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Remnant Way Newsletter
Signs of the Times ﹛ ﹛ Christian hotel owners hauled before court after defending their beliefs in discussion with Muslim guest By Jonathan PetreLast updated at 12:28 PM on 20th September 2009 A Christian couple have been charged with a criminal offence after taking part in what they regarded as a reasonable discussion about religion with guests at their hotel. Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang were arrested after a Muslim woman complained to police that she had been offended by their comments. They have been charged under public order laws with using ＆threatening, abusive or insulting words＊ that were ＆religiously aggravated＊. The couple, whose trial has been set for December, face a fine of up to £5,000 and a criminal record if they are convicted. Although the facts are disputed, it is thought that during the conversation the couple were challenged over their Christian beliefs. It is understood that they suggested that Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was a warlord and that traditional Muslim dress for women was a form of bondage. They deny, however, that their comments were threatening and argue that they had every right to defend and explain their beliefs. Mrs Vogelenzang, 54, who has run the Bounty House Hotel near Aintree racecourse in Liverpool with her husband Ben, 53, for six years, said: ＆Nothing like this has happened to us before. We are completely shocked.＊ She added that the episode had damaged their business and they had been forced to lay off staff and run the nine-bedroom hotel by themselves, leaving them exhausted. Sources said that a number of guests staying at the hotel, which charges £92 a night for a double room, were having breakfast in its restaurant on March 20 when comments were made about religion. One of those involved was the Muslim woman, who was staying at the hotel while she received treatment at a hospital nearby. The couple, who are members of the Bootle Christian Fellowship, and their solicitor, David Whiting, said they could not discuss the content of the conversation for legal reasons. But the independent lobby group, the Christian Institute, which has seen both the prosecution and defence legal papers, is supporting their defence. Mr Whiting, who last year successfully defended street preacher Anthony Rollins in Birmingham, said: ＆There is a dispute as to the facts of the allegations, but Ben and Sharon do not accept they were threatening, abusive or insulting. ＆They are committed Christians and it is the defence＊s contention that they have every right to defend their religious beliefs and explain those beliefs to others who do not hold similar views.＊ After the incident, the couple voluntarily attended St Anne＊s Street police station in Liverpool, where they were interviewed under caution. In July they were arrested and charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 and Section 31 (1) (c) and (5) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. They appeared briefly at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday to hear the date of their trial before magistrates, and were granted bail on the condition that they did not approach any of the witnesses expected to appear. The use by the police of the Public Order Act to arrest people over offensive comments has dismayed a number of lawyers, who say the legislation was passed to deal with law and order problems in the streets. Neil Addison, a prominent criminal barrister and expert in religious law, said: ＆The purpose of the Public Order Act is to prevent disorder, but I＊m very concerned that the police are using it merely because someone is offended. ＆It should be used where there is violence, yobbish behaviour or gratuitous personal abuse. It should never be used where there has been a personal conversation or debate with views firmly expressed. ＆If someone is in a discussion and they don＊t like what they are hearing, they can walk away.＊ He added that the police had a legal duty under the Human Rights Act to defend free speech ＆and I think they are forgetting that＊. A number of Church leaders in Liverpool have written to Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, voicing their concerns and pressing for the case to be dropped. Christian Institute spokesman Mike Judge said ＆important＊ issues of religious liberty were at stake. ＆In recent years, we have backed several cases where Christians have suffered unfair treatment because of their faith,＊ he said. ＆We have detected a worrying tendency for public bodies to misapply the law in a way that seems to sideline Christianity more than other faiths.＊ ﹛ ﹛ ﹛ Clinton Sees Need For "Global Architecture Of Cooperation"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the world needs a "global architecture of cooperation" in a speech previewing U.S. goals for the 64th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which begins next week. Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., the U.S. secretary of state outlined five priority issues the United States wants to pursue during the upcoming UN session: nuclear nonproliferation, the rebuilding and security of Iraq, terrorism, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and violence against women. Those goals represent a marked change of course from the years of the Bush administration, which viewed the UN with suspicion or disregard and practiced bilateral diplomacy. "As President Obama leads our U.S. delegation at this year's General Assembly, I hope we can demonstrate that the United Nations does not have to be just a diplomatic "talk shop" on First Avenue [in Manhattan] at its best," Clinton said. "It could be an institution that brings the world's nations together to solve global problems through adherence to rules and principles set forth in the UN Charter." The UN General Assembly is made up of 192 member states and, as the institution's main legislative organ, it sets the agenda for the world body. The most powerful instrument within the UN is the Security Council, which handles the most significant security and peacekeeping issues. Main Topic Of Discussion Clinton said nuclear nonproliferation tops the U.S. agenda for the upcoming session. "Few issues reflect the need for a global architecture of cooperation more than nuclear nonproliferation. No issue poses a more serious threat to our security or the world's [security]," she said, "and it will be a main topic of discussion next week and beyond." She said Obama's plan to continue reducing global stockpiles of nuclear arms and implement stringent arms control well is in line with the UN's goal of the complete elimination of nuclear arms. "We believe that it sets the template for what we should aspire to: moving toward a world with zero nuclear weapons," Clinton said. "We understand that won't be easy. We understand that it is a generational commitment [and] might not happen in our lifetimes. But as long as nuclear weapons exist in the world, the United States will maintain a safe, secure, and effective deterrent capability." Iran's policy of uranium enrichment and its noncooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)remains the main threat to international security, Clinton said, adding that Tehran's failure to live up to its obligations carries profound consequences for the security of the United States and the world, not to mention for the credibility of the IAEA and the UN Security Council. "Our concern is not Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy but its responsibility to demonstrate that its program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes," she said. "This is not hard to do. Iran"s continued refusal to cooperate has damaged the credibility of its claim that it does not seek a nuclear weapon." Clinton said the fight against terrorism " and specifically, formulating and implementing coordinated policies against Al-Qaeda and its allies " will also be high on the U.S. agenda for the upcoming session. "Also on the docket for the General Assembly will be meetings related to Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Obama has stated our core goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat Al-Qaeda and its extremist allies, and to prevent their return to either country," she said. "This is the goal we share with Afghanistan, with Pakistan, and with the international community." "She said she will be personally engaged in advancing international efforts and UN-related activities aimed at recognizing women as key drivers of economic progress and social stability, and addressing impediments to women's empowerment and advancement, particularly sexual- and gender-based violence. ﹛ ﹛ ﹛ A surefire way to debunk atheism? ﹛ Posted: September 20, 2009 What is it about a California-based Christian evangelist from New Zealand that makes him irresistible to even the most sophisticated secularist? "You sir, are a fool who could not lie straight in bed. It is beneath me to even address you," wrote an online respondent to Ray Comfort's weblog Friday, "but I was passing by and saw this tripe, I could not constrain myself." The lively interaction on his Atheist Central blog with scores of atheists and agnostics of all kinds 每 from young students to decorated scientists 每 has given Comfort unusual insight into the skeptical mind and led him to conclude atheism rests on a remarkably illogical and unscientific premise that became the title of his latest book, "Nothing Created Everything.""I found over the last year, when I said an atheist is someone who believes nothing created everything, they go berserk and say, 'We don't believe that,'" said Comfort, co-host of "The Way of the Master" television show with actor Kirk Cameron and the head of Bellflower, Calif.-based Living Waters ministry.But Comfort insists atheists clearly believe nothing created everything. "All you have to do," Comfort told WND, "is push them into a corner and say, 'So, you're an atheist?' 'Yep.' 'So you believe that nothing created everything, a scientific impossibility?' And they'll say, 'Well, no.' 'So you believe something created everything?' And they say, 'Well, yeah. Something did, obviously.' 'So you're not an atheist?' 'OK, I'm not an atheist.' "'This something you believe created everything," Comfort continued, "do you think it was intelligent? I mean, could you create a bird or a flower or a tree or a blade of grass from nothing?' And they'll say, 'No, I can't do that.' 'Well, is this something you believe created everything intelligent?' And they'll say, 'Obviously.' And I'll say, 'Congratulations, you've just become an anti-science, knuckle-dragger in the eyes of our learning institutions, because you believe in intelligent design.'" To help make the point in his book, Comfort culled quotes from leading scientists who believe "nothing created everything," including British biologist and unofficial leader of the popular atheist movement, Richard Dawkins. Dawkins, in his 2004 book "The Ancestor's Tale" wrote, "The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved literally out of nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice." Among others, Comfort cites physicist Robert A.J. Matthews of Ashton University in England, who wrote, "It is now becoming clear that everything can 每 and probably did 每 come from nothing." American physicist Paul Davies of Arizona State University wrote, "Even if we don't have a precise idea of exactly what took place at the beginning, we can at least see that the origin of the universe from nothing need not be unlawful or unnatural or unscientific." "The whole thought that nothing created everything is an intellectual embarrassment for atheists," Comfort told WND. He writes in his book: "There's no way to say it kindly, but such thoughts show that the atheist doesn't think, and proves the Bible right when it says that the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. "All you have to do is present unbiased facts about the unscientific and unthinking nature of atheistic evolution, and then watch people change their minds." 'Special condemnation' As WND reported, Comfort offered $20,000 to Dawkins to debate him on BBC radio, but the British scientist has not responded.Comfort noted, however, Dawkins has offered his estimation of him, which graces the cover of "Nothing Created Everything.""[Ray Comfort] is an ignorant fool," Dawkins said. "He gave me a special condemnation for my book," Comfort remarked, "which is delightful." ﹛ ﹛ ﹛ EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS THESE ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN 911/999 WHEN:-
ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY. NO OPERATOR ASSISTANUE IS NECESSARY. ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY. FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH! ﹛ ﹛ ﹛ Changing the channel In the two cartoons appearing in the hardcopy version of this month's edition of The IO, French cartoonist Andre Bickel has captured the essence of the common man's modern existence: Our mass minds are held in trance-like states by communications technologies and mass media so that we will sit still for a multi-directional physiological assault. In both cases, the cause-and-effect relationships mass media, drugs, and chemicals have on individuals and societies are known and fully exploited by government and industry. The question then becomes, "How do we, as communities and individuals, awaken from our psychological warfare-induced trance long enough to look around and see the biochemical bombs exploding around us? Coming soon, our leaders tell us, is an expansion of the war on terror, another terrorist attack here at home and the bird flu. Coming online right now also are the mass trance-inducing/people tracking technologies that have been reported over the last decade by alternative presses as being under development. Apparently "they" are hurriedly deepening our hypnotic state so that when war and chaos cause TVs and radios to stop working and we collectively awaken to Big-Brother's brave new world we will be too sick to do anything about it. Welcome to Orewll's 1984 and you thought it was futuristic fiction. The solution is stop watching corporate TV programming, stop listening to corporate radio programming and stop reading corporate newspapers and magazines and don't forget to throw your cell phones away. TV: The most powerful psychological warfare weapon by Steven Jacobson Television is the most powerful weapon of psychological warfare in history. This fact is so important it bears repeating: Television is the most powerful weapon of psychological warfare in history. Most people do not think of their televisions as weapons because they are regarded as members of the family in many households across the country. Television has been entrusted with the care of the youth of this nation as a baby sitter. For many people, it is the primary source of news, information and entertainment. After a hard day of life in America, many people come home tired and plop themselves down on the sofa or their favorite easy chair, reach for the remote, turn on the TV and put their mind on hold. Think of the times you have observed young children or senior citizens motionless in front of the TV. They wear a vacant, glassy-eyed look on their faces because they are in a trance-like state. Although it is not consciously perceived, the picture projected on the TV screen is actually flickering. We do not see the flickering consciously, but subconsciously the repetitive pattern of the flickering image induces a hypnotic state of mind in those who are vulnerable to that form of psychological suggestion. Since television is literally "plugging" itself into the brain and central nervous system, our bodies are physiologically, as well as psychologically, responding to television. Though there are an innumerable progression of examples, one stands out as memorable to many. In December, 1997, 700 children in Japan were hospitalized after watching an episode of the popular "Pokemon" TV cartoon. On this particular episode, stroboscopic flashes of light pulsated from the eyes of one of the cartoon's characters, causing epileptic-like seizures in some of the children who were viewing it. Other children experienced muscle spasms, dizziness and nausea. Attention deficit disorder was practically unheard of before the advent of television. Constantly changing camera angles and quick cutting from one scene to another, techniques that were developed for TV commercials and music videos, have been more common among the various types of programming. These techniques effectively train into the brain a short attention span for the beholder. Programs edited in this manner cause corresponding electro-chemical changes in the brain which releases endorphines to cause viewers to experience a drug-like effect. A child sitting motionless while fixated on the TV screen is getting an electronic "fix." Children who are fidgety, unable to focus and demonstrating nervous energy will often calm down quickly when allowed to sit and watch TV. This scenario infers that children can become psychologically and physiologically-addicted to television in a manner every bit as serious as an addiction to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. The principles of mind control, hypnotic suggestion and mental programming are ancient. Modern technology allows the implementation of these age-old principles on a scale massive enough to influence the thinking and behavior of large numbers of people. The goal of those using modern technology to program the thoughts and actions of entire nations is to suspend the thought processes of the conscious mind and leave them open to suggestion. The first objective of the commerical advertiser or the government propagandist is to create the conditions that will produce a state of mind favorable to receiving their message(s). That state of mind is the hypnotic state and television is capable of inducing this altered state of consciousness automatically, regardless of program content, due to the nature of the medium itself. This makes television the most potent instrument of mass persuasion in the history of the world. Think for a moment about the way newscasters speak and you will realize that they all talk the same way regardless of ethnic background. Whether they are black, white, hispanic or oriental, with few exceptions, they all sound alike. The patterned speech of the newscaster is similar to that of a hypnotist. The newscaster looks directly into the camera and into the eyes of the viewer; a technique that has been used by hypnotists for centuries. Coupled with the newscaster being a trusted and respected authority figure, his ability to encourage acceptance of the information being presented as true and accurate is magnified. It is no accident that television networks have "programming" departments, that the lineup of shows is called "programming" and each individual show is called a "program." The Orwellian world of mind control is a present day reality. It arrived unnoticed because people were conditioned not to notice. There could be no effective propaganda without the support of the mass media in general and television in particular. The consolidation of the ownership of presses, radio, television and movies makes the coordination of propaganda possible. Though generally regarded as a classic work of fiction, the novel "1984" by George Orwell was a warning of what would happen to people who lost their freedom of mind without being "aware" while it was being taken from them through artful abuses of emotional and intellectual mind manipulation/control techniques. Most people do not pay conscious attention to things that affect them subconsciously. They do not usually know what to look for until these things are pointed out to them. The most effective way to protect yourself, your family and your community from subconscious manipulation is by being aware of how it works. According to Homer Simpson, the underachieving father figure on the long-running adult cartoon "The Simpsons," the answers to life's problems are on TV. And, like cartoon characters, the American people have been programmed to turn on the TV and select network programming for answers. Our world has devolved to a state of perpetual war and conflict. That the people tolerate this state is due largely to psychological warfare being waged on them through television programming. This places mind control at the top of the list as the most important issue facing society today. Ask yourself, if the people were in control of their own thoughts and not influenced by a barrage of media-induced propaganda, would they, on their own authority, tolerate the world as it exists today or would they demand a more just, compassionate and cooperative world? The first freedom from which all other freedoms are derived is freedom of the mind. If the present state of world affairs is to change, we will have to break free of the programming and begin thinking independently again. Steven Jacobson spent 13 years in the film industry and is a graduate of the Boston University School of Communications. Once he realized how the mass media was manipulating the minds of Americans without their knowledge or consent, he abandoned filmmaking. Jacobson then dedicated his energies to researching the hypnotic techniques being used to trance-form free-thinking individuals into mindless conmsumers and malleable tools of government. Jacobsen's research has culminated in the development of the "Mind Control in America" audio series available on cassette or CD. To order these educational audios, write MCiA Media, PO Box 15734, Winston-Salem, NC 27113. ﹛ 2012 forecast: Food riots, ghost malls, mob rule, terror Trends chief says people should brace for 'the greatest depression' ﹛ Posted: October 10, 2009 By Bob Unruh A trends forecaster says the current economic "rebound" from last winter's Wall Street collapse of banks, insurance companies and automobile manufacturers is an artificial blip created by 'phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing."And Gerald Celente of TrendsResearch.com, says people right now should be bracing for "the greatest recession" which will hit worldwide and will mark the "decline of empire America." Crop failures could be among the minor concerns."Here we are in 2012. Food riots, tax protests, farmer rebellions, student revolts, squatter diggins, homeless uprisings, tent cities, ghost malls, general strikes, bossnappings, kidnappings, industrial saboteurs, gang warfare, mob rule, terror," he writes for a quarterly publication that is available through subscription on his website.The recent surge in Wall Street indexes back to near the 10,000 level, still far below the 14,000 prior to the crash, should be no reassurance for anyone, he said. "There's no recovery. This is merely a cover-up," he said. "The market crashed in March of 2009 and around the world they papered over the damage from the collapse with phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing," he said. This is "much bigger" than an economic collapse, he said. "This is the decline of empire America." "Look what's happened to the dollar," he warned. "Gold prices are surging forward. That's the evidence. The rest that's coming from Washington and Wall Street is rhetoric." "This is the beginning of the greatest depression. We're telling our readers to take pro-active measures in anticipation of much worse to come," he said.USA Today says Celente "has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right," and CNBC says, "The man knows what he's talking about." The Wall Street Jounral has said, "Those who take their predictions seriously ＃ consider the Trends Research Institute." He said during the Radio America/WND interview that retail sales this coming Christmas season will be the "real nail in the economic coffin." "The second American revolution has already begun; it just hasn't been announced yet by the mainstream media," he said. "Anybody waiting for hope to show up at the door with a big bag full of money is going to be in for a shock." Tim Barello in the Examiner noted that since 1980 Celente has made at least 40 accurate predictions about major world events, such as the 1987 stock market crash. "Throughout the 1990's, many other forecasts came true, including the collapse of the Soviet Union, surges in global terrorism, the popularity of spiritual and new age philosophies, public backlash against globalization, upsurges in online shopping, and the 1997 Asian financial crisis, to name a select few," he wrote.Now comes his forecast for a global depression and for the United States, "Obamageddon." "We want to make it very clear that the policies leading to the decline of 'Empire America' have been long in the making," Celente told Barello. "What has happened in the Obama administration is that they have taken policies far beyond even what Bush took with the TARP program; for example, with his stimulus package, with the buyouts, with the bailouts, the rescue packages, these are unprecedented in American history."Never before has so much phantom money been printed out of thin air, backed by nothing, producing practically nothing," Celente continued. "You don't even have to be a student of history to know the outcome of this. All you have to do is have your eyes open, and start thinking for yourself." In his conversation with the Examiner, Celente warned with the "bubble" bursts, U.S. taxpayers will be slammed because, unlike during the dot-com bubble, the stock market bubble and the real estate bubble, they are stockholders in a long list of major companies.He forecasts the possibility of a civil war, and says if people want to see what Main Street America will look like, they should "drive around Detroit. Look at all the blown out houses and empty neighborhoods. Look at the violence that's increasing. ＃ Look at the types of heinous crimes being committed by people 每 some blowing their whole families away＃"﹛ ﹛ The following are messages from David Wilkerson. Many may remember him as the author of the book "the Cross and the Switchblade", upon which a movie was made. AN URGENT MESSAGEI am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world. Recently I felt compelled to send out an URGENT message warning of an impending great calamity 〞 such that will cause even God＊s elect to tremble. One Bishop asked, "Is there no further word: How should the righteous respond to such a word?" I can only answer by sharing what the Holy Spirit is speaking to my own heart and what I am to do. I shared that I was led in a practical way to lay aside a month＊s supply of food 〞 because I have witnessed the panic in the wake of terrorism. That has to be a personal word for every individual. This is what I hear the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart concerning my own spiritual response to impending calamity. It is simply this 〞STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. "And Moses said to the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show you today＃The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13-14). This is the attitude of faith in the face of calamity. What could Israel do on the brink of the Red Sea? Pharaoh＊s army is pressing in, mountains are on both sides, and there is an impossible sea ahead. The flesh cries, "Do something!" The flesh cries hopelessness. Can God＊s people dry up the sea? Level a mountain? Fight a great army without having weapons? They are in what appears to be a dreadful, frightening situation. God＊s people tremble 〞 and in this hour of trembling comes a word from God. In essence: "Stand still. Fear not. This is the hour of salvation. You are going to witness the pulling down of the foundations of a world power. But in the same hour, I will fight for you. Hold your peace 〞 be still and see my works." Beloved, my warning is just one voice among many who are saying the same thing. We may all tremble for a season, but those who truly know God＊s Word will be quickly comforted by the Holy Spirit. We will be baptized with a great peace 〞 a supernatural quietness 〞 which will be a tremendous witness to the fearful multitudes. In Christ, David Wilkerson
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