To: <bprlist@egroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Re: Re: For Your Consideration
From: "John Brough"
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 16:17:58 +1300
Hi,
I agree that the eagle has nothing to do with USA. The fact that the USA
uses the eagle as a symbol is insignificant - so too does Russia and
Germany. We could equally argue for a Russian intervention or a United
Europe intervention if we are to go by modern usages.
No - the only way to interpret scripture is to compare scripture with
scripture as you have so ably done in your response.
I have previously communicated with this list about the place of the USA in
prophecy so U will not go into depth on that now - only to say the
indications in revelation when compared with scriptures elsewhere would
indicate no significant role belongs to the Americas from the middle of the
7 year tribulation. My own feeling is that the Americas are the land area
destroyed in the first 4 of the 7 trumpets (1/3 of the earth) and there is
plenty of reason to think that way.
I agree with you that the "Eagle" here speaks in some way of a divine
protection of Israel from the onslaught of the beast (this would seem to
rule out Europe as a candidate for being the "agent" of God's deliverance as
the Beast rules Europe.) How this protection is brought into reality we are
not told and it would be pointless to speculate on it. I am not aware of any
OT propechies that shed any light on the question. Probably we are simply
not intended to know.
John in NZ
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Re: For Your Consideration
From: jbonner101
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 08:02:21 EST
Wow, John, I guess we'd better all leave the USA. How's the weather in New
Zealand?
Playfully,
JaneB
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Subject: [bprlist] The number of...
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 08:43:25 -0500
[This is from a list member.]
RAbin was the 5th the number of ? LEADER OF ISRAEL and Netanyahu
was the 6th the number of man Barak was the 7th the number of
completion and who will be the 8th the number of the Messiah? Will Barak
be the leader until the Messiah? will he be the leader again...? Just some
thoughts... ALWAYS THINKING
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Subject: [bprlist] If You Believe In Jesus, I Don't Want To Live With You!
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 08:56:55 -0500
C U R R E N T N E W S S U M M A R Y
by the Editors of ReligionToday
January 22, 2001
[.. snipped..]
> If You Believe In Jesus, I Don't Want To Live With You!
"If you believe in Jesus , I don't want to live with you!" thundered
the angry Muslim woman upon hearing of her husband's conversion to
Christianity. She took their three sons and left him. The man was
alone, so he moved back in to his parents' house. He continued to grow
in his faith, according to Christian Aids report for the week of Jan
16th 2001. Many months later, the wife was very sick and in the
hospital. The man visited her and began to plead with her. "Please
trust in Jesus. He has the power to help you and heal you." She
accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and as they prayed, the
Lord began to heal her. When she was released from the hospital, she
rejoined her husband.
Earlier their oldest son had pledged to take a gun and kill his father
for betraying Islam. Before he could act his pledge, however, the
Soviet Army drafted him and sent him to Russia. While there, he
received a telegram telling him of his mother's serious illness. He
flew home immediately and learned that she had been dismissed from the
hospital. When he arrived at his house, his mother told him what had
happened.
"Jesus, who lived in your father's heart, healed me. Now I am no
longer sick. Please receive Jesus as I have." The son accepted Jesus
also. The father and son are now leaders of several growing churches
in this restrictive country. They reach people by going home to home.
People are willing to pray to receive Christ in a house, but never on
the street or in a stadium. The report went on to say, despite threats
and violence against Christians, the Body of Christ continues to grow
Tajikistan. Persecution seems to only fuel the efforts of the
courageous believers there.
This report was from the Christian Aid's Missions Insiders Report and
may be accessed at
http://www.christianaid.org/insider/insider-2-2fr.htm .
[.. snipped..]
-----------
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Subject: [bprlist] Planetarium Takes Pluto Off Planet A-List
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:04:24 -0500
Planetarium Takes Pluto Off Planet A-List
By KENNETH CHANG
<=20
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/22/science/22PLAN.html?pagewanted=3Dall >
As she walked past a display of photos of planets at the Rose Center for=20
Earth and Space, Pamela Curtice of Atlanta scrunched her brow,
perplexed. There didn't seem to be enough planets.
She started counting on her fingers, trying to remember the mnemonic her=20
son had learned in school years ago.
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
"I had to go through the whole thing to figure out which one was=20
missing," she said.
Pluto.
Pluto was not there.
"Now I know my mother just served us nine," Mrs. Curtice said. "Nine=20
nothings."
Quietly, and apparently uniquely among major scientific institutions,
the American Museum of Natural History cast Pluto out of the pantheon of=20
planets when it opened the Rose Center last February. Nowhere does the=20
center describe Pluto as a planet, but nowhere do its exhibits declare=20
"Pluto is not a planet," either.
"We're not that confrontational about it," said Dr. Neil de Grasse
Tyson, director of the museum's Hayden Planetarium. "You actually have
to pay attention to make note of this."
Still, the move is surprising, because the museum appears to have=20
unilaterally demoted Pluto, reassigning it as one of more than 300 icy=20
bodies orbiting beyond Neptune, in a region called the Kuiper Belt=20
(pronounced KY-per).
"Pluto is noticeable by its difficulty to find," Dr. Richard P. Binzel,
a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of=20
Technology, said of the Rose exhibits. "They went too far in demoting=20
Pluto, way beyond what the mainstream astronomers think."
Dr. S. Alan Stern, director of Southwest Research Institute's space=20
studies department in Boulder, Colo., also dislikes the change. "They
are a minority viewpoint," he said. "It's absurd. The astronomical
community has settled this issue. There is no issue."
The International Astronomical Union, the pre-eminent society of=20
astronomers, still calls Pluto a planet, one of nine of the solar
system. Even a proposal in 1999 to list Pluto as both a planet and a
member of the Kuiper Belt drew fierce protest from people who felt that
the additional "minor planet" designation would diminish Pluto's
stature.
The proposal was abandoned, and the astronomical union, which is based
in Paris, released a statement reaffirming that Pluto was and is a
planet. "This process was explicitly designed to not change Pluto's
status as a planet," the organization said.
But even some astronomers defending Pluto admit that were it discovered=20
today, it might not be awarded planethood, because it is so small =8B only=
=20
about 1,400 miles wide =8B and so different from the other planets.
While the international union's debate stirred considerable astronomical=20
passion, the Rose Center's Plutoless planet display has not generated=20
much controversy or consternation.
"I learned it one way for the first 50 years," said Mrs. Curtice's=20
husband, William. "I'll learn it another way now, I guess."
Jane Levenson, an "explainer" at the center, says that perhaps one out
of every 10 visitors asks her about the missing planet. She tells them
about the debate over Pluto's status and says "a decision had to be
made" as the museum was assembling the new exhibits.
"Children in particular ask," she said. "Children say, `Did they forget=20
about Pluto?' Some even say, `Did you forget my friend Pluto?' "
Ilisse Familia, a sixth grader from the Good Shepherd School in=20
Manhattan, was surprised when she heard the museum no longer counted=20
Pluto among the planets. "No wonder I couldn't find Pluto," she said.=20
"It's kind of weird."
As a planet, Pluto has always been an oddball. Its composition is like a=20
comet's. Its elliptical orbit is tilted 17 degrees from the orbits of
the other planets. Pluto was discovered on Feb. 18, 1930, by Clyde W.=20
Tombaugh, and astronomers initially estimated it to be as large as
Earth. They have since learned it is much smaller, smaller than Earth's
Moon.
But Pluto continued to be called a planet, because there was nothing
else to call it. Then, in 1992, astronomers found the first Kuiper Belt=20
object. Now they have found hundreds of additional chunks of rock and
ice beyond Neptune, including about 70 that share orbits similar to
Pluto's, the so-called Plutinos.
"We're much more subtle, but not deviously subtle," Dr. Tyson, the=20
planetarium director, said of the Hayden exhibits. "We decided to=20
organize the information for the visitor in such a way that Pluto's=20
classification would become self-evident."
The exhibits refer to the inner four "terrestrial planets" =8B Mercury,=20
Venus, Earth, Mars =8B and the four gas giant planets =8B Jupiter, Saturn,=
=20
Uranus and Neptune. Pluto, a small ball of rock and ice, does not fall=20
into either group. "Pluto does not have a family except for the icy=20
bodies in the outer solar system," Dr. Tyson said. "So we simply group
it with the Kuiper Belt. In a sense, we're sidestepping the definitional=20
problem altogether."
A display describing the solar system includes this carefully worded=20
sentence: "Beyond the outer planets is the Kuiper Belt of comets, a disk=20
of small, icy worlds including Pluto."
A diagram of the planets shows eight, not nine, rings around the Sun.
Other planetariums have not followed the Rose Center's lead. The
entryway to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago includes bronze plaques of
only eight planets, but that is because it opened just before Pluto was
officially named. Inside, the exhibits include Pluto among the planets.
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is building a $45 million,=20
30,000-square-foot space science center, scheduled to open in 2003.
Those exhibits will also still count nine planets in the solar system.
"We're sticking with Pluto," said Dr. Laura Danly, curator of space
sciences at the Denver museum. "We like Pluto as a planet."
But, she also said, "I think there is no right or wrong on this issue.=20
It's a moving target right now, no pun intended, what is and is not a=20
planet."
Planet, in the original Greek word, meant "wanderer," referring to the=20
dots of light that moved across the night sky. When the 16th-century=20
astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus realized that the universe did not
revolve around the Earth, Earth became another planet circling the Sun.
For Dr. Tyson, the redefining of Pluto has historical precedent. In
1801, astronomers combing the large gap between Mars and Jupiter
discovered Ceres, and for a short while, Ceres was a planet. Then
another large rock was found in the same region. And another. Soon it
became apparent there was a ring of rocky bodies between Mars and
Jupiter. Since astronomers did not want to call all of them planets,
they renamed them asteroids.
Just as Ceres, which turned out to be about 580 miles wide, was=20
reassigned from planet to asteroid, Pluto should join the Kuiper Belt=20
objects, Dr. Tyson said. "It's entirely analogous to the asteroid belt,"=20
he said, "except there's a 60-year delay between the discovery of the=20
first and second objects."
The new view of Pluto would recast it "from puniest planet to king of
the Kuiper Belt," Dr. Tyson said. "And I think it's happier that way.
I'm convinced our approach will prevail. It makes too much scientific
sense and too much pedagogical sense."
Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company
<=20
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/22/science/22PLAN.html?pagewanted=3Dall >
via: isml@egroups.com
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Subject: [bprlist] Climate change outstrips forecasts
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:04:39 -0000
Monday, 22 January, 2001, 14:09 GMT
Climate change outstrips forecasts
By environment correspondent Alex Kirby
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1126000/1126669.stm
The world's leading climatologists say global warming is happening
faster than previously predicted.
They say world temperatures this century could rise by between 1.4
and 5.8 degrees Celsius.
Sea levels could also rise by tens of centimetres, threatening
millions of people living in low-lying countries.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has been
meeting in Shanghai, China, says an increasing body of observations
gives a collective picture of a warming world. And it says the
evidence is stronger than before for a human influence on the
climate.
The head of the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr Klaus
Toepfer, said: "The scientific consensus presented in this
comprehensive report about human-induced climate change should sound
alarm bells in every national capital and in every local community."
Dr Robert Watson, who heads the panel of scientists advising the
United Nations, said there could be massive implications in terms of
water shortages, drought, damage to agriculture and the increased
spread of disease, with developing countries worst hit.
Hottest decade
He said: "There's no doubt the Earth's climate is changing. The
decade of the 1990s was the hottest decade of the last century and
the warming in this century is warmer than anything in the last 1,000
years in the Northern Hemisphere.
"We see changes in climate, we believe we humans are involved and
we're projecting future climate changes much more significant over
the next 100 years than the last 100 years."
In this third assessment report of its Working Group One on the
science of climate change, the IPCC updates its 1995 Second
Assessment Report (Sar). It says its confidence in the ability of
models to project future climates has increased, with the greatest
uncertainty still arising from the effects on climate of clouds.
The report notes: "The observed changes in climate over time have
been documented extensively by a variety of techniques. Many of these
trends are now established with high confidence; others are far less
certain."
It gives details of several trends, for example:
the global-average surface air temperature has increased since the
mid-19th century
in the last four decades, temperatures have risen in the lowest few
kilometres of the atmosphere
snow cover and ice extent have decreased
global average sea level has risen, and ocean heat content has
increased
some important aspects of the global climate appear unchanged. No
significant trends of Antarctic sea-ice extent are apparent over the
last 30 years, and there are no clear long-term trends discernible in
the intensity and frequency of tropical storms.
Under a variety of scenarios it has prepared, the IPCC says
temperature and sea level are projected to rise.
The range for globally-averaged surface air temperature increase by
2100 ranges from about 1.4 degrees Celsius to 5.8 degrees, an
increase the report notes that "would be without precedent during the
last 10,000 years". The projected sea level rise by 2100 is between
0.09 and 0.88 metres.
But the report does say that there are still many gaps in information
and understanding. One priority, it says, is to "arrest the decline
of observational networks in many parts of the world".
The report says that emissions of greenhouse gases continue to warm
the Earth's surface, and that emissions of some types of aerosols
help to cool it. It is clear that both are caused by human
activities, although the report notes that natural factors, such as
changes in solar output or volcanic eruptions, can also have an
effect.
Carbon build-up
It estimates the warming caused by changes in solar energy since 1950
at about one-fifth of that attributable to carbon dioxide (CO2), and
concludes that "natural agents have contributed small amounts" to
warming over the last century.
The report quantifies the build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere. The
concentration now is one-third more than in 1750, it says.
"The present CO2 concentration has not been exceeded during the past
420,000 years and likely not during the past 20 million years. The
rate of increase is unprecedented during at least the past 20,000
years.
"Over two-thirds of the increase in atmospheric CO2 during the past
20 years is due to fossil fuel burning. The rest is due to land-use
change, especially deforestation, and, to a lesser extent, cement
production."
Methane concentrations have increased by a factor of 2.5 since 1750,
and those of nitrous oxide by 16%.
The Sar concluded in 1995: "The balance of evidence suggests a
discernible human influence on global climate."
This report says there is now stronger evidence for a human influence
on global climate. It concludes: "It is likely that increasing
concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases have contributed
substantially to the observed warming over the last 50 years."
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Subject: [bprlist] Climate cooling could force human evolution
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:07:51 -0000
Climate cooling could force human evolution
Tuesday January 23, 9:35 AM
http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0101/23/A15736-2001Jan23.shtml
LONDON - Early human evolution was driven by a sudden and dramatic
change in the weather, scientists said today.
British researchers have found evidence that the world has become 10
degrees Celsius chillier in the last 3.2 million years.
The cooling off is five times greater than experts had previously
believed, enough to bring about changes that have sent human
evolution into overdrive, it is claimed.
Cooling was especially rapid about two million years ago, according
to the findings reported in the journal Science.
Jeremy Marlow, of Newcastle University, who led the team of British,
American and German scientists, said: "People have been looking for a
climate event that could explain what is seen in the geological
record.
"We postulate that this dramatic cooling could be it. Up to two
million years ago the vegetation across southern Africa was fairly
rich and typical of a temperate climate where evolutionary pressures
were not that great.
"Then you get this sudden cooling. There's less evaporation from the
sea, less rain, and you start to see a build up of savannah
appearing.
"Resources become limited; food is harder to get and there's less
tree cover, increasing the danger from wild animals. The hominids
around then would have been under greater pressure to survive, and
they would have switched from gathering to hunting."
This would have provided the spur needed to push human evolution
forward, said Mr Marlow, a Phd student at the university.
The scientists discovered tell-tale signs of the fall in temperature
in the molecular fossils of microscopic marine algae.
Examining the pattern of deposition of algae sediments revealed
evidence of a climate change cycle spanning thousands or even
millions of years.
It showed that the Earth has been cooling for about five million
years. During this time threshold points were reached which saw
sudden and pronounced temperature dips. However the cycle could be
rapidly reversed by man-made global warming, the researchers said.
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Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Israel offers joint sovereignty over Western Wall and
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:09:16 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 01:02:06 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Israel offers joint sovereignty
over Western Wall and other sites
with Palestinians
Israel offers joint sovereignty over Western Wall and other sites with
Palestinians
Aaron Lerner Date: 22 January 2001
THIS IS NOT A PARODY
Israel Radio senior diplomatic correspondent Yoni Ben Menachem
reported this morning that according to a senior source in the
Israeli delegation to the talks at Taba, Israel offered the
Palestinians yesterday for the first time, within the context of a
"special authority" that would rule eastern Jerusalem, that the
Western Wall would be included within the framework of the "special
authority - namely joint sovereignty of Israel and the Palestinians"
on all the holy places in eastern Jerusalem that are holy to the
three major faiths.
Ben Menachem then read the following list of places that would be
under joint Israeli-Palestinian sovereignty under the Israeli
proposal: Western Wall, Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, City of David,
Southern Temple Wall Excavations, Ophel, Archeological Garden,
"Ma'alot Devorah the Prophetess", Shiloah Tunnel, the mosques on the
Temple Mount, the churches - including the Church of he Holy
Sepulchre in the Old City.
Ben Menachem explained that this would be Israeli-Palestinian
sovereignty rather than international sovereignty and that the logic
behind the proposal is that the close proximity of the holy places
makes it impossible to give different sovereignty to each location
since that would mean a different sovereignty every few meters.
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-548-0092
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6750750 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE www.imra.org.il
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Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Blank ballot count won't be publicized
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:11:08 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 02:18:50 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Blank ballot count won't
be publicized
Ha'aretz: Blank ballot count won't be publicized
By Gideon Alon Ha'aretz Knesset Correspondent Ha'aretz 23 January 2001
The Central Elections Commission (CEC) will not declare the number of blank
ballots cast during the coming election for prime minister, so the public
will have no way of knowing how many protest ballots there were.
CEC Director-General Tamar Edri said that under election laws, the poll
staff tally the numbers of valid and invalid ballots. However, there is no
provision for a count to determine how many invalid ballots are blank, or
how many are disqualified for other reasons - for being scribbled on, or
more than one ballot in the envelope.
In the 1999 election for prime minister, 180,000 ballots were disqualified.
Only 64,000 were disqualified ballots in the Knesset elections on the same
day.
The large gap between these figures indicates that tens of thousands of
voters probably cast blank ballots deliberately against one or both
candidates.
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Subject: [bprlist] Calif. school district considers student ID scanners
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:12:09 -0000
Calif. school district considers student ID scanners
By GWENDOLYN CRUMP
Sacramento Bee
January 23, 2001
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=EDU-SCANNERS-01-23-
01&cat=AN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - High school students in a local school district
would have to swipe an identification card through a scanning device
each time they enter a classroom, under a proposal being considered
for the next school year.
The scanning system could instantly record absences and place calls
to the parents of missing students, said officials of Grant Joint
Union High School District.
The program would be the first of its kind in the region - and
possibly California - and a great improvement over the district's
current system, which sometimes processes absences days after a
student missed school, officials said.
"The bottom line for our district is that we cannot improve student
achievement if students are not in their seats," said Larry Buchanan,
district superintendent.
"The program we are designing ensures that we know almost immediately
where our students are - and that parents know where their children
aren't," he said.
The district serves about 11,500 junior and senior high school
students, and as many as 400 students each day have unexcused
absences, officials said.
"We were having trouble tracking all the students," Buchanan
said. "The attendance rate needs to be higher."
Officials said the ID cards also would have to be swiped before
students board school buses; the system would instantly alert drivers
if a student is on the wrong bus - which could be an issue when a
student rides to the home of a friend after school.
If a student comes to class without his or her ID card, the scanning
device - as a backup - may be able to read thumbprints. If a card is
reported lost, administrators will delete it from the system so no
one can misuse it, officials said.
In December, Congress approved a $207,000 appropriation for the ID
system, and district officials said they would spend an additional
$500,000 in federal technology funds on the system, though they're
still figuring out the total cost.
The School District of Philadelphia has used a similar card-swiping
program in its high school classrooms for a year, said spokesman Paul
Hanson. Previously, Philadelphia had no centralized system for
tracking the attendance of its 54,000 high school students.
Grant's plan would require approval from the school board, which
likely will discuss it this summer.
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Subject: [bprlist] Harry Potter banned from Outreach school
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:13:28 -0000
Harry Potter banned from Outreach school=20
Amanda Watt, Sunshine Coast bureau=20
23jan01
http://thecouriermail.com.au/common/story_page/0,4511,1636029%
255E3102,00.html
A DECISION by a Sunshine Coast school to ban students from reading=20
the popular Harry Potter books has been condemned by the Queensland=20
Council of Parents' and Citizens' Association.=20
Nambour's Christian Outreach College has taken the unusual step of=20
outlawing the book from its primary school library.=20
The fantasy books, written by J.K. Rowling, revolve around the life=20
of young wizard Harry Potter and have been credited with inspiring=20
children to read.=20
Last year's release of the fourth book in the series created huge=20
interest around the world.=20
College senior pastor, Dr Chas Gullo, who has publicly criticised=20
other children's fads such as Pokemon, said the decision to ban the=20
book was part of the school's policy to screen "anti-Christian"=20
material.=20
Dr Gullo said he had read one chapter from the latest book, Harry=20
Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and did not need to read any more to=20
know the books were not suitable for primary school-age children.=20
"In the first chapter I was exposed to four murders . . . it was=20
pretty gory," Dr Gullo said.=20
"Anyone who knows anything about education knows that what children=20
(see, read, and hear) affects their lives.=20
"I think (the books) are dangerous for young primary school=20
children . . . (they should have) an M or R rating."=20
Dr Gullo said as the school's senior pastor, he did not interfere=20
with educational decisions but made "moral" rulings.=20
He said the school always had a policy of not allowing any books that=20
were anti-Christian, immoral or violent, but could not recall=20
specific titles that had previously been banned.=20
He said any merchandise connected to television shows about=20
witchcraft such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer was also not allowed at=20
the school.=20
Queensland Council of Parents' and Citizens Association president=20
Garry Cislowski said the Harry Potter books were simply "fantasy".=20
"They are no different from (fairytales) Hansel and Gretel or Snow=20
White and the Seven Dwarfs =96 there is no distinction," Mr Cislowski=20
said.=20
"It would seem the school is making moral judgments on behalf of=20
students =96 beyond their normal scope."=20
A spokesman for the Lutheran Church's schools department said it was=20
up to individual schools to choose library resources but he did not=20
believe any Lutheran schools had banned Harry Potter.=20
An Education Queensland spokesman said there was nothing in the Harry=20
Potter books that warranted them being banned from schools.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arafat tells newspaper: 'Sharon victory would be a disaster'
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:17:29 -0500
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
Arafat tells newspaper: 'Sharon victory would be a disaster'
By Sharon Sadeh
Ha'aretz Correspondent
LONDON - It would be a "real disaster" if Prime Minister Ehud Barak lost the
upcoming election to Likud candidate Ariel Sharon, Palestinian Chairman
Yasser Arafat said in an interview published in the London Daily Telegraph
yesterday.
According to the British daily, Arafat has ordered his staff to make a serious
effort to reach a framework agreement with Israel before the February 6
election. The Palestinian leader is concerned that without such an
agreement, Barak will be unable to beat Sharon.
Speaking from his headquarters in Gaza City, Arafat told the Telegraph that
Barak had made "fatal mistakes" during his time as prime minister. However,
he said, Sharon will deal with the Palestinians "in a crude military way."
Senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath said that while the Palestinians
are not particularly fond of Barak, the peace process would have no chance
of moving forward if Sharon were elected. He explained that "Barak rules with
a coalition made up of people who are better than he is... [but] Sharon
represents the worst in Israel."
Other Palestinians, however, believe that a Sharon victory might help their
cause, by boosting international sympathy for their demands.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=1/23/01&i
d=107796
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Iraq weapons factories 'rebuilt'
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:25:26 -0500
22 January, 2001, 23:55 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1131000/1131691.stm
Iraq weapons factories 'rebuilt'
Many of the targets hit in 1998 have been rebuilt The US intelligence
services believe Iraq has rebuilt factories that could be used to make
chemical and biological weapons, according to the New York Times.
Quoting senior US officials, the American daily says the factories
were involved in producing chemical and biological agents before they
were bombed by US and British jets in 1998.
But the US Government admits it cannot verify its claims without
on-the-ground inspection.
But the paper says the new intelligence assessments could pose an
early test for President George W Bush and his pledge to take a
tougher stand against President Saddam Hussein.
Some of Mr Bush's key foreign policy officials have signalled that
they want to increase the pressure on Iraq. Some are thought to favour
increasing US support for the Iraqi opposition.
But with support for sanctions on Iraq crumbling, observers say it
will be difficult for Mr Bush to get international support for a
harder line against the Iraqi leader.
Industrial complex
The three factories are located in an industrial complex in Falluja, a
city west of Baghdad.
Two were badly damaged in Operation Desert Fox, the name given to the
US and UK air strikes launched in December 1998 after United Nations
inspectors were pulled out of Iraq.
Among them is a plant that makes brake fluid from castor oil, the New
York Times said.
But US officials say castor bean mash also contains a lethal
biological toxin known as ricin.
Another rebuilt plant was used to make pesticides or herbicides, the
paper said, while the third site has resumed production of chlorine.
Suspicions
UN weapons inspectors had suspicions about the factories before the
bombing, and monitored activity there.
But the inspectors have not been allowed back into Iraq since the 1998
air strikes - which were launched to punish Saddam Hussein for his
refusal to co-operate with them.
Speaking to the French news agency, AFP, a US defence official
admitted that the absence of inspectors in Iraq means "we can't see
inside" the factories.
But he said: "They were previous factories. They have dual use
purpose. That raises a high level of concern."
The newspaper report followed the burial on Sunday of six people the
Iraqi Government says were killed after a US-British airstrike on
southern Iraq.
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========
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Daily World Affairs Report items (1/22/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:32:40 -0500
POPE NAMES 37 TO BE CARDINALS=20
Pope John Paul II today named 37 new members to join the College of=20
Cardinals. The new cardinals will receive their red hats at a consistory on=
=20
February 21-- the feast of the Chair of Peter. The Pope made this=20
announcement during his regular Sunday Angelus audience, as he spoke to=20
pilgrims in St. Peter's Square from the balcony of his apartment. Among the=
=20
new cardinals, 33 will be under the age of 80, and thus eligible to vote in=
a=20
papal election.=20
After the consistory, the number of cardinals eligible to vote in a conclav=
e=20
will be 128. The Pope has used his authority to exceed the normal limit of=
=20
120. Also, the Pope still has not revealed the identity of 2 cardinals name=
d=20
"in pectore"-- that is, secretly-- in previous conclaves. Since the start o=
f his=20
pontificate, John Paul II has named 194 cardinals, of whom 154 are alive=20
today. (Catholic World News)=20
* When the pope formally gives scarlet hats to these aides, known as=20
"princes" of the church because of their power to advise and choose popes,=
=20
he will exceed by 8 the limit of 120 cardinals that was set by Paul VI. The=
=20
frail 81-year-old pope seems intent on packing the college with loyalists=20
while he still can, though he hinted that the latest nominations were not=20
necessarily his last chance. After reading out the names from his balcony=20
above St. Peter's Square, John Paul noted that many others merited the=20
honor, adding, "I hope in the future to have the opportunity to testify, al=
so in=20
this manner, my esteem and affection to those people and the countries=20
they represent."
The Feb. 21 consistory will be John Paul's 8th since 1979, and with 37 new=
=20
cardinals it will be the largest ever. The pope stated his decision to surp=
ass=20
his predecessor's limit quite simply: "Derogating once again the numerical=
=20
limit established by Pope Paul VI and confirmed by me in the Apostolic=20
Constitution (Universi dominici gregis), I shall name 37 new cardinals. Her=
e=20
are their names." Popes are not bound by precedent on such matters.=20
"There is a big difference between decisions on doctrine and dogma and=20
juridicial rules," said the Reverend Thomas Reese, an American Jesuit who=20
edits the Roman Catholic magazine "America." "Besides, the pope makes=20
the rules and the pope can change them." But other rules still apply. If a=
=20
cardinal-designate dies before the consistory at which the decree is=20
formally announced, he is not a cardinal. This happened to Archbishop=20
Giuseppe Uhac, who died Jan. 18, 1998, the morning the pope read out the=20
names of new cardinals. If the pope dies before the consistory, the=20
cardinals-designate do not become cardinals and cannot attend a conclave=20
to elect a new pope.
Among the new cardinals were 3 Americans: Archbishop Theodore=20
McCarrick of Washington, Archbishop Edward Michael Egan of New=20
York and Avery Dulles, a renowned Jesuit theologian at Fordham=20
University who has defended the pope's policies against liberal critics.=20
Father Dulles, 82, who is the son of John Foster Dulles, secretary of state=
=20
under President Eisenhower, is the first American theologian to be named a=
=20
cardinal.=20
The pope said that at the consistory he would reveal the names of 2=20
cardinals he had elevated in 1998 but kept "in pectora," or secret. "In=20
pectora," which is Latin for "within the breast," is a term for nominations=
of=20
prelates who work in politically sensitive areas like China or whose=20
assignments in the Vatican are not deemed suitable for the rank of cardinal=
.
Ten of the prelates who will be elevated to cardinal are from Latin=20
America. Italy will still have the single largest number of voting cardinal=
s,=20
24, but as a block, Latin America will have 26. The United States and=20
Canada will have 13. Together, North and South America, now home to=20
half the global population of nearly 1bn Catholics, will have 39, 2 more th=
an=20
now. The ideological makeup of the new college of cardinals is not likely t=
o=20
change as a result of the latest choices. After the consistory, there will =
be=20
128 voting cardinals, 118 of them appointed by John Paul in large part=20
because they have followed his teachings and share his basic principles.
Many of the appointments were the result of Vatican housekeeping,=20
elevating the heads of important posts to the rank of cardinal, as is tradi=
tion.=20
The elevation of the German bishop Walter Kasper, 67, suggested other=20
possible changes within the Vatican hierarchy. Bishop Kasper is the=20
secretary of the congregation for Christian Unity, the Vatican office that=
=20
deals with ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Its prefect, Cardinal=20
Edward Idris Cassidy, will turn 77 in July, and the usual retirement age fo=
r=20
Vatican officials is 75, though the pope does ask some aides to stay in=20
office longer. (Int'l Herald Tribune)
GERMANY BOLDLY SETS OWN CHART FOR EUROPE=20
Parting With France, It Plays Down State Sovereignty and Urges U.S.=20
Role=20
Germany is staking out a new leadership stance for itself in Europe with a=
=20
specific call for a future that bolsters the European Union's institutions =
at=20
the expense of national sovereignty and welcomes a strong accompanying=20
role for the United States. The Germans want to move quickly. Stressing a=20
need to redefine the German-French relationship, they are expected to bring=
=20
proposals for more European integration to a summit meeting between=20
France and Germany in Strasbourg on Jan. 31.=20
In clearly indicating its intention to rally support behind the European=20
Commission - the EU's supranational executive - Germany is explicitly=20
rejecting a model of an intergovernmental Europe, in which national=20
governments become the initiators of European progress, its voice, and the=
=20
essential representatives of its policies. The novelty of all this is, at t=
he least,=20
twofold. It represents a confident German leadership initiative for all of=
=20
Europe, presented alone, conceived outside the French-German tandem of=20
old. And it contains obvious and basic difficulties for partners such as=20
France and Britain.=20
For the first time, the stance comes with the express engagement of=20
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who until now had largely left defining=20
European policy to Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. There was little=20
vagueness or ambiguity. Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Fischer brought their=20
positions to a political forum over the weekend, sponsored by the=20
Bertelsmann Foundation, whose participants included Prime Minister Jose=20
Aznar of Spain, Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine of France, Romano Prodi,=20
president of the European Commission, and Henry Kissinger, former U.S.=20
secretary of state.=20
The chancellor clearly stated that intergovernmental cooperation - as=20
opposed to an integrated, community wide approach - cannot be Europe's=20
way forward. Along this line, he called for the adoption of a basic law or=
=20
constitution, perhaps at an intergovernmental conference in 2004. And in=20
the immediate future, he urged support for the Commission and "the=20
institutions that do integrationist thinking."=20
This concept is difficult not only for Britain, with its general resistance=
to=20
EU functions beyond those of a trading bloc and opposition to a constitutio=
n,=20
but also for France, which tends to regard an integrated Europe as likely t=
o=20
be German-dominated and a diminished multiplier for its interests. The=20
largely botched Nice summit meeting of last December, which, under=20
French presidency left the EU looking much like an organization of 15 petty=
=20
nationalisms, appeared to stand out for Mr. Schroeder as an example of an=20
intergovernmental method that had failed.
At the same time, Mr. Fischer emphasized the American role alongside=20
Europe in words that were in line with the basic orientations of EU=20
countries like Germany and Britain, and to those of a prospective member=20
such as Poland, but not to the instincts of France. This was another way of=
=20
underscoring the new individuality of Germany's approach. "We need a=20
strong U.S role" in Europe, Mr. Fischer said. "The United States helps=20
balance the internal contradictions within European interests. I'm convince=
d=20
the United States will have to play a very important role for us."
It was the same tone Mr. Schroeder had struck in an article for the=20
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, published to coincide with the presidential=
=20
inauguration in Washington and his remarks here. The chancellor said, that=
=20
as Europe makes a stronger contribution to a better balanced, more secure=20
world, "Germany and America can and will undertake with success the=20
great tasks of the 21st century. President Bush and the new administration=
=20
know that they have a partner and friend in Berlin on whom they can rely."=
=20
At the same time, while insisting the French-German relationship needed to=
=20
be redefined, Mr. Schroeder also had the diplomatic elegance to insist on i=
ts=20
crucial, ongoing importance for Europe. In terms of a specific response to=
=20
how France might react to the chancellor's urging of more integration, no=20
clues were forthcoming from Mr. Vedrine. But another French participant=20
at the forum, Francois Heisbourg, a professor at the Institut d'Etudes=20
Politiques de Paris, said the German view of reality "puts the French very=
=20
squarely in front of the issues."=20
Discussing the German position privately, a German official said the EU=20
could not be left to wobble on politically while it moves towards expansion=
=20
eastward. The context, he said, was the French presidential election of=20
2002, and the reluctance of either of the expected candidates, President=20
Jacques Chirac, or his Socialist rival, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, to ta=
ke a=20
position that would suggest a loss of French sovereignty through European=20
integration.
Germany has come to regard France as anti-European Commission, a=20
situation rubbed raw by its virtual snub to Mr. Prodi at the Nice summit=20
meeting. Now, the official said, after having misread French intentions to=
=20
refuse giving Germany greater voting weight within the EU, it was unclear=20
to Germany what the French government's reaction would be to any=20
approach that could be interpreted in the context of French domestic politi=
cs=20
as a dilution of sovereignty or an acceptance of a junior partner's role in=
=20
relation to the Germans, who have traditionally shown more comfort with=20
integration.
But Mr. Prodi, by jumping all over the intergovernmental model, hardly held=
=20
back on how he wanted the game to go. Intergovernmentalism, he said,=20
was fragmented, conflicting, and a recipe for indecision. Worse, he insiste=
d,=20
"it is also a recipe for mutual distrust between member states in the=20
absence of an honest broker" - clearly, the European Commission.=20
In all of this, no mention was made by either Mr. Schroeder or Mr. Fischer=
=20
about Germany's effort at Nice, blocked by France, to reweight voting=20
rights, so as to reflect the difference in national populations within the =
EU=20
and go beyond French-German voting parity. Well away from the forum,=20
leading members of both the Christian Democrat and Social Democrat=20
delegations at the European Parliament have said that the Parliament's=20
approval of the Treaty of Nice should be held up until vote reweighting and=
=20
other issues are addressed. (Int'l Herald Tribune)=20
BORN-AGAIN BUSH USHERS IN ERA OF INTEGRITY=20
George W Bush marked his first full day as President with an ecumenical=20
church service yesterday, as his staff moved into the White House and=20
pledged to observe a new "integrity" code designed to symbolise the end of=
=20
the Clinton years. Franklin Graham, son of the Rev Billy Graham, who=20
helped Mr Bush to become a born-again Christian, told the new President=20
that he had "the opportunity to once again ignite the soul of America". Mr=
=20
Graham said that despite America's economic success there remained a=20
"sense of hopelessness" and said Mr Bush would have to deal with "great=20
social, political and spiritual problems".=20
A cardinal, a rabbi, a Greek Orthodox priest and Protestant ministers all=20
prayed for Mr Bush at the service in Washington National Cathedral. Mr=20
Bush's first acts in office were to issue the new White House code of=20
conduct and declare yesterday a "National Day of Prayer and=20
Thanksgiving" for Americans to pray for leaders at every level of=20
government.=20
The Oval Office was transformed within minutes of Mr Bush taking the=20
oath of office. Although Mr Bush kept Bill Clinton's desk [an 1880 gift fro=
m=20
Queen Victoria to President Rutherford Hayes] his royal blue rug was=20
replaced by President Ronald Reagan's ivory, beige and terracotta carpet.=20
In came autographed baseballs, Texas mementoes and photographs of Mr=20
Bush's parents, his wife, Laura, and twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna.=20
Out went Mr Clinton's gold curtains and silk sofas in preference for more=20
sober and traditional furnishings.=20
The Bush administration immediately signalled that punctuality would be=20
one of its watchwords. Whereas Mr Clinton was habitually late for almost=20
every occasion, Mr Bush has declared: "Late is rude." Mr and Mrs Bush=20
were back at the White House at 11.38pm on Saturday after attending 8=20
inauguration events. This was an almost unprecedented hour and 8 minutes=20
ahead of schedule. At the last ball they attended, Mr Bush said: "I'm proud=
=20
to report I think we've accumulated more than 10 minutes of dancing. So to=
=20
help you all celebrate, we're going to dance and then I'm going to bed."=20
There was a broad welcome for Mr Bush's inauguration speech from his=20
political friends and foes alike. He said: "Today we affirm a new=20
commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage,=20
compassion and character." He praised his opponent, Al Gore, for "a=20
contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace" but references to=20
"personal responsibility" and a "call to conscience" were seen as veiled=20
criticisms of Mr Clinton. The new White House code of conduct called for=20
the "highest standards of integrity in government" and began: "Public=20
service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the=20
constitution, the laws and ethical principles above private gain." (The=20
London Telegraph)=20
* Every new President takes office with an agenda - and soon sees himself=20
forced to accept compromises, says the Cologne STADTANZEIGER.=20
Apart from anything else, the paper adds, George W. Bush does not have=20
the strong mandate of a convincing election victory, nor does he have the=20
majority in Congress to push through his agenda. The demonstrations along=20
the parade route in Washington were a reminder of that.=20
The FRANKFURT ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG feels that Bush swore to=20
observe all sorts of virtues on taking office. But those virtues alone, thi=
nks=20
the Frankfurt paper, are not the flares which will help him to realise his=
=20
priorities - education, pension, health and tax reforms nor his missile=20
defence system. For those endeavours he will need to demonstrate=20
considerable ability to compromise.=20
The NORDKURIER from Neubrandenburg reminds readers that Bush=20
himself took office tainted by the fact that he didn't win the presidential=
=20
election thanks to better arguments and more convincing majorities tha his=
=20
opponent Gore, but thanks only to a very small margin in a judicial verdict=
.=20
Two other papers look at Bush's significance for Europe: The GENERAL-
ANZEIGER from Bonn sums up by assessing his first presidential speech=20
as "Good words - comforting at least for the European partners of the=20
USA. However, Bill Clinton's successor did not go into much detail." And=20
the MANNHEIMER MORGEN points out that in Europe and Germany in=20
particular, there is much scepticism vis-a-vis George W. Bush - not least=20
because measured against the political landscape here, he has to be seen at=
=20
the periphery of the right wing. Even so, there should be no fear, thinks t=
he=20
paper that trans-Atlantic relations under Bush will suffer any lasting=20
deterioration. The new President but particularly his experienced and=20
influential advisors are fully aware of the significance of the Alliance.=20
The French paper LE FIGARO from Paris says it is hardly likely the USA=20
will suddenly withdraw from world affairs, preferring like the Texans to=20
bother only about their cattle and oilfields. In Europe it is possible to s=
end=20
signals as did Chancellor Schroeder who ceremoniously was the first to=20
confirm that Bush had friends in Berlin upon whom he could rely. But=20
who's complaining about the prospect of Washington NOT dictating what is=20
good for Europe. That could present Europe even with opportunities, says=20
the Paris newspaper. (Deutsche Welle)=20
BUSH EARNS HIS STRIPES=20
George W Bush proved at Saturday's inaugural ceremonies that he is more=20
than capable of discharging what Walter Bagehot would have described as=20
the "dignified" functions of the American presidency. The pageantry of the=
=20
occasion and the language of his address also offered some intriguing clues=
=20
as to how he will handle the "efficient" side of his awesome task. It was a=
=20
cunning speech: just as John F Kennedy sought in 1961 to rebrand the=20
Democrats as the party best capable of carrying on the Cold War after=20
being accused of softness on communism through much of the late '40s and=20
'50s, so Mr Bush sought to rebrand himself as the man capable of=20
reunifying the nation.
There were no fewer than 3 references - in a brief address - to=20
"compassion" and 4 to "civility". He genuflected to the aggrieved=20
spokesmen of American blacks, speaking of the "slaveholding society that=20
became the servant of freedom" and pledging to uphold civil rights laws and=
=20
the role of the federal government in guaranteeing minimum standards of=20
welfare. Even some of Mr Bush's more radical policies, such as education=20
reform, were couched in terms of their potential to liberate the least=20
advantaged children from the yoke of failing inner-city schools systems.=20
Mr Bush did not forget those who voted him in, either. Unlike John=20
Kennedy's or Bill Clinton's inaugurations, there were no fashionable poetry=
=20
readings by Robert Frost or Maya Angelou to appeal to the hostile secular=20
elites. Instead, there were simple invocations of faith by 2 Protestant=20
ministers. Of course, religious themes often run through inaugural speeches=
,=20
and Mr Bush spoke of the deity in much the same way as the Founding=20
Fathers might have done.=20
Unusually, though, Mr Bush invoked the teachings of Christ: his reference=20
to the parable of the Good Samaritan would immediately have been=20
understood by all churchgoing folk, one of his core constituencies, and=20
provided further evidence of how comfortable he is with displaying in publi=
c=20
his own "born-again" beliefs. And on the day after outgoing President=20
Clinton struck a deal with the special prosecutor, admitting that he had li=
ed=20
to him over the Lewinsky affair, Mr Bush used the word "character" on 4=20
occasions. The "character" issue was, again, of salient importance to Mr=20
Bush's supporters.=20
Mr Bush's speech was thus as clear a repudiation of his predecessor as=20
was possible on such an occasion. Mr Clinton's failings did much to prompt=
=20
talk of the downgrading of the post-Cold War presidency and the rise of=20
congressional, state and municipal power. Mr Bush now has an excellent=20
opportunity to disprove this assertion. Indeed, the increasingly positive=20
noises emanating from the House and Senate Democratic leaders, Richard=20
Gephardt of Missouri and Tom Daschle of South Dakota, at the idea of a=20
trillion-dollar tax cut suggest that they know that the Texan has the poten=
tial=20
to use the Oval Office successfully as a "bully pulpit".=20
The first President Bush destroyed his own presidency in 1991-92 by=20
signing up to a tax increase pushed by the Democratic congressional=20
barons. For all the son's soothing words, it's difficult to see him making =
the=20
same mistake as his father - of embracing consensus for consensus's own=20
sake. He knows that to neglect your own electoral base on the grounds that=
=20
it has nowhere else to go is not just an act of bad faith, but is bad polit=
ics as=20
well. (The London Telegraph - Editorial)=20
AT LAST, AMERICA CAN RIDE TALL IN THE SADDLE=20
My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky; that is nothing to th=
e=20
way it leaps up to see Bill Clinton leave the White House. Almost his last=
=20
words as President gave a joyous memory of what a complete phoney=20
baloney he was, and is. =93I tried to walk a fine line between acting lawfu=
lly=20
and testifying falsely but I now recognise that I did not fully accomplish =
that=20
goal.=94 That is perfect; it is beyond parody; Bill Clinton is the Shakespe=
are=20
of self-serving humbug.=20
His last presidential act was to pardon his brother, Roger Clinton, the=20
former driver of the President=92s cocaine dealing chum, the Arkansas bond=
=20
salesman Dan Lasater. He also pardoned Susan McDougal, the lady who=20
refused to testify about his Whitewater dealings. Now Clinton is gone:=20
Hallelujah! He was not the worst President the US has ever had; the saintly=
=20
Jimmy Carter was much less competent; but Bill Clinton was, beyond=20
question, the biggest creep.=20
Now Texas has come to town, once again confirming the extraordinary=20
dominance of the South West in American presidential politics. George W.=20
Bush is the 43rd American President. The last President to come from the=20
North or Mid-West was John F. Kennedy, from Massachusetts. He was=20
elected 40 years ago. Since then, successive Presidents have been elected=20
from Texas, California, Georgia, California again, Texas again, Arkansas=20
and Texas a 3rd time. New York remains the dominant financial centre of=20
the US, but has had no President since Franklin Roosevelt, who was first=20
elected in 1932.=20
Admittedly, George W. Bush, though he had a narrow and challenged=20
majority in the Electoral College, did not have a majority of the popular=20
vote. Yet Al Gore also comes from a Southern state, Tennessee; a Gore=20
victory would not have changed this regional pattern. The =93Southern=20
Strategy=94 was devised by Richard Nixon for his campaign for the=20
Republican nomination in 1968. The year before that, he came over to=20
London. Roy Thomson, then the proprietor of Times Newspapers, gave a=20
lunch to introduce him. Nixon explained how he was going to win the=20
nomination and the presidential election, which he duly did.=20
The Nixon plan was to mobilise the small conservative voters of the South=20
and West to vote for the Republicans, breaking away from the traditional=20
Southern attachment to the Democrats. He argued that the Democrats had=20
become the party of Northern liberal causes, the party of New York, of the=
=20
big Northern cities and of what Governor Wallace of Alabama =97 though=20
not Nixon himself =97 called =93pointy headed intellectuals=94. The culture=
gap=20
between the liberal North East and the conservative South had become too=20
wide for the Democrats to continue to bridge.
In Nixon=92s view, the Republicans could win Southern states in presidentia=
l=20
elections, even though congressional seats were then still held by well=20
entrenched and senior Democrats. Seldom has a political strategy been so=20
successful. From that day to this, the South has become steadily more=20
Republican, in terms of governors and Members of Congress as well as of=20
presidential votes. Only the Hispanic immigration has reversed this trend i=
n=20
California.=20
Of all the American states, Texas is culturally the most distinct.It is a v=
ery=20
large state, both in geography and population; its economic development=20
has been greatly influenced by cattle and oil; the frontier period is still=
=20
historically quite close; unlike California and New York, the economy has=20
not been dominated by the big coastal cities; Texas has had periods of=20
great, even unexpected, wealth, which have boosted its already high self-
confidence. Yorkshire is not a close parallel, but is the nearest English=20
equivalent.=20
In the '80s I visited Texas quite often in my role as an antiquarian=20
bookseller. Since the '20s, Texans have been great book collectors. The=20
Texas culture, which was well, if not sympathetically, described in Edna=20
Ferber=92s novel Giant, is still a masculine one. It is one of the American=
=20
states which has not been subjugated in the onward march of emancipated=20
women. It is no accident that George W. Bush had a large majority among=20
American men, matched by Al Gore=92s majority among women. That was a=20
natural outcome of the modern Kulturkampf between the genders in the=20
United States. It is not that Gore is more attractive to women, but he is=20
more sympathetic to feminist ideology.=20
This does not mean that the position of women in Texas is an inferior one.=
=20
The frontier tradition does, indeed, elevate the idea of the strong and=20
resourceful man, the sort of American male that John Wayne idealised in so=
=20
many films. But family survival on the frontier required not only a strong=
=20
man, but a stronger woman. The man, like George W. Bush himself, has to=20
be able to carry his responsibilities, but he is indulged in a prolonged=20
adolescence. The President himself seems to have become mature only=20
after he was 40. Until then, a Texas =93good ol=92 boy=94 can remain a boy.=
The=20
woman is expected to behave like a grown-up throughout her life.=20
Undoubtedly, it was his mother, the great Barbara Bush, who set the moral=20
standard of George W. Bush=92s early life; who formed his conscience. I=20
would guess it is his wife, not necessarily more intelligent but certainly =
more=20
intellectual than he is, who is the moral arbiter of his family now. No dou=
bt=20
she lets the steer have a long rope, though it cannot be as long as it once=
=20
was; there is little question who is the steer and who is the cowhand. That=
=20
is the normal way of a Texas marriage.=20
These Texas men have great virtues. They have strength, loyalty, resilience=
=20
and shrewdness. They make good friends and bad enemies. They often=20
have a strong religious faith. When George W. Bush warned commentators=20
not to underestimate him, he spoke the truth. It could well prove to be a b=
ad=20
mistake. The minds of these male Texans are often what one might expect=20
of ranchers or oilmen, though there are some remarkable exceptions. In=20
terms of books, they are not well read; they would rather drink a =93pitche=
r of=20
warm spit=94 than read Jane Austen; they are not interested in refinements =
of=20
theory; in practical affairs they are anything but stupid.=20
This is the sort of Texas male George W. Bush admires. It is the sort of=20
Texas male he has grown up to be. Because he is intellectually lazy, he=20
feels free, like Ronald Reagan, to make simple decisions about complex=20
facts, which is a great strength in a President. Because he is both lazy an=
d=20
self-confident, he is willing to delegate, particularly to people more=20
knowledgeable or even more able than himself. He may become a writer of=20
headlines; he will certainly not bother to be a writer of footnotes. In Tex=
as,=20
they think big.=20
Bush=92s strength is that he is the straightforward, conservative, Christia=
n=20
President of a straightforward, conservative, Christian people. In the 2000=
=20
election the Democrats won almost all the votes of those Americans who=20
perceive themselves with a hyphen=97 blacks who think primarily of=20
themselves as =93Afro-American=94, Hispanics who think of themselves as=20
=93Hispanic-Americans=94, women who think of themselves as =93women=92s lib=
-
Americans=94, homosexuals who think of themselves as =93gay-Americans=94.=20
Bush won the vote of those who think of themselves simply as=20
=93Americans=94, whatever their ethnic group, gay or straight, men or women=
.=20
Clinton was an infinitely hyphenated man; George W. Bush is an=20
American=92s American.(The London Times - Opinion by Sir William Rees-
Mogg)
MICHAEL TURNER =0F
(mykelturner@airmail.net)
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Telescope with eye only for aliens
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 09:33:22 -0500
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/01/22/telescope.alien/index.html
Telescope with eye only for aliens
January 22, 2001
11:10 AM EST (1610 GMT)
SAN JOSE, California -- A new telescope solely designed to search for
messages from aliens will start scouring the skies early next year.
The 1.8 metre Optical SETI Telescope now being built in Harvard,
Massachusetts, will look for messages from the stars written in pulses
of laser light.
Years of SETI -- Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- projects
aimed at listening out for radio signals have so far yielded nothing.
But some experts think researchers might be looking for the wrong kind
of message. They believe a technologically advanced race might be more
likely to communicate using pulsed laser beams rather than radio.
The new telescope will search for brief pulses of light, scanning the
entire northern sky once every 200 clear nights.
It will have a special camera fitted with an array of 1,024 ultra-fast
detectors which can spot flashes of light as short as a billionth of a
second.
Project leader Professor Paul Horowitz, of Harvard University, said:
"Using only Earth 2001 technology, we could now generate a beamed
laser pulse that appears 5,000 times brighter than our sun, as seen by
a distant civilisation in the direction of its slender beam.
"In other words, interstellar laser communication is altogether
practicable.
"The new Optical SETI Telescope will allow us to search the entire
northern sky for such signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the
galaxy."
Searching for laser pulse signals was first suggested by Nobel prize
winning scientist Charles Townes, of the University of California at
Berkeley.
Other optical SETI observations have been attempted, but the new
telescope will be the most advanced and sensitive.
The Planetary Society, which is funding the project, made the
announcement at a news conference in San Jose, California. The
possibility that aliens from other worlds make visits to Earth has
been the subject of speculation for years in films like ET and Close
Encounters of the Third Kind.
Scientists, in November 1990, at the University of Arizona developed a
"language" for talking by radio to alien civilisations on distant
planets.
Space agency NASA began to use a "super computer" in May, 1988, to try
and pick up signals from any distant civilisations.
In October, 1989, a Russian news agency reported that scientists
claimed to have established that a city in the former Soviet Union had
been visited briefly by a spaceship crewed by three feet tall
humanoids and a robot.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Computer Shows Tidal Wave Danger
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 15:48:34 -0000
Tuesday January 23
Computer Shows Tidal Wave Danger
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/xseap/20010123/lo/tsunami_1.html
SEATTLE (AP) - A computer model offers a grim picture of a likely
side effect of a major Puget Sound-area earthquake: a massive tidal
wave known as a tsunami hitting the sound at the speed of a jetliner.
``If we get a major event on the Seattle Fault, Puget Sound is going
to get a major tsunami,'' said Hal Molfjeld, a scientist at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine
Environmental Laboratory.
On Tuesday, a two-day workshop is to open at the NOAA lab, bringing
together scientists and emergency-management experts to examine the
risks of a tidal wave and how best to prepare for it.
``We know we're going to get tsunamis,'' said NOAA's Frank Gonzalez.
``We just don't know when.''
Tsunamis are huge pulses of energy caused by quakes or underwater
landslides that can move through the water at 500 mph. Since 1990, 10
major tsunamis in the Pacific have killed more than 4,000 people.
Earthquakes are an inevitable part of life in western Washington,
which is crisscrossed by fault lines.
Shunichi Koshimura, a Japanese researcher on loan to the NOAA lab,
created a computer map of a tidal wave's progression in Puget Sound
after a magnitude-7.6 quake on the Seattle Fault, which runs beneath
the city.
Similar to when a large quake struck the Seattle Fault about 1,000
years ago, the model shows the southern side of the fault thrusting
upward while the northern side drops. That produces a 15- to 20-foot
wall of water heading mostly south on Puget Sound.
Until recently, scientists thought the Northwest faced little threat
from tsunamis.
But in the late 1980s, a University of Washington geologist
discovered evidence of huge quakes and tsunamis in the region. Such
major quakes appeared to happen every 300 to 700 years, with the most
recent in 1700.
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To: <bprlist@egroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Eagles
From: Pam Baker
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 12:06:38 -0500
I have been mulling over your graciously worded comments regarding my
suggestion that the two wings of a great eagle could refer to the US.
They were very helpful as I was not aware of the conclusion, by R.
Judah, that ‘eagles´ are a symbol of mercy. We are all aware, I hope,
that God has used some words symbolically and well as definitively and,
with regard to the word eagles, this could well be the case.
Exodus 19:4 "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I
bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself." I do not think
the Israelites were carried on literal eagles wings, at the time of the
Exodus, so the word ‘eagles´ would be understood, in this case, to mean
mercy. It was on the ‘wings´ of God´s mercy that they were carried out
of Egypt. However, in Deut. 32:9-14, I think the word ‘eagle´ is used
in a literal sense.
As a symbol, the word ‘eagle´ is also applied in other instances, as
you pointed out when you said: "One might still argue that the U.S. is
the "instrument" that God will use to carry the "woman" to the
wilderness. While it is true that the eagle is an American emblem, at
the time that Revelation was written, it was also an emblem of the Roman
empire. If "a great eagle" is to suggest a nation, to the first century
hearers of this book then, the nation brought to mind would have been
Rome -- and that just doesn't fit into the interpretation of Revelation
12 I believe. Also note that the emblem being referenced is the wings
of an eagle, not the eagle itself."
As I have mentioned elsewhere, the majority of American born Americans
can trace their roots back to nations that were part of the Old Roman
Empire, nations that I think will be part of the New Roman Empire. Is
it not possible that God, the master of irony, could be showing us that
when the ‘great eagle´, the New Roman Empire, persecutes the Jews, the
‘great eagle´, the US, a descendant of the Old Roman Empire, will
provide sanctuary to those who flee? The first century hearers of the
Revelation 12, as you say, would not have any idea of this possibility.
God´s words are absolutely fascinating! The two wings of a great eagle
could be understood to mean two literal wings of American airplanes, the
‘great eagle´, and the US would then be acting as an ‘eagle of mercy´
for God, to thwart the purposes of the ‘great eagle´ that has no mercy.
Praise the Lord!
God Bless you. Charlie Baker
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) PRESIDENT BUSH EYES MOVING EMBASSY IN ISRAEL By DEBORAH
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 13:03:02 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: BSaphir
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 12:31:13 EST
Subject: PRESIDENT BUSH EYES MOVING EMBASSY IN ISRAEL By DEBORAH ORIN
To: freemanlist@lists.io.com
NY Post, January 23, 2001
W. EYES MOVING EMBASSY IN ISRAEL
Tuesday,January 23,2001
By DEBORAH ORIN
--------
PRESIDENT BUSH
- Associated Press
President Bush has told his staff to start looking at how to move the
U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to fulfill his
campaign pledge, officials said yesterday. "The president asked his
foreign-policy team to look into how the move could be accomplished,"
said White House Deputy Press Secretary Mary Ellen Countryman.
She said the team "will report back," but that there is no specific
time frame for the move.
Bush's campaign pledge was to "begin the process" as soon as he was
sworn in and didn't include a date.
Israel - backed up by a big majority in Congress - favors the move as
a validation of Israeli claims to Jerusalem as its eternal capital,
while Palestinians oppose the move for the same reason.
"It's good news, and it's important - it indicates that [Bush] took
his pledge seriously and is living up to that promise," said Malcolm
Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations.
Former Vice President Gore - running against Bush last fall - said he
favored moving the embassy only in the context of a final peace
settlement.
An Israeli government official told The Post last night that Israel
regards the White House announcement as a token of goodwill but
doesn't believe Bush will do anything substantive while
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are continuing.
The official also said a diplomatic report on recent Israeli contacts
with Bush's team says his Mideast policy will differ from former
President Clinton's and - at least initially - will leave it to the
parties to try to solve the problem.
Under Clinton, special Mideast envoy Dennis Ross played a central role
in trying to bring the parties together, and so did the president. But
for now, Bush doesn't plan to follow that course, the Israeli
diplomatic report said.
If Bush decides to send a Mideast envoy to replace Ross, that emissary
wouldn't be directly involved in the same kind of shuttle diplomacy,
the report said.
The Israeli diplomatic report said the Bush foreign-policy team was
critical of Clinton's approach and feels there wasn't enough
preparation leading up to the Camp David talks that the former
president conducted.
------- End of forwarded message -------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Bush -- Christian or Illuminist?
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 13:03:02 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
To: BiblicalProphecy@egroups.com
Date sent: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 00:23:59 +0700
Send reply to: BiblicalProphecy@egroups.com
Subject: [BiblicalProphecy] Bush -- Christian or Illuminist?
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- CHRISTIAN OR ILLUMINIST?
SUBTITLE: The Inauguration provided ample glimpses of both sides of
President Bush. Which is the real man, and how are Christians to
approach this Presidency? - By The Cutting Edge
NEWS BRIEF: "Bush Pledges Unity, Civility: 43rd President takes oath,
vows to heal divisions", by Frank Bruni and David E. Sanger, reprinted
in The Providence Sunday Journal, January 21, 2001, Pages A-1, 16.
"George Walker Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United
States yesterday, and in an inaugural address that sought to unify the
nation after one of the most disputed elections in American history
asked a prosperous people to 'seek a common good beyond your comfort'.
He also sounded a call for a national unity and civility -- words he
used over and over again -- that transcended political divisions and
partisan tempers."
" 'America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a
concern for civility', Mr. Bush said in relatively succinct inaugural
remarks, which he delivered from the steps of the U.S. Capitol under a
thick cover of clouds, against chill winds. 'I ask you to be citizens.
Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible
citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character
... Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined
choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos'."
As my wife and I watched the inauguration, we were moved at several
points during the ceremony. We were moved as we listened to the prayer
from Dr. Franklin Graham, standing in for his father, the Reverend
Billy Graham. While we have severe problems with Mr. Graham and his
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association [Read
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1082.cfm> and
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1083.cfm> for full details], we
could find little to object to in Franklin's prayer. At the end of his
prayer, he held up the blessed Name of Jesus Christ.
We were further impressed by the obvious Christian references Mr. Bush
made during his speech.
1. "... we are guided by a power larger than ourselves who creates us
equal in His image."
This seems to be a reference to the statement by the Trinity in
Genesis 1:26, "... let Us make mankind in Our image." The reference to
"a power larger than ourselves" is as much Theistic statement as it is
Christian, but it is at least great to hear a reference to God, after
eight long years of supreme Humanism from Clinton/Gore.
However, this statement could have been made by a good Freemason,
whose belief in God the Father is only matched by his the manner in
which he ignores the Son, Jesus Christ.
2. "A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect,
fair dealing and forgiveness."
Now, these are Christian values. President Bush seems to be drawing a
line in the sand against the nearly insane proclivities of the Liberal
Democrats, who have become so Clintonized that they have learned the
art of twisting any statement, any fact, into the most monstrous lie
with which to convince the gullible American people.
Further, it is extremely rare for any public leader to talk about
"forgiveness". Biblical forgiveness also demands that, after the
victim has forgiven, he also forgets. This is the essence of healing
the most grievous wounds.
3. "If we do not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and
character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism."
I was excited to hear a public official declare that he believes it
important to teach children both knowledge and character, as both of
these elements are sadly lacking in America today. However, I would
have been more comforted had President Bush declared that the standard
from which "character" was to be taught was the Holy Bible. You see,
after throwing God and His Son out of our society, we are consistently
replacing His values with Humanism and occultism, even while we retain
the same words like "character". Teaching character not based upon the
eternal precepts of Judeo-Christianity is worthless, and has been the
direction in which we have been heading for a long time.
4. "... to all nations, we will speak for the values that gave our
nation birth."
Under President Clinton, the original ideals upon which America was
founded were consistently rejected. [Read
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1460.cfm>] Thus, I was pleased to
hear that Bush seemed to be reiterating the original Christian values
which our Founding Fathers and the original American people possessed.
But, then, I was sobered by the realization that, parallel to these
Christian values of our Founding Fathers, the exceedingly strong
occult values of Freemasonry were also followed closely by key
political and economic leaders of that day. So, once again, I would
have been more comforted had Bush specified that he was planning on
reinstating Christian values of our Forefathers, not their Masonic
ideals.
5. "And some needs and hurts are so deep they will only respond to a
mentor's touch or a pastor's prayer. Church and charity, synagogue and
mosque lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an
honored place in our plans and in our laws."
President Bush recognizes that some hurts are so serious they can only
be healed through the healing love of Jesus Christ. Wait a minute,
Bush did not say that, did he? I know he feels he is the president of
all the American people of all religious persuasions, but I am not
particularly comforted by this most Ecumenical of statements.
6. "Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty, but we can
listen to those who do. And I can pledge our nation to a goal: When we
see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to
the other side."
This reference to Jericho is from the Good Samaritan parable Jesus
gave as recorded in Luke 10:30-37]
In this parable, Jesus demonstrated that we Christians are not to
ignore the plight of a person wounded and helpless by the roadside of
life. We are to give that person the necessary treatment so he or she
can stand back on their feet, whole again. However, note what Jesus
did not say in this parable; He did not say that the Samaritan was
responsible for supporting the victim for the rest of his life.
Rather, he was responsible only for giving him the treatment necessary
for that person to become whole again. To be truly effective,
President Bush needs to lead the fight to deliver an entire class of
people from the cruel trap of Welfare into which they have been pushed
by Illuminist leaders of all colors and political stripes. The massive
Welfare State initiated by Illuminist President Lyndon Johnson never
made anyone prosperous; rather, the State only delivered just enough
money to keep people at the level of poverty, and acted actually to
discourage them from taking jobs or taking risks so they could
participate in American Capitalistic prosperity. All recipients of
Welfare can do is to be jealous of those who do work extremely hard,
standing at the portals of government, demanding more. As painful as
it will be, all generational families of the Welfare system must be
weaned off it, sent to work, so they can participate in the incredible
American economic success story. Remember, all forms of Socialism have
been tried in the 20th Century, and have failed. Only Capitalism
generates the wealth deeply and broadly enough so an entire population
can advance their standard of living.
7. "America, at its best, is a place where personal responsibility is
valued and expected. Encouraging responsibility is not a search for
scapegoats, it is a call to conscience. And though it requires
sacrifice, it brings a deeper fulfillment. We find the fullness of
life not only in options, but in commitments. And we find that
children and community are the commitments that set us free."
Personal responsibility is inherent in Biblical Christianity. It is so
important in the function of government that one of our Founding
Fathers stated that our Constitutional Republic could not function
without Christian responsibility. He warned that, if the people ever
moved away from the personal responsibility Christianity teaches,
America would fall. The most insidious trend in our history has been
the trend of psychologists, teachers, and government leaders to preach
that no one should be held responsible for their actions. Former
President Clinton embodied that belief, and his tremendous ability to
walk away from criminal acts that would have imprisoned any average
citizen of the land just lends incredible credence to the belief that
no one should be held responsible for his actions.
8. "What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you
to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms
against easy attacks ..."
President Bush must have been looking over his shoulder at pursuing
Liberal Democrats who have perfected the art of lying boldly to create
a false crisis, and then push the lie to its extreme to falsely accuse
and unjustly bring their political enemies to their knees. America had
better stop this Satanic nonsense very quickly, or it will bring God's
swift judgment, as if America is not in deep enough trouble with God.
Bush then goes on to say that individual right actions by individual
Americans is just as important as anything government can do. This
emphasis is absolutely correct and has never been so critically
needed. Bush concludes this vein of thought by saying, "When this
spirit of citizenship is missing, no government program can replace
it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it." We
must end the reliance upon government programs that too many Americans
feel is necessary, but to do this we must seize control of the Public
School System that is teaching this lie to our young people.
9. "We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity with
his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and our duty is
fulfilled in service to one another."
Only God "fills time and eternity with His purpose", so Bush was
referring to God. But, again, which God? Was Bush referring to the God
of the Holy Bible, or the God of Freemasonry? He does not specify.
As hopeful as I was at the apparent Christianity of President Bush's
inaugural address, I was also well aware that he made no reference to
the Jesus Christ whom he says lives within his heart. This distinction
is very important, because counterfeit religious groups like
Freemasonry extol God the Father constantly but do not hardly ever
mention the name of Jesus Christ. When you dig deeply into the hidden,
formerly secret writings of Freemasonry, you realize they believe
Jesus Christ was not God, but a created god from a line of "inferior
gods" [Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 563, teachings of the 26th Degree].
You discover they believe Jesus "suffered in appearance only" [Ibid.,
p. 567], which fulfills the Biblical definition of the forces of
Antichrist as found in 1 John 4:1-3.
Thus, the elimination of the name of Jesus Christ in Bush's inaugural
address troubles me greatly, even though Franklin Graham invoked
Jesus' Name at the very end of his prayer. Still, President Bush
delivered an excellent speech, one that embodied his "compassionate
Conservatism". Many of the principles of which he spoke are sorely
needed in American society today.
TROUBLESOME ILLUMINIST SIGNALS PRESENT IN GEORGE W.'S INAUGURATION
Because of the occult nature of our Illuminist Masonic and Rosicrucian
Founding Fathers, our country is steeped in the occult. The Washington
Monument is the world's most famous phallus symbol, also known in the
occult as an obelisk . Freemasons and other occults absolutely revere
the phallus. The Washington Monument is strategically placed so that
leaders of Congress and the White House can "face the obelisk" daily,
just as all devout occultists are required to do. As we report in NEWS
1040 <http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1040.html>, Masonic symbols are
represented in Government Center by the way in which the original
street layout plans were created. As we report in NEWS 1399
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1399.cfm>, all of Government Mall is
created in the form of the Satanic symbol, Sephiroth Tree of Life,
also known as the Masonic Coffin!
Every President is inaugurated, as we call it; this word comes from
the Latin word, inaugurare, which means to "take omens" [Tormont
Webster's Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary], a most occult term.
For this reason, the very date of Presidential Inauguration is planned
every four years on January 20; every month, the 20th day is the
beginning of the occult cycle of Astrology! Further, there are
precisely 13 days between January 20 to the High Satanic day called
Imbolg [Groundhog's Day].
George W. Bush admitted his membership in the Satanic Skull & Bones!
In a most telling interview with CNN, George admitted that he was a
member, but said that this experience was part of who he was! ["George
Bush: My heritage is part of who I am", interview with CNN.com, August
1, 2000, with managing editor Walter Isaacson].
Since George W. has admitted that Skull & Bones is part of who he is,
more Christians should be very concerned that Cutting Edge is correct
in maintaining that Bush is not truly Born Again.
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1314.cfm>.
But, even if George W. Bush is truly Born Again, his experience in
Skull & Bones means that he knows Illuminist Satanism exceedingly well
. Therefore, no one could deceive him as to the true meaning of
events, symbols, or practices. Thus, we are very, very concerned about
the following facts surrounding George W. Bush's Inauguration. Satanic
symbolism abounded, much more strongly than Bush's words of
Christianity.
1. George W. Bush took his Inaugural oath facing the obelisk.
President Ronald Reagan took his Inaugural oath on January 20, 1981.
Reagan startled the occult world by taking his oath of office from the
West Wing of the Capitol, and not the East Wing as all his
predecessors had done. When President Reagan decided to become the
first U.S. President to take his oath from the West Wing of the
Capitol, he faced the obelisk , as you can see. This fact meant that
he was sending the strongest possible signal to fellow Illuminists the
world over that, after 205 years of pursuing the goal of establishing
the New World Order -- Kingdom of the Antichrist -- the plan was
entering its final phase.
Every president since then -- Bush, Clinton, and now George W. Bush --
have similarly taken their oaths of office facing the obelisk. It is
difficult to think of a more despicable Satanic symbol than the
obelisk. All occultists literally worship the Egyptian Sun god, Ra,
whom they belive resides within any obelisk. By "facing the obelisk",
a person is also worshipping the evil, Satanic spirit within.
Given George W. Bush's deep Satanic background within Skull & Bones,
he would understand very well what the Satanic implications were of
"facing the obelisk", and of the equally deep Christian concerns about
it. Therefore, if he were truly Born Again, he would have pointedly
refused to take his oath of office "facing the obelisk".
As you can see from this diagram, George Bush most definitely "faced
the obelisk" during his Inauguration. [Taken from The Sun Chronicle,
January 19, 2001, p. A-1] The Washington Monument obelisk is located
just beyond the Reflecting Pool in this diagram. The Reflecting Pool
is critically important to the entire scheme of Satanic symbols in
this area of Government Center [Read
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1040.html> for full details],
because in the occult belief structure, the pool is the "transfer
point" for demon spirits transferring from this dimension to the
spiritual dimension! Satanists believe that mirrors are "transfer
points" also, which is why you constantly see mirrors in occult movies
and novels.
To illustrate how offended God is with obelisks, listen to the
following Scriptures:
"Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a
standing image [pillar or obelisk: Strong"s # 4676], neither shall ye
set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am
the LORD your God." (Lev 26:1)
"Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images
[pillars or obelisks] out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more
worship the work of thine hands." (Mic 5:13)
"Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself:
according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars;
according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images
[pillars or obelisks]. Their heart is divided; now shall they be
found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their
images." (Hos 10:1-2)
"And they [righteous King Jehu's men] brought forth the images
[pillars or obelisks] out of the house of Baal, and burned them." (2
Kings 10:26)
This verse tells us not only that God ordered righteous King Jehu to
burn the obelisks, but that such worship is from the hated Satanic
god, Baal. Thus, George W. Bush obediently faced "Baal's phallic
symbol" when he took his oath of office, not a good sign for
Christians who want to believe that George W. is truly Born Again.
Now, please understand this Biblical principle: if President George W.
Bush were truly Born Again as he claims, and is led by the Holy
Spirit, he would take the actions of righteous King Jehu, and would
destroy the Washington Monument! He would have signed an Executive
Order his first day in office to destroy and burn this huge obelisk.
Further, if Reverends Franklin and Billy Graham were offering
President Bush true Biblical advice, they would advise him that he had
to destroy that obelisk, and begin the destruction of all symbols of
Masonry now polluting America! For that matter, how could Dr. Franklin
Graham "face the obelisk" when he offered his prayer prior to the
Inauguration ceremony?
You protest that President Bush would encounter too much opposition to
destroying such an historic piece of American history. You are right
-- enormous opposition would be encountered -- but since when has that
deterred a true man of God, on God's mission? Do you think King Jehu
encountered no opposition? He did, but he rode the right hand of
Almighty God on a righteous mission, and swept the opposition away! If
George W. Bush were truly Born Again, he would have asked Christians
all over the world to support him in this most courageous act!
The Washington Monument obelisk is a 555-foot erect penis of Baal in
its sexually aroused state, for crying out loud! Why wouldn't God be
offended?
Thus, when George W. Bush faced the obelisk like a good Illuminist
would do, we are not convinced he is truly a Born Again Christian.
When you hear President Bush announcing he is destroying the
Washington Obelisk Monument, you may truly believe in your inner heart
that he is Born Again.
But, there is more to the Washington Obelisk. It is created with a
circle around it. As we explain in Freemasonry 13
<http://www.cuttingedge.org/free13.html>, the circle to the occultist
represents the female sex organ. Thus, when the obelisk [the erect
penis of Baal in its sexually aroused state] is placed at the exact
center of the circle, the Satanist has just represented the Great Sex
Act.
Therefore, when the Washington Monument was created with a circular
design around it, the Great Sex Act symbol was created! Thus,
President George W. Bush not only "faced the obelisk", he knowingly
faced the world's most famous depiction of the Great Sex Act.
When viewed high up in the sky, from directly overhead, the Washington
Monument will appear to be a simple dot in the middle of the circle.
This symbol of a "Dot Within A Circle" is one of the original symbols
of the Illuminati created by Adam Weishaupt himself [See Freemasonry
13 <http://www.cuttingedge.org/free13.html> for full details]. Thus,
when President George W. Bush "faced the obelisk", he knowingly faced
one of the original symbols of the Masters of the Illuminati.
Now, let us examine another disturbing sign during Bush's
Inauguration.
2. George W. Bush placed his right hand on a Masonic Bible to take his
oath of office
NEWS BRIEF: "Hands Off This Book! It's Got Bodyguards", by Sharon
Jayson, American-Statesman Staff,
http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/thursday/news_27.html,
Austin-American Statesman Newspaper, January 18, 2001.
"Like President-elect George W. Bush, the Bible he will use to take
the oath of office travels with an entourage. A trio from a Masonic
Lodge in New York City will accompany the King James Version to
Washington for Saturday's ceremony -- a trip made several times, so
presidents from George Washington to George Bush and soon George W.
Bush could place their hands on this 1767 edition and pledge to uphold
and defend the Constitution of this country ... The King James Version
is a standard Bible of Bush's faith, both as an Episcopalian in his
youth and now as a United Methodist." [Note the Ecumenical nature of
these two mainline Protestant denominations.]
When President George W. Bush supposedly placed his right hand on a
Masonic Bible, he sent a message that should have been received by all
true Born Again Christians loudly and clearly: "I am Masonic, not true
Christian". How in the world Baal worshippers of the phallus could
consider themselves to be Christian is beyond me. Bush told CNN on
August 1, 2000, that his past has determined who he is [CNN.com,
allpolitics.com, "George W. Bush: My heritage is part of who I am' "].
Well, his past includes lifelong membership in the elite Masonic
Illuminist Skull & Bones secret society, and it includes his past
cooperation with Freemasonry when Governor of Texas.
<http://www.gyro.net/~ctxmason/index.html>
This picture shows a signing ceremony with Texas Governor George W.
Bush, as he is signing the Texas School Proclamation on February 16,
2000, surrounded by Master Masons, Wardens and Secretaries of Masonic
Lodges 50A and 50B under the jurisdiction of the Masonic Grand Lodge
of Texas. In his inaugural address, President Bush promised to
"reclaim our public schools", a most noteworthy goal. But, my question
now is, will he do so in league with Freemasonry, as he did while
Governor of Texas?
If he does enlist the support of nationwide Freemasonry, then we have
a problem, as evidenced by the following quote by the state's highest
Masonic officer, in his report to the members of the activities and
accomplishments of the year 2000.
"The number of [Masonic] cornerstone ceremonies at public schools is
an indication to me that there is still a place in our society for
this meaningful ceremony. The administrators and students at these
ceremonies have been very attentive and have asked questions about
what we are doing. This curiosity tells me that we have made a
favorable impression upon them and perhaps some of the children will
join our fraternity when they are old enough."
[<http://www.gltexas.org/TexasMason4.pdf>, The Texas Mason]
Wonderful, do we want to encourage our young children to become
worshippers of Baal and his penis when they get older? If we "reclaim"
our public schools in this manner, are we any better off? And do not
think that the Texas Masonic Lodges are past the point of revering the
obelisk, as this picture to the left so amply demonstrates. In 1999,
the Hubert Lodge Number 67 is dedicating a new obelisk. Notice how
proudly these men are standing around Baal's phallus. Is this what we
want our children to emulate?
CONCLUSION
For two or three reasons, we remain convinced that President George W.
Bush is an Illuminist and not a Born Again Christian. Bush may take
actions that are wildly popular amongst most Conservatives, and he
certainly seems to have chosen a genuine Christian in John Ashcroft
for Attorney General. However, Bush has chosen blatantly Illuminist
CFR members for the rest of his Cabinet, including General Colin
Powell, who was co-chairman of the global Economic Conference, which
was part of the three Antichrist Conferences at the United Nations
last September [Read <http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1395.cfm> for
full details]. Christian faith in the Christianity of George W. Bush
is not strengthened by the appointment of such blatant Illuminists as
these to key posts within his administration.
In this very End of the Age, where the final prophecies are poised to
be fulfilled, we must not now become deceived. We must now be even
more vigilant than ever. Christian author, Ralph Epperson, notes that,
when the Illuminati wants domestic changes made, they cause a Democrat
to be elected; but when they want international changes made, they
cause a Republican to be elected. Since this planned World War III,
designed to produce Antichrist, is an international event, the
Illuminati might have decided to cause George W. Bush to be elected
President of the United States.
Further, if we are as close to this planned World War III as we think
we are, then Republican President Bush will be the president during
this war that produces Antichrist. If this is true, then he will be
the president who will stand in front of TV cameras to announce that,
to deal effectively with the war, chaos, panic, and terrorist threats,
he is going to have to dissolve the government, suspend the
Constitution, and "temporarily" take our liberties away.
If Bill Clinton were the president attempting to take this action,
Conservative gun owners would almost immediately take to the streets;
however, if a president trusted and loved by Conservatives were to
take this action, promising to restore the government, Constitution,
and liberties once the threat passed, most Conservative gun owners
might not be too alarmed.
If this is the case, then watch for President Bush to take actions
that will be wildly acclaimed by most Conservatives, and Christian
Conservatives in particular. America may be a greater risk if this
scenario is correct than it was even under Clinton.
We shall just have to wait and see, with patience, with Christian
armor, and with great discernment. Truly, the End of the Age is very
close.
We would like Jesus Christ to make the last statement. Speaking in
Matthew 24, Jesus revealed that unparalleled deception was the
Hallmark Characteristic of the End of the Age, and strenuously warned
against it. Since we are at the very End of the Age, we should expect
such deception, and be on the guard against it. Listen to Jesus'
Words:
"Take heed that no man deceive you." [Matthew 24:4]
"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." [Matthew
24:11]
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect." [Matthew 24:24]
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." [Matthew 10:16]
I find it highly interesting that Illuminists call themselves "wolves
among the sheep", and their most important symbol seems to be the
serpent. Please keep your enthusiasm for President George W. Bush in
check, so that you will not lose your discernment. George W. has given
us too many Illuminist symbols to ignore.
As my Daddy used to say, "Where there is smoke, there is fire".
We have seen the smoke caused by these Illuminist symbols during
Bush's Inauguration, and we have seen the many CFR members he has
appointed to his cabinet. We must be controlled and discerning. The
End of the Age is upon us, with all its prophesied unparalleled
deceptions.
We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate
and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order --
Kingdom of Antichrist -- in their daily news.
Finally, we would love to hear from you. You can write us at:
Cutting Edge Ministries
11 Robert Toner Blvd., Ste 5-393
North Attleboro, MA 02763-1156
=====================================
NOTE: This material is distributed free to those
who have expressed a prior interest in receiving
it for non-profit educational purposes.
"...I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God:
for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy." (Rev 19:10)
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (1/23/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:24:26 -0500
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001 / Tevet 28, 5761
Arutz Sheva's <http://NewsFromIsrael.com>
All English News Updates & Interviews
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. REPORTS FROM TABA: BARAK DELEGATION PREPARED TO GIVE
MORE OF JERUSALEM
2. POLICE ARE NOT ARCHAEOLOGISTS
3. BEN-AMI ON OSLO AND UNITY
4. LOOKING AHEAD
5. LEBANESE WAR IN THE NEWS
6. TODAY'S PALESTINIAN AGGRESSION
7. STRIKE CONTINUES
8. STUDENTS VOTE BARAK
9. COLD PEACE WITH EGYPT GETS COLDER
10. IN BRIEF
1. REPORTS FROM TABA: BARAK DELEGATION PREPARED TO GIVE
MORE OF JERUSALEM
Palestinian sources in Taba say that the talks are going well, to wit,
Israel has now agreed to give up also the Western Wall and the Mt. of
Olives. They claim that Israel has proposed a "special arrangement" for
these areas and the entire Old City, involving Israeli-Palestinian
sovereignty; the Palestinians have proposed international sovereignty. It
was also reported that the Israelis presented, for the first time, a list
of towns that they are willing to uproot. Israel Radio also reported
today, based on a "senior source in the Israeli delegation," that Israel
had offered an arrangement whereby a "special authority" would rule eastern
Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and all places that are "holy to the
three major faiths."
The Israeli delegation would not confirm the above information, and said
only that there had been a "significant closing of the gaps" between the
two sides. The Prime Minister's Office issued another clarification early
this afternoon: "The holy sites will remain under Israeli sovereignty in
any agreement... Israel will maintain the affinity of the Jewish nation
and the Jewish tradition to the site, giving expression to the special
character of the city as a holy site to all the religions." Later, Prime
Minister Barak, appearing before new immigrants in Herzliya this afternoon,
denied the reports more categorically: "There is no question. In any
arrangement, the Western Wall, the Jewish Quarter, the City of David [to
the south of the Temple Mount], and Mt. of Olives will all be under Israeli
sovereignty, period." In short, the future of Jerusalem remains in doubt.
2. POLICE ARE NOT ARCHAEOLOGISTS
Were there damaging new excavations on the Temple Mount by the Moslem
Waqf
over the past few days, or weren't there? The police say there were not,
but archaeologists, journalists, and Temple Mount groups say there
were. "Are the police lying?" Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked archaeologist
Dr. Eilat Mazar today. Mazar, who is a member of a committee to prevent
the destruction of ruins of Temple Mount artifacts, answered,
"There is most definitely a new tunnel, and the damage is great. The
Police Commissioner, who said there isn't, simply relied on his spokesman,
who relied on the lone policeman there, who was simply unable to find the
tunnel. The police are not trained to be archaeologists, and it is
therefore not surprising that he did not find it. Archaeological work of
this nature should be left to us, and this is why we demand to be allowed
to go up to the Mount, study what is going on, and point out where the
damage is."
Mazar was unimpressed with the fact that the Moslems have stopped their
construction activity on the Mount:
"They're not stupid - they've stopped for a couple of days, until everyone
forgets about it, and then they'll continue again very soon. We know what
their intentions are..."
Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron asked Prime Minister Barak - who has
been
accused by archaeologists and others of directly approving the Waqf
construction activities on the Temple Mount - to establish a national
commission of inquiry to investigate the desecration of the Temple Mount by
the Moslems. In a first-of-its-kind meeting, a delegation of
archaeologists met with the Chief Rabbinate today, reporting on the extent
of the damage caused by the Waqf construction on the Temple Mount.
3. BEN-AMI ON OSLO AND UNITY
Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami was interviewed by Israel's daily Yediot
Acharonot on Friday. He seemed to condemn the Oslo process in stronger
terms than have been sounded by many on the opposite side of the political
spectrum:
"I sat last week with the Palestinians [during the negotiations], and I
asked myself, why is that I have the feeling that if there is no agreement,
their world will not fall apart? This means that the option of 'no
agreement' does not particularly scare them. I asked myself why? Here is
the problem of Oslo. Oslo gave them what they have now, which is - and it
doesn't matter what words you use - a state for all intents and
purposes. They have embassies, a budget, an army, offices, ministers,
everything... If there were no Oslo, and we would have had negotiations on
a final-status arrangement with their leadership-in-exile, when they had
nothing, it could be that the distance between an arrangement and [nothing]
would have been clearer to them. Today, when they have Gaza, Jericho,
Shechem, and everything else, they don't have the feeling that they will
lose anything if there is no agreement."
In the same interview, Ben-Ami related to the "relative" need for Jewish
unity:
"As democrats, we understand that every agreement [with the
Palestinians]
involves a split in the nation. This is sad, but it is unavoidable. If we
strive for a broad consensus from right to left, something that we all
agree on, maybe we will live in peace amongst ourselves - but we will not
have an agreement with the other side... We understand that in order to
make this difficult breakthrough, there is no choice but to go with a
divided people. Only war unites. Peace, sad to say, divides."
4. LOOKING AHEAD
Whether it is Ariel Sharon or Ehud Barak who will form a new government
this coming February, he will face a host of immediate problems when he
takes office - but Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane reports that the most pressing
economic problem will be the need to pass a new annual budget for
2001. "The law stipulates that if a new budget is not passed by Jan. 1,
the previous year's budget continues to be in force," Kahane explained
today. "But if a new national budget is not passed by March 31, only some
seven weeks after the election, new elections - for both the Prime Minister
and the Knesset - must again be held. This is not an enticing prospect for
whoever is Prime Minister at the time... One ironic possibility is that if
Sharon is elected, he may not have time to prepare a budget significantly
different than the one prepared by the present government - thus that the
Likud may find itself attempting to pass a Labor-prepared budget, while
Labor will find itself objecting to a budget that it itself largely
prepared..."
5. LEBANESE WAR IN THE NEWS
The Barak campaign has focused on the Peace for Galilee War of 1982 -
during which Ariel Sharon was Defense Minister - as a way to attack
Sharon. Yesterday, high-school student Il'el Komei, head of the pro-Barak
campaign forum at the Eshel HaNasi school in the Negev, publicly blamed
Sharon for the shell-shock her father suffered during the Lebanon
War. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sharon responded, "I'm sorry
for your pain, but the facts are that we were in Lebanon from December
1975, when the Prime Minister was Rabin and the Defense Minister was
Shimon
Peres. Secondly, the facts are that for years there was murder and
terrorism in southern Lebanon, which led to the evacuation of half the
Jewish population in northern Israel. The alternatives were either to cave
in to the pressure and violence like Barak, or to provide defense and
security to the citizens of Israel." Today, appearing at yet another
school, Sharon said that the students' objections to the Peace for Galilee
War stem from "brainwashing."
Ha'aretz noted that Il'el's father, Tzvika, served in the above-mentioned
battle of Sultan Ya'akub - which was commanded by none other than Ehud
Barak. Tzvika, an activist in the Be'er Sheva region on behalf of Barak,
was quoted in Ma'ariv as being "concerned by reports he has heard over the
years that Ehud Barak slept during the battle and that it was prohibited to
disturb him during critical moments in the battle." (With thanks to
"www.imra.org.il")
The Sharon campaign has still not decided to go on the offensive in this
area - even though it has collected much damaging information against
Barak
and his actions during the Lebanon War. Three soldiers remain
missing-in-action from the failed Sultan Yaaqub battle. Likud sources say
that in March 1982, three months before the Peace for Galilee War began,
then-Maj.-Gen. Ehud Barak sent a letter to Sharon in which he "supports the
planned war in Lebanon, and even proposes extending it to Syrian-controlled
territory."
6. TODAY'S PALESTINIAN AGGRESSION
Arabs threw large rocks on a Jewish car this morning along the Husan
by-pass road, in the Hevron area, injuring a Jewish child. The boy was
treated on the spot, and then taken to a Jerusalem hospital. Palestinians
again directed heavy fire towards IDF outposts in Gadid, near N'vei
Dekalim, and near Rafiach. They also shot at the town of Netzarim. Heavy
fire continued this afternoon in Gaza, and Palestinians shot at IDF
outposts watching over N'vei Dekalim and Gadid, and at other Israeli
targets. In addition, a firebomb was thrown at an IDF vehicle nearby.
Palestinian fire was opened on an Israeli car between Givat Ze'ev and
Atarot; bullets hit the car, but no one was hurt.
7. STRIKE CONTINUES
The Histadrut Labor Union sanctions and public-sector partial strike will
continue today, along the lines of the model set yesterday. Another
meeting between Finance Ministry officials and Histadrut representatives
last night failed to produce results. Histadrut officials announced this
morning that worse sanctions would be planned for tomorrow, and the
government then asked the Labor Court to issue restraining orders against a
strike. The Court said it would rule on Thursday, but meanwhile
recommended that the Histadrut not step up its sanctions. The Labor Union
said it would comply with the recommendation.
8. STUDENTS VOTE BARAK
Ehud Barak won the mock election for Prime Minister in Blich High School
today over Ariel Sharon by a significant majority, 57% to 42%. The results
have some symbolic significance, as Blich students have been wrong only
once before in recent memory - in 1996, when they predicted a Peres
victory. Likud supporters dismissed the results, however, noting that the
Blich student body is not at all representative of the Israeli
population. Polls of the entire population carried out last night show
that Sharon continues to lead Barak by between 16 and 20%.
9. COLD PEACE WITH EGYPT GETS COLDER
Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the Egyptian decision not to allow
Israeli representatives to participate in the annual Euro-Mediterranean
Chambers of Commerce forum. Israel appealed to European Union
Commission
responsible for the meeting, and the event will be rescheduled for a later
date. The refusal of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce to accept Israeli
representatives contravenes the normalization agreements between Israel
and
Egypt, stated a Foreign Ministry statement.
10. IN BRIEF
Rabbis all over the world have declared the 4th of Shvat - Jan. 28, 2001 -
as a day of "Prayer and Torah Study" on behalf of the Jewish People. Rabbi
Mordechai Eliyahu, Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri, Rabbi Sha'ul Kassin, Rabbi
Eliyahu Ben-Chaim, and others have agreed that this day should be set
aside
for special prayers and Torah sessions in synagogues throughout the world,
dedicated exclusively for the redemption of the Jewish nation...
President Moshe Katzav arrived in Moscow this morning, where he met
with
President Vladimir Putin...
Minister Shimon Peres apologized yesterday to Israeli-Arabs "on behalf
of
the entire government" for "the pain and suffering caused to the mothers of
the thirteen young Arabs" killed in clashes with police last October. They
were killed during the violent Israeli-Arab uprising that broke out
simultaneously with the Rosh HaShanah Arab Assault. The Israeli-Arab
violence featured attacks by Arab citizens on Jewish citizens in many
locations in northern Israel.
The grassroots organization Mateh Maamatz will begin campaigning for
Ariel
Sharon this Thursday, but it will not use signs or literature with the
motto "Sharon Will Bring Peace." Instead, activists will promote the
slogan, "Sharon will Preserve Jerusalem." ...
Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal and Ariel Kahane
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Britain legalizes human cloning
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:25:27 -0500
January 23, 2001
Britain legalizes human cloning
By Emma Ross
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON - The House of Lords approved a proposed change to
government
regulations yesterday that makes Britain the first country to effectively
legalize the creation of cloned human embryos.
The measure is aimed at allowing research on stem cells - the
unprogrammed master cells found in early-stage embryos that can turn into
nearly every cell type in the body.
Like all other embryos used in research, the clones created under the
new regulations would have to be destroyed after 14 days, and the creation
of babies by cloning would remain outlawed.
The change passed late last night after an amendment that would have
delayed the law in order to create a special committee to review ethical and
scientific issues was defeated. The new regulations take effect Jan. 31.
Before the measure won approval, an impassioned debate on the topic ran
on into the night, with many lords expressing concern that ethical questions
were being sidelined in the rush to be at the forefront of medical research.
Others urged giving scientists the go-ahead now. They said treatments
developed through embryo research and cloning could revolutionize medicine.
It offers the hope of engineering transplants that would prevent or cure
scores of illnesses, from diabetes to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
The amendment was defeated by 212 votes to 92, with the lords saying
the ethical issues should be debated by a special committee later. That
cleared the way for the cloning measure's approval.
Fertility expert Lord Winston, who chairs the House of Lords' science
and technology committee, spoke out strongly in favor of embryo research.
"There is no doubt that on your vote, my lords, depends whether some
people in the near future get the treatment which might save them from
disease or, even worse, death." he said.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, who proposed the amendment to set up a
committee to review ethical and scientific questions, urged the lords to
withhold approval of the legislation.
"Since 1990, when miracle cures were promised for 4,000 inherited
diseases, between 300,000 and half a million human embryos have been
destroyed or experimented upon. There have been no cures, but our
willingness to walk this road has paved the way for more and more demand,"
Mr. Alton said.
The British government was seeking to relax rules that limit medical
research on human embryos under the 1990 Human Fertilization and
Embryology
Act. It strictly limits research on donated embryos to such areas as studies
on infertility and the detection of birth defects.
The changes, which passed the House of Commons by a wide margin in
December, expand the types of allowable research to include stem-cell
experiments.
Scientists have said that stem cells, harvested from early-stage
embryos or fetal tissue, will revolutionize medicine and someday yield
remarkable cures.
It is unlikely any legislation sanctioning the creation of cloned
embryos for research would pass in the United States. President Bush
opposes
federal funds for research that involves destroying human embryos, and
several bills aimed at outlawing cloning are at various stages in Congress.
Currently in the United States, early stage embryonic stem cells
obtained from the donated or purchased embryos produced in private
laboratories - especially fertility clinics - may be used in certain
research. Fertility clinics are a prime source of the cells because they
produce an oversupply of embryos for in vitro fertilization and ultimately
destroy the unused ones.
Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, which polices
embryo research, also has promised to consider cloning applications for
some
types of research, including certain stem-cell experiments.
The stem-cell research inevitably would involve embryo cloning because
physicians ultimately want to treat ill patients with cells from their own
bodies. Those cells would then be altered, cloned and returned to the
patient to replace damaged or dead cells causing illness.
Scientists would remove the nucleus of a donor egg and replace it with
a cell from a sick patient. The egg would then be induced to divide and
start growing into an embryo. The cloned cells would be genetically
identical to the patient's and therefore could theoretically overcome
problems of transplant rejection, caused when the immune system fights
foreign tissue.
Scientists foresee extracting the stem cells from the embryo when it is
three or four days old and directing the cells' growth in the lab so the
cells become any desired cell or tissue type for transplant.
"The human embryo has a special status, and we owe a measure of
respect
to the embryo," said Health Minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, who supports
the proposed changes.
"We also owe a measure of respect to the millions of people living with
these devastating illnesses and the millions who have yet to show signs of
them. This is the balance we must make."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/default-2001123221716.htm
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) PM statement - Holy Sites in Jerusalem
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:31:43 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:10:45 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PM statement - Holy Sites in
Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty
PM statement - Holy Sites in Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty
Aaron Lerner Date: 23 January 2001
The following is IMRA's translation of the Hebrew statement read to
IMRA by David Baker, Prime Minister Ehud Barak's Foreign Press
Coordinator:
In response to reports from Taba it is relayed from The Prime
Minister's Office: In any case and any plan the holy places will be
under our sovereignty, the maintenance of the affinity of the Jewish
nation and the Jewish tradition to the site, the expression of the
special character of the city as a holy place all the religions, free
access to all.
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-548-0092
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6750750 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE - www.imra.org.il
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) PA CONDEMNS TULKAREM MURDERS
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:33:12 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 14:23:06 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: PA CONDEMNS TULKAREM MURDERS Radio Analysis and Excerpts: The Voice
of Palestine-January 23, 2001-update
Sender: owner-imra@imra.org.il
Precedence: bulk
PA CONDEMNS TULKAREM MURDERS Radio Analysis and Excerpts: The Voice of
Palestine-January 23, 2001-update
Prepared by Michael Widlanski. Michael Widlanski lectures at the Rothberg
School of the Hebrew University and is doing doctoral research at Bar Ilan
on Palestinian broadcast media.
Israel Resource News Agency
Beit Agron Int'l Press Center
Jerusalem, Israel
tel. (+972-2) 623-6368 or cellphone (+972-53) 710-737
http://www.israelbehindthenews.com/
SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS
During its 9pm news summary, VOP broadcast an unambiguous condemnation
of the murder of two Israelis in Tulkarm.
The announcement used both the term "yastankiru" and "yudeenoo"-two
strong terms for condemnation that the PA has almost never used in
connection with violence against Israelis. The PA announcement led the 9PM
news, and it is an obvious indication that the PA does not want the talks in
Taba to be abandoned at this stage.
ONCE AGAIN, THIS KIND OF UNAMBIGUOUS CONDEMNATION IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THE
PA.
Nevertheless VOP also featured a denial from negotiation leader Ahmad
Qreia that the PA was willing to accept the American initiative as the basis
for talks. It also quoted at length from Qreia, stressing that the talks had
not achieved any real progress and that the PA
Despite the very positive reports emanating from the Voice of
Israel-attributed to Palestinian officials-about progress in the Taba talks,
VOP's afternoon reports were quite restrained, even pessimistic.
VOP-which interviewed Yasser Abd-Rabbo in the morning at length once
again quoted the Information Minister to the effect that the PA would not
accept anything but "international legitimacy" as the basis or authority for
talks with Israel-and not American ideas.
2PM TUESDAY AFTERNOON HEADLINES:
*--"Saudi Arabia pledges 250-million dollars to two funds Arab summit has
set up for one-billion dollars;
*--Information Minister Yasser Abd-Rabbo announced that the next few
hours would determine the fate of the Palestinian-Israeli talks in Taba;
*--The talks divided into four committees today: Jerusalem, the second on
maps for the Israeli withdrawal, the third discussing the subject of
security and the timetable for withdrawal and the withdrawal of settlements
and the fourth is the committee for refugees;
*--Dr. Saeb Erikat, a member of the delegation, said the talks continued
to be deep, but he said it was NOT possible to reach agreement in three
days or even in ten days;
*--Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is currently conferring with
Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and Tourism Minister Amnon Shahak who
arrived in Israel from Taba (for consultations) on the recent developments
in the talks, and they will re-join the talks today along with the head of
the Meretz movement, Yossi Sarid;
*--From his point of view, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged full
support and aid to the talks."
9PM EVENING HEADLINES:
"The national Authority condemns the killing of two Israeli civilians in
Tulkarm"
((THE CONDEMNATION WAS REPEATED IN THE BODY OF THE NEWS BULLETIN ITSELF, AS
WELL))
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) PA Security Services Imminent in Jerusalem
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:35:40 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 15:37:41 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Israel Resource News Agency:
Moshe Amirav: PA Security Services
Imminent in Jerusalem
Israel Resource News Agency: Moshe Amirav: PA Security Services Imminent in
Jerusalem
Jan. 23, 2001 (Jerusalem, Israel)
Byline: David Bedein
Bureau Chief
Israel Resource News Agency
Beit Agron International Press Center
Jerusalem, Israel
(972)-5-3710737
AMIRAV CONFIRMS IMMINENT ENTRY OF PA SECURITY PERSONNEL INTO JERUSALEM
Dr. Moshe Amirav, chairman of the special commission established by Prime
Minister Ehud Barak to form a solution to the city of Jerusalem within the
framework of the current negotiations, confirmed in a telephone interview
this evening with David Bedein of the ISRAEL RESOURCE NEWS AGENCY at Beit
Agron Press Center in Jerusalem that plans are underway to bring armed
Palestinian Security Services to patrol all Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
When asked how Arab security nits would affect the roads en route to Jewish
neighborhoods that pass through Arab neighborhoods (i.e, through Beit
Tzfafa en route to Gilo or Shuafat or Beit Hanina en route to Neveh
Yaakov), Amirav said that while Arab security personnel would remain in
those neighborhoods, they would not be on the roads.
When asked about the possible scenario of Arab security personnel joining
in riots that might emanate from these neighborhoods or whether Arab
neighoborhoods in Jerusalem might become asylums to killers and thieves
like other areas now under the control of the Palestinian National
Authority, Amirav deferred to the judgement of the security experts on his
commission, whose names he is not presently able to divulge.
Amirav stated that he expected that the commission's recommendations might
be implemented in the very near future, pending the outcome of the talks in
Taba, at which time the Israeli security experts would on the commission
would then identify themselves and be prepared to relate to all issues.
Amirav described his expertise as limited to geography, transportation and
urban planning.
-30-
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