Wednesday, January 13, 2016

CUFI Not Very Informative of BDS or The Wall


 
Recently I took a look at several issues of The Torch, a magazine produced by Christians United For Israel, the main pro-Israel organization for Evangelical Christians in the United States.

Every now and then CUFI talks about those calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the State of Israel (BDS). But The Torch rarely talks about what BDS people say. What they say is usually presented in a most dire manner.

On page 7 of the Spring 2015 issue is an article promoting an organization that gets Evangelical Christians to go to the Holy Land and learn about the political situation there. They even went and talked with the man who designed the Wall.
One of the most impactful destinations was our morning with ... the architect of Israel's security barrier, also known as "The Wall." Immediately assumptions were dispelled after learning that this wall is actually 95% chain link fence. (p. 7.)
Reading the four issues of The Torch published in 2015 one would never know that it was The Wall that sparked BDS in the first place in 2005. It was issued one year after the International Criminal Court ruled that The Wall was illegal. If that Wall had not been built (or if the ruling had been followed) and further political advances made in the negotiations there may well have been no such thing as BDS. This is never explained in the four 2015 issues of The Torch.

Another issue about the Wall that is not mentioned in The Torch is how the Wall disrupts the Palestinian economy. According to the Israeli economist Shir Hever the Wall has had a most terrible impact on the economic activity of the Palestinians in Jerusalem and in the Palestinian towns connected to Jerusalem.
In total, the Wall in Jerusalem causes US$194 million in damages per annum. In the years from 2000 to 2009, it has already caused more than US$1.94 billion in income loss. These figures must be updated to account for the natural growth of the population, and will therefore increase further and continue to accumulate at an accelerated rate until the Wall is removed. (Shir Hever, The Political Economy of Israel's Occupation, Chapter 6, p. 127.)
If there is to be peace in the Holy Land the Wall needs to go. How can Palestinians be expected to just accept such a disruption to their peaceful economic activities?

The Wall has already sparked off BDS and "already caused more than US$1.94 billion in income loss" between 2000 and 2009 mainly to Palestinians. Who knows what other terrible things it will cause? The Wall needs to go.

(Incidentally I recommend Hever's book. I found it a most informative and thought provoking work. For me it had all the charm and wonder of a well written detective story. If only it was merely fiction.)

UCG's Reliance on The Washington Times

UCG often quotes The Washington Times in their writings. The Washington Times is a far right newspaper. But UCG's writers never bother to mention to their readers what The Washington Times is. Both PCG and LCG treat The Washington Times in the same way.

The Washington Times was founded in 1982 by a certain controversial religious movement originating from Korea. This religious movement from Korea teaches many things contrary to UCG's teachings. It has often been described by ex-members and non-members as a cult. Both Rick Ross and Steven Hassan have much information regarding this controversial religious movement originating from Korea.

This link between The Washington Times and this particular religious movement from Korea is never mentioned by UCG.

***

Edward Yardeni, chief economist for the international investment firm of Deutsche Morgan Grenfel, predicts a 70 percent chance of a serious global recession. Said Mr. Yardeni: “If we have everything fixed in the United States [highly unlikely], but major disruptions in Europe and total calamity in Asia and Latin America, weÕre going to be affected in a very, very adverse fashion” (Washington Times). (John Ross Schroeder,

The 2000 Bug: A Time Bomb for Chaos?, January 10, 1999.)

Broadening out this problem, the potential threat of a rogue, long-range missile attack from any of two dozen Third World states is a major problem for future Western security. As a feature article in The Washington Times advises: “Prudence dictates that we deploy a national missile defense, before, not after, rogue states acquire missiles capable of destroying American cities.” Many are the problems that confront the United States. (John Ross Schroeder, Still a Troubled and Dangerous World, July 1, 1999.)

Wrote journalist Cheryl Wetzstein of The Washington Times: “Marriage in America has gone from better to worse, with fewer couples marrying and fewer still saying their lives together are wedded bliss, according to a report released on July 1 . . . As marriage has faltered, rates of divorce, cohabitation and bearing children out of wedlock have soared to record levels.” (John Ross Schroeder and Scott Ashley, World News and Trends: Anglo-American Marriage Trends, August 15, 1999.)

The modern approach, it is argued, allows a woman more control, more freedom and less subjection to men. Included in the report were the results of a survey of a group of young adults about their views of living together and marriage. All were single, working 20-somethings from New Jersey. “[Most] of them thought marriage should occur [only after] there are children, and children should come after a house is bought and a couple has a good annual income-around $75,000 in the women’s views… [The] young people saw… cohabitation as a good way to test compatibility, detect character strengths and weaknesses, and arrange certain household economies…. Women preferred short-term cohabitation, saying they could determine the man’s suitability for marriage in a few months. In contrast, many of the man said they could cohabit indefinitely” (“Cohabitation No Formula for Future Bliss in Marriage,” by Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times).  (Cecil Maranville, Divorce Revolution Spawns Cohabitation Generation, September 4, 1999)

Psychologist Wade Horn, in his Washington Times column of July 6, 1999, takes issue with the APA's reasoning and conclusion. “The authors begin their first argument by stating that their 'research experience has led us to conceptualize fathering in the way that is very different from the neoconservative [read: anyone who thinks fathers matter—Dr. Horn's comment] perspective.' (Cecil Maranville, From Father Knows Best to "No Father Is Best", January 29, 2000.)

A primary factor is a pervasive decline in respect for the rule of law. As The Washington Times put it: “Just as the 20th century was tripped up by ideologies smoldering beneath the surface, the 21st century is threatened by the decline of law.” (John Ross Schroeder, World News and Trends: A world lacking in law and order, June 15, 2000.)

In fact, a renewed military alliance is being forged as confirmed by the news that Russia is readying cruise-missile ships for delivery to China. “The SS-N-22 is the most dangerous anti-ship missile in the Russian, and now the Chinese fleet,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican ( The Washington Times ). He continued with the assessment that “our Navy admittedly has scant ability to defend against this 200-kiloton nuclear-capable weapon.” John Ross Schroeder and Melvin Rhodes, World News and Trends: A new chapter in Sino-Russian relations, October 15, 2000.)

According to an article in The Washington Times, "most Americans believe the Bible is more factual than newspapers, but find their daily newspaper easier to read."(John Ross Schroeder and Melvin Rhodes, World News and Trends: Understanding the Bible in America, April 15, 2001.)

The tragic fruits of not heeding our Creator's advice are apparent all around us. Suzanne Fields, columnist for The Washington Times , recently reviewed a book called The Broken Hearth by William Bennett. She summed up an aspect of his worrying assessment of our social plight today: “Those who do not marry are having sexual relations at an earlier age, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases at much higher rates, cohabiting in unprecedented numbers, and having a record number of children out of wedlock.” (The perils of going it alone, February 15, 2002.)

Let me read you some recent news items from the Washington Times…
"A petition has been placed before the US Congress requesting the removal of the words ‘In God We Trust.’ People using United States currency are denied the right of free speech by repeatedly presenting this religious motto and slogan…"
And it goes on to say they find it particularly inappropriate to slander the Constitution by including religious graffiti, such as the motto ‘In God We Trust.’
Another article from the Washington Times…
"Government officials in states including Indiana, Kansas, Colorado and Kentucky have lost attempts to display the ten commandments in public." (John Elliot, Society And You, March 15, 2002.)

Under the headline “Synagogues Burn as Europeans Rage,” a Washington Times article added, “In Britain, which takes pride in a 'multicultural' society, police have logged at least 15 anti-Jewish episodes this month, including eight physical assaults, synagogues daubed with racist slogans and hate mail sent to prominent figures among the nation's 300,000 Jews. One was an assault on a Jewish theological student, David Myers. He was reading a book of Psalms aboard a London bus when he was stabbed 27 times.
“The attacks prompted Jonathan Sacks, Britain's chief rabbi, to say, 'Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe as a whole.' He blamed Islamic extremists for 'whipping up' sentiment against Jews in Britain and throughout the Continent” (April 22, 2002). (Darris McNeely, The Rising Specter of Anti-Semitism, May 1, 2002.)

Today’s Washington Times has a piece by Frank Gaffney, Jr which shows how the United States has changed its tack on Palestine and is now fully supporting the new Palestinian President as a man of peace, a key player in a road map to peace. (Darris McNeely, Israel and the "Oslo Syndrome", June 1, 2005.)

Iran could contribute greatly to terrorism, not only in Iraq , but also in Europe and America. “A top Ahmadinejad officer, Brig. General Mohammad Kossari, who heads the political watchdog, or Security Bureau, of Iran's armed forces, recently taunted the U.S. when he bragged 'we have identified all the weak points of our enemies' and have sufficient cannon fodder—i.e., suicide operation volunteers—'ready to strike at these sensitive locations.' Iranian television recently broadcast an animated film for Iranian children glorifying suicide bombers” (Arnaud de Borchgrave, “Later Than We Think,” The Washington Times, Feb. 6, 2006). (Cecil Maranville, How Serious a Threat Could Iran Pose?, March 1, 2006.)

Washington Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley’s new book “The West’s Last Chance” highlights the growing international threat from radical Islam. (Melvin Rhodes, Is This Really The West's Last Chance?, March 29, 2006.)

Arnold de Bourchgrave does a good job of laying out the realities regarding Iraq in this Washington Times piece . The growing American cries to withdraw its forces altogether or to divide Iraq along religious-ethnic grounds (Kurds-Sunni-Shiite) are simplistic on the surface and they portend catastrophic consequences for the U.S. , as well as for the Iraq region . The latter includes potential civil wars in neighboring Arab countries, according to Jordan 's King Abdullah. (Darris McNeely, No Easy Way to Get Out of Iraq, November 29, 2006.)

Writing in the Washington Times Arnaud de Borchgrave shows this has been apart of Chinese military planning for some time.... (Cecil Maranville, Chinese Star Wars, February 5, 2007.)

Venezuela supplies 14% of U.S.  oil imports. Any effort to increase the worldwide price of oil, which Hugo Chavez actively encourages, directly effects our pocketbook. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson has a good background piece in today's Washington Times . (Darris McNeely, Are We Losing Latin America?, March 7, 2007.)

American journalist Suzanne Fields summarized Rafsanjani's simple mathematical equation: “In a nuclear exchange with Israel his country might lose 15 million people which would amount to a small 'sacrifice' from among the billion Muslims worldwide in exchange for the lives of 5 million Israeli Jews” (“Confronting the New Anti-Semitism,” The Washington Times, July 25, 2004). (John Ross Schroeder, Can Israel Survive?, June 9, 2008.)

An article in The Washington Times (“Youth Volunteerism at 50 Year High, Study Finds,” Nov. 20, 2002) noted that among teens and young adults, volunteerism and a desire to serve by helping others in the community and the world is at its highest level in more than 50 years. (Doug Horchak, The Greatest Humanitarian Cause, June 6, 2010.)

Recently, Wei Jingsheng, a Chinese dissident who spent 19 years as a political prisoner in China, told The Washington Times he thought China's warning that Taiwan might not get a second chance for peace if they elected Chen was a sign that China had already decided to invade Taiwan. (Mario Seiglie, The China-Taiwan Tinderbox, July 23, 2010.)

August 24, 2011 The Washington Times reported: “China's military buildup has made impressive gains that pushed the Communist Party-controlled People's Liberation Army closer to matching modern militaries, according to the Pentagon's annual report to Congress made public Wednesday. (August 27, 2011. From a UCG affiliated blog.)

Here’s a portion of the book’s synopsis. You know, on the back cover. Where have all the grown-ups gone?, she asks. That is the provocative question Washington Times syndicated columnist Diana West asks as she looks at America today. (Peter Eddington, Are You Going to Grow Up?, March 8, 2014.)

And as Middle East expert Daniel Pipes wrote in a Washington Times piece earlier this year, “Efforts to overthrow greedy tyrants lead to yet-worse ideological tyrants (as in Iran in 1979) or to anarchy (as in Libya and Yemen)” (“The Middle East Mightily Resists Efforts to Prod Modernization,” Jan. 23, 2014). (John Ross Schroeder and Peter Eddington, Searching for Eden in the Middle East, May 29, 2014.)

A recent Washington Times article described American public schools as “in a free fall,” with U.S. schools now ranking 29th in the world. This from the nation that earlier put man on the moon and has for decades led the world in finding cures for killer diseases. (Michael Kelley, 2015 - A Year of Triumph or Trial for America?, March 9, 2015.)

Former CIA director James Woolsey and Peter Vincent Pry, who served on the Congressional EMP Commission, have been outspoken about the EMP threat. Woolsey relates in a Washington Times article: “The Congressional EMP Commission estimated a nationwide blackout lasting one year could kill anywhere from two of every three Americans by a low estimate up to nine of 10 Americans by starvation and social disruption.” This is astoundingly serious and sobering! (Tom Robinson, Iran and the Threat of EMP Attack, November 3, 2015.)

***

And so this list of quotes come to an end.

UCG trusts The Washington Times and has never bothered to note to their readers who happens to own this newspaper.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Haters Cheer at Accidental Fire of B'Tselem's Jerusalem Office

An Israeli human rights group that monitors what happens in the West Bank and Gaza, B'Tselem, had their offices in Jerusalem burnt in an accidental fire recently.

Some Israelis who did not like them chose to celebrate this misfortune.





And one Israeli rightist chose to post a picture which defaced B'Tselem's logo with a hanged man.





What frightening behavior. Why is there this hate for B'Tselem? We can discover why this is so at B'Tselem's website.

Reading CUFI's Torch

While reading For God's Sake by Lee Marsden I learned that among Evangelical Christians in the United States the main pro-Israel organization is Christians United For Israel (CUFI). It was founded in 2006 by John Hagee. It has over two million members.

It publishes a magazine entitled The Torch. Let's see what they have to say.

Many articles are written by persons outside of CUFI.

It is noticeable that there is little discussion of domestic Israeli politics or the harsh facts regarding military operations conducted by the State of Israel's military and police personnel. The viewpoint presented is well defined. There is little curiosity to be found.


Their letter from the editors talks about an article about CUFI by The Hill.

One article talks about the problem of persecution against Christians and other religious minorities within Pakistan. It is certainly true that this is a severe problem.

One article discusses how world opinion has turned against the State of Israel since 1967. The rise of Palestinian nationalism after the Six Day War is cited as one factor.

One article says the deal with Iran will be terrible and awful. Within it is stated that only realistic course of action regarding Iran is:
The elimination of Iran's nuclear capabilities by a combination of genuinely crippling sanctions and targeted military strikes. (p. 15.)
One article talks about Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys trying to set up shop in the Gaza Strip. May ISIL's efforts miserably fail.

One article talks about the negotiations with Iran being extended yet again.

One article talks about Palestinian condemnations of Israeli Jews visiting the Temple Mount. Such Palestinian condemnations of visits are condemned as incitement that could spark a new intifada. Those Israeli Jews advocating for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount (which is contrary to the status quo) are defended. The possibility that discouraging such talk might calm things down is never discussed.

One article by the Executive Director of CUFI mentions the murder of four Rabbis and a police officer in Jerusalem on November 18, 2014 by a murderer who happened to be Palestinian. It is insinuated that the murderer was motivated by claims regarding Al Aqsa Mosque being demolished or somehow partitioned. This is mentioned to say that Palestinians are foolish to believe that Al Aqsa Mosque is somehow in danger or is about to be destroyed.

One article insists that the political struggles of Palestinians and African Americans are not alike in any way.

One article written by a pastor describes a confrontation with an unnamed "replacement" theologian. At one point he mentions how in 1 Samuel 13 an enemy nation gave sadistic terms to the Israelites to either gauge out one eye or two to everyone in an Israelite town held hostage by the enemy. The pastor then offers this punchline.
I suggest to you that the terms of "peace" being offered by the enemies of Israel are every bit as ghoulish. (p. 27.)
So are Palestinians "ghouls" in some way?

One article talks about the delays for the negotiations with Iran.

One article discusses Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, who was hailed by Prime Minister Netanyahu as a godfather of the Israel Defense Force during a ceremony for the reburial of his ashes in Israel.

One article promotes an organization that arranges for Evangelical Christians to visit the Holy Land. Worry is expressed that American Evangelical Christians are starting to not support the State of Israel.
Disinformation, propaganda and bold face-lies have infiltrated and are actually swaying this once rock-solid demographic. (p. 31.)

This issue promotes CUFI On Campus.

Mention is made of a shameful incident in which swastikas were made on a Jewish dormitory in a shameful act of hatred. This incident is used to discredit those who call for a boycott of the State of Israel.

The letter from the editors contains the following condemnation of the protest movement boycott, divest and sanction the State of Israel (BDS) that has been ongoing since 2005.
The tactics associated with BDS are nothing short of appalling. They demonize the Jewish state. They lie about the actions of the Israeli government. And they bully and intimidate pro-Israel students. (p. 2.)
A student at Liberty University describes how she saw a Student Senate debate discussing an attempt to pass a resolution supporting BDS.
I watched live online the UC Davis Student Senate debate and for the first time I saw vitriolic anti-Israel sentiment on campus. (p. 2.)
So does this mean that this writer has no experience with this sort of rhetoric? If this is so how can we trust that this person is experienced enough to understand in an informed way what happened?

One article promotes an organization that takes Christians to the Holy Land and learn more about it first hand.

One article talks about how CUFI has over two million members, or more specifically people who get sent their emails. Its organizational strength is discussed.

One article talks about women being oppressed with the Gaza Strip.

One article talks about Liberty University passing a resolution forbidding any boycott of the State of Israel.

One article talks about Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to Congress on March 3, 2015. It ends with the author's declaration that he was more determined:
...to bring the Jewish and Christian communities together in a closer bond and to fight with every ounce of my being against the rising forces within America that hate everything our Judeo-Christian civilization is built upon. (p. 17.)
One article talks about CUFI agreeing with Netanyahu's speech.

One article talks about a federal court in New York ordering the PLO and the Palestinian Authority to pay $218.5 million in compensation for terrorist attacks that killed American civilians.

One article mentions how various Arab states are aligning themselves against Iran in the wake of the possibility of an agreement with Iran.

One article mentions one proposed act making its way through the Senate that if passed would make it easier for Congress to not approve the agreement.


The letter from the editors promotes an ornament to encourage Christians to pray for the State of Israel every Friday at noon.

One article states that God stands with the State of Israel therefore Christians must do so as well.

One article compares President Obama and Secretary Kerry to Chamberlain. The negotiations are characterized as appeasement like Chamberlain's. The article ends with these words insinuating that this deal might lead to a second Holocaust which is to be directed at the State of Israel.
Over the next month it is essential that we do everything possible to stop this bad deal. CUFI will be at the forefront of the battle. Watch for our alerts and action items so that we can prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, which will threaten Israel with a second Holocaust while driving the United States into a retreat from the Middle East. (p. 9.)
One article condemns the agreement with Iran as leading to war.

One article talks about Israelis participating in the rescue efforts in Nepal following its earthquake.

One article talks about an American pastor still imprisoned in Iran. This is cited as part of an attempt to discredit the negotiations and eventual agreement with Iran.

One article is from an African American pastor in Virginia who mentions adopting various Jewish practices to show support towards the Jewish people.

One article calls upon African Americans to support the State of Israel citing Martin Luther King and Bayard Rustin.

One article condemns how difficult it would be for the Senate to block any agreement.

One article talks about the Palestinians in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

One article discusses CUFI's boot camp to train students to counter those promoting a boycott of the State of Israel on campuses.

One article interviews David Horowitz, a man labeled by the Center for American Progress as being part of what it called the Islamophobia Network.


The letter from the editors discuss their opposition to an agreement with Iran.
We cheered wildly when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared the truth about Iran during his address to a joint session of Congress. We got increasingly nervous as details began to emerge about the Obama Administration's Iran negotiations. We were appalled when President Obama announced the Iran Deal. We were blessed to bring 5,000 CUFI members to Capitol Hill to tell their elected officials to oppose the Iran Deal. Sadly we were heartbroken when President Obama received enough support to uphold his disastrous Iran deal. (p. 2.)
One article by a Rabbi describes CUFI as "the Christian AIPAC". In the article are the following words describing a meeting with a South Carolina Congressman.
At least in South Carolina, support for Israel is apolitical, [a South Carolina Congressman] told me. In his words, supporting Israel "transcends party and race. It's a matter of American patriotism." Thanks to his efforts, "South Carolina Stands with Israel" is an approved vanity license plate available through the state DMV. (p. 14.)
In the same article one student is interviewed saying the following words relating to an event described in the Spring 2015 issue above in which shouting a commonly used phrase often used for many different reasons that happens to be of religious origins is equated as being like attempted murder.
[A student] was watching the live stream of the meeting and when [a friend at the meeting] and her friends left the room she was horrified: students yelled Allahu Akbar at their backs, like jihadis closing in for murder. Shortly thereafter, the Jewish fraternity at UC Davis was graffittied with swastikas. (p. 14.)
One article talks about turmoil in Palestinian refugee camps within Lebanon as some affiliated with Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys try to set up shop there. May ISIL's efforts fail miserably.

One article written by a man whose daughter was murdered in a suicide bombing in 1994 condemns a move by the Obama Administration to list Mohammad Deif, the leader of Hamas' armed wing, as a designated terrorist as merely a slap on the wrist. He calls for Deif to be extradited to the United States to face trial.

One article discusses the University of California contemplating passing rules to prevent incidents of anti-Semitism.

One article sarcastically marvels at how President Obama's agreement united so many Chrisitans and Jews to oppose it. While discussing a petition supporting the agreement he insinuates that the Jews who belong to J Street, including the rabbis associated with them, are not Jews.
A look at the names of the signatories reveals a veritable who's who of the progressive advocacy group J Street. The self-described "president's blocking back" in Congress tends to enlist rabbis and activists whose religion is liberalism, not Judaism. (p. 27.)
What a way for CUFI to show solidarity and support to American Jews who happen to have different political opinions: publish an article that questions their Jewishness.

One article mentions the shameful incident of the S. S. St. Louis which was forbidden from reaching Cuba and then the United States even though it carried hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. Tragically they were sent back and many were murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazis. This is mentioned to condemn the agreement with Iran and to insinuate that Iran's Supreme Leader is now encouraged to destroy the State of Israel.

***

And so 2016 begins but this post ends here.

Israelis and Palestinians Living Separate Lives

From Associated Press:
Rabinyan said the book is not autobiographical, but that she was inspired to write “Borderlife” after spending a year in New York City. While there, she said she met Palestinian students, scientists and artists — a rarity. Although 20 percent of Israeli citizens are Arabs, Jews and Arabs have minimal interaction, while Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have little contact with Israelis other than soldiers.

“I had to cross two oceans to get to know for the first time, eye-to-eye, on foreign soil and speaking in English, my neighbors, those who grew up under the same sun on the same strip of land between the river and the sea,” Rabinyan said. “It was a very meaningful experience.” (Source.)

Monday, January 11, 2016

Christians Fought for Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132-5

HWA taught that it is forbidden for "true Christians" (his followers) from serving in the armed forces. Many of his imitators teach this doctrine to this day. But HWA was imitating the Jehovah's Witnesses.

He was quite likely unaware that just one hundred years after Jesus' time some of the Christians within Judaea participated in the Jewish people's national liberation struggle against the Roman Empire that occurred in 132-5 during the reign of Hadrian.

Like the American Patriots who fought against British rule the Jews in Judaea fought to liberate themselves from foreign rule. They were led by Simon bar Kokhba who was hailed by some of his soldiers as the awaited Messiah. Some of those who joined him in the revolt were Christians.
Many of [bar Kokhba's] followers thought he was the messiah, the Son of David-there were rumors that he could shoot flames out of his hands to smite his enemies-while others did not. These included Jewish Christians who also joined in the fighting against the Romans and whom bar Kosiba [a leader of the Jewish revolt] supposedly ousted from his ranks if they refused to renounce Jesus. (Joseph Cummings, Why Some Wars Never End, 2010, Chapter 5, p. 97.)
Although it appears there were tensions over religious affiliation nevertheless it is noteworthy that during this supreme crisis some Christians chose to join in the revolt and use arms to fight against Roman rule. How very different this is from what HWA taught us.

(However it is true that some Christians also decided not to join the revolt.)

So just within a century after the time of Jesus some Christians among the Jews of the time decided to join the revolt against Roman rule.

All kinds of ghastly atrocities and violence was employed by the Roman Empire to crush the Jewish peoples' yearning for freedom from foreign rule. Elsewhere this book mentions the following on page 98: "The Romans supposedly wrapped children in the Torah and set them afire." Furthermore many Jews were enslaved by the Romans so much so that in the slave markets within Judaea a Jewish slave was "worth than a horse's ration of grain." (p. 98.)

How terrible that such things should happen to people who yearned to be free. How terrible were the results of Rome's determination to rule so many nations who did not want to be ruled by them.

PCG Boasts of Blessing Oklahoma Despite High Rate of Shootings



Back in July 2011 PCG's Ron Fraser wrote an article insinuating that the presence of PCG headquarters in Oklahoma was blessing the State of Oklahoma with divine favor.
As America languishes in recession, the Sooner State shows the rest of the nation its heels. ...

I’m glad to live in a state where the vast majority is still conservative in outlook, and not given at present to extreme changes in the law. ... the real reason for the blessings currently being enjoyed by this state and by the city of Edmond, in particular, would be hidden to most. ...

In the meantime, not only the city of Edmond, not just Oklahoma City, but the whole state of Oklahoma is shining brightly with a reputation of being “recession proof” amid the increasing pain that is being brought upon the United States through its current economic crisis.

Is there a lesson to be drawn here?

There certainly is, though most are blinded to it.

God blesses His work. Those blessings soon benefit the whole community surrounding the location where He places His name and from which He chooses to administer His work.

Place is important to God. It always has been. He makes that evident by showering His blessings on the location of His choice as He moves the earthly headquarters of His work to suit the times we are living through in any given generation. (Ron Fraser, "Oklahoma--You're Kidding!", July 18, 2011.)
If PCG's God is blessing the State of Oklahoma then why is it according to CBS that the State of Oklahoma has the eighth highest rate of death by gun violence in all the United States? It has a rate of 16.5 per 1000 population. In comparison the state with the lowest rate of deaths by gun violence is Hawai'i, with a rate of 2.6 per 1000 population.

This is a ghastly state of affairs for the people of Oklahoma. They do not deserve to have their families and friends to be afflicted in such a way.

Considering this dire state of affairs how dare PCG's leaders should boast that their mere presence somehow blesses the State of Oklahoma. PCG should do something about this terrible rate of violence blighting their own neighborhoods and friends and families neighboring their headquarters instead of boasting that their mere presence somehow blesses the State of Oklahoma.

[Update: Thanks to Opinionated it has been brought to my attention that currently Oklahoma is enduring an unprecedented wave of earthquakes (2009–16 Oklahoma earthquake swarms). Some suspect these earthquakes are caused by the use of fracking to get more oil. I wish the people of Oklahoma well in this crisis.]

COG Member in Christians United For Israel Tweet

From Christians United For Israel, the main pro-Israel organization among evangelical Christians in the United States.


As mentioned in a previous post Chloe Valdary is a member of the Intercontinental Church of God. She is the daughter of an Intercontinental COG minister, Max Valdary.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

PCG Cites Islamophobia Network to Scare Monger About Muslims


The Islamophobia Network

In the latest issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, there is an inflammatory infographic entitled "How Much Radicalism Is in the Muslim Community?"

To support scare mongering against our Muslim neighbors PCG's infographic cites two organizations that were identified in a 2011 report by the Center for American Progress as being part what it called the Islamophobia Network.

These organizations are discussed at here and here

Friday, January 8, 2016

LCG Quoting The Washington Times

LCG has on a few occasions quoted The Washington Times in their writings. The Washington Times is a far right newspaper. But PCG's writers never bother to mention to their readers what The Washington Times is.

The Washington Times was founded in 1982 by a certain controversial religious movement originating from Korea. This religious movement from Korea teaches many things contrary to LCG's teachings. It has often been described by ex-members and non-members as a cult. Both Rick Ross and Steven Hassan have much information regarding this controversial religious movement originating from Korea.

This link between The Washington Times and this particular religious movement from Korea is never mentioned by LCG.

Unlike PCG and UCG the writers of LCG have rarely quoted The Washington Times. This reflects LCG's tendency to focus more on producing more spiritual sounding articles rather than fixating on political affairs. But even so LCG has occasionally cited articles from The Washington Times. LCG has never criticized them or bothered to mention that it was founded and funded by this particular controversial religious group originating from Korea.

Without further ado here are several instances in which LCG's writers have quoted The Washington Times.

This list includes articles written by Roderick C. Meredith, Douglas Winnail, Rod McNair, Rod Reynolds, Adam West, the late Carl Ponder and Charles Bryce (who has since left LCG and leads his own COG splinter group).

***

We still have some of the highest rates of drunkenness and drug use, divorce, crime and violence of any nation on earth. Our moral toboggan slide continues to accelerate. As reported by the Washington Times: "One study found that on prime-time television, references to porn were 300 percent more common in 1999 than in 1989" ("Amoral Expectations," June 2, 2001). Notably, in the same year, for the first time in history, fully one-third of the babies born in the United States were born out of wedlock ("Unwed mothers set a record for births," Washington Times, April 18, 2001). Television and other mainstream media, and even government agencies, now openly promote homosexuality. And any who protest are vilified and ostracized. (Roderick C. Meredith, Wake Up America!, January-February 2002.)

Yet even Great Britain, once considered an unflinching ally of the U.S., is feeling pressure from anti- American forces in Europe. Notice this “supportive” comment by British Prime Minister Tony Blair: “Because of America’s genuinely special position, people tend to exaggerate the extent to which the United States is saying, ‘We don’t care what the rest of the world thinks’.... When Europe and America stand together, the world is safer and more stable. When they come apart, the world becomes quite a dangerous place.... If we [in Europe] want to have greater say and greater power, then instead of complaining about America, we’ve got to face up to... developing a coherent defense capability and a set of institutions to allow Europe to speak strongly’” (“Blair Says America is Force for Good,” Washington Times , July 26, 2002). (Charles Bryce, America the Beautiful ... The Hated, The Isolated, January-February 2004.)

The daily press illustrates how liberal theologians have undermined the influence of the Christian church by expressing their doubts about God, the Bible, the deity of Jesus and other Christian doctrines. ... some American Episcopal priests promote pagan practices in their worship (The Washington Times, November 1, 2004). (Douglas Winnail, God's People Will Forget God!, May-June 2005.)

The former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky refers to the EU as the "EUSSR." He does so, he explains, because the former USSR and the EU share the same goal: the obliteration of nations. "The European Union, like the Soviet Union, cannot be democratized," he says. If the EU becomes a genuine state it is bound to be an evil empire, because there is no European nation (Washington Times, 06/20/07). (Carl Ponder, Europe a step closer to reviving the Holy Roman Empire!, July 7, 2007.)

Another reason for the naval buildup is the growing appreciation for vital sea lanes, especially crucial "choke points" such as the Malacca Straits. Southeast Asian countries have long had to deal with piracy, but the specter of global terrorism adds urgency to protect vulnerable commercial sea traffic. As its economy has grown—along with the thirst for oil to fuel it—China has developed keener interest in protecting commercial interests through a true ocean-going navy. Around 30 percent of all international trade passes through the narrow, 550-mile Malacca Straits. Tankers coming through the Straits bring 80 percent of the oil needed by both Japan and China. While China's navy "currently lacks the ability to defend sea lanes that carry oil to China from the Middle East… it is discussing ways of doing so in the future" ("China speeds pace of military buildup," Washington Times, March 3, 2008). (Rod McNair, Who Will Rule The Waves?, November-December 2008.)

For decades, in the United States, the percentage of children born out of wedlock has been spiraling upwards. In 1999, for the first time, government statistics showed that fully one-third of births in the U.S. were to unwed mothers ("Unwed Mothers Set a Record for Births," Washington Times, April 18, 2001).  (Rod Reynolds, Rule Your Money, November-December 2008.)

An article in the Washington Times, "CBO: Obama stimulus harmful over long haul,"quotes a startling warning offered by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which stated plainly that "President Obama's economic recovery package will actually hurt the economy more in the long run than if he were to do nothing." What a stark warning of the potential effect of hasty law-making! (Adam West, Goodless and Confused?, March 21, 2009.)

The report, entitled: “Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses,” noted that both China and Russia have suggested financial terrorism against the U.S. in the past. ... Some experts dispute the study findings noting that there is no specific evidence of financial terrorism, while the report soberly noted: “This is the ‘end game’ if the goal is to destroy America…”  (The Washington Times, February 28, 2011). (Financial terrorism, March 28, 2011.)

Today, however, millions of Americans have rejected these age-old standards. Consider this report by Washington Times author Ben Wolfgang:
“For the third time in the past year, more than 50 percent of Americans say they support same-sex marriage, a new Gallup poll released Monday states.
The figure shows a remarkable shift in public attitudes over the past two decades. In 1996, just 27 percent of Americans said they supported same-sex marriage. Even just three years ago, the figure was only 44 percent, the survey shows.
But the last three polls—in May 2011, November 2011 and Monday’s release—have put the number at 53 percent, an all-time high.
The change has largely been driven by young people. Monday’s survey shows that 70 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds support same-sex marriage. In 1996, it was just 41 percent, and in 2010, only 52 percent (“Support for same-sex marriage now firmly above 50 percent, poll says,” May 13, 2013). (Roderick C. Meredith, Hold on to Truth!, July-August 2013.)
The Washington National Cathedral, “The most visible Episcopal church in the U.S. is hosting its first openly transgender priest [Cameron Patrick] this month” (Washington Times, June 9, 2014). “The Right Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal priest… [will] be presiding the same service” (ibid.). “We at Washington National Cathedral are striving to send a message of love and affirmation, especially to LGBT youth… We want to proclaim to them as proudly and unequivocally as we can: Your gender identity is good and your sexual orientation is good because that’s the way that God made you” (ibid.). (Is God Pleased?, June 23, 2014.)

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And so this list of quotes come to an end.

LCG trusts The Washington Times although they have cited The Washington Times rarely compared to PCG and UCG. LCG has never bothered to note to their readers who happens to own this newspaper.