Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

What is Religious Pluralism and Why is it wrong?
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsDr. Ed Hindson
Categories: Commentary

Pluralism teaches that there are many roads to God, and that no road can be said to be the exclusive one. In a modern culture that promotes acceptance and tolerance, pluralism is gaining in popularity. Pluralists give five basic arguments for their position:

1. Pluralism is a way to promote tolerance throughout the world.
2. Since the adherents of every religion have a viable world view, each one provides subjective satisfaction to its members.
3. Historically, all world religions have cultural/geographical roots. One is more likely to be a Christian in a Western culture; a Muslim in the Middle East; a Hindu on the Indian subcontinent; etc. Thus, pluralists view religion as cultural more than spiritual.
4. Those advocating exclusivism, like Christianity, fail to produce adherents that are universally ethically superior.
5. All religions, according to pluralists, teach the same basic truths.

What's Wrong with Religious Pluralism?

The problem with pluralism is, in spite of its claim to be tolerant, it is actually intolerant, particularly of Christianity, which promotes an exclusive view of its path to God through faith in Jesus Christ. However, it seemingly turns a blind eye towards Muslims, who force conversions through use of the sword, and Hindus, who persecute those who leave its ranks. Staunch adherents of such bodies are exclusivists as well.

Further, pluralism ignores truth as nonessential. All religions, in fact, do not teach the same basic truths. How can we reconcile monotheism (Christianity), polytheism (Hinduism), and atheism? If everything is relative and there is no absolute truth, then even that statement is not absolutely true. Common sense demands the existence of truth, and, beyond that, the fact that everything differing with that truth constitutes falsehood.

Third, the claim of subjective satisfaction is debatable. Many world religions practice self-denial to a sometimes painful and cruel extreme, often in an attempt to please their false god or gods.

Finally, a belief system must be evaluated by itself rather than by the failures of some of its members.

Christianity acknowledges mankind's failure (Romans 3:23) and God's intervention on man's behalf (John 3:16), and utilizes that base as a claim to truth (John 14:6). Every other world religion is man's attempt to reach God, an attempt that always ends in failure (Isaiah 64:6). Only Christianity can successfully bridge the gap between God and man, as God reaches out to man through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Report: Nsa Spied on 124 Billion Phone Calls in One Month
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Washington Free Beacon
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The National Security Agency recorded information about more than 124 billion phone calls during a 30-day period earlier this year, including around 3 billion calls from U.S. sources, according to a tally from top-secret documents released by multiple news outlets.

Documents revealing details about the NSA’s Boundless Informant program show that information regarding billions of phone calls and computer communications was collected by the agency from across the world.

Boundless Informant “allows users to select a country on a map and view the meta data volume and select details about the collections against that country,” according to the Guardian, which first reported on the top secret program earlier this year.

Multiple leaked screenshots of the Boundless Informant program show that information on around 124.8 billion phone calls were collected in just 30-days this year, according to documents released by the Guardian and other news sites.

The documents provide a window into the sheer volume of data being collected by the NSA as late as March of this year, according to the Guardian.

Critics of the NSA’s multiple data collection programs, which include PRISM, argue that innocent Americans run the risk of having their personal communications monitored. Its defenders maintain that the program has been a key tool in the fight against terrorism.

It is unlikely that the NSA examined the content of all of these calls, though it seems possible that the security organization could single out any of the snatched calls and other communications.

The sheer extend of the NSA’s data collection effort were compiled from the multiple sources and organized on Wednesday by members of intelligence website Cryptome, which regularly publishes government documents and other information.

Report: Irs Sent $4.2 Billion in Checks to Illegal Immigrants in One Year
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Daily Caller
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The scandal-plagued Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent $4.2 billion in child tax-credit checks to illegal immigrants the year the agency began targeting conservative groups, according to a new report from Watchdog.Org.

The IRS sent illegal immigrant families $1,000 checks totaling $4.2 billion through the federal government’s Additional Child Tax Credit program in the year 2010, when the agency’s improper targeting of conservative and tea party groups began.

The child tax credit program was created in 1998 with a $400 cap and now has a $1,000 cap that was made permanent by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed by President Obama.

Republicans claim that the Obama administration is taking advantage of the program to provide checks to ineligible illegal immigrants.

Obamno! Saudi Arabia Severs Diplomatic Ties With U.S. Over Response to Conflict in Syria
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsTrue News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Saudi Arabia flat out accused Obama today of not launching military strikes on Syria because he is helping Assad to butcher his own people. They are 100% correct. Obama is also helping Iran to finish building nukes by giving them time and space to get it all done.

Daily Mail UK: Upset at President Barack Obama’s policies on Iran and Syria, members of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family are threatening a rift with the United States that could take the alliance between Washington and the kingdom to its lowest point in years.

Saudi diplomats now promise a ‘major shift’ in relations with the U.S. over inaction in the conflict in Syria

Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief is vowing that the kingdom will make a ‘major shift’ in relations with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria’s civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that the United States had failed to act effectively against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.

‘The shift away from the U.S. is a major one,’ the source close to Saudi policy said. ‘Saudi doesn’t want to find itself any longer in a situation where it is dependent.’

It was not immediately clear whether the reported statements by Prince Bandar, who was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for 22 years, had the full backing of King Abdullah.

The growing breach between the United States and Saudi Arabia was also on display in Washington, where another senior Saudi prince criticized Obama’s Middle East policies, accusing him of ‘dithering’ on Syria and Israeli-Palestinian peace.

In unusually blunt public remarks, Prince Turki al-Faisal called Obama’s policies in Syria ‘lamentable’ and ridiculed a U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Assad’s chemical weapons. He suggested it was a ruse to let Obama avoid military action in Syria.

‘The current charade of international control over Bashar’s chemical arsenal would be funny if it were not so blatantly perfidious. And designed not only to give Mr. Obama an opportunity to back down (from military strikes), but also to help Assad to butcher his people,’ said Prince Turki, a member of the Saudi royal family and former director of Saudi intelligence

Let the Headlines Speak
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hate Fest at Stanford U. - Where is the Jewish Protest?
The event, sponsored by the Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, will be another anti-Jewish hate fest where students from around the country will gather to learn how to attack the Jews in America and Israel. Jews are the only ethnic group on US campuses that it is politically correct to attack these days, anti-Semites simply substitute the euphemism “Zionist” whenever they really mean Jews.

Obama’s fingerprints all over IRS Tea Party scandal
Last Friday, the American Center for Law and Justice (where I serve as Chief Counsel) filed its Second Amended Complaint against the United States, the IRS, and a legion of IRS officials. This Complaint, in which we represent 41 organizations in 22 states, presents perhaps the most complete story yet of the IRS conservative targeting scandal. And it is an ugly story indeed. What was sold to the American public as a low-level scandal perpetrated by a few rogue employees – a scandal stopped after senior officials became aware and asserted control – is now (to borrow a Watergate phrase) “no longer operative.”  

Leaks portray a torn White House through Syrian crisis
The extensive account in The New York Times claims that US President Barack Obama repeatedly denied the offers, made as early as March during the president’s visit to the region, as well as various other lobbying efforts pursued by aides and foreign allies aimed at making Syria a priority of the White House. Pressure increased from national security advisers and regional leaders alike as casualties mounted and momentum shifted in the months before a massive chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb in August.

Dem Senator Announces Bill to Delay Obamacare Mandates Until 2015
Appearing on “The O’Reilly Factor” on Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a potential bill that would delay all Obamacare mandates until Jan. 1, 2015. “No fines whatsoever,” Manchin said of the bill he’s working on with Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). “Work out the kinks. Let’s fix this thing.”  

China, India sign border pact during Indian PM visit
In this background, the Border Defense Cooperation Agreement signed Wednesday in the presence of Singh and Li could be starter as it would help set up a hotline between the military headquarters of the two countries and tighter ground rules for their armed forces along the border.  

Report: NSA Spied on 124 Billion Phone Calls in One Month
The National Security Agency recorded information about more than 124 billion phone calls during a 30-day period earlier this year, including around 3 billion calls from U.S. sources, according to a tally from top-secret documents released by multiple news outlets.  

SOLAR FLARE!
Solar activity is high. On October 24th at 00:30 UT, Earth-facing sunspot AR1877 erupted, producing a powerful M9-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast. Meanwhile, more flares are in the offing. Two large sunspots, AR1875 and AR1877, have 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic fields that harbor energy for strong eruptions.  

‘Unacceptable’: Merkel calls Obama over suspicion US monitored her cell phone
Earlier, the German government spokesman said that Berlin had information the US National Security Agency (NSA) could have been spying on Merkel. This was followed by the country's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle summoning the US ambassador to provide more clarity on the matter.  

Why Obamacare Is Not A Train Wreck; It’s A Suicide Attack
The GOP needs to stop calling Obamacare a “train wreck.” That means it’s a mistake or accident. That means it’s a gigantic flop or failure. It’s not. This is a brilliant and purposeful attempt to damage the U.S. economy, kill jobs and bring down capitalism. It’s not a failure; it’s Obama’s grand success. It’s not a train wreck; Obamacare is a suicide attack.  

An alarming growth in natural disasters across Asia
According to the latest annual World Development Report of the World Bank, Asia is more prone than any other part of the world to natural catastrophes such as earthquake, volcano eruption, tsunami and flooding.  

ProPublica: There’s No Evidence To Back The NSA’s Claim That Spying On Americans Has Thwarted Terror Attacks
Two weeks after Edward Snowden’s first revelations about sweeping government surveillance, President Obama shot back. “We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information not just in the United States, but, in some cases, threats here in Germany,” Obama said during a visit to Berlin in June. “So lives have been saved.” But there’s no evidence that the oft-cited figure is accurate.  

Yet Another Earthquake - This Time in Eilat
Israel's unusual period of seismic activity continued today (Wednesday), as yet another small earthquake was felt - this time in the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat. Although epicenter of the quake, which registered 3.3. on the Richter Scale, was located in the Egyptian town of Taaba, tremors were registered in the Israeli resort city. No damage or injuries occurred. This is the seventh such mini-earthquake in a week, and Israel has been abuzz with speculation as to whether such a rare string of tremors could portend a much larger earthquake.  

Mud island in Balochistan is sinking
A mud island from the sea off Balochistan's Gwadar port as a result of a powerful earthquake last month is now vanishing as predicted. The island named `Earthquake Island', about 250 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, has attracted global curiosity, but scientists had forecast that it would not last long and will disappear in couple of months, private news channel reported.

Iran talks: 'Kerry didn't persuade Netanyahu'
US Secretary of State John Kerry failed to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal that Washington "would not drop its guard" in the newly invigorated nuclear talks with Iran, the New York Times reported Thursday. According to the report, Kerry was unable to convince Netanyahu to soften his demand that Iran dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.  

GAFCON: Former spiritual powerhouses now 'hostile' to Christian faith
In his chairman's address Archbishop Eliud Wabukala of Kenya said the challenge facing the church "is that the nations which were once the spiritual powerhouses of world wide mission have now become deeply secularised and even hostile to the Christian faith". "What really rots the fabric of the Communion is the process by which weak churches are gradually taken captive by the surrounding culture," he said.  

Fleeing wrath of vicious cartels, record-breaking numbers of Mexicans seek political asylum in the U.S.
Antonio Chavez decided he just couldn't take it anymore when enforcers from the terrifying Knights Templar drug cartel marched yet again into his small store ... So he picked up and ran, becoming one of tens of thousands who have swamped U.S. border points in record-setting numbers, pleading for asylum in the north because ...the possibility of getting shot or worse seems likely...  

Minister: '7,000 Could be Killed in a Major Earthquake'
Erdan said that a major earthquake could result in up to 7,000 Israelis losing their lives, with tens of thousands wounded, and as many as 200,000 requiring some kind of assistance. Following six earthquakes in the last week in the north, he said the ministry was aware of the threats to the public and had already planned many training exercises to simulate disaster scenarios, as well as giving courses and distributing information to public institutions.  

Possible Human Bones, 'Occult' Altar Found In Home By Cleaning Crew
Animal skulls, chains, bones from a goat and possibly other animals, a skull mask with a black hood, candles and a machete were among the items that were found in the home's backyard shed. Police say that some of the bones, including a partial skull, are suspected of being human and have been sent to an out-of-state lab to determine whether any DNA evidence can be found.  

US spying row to dominate EU summit
A European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday will be overshadowed by new allegations that the US spied on Angela Merkel and French demands for the American intelligence services to be shackled by Europe's data protection laws. The German Chancellor...called President Barack Obama last night to protest over claims that America had tapped it, allegations that the White House was unable to deny in terms of past activity.  

Wall of rock reveals new quake fault
INABANGA, Bohol, Philippines – As the magnitude 7.2 earthquake ended on Oct. 15, residents of Sitio Kumayot in Barangay Anonang heard an explosive sound like a thunderclap. Villagers watched in horrified disbelief as the ground cracked open and, with smoke and the stench of sulphur spreading, one side started to rise.  

Obamacare penalties may be delayed
The health care law requires most people to have health insurance by Jan. 1, 2014 or face a penalty, but the Administration may postpone when those penalties will go into effect. ...The potential extension comes as the federal health exchanges are under fire for ongoing technological problems that are making it difficult for some people to enroll.  

Syria: Blast near Damascus airport triggers blackouts
Large parts of Syria have been hit by a power cut following an explosion near the airport in the capital, Damascus. The lights went out after rebel artillery reportedly hit a gas pipeline that supplies a power station. Residents say the entire capital has been plunged into darkness and officials said the power cuts had been nationwide.  

Pakistan PM Sharif urges Obama to end drone strikes
Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has told President Obama the US should halt drone strikes in Pakistan, a critical source of tension in the relationship. The two leaders held wide-ranging talks at the White House on Wednesday, pledging to strengthen the often-strained ties between the nations. The leaders also discussed tension between Pakistan and India over the disputed Kashmir region.

Kerry - Netanyahu’s 7-hour Talk Did not Touch on Iran
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spent seven hours talking in Rome about security arrangements after Israel’s putative withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, DEBKAfile reports.
They did not discuss Iran. Kerry started the conversation by saying to the prime minister: “Don’t tell me what you want. Tell me what you need and we’ll think about ways we can achieve it together.”

Japan Says Space Cannon to be Fired At Asteroid is on Track After Successful Test
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsABC
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Japanese scientists, readying to blast a crater in an asteroid to find out what it is made of, say they have successfully tested their new space cannon.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the huge weapon would fire a metal bullet at the surface of asteroid 1999JU3 some time in 2018.

The Hayabusa-2, which will launch the weapon, will then land on the surface and take samples of the newly-disturbed soil as part of a project searching for organic materials or for any sign of water.

“The Hayabusa-2 project is progressing as planned,” a JAXA spokesman said.

The craft is set to be carried into space next year by one of JAXA’s dedicated H2A rockets, which are launched from southern Japan.

The probe will be flung on a trajectory that its operators hope will take it into the path of 1999 JU3 four years later.

Fukushima Readies for Dangerous Operation to Remove 400 Tons of Spent Fuel
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsRT
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Fukushima operator TEPCO is getting ready for its toughest and the most dangerous clean-up operation. In November it will try to remove 400 tons of spent fuel from plant’s Reactor No. 4. But even a little mistake may result in a new nuclear disaster.

The operation is scheduled to start in the beginning of November and be completed by around the end of 2014.

Under normal circumstances, the operation to remove all the fuel would take about 100 days. TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co) initially planned to take two years, but reduced the schedule to one year in recognition of the urgency, as even a minor earthquake could trigger an uncontrolled fuel leak.

During this period TEPCO plans to carefully remove more than 1,300 used fuel rod assemblies, packing radiation 14,000 times the equivalent of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb, from their cooling pool.

The base of the pool where the fuel assemblies are situated is 18 meters above ground and the rods are 7 meters under the surface of the water.

TEPCO’s first task is to remove the debris from the Reactor No. 4 fuel pool.

Then, one by one, the fuel rods will be removed from the top store of the damaged building using a crane suspended above the crippled reactor.

Previously a computer-controlled process, this time it has to be done completely manually. And this is what makes this removal operation extremely dangerous.

The fuel rods must be kept submerged and must not touch each other or break.

“The operation to begin removing fuel from such a severely damaged pool has never been attempted before. The rods are unwieldy and very heavy, each one weighing two-thirds of a ton,” fallout researcher Christina Consolo earlier told RT.

EC Fears Bankruptcy, Votes Through Emergency Cash Injection
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily Newsnovinite.com
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Тhe European Union has voted through EUR 2.7 B in new cash contributions from national treasuries after senior officials warned of the threat of chaos and unpaid EU bills.

MEPs approved the additional EU funding on Tuesday evening during an extraordinary meeting of Parliament’s Budgets Committee.

“The amending budget is needed because revenue from import duties collected at the EU’s external borders is far lower than was forecast by Eurostat (and endorsed by the EU member states) and thus had to be replaced by a higher GNI contribution,” according to a statement of the European Parliament press office.

The additional budget will take the cost of Brussels overspends and shortfalls to over EUR 12 B this year and is likely to fuel anger at a summit of Europe’s leaders on Thursday.

Blaze Sources: Obama Purging Military Commanders
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Blaze
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Nine senior commanding generals have been fired by the Obama administration this year, leading to speculation by active and retired members of the military that a purge of its commanders is underway.

Retired generals and current senior commanders that have spoken with TheBlaze say the administration is not only purging the military of commanders they don’t agree with, but is striking fear in the hearts of those still serving.

The timing comes as the five branches of the U.S. armed forces are reducing staff due to budget cuts, and as U.S. troops are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan next year.

“I think they’re using the opportunity of the shrinkage of the military to get rid of people that don’t agree with them or not tow the party line. Remember, as (former White House chief of staff) Rahm Emanuel said, never waste a crisis,” a senior retired general told TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity because he still provide services to the government and fears possible retribution.

“Even as a retired general, it’s still possible for the administration to make life miserable for us. If we’re working with the government or have contracts, they can just rip that out from under us,” he said.

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, an outspoken critic of the Obama administration, said the White House fails to take action or investigate its own, but finds it easy to fire military commanders “who have given their lives for their country.”

“Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama’s ideology,” Vallely said. “The White House protects their own. That’s why they stalled on the investigation into fast and furious, Benghazi and Obamacare. He’s intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged.”

A Pentagon official who asked to remain nameless because they were not authorized to speak on the matter said even “young officers, down through the ranks have been told not to talk about Obama or the politics of the White House. They are purging everyone and if you want to keep your job — just keep your mouth shut.

Air Force Academy May Drop ‘God’ from Oath
Oct 24th, 2013
Daily NewsFox News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Air Force Academy is considering dropping the phrase “so help me God’ from its honor oath after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) filed a complaint.

The Academy’s Honor Review Committee met Wednesday to review the oath in response to the MRFF complaint, said Public Affairs Director Maj. Brus Vidal.

“They considered a range of options and some of those options will be presented to Academy leaders and, ultimately, the Academy Superintendent for a decision,” he said.

The current version of the Academy’s oath reads: “We will not lie, steal or cheat nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God.”

Last week, the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper published a photograph of a poster at the academy which included the oath. The newspaper then forwarded the photo to MRFF President Mikey Weinstein.

Weinstein, a frequent critic of Christianity in the armed forces, wrote a letter to Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson. Weinstein said she responded 68 minutes later.

“The Prep School poster has been taken down,” she wrote in an email reply posted by the Independent. “We are assessing the situation and have many mission elements, to include Prep School leadership, the Honor Review Committee and other entities on base, working to put together a way ahead that is respectful to all perspectives.”