WATCH: Darren Wilson Releases Full 'Holy Ghost' Trailer That Will Give You Goosebumps

Charisma News

Wanderlust has released the full trailer today for their new, highly anticipated film, Holy Ghost. The new trailer gives the biggest look yet at the next installment from filmmaker Darren Wilson.

Watch that trailer below:

"One of my goals in making this movie," says Director Darren Wilson, "was to separate it artistically as much as possible from my previous films (Finger of God, Furious Love, Father of Lights) while still holding onto the spirit of those movies. Those films featured my narrative as more of a curious everyman, wondering about everything he sees. This movie, well, let's just say that I've finally made up my mind."

"I think this is the first time one of our trailers has truly captured the feel of the movie, so I'm excited for people to see it," continues Wilson. "This whole movie is just electric from start to finish, and hopefully the trailer conveys that we're dealing with a lot of big, deep stuff in this movie."

Financed through the popular crowd funding platform Kickstarter, Holy Ghost became the No. 1 most-funded Christian movie in Kickstarter history. As part of that campaign, Wilson and is team have brought their nearly 2,500 backers with them for the entire movie-making process, resulting in over 100 separate updates from film shoots around the world.

Fortune 500 Company: Homeschoolers Need Not Apply by MICHAEL DONNELLY/HSLDA

NiSource, Inc. will not hire home-school graduates, according to a recent report. (Flickr/Will Folsom)

NiSource, Inc., an Indiana-based energy distribution group with operations in Ohio, told the Home School Legal Defense Association that the company will not hire home-school graduates. In response to numerous letters written in an attempt to resolve a dispute over a particular job applicant whose job offer had been rescinded because he was home-schooled, NiSource Senior Counsel Adele O'Connor told me that NiSource "disagrees with the conclusions in your letter as to the legal requirements regarding a diploma. These requirements are set forth in Chapter 3313 of the Ohio Revised Code."

However, this section of the code applies to public and chartered private schools, not home-schools. NiSource is wrongly using Ohio law as an excuse to defend its discriminatory hiring policy. There is simply no legal impediment to NiSource hiring a home-school graduate—especially the one in question here. Ohio law clearly recognizes home-schooling as a legal and valid educational option. To rescind an offer of employment to an otherwise qualified and experienced applicant who received a legally recognized education is unreasonable and discriminatory.

Well-Qualified

This applicant was offered a job initially, but NiSource withdrew the offer when it found out he had a home-school diploma. In addition to graduating from home-school in compliance with Ohio law, this applicant had years of relevant job experience and several key industry certifications. During his last two years of high school the applicant took seven courses at a recognized state college and made the dean's list.

Although we are usually able to resolve problems related to home-school diplomas with employers and higher education officials, many human resources or admissions officials misunderstand Ohio law which recognizes home-schooling as a legal and valid form of education.

HSLDA has been working with home-school advocates in Ohio to seek legislative action to prevent this kind of discrimination. The problem may indicate more than just discrimination against home-schoolers. This situation reflects the precise concern that motivates HSLDA's opposition to the Common Core and its "college- and career-ready" standards—that qualified home-school graduates who don't have a state-issued credential will be discriminated against in employment decisions.

A National Scheme

The Common Core has been adopted in Ohio and is moving forward in the face of fierce opposition from grassroots activists—parents and educators who reject a nationalized education system that includes national standards and associated nationalized assessments and a national student data collection scheme. HSLDA opposes Common Core because it creates a system based on nationalized standards, assessment and data collection that could negatively affect home-school graduates and job seekers. Research indicates that home-schooled students are well prepared academically and socially for careers and college. But even if this is true, hiring decisions should be made based on an individual's qualifications, not a policy that discriminates against an entire class of people based on how they were educated.

HSLDA affirms the right of private companies to create their own hiring policies, which may include evaluating the academic credentials of prospective applicants. However, NiSource's discriminatory practice reflects a narrow-minded and statist view of education that is inconsistent with the values of a free society. In a free economy, companies have the right to hire those of their choosing; just as individuals have the right to decide who they work for and purchase from.

NiSource has a "contact us" form online. Home-schoolers may wish to take the opportunity to explain to the company why refusing to hire home-schoolers is not just bad policy, it is bad business.

WATCH: Reports of Salvations, Healings and Holy Spirit Baptisms Flood In

By CHARISMA NEWS STAFF

The celebration of the Holy Spirit around the world, coordinated and promoted by Empowered21, spanned a full week with thousands of believers marking the date that the Holy Spirit descended upon believers in the upper room.

Regional Empowered21 celebrations were held in Canada, Ghana, Hong Kong and the United States, among others. Believers and churches from more than 130 countries participated in this year's initiative with testimonies and reports of salvations, healings and baptisms in the Holy Spirit pouring in.

"The Pentecost 2014 week was amazing! Empowered21 ministry events of various sizes and shapes took place around the world. Thousands of Spirit-empowered Christians from every inhabited continent were involved with the E21 network in celebrating the Holy Spirit," said Billy Wilson, president of Oral Roberts University and global co-chair of Empowered21.

"There is a growing hunger among new generations globally for a personal encounter and relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost Sunday initiative continued to grow this year, pushing us toward Jerusalem 2015 where we will experience the Holy Spirit together at the next Empowered21 Global Congress."

Registration is open now for the Empowered21 Global Congress to be held in Jerusalem May 20-25, 2015, at jerusalem2015.com.

The Empowered21 Africa Congress was held on June 4-7 in Gomoa Fetteh, Central Region, Ghana and hosted 3,000 attendees from 30 nations. Africa Co-Chairs Opoku Onyinah and Frank Chikane hosted the conference. The conference took place at the Pentecost Convention Centre and focused on 2 Timothy 1:5-6, aiming to fan the flame of Pentecost for global impact to set generations ablaze.

Empowered21 Asia hosted a conference June 5-7 in Wanchai, Hong Kong, and had 3,000 people in attendance from 18 nations. The program was conducted in English and Mandarin, with Cantonese interpretation available. Held at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena, this program included daily workshops as well as evening sessions with speakers including Wilson, Cindy Jacobs, founder of Generals International and member of the E21 global council, and Lawrence Khong, senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church and E21 Asia cabinet co-chair.

The goal for Empowered21 Asia is to bring together members of Spirit-filled churches from throughout the region to learn, encourage and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and the love of Father God. The focus of this year's congress was to build up a prayer network and to effect transformation in the different sectors of society for His Kingdom and glory.

The Empowered21 USA Congress 2014 was a two-day gathering of Spirit-empowered believers and also included a pre-conference hosted by SocialEcclesi focused on purposeful ministry engagement on social platforms. The Congress was hosted by USA Co-Chairs Alton Garrison, assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, and Greg Surratt, founding pastor of Seacoast Church. Individuals from many different denominations and backgrounds came together to celebrate the Holy Spirit, the significance of Pentecost and to pass on the importance of Spirit-empowered living to the next generation. This event featured a panel discussion of next generation leaders addressing issues on what is needed for passing the baton to the next generation and raising up spiritual successors.

Attendees also participated in an outreach, led by the Atlanta Dream Center, to minister the homeless and those trapped in human trafficking, and a block party for children in downtown neighborhoods.

Empowered21 Canada hosted a Pentecost 2014 experience and national webcast with cabinet member Ron Mainse and other Empowered21 leaders on June 8, 2014. The webcast was watched in 20 nations and shown via livestream. The webcast will be available on demand beginning June 9. Churches across Canada were encouraged to show the stream to their congregations.

Pat Robertson’s Comments Threaten to Undermine Alzheimer’s Advocates’ Goals

by abc NEWS (Medical Unit)


Pat Robertson’s statement today that it’s OK, from his standpoint as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to divorce a spouse because he or she has Alzheimer’s disease has sent shock waves through the community of advocates, caregivers and those living with the disease.

“We were really surprised,” said Kate Meyer of the Alzheimer’s Association. “This is not any kind of trend we’ve seen. In fact, Alzheimer’s families really rally together around their loved ones.”

Robertson’s comments threaten to undermine one of the main goals of those who advocate on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients: To remove the stigma and shame so many still attach to the disease, to bring it out of the shadows and into the light of social compassion and support…like any other disease.

It is hard to imagine a religious leader condoning divorcing a spouse who has cancer, or MS, or Parkinson’s, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, or a severe stroke.

It is hard to imagine a discussion over whether the any of those diseases are essentially “death,” and thus justify divorce. No one, for example, suggests Michael J. Fox’s wife has a reason to leave him simply because he has a degerative disease that may well ultimately rob him of many of his faculties.

Perhaps the strongest refutation of Robertson is the living example of millions of couples who go on the hard journey of Alzheimer’s hand in hand, and who cannot imagine any other way, from Sandra Day O’Connor and her husband, John, to Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her husband, Sargent, to Nancy and Ronald Reagan — and to so many more.

I think of all the couples I’ve met facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s together, and I know Pat Robertson is wrong. About us.

New Study Suggests "Born Again Christians" Have Smaller Brains?

Study finds brain differences based on faith

DURHAM, N.C. — For decades, mainline Protestants have been beset by bad news: declining numbers, aging membership, waning cultural influence.A new study from Duke University Medical Center, however, gives these Protestants one reason for cheer: they seem to have larger brains than born-again Christians, Roman Catholics and the religiously unaffiliated.

The study, which examined the hippocampus region of the brain, found that Protestants who did not have a "born again" experience had significantly more gray matter than either those who reported a life-changing religious experience, Catholics, or unaffiliated older adults.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Templeton Foundation, included at least two MRI measurements of the hippocampus region of 268 adults between 1994 and 2005.

It found an association between participants' professed religious affiliation and the physical structure of their brain. Specifically, those identified as Protestant who did not have a religious conversion or born-again experience — more common among their evangelical brethren — had a bigger hippocampus.

Amy Owen, a psychologist who did a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke and was the main writer for the study, said she hoped others would try to reproduce the study or offer other reasons for the association.

"There may be more factors responsible for the correlation," she said of the study published on March 30 in "PLoS One," a peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication.

Participants, all 58 or older, were initially recruited for a larger study on the effects of depression in the elderly. That study is ongoing. For this study, researchers ruled out depression or lack of social support as reasons for the smaller brain size, or hippocampal atrophy.

The hippocampus is an area buried deep in the brain that helps regulate emotion and memory. Atrophy or shrinkage in this region of the brain has long been linked to mental health problems such as depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

So why would born-again Protestants, Catholics and those with no religious affiliation have a smaller hippocampus?

Researchers speculate it may have something to do with the stress of belonging to a minority group. Chronic stress floods the brain with hormones that, over time, may damage the hippocampus.

Sociologists of religion, meanwhile, aren't buying it. They say the researchers' theory flies in the face of U.S. religious demographics. While it's true that evangelicals are a minority, they're a sizable one — 40% of the U.S. population, according to Gallup Polls — and not exactly a stressed-out minority, especially in the South.

"There are probably more born-again Protestants than non-born-again Protestants, and just about as many Catholics as either born-again or non-born- again Protestants," said David Roozen, sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary.

Source: USA Today

Robert Schuller - Crystal Cathedral Up for Sale to Escape Bankruptcy

The Crystal Cathedral megachurch in Garden Grove, Calif., will be sold to escape Chapter 11 bankruptcy and rectify millions in debt, church officials confirmed Thursday.

The church, founded by Robert H. Schuller and known for its popular weekly televangelist series Hour of Power, filed for bankruptcy protection in October, claiming it owed more than $50 million to creditors and vendors.

The Los Angeles Times reported a reorganization plan could be filed in Santa Ana, Calif., as early as Friday.

Church spokesman John Charles says the 40-acre campus would be sold to a real estate investment group under the plan, which would relieve financial pressures from a $36 million mortgage.

The proposed plan, which the Times said could be approved at a June 1 bankruptcy court hearing, will allow the megachurch to repay more than 550 creditors in the next 42 months.

"It's great news," Charles told the Times. "It gives us the opportunity to pay everybody off and start fresh."

The plan also includes a guaranteed option of leasing the campus for 15 years. The church could then buy back the 10,000-pane cathedral, the 13-story Tower of Hope, the welcome center and the cemetery after four years. However, the plan does not allow the church the option of buying back the four-story Family Life Center on its campus, which is already for sale.

"The purpose of this plan is to generate funds to repay creditors without affecting the ability of the ministry to operate," Marc Winthrop, attorney representing the cathedral in bankruptcy court, told The Orange County Register.

Worship services, community outreach programs and the Hour of Power can still continue and will not be affected by the bankruptcy.

Sheila Schuller Coleman, the founder's daughter and senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral since 2009, seems optimistic about the new plan.

“We are pleased that we are able to honor the debt that we have incurred and to honor the creditors who are due their payment,” she said in a statement.

"The Crystal Cathedral Ministries would like to thank our church members and friends around the world who have given from their hearts to help rebuild a solid foundation from which we can continue our ministry and launch the new vision for the Crystal Cathedral Ministries."

Japan supports Iran's nuclear energy program before Tsunami Disaster

TEHRAN TIMES
February 28, 2011
Source here.

West's policy is nuclear hypocrisy: Salehi

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has criticized Western countries for their negative approach toward the country's nuclear program.

Salehi made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Bessho Koro in Tehran on Saturday, IRNA reported.

Salehi said that despite the country's constructive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Western governments are pursuing double-standard policies toward Iran's nuclear energy program.

He also censured the West for adopting a different approach in regard to Israel, which possesses a nuclear arsenal and refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Salehi also stated that the Islamic Republic is ready to hold more talks with the P5+1 group — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany.

The Japanese deputy foreign minister said Japan supports Iran's nuclear energy program and added that Iran has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

He went on to say that Tokyo is determined to develop ties with Tehran.

Salehi and Koro also discussed the latest regional developments and called for the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in all spheres.

On Friday, the IAEA once again confirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear energy program, reaffirming that the program has never been diverted to nuclear weapons production.

Iran is a signatory to the NPT and thus has the right to enrich uranium to produce fuel. (Source: Press TV)

Related article: Japan emerges as key player on Iran
Second Japan quake stokes uncertainty, sending oil prices up and stocks down

Tokyo Governor Apologizes for Saying Tsunami is Punishment

By Wesley Ernst | Christian Post Correspondent

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara apologized Tuesday for saying the tsunami that recently struck Japan is divine punishment for the country’s egoism.

Shintaro told reporters during a press conference that he takes back the comments he made Monday and offered “a deep apology,” according to Japan’s Kyodo News.

He had originally said the tsunami was needed “to wipe out egoism, which has rusted onto the mentality of Japanese over a long period of time.”

“I think [the disaster] is tembatsu (divine punishment), although I feel sorry for disaster victims,” he had said.

Last Friday, gigantic waves generated by an undersea tremor leveled entire coastal cities and towns, leaving an estimated 10,000 people dead or missing.

The earthquake is reportedly the fifth most powerful quake to hit the world since 1900 and the worst in Japan's recorded history.

Just a day before Shintaro made his controversial remark, the Rev. David Yonggi Cho, senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church – the world’s largest church – also came under fire for calling the recent Japanese quake and tsunami “God’s warning” in a Sunday interview published in an online newspaper.

“Japan sees a lot of earthquakes, and I think it is regrettable that there has been such an enormous loss of property and life due to the earthquake,” Cho had said in the News Mission interview.

“Because the Japanese people shun God in terms of their faith and follow idol worship, atheism, and materialism, it makes me wonder if this was not God’s warning to them.”

There are only around 2 million Christians in Japan out of a population of 127.5 million.

The South Korean minister added that he hoped the “catastrophe can be turned into a blessing” and that the Japanese would “take this opportunity to return to the Lord.”

In postings made in online social networks, Cho was blasted by his own countrymen.

Jing Joong-gwon, an influential social critic in Korea, called Cho a “lunatic” via Twitter. “While pastor speak nonsense, true Christian virtues are taking place outside of the church,” he added, in reference to the international community’s relief work in Japan.

Later, News Mission withdrew its interview with Cho.

The Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea is regarded as having the largest congregation in the world, boasting a membership of at least one million people based on reports in 2007. The church was founded in 1958 by Rev. Cho, who continues to serve as its senior pastor.

In America, no prominent Christian leaders have come out to say that Japan’s disaster is due to divine punishment. But last year, controversial televangelist Pat Robertson outraged prominent evangelical leaders by calling the earthquake in Haiti a curse because of the country’s alleged historic ties to voodooism.

90 Tons of Aid Sent to Sendai in 'Jesus' Name'

Survivors in Sendai, one the hardest hit towns of Japan's deadly earthquake and tsunami, will soon receive desperately needed relief as over 90 tons of aid from Samaritan's Purse makes its way from an aircraft that landed in Yokoto Saturday.

The Christian relief organization, headed by CEO and president Franklin Graham, chartered a Boeing 747 that departed North Carolina Friday. The plane is delivering a relief package that includes plastic sheeting for shelter, blankets and hygiene supplies.

"As we go in Japan, we go in Jesus' Name," Graham said, according to Samaritan's Purse. "My prayer is that these supplies will bring some relief to an incredible amount of suffering."

Across Japan, around 380,000 people have evacuated and are staying in shelters, according to Kyodo News. The National Police Agency in Japan reported Friday that the death toll has reached 6,911, while 10,316 people remain missing.

Since the country's twin disasters, many survivors are fending for themselves, enduring long lines for the chance to buy the quickly dwindling supply of bare essentials including rice, soy sauce, ramen and toilet paper. Some store owners have been forced to close after running out of things to sell.

Samaritan's Purse already has teams on the ground in Sendai to distribute initial aid since late Wednesday. The organization is also working through local churches to meet the spiritual needs among people devastated by the disaster.

Japan Disaster: Help wanted but no heroes please

By: Terence Fernandez (Mar 17, 2011)

GOD knows where to send the tsunami to. He knows we’ll be able to take it and rise from the ruins." These words of a survivor of the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh found its way back from the recesses of my mind over the last few days. I, like many of you, have been trying to fathom the overwhelming images coming out of Japan.

The man I met in Banda Aceh had lost his family in the Boxing Day disaster that killed over 250,000 people in at least seven countries – most of them in Indonesia. (I heard he has since remarried and started a new family) He also said: "If it had been you, your people would not have been able to cope. You have not experienced hardship before." Many Acehnese live in abject poverty. It was a hostile region with rebels in the jungles launching regular attacks on government forces and the populace. In this aspect, the killer waves of Dec 26, were a blessing in disguise as the rebels battered by the natural disaster laid down their arms.

Today, Banda Aceh has become a stop on the routes of many international airlines as its people embrace capitalism. Likewise, the Japanese had risen from the ashes of the atomic bombings which ended World War II to become an economic superpower. They are now severely disadvantaged on the playing field but in the words of Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie, "We will rise again!" Ironically, Japan was among the largest contributors to Banda Aceh’s rehabilitation efforts – over RM500 million to rebuild roads, schools and homes as well as revive the fisheries industry.

Today it stands on the receiving end of the aid it had so generously given out before. Hence it was surprising that Horie had announced conditional acceptance of aid. Not that the Japanese reject foreign help, but only that it be done systematically and properly with regard to the nation’s sovereignty. But as he spoke, one understands what Horie meant. That rescue efforts must be focused on the victims. The Japanese Government cannot be distracted, attending to disorganised and lost well-wishers in the disaster zone, especially now when the situation is compounded by the risk of a nuclear meltdown. Hence the Japanese Embassy’s plea to Malaysians – both individuals and organisations – is to be self-sufficient and to latch on to other NGOs and agencies, which already have a good network in the disaster zone. Therefore, those intending to give aid must get themselves together and ensure what is it exactly that they want to do. If it’s merely a Malaysia Boleh exercise where we only want to plant our flag, then perhaps it’s best to save our time and the Japanese further grief.

Horie and his staff illustrated the stoic dignity of the Japanese people. Basically stressing that while help is appreciated and welcome, it must not impede on Japan’s own efforts to help its people. They don’t want to end up rescuing droves of foreigners – not at this time. And before some Good Samaritan starts passing the hat around, it would be wise to do a means test. For Banda Aceh, one Malaysian political party had grand ideas of a luxury orphanage with swimming pool, cafeteria and gymnasium, when even ordinary schools did not have a need for a canteen as the children bring their own food from home. Back to the Indonesian survivor’s assessment of whether we as Malaysians would be able to deal with an enormous tragedy. I think every person when pushed to the brink has the potential of rising above adversity. The question is will we learn from tragedy and be better than before? We have had our fair share of calamities – nothing that can come even close to what the Japanese are facing right now or the Acehnese, Thais and Sri Lankans before them.

The fact that we keep trying to cut corners and build on dangerous slopes, despite numerous landslides show that we are slow learners. Perhaps we need a lesson of Biblical proportions before we wake up. Even then, we may still be a long way from the quiet resolve of the Japanese who have exhibited dignity since Friday’s events.

Absent is the looting and rioting. In its place, long orderly queues of people waiting patiently to buy essentials from grocery stores. And there-in lies the lesson that the Japanese had taught the world in 1945 and again now – that in the face of the most severe adversity, we can overcome and rise from the ashes if we get rid of our arrogance, have a game plan and stick together.

It’s times like this when Terence realises he lives in a blessed country. He hopes others realise it too. Feedback: terence@thesundaily.com

Article's URL: http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=58901

OPEN-AIR PRAYER in CHRISTCHURCH

by Andrew Strom

One of our readers, Nancy, wrote to me this week from Christchurch, the scene of the recent horrific earthquake, which has tragically affected so many lives. Here is what she wrote-

"Well Andrew, today in Christchurch many churches were forced out into the open to praise and worship God, and many people came along who would not normally go to church. There will also be more sense of unity as the churches that are not damaged are being opened up for other churches to use for services and for funerals. Prayer meetings are being organised for this week coming, to pray for the city.

"After reading Jenny Bolton's prophecy on your website it gave me hope that God is going to move in Christchurch if we humble ourselves and pray. Please continue to pray for us. There are many broken people who need the Lord."

Fox News described what happened this past weekend- "Parishioners came together Sunday in parks and on the lawns of churches broken in New Zealand's earthquake to pray for the dead and missing. They sought togetherness and an answer to the question on everyone's mind: Why?"

The AP News story continued: "The churches that dot the city felt some of the worst of the temblor's wrath. Spires toppled, stained glass windows exploded, walls cracked and masonry fell... Outdoor services also were held at other churches and at a library, where attendees arrived on bicycle or on foot and sat in folding chairs..."

As we wrote last year after the first quake, Christchurch has some of the most powerful prophecies of "Revival" of any city in New Zealand. It also has prophecies of a move of God in the "open air". Perhaps God is on the move in this tragedy in ways that we can only faintly grasp. All we can do is pray for a great move of His Spirit to bring true unity, love, hunger, truth and prayer back to a broken and desperate people. We hope and pray that it happens. Our love and prayers are with you all in that city.

God be with you,
Andrew Strom.

Earth must prepare for close encounter with Aliens, say scientists

UN should co-ordinate plans for dealing with extraterrestrials – and we can't guarantee that aliens will be friendly

by Alok Jha, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Monday 10 January 2011.

World governments should prepare a co-ordinated action plan in case Earth is contacted by aliens, according to scientists.

They argue that a branch of the UN must be given responsibility for "supra-Earth affairs" and formulate a plan for how to deal with extraterrestrials, should they appear.

The comments are part of an extraterrestrial-themed edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A published today. In it, scientists examine all aspects of the search for extraterrestrial life, from astronomy and biology to the political and religious fallout that would result from alien contact.

"Will a suitable process based on expert advice from proper and responsible scientists arise at all, or will interests of power and opportunism more probably set the scene?" asked Professor John Zarnecki of the Open University and Dr Martin Dominik of the University of St Andrews in the introductory paper. "A lack of co-ordination can be avoided by creating an overarching framework in a truly global effort governed by an international politically legitimated body." The pair argue that the UN has a ready-made mechanism for such a forum in its Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Copuos).

Member states of Copuos should put "supra-Earth affairs" on their agenda, say the scientists, and establish structures similar to those proposed for dealing with threats from near-Earth objects, such as asteroids, that might be on a collision course with our planet.

According to Simon Conway Morris, a professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at Cambridge University, anyone planning for alien contact should prepare for the worst.

Evolution on alien worlds, he said, is likely to be Darwinian in nature. Morris argues that life anywhere else in the universe will therefore probably have important similarities with life on Earth – especially if it comes from Earth-like worlds that have similar biological molecules to ours. That means ET might resemble us, warts and all, with our tendencies towards violence and exploitation.

"Why should we 'prepare for the worst'? First, if intelligent aliens exist, they will look just like us, and given our far from glorious history, this should give us pause for thought," wrote Morris in the journal's special issue.

Ted Peters, a professor of systematic theology at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in California, considered what might happen to the world's religions in the event of ET making contact. Conventional wisdom suggests that terrestrial religion would collapse if the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) were confirmed, he wrote.

"Because our religious traditions formulated their key beliefs within an ancient world view now out of date, would shocking new knowledge dislodge our pre-modern dogmas? Are religious believers Earth-centric, so that contact with ET would de-centre and marginalise our sense of self-importance? Do our traditional religions rank us human beings on top of life's hierarchy, so if we meet ETI who are smarter than us will we lose our superior rank? If we are created in God's image, as the biblical traditions teach, will we have to share that divine image with our new neighbours?"

His conclusion, however, is that faith in Earth's major religions would survive intact. "Theologians will not find themselves out of a job. In fact, theologians might relish the new challenges to reformulate classical religious commitments in light of the new and wider vision of God's creation."

"Traditional theologians must then become astrotheologians ... What I forecast is this: contact with extraterrestrial intelligence will expand the existing religious vision that all of creation – including the 13.7bn-year history of the universe replete with all of God's creatures – is the gift of a loving and gracious God," he speculated.

UFO Conspiracy

Fulfillment of the Mark of the Beast in a most subtle Way!

FDA approves computer chip for humans

WASHINGTON — Medical milestone or privacy invasion? A tiny computer chip approved Wednesday for implantation in a patient’s arm can speed vital information about a patient’s medical history to doctors and hospitals. But critics warn that it could open new ways to imperil the confidentiality of medical records.

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that Applied Digital Solutions of Delray Beach, Fla., could market the VeriChip, an implantable computer chip about the size of a grain of rice, for medical purposes.

With the pinch of a syringe, the microchip is inserted under the skin in a procedure that takes less than 20 minutes and leaves no stitches. Silently and invisibly, the dormant chip stores a code that releases patient-specific information when a scanner passes over it.

Think UPC code. The identifier, emblazoned on a food item, brings up its name and price on the cashier’s screen.

Chip's dual uses raise alarm

The VeriChip itself contains no medical records, just codes that can be scanned, and revealed, in a doctor’s office or hospital. With that code, the health providers can unlock that portion of a secure database that holds that person’s medical information, including allergies and prior treatment. The electronic database, not the chip, would be updated with each medical visit.

The microchips have already been implanted in 1 million pets. But the chip’s possible dual use for tracking people’s movements — as well as speeding delivery of their medical information to emergency rooms — has raised alarm.

“If privacy protections aren’t built in at the outset, there could be harmful consequences for patients,” said Emily Stewart, a policy analyst at the Health Privacy Project.

To protect patient privacy, the devices should reveal only vital medical information, like blood type and allergic reactions, needed for health care workers to do their jobs, Stewart said.

An information technology guru at Detroit Medical Center, however, sees the benefits of the devices and will lobby for his center’s inclusion in a VeriChip pilot program.

“One of the big problems in health care has been the medical records situation. So much of it is still on paper,” said David Ellis, the center’s chief futurist and co-founder of the Michigan Electronic Medical Records Initiative.

'Part of the future of medicine'
As “medically mobile” patients visit specialists for care, their records fragment on computer systems that don’t talk to each other.

“It’s part of the future of medicine to have these kinds of technologies that make life simpler for the patient,” Ellis said. Pushing for the strongest encryption algorithms to ensure hackers can’t nab medical data as information transfers from chip to reader to secure database, will help address privacy concerns, he said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced $139 million in grants to help make real President Bush’s push for electronic health records for most Americans within a decade.

William A. Pierce, an HHS spokesman, could not say whether VeriChip and its accompanying secure database of medical records fit within that initiative.

“Exactly what those technologies are is still to be sorted out,” Pierce said. “It all has to respect and comport with the privacy rules.”

Applied Digital gave away scanners to a few hundred animal shelters and veterinary clinics when it first entered the pet market 15 years ago. Now, 50,000 such scanners have been sold.

To kickstart the chip’s use among humans, Applied Digital will provide $650 scanners for free at 200 of the nation’s trauma centers.

Read more: http://www.theworldsprophecy.com/fda-approves-computer-chip-for-humans/

CHINA DECLARES HOUSE CHURCHES A "CULT"

China Declares Christian 'House Churches' a 'Cult,' Advocacy Group Reports

By Patrick Goodenough

(CNSNews.com) - China reportedly has launched a new crackdown on "house churches," Protestant congregations that do not belong to the country's state-sanctioned, "patriotic" church organization.

In an ominous development reported by the China Aid Association (CAA), a U.S.-based group that advocates for Chinese Christians, authorities allegedly have labeled the house church movement a "cult."

Beijing used the same term when it outlawed the Falun Gong meditation movement in 1999, a move that ushered in a major, ongoing crackdown against the Falun Gong that has brought China worldwide censure.

Citing secret information "from more than one reliable source" inside China, CAA said Tuesday the campaign against house churches ordered by the Communist Party Politburo was launched on December 1.

Chinese security officials "have been notified to collect information about house churches throughout the country and turn these reports in to their superiors," it said. "A long 'blacklist' of church leaders and influential believers reportedly has been drawn up."

The Pew Research Center estimated in 2007 that up to 70 million Chinese believers worship in unregistered house churches. By comparison, China's State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) last June put at 16 million the "official" Protestant population - members of the state-approved Three Self-Patriotic Movement (TSPM).

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Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/china-declares-christian-house-churches

‘Hate preachers’ must prove they renounce extremism or face UK ban

‘Hate preachers’ must prove they renounce extremism or face UK ban

Jacqui Smith measures will make it easier to exclude those who want to come to Britain to stir up racial or religious hatred

Deborah Summers and Alan Travis
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday October 28 2008
Article history

Foreign-born “preachers of hate” and other violent extremists will have to prove they have publicly renounced their views or be refused entry to Britain under tough new rules unveiled today.

The measures, set out in a written ministerial statement by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, will make it easier to exclude those who want to come to the UK to stir up religious or racial hatred.

Such preachers will be named and shamed, and the exclusion list will be shared with other countries to help them, the Home Office said.

Smith said: “Through these tough new measures I will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.

“Coming to the UK is a privilege and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life.”

The new rules will:

• create a presumption in favour of exclusion in respect of all those who have engaged in fostering, encouraging or spreading extremism and hatred,

• provide that where an individual claims to have renounced their previous extremist views or actions the burden of proof is on them to demonstrate that this is so and that this has been publicly communicated,

• introduce changes that will allow the government to exclude nationals of the European Economic Area, and their families, from the UK, before they travel to this country, if they constitute a threat to public security or policy

• work with other agencies and community groups to improve the evidence base underpinning our exclusion decisions to ensure that we identify those who pose the greatest threat to our society,

• consider in all future cases whether it would be in the public interest to disclose that an individual has been excluded with a presumption to inform the public, and

• make greater use of UK watch lists to ensure that individuals who might fail to be excluded, should they seek to come to the UK, are identified, and any future visa application is considered with full regard to previous extremist activities.

The move will cover anti-abortionists, animal rights extremists and neo-Nazis as well as extremist clerics.

Since 2005, 230 people have been banned on grounds of national security and for “unacceptable types of behaviour”, which include fomenting or glorifying terrorism and inciting hatred. Of those, 79 were excluded for unacceptable behaviour.

The most high-profile individuals to face exclusion orders include Omar Bakri Mohammed, who was banned in the wake of the July 7 terrorist attacks in the London transport system, and the Egypt-born cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, banned by the Home Office this year after being described as “dangerous and divisive” by David Cameron, the Tory leader.

The Home Office anticipates that the new rules will see a larger number of people barred from Britain.

The ban rests on the government’s legal powers to tackle violent extremism and incitement to religious and racial hatred. It does not permit somebody to be banned for simply holding disagreeable political views but will apply to those who advocate illegal means to further them.

An MI5 report leaked to the Guardian this year on the current state of radicalisation and violent extremism in Britain noted that the influence of extremist clerics had “moved into the background” in recent years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/28/terrorism-uksecurity

Tax investigation could land Pope with €8bn bill

European Commission to investigate exemption allowing the Vatican to avoid paying £2bn a year levy on 100,000 properties

By Michael Day in Milan

Thursday, 14 October 2010

Eight billion euros worth of tax breaks pocketed by the Catholic Church in Italy could be in breach of European law and may have to be repaid, it has emerged.

The development is the latest blow to an institution that has been rocked by an annus horribilis following the global clerical paedophilia scandal that broke earlier this year, and investigations into money laundering.

The European Commission has said that tax relief on 100,000 Italian properties enjoyed by the Holy See since 2005 was under the spotlight, after announcing an "in-depth" investigation.

A spokesperson for Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the EC suspected the exemption amounted to state aid that was at odds with European Union law.


"These exemptions may distort competition," he said. "Thus far, Italian authorities have not provided sufficient evidence to enable the Commission to conclude that the contested measures are justified by the principles of the Italian tax system".

The crux is whether the EC decides Church-run businesses should really be considered as commercial enterprises and therefore liable to taxation.

The Church was exempted from paying the tax, known as ICI in 2005 by a centre-right government under the then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The conservative premier is now back in power after re-election in 2008.

When the 2005 rules were introduced, humanist and secularist organisations claimed it was "unfair help" and breached the principle of division between church and state.

The EU initially questioned the ICI exemption in 2005, which resulted in the measure being modified a year later by the then centre-left government of Romano Prodi. The EC twice shelved the case, first in 2008 and again this year. News agency Ansa reported that its decision to reopen the case now was made after the Radical Party filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice.

If Italy is found to have violated EU subsidy laws, it will have to cancel the exemption and seek reimbursement from the church. If that happened, the financial consequences for the Catholic Church would be grave.

Estimates value the Vatican's property tax breaks at €2bn (£1.75bn) a year. No one from the Vatican was available to comment on the EC probe. However, a statement by the Italian foreign ministry said: "The Italian government is convinced that it can demonstrate to the EC in a clear and definitive manner the good reasons that justify the current regulations, which do not violate EU rules on state help in favour of the church."

The church currently avoids paying tax on about 100,000 non-commercial properties including 8,779 schools, 26,300 ecclesiastical structures and 4,714 hospitals and clinics.

Read on......... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tax-investigation-could-land-pope-with-83648bn-bill-2106113.html

Persecution of Christians

Indonesian Muslims Call for Halt to 'Christianization'

By Compass Direct News | Sarah
Gospel Herald Contributor
Mon, Jul, 05 2010 10:14 AM PT

DUBLIN (Compass Direct News) – Muslim organizations in Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday (June 27) declared their intention to establish paramilitary units in local mosques and a “mission center” to oppose “ongoing attempts to convert people to Christianity,” according to the national Antara news agency.

At a gathering at the large Al Azhar mosque, the leaders of nine organizations announced the results of a Bekasi Islamic Congress meeting on June 20, where they agreed to establish a mission center to halt “Christianization,” form a Laskar Pemuda youth army and push for implementation of sharia (Islamic law) in the region, The Jakarta Post reported.

“If the Muslims in the city can unite, there will be no more story about us being openly insulted by other religions,” Ahmad Salimin Dani, head of the Bekasi Islamic Missionary Council, announced at the gathering. “The center will ensure that Christians do not act out of order.”

Observing an increasing number of house churches, Muslim organizations have accused Bekasi Christians of aggressive proselytizing. The Rev. Simon Timorason of the West Java Christian Communication Forum (FKKB), however, told Compass that most Christians in the area do not proselytize and meet only in small home fellowships due to the lack of officially recognized worship venues.

Many Christian seminary graduates prefer to remain on Java rather than relocate to distant islands, Timorason added, making West Java the ideal place to launch new home-based fellowships for different denominations. But neighbors see only the multiplication of churches, he said, and therefore suspect Muslims are converting to the Christian faith.

“The ideal solution is to have one building with a permit to be used by different denominations in each housing complex,” Timorason said. “If every denomination wants their own church in the same area, it’s a problem.”

Declaration of Intent

Kanti Prajogo, chairman of the Congress committee, had hoped to present a written declaration of intent to city officials at the mosque gathering, but officials did not respond to his invitation, according to The Jakarta Post.

Around 200 people attended the June 20 Congress, representing local organizations such as the Bekasi Interfaith Dialogue Forum, the Bekasi Movement Against Apostasy, the local chapters of Muhammadiyah and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) – two of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organizations – and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), well known for its aggressive opposition to Christians and other non-Muslim groups.

Government officials on Monday (June 28) called for the FPI to be declared a forbidden organization, claiming that FPI members were implicated in “too many” violent incidents.

“We are not concerned about their mission,” legislator Eva Kusuma Sundari reportedly said at a press conference in Jakarta, “but we are concerned about the way they implement their goals.”

A spokesman for another large organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said Tuesday (July 28) that despite one member being present at the congress in an unofficial capacity, NU had not approved the joint declaration, contradicting a statement made the previous day by Bekasi NU official Abul Mutholib Jaelani, who told The Jakarta Post that he had asked all 56 NU branches in the city to contribute at least 10 members to the youth army.

Contributing to Religious Conflict

Rapid residential and industrial development has created huge social problems in Bekasi. Sociologist Andi Sopandi of Bekasi Islamic University told The Jakarta Post that the call for sharia was a warning signal, and that local officials should urgently pursue dialogue between Muslim and Christian leaders.

Locals and newcomers will get along well only if they share similar basic values, particularly religious ones, Sopandi reportedly said, pointing to sharp disputes over the Filadelfia Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) church in Jejalen Jaya sub-district earlier this year as an example.

A neighbor of the church confessed to The Jakarta Post that local clerics had asked him and other residents to sign a petition against constructing the HKBP church building and threatened not to pray at their funerals if they failed to cooperate; the majority of his neighbors signed the document under duress.

Under a 2006 Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB), at least 60 local residents must approve the establishment of a house of worship, whether a mosque or a church. The congregation must also have at least 90 members and obtain letters of recommendation from the local interfaith communication forum (FKUB) and religious affairs office before gaining final approval from district officials.

These terms make it virtually impossible for churches in Bekasi to obtain building permits. Bekasi regency has a population of 1.9 million, of which 98.2 percent are Muslim, according to 2006 data from the Bekasi Regency Religious Affairs office. Protestants, who form 0.67 percent (approximately 12,700 people) of the population, and Catholics who make up 0.55 percent, are served by only 16 officially recognized churches in seven of the 23 sub-districts.

Sudarno Soemodimedjo, deputy chief of the Bekasi FKUB, told The Jakarta Post in February that even if a church construction committee gained the approval of 60 local residents, the FKUB would not issue a letter of recommendation if there were any public objections.

“The SKB orders us to maintain public order, which means we have to refuse the establishment of a house of worship we believe may trigger a conflict in the future,” he said.

As a result, many Christians meet in unrecognized worship venues, giving Muslim groups legal grounds to oppose church gatherings.

“If the SKB was applied consistently, many mosques that were built without permits would have to close,” Timorason told Compass.

The government wants each new settlement to have a place of worship, he added, “but it’s always a mosque. There should be one of each to be fair.”

“Violations against freedom of religion remain rampant [in Indonesia],” confirmed the chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, who goes by the single name of Hendardi, at a press conference announcing the release of its January 2010 “Report on the Condition of Religious and Faith Freedom in Indonesia.”

“This is mostly because the government is half-hearted in its upholding of the right to worship,” he said.

Of 139 violations recorded by the institute last year, West Java took first place with 57 incidents, followed closely by Jakarta at 38.

North Korea Act Today

Find out how North Korean Christians are being persecuted.

We're excited to announce the launch of the 2010 North Korea campaign. We need you to pray, to send a message of hope to North Koreans and to help get 50,000 standing for 50,000 persecuted Christians in North Korea. Join us! http://bit.ly/NKorea2010

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Revival & Persecution

Video about China, and the changes in religion that have taken place over the past few decades. WWW.OpenDoorsUSA.org