Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A Telling Profile of Media Professional


A very interesting book review from www.UCG.org  analyzing media professionals in the U.S. This follows this post about the way that news coverage can be perceived as their GOSPEL. This follows this previous post about slanted news coverage. This follows this post about the Black Caucus hurting Black Americans with their immigration stand. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read another very interesting book HERE.

A Telling Profile of Media Professional






article by Good News Editor





The entertainment establishment-writers, producers and stars of the movies, TV programs and music we consume-are overwhelmingly liberal in their political outlook.



The entertainment establishment-writers, producers and stars of the movies, TV programs and music we consume-are overwhelmingly liberal in their political outlook. Not so widely known is that voting patterns of American newspaper reporters and editors show a similar overwhelming lean to the left. Consider these findings:



•In the 1992 election, 89 percent of journalists who make up the Washington, D.C., press corps and report on national political news voted for the liberal candidate, Democrat Bill Clinton. Only 7 percent voted for the conservative candidate, Republican George H.W. Bush.

•Of these journalists, 61 percent saw themselves as "liberal" or "liberal to moderate," while only 9 percent regarded themselves as "conservative" or "moderate to conservative."

•A poll of 167 newspaper editors found that, in the 1992 and 1996 elections, 58 and 57 percent, respectively, voted for Democratic candidate Bill Clinton (compared to 43 and 49 percent of all other voters).

•A 1996 survey of more than 1,000 reporters at 61 newspapers found that, of those with more than 50,000 circulation (primarily large-city papers), 65 percent of the staff members were liberal or leaned to the left.

•A 2001 poll of more than 300 media professionals found that those who identified themselves as liberal outnumbered conservatives four to one.

•A 1980 study of 240 New York and Washington journalists found that 86 percent never or seldom attended religious services, and half had no religious affiliation at all.

•Some 90 percent of these journalists were pro-abortion.

•About 75 percent did not regard homosexuality as wrong, and 54 percent did not regard adultery as wrong. Only 15 percent of these journalists "strongly agreed" that adultery, abortion and homosexual practices were immoral.

(Sources: William Proctor, The Gospel According to The New York Times , 2000, pp. 44-46; Media Research Center.) GN

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Texas Primary Review and Runoffs‏

A very interesting post from www.PeterMorrisonReport.com
 about elections in Texas. This follows this post about the possiblility of suing the administration over non-enforcement of immigration laws. This follows this post about the Black Caucus hurting Black Americans with their immigration stand. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read this very interesting book HERE.

Summary of this report: 

The Texas primary has come and gone, and it brought both good news
and bad news to Texas conservatives. Joe Straus survived a primary
challenge for his own seat, but many of his cronies went down to
defeat. Unfortunately, we lost a few staunch conservatives, and
the new redistricting maps drawn up by Straus and his moderates
played a big part in that. Several races are still undecided, and
are headed for runoffs in July, giving us another opportunity to
elect strong conservative leaders. We also have a challenger for
Speaker of the House.

Full report:

After being delayed by lawsuits, the Texas primary finally took
place on May 29th. Texas conservatives had high hopes that the
passion and energy that were unleashed a few years ago had not
diminished, and that the results of the GOP primary would be a
clear message to the GOP about what kind of candidates we're
looking for. Unfortunately, the results weren't that clear cut,
but were more of a mixed bag. There was some bad news, but there
was a lot of reason for hope, too.

We'll start with the bad news, which is that some very good
people were defeated in their bids for re-election. Three
candidates whose defeats will have the most impact were Gail Lowe,
Leo Berman, and Wayne Christian. Gail Lowe, who fought so
valiantly to make sure that schoolchildren in Texas get a real
education based on the actual facts of history, instead of
left-wing PC fantasies, lost her seat on the Texas State Board of
Education. Leo Berman and Wayne Christian, two of the finest
conservatives in Austin, both lost House re-election bids to GOP
challengers.

Of course, there are many factors that come into play in every
election, but there's no getting around the fact that one of
the biggest factors in some of these losses was the redistricting
plan created by Joe Strauss and his team of RINOs. It's
difficult to avoid the conclusion that one of the purposes of the
new redistricting map was to punish certain strong conservatives.
It seems clear that the RINOs deliberately forced candidates like
Wayne Christian and Gail Lowe into these new, artificial districts
filled with people who don't know them, and whose voting
patterns would make it much more difficult for them to be
re-elected. Here's what Michael Quinn Sullivan said about the
Wayne Christian loss:

"A dark spot on the night was the loss of State Rep. Wayne
Christian. But even there, the Straus team had to radically re-draw
Christian's district and spend heavily from the Austin
lobby."

The good news is that most conservative Republicans won their
primaries and that several Straus supporters went down to defeat,
including three of his closest cronies (Vicki Truitt, Rob Eissler,
and Mike Hamilton). In addition, two more of Straus's pals
(Chuck Hopson and Sid Miller) didn't win their contests; they
only managed to qualify for a runoff election on July 31st. Other
contests resulted in runoffs, too. This means that there are still
several opportunities for conservatives to make a difference when
it comes to deciding who will represent us in November.

In fact, there's no reason conservatives can't be the
deciding factor in every one of the upcoming runoff races.
That's because turnout will probably be very low. According to
official government figures, only 1.4 million registered
Republicans came out to vote in the primary on May 29th.
That's an 11% turnout. Numbers for runoff elections are
usually even lower than that. One political expert is predicting
that between 6% and 8% of GOP voters will come out on July 31st.
Compare that to a general election, when about half of all
registered voters generally come out to vote.

A low turnout is great news for committed conservatives. The lower
the turnout, the more impact each vote has, which means that if we
all take a little time out of our schedules and go to the polling
place on July 31st, while most other voters are too apathetic to
bother, we can dominate the runoff races, elect people who will
stand for our principles, and send another strong message to Joe
Straus and the RINOs in the Republican establishment. We can't
let up now; it's imperative that we keep letting the GOP
establishment know that we expect our elected leaders to fight for
true conservative values, instead of going along to get along. It
might take a while, but if we refuse to give up, eventually
they'll get the message.

On that note, Rep. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) has filed paperwork
with the Texas Ethics Commission declaring that he will mount a run
for Speaker of the House, opposing Joe Straus. This is excellent
news. It takes real courage to oppose a sitting Speaker, because
there are consequences when you go up against the man who calls all
the shots. Rep. Hughes has already proven that he's not afraid
to challenge the status quo. He vocally withdrew his support for
Straus in 2010, after he received word that GOP members who
didn't support Straus would be punished by having their
districts redrawn unfavorably. He never wavered even as he endured
a firestorm of criticism after his announcement. Many lesser men
would have apologized or said "my remarks were taken out of
context." Bryan Hughes is a true conservative with a lot of
character, and he deserves our full support in his challenge to
Straus.

Here are the runoff races to be decided on July 31st. I've
marked candidates that I'm endorsing with an asterisk. (I'm
not offering an endorsement in every race.)

Railroad Commissioner - Full Term: Christi Craddick vs Warren Chisum
Railroad Commissioner - Unexpired Term: Barry Smitherman vs Greg
Parker

State Board of Education:

*Gail Spurlock vs Tincy Miller
*Tom Maynard vs Rebecca Osborne

Supreme Court Justice, Place 4 - *John Devine vs David Medina

State Senator, District 25 *Donna Campbell vs Jeff Wentworth

Texas House:

*JD Sheffield vs Sid Miller
*Travis Clardy vs Chuck Hopson
*Jon Cole vs Jeff Leach HD
*Jim Landtroop vs Ken King HD
*Stephanie Klick vs Kenneth Sapp

US Senate - *Ted Cruz vs David Dewhurst

US House

District 14 - Randy Weber vs Felicia Harris
District 15 - Eddie Zamora vs Dale A. Brueggemann
District 25 - *Wes Riddle vs Roger Williams
District 34 - Adela Garza vs Jessica Puente Bradshaw
District 36 - *Steve Stockman vs Stephen Takach

So make sure to vote on July 31st, and let's do everything we
can to support Bryan Hughes in his run for Speaker of the House.

The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.petermorrisonreport.com/
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

"Hold the Line; Close the Gaps"

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about personal struggles. This follows this post about peace in countries such as Poland. This follows this post about the divinity of Jesus Christ. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

"Hold the Line; Close the Gaps"






article by Andy McClain





Satan relentlessly bombards us with his influence to commit sin. What can we do to proactively fight against his attacks?



In December 1944, near the end of World War II in the European theater, the German Army launched the Ardennes Offensive. Most in the Western world know this as the Battle of the Bulge. It was planned with great secrecy. Equipment and men were moved under the cover of darkness with minimized communication.



The goal of the German Army was to split the Allied forces in France by crossing the River Meuse and gain the seaport of Antwerp, Belgium, in just four days. In doing so, they would capture the Allied supply line, obtain much needed fuel and isolate the advancing divisions of Gen. Bernard Montgomery, coming through Belgium, and Gen. George Patton, advancing from northeastern France.



A key to the success of this German offensive was the small town of Bastogne. It was at the junction of several major roads leading to southeast Belgium. (This is summarized from Battle of the Bulge by Chester H. Philips and The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge by Hugh Cole.)



Bastogne was being defended by the 101st Airborne. A vivid visual depiction of this battle is detailed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. The conditions were severe. They were dug into the forest in the middle of terrible winter weather. They had limited ammunition, little food and medical supplies, and lacked winter clothing. They were spread very thinly over the area they had been assigned to defend.



Before the intense fighting began, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe visited the frontline troops. After a brief discussion with the officers, all Gen. McAuliffe could say was, "Hold the line; close the gaps."



We are in a spiritual battle much like Bastogne. Conditions are tough. Our world is rapidly deteriorating both morally and spiritually. We are encircled and isolated. We are constantly under artillery fire from Satan. How can we win our spiritual battle? We must follow the same orders that Gen. McAuliffe gave the 101st Airborne: "Hold the line, close the gaps."



Hold the Line



What does this mean for us? Simply that we cannot give up or compromise in learning and living God's way. Paul told Timothy to "continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe" (2 Timothy 3:14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;



See All..., Good News Translation). We must continue to grow in our understanding and application of God's truth each day. As Moses instructed Joshua, we need to "take careful heed...to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Joshua 22:5But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.



See All..., emphasis added). "Hold fast" is translated from a Hebrew word that "is used of something sticking to or clinging to something else," according to the Complete Word Study Dictionary.



When the writer of Hebrews 10:23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)



See All... says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering," we gain the greater understanding of what is meant by "hold fast." The root word for confession can also be translated as covenant. When God granted us repentance and we accepted Christ's sacrifice, we became betrothed to Jesus Christ, entering into a covenant relationship with Him. Remaining faithful to this covenant relationship requires us to keeps God's laws (1 John 5:2-3 [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.





See All...). Our lives should reflect a pattern of faithfulness in keeping God's ways.



Daniel gives us an encouraging story about a life with a pattern of faithfulness. He was taken to Babylon as a young man. He served three different rulers during two empires. It would have been easy for him to become assimilated into the lifestyles around him. Yet Daniel "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.



See All...). This decision included concern for his spiritual condition, in addition to the physical dietary differences of Babylon.



God granted him tremendous grace and favor for many years. When he faced the trial of the lion's den, Daniel was an aged man ( New King James Study Bible, comment on Daniel 5:13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?



See All...). He could have reasoned that God would understand if he waited until the 30-day decree ended to pray. After all, he was an old man and had served God for many years. But he did not. He was faithful to what he understood despite adversity. So much so that King Nebuchadnezzar could say, "I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you" (Daniel 4:9O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.



See All...).



What is the pattern in our lives? Daniel's faithfulness was reflected in a display of the fruits of the Spirit. Do we "hold the line" in keeping God's truth? We must take seriously Paul's warning to "listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.



See All..., New Living Translation).



Close the Gaps



The German artillery "not only surprised American commanders with its considerable volume but also its accuracy, indicating that the enemy had remarkably good target information of American installation" (www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/bastogne.aspx  ). Satan's bombardment is also extremely accurate and relentless. He has very good intelligence on our weak points. Because of this, we must guard our minds against the penetration of sin.



Peter tells us to "gird up the loins of your mind" (1 Peter 1:13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;



See All...). What exactly does that mean? The New King James Study Bible helps clarify this for us by saying, "Just as people in biblical times would gather up their long robes and tie them around their waists so that they could move quickly and freely, we need to do whatever it takes to focus our thoughts on those things that allow us to serve God successfully, all the while eliminating any thoughts that would trip us up." We must reject the wrong thoughts and ideas from our minds.



Closing the gaps in our mind against sin is called overcoming. We must continually work at controlling our thoughts to be more in line with God's. Proverbs 4:23-27 [23] Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

[24] Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

[25] Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

[26] Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

[27] Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.





See All... in the New Century Version says: "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true. Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths."



Doing this takes strength from God. But we must "close the gap" against sin.



During the prophet Ezekiel's day, Israel was filled with corruption and immorality, much as it is today. On one occasion, God told him, "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall" (Ezekiel 22:30And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.



See All..., NLT).



While this may not seem to apply to us today, consider what the Life Application Study Bible says: "The wall spoken of here is not made of stones but of faithful people united in their efforts to resist evil. When we give the appearance of loving God without living his way, we are covering up sins that could eventually damage us deeply... Repair your life by applying the principles of God's Word."



Those are powerful words we should apply. Sin can ruin our lives if not dealt with and overcome with God's help.



God shows us our gaps with great mercy and tenderness. In Matthew 19, Christ showed the rich, young ruler his gap—love of material wealth. Unfortunately, the rich, young ruler did not have the desire to "close the gap," and he left "sorrowful." When God shows us our gaps, do we desire to face and overcome them, or do we also go away sorrowful?



If we strive to overcome, we know with certainty that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.



See All...). Christ promised, "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life... He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death... shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life" (Revelation 2:7He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.



See All..., 11; 3:5). We must expend our energies now in overcoming so we can claim those promises.



The 101st Airborne received many credits and honors for their heroic efforts at Bastogne. We, too, look forward to a reward from God if we remain faithful. Paul encourages us to "fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life... I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus...that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (1 Timothy 6:12-14 [12] Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

[13] I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

[14] That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our LORD Jesus Christ:





See All...).



Continue to "hold the line; close the gaps"! UN

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Why Michele Bachmann Is Right About Keith Ellison

A very interesting post from http://www.jihadwatch.org/ about Michele Bachmann's analysis of Keith Ellison. This follows this post about the Olympics appeasing Muslims.  This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!

Robert Spencer: Why Michele Bachmann Is Right About Keith Ellison



In FrontPage this morning I discuss the roiling controversy over Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's call for investigation of Muslim Brotherhood influence in the government -- specifically with regard to Congressman Keith Ellison:


Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has accused Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) of having a “long record of being associated” with the Hamas-linked Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood.



Evoking the days of McCarthyism, a common charge being leveled at Bachmann these days, Ellison responded: “I am not now, nor have I ever been, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.” He accused Bachmann of religious bigotry:



“I think she has a very narrowly prescribed definition of who belongs and who doesn’t. And there’s a whole bloc of people she don’t like. I think she thinks that we’re evil because we don’t understand God the way she does….It’s also about marginalizing and alienating a certain group of Americans who she does not view are American enough.”



Not content with that, he accused her of petty attention-seeking:



“But you have to ask yourself, you know, why did she make this so public? Why did she seem to be seeking public attention for these allegations she was making? If she really had actionable intelligence, why wouldn’t she go to the agencies that investigate these things? I think the answer is clear that she wanted attention. That was her goal all along.”



The only problem with Ellison’s wounded-martyr stance toward Bachmann’s accusations is that what she said is true: Ellison really does have a “long record of being associated” with Hamas-linked CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.



As long ago as 2006, Ellison’s closeness to Nihad Awad, co-founder of Hamas-linked CAIR, was a matter of public record. Awad, who notoriously said in 1994 that he was “in support of the Hamas movement,” spoke at fundraisers for Ellison, raising considerable sums for his first Congressional race. According to investigative journalist Patrick Poole, Ellison has appeared frequently at CAIR events since then, despite the fact that CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case — so named by the Justice Department. CAIR operatives have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. Several former CAIR officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. CAIR’s cofounder and longtime Board chairman (Omar Ahmad), as well as its chief spokesman (Ibrahim Hooper), have made Islamic supremacist statements. Its California chapter distributed posters telling Muslims not to talk to the FBI.



Poole explains that “according to Justice Department, Awad is a longtime Hamas operative. Multiple statements made by federal prosecutors identify Awad as one of the attendees at a 1993 meeting of US Muslim Brotherhood Palestine Committee leaders in Philadelphia that was wiretapped by the FBI under a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant. The topic of discussion during that 1993 meeting was how to help Hamas by working in the U.S. to help sabotage the Oslo Peace Accords.” But none of that fazed Ellison.



CAIR is also linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Awad and CAIR’s cofounder, Omar Ahmad, were officials of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) before founding CAIR. A captured internal Muslim Brotherhood document lists the IAP as one of the Brotherhood’s allied groups in the U.S.



And as for the Muslim Brotherhood itself, in 2008 Ellison accepted $13,350 from the Muslim American Society (MAS) to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. What is the Muslim American Society? The Muslim Brotherhood. “In recent years, the U.S. Brotherhood operated under the name Muslim American Society, according to documents and interviews. One of the nation’s major Islamic groups, it was incorporated in Illinois in 1993 after a contentious debate among Brotherhood members.” So reported the Chicago Tribune in 2004, in an article that is now carried on the Muslim Brotherhood’s English-language website, Ikhwanweb. The Muslim American Society, according to Steven Emerson, director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, “is the de facto arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. The agenda of the MAS is to … impose Islamic law in the U.S., to undermine U.S. counterterrorism policy.”



There is more.


Mexico Helps Illegal Aliens Prepare for Executive Amnesty

A very interesting post from http://www.numbersusa.com/ about Mexico meddling in U.S. immigration enforcement. This follows this post about Meth production in Mexico. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!

Mexico Helps Illegal Aliens Prepare for Executive Amnesty


 - posted on NumbersUSA





On July 23rd, Mexico’s 50 Consular offices across the U.S. held national DREAMer Day events in preparation for the Obama Administration’s Executive Amnesty. The events, held in partnership with the pro-illegal alien group United We Dream, are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that Mexican-born individuals have the information and documentation necessary to apply for the amnesty.



The amnesty could benefit more than 1.4 million illegal aliens under the age of 31 who meet certain criteria. The Obama Administration is scheduled to begin taking applications on August 15th.



According to Gabriela Márdero, spokeswoman for the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, Consular officials are making sure those born in Mexico have a Mexican passport that proves who they are to qualify for the relief directive. "Most of these people don't have an ID," she said. "They have a birth certificate, but the birth certificate doesn't have a photo."



United We Dream is working with foreign embassies from other countries to establish similar outreach events. The group also is hosting community outreach forums across the nation.



For more information, read here. To view a (Spanish) copy of the Mexican Embassy flyer for amnesty applicants, read here.



Monday, July 30, 2012

The Media's Alternative Gospel

A very interesting book review from www.UCG.org  about the way that news coverage can be perceived as their GOSPEL. This follows this previous post about slanted news coverage. This follows this post about media corruption from TV, movies, radio, and internet.  This follows this post about the Black Caucus hurting Black Americans with their immigration stand. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read another very interesting book HERE.

The Media's Alternative Gospel






article by Good News Editor





The major media news organizations and outlets, says journalist William Proctor, have their own lists of rights and wrongs that they support or condemn through their editorials and reporting.



The major media news organizations and outlets, says journalist William Proctor, have their own lists of rights and wrongs that they support or condemn through their editorials and reporting. Most follow the lead of the media heavyweight The New York Times , which, he says, has its own list of "sins" that the paper regularly criticizes and attacks. Detailed in his 2000 book The Gospel According to The New York Times , these include, but are not limited to:



•Religious certainty-especially that rooted in Christianity.

•Political conservatism in any form.

•Capital punishment for any reason.

•Placing any restrictions on freedom of the press, speech or expression.

•Limiting abortion rights. Conversely, the newspaper's "gospel" is essentially the opposite of these-that is, it continually pushes the viewpoint that:

•There are no absolutes, particularly when it comes to religious beliefs. We must be tolerant of all other beliefs and behavior (except those based on biblical standards or conservative beliefs).

•Liberalism is enlightened; conservatism and conservatives are selfish, bigoted and uncaring.

•Society as a whole is at fault for criminal behavior; therefore the death penalty is inherently unjust.

•Freedom of the press, expression and speech is virtually absolute and trumps virtually all other rights and restrictions

•Sexual freedom, including freedom from unwanted consequences such as pregnancy, is an absolute right for everyone.

Lest you think Mr. Proctor's assertions are overstated, carefully examine the news coverage, editorial positions and even the political cartoons in your local newspaper. Odds are you'll find them advocating, subtly or not so subtly, the same editorial and social positions.



You'll see reporting that favors positions such as homosexual rights, diminution of parental discipline and authority, lack of personal responsibility and greater government growth and social spending-all designed to shift your thinking from the standards found in the Bible and toward the alternative gospel such sources want you to believe.



Collectively, today's mass media have become one of the most committed instruments of antibiblical bias that can be found in our world. Their influence in that direction is enormous. GN

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Sen. Grassley Open to Legal Challenge to Obama's Executive Amnesty

A very interesting post from http://www.numbersusa.com/ about the possiblility of suing the administration over non-enforcement of immigration laws. This follows this post about the dismantling of immigration enforcement. This follows this post about riots in India.  This follows this post about the Black Caucus hurting Black Americans with their immigration stand. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read this very interesting book HERE.

Sen. Grassley Open to Legal Challenge to Obama's Executive Amnesty


 - posted on NumbersUSA





Sen. Chuck Grassley

Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), told The Hill on Thursday that he's open to taking legal action against the Obama Administration over its massive use of prosecutorial discretion to offer amnesty to at least 1.4 million illegal aliens. Sen. Grassley told The Hill he's still exploring options, but he hasn't ruled out legal action.



"It’s more probably legal action, because we know what the law is and you know when there’s this sort of discretion in the law, it’s based upon a case-by-case basis not doing 10,000 or 100,000 people all at once," Grassley told The Hill.



Sen. Grassley admitted that he hasn't discussed legal options with other Members of Congress, but he's also not saying that those talks won't happen.



Yesterday, Sen. Grassley, along with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), held a press conference on Capitol Hill where representatives from the Border Patrol and ICE agents unions criticized Pres. Obama's executive amnesty policy. The policy would offer illegal aliens who have been in the country for the last 5 years, are under the age of 31, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and can prove they were brought to the U.S. at a young age to apply for deferred action from deportation and apply for a work permit. DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last week, however, and offered little reassurance that the agencies would strictly enforce the basic requirements.



The policy is slated to be implemented on August 15, leaving little time for Congress to act through the legislative process. Not to mention, any legislation that could get through both Chambers would most likely face a veto from Pres. Obama.



"As of now, we’re not exploring any legislative action, because we don’t have time this year," Sen. Grassley said. "And we wouldn’t do it anyway until we’d given a reasonable amount of time [for a response]."



For more information, see The Hill.

Peace Kant Be Found

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about peace in countries such as Poland. This follows this post about  the divinity of Jesus Christ. This follows this post about the problems of Britain's youth.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.






article by Robert Berendt





Peace. Millions speak of it, thousands write of it, but only One can truly bring it.



About four years ago, I was able to visit the homeland of my grandparents—the part of the world once known as Prussia (now part of Poland). I visited the small village of Gros Arnsdorf (now Jarnoltowo) and to my great surprise, I noticed a plaque on the wall of its small school stating that Immanuel Kant had tutored there for four years in the mid-1700s. At this point in its history, the area has been torn apart by wars for hundreds of years. About 700 years before this, a leader named Mieszko, the head of the Polani tribe, united several Slavic tribes together into what became Poland. Since then, the country had become the political equivalent of a football—pressured from all sides, overrun and ruled by different individuals and groups. It was a land that rarely knew peace.



My father was a young man in the Polish forces that withstood the Red Army around 1920, and he migrated to Canada in 1925. My mother’s father foresaw more violence, and sent his family to Canada and Argentina around 1926. Poland is very fruitful and beautiful, with plenty of fresh water, rich agricultural land, forests and mineral wealth. The salt mines near Krakow brought great wealth and, subsequently, interest from outside to the south of Poland hundreds of years ago. All of this contributes to making Poland a desirable land. (As an aside, I cannot help but remark that we constantly ate in outdoor restaurants and went for walks through fields and undergrowth without one mosquito bite! That in itself was an added attraction for this lovely land.)



Immanuel Kant is one of the world’s most eminent philosophers, and I recognized his name from my university courses in philosophy. Kant was born in Königsberg, East Prussia and rarely went much further than 100 miles from his home city. He saw wars and knew the strong interference of Catherine the Great (of Russia) in Polish affairs. He longed for peace as most average people do. I was intrigued with a paper he wrote in 1795 entitled “Perpetual Peace,” in which he referred to “THE PRELIMINARY ARTICLES FOR PERPETUAL PEACE AMONG STATES.” His complete work can be found online.



God tells us that we humans do not know the way of peace (Romans 3:17And the way of peace have they not known:



See All...). That does not mean we do not seek peace or that many do not want peace—it means that although we seek peace, other factors prevent it from remaining constant. Immanuel Kant thought about perpetual, ongoing, never-ending peace. That is in God’s heart too, and He will bring that condition to pass. Paul called God the “God of peace” (Philippians 4:9). Intangible factors such as vanity, ego and pride contribute to the failure of human attempts at peace. Additionally, there is the influence of the great power of darkness that God, because of mankind’s decisions, has allowed to roam on this earth. Revelation speaks of a “horse that was red; and power was given unto him that sat on it to take peace from the earth” (Revelation 6:4And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.



See All...). But despite this formidable flock of enemies to peace, it is a great and noble task to seek after peace on earth. Those who recognize the need to make the earth a better place for future generations are starting out on the right foot as far as God is concerned. It is, after all, what He is working toward as well!



Immanuel Kant made some interesting statements in “Perpetual Peace.” He wrote, “No Treaty of Peace Shall Be Held Valid in Which There Is Tacitly Reserved Matter for a Future War.” In other words, any peace treaty that fails to resolve all issues between two or more groups will only result in a temporary suspension of hostility. That certainly is recognized as the underlying cause of the Second World War. And we need only to look at the manner in which the boundaries of nations were drawn in the Middle East or Africa to see the seeds of unrest and turmoil that have not stopped in those lands.



Another factor Kant saw as essential for perpetual peace was that “No Independent States, Large or Small, Shall Come under the Dominion of Another State by Inheritance, Exchange, Purchase, or Donation.” He saw the state as a society of men, and only they had the right to command or dispose of themselves. Foreign dictation of conditions for existence created conditions in which peace could not survive. It is quite startling to find these points carefully considered and written over 250 years ago when we consider the incredible wars that have taken place since then, as well as the ongoing tensions that exist today.



Several other points in Kant’s writing also express dreams that, if followed, would do much to promote perpetual peace. The world’s collective failure to adhere to these principles gives us insight into why peace has remained unattainable: we lack the necessary collective willpower and the strength of character needed to follow through. Kant continued to write that, in a world of perpetual peace, “Standing Armies…Shall in Time Be Totally Abolished,” “National Debts Shall Not Be Contracted with a View to the External Friction of States,” and “No State Shall by Force Interfere with the Constitution or Government of Another State.” Kant concluded the section with the requirement that “No State Shall, during War, Permit Such Acts of Hostility Which Would Make Mutual Confidence in the Subsequent Peace Impossible…”



There are human words of hope seen in Kant’s writings. The words and ideas were no doubt born out of the viewing of the hostilities extant in the region. In Section II of his paper, Kant admits, “The state of peace among men living side by side is not the natural state…the natural state is one of war.” Such a statement brings us face-to-face with reality—but it does not mean we need to accept the status quo quietly or without resistance. We ought to seek ways of peace. We need to learn to solve our differences with dignity and concern for all, beginning right within our own homes. Nations are becoming more and more fractured because we cannot find peace within marriage and our own homes—let alone within the boundaries of a nation or continent. Peace begins in the heart and flows out from there. It is a hope and a dream that needs to be nourished. Yet, as Kant did, we all must acknowledge that peace is not the natural state among people. Differences arise and change is constant, so we do not have the tools or the understanding prerequisite to designing a perpetual peace—but there is hope.



God does have the needed tools—and the understanding! That is the bright and hopeful lesson Jesus teaches us. Thousands of years before Immanuel Kant published his work, God inspired Isaiah to give us this hope. Isaiah 2:2-4 [2] And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

[3] And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

[4] And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.





See All... reveals God’s promise of perpetual peace. One law, one religion, justice for all nations, armies abolished and warfare no longer learned. Perhaps Kant read some of these lines in his musings and ponderings. Continued failure has taught us that peace must come from God—the God of Peace. His children will be like Him!



Further reading

For more on the subject of peace (like why we lack it and how to obtain it) read “‘Peace, Peace!’ When There Is No Peace,” as featured in our free periodical, World News and Prophecy.





Wknd Box Office: Step Up Revolution, The Watch, Trishna

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/ reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend. This follows this post some of the movies from last weekand THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed! This all follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!






Wknd Box Office: Step Up Revolution, The Watch, Trishna

By Debbie Schlussel



It’s a TWO MARX weekend all around Sorry, folks, but I did not particularly like any of the new movies, out this weekend. So far this summer, there haven’t been many good movies.



* “Step Up Revolution“: This is the latest–I think the fourth installment–of the “Step Up” movies. You don’t have to see any of the others to know what’s going on in this one. In fact, most of them are independent of each other in cast and, um, “plot” (if you can call it that).



This ridiculous movie had the same old, tired, hackneyed standby left-wing Hollywood narrative: evil, White, wealthy capitalist businessman wants to buy up the indigenous people’s slums and kick them out for a development. In this case, the White dude is a hotel magnate from Connecticut (Peter Gallagher) who just bought Miami’s Dimont Hotel (really, Miami Beach’s Eden Roc Hotel, a terrific hotel at which I used to stay often with my family for Passover, and later on business; it’s got the greatest hotel gym I’ve ever seen–loved working out, there). He’s buying up a decayed strip of land occupied by Cubans’ businesses, including a bar, so that he can evict them and develop the land into skyscrapers and shopping. But his daughter, an aspiring dancer, joins a group of the Cubans and their friends in a flash mob, called “The Mob,” who mob streets, restaurants, museums, and other places with cool dance routines, which they videotape and post on YouTube in an online contest to win money and fame. They are also using “The Mob” to fight the developer and his zoning bid to develop the land.



I’m long past tired of “flash mobs.” They’re silly, and I wouldn’t want my commute to a meeting or my restaurant business sabotaged by a group of selfish kids whose quest for fame and YouTube notoriety is more important than the rest of us conducting our lives with some semblance of order. This movie glorifies that selfishness and disruption. Also, I doubt highly that, after the first flash mob scene in the movie–in which the dancers block traffic at an entire intersection for a good deal of time, the FBI or local police wouldn’t subpoena the IP address of the video’s owner from YouTube and immediately arrest “The Mob.” It’s not like they wore masks to conceal their identities. I was also surprised that producers didn’t pull one of the scenes, in which “The Mob” invades the “evil” developers’ cocktail party, dressed in all black with gas masks, dropping gas canisters on the ground, similar to the Batman shooter’s behavior at last Friday’s “Dark Man Rises” massacre. That was eerie.



While the movie had some cool dancing (if you are under 40 and like urban-style, hip-hop-esque movements and music), overall the movie is a warmed over headache and a waste of time. Silly describes it best.



TWO MARXES



* “The Watch“: This is the movie that was originally called, “Neighborhood Watch,” but the title was changed because of the Trayvon Martin killing by Neighborhood Watch participant, George Zimmerman. But had they really wanted to appropriately change the title, they’d have called it, “Don’t Watch.” Though it has a lot of funny lines, the plot is stupid, and a movie filled with holes and nothingness has both of those filled in with filth, nudity, and dumb penis and sexual jokes and situations. Ben Stiller plays a manager of a local Costco store. His employee is mysteriously murdered, and so he forms a neighborhood watch group with assorted losers from the neighborhood, including Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill (who are normally far more funny). But instead of finding criminals, they soon learn that their neighborhood is invaded by aliens, whom they must stop from taking over. Yaaaawn. This tried to be both a comedy and a sci-fi alien movie, and it failed miserably at both. Mindless time banditry.



TWO MARXES



* “Trishna“:  This depressing movie is the anti-“Slumdog Millionaire” (read my review), with the same female lead, Freida Pinto. It’s supposed to be a modern-day, Indian version of “Tess of the D’Urbervilles.” But if you want to experience Tess, you should read that book or watch one of its movie incarnations.



A beautiful young woman (Pinto) living in poverty with her family in rural India meets a spoiled, wealthy young Indian who is British and has come to India to run his father’s hotel. After Pinto’s father has an accident that keeps him from earning a living, the Indian Brit offers her a job at the hotel, which she accepts. Her entire family depends on the money she sends home. She quits after a one-night stand with the Indian Brit and soon has an abortion. But, eventually, she abandons her family and a new job in a factory to get back together with the Indian Brit for a series of ups and downs. It is a life of abuse and never what she wishes. The guy is a lout (as in most movies). And it can only end badly.



TWO MARXES










Congressman Wants Hearing on Planned Parenthood Abortion Death

An interesting story from http://www.lifenews.com/ about a Planned Parenthood Abortion Death. This follows this post analyzing the cost of abortion.  This follows this post about the Congressional Black Caucus's view on abortion.  For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can also get a very interesting book HERE!

Congressman Wants Hearing on Planned Parenthood Abortion Death


A leading member of Congress who has already started the process of investigating the Planned Parenthood abortion business related to Medicaid fraud and potentially hiding cases of sexual abuse of minors says it should be probed over a recent abortion death.



As LifeNews reported, Tonya Reaves, 24, died late Friday night after having a second-trimester abortion at a Chicago-area Planned Parenthood clinic. She died after a hemorrhage, with a cervical dilation and evacuation, according to the medical examiner’s office following an autopsy after the abortion that claimed her life. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/25/congressman-wants-hearing-on-planned-parenthood-abortion-death/



Friday, July 27, 2012

News slanted to tell you what to think

A very interesting book review from www.UCG.org  about slanted news coverage. This follows this post about media corruption from TV, movies, radio, and internet. This follows this post about being politically incorrect in the news.  This follows this post about the Black Caucus hurting Black Americans with their immigration stand. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read another very interesting book HERE!

News slanted to tell you what to think


The New York Times , with the largest weekly circulation in the country, is the most influential newspaper in the United States if not the world. But more than just a newspaper it is also a news organization. It owns more than 20 regional newspapers and even network-television affiliate stations across the country. Each issue of the International Herald Tribune (the international newspaper published primarily for American travelers and expatriates) is published in conjunction with The New York Times and The Washington Post , including a selection of articles and editorials from both of those papers.



The Times 'reach, however, is far more vast and influential than even these facts would indicate. The New York Times Syndicate and its news service, which distribute the paper's opinion pieces and news articles, reaches more than 2,000 other media clients in 50 countries on five continents. No matter where you are in the world, glance through your local or regional newspaper and odds are you'll find articles, editorials and opinions generated by the staff of The New York Times.



That wouldn't be a problem if the Times -and other newspapers and news organizations, for that matter-did their job of simply reporting the news. The danger is when they selectively report the news or slant it to promote their social agenda (see "Why This Death Didn't Count," page 6).



Journalist William Proctor wrote an illuminating book titled The Gospel According to The New York Times. Mr. Proctor examines the profound effects the paper has on America and the world, playing a major role in shaping our thinking and values.



The New York Times, he writes, is a welldesigned belief system that touches every aspect of your life. "In effect, you are being exposed to a gospel, but one that is a far cry from the traditional good news of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Rather, this gospel is rooted in a kind of secular theology that purports to convey infallible social, moral, and political truth -a truth that the paper fervently promotes with all the zeal of the fieriest proselytizer" (2000, pp. 11-12, emphasis added).



Journalism to reshape

Mr. Proctor shows how the Times carefully communicates, as its slogan puts it, "all the news that's fit to print."What Times editors feel is right for Americans will wind up as stories on the front page. Yet they are careful not to be too overt in their secular religious fervor. For example, they might place a story on the front page and then support it in the op-ed (opinioneditorial) pages. This practice can repeat itself on alternate days.



There is also the problem of skewing stories to fit the editors' personal beliefs and agendas. Mr. Proctor continues: "It's reasonable to assume that a decidedly slanted or partisan report about a new pill that induces abortions, coupled with proabortion editorials and op-ed columns, represents a journalistic package designed to nudge the reader into changing social policy positions and personal beliefs" (p. 36).



Citing examples, his book documents many of the ways journalists slant their reporting to subtly change the way readers think. To be fair, the Times is not the only media outlet that tries to reshape our values and morals. Still, its influence reaches farther than most (see "The Media's Alternative Gospel," page 7).



Mr. Proctor quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah to indict modern media distortions: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!




Jesus Christ: Divine Savior or Gnostic Nobody!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about  the divinity of Jesus Christ. This follows this post about the problems of Britain's youth.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Jesus Christ: Divine Savior or Gnostic Nobody!






article by Ken Treybig





"Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:2-3 [2] Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

[3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.





See All...)



Who was Jesus of Nazareth? A figment of the imagination of a group of men from Galilee? A good man? A teacher or prophet of God? Or was He truly a divine being made flesh? The answer to that question is the most vital piece of information anyone can have, yet it has been debated and argued for 2,000 years!



In recent years there have been several-high profile media efforts attempting to discredit the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. Leading the way was The Da Vinci Code as both a book and movie. This was followed up by the supposed lost Gospel of Judas and, early in 2007, another book titled The Jesus Family Tomb.



Do you know for certain that Jesus was God in the flesh, or is there a nagging question in your mind about whether some of these modern claims may have some basis in fact? Could it be that perhaps Jesus wasn't really who He claimed to be, that He was just an ordinary man? Your answer affects your eternity, so you'd better be sure!



The modern questioning of the identity of Jesus follows the pattern established by the gnostics of the late first century. Around A.D. 90, the apostle John wrote to Christians warning that "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:2-3 [2] Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

[3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.





See All...).



The issue here was the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ—whether He was really God made flesh. Concerning John's statement, The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "The clause 'that Jesus Christ has come' reflects the author's clear view of the preexistence of the Son, who came from the Father and from the moment of his historical birth, was Jesus Christ in the flesh."



Secret knowledge



Many Bible commentaries, Expositor's included, connect the mistaken believe that Jesus wasn't really God in the flesh with the beliefs of gnosticism.



The term gnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning "knowledge." Gnostics believe they have secret knowledge about God, unknown to others, and according to The Catholic Encyclopedia, modern scholars now trace the movement back to ancient Middle Eastern religious roots (www.newadvent.org/cathen/06592a.htm ). As gnosticism came in contact with various religions, it appears to have "borrowed" terminology from them to describe its basic tenets—that the material universe is evil and that people are divine beings trapped in a material world by an evil spirit, the demiurge.



According to gnostic teaching, in order to free themselves from the evil, material world, human beings need special knowledge, including spells and magical incantations. There is a wide range of competing ideas within this religious grouping, but since gnostics generally considered the material universe to be evil, they rejected the idea that God would manifest Himself in a fleshly body. Therefore, when they came in contact with teaching about Jesus Christ being God in the flesh, the Savior who died for our sins, they rejected that and taught that He was only a "good person" or that He only "appeared" to be in the flesh—but was really just an apparition.



Jesus discusses His identity



Debate about who Jesus was is not new. In fact, Jesus brought the question up Himself among His disciples. Matthew 16:13-17 [13] When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

[14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

[15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

[16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

[17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.





See All... records the event and says the disciples told Him that some thought He was John the Baptist or another of the famous prophets of God come back to life.



But Peter answered that he knew Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then told Peter that he was blessed and that God the Father in heaven was responsible for Peter's understanding of the fact that Jesus was indeed the Son of God in the flesh (verses 16-17).



Some of the Jewish religious leaders even asked Jesus for proof of who He was, requesting some kind of miraculous sign to prove His identity. Jesus called them evil and said the only proof He would give is that, just like Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, He would be three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:39-40 [39] But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

[40] For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.





See All...).



Guarding the tomb



After Jesus' death, these leaders remembered that He had said He would rise from the dead after three days. So they requested a military guard be posted at His tomb so the disciples would not be able to steal His body away and claim He had risen from the dead (Matthew 27:62-66 [62] Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

[63] Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

[64] Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

[65] Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

[66] So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.





See All...).



But surprise! Jesus rose anyway. And after Jesus rose from the dead, the soldiers reported the resurrection to the religious leaders who then bribed the soldiers and instructed them to say that Jesus' disciples had stolen His body (Matthew 28:11-15 [11] Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

[12] And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

[13] Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

[14] And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

[15] So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.





See All...).



Gnostic flair



So theories and lies about how Jesus was just an ordinary human being, and not God in the flesh, began to circulate immediately after He was resurrected. It is no wonder, then, that the first century gnostics would add their own flair to Jesus being a nobody—just another human being. Maybe He was a nice person—maybe a teacher of good things—but in their way of thinking, He was just another human being or just a vision. Their teachings could not conceive of God actually coming in the flesh.



While many today would protest that those behind the modern media efforts to discredit the divinity of Jesus Christ are not gnostic by religious persuasion, the method of discrediting Jesus is the same—to claim secret knowledge about Jesus being only human and not our divine Savior.



It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss all the deficiencies of the claims of these modern theories. However, if you are interested in reading more, you can read this brief commentary on the United Church of God Web site or view this article on the Associates for Biblical Research Web site about " The Jesus Tomb ," which was discovered in 1980 and examined by archaeologists, who determined it was not of special interest.



Also, see this article for a short review of The Da Vinci Code and for a commentary on the Gospel of Judas . Additionally, a half-hour video production on " Jesus, Judas and Da Vinci: What Is the Truth? " is available from Beyond Today television.



Was Jesus really the Son of God in the flesh, or just a regular person—a nobody—as taught by the Roman guards, the gnostics of the first century and some modern media efforts of our day? You cannot afford to be unsure of the answer.



The Bible reveals that many of His family and followers willingly gave their very lives for the truth that He was indeed the Son of God. The fact that He was resurrected from the dead exactly three days and three nights after He was placed in the grave, just as He stated, is clear evidence of Jesus' identity. VT

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