May 7, 2007

'Life's Short. Get a Divorce.' -- Chicago Billboard Turns Heads (May 7, 2007) - An all-female law firm is turning heads in Chicago with a new billboard and a blunt message: "Life's Short. Get a Divorce.'' The billboard, sponsored by Fetman, Garland & Associates, Ltd., a firm that specializes in divorce cases, features the six-pack abs of a headless male torso and tanned female cleavage heaving forth from a black lace bra. The ad is the brainchild of Corri Fetman, who told ABC News' Law & Justice Unit, "Law firm advertising is boring…Everything's always the same. It's lawyers in libraries with a suit on and the law books behind them. They don't say anything. What, I should hire you because you have a law degree? C'mon. So we wanted to try something different." Reaction from those who work in and around Chicago's divorce courts has been less than enthusiastic. "It's grotesque,'' said John Ducanto, past president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. "It's totally undignified and offensive." "It trivializes divorce and I think it's absolutely disgusting," Rick Tivers, a clinical social worker at the Center for Divorce Recovery in Chicago, told ABC News. "Divorce is traumatic enough without this kind of [advertising]. We try and help people go through the divorce process with as much integrity as possible. A lot of my work is helping people grieve the loss of a divorce, and their own sense of betrayal. This makes divorce seem like it's not a big deal, and it's a huge deal for many people.'' Ducanto called on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee of Supreme Court of Illinois to sanction Fetman. "I don't think they'll just let this pass,'' said Ducanto, who seemed genuinely hurt by the ad. "I have been in practice for 52 years, and I've worked my ass off to change the image of this particular area of the legal practice, and to see some punk try and pervert the whole image in the interest of lucre. … Sure, she's got a lot of attention, but it's like a guy who spits on a table — you got the attention, sure, but what kind of attention is it?" more...
| Signs of the Times |

Hamas Uses Mickey Mouse to Push Islamic Supremacy (May 7, 2007) - Hamas television is using the image of the popular American cartoon figure Mickey Mouse to teach Palestinian children to hate America and Israel and to promote the idea that Islam should rule the world, an Israeli research institute said. The human-sized, costumed Mickey Mouse look-alike, complete with squeaky voice, is called Farfur. He and his co-host, a young girl named Saraa, appear weekly on the official Hamas television station, Al-Aksa TV, as part of a children's program called "Tomorrow's Pioneers." Farfur and Saraa teach children about the importance of daily prayers and drinking milk, the Palestinian Media Watch said. They also take every opportunity to indoctrinate the young viewers with teachings of Islamic supremacy, hatred of Israel and the U.S., and support of "resistance" (terrorism), PMW said. PMW Director Itamar Marcus said his group had contacted the Walt Disney Company about the use of its character but had not yet received a reply. It is ironic that Hamas is using an American cartoon character against America, he said. In one program that aired on April 16, Farfur tells children that they are laying the "cornerstone" for Islamic world domination and must therefore pray five times a day in a mosque. more...
| Islam |

Police battle anti-Sarkozy protesters (May 7, 2007) - CLASHES between police and protestors have been reported in central Paris and the southeastern city of Lyon after conservative leader Nicolas Sarkozy was elected French President overnight. In the Place de la Bastille in Paris riot police fired tear gas and at least one burst of water cannon after hundreds of rioters – some wearing masks – began throwing bottles, stones and other missiles. Earlier, a small crowd brandishing black and red anarchist flags set fire to an effigy of Mr Sarkozy before tearing it limb from limb and then stamping on it. Demonstrators chanted "police everywhere, justice nowhere". About 5000 supporters of defeated Socialist party candidate Segolene Royal had gathered in the square to await the election results. Mr. Sarkozy beat Ms Royal by 53 per cent of the vote to 47 per cent, according to projections. The defeated Socialists had portrayed Mr. Sarkozy as a danger for France during the election campaign and said he was authoritarian who was likely to exacerbate tensions in the poor, multi-racial suburbs that ring many cities. Thousands of extra police have been drafted in to patrol sensitive areas following the election result. In another part of central Paris, Mr. Sarkozy appeared before cheering crowds in and promised to be "president for all the French without exception". "This evening is a victory for France," he said to a crowd of 10,000 in the Place de la Concorde. "I ask you to be generous, to be tolerant, to be fraternal. I ask you to hold out your hand. I ask you to give the image of a France that is united, together, which leaves no-one at the side of the road. "My dear friends, I have seen victories before in my career. But victory is only beautiful if it is generous. Victory is not vengeance – it is being open in spirit. Victory only has meaning if it is victory for the country in its entirety. "Millions of French are watching us. Millions of French have placed their trust in us. You must understand that the first people I wish to address are those who did not place their trust in us. "I want them to understand that I will be a president of the republic for all the French without exception." European leaders congratulated Mr. Sarkozy on his victory today and hoped his triumph would help unblock reforms stalled by the rejection of the EU constitution in 2005. more...
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom |

Hezbollah: Rockets fired into Israel directed by Iran (May 7, 2007) - All of Hezbollah's policies and activities are coordinated with the leadership of Iran, including the firing of rockets into Israeli population centers for which direct Iranian approval is required, said a senior Hezbollah official in a rare admission. "Even when it comes to firing rockets on Israeli civilians, when they [Israel] bombed the civilians on our side, even that decision requires an in-principle permission from [the ruling jurisprudent]," said Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy chief of Hezbollah, in an Arabic language interview translated yesterday by the Information and Terrorism Center at Israel's Center for Special Studies. According to the Center, "the ruling jurisprudent," or "al-wali al-faqih" in Arabic, is the title of Supreme Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the interview, given last month to the Al-Kawthar, Iranian Arabic-language TV channel, Qassem says Khamenei's authority is crucial for all Hezbollah operations: "Hezbollah relied and relies still in its Islamic religious position, which has to do with its activity in general and its jihadist activity in particular, on the decision of (Khamenei). The ruling jurisprudent is the one who allows and the one who prohibits." He said Khamenei approves acts suicide terror. "We ask, receive answers, and then apply [them]. This is even true for acts of suicide for the sake of Allah – no one may kill himself without a jurisprudent permission (from Khamenei)." During Israel's war in Lebanon last summer, Hezbollah fired over 3,000 rockets into Israeli civilian population centers, killing 43 civilians and injuring thousands. There were multiple reports, denied by Hezbollah, of Iranian officers operating in Lebanon to aid the militia. more...
| Israel | Islam |

Moderate earthquake hits northern Philippines (May 7, 2007) - An earthquake measuring 5.4 Richter scale rocked the northern Philippine city of Baguio and nearby areas on May 7, local TV reported. The quake was felt at Baguio and Ilocos Norte province before dawn Monday, the GMA TV reported. Quoting a report by the United States Geological Service (USGS), the TV said that the quake was recorded at about 2:27 a.m. Manila time. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property in the quake, the TV reported. Epicenter of the quake was traced by the USGS to 105 km north- northwest of Baguio City, and 105 km south-southwest of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, it added.
| Earth Changes |

Earthquake hits Tongan region (May 7, 2007) - A strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.2 on the Richter Scale has hit the Tonga region this morning. There were no immediate reports of damage. The quake struck at 9.11am 473 kilometres north west of the capital Nuku'alofa. It was 687 kilometres deep in an area known for strong earthquake activity. Quakes in the area do not normally generate tsunami.
| Earth Changes |

Earthquake swarm strikes Yellowstone (May 6, 2007) - Sixteen small earthquakes with magnitudes up to 2.7 shook the park's Pitchstone Plateau last week. The quakes were detected by seismographs operated by the University of Utah and partners. They began Monday, just before midnight. The largest occurred at 3:09 a.m. Tuesday and the quakes continued until Wednesday, according to Bob Smith, a University of Utah professor. "I was up working and watching these, saying 'Whoa, what does this all mean?'" he said. "It kept my interest quite high." The quakes occurred on the southern edge of a volcano caldera at the center of Yellowstone. The volcano last erupted 70,000 years ago. Smith said earthquake swarms are common in Yellowstone. As many as 70 swarms of small earthquakes have occurred in the region between 1983 and 2006. No one likely felt the most recent quakes, Smith said.
| Earth Changes |

Earthquake rattles Colombian capital (May 6, 2007) - An earthquake centered deep underground rattled parts of Colombia, including Bogota, El Tiempo newspaper reported Sunday. Though the quake's epicenter was more than 150 miles northwest of the capital, it shook buildings in central Colombia. The quake measured 5.5 on the Richter scale, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no reports of injuries or damages from the quake.
| Earth Changes |

Peretz: Israel Ready For Gaza War, IDF: He's Waiting For Deaths (May 6, 2007) - Defense Minister Amir Peretz said following a Sabbath of rockets fired on Sderot that Israel is prepared for an operation in Gaza. According to Yisraeli newspaper, defense officials say he is waiting for Israeli deaths to launch a full scale retaliation. “We are prepared for a war in Gaza more than we were in the Second Lebanon War,” Peretz said over the weekend. “There is a plan.” Peretz made the comments following a barrage of at least eight rockets on Sderot and other western Negev communities. One rocket fell on a home in Sderot and exploded, but the family was not in the house at the time. The IDF responded, but failed to strike any of the rocket-firing squads. IDF officials told the Yisraeli daily commuter paper that the Gaza region will be “heating up” in the coming months. They said that the government has operative plans ready, but will not allow the IDF to carry them out unless there are fatal injuries due to a Kassam rocket strike. Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal says that the ruling Hamas Islamist group will “not stop the shooting of Kassams.” He rejected an American proposal that Hamas stop the rockets and stop smuggling weapons over the Gaza-Egypt border in return for Israel’s easing of restrictions on the movement of PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
| Israel | Islam |

Fresh tornadoes pound central US (May 6, 2007) - A new wave of tornadoes has hit at least six counties in the central US, a day after a massive tornado devastated a small town in southern Kansas. One man was killed in the latest storms and 11 people injured in another Kansas town. More severe weather is expected. Rescuers are searching for survivors of the Greensburg tornado, which killed nine people and injured dozens more. US President George W Bush has declared parts of Kansas a disaster area and has pledged federal aid for reconstruction. "I'm confident this community will be rebuilt, to the extent we can help, we will. "The most important thing now is for our citizens to ask for the good Lord to comfort those who were hurt," the president said after attending church in Washington on Sunday. Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, who toured the devastated region, said: "It is no understatement or overstatement to say this town has been wiped off the face of the Earth." more...
| Earth Changes |

Crackdown on Christians could go nationwide (May 5, 2007) - Christians in Nigeria, who make up about half the population, are expressing fears Islamic law already being enforced in northern states will expand nationwide with the inauguration this month of a new "devout Muslim" president, according to a report from the Voice of the Martyrs. Musa Yar' Adua was governor of Katsina state in northern Nigeria, where he and nearly a dozen other governors over recent years have imposed Islamic religious law as the law of the government, officials said. As a result, Christians have lost basic rights such as having a location to meet and meeting there, officials have confirmed. "We have not been allowed to worship freely, as churches have been denied places of worship. In the Government Reservation Area, for example, it is not possible to get land for places of worship by Christians," Rev. Canon Williams said in a Voice of the Martyrs report. As WND has reported, Muslim rioters in Nigeria in 2006 were incensed over cartoons of Muhammad published in Denmark, and more than 130 Christians in the Nigerian cities of Maiduguri and Onitsha were slaughtered. The reports documented six children burned to ashes in front of their father, VOM said. WND also has reported nearly 1,000 homes of Christians and many churches have been destroyed in those regions, and documentation of Islamic law is everywhere. "If you go around villages, you will see people missing one hand or one foot," explained Rev. Obiora Ike. "Do you think that's the result of an illness? That is the result of sharia law." More than 10,000 Christians have been martyred in the region since the Islamic law was imposed in the region in 1999, and Voice of the Martyrs has helped surviving family members through its Families of Martyrs Fund with Care Packs, Village Outreach packs and words of encouragement to believers who stand for their faith "amidst volatile, uncertain conditions. "The election of Yar' Adua will aggravate the problems of Christians in northern Nigeria. Our fear is that under a Muslim president, religious liberty will be eroded," another pastor said in the VOM report. more...
| Islam |

Jihad in U.S. Streets (May 5, 2007) - "These killers are known as "paintball jihadists" in that they practice in paintball game style what they have planned for America’s streets. They are already training others in "urban combat" using paintball guns. They will engage in paramilitary-style training right under our noses, and lie about it to our faces. They are protected, in some cases, by the religious Imams, some who even encourage or schedule such outings." Zealot Muslims now plan to bathe America’s streets with gunfire just as is going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Darfur and so forth. Once these Allah devotees get hold, they don’t stop. Street fighting never ends. Further, these fighters are more than willing to sacrifice their own bodies and those of their families and neighbors in order to see through Islam World Rule. Douglas J. Hagmann, Director, Northeast Intelligence Network, reports that American officials already know of the process. However, both government and media are muffling detail. Jihad will come to the United States due to "Muslim men inside the U.S., (the latter) adhering to the Islamist ideology of jihad, preparing for war on the streets of America. "The ‘insider’ reports are very troubling and are purposely being downplayed by official sources and go largely unreported in the media. "One case, however, can serve as an example of what is taking place all across the U.S. involving the procurement and disbursement of weapons to Muslim ‘jihadists.’ On Tuesday, May 2, 2007, a federal indictment was unsealed in the U.S. federal court in St. Louis naming eight Islamic men as defendants in a case involving the buying, selling or hiding of automatic weapons, an anti-personnel mine and other explosives. more...
| Islam | America |

Christians need Exodus from 'Pharoah's system' (May 5, 2007) - Exodus, according to the dictionary, is "a going out, departure or emigration," or "the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses." Now there are Christian leaders who would like to add another definition: "The mass departure of Christians from the public school system." Chaplain E. Ray Moore of Exodus Mandate, whose goal is to "encourage and assist Christian families to leave Pharoah's school system," said there's an urgent need Christian parents must understand. "Based on statistics, there is a 70-to-80 percent chance that a [Christian] child will abandon the church and their faith in a public school career," Moore told WND. The bottom line, then, is Christian parents need to lobby their pastors, pastors need to lobby their denominations, and their denominations need to start programs creating and operating public schools. "We think probably 75 percent of the Christian churches could provide, and have the financial resources to provide, a Christian education for children, if they saw it as a necessity," said Moore, who has endorsed a move building among Southern Baptist churches to do just that. Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has called on Southern Baptist churches to expand into K-12 education, making it available for families whether they can pay a private tuition or not. Now a resolution prepared for the denomination's annual meeting by Voddie Baucham, a pastor with a national teaching ministry and the author of "The Ever Loving Truth," and Bruce Shortt, a board member for Exodus Mandate and author of "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools," endorses Page's suggestions, and calls for more. "Dr. Page's call for more Christian schools is the beginning of the 'exit strategy' that Dr. [Albert] Mohler has urged be developed. If the SBC and American Christianity are to survive in any culturally relevant way, we are going to have to repent of our unfaithfulness in the education of our children. And we need to do this sooner rather than later," said Baucham. His resolution, submitted jointly with Shortt for the 2007 SBC annual meeting, is intended to expand the debate among Christians about creating a parallel school system, only one that includes biblical truth as part of an education. more... The "science" taught in public school had a great effect on me growing up in a subtle way. I always believed in God, but just like in the garden of Eden when the subtle serpent caused Eve to question what God said and then go against it, so too does the theory of evolution and the scientific method call into question the existence of God. It's subtle because the scientific method only allows things perceived with the five senses to be called scientific and only things that are scientifically proven are considered reality. Since the spirit realm is outside of the perception of our five senses, our spirituality is dulled through the study and acceptance of science as taught today. I believe the scientific community is beginning to break out of the box they were placed in with the ideas of Sir Francis Bacon and Charles Darwin primarily, but the majority of the scientific community has too much pride I think to accept that they've been blinded by focusing only on the material world. You cannot truly be intelligent if you refuse to look at the whole picture. The spirit realm exists and we all have personal experience with it... love, joy, anger, peace... these are all emotions that have no physical properties yet we live with them daily. There is a world outside what we can perceive with the five senses. Realizing that and understanding how the spirit realm can influence who we are is imperative for all human beings because of the war that is going on in the spirit over our eternal souls. The serpent is subtle and we are naive, let us guard our minds from the attacks of the enemy with the Truth of God's Word and rely on listening to His still, small voice, the thoughts in line with His Word.

China's FM meets with Russian FM, EU's Solana (May 5, 2007) - New Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Friday at this Red Sea resort on the sidelines of an international meeting on Iraq's security. In meeting with Lavrov, the two ministers lauded the rapid development of the strategic partnership of cooperation between Russia and China, stressing the significance of holding the Year of China in Russia and the Year of Russia in China in pushing forward with bilateral ties. The two ministers agreed to make use of these programs of cultural exchanges and deepen cooperation to develop ties in the direction set out by the two nations' leaders. China and Russia will further increase coordination and cooperation on major issues, they said, while exchanging views on other regional and international issues of common interest. Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. During his meeting with Solana, Yang said the EU was an all- round strategic cooperative partner for China, and China valued highly the EU's role in the international arena. China was ready to expand and deepen cooperation with the EU in broad fields, said Yang, adding that the Chinese side was also willing to further improve consultation and cooperation with the EU over international issues. Solana told Yang that the EU attached high importance to cooperative relations with China, and hoped to maintain communication and carry out strategic dialogue with China. Solana briefed Yang of the EU's stance on the Iranian nuclear issue, saying that the EU hoped to solve the issue through diplomatic negotiations. Yang said resolving the Iranian issue by peaceful means was in conformity with the interest of related parties, and the important thing at present was to resume negotiations. Yang said China appreciated EU's efforts in this aspect. The one-day meeting on Iraq, also called enlarged meeting of the Iraq's neighboring countries, was attended by senior diplomats from Iraq's six neighbors -- Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait -- plus Bahrain, Egypt and the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the UN as well as the EU. more...
| Gog/Magog | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana |

'Gay' activist says 'We will BURY you' (May 5, 2007) - A board member for Equality California has come out swinging at the Bible-based Capitol Resource Institute, which works on behalf of family and biblical values in California, especially among its lawmakers. "If you continue your efforts, we will BURY you," said an e-mail from Ben Patrick Johnson, to his "colleagues" at the CRI, according to a statement from the Christian organization. "For a group that purports to expand tolerance and civil rights, Equality California is not practicing what it preaches," CRI said. "This type of language evokes images of Communist leader Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the podium of the United Nations when he declared that Communism would bury America," said CRI. "The irony is not lost on us – Communists squelch all opposing speech, just as the modern 'intolerance' movement seeks to silence all opposing viewpoints. "Johnson then threatens 'we have every intention of yours [group] going down, as have others who oppose decency and human rights.' It is shameful that a group that represents itself as promoting tolerance and civil rights would stoop to the very tactics it accuses CRI of using. Not once has CRI personally attacked opponents in such a degrading and vicious manner," said the organization. "In a video diatribe against CRI posted on his website, Johnson declares that CRI and its supporters are 'hate peddlers' and 'conservative, religious prejudice peddlers.' He further declares that we are 'smirky, self-righteous folks' who have 'launched an aggressive campaign against legislation to protect gay youth in California's and ultimately America's schools.' This statement reveals not only the vitriolic language this supposed 'tolerance' group uses, but also the true agenda behind such legislation as SB 777. The radical homosexual agenda intends on sweeping the nation. California is merely the first step in the campaign to stifle free speech and stamp out opposition to 'alternative lifestyles,'" CRI said. As WND has reported, SB 777 is a plan that would require all public schools in California to eliminate anything that could reflect "adversely" on the homosexual lifestyle choice. It could mean the words "mom" and "dad" would be banned. It's a plan the California Assembly approved a year ago, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. CRI said Johnson's attack included the e-mail and his webcast. "After showing graphic images of a young man being beaten in Jamaica, purportedly for being a homosexual, Johnson ends his invective by proclaiming that it 'disgusts' him that 'the people behind CRI are so stuck in their fear and bigotry' that they would allow homosexual youth to be assaulted in such a manner," CRI said. Officials at the organization attributed the invective to an appearance by CRI officials on Fox News Channel, when the biblical perspective on homosexuality was presented. "As you can see, CRI is up against radical, aggressive individuals. To be spewing such hateful, inflammatory rhetoric indicates that they are fearful of the truth CRI communicates to the people of California and the rest of America. We should be crystal clear in response to the outrageous accusation that we want homosexual youth to be 'abused and degraded.' CRI believes that all children should be protected from violence in their schools. That is why it is essential to restore discipline and order in our classrooms. Pushing radical social experimentation will not stop intolerance or violence." more...

Israeli Envoy: Syrian Build-up - the Strongest Since 1973 War (May 5, 2007) - Israel's Ambassador in Washington says Syria is developing its most serious threat against Israel since it attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. "We see Syria developing a very serious threat on the northern border," Ambassador Sallai Meridor told journalists in Washington on Wednesday. He said the threat is manifest in military activity, training, great investments in military equipment - and the build-up of a large arsenal of Scud missiles. "In the past," Meridor said, "the assumption was that the Syrians' tanks and air force were not among the most advanced. Now, however, we are concerned that they might think that with a large arsenal of rockets that can reach everywhere in Israel, they have the capacity... to threaten us." The last time Israel's north-eastern neighbor threatened Israel so fiercely build-up was the 1973 Yom Kippur War. That war was set off when Syria and Egypt simultaneously attacked Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish year. "We hope they do not have offensive intentions," Meridor said, "but we cannot be sure." The ambassador said that Israel is attempting to pass "calming messages" to Syria, but that Syria continues to "thwart attempts to create attempts to create an atmosphere that will promote peace." Syria has demanded for 40 years that Israel relinquish control over the Golan Heights - the mountainous area from which Syria often launched attacks against Israeli communities below until Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Six Day War. Long one of Israel's most implacable enemies, Syria continues to provide assistance, money and training to Hamas, Hizbullah, and other terrorist groups.
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Companion Story |

Hate crime bill veto is vowed (May 4, 2007) - A long-stalled bill that would expand the federal hate crime law to cover violent acts based on a victim's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability is headed for approval in the Democratic-controlled Congress but faces a White House veto threat. The House on Thursday approved the measure, the first major expansion of the hate crime statute since it was enacted in 1968. Senate approval is expected soon, putting the controversial bill on the president's desk for the first time since it was proposed nearly a decade ago. Under intense pressure from conservative religious organizations to derail the bill, the White House on Thursday called it "unnecessary and constitutionally questionable," issuing the latest in a string of veto threats aimed at the congressional Democratic majority. The measure was spurred by a number of high-profile incidents, including the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was brutally beaten in Wyoming and left to die tied to a fence. Shepard's mother, Judy, who lobbied for the bill's passage, addressed House Democrats shortly before the vote and watched the debate from the gallery. "I'm so relieved. It's been a long time," she said afterward. The House approved the bill 237 to 180, with 25 Republicans joining 212 Democrats in passing it. Voting no were 166 Republicans and 14 Democrats. The California delegation voted along party lines, except for Republican Mary Bono of Palm Springs, who supported the measure. Republicans Duncan Hunter of El Cajon and George P. Radanovich of Mariposa did not vote. The vote was short of the two-thirds needed to override a presidential veto. Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, said he hoped President Bush would sign the bill. "We are not going to stop working on this president," he said. "There's time before this goes to the president's desk. I hope that we have an opportunity to engage the White House … to talk to him about the kind of legacy he wants to look back upon." more...
| America |

Pre-Trib or Pre-Wrath? You decide! (May 4, 2007) - The harpazo issue is a very sensitive topic. I have been involved in a lot of heated debates with pre-trib website hosts that refuse to even have a look into any other view. If I ask a question, it usually gets answered with a reply like: “The pre-trib view is more Biblical than any other view, and that is final!” Although your view is not essential for salvation, I do feel that there are some dangers involved on what view you cling to. I was planing an article on the dangers of harpazo views, but yesterday I found such a good, well balanced and humble reply to a question on Fulfilledprophecy.com’s forum board by OBXBob, that I just had to post it here for everyone to read. Bob kindly gave me permission to quote him. Here is Bob:

"Most of us on this board were pre-trib at one time. When I first came to this here, I was pre-trib because I thought that this doctrine was 100% proven. I’d never even thought there was reason to question the validity; after all, if all the radio and TV evangelists teach it, it must be right, I thought. I felt very offended reading the posts on this site. Not that anyone ever attacked me personally, but they were attacking what I had thought was a water-tight conclusion…and I must say, I really was very comfortable with the conclusion I had been taught over the years. But, I had a nagging feeling about some of the conclusions I’d been taught, and when I saw many on this board addressing those same topics, I finally decided to try as best I could to throw out all the ‘teachings’ I’d ‘heard’ about pre-trib, and I set out to study the scriptures on my own, trying not to look at any with a pre-conceived bias.

Now, I will not tell anyone with 100% certainty that I am correct. I also don’t think you’ll find with many on this site will say that they are 100% correct on their timing estimates for the harpazo. But, when I personally compared scriptures to scriptures, not making ANY assumptions about the terminology used in the Bible, I can longer follow the pre-trib doctrine. I must also say there was a period of several days that I was left reeling after I came to this conclusion (again, I’m not saying I’m 100% correct.) I will say that if every assumption is peeled away from the pre-trib teaching, it does not seem to support its own weight. Again, that’s just one person’s opinion. I would also like to point out that I’ve seen many posts on this board that pre-wrath or post-trib discussions are not even tolerated on other boards, and persons posting non-pre-trib posts will be banned. I think you’ll find that pre-trib discussions are welcomed here. It is our goal that the person not be attacked; the idea can be questioned, dissected, and disagreed with, but the person should never be personally attacked.

With that said, no one should be telling you or anyone that you’re no less a Christian for believing pre-trib. However, there is something I’ve been thinking about a lot since I’ve seen these recent commentaries from Herb, seen posts from others, and personal experiences I’ve witnessed. Many of us might have seen people who confess to be Christians who turn away from Christ seemingly as a result of a personal calamity. One example I read on a thread was about a person who was so upset by 911 that he turned away from God. I have seen multiple examples personally when a parent has lost a child and have become very bitter and angry at God. The resounding statement, “This is just not fair.” “How could God be so unfair”. And thus, we first have the feeling that God’s actions do not match our expectations and are seen in our human eyes as not being fair. Then this line of thinking often brings on anger, and in many cases, that anger tends to turn one against the Lord. One can say that these people were never saved, but I think we need to think very carefully before making such statements.

Having been a very strong pre-trib believer for years, I’ve not seen or heard a single one of these popular bible teachers say that there’s even a 0.0001% chance that pre-trib is not correct. They leave absolutely no margin for doubt, making it sound like it’s just much a foregone conclusion as the sun rising in the morning. (That’s why I was so shocked when I came here to see there were people questioning this doctrine that I’d come to know and love. I thought, “How dare they be saying such things. They have no right to be doing this.” ) Anyway, these famous pre-trib teachers all say that Jesus just would not put his bride through the tribulation and Great Tribulation. The implication is that Jesus just loves us too much. They have said, “That would be no way to treat a bride.”

So, these teachers have for years been PUTTING AN EXPECTATION into the minds of their audience that 1) pre-trib is 100% correct 2) with 100% certainty say that the church definitely will not be here a single day of the 70th week of Daniel and 3) God loves the Church too much to allow them to go through the 70th week…again, this is said by these teachers not as opinion, but AS FACT.

So, if Christians have become angry with God over 911, and over the loss of their child, how do you think that some might react when they believe 100% in what they have been taught by all the major teachers in the media that there is absolutely no way they’ll be here during the Great Tribulation, if in fact the pre-trib teaching is not correct? What if they have an entire family wiped out in another city by nuclear weapons? What if Christians become being put in jail or killed for being a follower of Jesus? What if family members begin to starve or die of disease? What will come to the minds of these people? If people can become angry at God, and turn away from him at the loss of a child, how much more could their feelings of anger and betrayal be when they had been told beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’d not have to go through these things? Will they realize they are in the 70th week, or will they start to believe that maybe Christianity was not correct after all?

Please understand I’m in no way saying this will apply to any pre-trib believers. I’m just trying to go down a road of what I have seen happen in incidences that are minor when compared to what the 70th week will bring.

I’ve got a story I’d like to share with you to try to better illustrate what I’m trying to say. I want to address the effects of what ‘perception’ or mindset can have when going into any situation. Last year, my wife ordered a orange freeze ice cream dessert. She drank about half of it and said that something just didn’t taste right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She kept tasting it, tasting it, and still couldn’t decide what was wrong. Well, I hadn’t paid any attention at all to what she had ordered, so I had no pre-conceived notion to expect an orange freeze. I tasted it, and I said it tasted fine to me. She said it somehow didn’t taste like an orange freeze should taste. I laughed and told her it wasn’t an orange freeze….it looked orange in color, but it was made with peach ice cream…it was a peach freeze. When she tasted it again, she had a big laugh. You see, her brain and taste buds had been ‘expecting’ orange ice cream….and her brain didn’t process the ice cream was peach because her mind had been preconditioned ahead of time.

That’s what I’m trying to say. Those who are pre-wrath are now ‘expecting’ in their hearts the worst of the worst. They’ll not be surprised for one minute if the 70 weeks begins with them in it. I’d imagine a lot of pre-trib folks who are based in the word will also recognize that. But, my fear is that a lot of folks won’t recognize the 70 weeks and will get angry with God…they were expecting the ‘orange’ freeze.

Of course, I could be way off base, but I wanted to share this opinion with you.
YBIC,
Bob

U.S.: Rice to meet with Syrian FM (May 3, 2007) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said her meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, the first high-level talks in years between the United States and Syria, was "professional" and focused on how to improve security in Iraq. Rice met with Walid Moallem for a half-hour on the sidelines of a two-day conference about Iraq's future, taking the opportunity to air U.S. concerns about Syria's notoriously porous border with its neighbor. "I didn't lecture him and he didn't lecture me," Rice said afterward. "I would say it was professional. It was businesslike." Rice said she was not seeking a similar meeting with Iran's foreign minister. The Bush administration has shunned Syria, which it considers a state supporter of terrorism, and last month President Bush assailed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for making a trip to Damascus, saying it sent mixed messages to the Syrian government. But the White House has been under pressure to talk with Syria and Iran, another U.S. opponent in the region. In Baghdad, U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said Syria had tightened its borders to and reduced the number of foreign insurgents crossing into Iraq — a chief demand of the United States. "There has been some movement by the Syrians ... there has been a reduction in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq" for more than a month, Caldwell said. more...
| Islam | America |

Iran, Syria Hold Conferences on a 'Culture of Resistance' (May 3, 2007) - As Iran was hosting an international conference this week under the banner "The Muslim World: Victim of Terrorism," Syria was holding its own international conference on "Arab and Islamic Media Support of the Palestinian People." In both countries, the theme was how the Islamic or Arab peoples are under assault and occupation by Israel and the United States. On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the audience at the first-ever Culture of Resistance Conference, held in Tehran, that the Islamic world has been victimized by terrorism perpetrated by "the arrogant powers." It is those powers, Ahmadinejad said, that have created and promoted international terrorist organizations. "Unfortunately," the Iranian leader said, "Islam's enemies are trying to cover up their failures by wrongly portraying Islam as a religion of violence." Ahmadinejad called the United States a terrorist regime and claimed that Israel, with Western backing, is continually threatening other nations. "Islam is nowadays the victim of organized terrorism," he declared. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mohammadi told conference attendees, "We strongly condemn all forms of terrorism because we have suffered most from it." The two-day Tehran conference, which had as its explicit goal the promotion of a "culture of resistance," ended on Wednesday and was attended by guests from 46 states. At the same time as the Iranian event, a three-day conference in Syria drew 350 people from around the globe, as well. Like its sister gathering in Tehran, the Syrian conference expressed a commitment to "deepen the culture of resistance." Specifically, the conference offered support for the Hizbullah terrorist organization, referred to in Syrian media as "the Lebanese national resistance." The final statement of the conference further praised the war Hizbullah launched against Israel in July 2006, "which defeated the US-Israeli schemes," according to the Syrian government's news agency, SANA. In their closing statement, the Syrian conference organizers called on Arab and Islamic media to put the Arab-Israeli conflict at the top of their agenda, especially regarding the release of convicted Arab terrorists in Israeli jails. more...
| Israel | Islam | America |

Speaker of PA Legislature: Kill Every Last Jew & American (May 3, 2007) - In a televised address to a packed mosque, the Acting Speaker of the Palestinian Authority's Legislative Council called for the killing of every last Jew and American. His speech and murderous prayer were delivered in an unidentified packed mosque and broadcast on an official PA-controlled television station. According to a recording and transcript of the April 20th broadcast, translated and provided by Palestinian Media Watch, PLC Acting Speaker Ahmed Bahr called the Jews "the cancerous lump... in the heart of the Arab nation." He predicted that "America is on its way to disappear. America is wallowing [in blood] today in Iraq and Afghanistan. America is defeated and Israel is defeated, and was defeated, in Lebanon and Palestine." Adopting the open-palmed gesture of Islamic prayer, as did his audience, the PA official intoned: "Allah, take hold of the Jews and their allies, Allah, take hold of the Americans and their allies.... Allah, count them and kill them to the last one and don't leave even one." This is not Bahr's first appeal for genocide of the Jews and Americans. Just one week earlier, on April 13th, Sudan television broadcast a fiery sermon delivered by the PA legislator in a Sudanese mosque. At the conclusion of his remarks, the Sudanese worshipers opened their palms in supplication and Bahr prayed: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, vanquish the Americans and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet – defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them." more...
| Israel | Islam |

2010- An Interesting List (May 2, 2007) - It seems to me that more and more myself and others are hearing the year 2010 in conjunction with quite a few UN programs, global initiatives, EU programs, national ID’s, etc. So, instead of an actual commentary, I thought I would just combine some that I’ve heard and researched into one big list and let you research it for yourselves.

These are just a fraction of what I’ve come across, and I can’t remember where I’ve seen a lot of things. I was able to whip this list together in about 20 minutes. If you really read what these articles, agreements, etc. are saying, you start to see the big picture. This is by no means a complete list. If you would like to see a myriad of additional 2010 references, try visiting fulfilledprophecy.com, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and google Herb’s site. It really seems that most everything is geared toward 2010, with a very real possibility that a global government will be in place by that time frame.
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | NewWorldOrder |

Syria hiding secret missile bunkers (May 1, 2007) - Syria has built a huge underground compound that includes 30 steel-reinforced concrete bunkers, production facilities, development labs and command posts for missiles that can strike the entire area of Israel, Yediot Ahronot reports. In contrast to mobile launch pads that are easily destroyed from the air, the bunker system is designed to enable Syria to fire missiles at Israel before the Israel Air Force can take them out. Syria has hundreds of new generation long-range Scud missiles, many from North Korea and has recently received 100 Chinese cruise missiles from Iran.
| Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Iran tops US list of state terror sponsors (May 1, 2007) - The US State Department has once again recognized Iran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, accusing the Islamic Republic of aiding extremists throughout the Middle East, particularly in Iraq. Although the designation is not new, the release of the department's annual global survey of terrorism in which it is contained comes at a delicate moment - just days ahead of a possible meeting between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iran's top diplomat. Rice could meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki when they both attend a weekend conference of Iraq's neighbors aimed at boosting stability in a nation where the report says terrorist attacks, some backed by Iran, killed more than 13,000 civilians in 2006. "Should the foreign minister of Iran bump into Condi Rice, Condi won't be rude," President George W. Bush said Monday. "She's not a rude person. I'm sure she'll be polite."
| Iran | America |

Back to the Cold War? Putin’s Policies Head in a Dark Direction (April 30, 2007) - It’s difficult to avoid the impression that with Russia, we may be gravitating toward a new cold war. Flush with cash as a result of soaring energy prices, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin behaves like a man who is utterly unconstrained by "world opinion" (however defined), or the possibility of incurring Washington’s wrath. We see Russia’s use of heavy-handed coercion against neighboring countries, most of them democracies; and a willingness to undercut U.S. foreign policy interests time and again in dealing with rogue states like Iran and Syria and with terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Russia has joined with China to push for the closing of U.S. military bases in strategically critical Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Moscow and Beijing, who have been cooperating on military intelligence matters since the end of the Cold War, have started conducting joint military exercises -- which they claim are not aimed at any other country -- reassurances that aren’t taken too seriously in Washington or Taipei. And Moscow is helping fuel Beijing’s military buildup, selling it submarines, jet fighters, destroyers and other advanced weaponry. While cultivating Beijing, Putin, a man who describes the fall of the Soviet Union as "the geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century," has become increasingly shrill in his attacks against Washington. more...
| Gog/Magog |

U.S.-EU Sign Agreement on Security of Classified Information (April 30, 2007) - Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte and European Union Council Secretary General and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Javier Solana signed a U.S.-EU Agreement on the security of classified information today at the Department of State. The agreement enables systematic exchanges of classified information between the United States and the European Union by obligating each party to undertake certain steps to protect such information. As the United States and European Union work together on global priorities, sharing of such classified information will remain vital to public safety and security.
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | NewWorldOrder | America |

Mass Military Maneuvers Foresee Syrian Attack (April 29, 2007) - The Israel Defense Forces, which although one of the world’s top battle-tested armies was bested by the Lebanese Hizb’allah terror group 10 months ago, is undergoing intensive drills in anticipation of a surprise Syrian attack on the Golan Heights. Last Thursday saw thousands of IDF troops and hundreds of tanks deployed for war games in the Judean wilderness, in what observers called one of the largest training exercises carried out in a number of years. Security analysts in Israel believe Syrian dictator Bashar el-Assad to be a weak leader who could initiate a surprise grab of the Golan Heights in an effort to earn esteem in the eyes of his people. Assad is believed to have been wowed by Hizb’allah’s successful use of rocket fire to drive fear into the hearts of millions of Israelis and deal heavy blows to the Israeli economy. Since last summer, heads of Israel’s various intelligence agencies have reported Syria gearing up for war, though most assessments agree the process is defensive rather than offensive. Nonetheless, Israel’s war scenarios include the use of elite Syrian troops backed by advanced Russian-made tanks and ballistic surface-to-surface missiles capable of hitting any Israeli center. While IDF officials interviewed about last week’s mass military maneuvers said any Syrian strike was likely to be conventional, Damascus is known to possess non-conventional weapons, including VX gas warheads for its SCUD missiles. US Secretary of State Robert Gates recently cautioned Israel that the situation with Syria was increasingly volatile and could explode if not handled carefully. more...
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Internet Providers Censoring Conservative News E-Mail (April 26, 2007) - Something ominous and sinister has been happening on the Internet lately: two major internet service providers -- without any prior explanation or notice -- have been discriminating against conservative e-zines and web journals. According to several subscribers to NewsWithViews.Com's newsletter, companies such as Earthlink and SBC Global are intentionally blocking delivery of NWV's e-mail to subscribers. "When I wasn't receiving my NewsWithViews notices I called their office in Oregon to ask why. I was concerned they had closed down or worse. The gentleman I spoke with told me that all the Earthlink folks were being denied delivery of the daily posts from NWV," complains Jackie Juntti, a NewswithViews.com e-mail subscriber. "I have to admit that shocked me as Earthlink has long had the reputation of sending EVERYTHING thru their servers -- no holds barred. I tried and tried to make an e-mail complaint about their blocking NWV from getting to me. I explained to them I SUBSCRIBED to that list and I WANT IT DELIVERED!! I tried several different Earthlink e-mail addresses and as of this moment I have yet to receive any response from Earthlink about my emailed complaints on this topic," said Ms. Juntti. As reported by NewsBusters, the most recent widespread occurrence of this unexplained phenomenon was when Frank Salvato, proprietor of The New Media Journal, realized that his content that day hadn't been disseminated at Google News as it had been on a daily basis since he reached an agreement with the search engine in September 2005. After sending the Google Help Desk a query concerning the matter, Salvato was informed that there had been complaints of "hate speech" at his website, and as a result, The New Media Journal would no longer be part of Google News. As evidence of his offense, the Google Team supplied Salvato with links to three recent op-eds published by his contributing writers, all coincidentally about radical Islam and its relation to terrorism. According to a recent WND news article American Airlines is blocking WorldNetDaily as a "hate site." "WoldNetDaily is anything but, all they do is report the truth, since when is truth hate?" As a sidebar, the NewsBusters article that first broke this story on May 19 cannot be found by doing a Google News search even though other recent articles by NewsBusters can. more...
| America | Signs of the Times |

News for May 7, 2007