Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Supreme Court: Gay Marriage Legal Nationwide
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsWND - Bob Unruh
Categories: Warning

Student Allegedly Threatened With Failing Grade for Including Biblical References in Presentation
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsCampus Reform
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution

Russia Tested Hypersonic Glide Vehicle in February
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsThe Washington Free Beacon
Categories: Today's Headlines;Today's Headlines

A missile test at the Dombarovsky airbase in southeastern Russia

Moscow is developing a new, ultra-high speed strategic attack vehicle similar to China’s hypersonic weapon, according to military analysts.

However, unlike high-profile strategic bomber flights and large-scale nuclear war games that U.S. military commanders have called provocative, details about the Russian hypersonic vehicle remain one of Moscow’s closely held military secrets.

The Russians have been developing the new Yu-71 vehicle for several years and conducted the most recent flight test in February, according to an article published this month in Jane’s Intelligence Review.

A Pentagon spokeswoman declined to comment on the Russian hypersonic test.

The unsuccessful flight test was believed to have been released into near space from atop an SS-19 missile that was launched from the Dombarovsky missile base in eastern Russia. The vehicle is part of Moscow’s secret Project 4202 missile program, the Jane’s report says.

Jane’s concludes that Russia over the past five years has stepped up the secret program as part of efforts to defeat U.S. missile defenses that were designed to counter predictable ballistic targets.

Hypersonic vehicles, however, are very difficult to track and target because they move in unpredictable ways at speeds of up to 7,000 miles per hour.

Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon official who closely monitors Russian strategic weapons programs, said Moscow’s development of glide-strike vehicles and maneuvering warheads are high-priority programs.

Unlike China’s hypersonic weapons, which include the recently flight-tested Wu-14, the Russian program has been mentioned publicly by senior Russian officials, indicating its importance.

“Both are reportedly nuclear-oriented and the Chinese program seems more successful,” Schneider said, adding that Russian tests were reported to have been failures.

“The Russian program was clearly described as strategic in nature,” he added. “The Obama administration talks about the Chinese threat, but very little about the Russian threat, so our only sources of information are the Russian press.”

Project 4202 could produce a small number of glide vehicles by the end of the decade that may be equipped with nuclear warheads, the Jane’s report says.

“A test launch from the Dombarovsky missile division site in February 2015 suggests that Russia is actively pursuing the development of a hypersonic glide vehicle that could potentially expand the long-range strike capabilities of its Strategic Rocket Forces,” the report says.

Pavel Podvig, a co-author of the Jane’s report, said it is difficult to gauge the significance of the Russian hypersonic program.

“It seems like a system in search of a mission,” said Podvig, a Geneva-based researcher. “Even if it works, which is still a rather big if, it won’t give Russia any substantially new capability.”

The new maneuvering high-speed weapon is billed as a means of defeating missile defenses, but Moscow’s concerns about missile defense are highly exaggerated, he said. The new system also could “seriously damage arms control efforts,” Podvig added.

Disclosures about Russian hypersonic weapon program follow China’s confirmation that it conducted a fourth flight test of its Wu-14 hypersonic glide vehicle earlier this month. U.S. officials said the latest Wu-14 engaged in a series of extreme high-speed maneuvers during the latest flight test June 7 in western China.

The United States is also developing an advanced hypersonic missile that is expected to be part of its conventional Prompt Global Strike program—a non-nuclear weapons system that will be capable of precisely hitting targets any place on earth in minutes.

The Jane’s report said the Russian hypersonic program is a high priority for Moscow’s political and military leaders.

The Yu-71 may be deployed at a missile site near Yasny, in the east-central province of Orenburg near the border with Kazakhstan.

Earlier hypersonic weapons tests were conducted in the 1980s in apparent response to the Reagan administration’s strategic defense initiative.

More recent suspected flight tests of the hypersonic weapons included a 2001 flight test of a Yu-70 vehicle from an SS-19 missile.

Another Yu-70 test likely was carried out in 2004 when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was developing “new hypersound-speed, high-precision new weapons systems that can hit targets at intercontinental distance and can adjust their altitude and course as they travel.”

Suspected flight tests of the newer Yu-71 likely took place in December 2011, in September 2013, at an an unknown date in 2014, and on February 26 in Dombarovsky.

The Dombarovsky base was identified as a likely deployment site for the Yu-71 in Russian government construction documents that identified the work as part of Project 4202.

The article says the “primary purpose is the development of a missile system that can effectively penetrate existing missile defense systems.”

Unlike U.S. plans for hypersonic missiles to deliver conventional warheads, “Russia appears to be considering the option of deploying its hypersonic system in a nuclear, as well as conventional, configuration,” the Jane’s report said.

“This would give Russia the ability to deliver a guaranteed small-scale strike against a target of choice; if coupled with an ability to penetrate missile defenses, Moscow would also retain the option of launching a successful single-missile attack.”

Up to 24 with new hypersonic payloads could be deployed at Dombarovsky by 2020 to 2025.

By that date, Russia will be deploying a new ICBM known as the Sarmat that would be capable of carrying the Yu-71.

The report says Moscow may seek to exploit its hypersonic weapons to gain leverage in arms control talks with the United States as a way to seek limits on U.S. missile defenses and the Prompt Global Strike program.

Prompt Global Strike vehicles are not covered by the 2010 New START arms treaty with Russia.

U.S.-Russian military relations and arms talks were curtailed following Russia’s military annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea last year and continued covert arming of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

A review of open-source Russian news reports and military writings reveal that work on hypersonics has been discussed publicly on several occasions in the past several years.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was quoted in reports from state-run news agencies in July 2014 saying that Russia needs to build precision-guided hypersonic arms.

He urged Russia’s missile manufacturers to carry out rearmament efforts, “especially the tasks of mastering precision weapons and hypersonic technology.”

In May of last year, Boris Obnosov, director of the Tactical Missiles Corp., said a hypersonic missile prototype would be built by 2020.

“We have drawn up this program in collaboration with several dozens of institutes and enterprises,” Obnosov said. ”It has been approved by the Defense Ministry and the Industry and Trade Ministry. It is now important to implement it smoothly.”

After a failed test flight of the U.S. Hypersonic Test Vehicle-2 in 2011, a Russian official was quoted as saying Russia’s hypersonics are different.

“Our program is developing in a different direction; we are creating maneuverable hypersonic warheads for intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are no plans to control them from outside—the target-kill program is installed in them in advance,” the defense industry official told Izvestya, a Russian newspaper.

Another report said Russia’s future strategic bomber, known as the Pak Da, will be equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles.

In August 2013, the Novosti news agency reported that Russia was cooperating with China, France, and India on hypersonic missiles.

The Russian companies said to be involved in hypersonic missile development have been identified as the Tactical Missiles Corp. and NPO Mashinostroyenia. A hypersonic engine test facility reportedly is being built at Russia’s Central Institute of Aviation Motors.

Alexander Shirokorad, a Russian military analyst, stated in a 2013 article in the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that hypersonic glide vehicles are one reason Moscow decided to violate the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, that prohibits building missiles with ranges of between 500 kilometers and 5,500 kilometers.

“New IRBMs will breach a missile defense by traveling along exotically variable trajectories,” Shirokorad stated. “The combination of hypersonic cruise missiles with ballistic is not ruled out. Aside from operating against ground targets, IRBMs will be able to engage naval targets, too—aircraft carriers, cruise missile-armed Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and even submarines.”

PLA's J - 11 Fighters Likely to be Deployed in South China Sea
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsWant China Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

J-11 fighters during a live drill over the Tibetan Plateau.

The tension caused by territorial disputes in the South China Sea seems unlikely to ease in the near future, given the almost-completion of Chinese runways on reclaimed land and Beijing's possible deployment of J-11 fighter jets there, according to a Hong Kong newspaper report.

If China goes ahead, the deployment in the Spratly islands, which China and Taiwan call Nansha, "would dramatically extend the reach of the nation's military beyond its southernmost base at Sanya on Hainan island," said the June 21 report published in the English-language South China Morning Post, citing unnamed analysts.

However, the report said the jets, built based on the Soviet-designed Su-27, would be limited to a defensive role because it is an older model outclassed by aircraft in the US Air Force.

The report said the J-11s have a range of 1,500 kilometers, which can be extended with additional fuel tanks. "Setting up operations on the islands would move the reach of China's air force about 1,000 km further south, and in conjunction with the Liaoning aircraft carrier, take China towards its stated goal of moving away from offshore defense to open-sea protection," it said.

David Tsui, a military expert at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said the J-11s are only enough to defend the seven islands claimed by China in the region but are not sophisticated enough to be used in an attack, the report said.

China's key rival will be the United States, and Beijing knows that if its military uses coercive measures or force to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the US will definitely interfere, Tsui was cited as saying.

"China's first carrier-based jet, the J-15, might be advanced enough to challenge the US F-18, but the People's Liberation Army Air Force's main fighter jets, the J-11 and its variants, cannot compete with the F-22 and F-35 currently deployed by the US," Tsui said.

Pentagon Accuses Russia of 'Playing With Fire' Over Nuclear Threats Towards NATO
Jun 26th, 2015
The Independent
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

NATO to Triple Size of Reaction Force
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsCNN
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

"We have just taken another step forward in adapting NATO to our changed and more challenging security environment," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels, Belgium.

In light of Russia's involvement in eastern Ukraine and Moscow's recent decision to upgrade its military, including its nuclear arsenal, NATO is "carefully assessing the implications of what Russia is doing, including its nuclear activities," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg also said the alliance is "working on how to deal with hybrid threats, including through close cooperation with the European Union," the organization said.

The Response Force currently has 13,000 troops and a new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force -- also known as the Spearhead Force -- will have 5,000 troops.

NATO isn't engaging in Cold War-style tactics, Stoltenberg said.

"We do not seek confrontation, and we do not want a new arms race," he added.

The multinational alliance has been conducting several military exercises recently. One took place last week in Sweden, and Russia's foreign ministry on Monday accused NATO countries of "sliding into a new military confrontation with destructive consequences." 

About the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the addition of 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles to Russia's nuclear arsenal.

New small HQs

NATO also will set up six headquarters in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. They will employ about 40 people each. A Joint Logistics Headquarters, to help manage the rapid movement of forces, will be established.

The U.S. military will position dozens of tanks, Bradley armored fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers in those six nations, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday. Carter said the equipment will be moved around Europe for training and exercises.

One analyst, retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, said the size of the armor deployment Carter announced Tuesday showed it was more symbolic than strategic.

During the Cold War, the United States had the same amount of armor, a brigade, stationed in just one small part of what was then West Germany, said Kimmitt, the former military assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

 

U.S. to send tanks to Europe to counter Russia 02:15

"We are now talking about taking one brigade combat team and splitting it among these six countries. That should hardly be seen as a threat to Russia," Kimmitt said.

But the symbolism was important, he said.

"We're sending a message of assurance to our NATO allies. We have obligations, under the NATO treaty, to defend those countries if attacked. I think those countries in the region are going to be welcoming the positioning of these -- this equipment into

Let the Headlines Speak
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Supreme Court extends gay marriage nationwide The Supreme Court declared Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States, a historic culmination of two decades of litigation over gay marriage and gay rights generally. Gay and lesbian couples already could marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court's 5-4 ruling means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.

California wildfires force residents from homes in two towns
The fire in the mountains of San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles was among scores of wildfires raging along the U.S. West Coast, from Alaska through California, in areas hit by drought and suffering record-low snowpack.  

Gigantic Black Hole Wakes Up After 26-Year Sleep
A supermassive black hole that was dormant for 26 years has once again begun devouring material from other the star in its binary system, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).  

Hidden camera: 'Gays' admit they're not 'born that way'
Many of the “gays” he interviewed, he says, not only were molested in their youth but went on to become molesters themselves.  

Muslim Terrorist Beheads Man in France Attack
A Muslim terrorist attacked a gas factory in eastern France on Friday, pinning a decapitated head to the gates and wounding at least two others with explosive devices before being arrested.  

Vatican Signs Historic First Accord with 'Palestine'
The Vatican on Friday signed an historic first accord with "Palestine," two years after officially recognizing the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a state. The accord, a treaty covering the life and activity of the Church in Judea and Samaria, was the first since the Vatican made the controversial step of recognition in February 2013. Signing international treaties unilaterally is a breach of the 1993 Oslo Accords which created the PA.  

Earth's weakening 'magnetic shield' could see life WIPED OUT as skin cancer levels soar
Researchers have warned if it weakens further or were completely eroded away, radiation levels reaching our planet's surface would double - leading to a huge spike in deaths from skin cancer.  

Indonesian volcano spews towering gas cloud
Indonesia's Mount Sinabung spewed searing ash and gas 4 kilometres into the sky Thursday, officials said, as the number of people displaced by the latest round of eruptions exceeded 10,000.  

Mexico Earthquake 2015 Today: Terremoto Hits Oaxaca
USGS indicates to news that a 5.0 magnitude Mexico earthquake today struck just after 3:32 am PST. The quake was shallow. Reps tell news that it started roughly 33 miles below ground level. As a result the quake could be felt across the region. The quake was 9 miles north of Santa Maria Zacatepec. It was 39 miles east of Ometepec. And it began about two hundred miles south of Mexico City.  

CHANCE OF FLARES
Active sunspot AR2371 is decaying, but it still poses a threat for geoeffective explosions. The sunspot's unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field has erupted at least once a day for the past week. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of M-class flares and a 20% chance of X-flares on June 26th.  

FBI Rounding Up Islamic State Suspects
The FBI has been rounding up more potential "lone wolf" terrorists...in response to the perception of a mounting threat of domestic attacks inspired by the Islamic State. Since the thwarted attack on a "Draw Muhammad" conference in Garland, Texas, on May 3, the Justice Department has announced the arrests of 10 individuals it says were inspired by and supporting the Islamic State.  

US says Iran nuclear deal deadline may 'slip'
High-stakes talks to nail down a historic deal with Iran to curtail its nuclear programme may "slip" past a June 30 deadline, a top US official admitted Thursday ahead of crunch weekend negotiations in Vienna. "We may not make June 30, but we will be close," the senior official told reporters as top US diplomat John Kerry prepared to head Friday for what could be the last talks between Iran and global powers on the deal.  

Dartmoor ewe slaughtered in 'Satanic ritual'
A rare-breed sheep has been slaughtered on Dartmoor in a Satanic ritual to mark the midsummer solstice. ... The corpse had been dragged around to leave an intricate bloody spiral on the grass in the remote Teign Valley on Dartmoor in Devon. The farmer says it the latest in a line of attacks by devil worshippers across Devon and Cornwall - mostly carried out on lonely moors at night.  

Obamacare subsidies preserved in US Supreme Court ruling
The US Supreme Court has upheld a key portion of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, preserving health insurance for millions of Americans. In a 6-3 decision, the justices said that tax subsidies that make health insurance affordable for low-income individuals can continue. The ruling preserves the law known as Obamacare, which Mr Obama considers a major part of his presidential legacy.  

Explosion hits Shia mosque in Kuwait
An explosion has hit a Shia mosque in the Kuwaiti capital, with casualties reported. The blast hit the Imam Sadiq Mosque, in a busy district to the east of the city. Reports say it happened around the time of Friday prayers. The number of casualties is not yet known.  

France attack: 'Man decapitated' near Lyon
A man has been beheaded and at least one other person injured in a suspected Islamist attack on a gas factory near the French city of Lyon. There were several small explosions, possibly caused by gas canisters, at the Air Products factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, sources said. A man has been arrested by anti-terror police, officials say.  

US spy chief James Clapper says China lead suspect in cyber hack
China is the "leading suspect" in the massive hack of a US government agency holding the personnel records of millions of Americans, US intelligence chief James Clapper has said. He is the highest-ranking US official to publicly implicate Beijing since news of the data breach emerged. China always dismissed suggestions that it was behind the hacking.  

Nigeria court in Kano sentences nine people to death for blasphemy
An Islamic court has sentenced nine people to death for insulting the Prophet Mohammad in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. The accused, who were all Muslims, had pleaded guilty, the head of Kano's religious police, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, told the BBC. The trial was speedily done in secret after a section of the court was burnt down by angry protesters last month.  

Somalia attack: Al-Shabab 'kills 30' at AU military base
At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked an African Union military base in southern Somalia, witnesses say. A suicide car bomber drove into the main gates of the base in Leego, along the main road connecting the capital, Mogadishu and the city of Baidoa. The militant Islamist group al-Shabab says its fighters have taken control of the base but this is not confirmed.  

The 'Marianne' sets sail for Gaza from Greece with MK Basel Ghattas on board
Several dozen pro-Palestinian activists Friday headed out on the Gaza flotilla including the Joint List MK Basel Ghattas: "We are determined to reach Gaza despite Netanyahu's threats." "Hey Gaza, we are on our way," Ghattas wrote on his Facebook page on Friday morning from abroad the Swedish ship "Marianne." The ship set sail from Greece despite warnings from the IDF.  

Vatican signs first treaty with 'State of Palestine,' backs two-state solution
The Vatican signed its first treaty with the "State of Palestine" on Friday, calling for "courageous decisions" to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a two-state solution. Israel expressed disappointment last month at the Vatican’s announcement that it reached the outline of an agreement with the Palestinians and at the Holy See’s use of the term “State of Palestine” for the first time in an official document.  

Pakistan heatwave: Death toll over 1,000 in Sindh
The death toll from a heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has passed 1,000, reports say. Local media say that at least 950 people have died in Karachi, with tens of thousands being treated for heatstroke and dehydration.  

12-year-old black conservative YouTube star dares Obama to sit for an interview.
By now, you’re probably familiar with CJ Pearson. He’s a self-described “conservative activist” from Georgia whose Obama-eviscerating YouTube videos have racked up well over 2 million views. He’s also black. ...And he’s 12 Years Old. Just last week, he released a clip attacking the President’s eagerness to exploit tragedy in the service of the left’s long-standing gun control agenda. That video alone has over half a million hits and it’s still trending. Yesterday, he appeared again. This time, he spoke directly to President Obama, and he threw down the gauntlet.  

The Hammer and Sickle that hangs over the White House
Surely the biggest news isn’t that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has files obtained by Judicial Watch revealing that the dad, maternal grandpa and father-in-law of President Obama’s trusted senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, were hardcore Communists under investigation by the U.S.government—but that the FBI is sitting on those files doing diddle-y-squat about them.  

Palestine - European Union Risks “Jew-hater” Label
The European Union (EU) runs the risk of being labelled “Jew-hater” - should it proceed with its plans requiring supermarkets and other retailers to label products made by Jews in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) differently from those made by Jews in Israel. No matter what spin the EU uses to justify any such discriminatory labelling—the EU will be seen to be actively supporting the 2005 Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel

SCOTUS grants Obama another gift, ignores the English language to uphold ObamaCare subsidies
And that’s that. Obama, as usual, gets his way. It was predictable, really. Having abandoned the meaning of words within the English language, the Supreme Court is now free to ignore the actual text of laws and pretend things were written that never were.  

Is China Building a Military Base in Djibouti?
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsSputnik
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

In May, Djibouti’s president announced that China was in talks for setting a military base in the small nation in the Horn of Africa. And though Beijing has declined to confirm the reports, the news has already raised some concerns in Washington.

China Goes Global: Space, Sea, Polar Regions Added to Draft Security Law

As a fairly stable country positioned between Yemen and Somalia, Djibouti plays an important strategic role for the US. The country additionally overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb straits, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

The US military’s headquarters in the region, Camp Lemonnier, is based in the country and is used for covert operations, including anti-terror, in Yemen, Somalia, and across Africa.

Djibouti’s port has been used by European and other navies, including China’s, to fight against piracy from neighboring Somalia. Japan and France also have military bases located there.

In an interview with AFP in May, President Ismail Omar Guelleh said that China is in negotiations with his country to set up a military base in the strategic port.

"France’s presence is old, and the Americans found that the position of Djibouti could help in the fight against terrorism in the region," he said. "The Japanese want to protect themselves from piracy – and now the Chinese also want to protect their interests, and they are welcome."

Beijing has become a key economic partner to Djibouti in recent years. In 2014, Guelleh switched a port operating contract to a Chinese company from a Dubai-based operator when the latter was accused of corruption.

Show of Force: Chinese Navy Rescues Foreigners from Yemen's Aden

When asked about the base at a monthly news briefing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun declined to confirm, saying only that both countries have a friendly relationship and that both were interested in regional peace and security.

"Over the past few years both countries’ friendly cooperative relationship has kept on developing, and in all areas there is practical cooperation," Yang said.

"What needs to be explained is, maintaining regional peace and stability accords with all countries’ interests, and it is the joint desire of China, Djibouti and all other countries in the world," he added. "China is willing to, and ought to make even more contributions in this regard."

The reports come as the United States raises concerns about an expanding Chinese “sphere of influence,” and as officials grow wary about the prospect of having US and Chinese bases side-by-side in Djibouti.

In May, ahead of Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Djibouti, a US congressman warned that Washington’s interests in Africa may be jeopardized by China’s “worrisome” and expanding presence there. Rep. Randy Forbes, the chairman of the seapower subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, also issued a statement on May 11 echoing similar concerns, saying "China’s determination for permanent bases far outside their traditional area of influence should remind Washington that Beijing sees itself as a global power."

According to the BBC, China is looking to install its military base in Djibouti’s northern Obock region, which means it will overlook the US military installations there.  The base’s installation will also bring in $100 million, slightly more than the US’s annual $63 million.

Churches are Now Using Facial Recognition to Increase Attendance and Donations
Jun 26th, 2015
Daily NewsSHTF Plan
Categories: Today's Headlines;Apostasy;Commentary

Nowadays, we all take it for granted that any time you step out your front door, there’s a good chance that your picture is going to be taken at some point. It could be a visit to a convenience store, a passing police car, and now with drones, lounging on your front porch is liable to be subject to surveillance. But it’s not just the act of documenting your movements that can be creepy, it’s also type of surveillance that can be disturbing.

This is especially true for facial recognition technology, which can identify your facial features and cross-reference them with a database. You can expect this technology to become ubiquitous in the years ahead for its ability to catch criminals and increase profits for retail outlets. But while we’re on the subject, it won’t just be retail establishments using your face to blare “Minority Report” style ads in your face as you walk by. Apparently, churches with large congregations are starting to embrace facial recognition as well.

Moshe Greenshpan, the CEO of Israel- and Las Vegas-based facial recognition software company Face-Six, says there are 30 churches around the world using his Churchix technology. He launched the service just four months ago and says churches are already using it to scan congregants’ earthly visages to keep track of attendance at events in order to know who wasn’t there so they can check up on them, or who attends most frequently so they can ask those people for donations. He declined to name any of the churches using the technology citing the controversy around facial recognition. I asked him if any of the churches are based in Texas or Illinois, the only two U.S. states that have laws on the books about getting permission to collect peoples’ faceprints. “I prefer not to say,” said Greenshpan…

…Greenshpan said the churches just have to upload one high-quality photo of a congregant to start scanning video or photos from gatherings to see if they were there. I asked him if the churches let people know they’re using the technology. “I don’t think churches tell people,” he said. “We encourage them to do so but I don’t think they do.”

That’s exactly the fear that privacy advocates have about the increasing roll-out of this technology: people’s faces are being put in databases and used to track them without any knowledge that it’s happening. Greenshpan argues that churches were already keeping track of who attended their events, but that his technology just makes it more efficient for medium-sized and mega-churches.

If that’s not sick, I don’t know what is. I know churches need money just like every other organization, but these are megachurches. Maybe I’m out of line here, but do they really need more money? Some of them rake in millions every year. They sound more like businesses than non-profits. The author of the article was skeptical of the notion that there may be churches secretly using this technology in states where doing so illegal, but I wouldn’t put it past them.

But what’s more creepy than using this to increase donations, is the fact that they’re using it to keep tabs on people who don’t show up, so they can “check up on them.” It sounds like they’re using this technology to foster a cult-like atmosphere.

We’re entering an age where secretive and intrusive surveillance will no longer be limited to governments. Corporations are already in this game, and now non-profits are starting to use this to reach their bottom line. In a sense, the all-encompassing surveillance regime that we’ve been warned about for years, is no longer on the horizon. It looks like it has finally arrived in full.