislation is being considered by the Texas Legislature which would grant physicians the power to withhold critical medical treatment to terminally ill patients. No one will be able to stop this medical doctor from withholding treatment, not even the family or the patient himself. Hitler called this a "Quality of Life" issue and murdered countless numbers of patients by withholding treatment. NEWS BRIEF: "Surprise! Look who's getting power to kill you", World Net Daily, April 24, 2013 "A new bill advancing through the Texas Legislature would allow doctors to decide when you die, giving them the authority to issue 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders regardless of the wishes expressed by patients or their families. The legislation, known as Texas S.B. 303, is sponsored by State Sen. Bob Duell, vice chair of the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. Duell is a Republican, and the GOP holds the majority in the chamber. The bill has already been approved by the committee." Two million-year-old creature had mix of ape, human traits Reuters April 13, 2013 Australopithecus sediba had a narrow rib cage similar to apes' but a flexible spine more similar to that of a human. JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) A 2 million-year-old ancestor of man had a mixture of ape and human-like features that allowed it to hike vast distances on two legs with as much ease as it could scurry up trees, according to research published on Friday. Discovered in cave near Johannesburg in 2008, the fossils of a species named "Australopithecus sediba" have given researchers clues about the evolution of man and which traits in our ancestors fell by the wayside…. The “biblical age of the earth and universe of about 6,000 years” http://www.answersingenesis.org A YOUNG EARTH by Dr. Terry Mortenson, AiG–USA http://www.answersingenesis.org The evolution-creation controversy began in earnest in the early 19th century when the geological theories of a millions-of-years-old earth became popular, a half century before Darwin published his controversial Origin of Species (1859). Up until the mid to late 1700s, the dominant view in Europe regarding earth history was based on a literal interpretation of Genesis: the earth is only about 6000 years old and Noah’s Flood was a global catastrophe... Key abortion facts for Tasmania’s upper house Jim Collins of FamilyVoice Australia 18.04.13 http://tasmaniantimes.com Photo: The Government has been asked to take action against the school involved in the antiabortion protest. (ABC) ...The latest gold-standard study on abortion and mental health, published two weeks ago on 3 April 2013, found no evidence that abortion reduces mental health risks associated with an unwanted pregnancy. On the contrary, this study led by pro-choice NZ researcher Dr David Fergusson found that abortion significantly increases the risk of subsequent mental ill-health including anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, compared with carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term. ...The penalties in the O’Byrne bill for protests, including silent, non -obstructive protests, within 150 metres of an abortion clinic, are horrendous ($65,000 fine and/or one year in jail) – breaching any reasonable understanding of freedom of speech. There is also a very onerous penalty for a pro-life counsellor who declines to participate in an abortion, so does not refer a pregnant woman for counselling by another person who supports abortion. The health minister has demonstrated extreme hypocrisy, since harassing, obstructing and intimidating are already offences under Tasmanian law and there is no law against silent, non-obstructive protests against whale killing or tree-logging…. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” (Isa. 49:15) Doctor accused of severing babies' spines with scissors in 'house of horrors' By Mark Morgenstein, CNN March 4, 2013 Dr. Kermit Gosnell is accused of performing illegal abortions past the 24-week limit prescribed by law. (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania doctor is accused of running a "house of horrors" in which he performed abortions past the 24-week limit allowed by law -- even allegedly as late as eight months into pregnancy. He used scissors, authorities say, to sever the spinal cords of newborns who emerged from their mothers still alive. Department of Education to Eliminate 'Mother,' 'Father' From Federal Student By Bethany Blankley , CP Contributor May 11, 2013 The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it will no longer use the terms "mother" and "father" when collecting information about a student's legal parents when those parents apply for federal student aid. Instead of using the words "mother" and "father," the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) will use "Parent 1" and "Parent 2." Picture: Apostasy Alert The announcement states that the changes to the 2014-2015 federal student aid form "more accurately and fairly assess students' need for aid" and that "Gender-specific terms fail to capture income and other information from one parent when a student's parents are in a same-sex marriage under state law but not federally recognized under the Defense of Marriage Act." FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 10 About the Prime Minister’s atheism US florist refused to serve gay couple by Dwight A. Randall http://lifeministries.org.au 2006 http://news.ninemsn.com.au April 10, 2013 In the lead up to the recent (Australian) federal election, I noticed that many people, including some Christians, stated that they believed that Julia Gillard’s atheism is a matter of little or no concern…. There is a marked difference between Christians and atheists. This traces back to their most deeply held convictions. Atheists believe, for example, that there is no God. Atheists believe that human beings are nothing more than complex animals. Atheists believe that humans determine right from wrong for themselves. Atheists believe in human autonomy—that self, or the collective—must be the first consideration. Indeed, atheists of the socialist persuasion believe that truth is whatever will serve their understanding of the collective good. This is exactly the opposite of what Christians believe… Julia Gillard rejects God. When attending Mitchum Baptist Church in her childhood, Julia received awards for her memorisation of Bible verses. However, at some point in time, probably when she became deeply involved in radical feminism at university, she abandoned her belief in God. On June 29th of this year, radio host Jon Faine on ABC Melbourne Radio asked her, “Do you believe in God?” to which she responded, “No, I don’t, John.” Julia Gillard rejects marriage. In 1983, under Julia’s leadership of the Australian Union of Students, the AUS declared that marriage is a form of prostitution — “sex in return for love, security and housekeeping” (The Australian, 6 April 1984). Over two decades later Julia remains unmarried, but has had several de facto relationships, including one with a Labor frontbencher who was at the time, and still remains married with children. Julia’s ongoing disregard for the importance of marriage can be seen in her choice to live with her partner, Tim Mathieson, outside of marriage. She is the first Prime Minister of Australia to live in fornication (to coin a biblical phrase) with a “partner” in Kirribilli. At a time when marriage and family are fracturing in Australia, to the detriment of couples, their children and society, our new Prime Minister sets a very poor example for the young people of this nation... The attorney-general in the US state of Washington has filed a lawsuit against a florist who refused to provide flowers for the wedding of longtime gay customers, citing her religious opposition to same-sex marriage…. Gillard, Abbott unmoved by NZ gay marriage vote April 18, 2013 http://www.smh.com.au Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Photo: Wayne Taylor Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she won't be moved from her stance against gay marriage despite New Zealand passing legislation allowing same sex couples to tie the knot…. As Ms Gillard was speaking at Ringwood, a conscience vote in New Zealand parliament passed the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill with a convincing 77-44 vote. New Zealand is the 13th country to legalise gay marriage and the first in the Asia-Pacific. When comment was sought on the NZ development from Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, his office pointed to a previous interview in which he reiterated that while Coalition policy stated that marriage was between a man and a woman, MPs would not be allowed a conscience vote on this issue. Last year, an attempt to legalise gay marriage failed in the Australian parliament, with Ms Gillard opposed to the move, and Mr Abbott refusing Coalition MPs a conscience vote…. Arlene's Flowers on Lee Boulevard in Richland. Bob Brawdy — Tri-City Herald JD Bristol, attorney for Arlene's, said his client has many customers and employees who are gay and the claim that she is "discriminating on the basis on sexual orientation is nonsense." "This is about gay marriage, it's not about a person being gay," Bristol said. "She has a conscientious objection to homosexual marriage, not homosexuality. It violates her conscience."… In its suit, the attorney-general's office said the florist discriminated against Ingersoll based on his sexual orientation and is seeking $US2,000 ($A1,915.98) in penalties and a permanent injunction requiring the florist to comply with state laws…. "I one hundred percent believe this is a freedom-of-expression and free-exercise-of-religion issue," he said. "What the government is saying here is that you don't have the right to free religious exercise." According to the Bible, marriage is instituted by God and is the witnessed union and covenant of God between a man and a woman as husband and wife (Prov. 2:17; Ezekiel 16:8; cf. Mal. 2:14). Sign of the times controversy By CAMERON WHITELEY April 23, 2013 PUBLIC DISPLAY: Graham Hodge's sign at Somerset, that features a male and female gender symbol and two wedding rings, has sparked debate. Picture: Grant Wells. A SIGN at Somerset featuring a male and female gender symbol and two wedding rings has sparked controversy. The Advocate was yesterday inundated with calls from members of the public on both sides of the same-sex marriage argument about the sign near the Cam River. Wynyard resident Maire MacCana was upset after noticing the sign while driving past. "I found it upsetting that an idea that I find discriminatory was displayed in such a public place," she said. "While I recognise that people believe that marriage should be between a man and woman, 10 per cent of the population are homosexual." The man who put up the sign, Graham Hodge from Cam River Signs, admitted he knew the sign would be controversial. However, Mr Hodge said it was "a subtle way of saying that man plus woman equals marriage." "It's not about marriage equality, that's a complete misnomer, it's about destroying the institution of marriage completely." Mr Hodge, a Christian, said he was entitled to voice his opinion. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 11 “Hip Hip” in “Hip Hip, Hooray” Was Once an Anti-Semitic Phrase http://www.todayifoundout.com Daven Hiskey September 9, 2010 Today I Found Out the “Hip Hip” in “Hip Hip, Hooray” was once antiSemitic. This phrase is thought to have its origins in the middle-age Latin battle-cry “Hieroslyma est perdita’, which means “Jerusalem is fallen” or “Jerusalem is lost”. This was later shortened by Germanic tribes fighting Jews to “Hep Hep Hu-raj”, meaning loosely “Jerusalem is fallen and we are on the way to paradise.” White House map 'erases' Jerusalem, biblical territories http://www.wnd.com 03/19/2013 by Aaron Klein Aaron Klein is WND's senior staff reporter and Jerusalem bureau chief. Sources say Obama already has pledged to discuss land for peace TEL AVIV – The White House has released what it says is a map of Israel. The only problem is that Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights are missing. An Obama administration video highlighting the president’s plans for his Mideast trip depicts Jerusalem, the Golan and the West Bank – also known as Judea and Samaria – as non-Israeli territory. The Washington Free Beacon, which first reported the discrepancies, noted the video shows the Golan Heights as part of Syria; Jerusalem is depicted as part of the West Bank; and northern Israel is shown as part of Lebanon…. WND reported in August 2012 when the White House refused to name the capital of Israel – not once, but twice – as the two most senior White House correspondents cornered Obama’s press secretary, doggedly questioning him on whether the Obama administration considered Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to be the capital of the Jewish state…. WND previously reported Palestinians are building illegally in Jewishowned areas of Jerusalem, creating Arab majorities in certain neighborhoods. Israel in Moscow talks to halt supply of missiles to Syrian regime Intelligence figures make attempt to prevent anti-aircraft weapons reaching Assad or others who could attack Israel. Phoebe Greenwood in Tel Aviv http://www.guardian.co.uk Wednesday 29 May 2013 Israeli intelligence officials have flown to Moscow to try to stop Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles being delivered to Syria's Assad regime. Photograph: Ivan Sekretarev/AP Top-level Israeli intelligence figures flew into Moscow on Tuesday night in a last-ditch attempt to talk the Kremlin out of supplying sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to the Assad regime, which once installed in Syria would have the range and power to target civilian and military aircraft over Tel Aviv… Lawmakers question gift of 20 F-16s to Morsi's Egypt By Maxim Lott http://www.foxnews.com December 11, 2012 Turmoil in Egypt isn't stopping a shipment of 20 F-16 fighter jets, including this one - already emblazoned with Egypt's flag. (Courtesy: Carl Richards) Key lawmakers expressing concerns about the Obama administration's plan to send 20 F-16 fighter jets to Egypt, where new President Mohamed Morsi's allegiances are as uncertain as his grip on power. Under a foreign aid deal signed in 2010, when Morsi's U.S.-friendly predecessor Hosni Mubarak was in charge, the U.S. is giving the planes to Egypt's air force, which already has more than 200 of the aircraft. The first four jets are to be delivered beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. But the $213 million gift is raising questions on Capitol Hill as Morsi is under fire for trying to seize dictatorial powers and allegedly siccing thugs and rapists on protesters. Netanyahu cool to Arab land-swap initiative By William Booth, May 01, 2013 washingtonpost.com JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinians could not achieve a peace deal based on land swaps alone and insisted that the most important thing is for Palestinians to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state. “You saw what happened when we left the Gaza Strip. We evacuated the last settlers, and what did we get? Missiles,” he said, referring to Israel’s unilateral withdrawal of soldiers and settlers from the Palestinian coastal territory in 2005…. “The Title Deeds to the Promised Land” “O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 7He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth. 8He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. 9Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance,” (Psalm 105:6-11) Disclaimer: Faith and Freedom Ministries Inc. does not always agree with views or doctrine printed from the secular, Christian or so-called Christian articles that appear in the magazine. The magazine committee stand strongly on biblical separation from apostasy (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Articles represent church history and biblical prophecy being fulfilled and must be read discerningly . Articles are not necessarily error free. FAITH AND FREEDOM June—July 2013 Page 12 Russian Orthodox Patriarch denounces 'dangerous feminism' http://www.telegraph.co.uk Agence France-Presse in Moscow 10 April 2013 The Russian Orthodox Patriarch has cautioned against the dangers of feminism, denouncing "propaganda" that encourages women to take roles beyond housekeeping and rearing children. Jesus not found outside the Church, Pope preaches By Estefania Aguirre http://www.catholicnewsagency.com Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St. John Lateran on March 29, 2013. Credit: Stephen Driscoll/CNA. Vatican City, Apr 23, 2013 (CNA/EWTN News).Pope Francis said that people cannot be fully united to Jesus outside of the Church during a Mass to commemorate Saint George, the saint he is named after. “You cannot find Jesus outside the Church,” he said April 23 in the Apostolic Palace’s Pauline Chapel. Patriarch Kirill is a champion of the government's drive to restore socalled family values Photo: EPA "I consider the phenomenon called feminism very dangerous," said the powerful Patriarch Kirill in a speech posted on the official Russian Orthodox Church website. "Feminist organisations proclaim a pseudo-freedom of women, which should be manifested outside marriage and family." He argued: "The man should be focused on matters outside (of the house), he must work and earn money, but the woman is always directed to the inside, towards her children and her home." "If that very important function of the woman is broken, then this is followed by the breaking of everything else: family, and in a larger sense, the motherland." “FEMINISM. A movement which denies, to various degrees, the Bible's teaching on the nature and created position of the woman,” (FundamentalBaptistLibrary2000) “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed,” (Titus 2:3-5) “It is the Mother Church who gives us Jesus, who gives us the identity that is not only a seal, it is a belonging,” he declared in his homily. No Salvation In The (Roman) Catholic Religion! By David J. Stewarthttp://www.jesus-is-savior.com "...for,behold,thekingdomof Godiswithinyou."—Luke17:21 When will (Roman) Catholics ever wake up and realize that the kingdom of God is not found in a building, or a religion, or a bunch of ceremonies and superstitions. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within the Christian believer by faith alone. Kevin Rudd declares his support for same sex marriage by: Daniel Piotrowski and Leigh van den Broeke From: news.com.au May 20, 2013 Source: news.com.au FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has thrown his support behind same sex marriage in a blog post on his website. "I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage," Mr Rudd said. "I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognise same sex marriage." Mr Rudd said any marriage equality legislation brought forward should not place any requirement on churches or religious institutions to conduct same sex marriages. The former PM and current backbencher's announcement marks a significant shift for Mr Rudd. In September 2012, Mr Rudd voted against gay marriage legislation introduced by fellow ALP backbencher Stephen Jones. “In those days...every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” (Judges 21:25)