To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] The Year's (2000) Most Intriguing Findings
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:01:07 -0000

The Year's Most Intriguing Findings, From Barna Research Studies

December 12, 2000
 
http://216.87.179.136/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?
PressReleaseID=77&Reference=F

 
(Ventura, CA) - While it would be difficult to top the unexpected
twists and gyrations of the presidential election, the year in
religion was not without its strange or surprising revelations.
George Barna reviewed more than a dozen national surveys related to
matters of faith conducted by the Barna Research Group during 2000
and devised three lists of faith-related survey results -
particularly noteworthy insights, the most encouraging faith-related
results, and the most discouraging outcomes. "All year long I have to
be objective," explained the California-based researcher. "This is my
one opportunity each year to provide a completely subjective spin on
the data we collected."

The 12 Most Noteworthy Results

In no particular order, Barna cited the following dozen survey
findings as those he deemed the most significant.

1. A minority of born again adults (44%) and an even smaller
proportion of born again teenagers (9%) are certain of the existence
of absolute moral truth.

2. 94% of black adults say that having a close, personal relationship
with God is a top priority in their life; that dwarfs the proportion
among white adults (67%) and Hispanic adults (74%).

3. Among born again Christian adults, only 8% tithe their income to
their church; 16% give no donations to their church throughout the
year.

4. Asian-Americans are now more likely than Hispanics to be born
again (27% vs. 23%).

5. Only 1% of all born again adults firmly concurred with each of 13
basic belief statements from the Bible. Click here for the July 12,
2000 Press Release highlighting the 13 Basic Beliefs

6. Fewer than one-third of all teenagers are likely to attend a
Christian church once they are living independent of their parents.

7. 40% of Christian churches are virtually impossible to reach by
telephone, no matter how many calls are made to those churches.

8. Unchurched people are typically less relational than are churched
people, thereby challenging the wisdom of reliance on personal
relationships as the key evangelistic outreach tactic.

9. Although most believers say that serving the needy is important to
do, just 34% gave any time and money to serve the poor in the past
year.

10. Most Christians' votes were influenced more by their economic
self-interest than by their spiritual and moral values.

11. Only a minority of born again teenagers (44%) claim that they
are "absolutely committed to the Christian faith."

12. Baby Buster adults are widely regarded as highly spiritual, yet
the share of 18-29 year olds within the born again population has
dropped from 20% in 1991 to just 14% today.

Barna commented on his "top twelve" list. "These results point out
some of the areas in which the Church needs to devote greater
attention. Among the major challenges to churches are the 4 Cs:
commitment, comprehension, caring and communication. A lot of people
attend church services, but relatively few have a deep commitment to
their church, to personal ministry and to spiritual maturity. People
hear a lot of religious teaching and buy millions of religious books,
but there is as much theological confusion as understanding.
Compassion is a term that most believers endorse but surprisingly few
practice. Better communication is necessary not only to teach people
more effectively, but to build more meaningful and lasting
relationships and to help people stay focused on the things in life
that really matter."

The 7 Most Encouraging Results

Not wanting to be confused with this year's box office champion, The
Grinch, Barna identified seven results that he found especially
encouraging.

1. Since 1996 there has been a rise in the proportion of adults who
read the Bible during a typical week, from 34% to 40% in 2000.

2. Three-fourths of all adults donated money to a church last year.

3. Among adults who are lay leaders in their church, more than nine
out of ten prioritize their faith in their life goals.

4. Half of all unchurched and non-Christian adults admit that they
are seeking meaning and purpose in their life - providing a
meaningful entry point for evangelizers.

5. Voter turnout in the 2000 presidential election was higher among
born again Christians than among non-believers.

6. The percentage of adults who earn more than $60,000 annually and
have accepted Christ as their savior has nearly doubled since 1991,
from 13% to 25%.

7. In the past nine years, the percentage of Catholic adults who
believes in salvation by grace alone and has accepted Jesus as their
savior has grown from 16% to 24%. Denominationally, Catholics are the
second-largest group of born again Christians, trailing only Baptists.

"In some ways, the Christian faith seems to be penetrating segments
of our population that were previously impervious," Barna noted. "The
increased number of born again Christians among the upscale, among
Catholics, and even among Asian-Americans is quite encouraging.
Although most people still do not read the Bible during a week, the
slow but steady increase in the proportion of people who do so is
also hopeful."

The 7 Most Discouraging Results

1. Born again adults are more likely to experience a divorce than are
non-born again adults (27% vs. 24%).

2. Although women are more active in church life than are men, their
levels of participation in many aspects of church life - from worship
attendance to volunteerism - are significantly declining.

3. Large proportions of the lay leaders in Christian churches hold a
range of unbiblical religious views regarding the holiness of Christ,
the reality of Satan, the existence of the Holy Spirit, the reality
of the resurrection, and the means to salvation.

4. Desiring to have a close, personal relationship with God ranks
just sixth among the 21 life goals tested, trailing such desires
as "living a comfortable lifestyle."

5. Born again Christians spend seven times as much time on
entertainment as they do on spiritual activities.

6. Although two-thirds of all teenagers say they know all the basic
teachings and principles of the Christian faith, two-thirds of them
reject the existence of Satan, three-fifths reject the existence of
the Holy Spirit, and half believe that Jesus sinned during His
lifetime.

7. In a representative nationwide survey among born again adults,
none of the individuals interviewed said that the single, most
important goal in their life is to be a committed follower of Jesus
Christ.

Barna suggested that America is now entering a period that historians
will someday regard as the beginning of the era of moral anarchy. The
difficulties facing the Church are symptomatic of such an era. "The
next ten years will be crucial toward determining the capacity of the
American Church to be a serious influence on the culture. Churches
have tremendous opportunities to impact millions of people's lives,
and the resources to get the job done are accessible. At issue is
whether churches will permit leaders to provide strategic direction
and to facilitate meaningful changes in ministry methods.
Unprecedented change in ministry methods and in people's commitment
to being lay ministers are required if the Church is to emerge as a
player. Hopefully, a year from now, we will struggle to find points
of discouragement related to America's faith condition."

All of the data mentioned in this report are drawn from nationwide
surveys of adults, teenagers or pastors conducted during 2000. The
sample sizes of those studies range from 600 to 1020 respondents.
Additional information related to these statistics is available
within the research archives on this website.
 
 

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Torah and Nature - #20
From: "Moza"
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:01 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 10:41:43 -0500
From: Ohr Somayach <ohr@ohr.edu>
To: nature@ohr.edu
Subject: Torah and Nature - #20

The Torah Universe: Reflections of Torah in the Natural World #20
by Rabbi Nosson Slifkin (http://www.zootorah.com)

CRAZED BOA CONSTRICTOR ATTACKS DEPUTY MAYOR IN BIZARRE RELIGIOUS
CELEBRATION

=====================================
Rabbi Nosson Slifkin, the "Zoo Rabbi," will be touring the United
States during the months of March and April, running Zoo Torah
programs for schools and communities in New York and California. If
you would like to learn more about the Zoo Torah program, please visit
the website www.zootorah.com. If you would like to arrange a Zoo Torah
program for your community or school, please write to
zoorabbi@zootorah.com.
=====================================

"Crazed Boa Constrictor Attacks Deputy Mayor In Bizarre Religious
Celebration"

The above headline may appear, along with "Elvis Found On The Moon"
and "Ross Perot Kidnapped By Space Aliens," to have been taken from
the National Enquirer. But in fact it describes an inspirational event
that took place in Jerusalem a few weeks ago. (It should be noted at
this point that the boa constrictor attack was an unexpected
occurrence and was not the source of the aforementioned inspiration.)

The event was a reception to mark the launch of a book that I wrote
for the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo entitled In Noah's Footsteps: Biblical
Perspectives on the Zoo. Since this is my book, it is not for me to
write of any possible beneficial effects produced by the book itself.
Instead, I would like to write about other aspects of the evening that
provided a personal inspiration -- and also about the boa constrictor,
because it was most surprising.

Arriving at the zoo in the evening, my wife and I were met by Shmulik
the zoologist. Ordinarily a lean and fit man, he now sported an
extraordinarily large paunch. A paunch that was pulsating and
squirming in a way that paunches normally don't. My wife was aghast; I
was prepared for this, and merely asked him why he was keeping the
snake under his shirt.

"Because it's cold," he replied. "And, by the way, when you use it in
your lecture, be careful. It's not in a very good mood. If it bites,
just stay still until I can get to you." This made my wife very
nervous indeed, but I reminded her that I had handled countless boa
constrictors in the past without any difficulties whatsoever.

The guests began to arrive -- and this was the first source of
inspiration. There's a lot of talk about the supposedly terrible
animosity in Israel between the religious and secular Jewish public.
Well, here we were at the zoo, a secular establishment that does not
close on Shabbat (although tickets can only be purchased in advance or
elsewhere), yet among the guests were numerous prominent "ultra-
Orthodox" rabbis and politicians. Apparently we haven't yet totally
lost Jewish unity after all.

The first speaker was the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Rabbi Uri
Lupoliansky. He heads an organization called Yad Sarah which is an
outstanding tribute to the Jewish People. It grants free loans of all
kinds of medical equipment, from wheelchairs to beepers for expectant
fathers, to all kinds of Israelis (religious and secular, Jewish and
Arab). Is there any other country in the world that can boast of such
a thing?

The Deputy Mayor spoke of another source of inspiration. Israel is
currently under siege. The community of Gilo, a few hundred yards from
the zoo, is under gunfire from the Palestinian village of Beit Jalla.
Israelis are living in fear of lethal barrages of rocks and Molotov
cocktails, as well as suicide bombers and regional instability. Yet
life goes on; and politicians, councilmen and others meet at the zoo
to celebrate the launch of a book. Am Yisrael Chai!

The second speaker was the zoo director, Shai Doron, who related some
amusing anecdotes about his job as director of the world's only
Biblical Zoo. For example, the zoo benefits from a commandment in the
Bible which mandates that tithes of all produce grown in Israel be
given to a priest. The priest himself may only eat the produce if he
is ritually pure, something that it impossible to attain since the
destruction of the Temple. However, his animals may eat the produce,
and all of the zoo's animals have therefore been sold to a priest such
that the zoo can receive free produce. The director wryly commented
on the difficulties that he has in explaining this to other zoo
directors, one of whom frantically begged if he could "convert his zoo
animals to Judaism" in order to receive free vegetables!

Finally, it was my turn to speak, and my topic was the question of why
conservation is important. Of course, we all feel that it is
important, but it's difficult to pin down the reasons for it. What's
the point? Why spend so much effort and expense to save species? What
difference if one or two become extinct? Why is conservation
important?

One answer is that animals can prove to have extraordinary uses to
human beings. Scientist Michael Zasloff, discovered that African
clawed frogs secrete antibiotics; he called these substances
mageinins, after the Hebrew word magen, "shield." Cancer fighting
molecules are obtained from the liver of the dogfish shark; similar
substances are found in chonemorpha macrophylla, a climbing plant that
grows from Java to the foothills of the Himalayas. Even the most
obscure animals and plants can have an important function.

Yet this answer is limited in its application. National Geographic,
discussing the extensive efforts to save some of the 1,100 species of
endangered birds from extinction, raised this difficulty. Writer
Virginia Morell interviewed Stuart Pimm, a man working to save the
entirely unremarkable Cape Sable sparrow. She admitted the dilemma:
"The Cape Sable sparrow, of course, is not likely to lead to a cure
for cancer or to any other earthshaking discovery. Nor are most
species around us. Why would it matter if this little bird, or any of
the 1,100 others on Pimm's list, became extinct?"

Morell left this question unanswered. There doesn't seem to be any
good answer. There really does not seem to be any point in expending
effort to save obscure animals from extinction.

Of course, if you're Jewish, then it's a whole different story.

One of the commandments in the Torah is that we are prohibited from
taking both a mother bird and her young. "If you happen across a
bird's nest... Do not take the mother bird together with the children"
(Deuteronomy 22:6). Nachmanides explains that if one takes a mother
bird together with its young, one is destroying two generations of
animal life and leaving no possibility of future descendants from
either. This indicates that one does not care for the perpetuation of
the species and is therefore forbidden.

But why is it so important to care for the perpetuation of the
species? The answer is alluded to in a statement of King Solomon:
"Look at the work of God, for who can rectify that which he has
damaged' (Ecclesiastes 7:13)" The Midrash explains: "At the time when
God created Adam, He took him around the trees of the Garden of Eden,
and He said to him, 'Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy
they are! Everything that I created, I created for you; take care that
you do not damage and destroy My world, for if you damage it, there is
no one to repair it afterwards!' " (Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 7).

If a person is aware that the world is not some sort of random
accident, but was created for a purpose, then everything in it is
precious. The Midrash spells this out: "Even things which appear to
you to be superfluous in the world, such as flies, fleas and
mosquitoes, they are also part of the creation of the world, and God
performs His operations through the agency of all of them, even
through a snake, mosquito or frog" (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 10:7).
Sometimes their purpose may be obvious, such as with the African
clawed frog. But even when no purpose is apparent to us, we can be
sure that one nevertheless does exist. The animal did not just happen;
it was meant to be.

Stuart Pimm, the man working so hard to save the Cape Sable sparrow,
seems to be aware, at some level, that conservation is ultimately only
meaningful from a religious perspective: "I think we must ask
ourselves if this is really what we want to do to God's creation. To
drive it to extinction? Because extinction really is irreversible;
species that go extinct are lost forever. This is not like Jurassic
Park. We can't bring them back."

From a theological perspective where everything is purposeful, and
nothing exists by accident, it's easy to see why we have to be careful
to preserve the world's wildlife. The Creator designed everything with
a purpose, even if it is not obvious to us, and we have been charged
with the responsibility to take care of the world.

To illustrate the value of all animals, even those that may repulse
us, I pulled out the boa constrictor from its sack. (I later
discovered that at this point, the zoo veterinarian turned to the head
keeper in horror and said, "Isn't that the snake which bites, the one
that we're getting rid of?" The veterinarian, an Orthodox woman who
lives across the road from me, told me this a few days later. I'm
thinking that we need better communication.)

A particularly fascinating aspect of boas is their vestigial spurs,
remnants of the legs that they used to possess. The snake, especially
in its loss of legs, is the source of many different lessons in Jewish
philosophy, for example the idea of treachery and falsehood being
something that doesn't have a leg to stand on. On this evening,
however, the reptile was the source of a lesson in common sense: if a
snake is known to be in a bad temper, it's not a good idea to hold it
upside down and prod its rear end in an effort to show its vestigial
spurs. It's also not a good idea to do this six inches away from the
face of an important dignitary, such as a Deputy Mayor. Suffice it to
say that, thank G-d, when it struck, for some reason it missed all
humans in the vicinity, and we quickly wrestled it back into the sack.

It seems that the only moral one can learn from this is that one
should never hold an irascible boa constrictor in front of a Deputy
Mayor, but there are times when this is unavoidable. Still, as I
mentioned at the beginning, there may be other lessons to take from
the event. At a time of national emergency, a group of religious and
secular Jews gather together to celebrate the insights of the 3,300-
year-old Jewish tradition into the animal kingdom. That's a lesson of
the lasting value of Jewish tradition and the remarkable nature of the
Jewish people if there ever was one. It's a shame that this wouldn't
be considered interesting enough to make it into the National
Enquirer.

=====================================
Rabbi Nosson Slifkin lectures on Torah and the natural sciences at Ohr
Somayach Institutions, The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, and other zoos
worldwide. He is the author of the Focus series on the weekly Torah
portion, and of Seasons of Life: The Reflection of the Jewish Year in
the Natural World. His education programs are described at
www.zootorah.com.
=====================================
These essays are available in the ongoing publication of the Torah
Universe series of books (Published by Targum Press - Distributed by
Feldheim Publishers), which explore how the lessons of the Torah are
manifest in the natural world. Already published is the book "Seasons
of Life," which shows how the Jewish year is reflected in the seasons
and the life cycles of animals and plants. In preparation is "Nature's
Song," which explains the ancient Midrash of Perek Shirah that details
the philosophical and ethical lessons manifest in the natural world;
and "Creature Chorus," a collection of essays on Torah and the animal
kingdom.
=====================================
Copyright (c) 2001 Ohr Somayach International. Send us feedback.

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Intergalactic 'pipeline' funnels matter between colliding galaxies
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:01 -0500

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:30 p.m. (EST) January 9, 2001

PHOTO NO.: STScI-PRC01-02

INTERGALACTIC 'PIPELINE' FUNNELS MATTER BETWEEN
COLLIDING GALAXIES

This visible-light picture, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope,
reveals an intergalactic "pipeline" of material flowing between two
battered galaxies that bumped into each other about 100 million years
ago.

The pipeline [the dark string of matter] begins in NGC 1410 [the galaxy
at left], crosses over 20,000 light-years of intergalactic space, and
wraps around NGC 1409 [the companion galaxy at right] like a ribbon
around a package.

Although astronomers have taken many stunning pictures of galaxies
slamming into each other, this image represents the clearest view of
how some interacting galaxies dump material onto their companions.
These results are being presented today at the 197th meeting of the
American Astronomical Society in San Diego, CA.

Astronomers used the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph to
confirm that the pipeline is a continuous string of material linking
both galaxies.

Scientists believe that the tussle between these compact galaxies
somehow created the pipeline, but they're not certain why NGC 1409
was the one to begin gravitationally siphoning material from its
partner. And they don't know where the pipeline begins in NGC 1410.
More perplexing to astronomers is that NGC 1409 is seemingly unaware
that it is gobbling up a steady flow of material. A stream of
matter funneling into the galaxy should have fueled a spate of
star birth. But astronomers don't see it. They speculate that the
gas flowing into NGC 1409 is too hot to gravitationally collapse
and form stars.

Astronomers also believe that the pipeline itself may contribute
to the star-forming draught. The pipeline, a pencil-thin, 500
light-year-wide string of material, is moving a mere 0.02 solar
masses of matter a year.

Astronomers estimate that NGC 1409 has consumed only about a
million solar masses of gas and dust, which is not enough material to
spawn some of the star-forming regions seen in our Milky Way. The
low amount means that there may not be enough material to ignite star
birth in NGC 1409, either.

The glancing blow between the galaxies was enough, however, to toss
stars deep into space and ignite a rash of star birth in NGC 1410.
The arms of NGC 1410, an active, gas-rich spiral galaxy classified as
a Seyfert, are awash in blue, the signature color of star-forming
regions. The bar of material bisecting the center of NGC 1409 also
is a typical byproduct of galaxy collisions.

Astronomers expect more fireworks to come. The galaxies are doomed to
continue their game of "bumper cars," hitting each other and moving
apart several times until finally merging in another 200 million years.
The galaxies' centers are only 23,000 light-years apart, which is
slightly less than Earth's distance from the center of the Milky Way.
They are bound together by gravity, orbiting each other at 670,000
miles an hour (1 million kilometers an hour). The galaxies reside
about 300 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

The Hubble picture was taken Oct. 25, 1999.

Credits: NASA, William C. Keel (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa)

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional information, please contact
Dr. William C. Keel, University of Alabama, Dept. of Physics and
Astronomy, Box 870324, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0324, (phone) 205-348-5050,
(fax) 205-348-5051, (e-mail) keel@bildad.astr.ua.edu.

Electronic image files are available on the Internet at:

http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/2001/02
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/latest.html
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pictures.html and
http://hubble.stsci.edu/go/news

via: transhumantech@egroups.com

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Astronomers map out largest structure in distant universe
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:01 -0500

Bill Steigerwald
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Jan. 8, 2001
(Phone: 301/286-8982)

Release No: 01-02

ASTRONOMERS MAP OUT LARGEST STRUCTURE IN DISTANT
UNIVERSE

By reading the light from the fiery heart of unimaginably remote galaxies,
astronomers have discovered evidence for an immense concentration of
galaxies over 6.5 billion light years away in the largest known group of
quasars, possibly the largest structure anywhere in the observable universe.
The galaxies were revealed by light they absorbed from the spectra of even
more distant quasars which are located behind the large quasar group.

Such huge structures in space are very rare. The universe at the distance of
the cluster is seen at only about a third of its present age. If the
concentration of galaxies and quasars is caused by a larger than usual
amount of matter in the area, traditional theories of the evolution of the
universe have difficulty explaining how gravity could pull extremely massive
structures together over such a large distance, in such a relatively short
time. Measuring the actual amount of matter connected with quasars and
galaxies at such great distances is crucial to find out whether the theories
still hold.

The massive galaxy concentration is located just south of the heart of the
constellation Leo the Lion, in a region spanning up to two by five degrees --
or forty times the area of the full moon. It is contained within a large quasar
group, which measures about 600 million light years across, making it the
largest structure known in the early universe. (A light year is the distance
traveled by light in a year, about six trillion miles).

"A successful theory has to explain the extremes. Bizarre things like this
huge supercluster present a unique opportunity to measure how well quasars
and galaxies reveal the mass in such a big region of space, which can then
be connected to predictions from theories," said Dr. Gerard Williger of the
National Optical Astronomy Observatories, who is currently stationed at
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"The light we are presently observing from this large quasar group had to
cross such a vast distance to reach us that it actually left the group before
the Earth was formed," said Williger. "We see these galaxies as they
existed billions of years ago. The amount of matter connected with quasars
and galaxies at such distances and distant times in the past is probably not
be the same as we would measure in the local universe today, so it's very
important to find out how much mass we are actually looking at in the
supercluster. The first step is to look for signs of extra galaxies in the area,
and now we have evidence for a surplus of galaxies."

This research will be presented January 8 during the winter meeting of the
American Astronomical Society in San Diego, California, and is being
prepared for submission to the Astrophysical Journal.

The galaxy cluster is outlined by an unusually large number of quasars --
hence the designation "large quasar group". Quasars are galaxies with bright
cores, probably powered by giant black holes. Some quasars shine with the
light of a trillion suns, and astronomers use them as cosmic beacons to
probe the remotest reaches of the universe. This large quasar group holds 18
quasars in a swath of space roughly a half billion light years across.
Normally, only about two to three quasars would be expected in a region this
size if there were no galaxy cluster present.

In addition to the quasars, Williger, Dr. Luis Campusano (University of
Chile), Dr. Roger Clowes and graduate student Chris Haines (University
of Central Lancashire, England) used the 4-meter (159 inch) telescope
at the National Science Foundation's Cerro Tololo Inter-American
Observatory in Chile to find a large number of clouds of gas in the same
area, which are thought to originate in the haloes surrounding galaxies.
Those galaxies themselves are faint and have not yet been directly seen.
However, magnesium atoms in the halo gas of the galaxies absorb light
coming from quasars behind the cluster. This produces "shadows" in
front of the quasars, thus revealing the existence of the galaxies. So
far, 11 such faint absorber galaxies have also been found in the same
space as the large group of quasars, which is nearly three times more
than expected.

The group cautioned these results still need to pass the test of peer
review, and also be confirmed with a larger data sample, ideally toward
other large quasar groups.

The discovery of the light absorption by the galaxies puts "flesh" on
the "skeleton" of the group outlined by the quasars. It allows Williger,
Campusano, Clowes and their collaborators to study the relationship
between galaxies and quasars in a large group.

Quasars can form from merging galaxies, which are common in the
centers of clusters, and also may form from the compression of gas
where the edges of clusters of galaxies come together. In one model,
quasars in the distant past should then be found both in the centers
and on the edges of galaxy clusters. At later times, as the gas in
the centers of the galaxy clusters forms into galaxies, most of the
remaining gas should be found on the outskirts of galaxy clusters, and
quasars should be found mostly on their peripheries. Information about
the galaxies in the large quasar group will help to determine whether
this view is correct.

"At the moment, computer simulations of the formation of large
structures in the universe are just starting to deal with sizes as large
as this large quasar group. These groups are fantastic laboratories for
the studying the formation and evolution of quasars and galaxies," said
Williger.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Images to support this story are available on the web
at

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/GSFC/SpaceSci/origins/largecluster.htm

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Leading Israelis protest against Temple Mount construction
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:01 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 19:18:18 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Leading Israelis protest
           against Temple Mount construction that
           endangers important archaeological evidence

Ha'aretz: Leading Israelis protest against Temple Mount construction that
endangers important archaeological evidence

By Nadav Shragai Ha'aretz Correspondent Ha'aretz 21 January 2001

Public figures, intellectuals and archaeologists sent a sharp letter of
protest to Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the weekend, condemning what they
say are serious violations by the Waqf on the Temple Mount site that
endanger important archaeological evidence.

The letter notes that in recent weeks more than 1500 tons of rubble was
removed from the site by tractors and loaded on to trucks to be dumped at
undisclosed sites.

The signatories - including authors A.B. Yehoshua, Haim Guri and S. Izhar,
plus some of the most senior archaeologists in Israel - say the dumping is
going on without any supervision by the Authority of Antiquities or the
state.

Experts following the work the Waqf is engaged in say that there is no
control over the areas or the depths from which soil is being excavated.

The group says that in addition to other serious violations of the permits
for development granted to the Waqf, a tractor fitted with a rock-breaking
hammer has been used on the Temple Mount for the first time.

The authors of the letter are critical of the authorities failure and they
note the construction work at the Temple Mount is being done with the tacit
approval of prime minister.

"It is unacceptable that in a culturally enlightened and law abiding country
someone can authorize such a serious crime, of such enormous proportions, to
carry on for more than a year. This is what has been going on at the Temple
Mount for the past 15 months, causing unprecedented damage to the most
important archaeological site in the country, and causing irreparable damage
to rare archaeological evidence ... at one of the rarest cultural legacies
in the world."

The signatories also add that "senior security sources" told them the
purpose of the work the Waqf is doing is to build more mosques on every
available space of the Temple Mount, thus turning the area into one enormous
mosque that would preclude any Jewish presence at the site.

The group which watches developments at the Temple Mount said this is a
similar project to the building of two underground mosques in the area known
as "Solomon's Stables.

--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Marathon peace talks start tonight
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:02 -0500

Marathon peace talks start tonight
By Lamia Lahoud and News Agencies

JERUSALEM (January 21) - Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his "peace
cabinet"
last night accepted Palestinian proposals for marathon peace negotiations in
Taba, beginning tonight.

The talks, expected to take up to 10 days, will be overseen by Barak and
Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres. Ministers Shlomo Ben-Ami,
Yossi
Beilin, and Amnon Lipkin-Shahak will handle the negotiations, with Meretz
leader Yossi Sarid joining in when necessary.

The Palestinians intend to send the same delegation they had at the Camp
David talks in July, but without Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat. Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei will head the
delegation

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Waqf announces halt in Temple Mount construction
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:02 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 10:36:55 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Waqf announces halt in
           Temple Mount construction (Barak denies
           reports of work)

Ha'aretz: Waqf announces halt in Temple Mount construction (Barak denies
reports of work)

By Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz Correspondent Ha'aretz 21 January 2001

The Muslim religious trust, Waqf , announced Sunday that no construction
work will be carried out in the Temple Mount area on Sunday.

Police officials said construction work on the Temple Mount has stopped.

The Waqf announcement came after it was revealed that for the first time
since the Six day War, that the Waqf had been digging in the elevated area
of the Temple Mount on which the Dome of the Rock stands.

Ha'aretz reported Sunday that public figures, intellectuals and
archaeologists sent a letter of protest to Prime Minister Ehud Barak
demanding him to immediately acts toward stopping construction work on the
Temple Mount site.

The Waqf announcement came after Barak ordered Public Security Minister
Shlomo Ben-Ami to intervene and stop construction in the area.

The Shin Bet has been telling Barak for the past few days that the long-term
intention of the Waqf and the Islamic movement is to pave the area, build
additional mosques and make the whole area one big mosque, thereby
preventing Jews from entering the area.

Chief rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron also joined the demand Sunday that Barak
stop construction on the Temple Mount.

Barak said in an interview to Army Radio Sunday that the information the
archaeologists and public figures had regarding the construction on the
Temple Mount was incorrect and many details in it were wrong.

A spokesman for the group which watches developments at the Temple Mount
said that all the information presented to Barak by the public figures was
well-established and true.

Jerusalem Mufti Shiekh Ekrima Sabri told Itim news agency Sunday that there
are no historical artifacts that belong to the Jews on the Temple Mount and
that construction work in the area is legitimate and legal. He added that
the Palestinian and Muslin people have the right to renovate all parts of
the mountain.

--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Provincetown introduces sodomy to preschoolers
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:02 -0500

Written 8/28/97

PROVINCETOWN INTRODUCES SODOMY TO PRESCHOOLERS=20=20

Homosexual "Change Agents" Facilitate Implosion of American Culture=20=20

Last week the school board in Provincetown, Mass. voted to begin educating=
=20
preschoolers about homosexual lifestyles, according to an article in=20
theWashington Times. The board also decided in favor of hiring preferences=
=20
for "sexual minorities," a move that puts Provincetown on the cutting edge =
of=20
the homosexual agenda. "We are on a trailblazing path," said Susan=20
Fleming, superintendent of Provincetown schools. "We are going to be a=20
change agent."=20=20

Provincetown is a homosexual enclave on Cape Cod. Nearly half of the=20
town's parents are homosexual, as are the school's top officials. Jeannine=
=20
Cristina is a lesbian that has a bi-racial daughter in a Provincetown schoo=
l -=20
a daughter she conceived through artificial insemination. Miss Cristina is=
=20
also the president of the Provincetown PTA and the one who initially pushed=
=20
the pro-homosexual school board decision. The adopted seven-point plan=20
broadly calls on the school system to reject "bias" in curriculum. The stat=
ed=20
goal is to equip "students, teachers and the community at large with the=20
tools needed to combat racism, sexism, ableism, classism, heterosexism=20
and homophobia and all forms of oppression...." To teach this "anti-bias"=20
curriculum the school system will "search for, hire and retain a diverse st=
aff,=20
including sexual minorities." (Source:The Washington Times, "Provincetown=
=20
Preschoolers to Learn ABC's of Being Gay," August 21, 1997).=20=20

Miss Cristina remarked that the success of her proposal is "truly a milesto=
ne=20
in education." "I'd be so excited to have this happen across the nation," s=
he=20
said. "But the reality is a lot of work has to be done across the country, =
and=20
hopefully Provincetown will be the model." Miss Cristina also won the help =
of=20
local homosexual activist John Perry Ryan who explained that the plan is to=
=20
end the "dominance" of the perspective of the "white Europeans...who are=20
also very heterosexual, very Christian, very male." (ibid.)=20=20

President Clinton was vacationing at Martha's Vineyard, about 40 miles from=
=20
Provincetown, when the school board approved the "anti-bias" plan.=20
Proponents urged the White House to endorse it, but there has been no=20
reaction as of yet. The lack of response is characteristic of the president=
=20
when confronted with an explosive issue. One may be assured that the=20
silence does not mean indecision, because the president has several militan=
t=20
homosexuals in his administration and his Hate Crimes conference,=20
scheduled for November 11th, plans to address America's "bias" problems. =
=20

Provincetown and President Have Same Plan=20=20

In case Miss Cristina is feeling put off by the Clinton's silence about her=
 plan=20
for America, all she needs to do is review his radio address of June 7, 199=
7.=20
In that address the president announced his planned White House=20
conference on hate crimes, and announced his initiative for the eradication=
 of=20
those "biases" that are the target of the Provincetown plan. On the surface=
=20
the president's address was full of the usual benign cliches and platitudes=
,=20
however, the trained ear may discern the trumpet call for another assault i=
n=20
America's culture war.=20=20

Like George Bush's speeches during the Gulf War, President Clinton's June=20
7th address was liberally sprinkled with globalist Newspeak. He said, "...a=
s=20
we move into a new century with its global economy and its global society,=
=20
our rich diversity is a powerful strength...", a powerful strength for the =
ruling=20
elite, that is, as the American social fabric is ripped to shreds by "diver=
se"=20
counter cultures, making the enslavement of all more certain.=20=20

Hate Crime - Daring to Think or Speak the Truth=20=20

Clinton lamented, "We still have our ugly words and awful violence, our=20
burned churches and bombed buildings." He neglected to explain that this=20
violence is often the effect of the culture war he is nurturing and support=
ing=20
with his high office. He hinted at a remedy for the "ugly words" that he=20
deems to be the cause of our troubles when he said, "...it is time for us t=
o=20
mount an all-out assault on hate crimes, to punish them swiftly and severel=
y,=20
and to do more to prevent them from happening in the first place." (emphasi=
s=20
supplied). This collectivist solution will not only include a punishment of=
=20
illegal acts committed, but the restriction of "hate speech" as defined by =
the=20
cultural elites, and the cleansing of our personal "biases" or "thought cri=
mes"=20
by the cultural "thought police."=20=20

Clinton went on to say, "...the fight against hatred and intolerance must b=
e=20
waged not just through our laws, but in our hearts as well.... It is just n=
ot=20
enough to prevent acts of violence to our bodies, we must prevent acts of=20
violence to our spirits.... Even a small number of Americans who harbor and=
=20
act upon hatred and intolerance can do enormous damage to our efforts to=20
bind together our increasingly diverse society." (emphasis supplied). In ot=
her=20
words, "We must change the beliefs of those who are intolerant of our=20
perversity. As society becomes more corrupt and degraded (diverse), many=20
are likely to become upset by small groups of people reproving our=20
perversions and exposing our lies. These individuals can do enormous=20
damage to our efforts to consolidate complete control over the masses." =
=20

NEA and Public Education - Potent Weapon of Cultural Subversion=20=20

Clinton also warned in his address that "a newborn child today does not=20
know how to hate or stereotype another human being; that behavior must be=20
learned," and this is the basis for the Provincetown plan to teach=20
preschoolers about homosexual lifestyles. The earlier a state-run school ca=
n=20
get a "head start" against the values and cultural mores of the past, the=20
better chance they have at producing international children of the future. =
=20

The ruling elites in today's brave New World Order recognize that their bat=
tle=20
for global control will be won or lost in the classroom. Public school teac=
hers=20
who teach cultural "diversity" are the lap dogs of the ruling elite. The NE=
A=20
(National Education Association) passes resolutions every year that are roa=
d=20
maps of the planned society of the future. At the NEA's 1996 convention,=20
over one-third of the delegates sported "NEA - GLC" (Gay Lesbian Caucus)=20
buttons, and the NEA-GLC newsletter announced eleven caucuses related to=20
its agenda. (Source: Eagle Forum, "Gay Lesbian Caucus Flaunts its=20
Influence"). Homosexuality permeates the NEA, which dominates public=20
education, which in many ways determines the future of the United States. =
=20

The NEA and the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) have a combined=20
annual revenue of $1 billion and form the single most powerful block within=
=20
the Democratic party. They were solidly behind Bill Clinton during his=20
election in '92 and, since then, they have worked together to accelerate th=
e=20
destruction of America's biblically derived values and distinctive culture.=
=20=20

Public Schools Introduce Perversity at Tender Age - Institutional Child=20
Molesters=20=20

It is not possible here to definitively list the controversial resolutions =
passed=20
by the NEA. It will suffice to list a sampling of them. For example, the NE=
A=20
is against homeschool programs and "if homeschool study=20
occurs...instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the=20
appropriate state agency...(with a) curriculum approved by the state" so th=
e=20
student receives approved "diversity" training, no doubt. (Resolution C-34,=
=20
1988).=20=20

"Funds must be provided for programs to alleviate race, gender and sexual=20
orientation discrimination and to eliminate portrayal of race, gender and=20
sexual orientation stereotypes in the public schools." In other words, the=
=20
taxpayers should fund programs that promote homosexuality as a moral=20
superior to normal sexuality and suppress traditional father-mother roles i=
n=20
the curriculum. (Resolution A-13, 1996).=20=20

"The (NEA) supports early childhood education programs in the public=20
schools for children from birth through age eight...include(ing) mandatory=
=20
kindergarten with compulsory attendance." Remember, the earlier the better.=
=20
(Resolution B-1, 1996).=20=20

The cultural elite of the New Order recognizes the futility of changing peo=
ple=20
who are set in their ways. At the same time, they are patient enough to mol=
d=20
society over time by capturing the tender minds and souls of children throu=
gh=20
education. A puppet of Socialist experimentation by the name of Adolf Hitle=
r=20
spoke of this in November, 1933 when he said,=20=20

"When an opponent declares, 'I will not come over to your side,' I calmly s=
ay,=20
'Your child belongs to us already...What are you? You will pass on. Your=20
descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will=
=20
know nothing else but this new community.'"=20=20

This belief was echoed by an article in The Official Journal of the America=
n=20
Humanist Association (1983) where the writer declared,=20=20

"I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and=20
won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly view their rol=
e=20
as the proselytizers of a new faith.... The classroom must and will become=
=20
an arena of conflict between the old and the new; the rotting corpse of=20
Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new =
faith=20
of Humanism...."=20=20

So the change agents in education work diligently from coast to coast,=20
introducing sexual perversion and promiscuity to ever younger minds, traini=
ng=20
them up for a life of mindless enslavement. Occasionally there is a=20
convulsive reaction to this agenda, as there was in New York City in 1994=20
when school superintendent Joseph Fernandez was fired by the school=20
board. Among the causes for his dismissal was his multicultural Rainbow=20
Curriculum which placed such material as "Heather Has Two Mommies,=20
Daddy's Roommate and Gloria Goes to Gay Pride" on the first grade reading=20
list. After his dismissal he gave a speech entitled, "Trials and Tribulatio=
ns of=20
being a Change Agent" in Orlando, Florida, evidently referring to his suffe=
ring=20
for the cause of truth. (Source: Florida Pro-Family Forum).=20=20

The list of abominations in public education goes on and on, from proposed=
=20
school-based clinics offering condoms and sexual advice to grade schoolers,=
=20
to intense counseling and discussion groups where the child's values are=20
challenged without parental knowledge, not to mention the desecration of=20
everything associated with the straight white male. In this day pubic schoo=
ls=20
are nothing less than institutional child molesters.=20=20

Society Destroyed Through Process - It's Too Late=20=20

The ruling elite of the New Order are promoting homosexuality and=20
promiscuity for a manifold purpose. Their global agenda for population cont=
rol=20
is one motive, and another is their nearly completed plan to destroy the=20
culture and social fabric of the nations where "men were men" and the=20
women were cherished and protected - where strong families and stable=20
communities were the bedrock the nation was built on. A promiscuous,=20
perverse and dysfunctional population is much easier to control, manipulate=
=20
and enslave.=20=20

Many professed Christians and political conservatives insipidly deny that i=
t is=20
too late for the United States and the world, but the truth is this nation =
has=20
lost its culture, and it is too late to redeem it. What began with "toleran=
ce" of=20
immorality, the "innocent fun in the rumble seat" grandpa used to talk abou=
t=20
led to greater and greater evils until this nation found itself being sodom=
ized=20
at the point of a gun in the contemporary culture war. It is too late to tu=
rn=20
back. Now the deluge.=20=20

The militant homosexual agenda is one of the sledgehammers used in=20
America's cutural demolition. This agenda is not just about equal rights - =
it is=20
revolutionary in its scope and aims to recreate society in its own image. I=
n=20
her book, "The Hidden Homosexual Agenda," Beverly LaHaye wrote, "The=20
homosexual ideology implies the intent to rearrange our perceptions,=20
lifestyles, and legal system. In the strict sense of the term, this change =
is=20
revolutionary. It requires, if it is to be effectively implemented, the car=
eful and=20
gradual application and transfer of power. The homosexual movement is thus=
=20
not primarily a philanthropic or educational enterprise, but a hard-nosed=20
political movement bent on changing our society."=20=20

Nowhere is this truth more shockingly portrayed than in this essay on the=20
homosexual agenda, written by "gay revolutionary" Mark Swift and printed in=
=20
the Feb. 15, '87 issue of Gay Community News. These excerpts are=20
reprinted from the Congressional Record:=20=20

"We shall sodomize your sons....We shall seduce them in your schools, in=20
your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms...in your youth=
=20
groups.... Your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding.... They=20
will come to crave and adore us. All laws banning homosexual activity will =
be=20
revoked. Instead, legislation shall be passed which engenders love between=
=20
men. Our writers and artists will make love between men fashionable.... We=
=20
shall raise vast, private armies...to defeat you. The family unit...will =
be=20
abolished. Perfect boys will be conceived and grown in the genetic=20
laboratory.... All churches who condemn us will be closed. Our only gods ar=
e=20
handsome young men. All males who insist on remaining stupidly=20
heterosexual will be tried in homosexual courts of justice and will become=
=20
invisible men. Tremble, hetero swine, when we appear before you without our=
=20
masks."=20=20

What does the future hold for the United States and the rest of the nations=
=20
swept into the net of the global culture? We may find the answer to this=20
question by sifting the ashes of Sodom and Gomorrah.=20=20

Written 8/28/97=20=20

Copyright =A9 1997 The WINDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.=20=20

via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

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========
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) ISRAELI POSITION ON THREE MAIN POINTS AT TABA TALKS
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 15:06:02 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 07:09:23 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: ISRAELI POSITION ON THREE MAIN
           POINTS AT TABA TALKS (Temple Mount
           sovereignty can't be transferred DIRECTLY to
           Palestinians, via 3rd party possible, ambiguous
           on settlers)

ISRAELI POSITION ON THREE MAIN POINTS AT TABA TALKS (Temple Mount
sovereignty can't be transferred DIRECTLY to Palestinians, via 3rd party
possible, ambiguous on settlers)

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Jerusalem Sunday, January 21, 2001

[IMRA note: The Barak administration has taken great care to leave its
options open regarding the Temple Mount. The simplest statement would have
been "The Temple Mount will remain under Israeli sovereignty." The statement
below does not rule out the transfer of sovereignty to the Palestinians - it
only rules out transferring it via a documents signed by Prime Minister
Barak. He could, for example, sign an agreement transferring it to the Arab
League (or the UN) and then this third party would transfer the Temple Mount
to the Palestinians WITHOUT requiring Barak to sign a document to that
effect.

Item #3 is also ambiguous as it does not state explicitly that the 80% goal
will be achieved WITH the Jews remaining in their present homes. Taken to
an extreme, if all the Jews in Judea, Samaria and Gaza were shoved into 20
story apartment buildings in a "settlement bloc" on the outskirts of
Jerusalem this would satisfy point #3]

At its weekly meeting today (Sunday), 21.1.2001, the Cabinet took
cognizance of both Prime Minister Ehud Barak's statement regarding the
departure of the delegation to the negotiations with the Palestinians at
Taba and the Israeli position on three main points:

1. Israel will never allow the right of Palestinian refugees to return to
inside the State of Israel.

2. Prime Minister Barak will not sign any document which transfers
sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians.

3. Israel insists that in any settlement, 80% of the Jewish residents of
Judea, Samaria and Gaza will be in settlement blocs under Israeli
sovereignty.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

For free regular subscription:
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========
To: <bprlist@egroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Eagles and Things
From: Pam Baker
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 19:25:36 -0500

    Thank you, very much, for your comments. I know I do not know, for
sure, what will happen when the woman is given the wings of the (a)
great eagle. I do know that God will have the means (aeroplanes,
generally, have two wings) and the 'wilderness', ready and waiting at
the time appointed. If, as is possible, the US, under the leadership of
Bush, should set up a missile defence and, in so doing, isolate the US
from the rest of the world between now and the mid-point of the 7 years,
it could classify as a 'wilderness'. The similarities between the US
and Rome are unquestionable and the fact that the majority of American
born Americans trace their roots to nations that were part of the Old
Roman Empire, including Israel, makes the similarities more striking. I
suggest, (suggest only) that just as Rome was used by God to destroy the
Old Nation of Israel in 70 AD, He could use a descendant of the Old
Roman Empire, the US, to save the remnant He will save, both Jews and
gentiles, while the New Roman Empire, the EU, is persecuting the New
Nation of Israel. Praise the Lord!
       The thing that is paramount in my mind, friend, which I am sure
is paramount in yours, is the imminent return of Our Lord to claim His
Bride. God willing we will both be found worthy to be part of that
group. Praise the Lord!
    God Bless you. Charlie Baker.

PS. You might like the following.

THE WHY

I Corinthians 2:9
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him"

If you turn to God, through Jesus Christ, the soul you have will live.
But if you donŽt youŽll never know the gifts God has to give.
YouŽll never see the ones you loved, who live with Him above;
YouŽll never know the spiritŽs glow, nor revel in GodŽs love;
YouŽll never feel, within yourself, the peace that wipes out pain;
YouŽll never walk in paradise, nor feel His blessed rain;
YouŽll never walk through pearly gates, nor see what lies beyond;
YouŽll never see the glorious sights, nor hear the heavenly sound;
YouŽll never know what GodŽs prepared for all whose love He has.
So give yourself to Jesus Christ. The why? Well, just because!

Charles Baker Jan, 2001

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