The False Scare: Fear over Non-Existant Social Security Crisis

The Daily Howler has once again published a post discussing how the Right have created the widespread false perception that there is a crisis in Social Security.

Many reports about Social Security often presents information in such a way that readers assume that Social Security will go bankrupt by 2037. This is an incorrect message. What will happen in 2037 is that, “Social Security would collect enough in payroll taxes to pay out about 78 percent of benefits” as stated by a source in the linked article.

So you would get 78 cents for every dollar from 2037. It is not going to disappear.

And it is relatively easy to solve this problem, as seen in this previous post:

Myth: Benefit cuts are the only way to fix Social Security.

Reality: Social Security doesn't need to be fixed. But if we want to strengthen it, here's a better way: Make the rich pay their fair share. [More on that here.] If the very rich paid taxes on all of their income, Social Security would be sustainable for decades to come. Right now, high earners only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,000 of their income. But conservatives insist benefit cuts are the only way because they want to protect the super-rich from paying their fair share.

So it is not going to disappear. Social Security is secure as is, and as seen above it is easily sustainable well past 2037 if only the rich paid for Social Security over the rest of their income and not just $106,000 of it.

There is no Social Security crisis in fact. However the Right are doing all they can to convince people that it will not be there for them in order that they may cut it. After all, if you think Social Security won't be there for you, why wouldn't you let the Right just cut it in order to make it better, as they incorrectly tell you.

Any such cuts must be resisted and not allowed to be put in force.

Dave Pack's Selective Use of Statistics

LCG apologist Bob Thiel has revealed some of the dishonest tactics used by Dave Pack to lure people into his group in his News of Those Once Affiliated with the Global Church of God page.

From the January 26 update:

If RCG had the fruits, RCG would publicly list its income for each year since it formed, its members for each year since it formed, and other statistics. Instead, David Pack has demonstrated a pattern of pointing to one or two statistics one year, then others in other years, while at the same time not revealing publicly his membership.

This selective use of statistics seems to have worked for him, but this is not proof of fruits.

And from the January 27 update:

RCG's David Pack has a history of selectively focusing on certain statistics to give the impression that RCG has phenomenal growth or is highly successful in some area.

Yet, he tends to be inconsistent in the fact that David Pack has to change what particular area he is reporting about. For example, for nearly a year he has been focused on the number of what he calls "church inquiries" that RCG gets and how that has increased. In 2010, that total number of inquiries was 4,790. Now the fact that the Living Church of God has often received more responses to its telecast in a single week than RCG's record high "church inquiries" is discounted by David Pack.

But there is more. David Pack historically has made a big deal about his internet reach. He even asked his membership to take out mortgages on their homes and cash out their retirements a few years back so that, amongst other things, RCG would improve its internet reach.

Yet, David Pack has no longer been making such a big deal of his internet reach.

Why?

Well, perhaps because RCG does not do that well with it right now.

For example, as of this morning, according to Alexa (an independent internet rating company), RCG's thercg.org website had an internet ranking of 185,503. This means that 185,502 websites are more popular than RCG's. And while 185,503 is not a bad ranking, the COGwriter website had an Alexa internet ranking of 154,255 this morning.

This means that the COGwriter website, which has never spent any money on advertising itself, is significantly more popular than RCG's, despite the fact that RCG does spend advertising money to promote its website.

So if you ever find his group alluring and you hear the siren song to join with Pack and Co. just remember that he selectively use only the statistics that make RCG look successful.

It is a cunning slight of hand.

Some Guy who Wishes He Could Slap Women in Public

Recently I saw this little video: British salafi Abu Mounisa - The Islamic Awakening Conference in which the speaker calls for democracy, capitalism, etc, to be beheaded and replaced by Islam.

Please watch the video first if you can. It's more fun that way.

For those of you who were unable to watch it in the video you will hear some Muslim activist of some sort saying we (his kind of Muslims, he means) need to uproot and behead democracy, capitalism, etc, and replace it with Islam.

In one curious section (around 4:20) he cited how one of the Caliphs was in the street in Medina and slapped a woman for dressing inappropriately and rebuked her for that.

The speaker in the video complains that he can't do that today. (Oh! So you think you should act like the Caliph.)

Now if I was Muslim (which I'm not) my response would be something like this: he's the Caliph. The ruler of the realm.

In contrast the speaker in the video above is just some guy. I'm pretty sure that sort of behavior could actually be punished by the state as some kind of assault.

My heart goes out all the reasonably minded Muslims, who I am sure are not like him at all, who are forced to endure the fear and hostility which is unfortunately provoked by people like the speaker in this video.

Just because you share the same religion as that Caliph does not mean you can act like him.

He had an army. You do not. He ruled over a vast empire. You are just some guy.

Man, he needs to really rethink his attitude towards women.

Hey, did that rant just remind you of anyone?

Hey, that's what Herbert W. Armstrong suggested in his "Women's Dress Ruling concerning too short and too tight skirts, and extra-low-neck dresses" in the September, 1962, Good News, pp. 9, 16.

In this infamous article HWA states that seeing inappropriately dressed makes him so mad he feels they deserve a "sound spanking" or to be called a "common prostitute." (p. 9, middle column, paragraphs 4-6.)

Well, there you have it. No wonder his attitude struck us the wrong way. He is talking like Herbert W. Armstrong.

Good News: Social Security is Secure and SALT III Passed

I just read that SALT 3 has just been approved by Russia so there will be less nuclear weapons held by both the US and Russia. I regard this as very good. Now onto another story.

PCG has published a story saying that Social Security will go bankrupt. It cites this AP story to frighten their eternally abused flock that Social Security will go bankrupt.

I would like to once again share these facts with you.

• "The Social Security trustees—the official body charged with evaluating the program’s long-term finances—project that Social Security can pay 100 percent of promised benefits through 2037 and about three-quarters of scheduled benefits after that, even if Congress makes no changes in the program." (See this post.)

• After 2037, at present trends, Social Security will have to pay out less than a dollar to beneficiaries. It is not going to go bankrupt as many people mistakenly believe.

• Top 5 Social Security Myths

It is truly sad to see that while having to deal with all the problems the people of the USA are enduring (wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the lack of universal health care coverage, the recession, intrusive TSA tyranny at the airports, etc.,) many are mistakenly informed that Social Security is going to go broke. Many Americans labor under the misconception that Social Security won't be there for them

They do not realize they are being tricked by the Right in order to whittle down Social Security. It is not necessary at all for financial heath.

PCG, as is so often the case, has swallowed this piece of Right wing misinformation and are using it to instill fear into their followers.

I am glad to see the Daily Howler has once again tackled this issue.

Our public discourse is a howling mess—has been so for many years. The source of this disaster is clear:

On the one hand, skillful, well-financed conservative think tanks push poll-tested disinformation into the public sphere. (The Social Security trust fund is an elaborate accounting trick—a pile of worthless IOUs! The money isn’t there—we’ve already spent it! The left hand has been borrowing from the right! By 2037, the program will be bankrupt!)

In response, the mainstream press corps flounders and flails. It proves unwilling, or unable, to deal with the massive public confusion produced by this onslaught.

Surely, liberals and progressives know how these two sectors will continue to function. If we hope for a better public discourse, it’s plainly up to us to create it. But alas! Our major progressive organs have never been up to the task of “repealing and replacing” the bogus narratives which come from the right. ...

the standard claims are grossly misleading, but they are skillfully constructed, fiendishly persuasive and extremely well-known.

There is much more to be said on this subject.

Anyway the point is: the Social Security Scare is a non-existent crisis that you do not need to worry about.

PCG's Inept Advice on Surviving the Recession

In the latest Philadelphia Trumpet the writers have included a list of advice for those undergoing this dreadful recession: Penny-Saving Tips.

Reducing tithes is not mentioned at all, but considering that that is PCG's source of income this is sadly unsurprising.

Presumably this is written by someone employed by the Philadelphia Church of God from their main income, tithes provided by their members. I have to ask would such people really know how to survive during this recession?

There are some advice I cannot disagree with but some of their advice makes me rather suspicious at the writer(s) skill in dealing with this issue.

Let's see what they have to say.

• Walk or bike when possible—it’s healthier.

I won't discussing the walking advice but I must speak about biking on the roads.

Frankly I feel that people biking on the road are in a position of danger. Roads, alas, are made for cars, not bicycles, not even motorbikes, but cars. I feel that in too many circumstances it may be too dangerous use a bike on the road. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of making such a change to take their personal safety into consideration when making such a decision.

• Cut out Internet use. When you need to “search the Net,” use the public library.

This piece of advice strikes me as ignorant of modern conditions. I would like to share this story from a struggling substitute teacher posted on the leftist community blog, DailyKos:

The internet IS a basic need for many working poor who want to stay working.

I have seen too many post [sic] with comment [sic, and so on throughout] the likes of "if you can afford to have Internet ... you're not really poor." I have had similar things said to me about the fact that I have a cell phone.... [It is] my one and only way to find work and try to get out of poverty ... there has never been a time I did not have internet access and a cell phone. Why? Because I have to work. ...

I have worked summers on an on call temp job. If you are called and do not answer the phone immediately the job goes to someone else. This leaves two options, sit by the phone all day and ignore your family or have a cell phone.

I have found two of my jobs while living over an hour away. I found them through the internet also, they were not posted in newspapers or on local job boards and I would never have found them without looking online. ...

I know that if I did not have internet and a cell phone I would not have had ANY of the jobs I have had since I finished my undergraduate education. ...

Internet is NOT a luxury for many of the working poor. Having a working heater, door handle, window, etc in my car is a luxury I cannot afford right now, but having the means to find work in the internet age is a necessity.

So PCG's advice on this matter strikes me as painfully ignorant of the current situation of many of the poor.

It also must be noted that PCG have actively discouraged members from getting to used to the Internet, as seen in Andrew Locher's infamous Facebook sermon when he demonized Facebook as a tool of the Devil best to be avoided. PCG did this in order to better enforce their infamous No Contact rule against ex-members and members of the other COGs.

If PCG were really concerned about their members' financial welfare they would relax the tithing rules. But, alas, they will not do that.

xHWA on Armstrongism's Distorted Dogmas of History

xHWA has produced an excellent blog, A Pattern of Dishonest Documentation.

It details how one columnist in LCG quotes the Encyclopedia Britannica, and then xHWA checks the source and discover that it does not present information quite exactly how the LCG columnist presents it.

He has also written Is Valentines Day the Lupercalia? Here he presents evidence everyone of us who had any kind of association with Armstrongism needs to read that the origins of this day are not how Armstrongites have taught it. It is a fascinating read.

Alas, I cannot help but agree that this sort of thing happens all the time in the world of Armstrongism. In 1999 John Ogwyn wrote an article stating that Herbert W Armstrong was a marvelous foreseer of the fall of the Iron Curtain by quoting some articles he wrote in 1952 and 1956.

John Ogwyn deceptively ignored the countless other failed speculations HWA made, that Christ would return in 1936, that Mussolini, then Hitler was the Beast who would be slain by the returning Christ outside Jerusalem, that Christ would return in 1975, in Mystery of the Ages HWA predicted Christ to return by 2005 at the latest, that the Soviet Union would last several years after the return of Christ, and countless other false predictions.

Alas resorting to such omission of information is all too common among Armstrongites, because they operate upon the false assumption that 1) HWA was a man used by God (which is not true, his many false prophecies prove that) and what he taught was true (which in many cases were not true).

The Oppression of Pakistan's Man Made Blasphemy Law

It is very sad to hear about Pakistan's blasphemy laws and how they are used to intimidate religious minorities within Pakistan. Here is some background about these laws:

For background, here is the text of the original law introduced into the Indian Penal Code by British colonial rulers in 1860:

Section 295: Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class:

“Whoever destroys, damages, or defiles a place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”

Here is the version of one of the added clauses which have caused so much acrimony in Pakistan, as amended in 1986 by Pakistan’s then military ruler, General Zia-ul-Haq:

Section 295-C: Use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)

“Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.”

The amendment loses any acknowledgement of intent. Yet intent is not only a fundamental part of any legal system but also an essential attribute of faith. Indeed when Britain abolished its own archaic blasphemy laws in 2008, and these were replaced with laws against inciting religious and racial hatred, the idea of intent was retained.

The row which caused Taseer’s death was about amending the Pakistani penal code to reintroduce the concept of intent and end the death penalty. It was never about repealing the laws, nor about allowing people to insult Islam or the prophet Muhammed. (Pakistan, blasphemy, and a tale of two women, Reuters.)

A lot of attention upon those laws have occurred due to the murder of Salman Taseer, an MP who wished to reform the law in order prevent it being used to abuse religious minorities.

Salman Taseer was driven to speak out against the abusive nature of this law because the tragic case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, a mother of five, who has been sentenced to death.

While working in the fields last June, she was sent to fetch water. When some of the other woman refused to drink it because it had been carried by a Christian, a spat ensued about the merits of both religions. The other women later went to a cleric and complained that Bibi has blasphemed the name of the Prophet Muhammad.

A complaint was filed and Bibi was charged, convicted, and given a death sentence. (Some Christians in Pakistan convert fear into safety, Toronto Star.)

The abuses of this infamous blasphemy law are well documented. Here is one particularly disgusting case which well illustrates how abusive this law is:

Here's the case when an Ismaili Muslim, Naushad Walyani, was charged with blasphemy for simply throwing away a business card of a man named Muhammad.

As protests and appeals for the freedom of Asia Bibi mount, the controversial blasphemy law has claimed another victim from a religious minority, this time of the Ismaili Muslim sect that is headed by the Aga Khan. The episode proves, if proof were ever needed, how the blasphemy law harms Pakistani civil society of [sic]. The incident took place in Hyderabad, the second city of the province of Sindh. Naushad Walyani, a doctor, is in prison for a seemingly trivial gesture. A pharmaceutical salesman, Muhammed Faizan, visited him on December 9 to sell certain products. The doctor ''after taking the business card of the sales representative threw it in the trash'' writes a local newspaper. Clearly annoyed by the gesture, Faizan returned later with some colleagues to "teach the doctor a lesson". A violent quarrel broke out between the two.

The agent threatened to report the doctor for blasphemy for not respecting the sacred name engraved on the business card. According to local media reports, on December 10 Faizal's colleagues attacked the doctor, who, following a complaint to police under the Blasphemy Act was arrested and is now awaiting trial. His apology and the assurance that he "had no intention of insulting the Prophet by throwing the card in the trash' has served no purpose. The complaint was supported by local religious leaders.

And when you consider that Muhammad happens to be the common given name in the world that is unutterably obscene.

In another case two Muslims were sentenced for life after alledgedly removing a poster on their store which contained Qur'anic verses.

A Pakistan court has jailed a Muslim prayer leader and his 20-year-old son for life on controversial blasphemy charges in the rural centre of the country, court officials said Tuesday....Mohammad Shafi, 45, and his son Mohammad Aslam, 20, were arrested in April last year for removing a poster outside their grocery shop advertising an Islamic event in a nearby village which allegedly contained Quranic verses. (Court convicts imam and son for blasphemy, AFP.)

(That reminds me of a story I read in one of Jean Sasson's books, either Daughters of Arabia or Princess Sultana's Circle. These books are about a Saudi princess known only by the alias Sultana. One of Sultana's daughters became somewhat fanatical in her faith after attending the pilgrimage to Mecca, much to the annoyance of her family. At one point she suggested that the family could not throw away the newspaper because the newspapers contained verses from the Qur'an. Her family were not impressed.)

No wonder the Pope has called for this law to be repealed.

The mere accusation of blasphemy is often enough to whip an angry mob against the unfortunately accused, as may be seen in the terrible case of Latif Masih, 22, who was murdered on November 18, 2010 by his accusers after being granted bail.

The murderer, one of his bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, seems to have been motivated after hearing polemics against Taseer by Islamic religious authorities:

Qadri told a judge Monday in written testimony that he decided to kill Taseer after he attended a gathering on Dec. 31 organized by Shahab-e-Islam, a small Islamist group that operated in his neighborhood in Rawalpindi, just outside the capital, Islamabad. He said speeches given by a cleric leading the group, Qari Hanif, and another member, Ishtiaq Shah, played a major role in his decision. (Sermons motivated killer of Pakistani politician, Yahoo News.)

Just as the forces of reaction did all they could to maintain racial segregation in the South of the US so those who wish to preserve these abusive laws in Pakistan have done all they could to make sure the government will not change this law.

Before the murder a national strike was held by those supporting the abusive law.

Violence flared Friday as police and protesters clashed during a mass protest strike that closed businesses across Pakistan over a bid to end the death penalty for blasphemy. Police said protesters near the home of unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari in the financial hub of Karachi pelted stones as they shouted slogans including "We'll sacrifice our lives -- we'll save the sanctity of the Prophet". (Violence as Pakistan strikes over blasphemy law.)

The murder of Salman Taseer, among other things, seems to have intimidated some Christians into converting to Islam, as documented in this heartbreaking Toronto Star story, Some Christians in Pakistan convert fear into safety.

Although only about 10% of the country vote for Islamist parties they are highly organized and thus are able to wield an impact upon society much greater than their voting figures suggest.

Alas many of the politicians within Pakistan appear to have meekly followed the Islamists' lead are refusing to consider changing this abusive law. The current government insists that no change is being contemplated, even before Taseer's murder.

Pakistan's prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday reiterated that the government does not intend to amend the country's controversial blasphemy law, under which a Christian woman has been sentenced to death.

"Everybody trust me. The government trusts my statement and even the opposition parties believe whatever I promise to them," he told Muslim scholars and spiritual guides from the mystical Sufi strand of the faith.

"You (Sufis) belong to me. Why don't you trust when I say that government would never amend the Blasphemy law?" added Gilani, who hails from a revered Sufi family. (

Pakistan: Prime minister confirms govt has no plans to amend blasphemy law )

Furthermore the Interior Minister has discouraged people discussing the problems caused by this law.

Interior Minister, Rehman Malik on Thursday reiterated that government has no intention to bring any amendment in blasphemy laws, owing to its sensitivity, the people should not play up the issue after the government categorical stance on the subject....The Interior Minister announced to block all un-Islamic materials put on various websites and urged people to inform government if they found any matter of blasphemy on the Internet. He said the government has highest regards for judiciary and its decisions are being implemented in latter and spirit. (Malik for blocking un-Islamic content on websites)

Former Pakistani leader Musharraf, who is currently attempting to re-enter politics, has stated that the blasphemy law must not be repealed.

Even the editor of a newspaper stated to a BBC reporter that Govenor Taseer deserved to be killed, saying incorrectly that the law is divine, completely disregarding the fact that the law is man made and was amended into its current abusive form in 1986. (Alas this particular radio interview is no longer available.)

No wonder so many are willing to protest in support of this abusive law, if even such a presumably intelligent and educated man can carelessly and thoughtlessly believe that the man made law in question is actually divine.

Asia Bibi's current situation in prison has been reported upon by Compass Direct News.

The female warden tasked with Noreen’s security the day Taseer was killed told Compass of the Christian woman’s reaction to the news.

“I was escorting her for her routine walk on the evening Governor Taseer was gunned down,” said the warden, who requested anonymity. “We were passing by a barrack when the news broke out on TV that the governor was dead … She stood there in shock for some time, and then she started screaming and crying.”

The warden added that she helped Noreen back to her cell, “as she could barely walk and kept weeping.”

“She cried all evening and also refused to have supper,” the warden said. “The governor’s killing shattered her

However it appears attempts are being made to keep her safe.

Masih [Asia Bibi's husband] said prison authorities had improved Noreen [Asia Bibi]’s security considerably after Taseer’s killing.

“She’s being kept in a separate cell with a warden deployed 24 hours for her security,” he said. “Only I am allowed to meet her, but even I am searched completely before they bring her out for the meeting. I just hope and pray she keeps safe inside the prison.”

Still, prison officials have reportedly said she will be transferred to another prison soon because of security concerns. ...

Sheikhupura District Jail Superintendent Sheikh Khalid, who recently assumed charge, told Compass that Noreen was the most “high value” inmate of the prison and that he was not going to take any chances regarding her security.

“She is on the hit list of several extremist organizations,” he said, “and there are reports that she might be targeted inside the jail – moreover, she has a 30 million rupee [US$350,000] prize on her head. This is enough incentive for anyone to kill her.”

He said the prison had enhanced its security measures, and additional forces have been employed to guard the premises at night.

“No one except her husband can meet her,” Khalid said. “I have also directed her not to eat anything given to her by any person other than the wardens deployed for her security. We are trying our best to keep her safe, but life and death are in the hands of Allah.” (Jailed Pakistani Mother Living in Constant Fear, Husband Says, Compass Direct News.)

It is good that some are still nevertheless speaking out against Pakistan's abusive blasphemy law.

It is clear that this law is being used to oppress religious minorities within Pakistan and therefore needs to be removed to insure the security and rights of the members of religious minorities so that they may live peaceful and productive lives as citizens of Pakistan.

(Hat tip to Jihad Watch for providing most of these links. I do not agree with everything that is written there.)

How Dare You, Stephen Flurry

I was just thinking again about Stephen Flurry's first UCG crisis related polemic, Making Sense of the Church Split: Judge By the Fruits, which I have discussed previously.

His complaints are so thin skinned and hypocritical.

Stephen Flurry complains that some nameless UCG minister neglected to mention PCG as a possible choice for those leaving WCG.

Stephen Flurry complains that the other COGs remained neutral during PCG's court case with WCG.

(Never mind that most of HWA's major writings were freely available over the Internet in unofficial COG websites throughout most, if not the entire, time the court case proceeded.)

Meanwhile the victims of PCG can complain that their families and their relations with loved ones have been destroyed due to PCG's (Gerald Flurry's, Stephen Flurry's, Joel Hilliker's, Ron Fraser's) policy of forbidding PCG members from making any contact with "Laodiceans".

Recently ESN has published a letter from one who suffers from this No Contact policy.

My brother is one of Flurry's sheep and has not had anything to do with me or our father for the past 4 years. Without calling or letting us know he was coming to the funeral, which we assumed he wasn't, it made a stressful and mournful situation even more so. My question to you other Flurryites that I know visit this site is: Why come to a man's funeral service when you have not visited him in his lengthy illness and made the illness worse by the grief of losing a son? How can this possibly be a "light" to anyone involved or make anyone think? (January 8 letter.)

This is Stephen Flurry's policy.

The victims of PCG can complain that PCG's teaching are causing people to die, because of their negative attitude towards healing by medicine. (How is healing by medicine any different from eating only clean meats? Are you not also hoping the avoidance of unclean meats will make you more healthy? Then what is wrong with medicine?)

This wicked doctrine ultimately comes from the Rutherford era Jehovah's Witnesses who from 1921 - 1953 forbade followers from using vaccines.

While PCG are doing all of these terrible things Stephen Flurry chooses to whine that some nameless UCG minister fifteen years ago did not mention PCG as a possible choice for those leaving WCG.

These are your policies, Stephen Flurry.

How dare you choose to whine about these small slights when you do all these terrible things.

When you tell members they cannot contact "Laodiceans" (and then blame it on God! Besmirching His name.)

When you tell members, or even imply, that healing by medicine is somehow wrong, imitating Rutherford era Jehovah's Witnesses.

When you throw your followers' precious money away to build some $20 million white elephant during this Great Recession. Do they have health insurance.

When you use a book (Malachi's Message) that was viciously plagiarized from Jules Dervaes' Letter to Laodicea. When Jules Dervaes received Malachi's Message through unsolicited mail he knew immediately that the book was merely a rip off of his writings.

And you choose to whine over how one UCG minister did not mention your sect fifteen years ago.

How dare you, Stephen Flurry.

How dare you.

Christians Fleeing Iraq

While the ministers in UCG allow their tensions to erupt in this latest split, further burdening their unfortunate followers (I do not doubt for an instant that it is a hard experience for the members caught up in it), while the plagiarist Gerald Flurry dares to call himself an Apostle, while the COGs spread fear inducing prophecies based on the misinterpretations of another plagiarist to gain money, the Christians of Iraq are fleeing from the unimaginable violence there which, alas, has now turned its wrath upon them and other religious minorities.

It seems clear that the terrible terrorist attack against Baghdad has caused many Christians to flee from Iraq.

Haunted by violence, Iraqi Christians flee to Turkey (Hürriyet Daily News).

According to church records, some 150 Christian families, or more than 600 people, arrived in Turkey in December, almost the same as during the whole of 2009....

Figures by the Turkey office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees tend to confirm the trend: The number of asylum applications by Iraqi Christians has more than doubled in three months – from 183 in October to 428 in December.

Meanwhile the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq continues.

Christian Doctor Assaulted in Mosul (Asia News). A doctor "seriously wounded" by a gunman but survives.

Baghdad Raids on Alcohol Sellers Stir Fears (New York Times). This article also includes an account of a (thankfully non-fatal) assault upon an Assyrian cultural center.

Persecution is not something that just occurred in ancient Rome, it is happening right now.

(Hat tip to Jihad Watch. Please note I do not agree with everything written on that site. )

Conviction for Nag Hammeddi Shooting

Some readers may recall a previous post reporting a mass shooting in Nag Hammedi, Egypt in January, 2010, which killed eight Coptic Christians.

I have just learned that one Mohamed Ahmed Hussein has been sentenced to death for that shooting.

Two other accused are to be sentenced next month.