|
An International Missionary Outreach Dedicated to Evangelizing the Lost and Equipping the Church for Discernment
Weekly News In Review
October 23 - 29, 2005
To view all archives articles, please click here
Your comments regarding this service are welcome!
|
|
The following articles were posted at
www.understandthetimes.org this past week:
Hurricane postpones another homosexual party
Supreme Court Quickly Retracts Permission to Pray at Holy Site
Poll: Majority Reject Evolution
Ratzinger's Revolution Passes with Flying Colors
Vatican Organizing a Congress on Catholic TV To Promote
Collaboration and Intercommunication
Iran Leader Calls for Israel's Destruction
Diocese recommends priests be allowed to perform civil unions
Muslim leader: Messiah not coming to Israel
University to ban Bibles - Wants 'students of all faiths to feel at
home'
Pope entrusts Synod to care of Mary, stresses bond between
Eucharist and Church's mission
Bush: Palestine is upon us
Israel Calls for Ousting Iran From the United Nations
Catholic priests seek to adopt Hindu rituals
IDF Forces Enter Jenin
Chase Rolls Out RFID Credit Cards in N.Y. and Philadelphia
Iran leader defends Israel remark
|
|
 |
Article: Perilous Times
October 21, 2005 - Hurricane postpones
another homosexual party |
For the second time this year, an Atlantic hurricane is
forcing the postponement of a popular homosexual event
filled with "unthinkable debauchery."
The annual Fantasy Fest in Key West, Fla., had been slated
to kick off today, but the threat of Hurricane Wilma is
putting a damper on the festivities, delaying events until
after the storm passes.
For those not familiar with the perennial party in the week
leading up to Halloween, the Associated Press describes it
this way:
Fantasy Fest, which began in 1979 as a small food fair and
parade, is a huge event in the nation's gay community (not
that there aren't plenty of straights who also come for the
debauchery). There are AIDS fundraisers, drag queen beauty
contests, costume parties, lots of drinking and women
wearing nothing but paint from the waist up. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 23, 2005 - Supreme Court
Quickly Retracts Permission to Pray at Holy Site |
|
 |
The Supreme
Court has ordered a change to its ruling allowing Jews to
pray on the Temple Mount on the Sukkot holiday. The Jews may
visit, but not pray there.
A ruling had been issued allowing members of the Temple
Mount Faithful to ascend to Judaism's holiest site and pray
there during the weeklong Sukkot holiday. The ruling went a
step further than previous rulings of this type, and
permitted the Jews to actually pray there - until it was
noticed by the alert State representatives.
The Moslem Waqf, which controls the holy site's day-to-day
operations, has long objected to Jewish prayer at the site.
Israel's police, government and courts, unwilling to take a
chance of violence breaking out, have gone along with the
Waqf's dictates. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Creation - Evolution Debate
October 23, 2005 - Poll: Majority Reject
Evolution |
(CBS) Most
Americans do not accept the theory of evolution. Instead, 51
percent of Americans say God created humans in their present
form, and another three in 10 say that while humans evolved,
God guided the process. Just 15 percent say humans evolved,
and that God was not involved.
These views are similar to what they were in November 2004
shortly after the presidential election. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days
October 20, 2005 - Ratzinger's
Revolution Passes with Flying Colors |
|
 |
ROMA, October
20, 2005 - Benedict XVI's first book as pope, which collects
his speeches in Cologne and will soon be sold all over the
world, bears an audacious title: "God's Revolution."
But the real audacity is found where he writes that the big
bang of the divine revolution - "the ultimate end of which
is the transformation of the world" - is in the fragile,
white, consecrated host, the sacrament of the real presence
of Jesus, who is God and man.
The image of Benedict XVI kneeling silently before the
Eucharist has become the key image of this pontificate. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days
October 25, 2005 - Vatican Organizing
a Congress on Catholic TV To Promote Collaboration and
Intercommunication |
The Holy See is
organizing an international congress geared toward those
working in the field of Catholic television. Archbishop John
Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communications, confirmed the news today....
"Sixth, how can the effectiveness of religious television be
measured -- whether on public channels or on Catholic
stations? Are we providing a service for all, are we
evangelizing or are we 'saving the saved' -- reaching those
who are already convinced and providing them with additional
spiritual nourishment?"
Madrid to be host
This congress, the preparation for which is already under
way, will include the participation of Catholic television
stations as well as Catholic producers who offer material
for these stations and networks, Archbishop Foley noted.
"We are grateful that the Archdiocese of Madrid has kindly
offered to host our congress -- and we are very aware that
more Catholics speak Spanish than any other language -- but
that the Spanish-speaking of the world are under a type of
'spiritual siege' from fundamentalist Christian sects," he
continued. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 26, 2005 - Iran Leader Calls
for Israel's Destruction |
|
 |
President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Wednesday that Israel is a
"disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map" -
fiery words that Washington said underscores its concern
over Iran's nuclear program.
Ahmadinejad's speech to thousands of students at a
"World
without Zionism" conference set a hard-line foreign policy
course sharply at odds with that of his moderate
predecessor, echoing the sentiments of Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution.
The United States said Ahmadinejad's remarks show that
Washington's fears about Iran's nuclear program are
accurate. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Perilous Times
October 22, 2005 - Diocese recommends
priests be allowed to perform civil unions |
HARTFORD, Conn.
-- Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut passed a
resolution Saturday urging Bishop Andrew Smith to allow
priests in Connecticut to preside at civil union ceremonies.
The resolution passed overwhelmingly at the diocese annual
meeting, church officials said.
A law allowing same-sex civil unions in Connecticut took
effect Oct. 1. But Smith reminded clergy in a recent memo
that they are not authorized to officiate at blessings of
same-sex unions. He said that won't change at least until
the House of Bishops meets in 2006. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Islam
October 23, 2005 - Muslim leader:
Messiah not coming to Israel |
|
|
A prominent
Israeli-Arab Muslim leader at the weekend blasted
Evangelical Christian support for Israel as a misguided
effort to hasten the return of the Messiah.
Speaking to WorldNetDaily's Aaron Klein, Islamic Movement
Vice-Chairman Sheikh Kamal Hatib said the "crazy" Christian
support "is based on their faith that the return of the
Messiah...would be in Israel."
[Ed. Note - Muslims in general accept that Jesus is the
"messiah," but do not regard him as mankind's savior. Nor do
they accept that he was a Jew, but rather a "Palestinian"
adherent of Islam.]
"Therefore," Hatib continued, "[the Christians] support
Israel, because they believe that the continuation of Israel
to exist hastens the arrival of the Messiah."
"Allah forbid!" the sheikh exclaimed. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Apostasy
October 21, 2005 - University to ban
Bibles - Wants 'students of all faiths to feel at home' |
Edinburgh
University in Scotland will begin banning Holy Bibles from
its student halls of residence due to concern they are the
source of discrimination against students of other faiths.
The ban was a response to student association protests as
well as an agenda to equally support all faiths, a
university spokesman told the Times of London.
A Gideon Bible is traditionally placed in the room of all
new students, and there are currently about 2,000 bibles in
the Pollock Halls campus near Holyrood Park. Gideons
International has handed out 63 million Bibles worldwide in
places such as hotels, prisons and hospitals. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days
October 24, 2005 - Pope entrusts
Synod to care of Mary, stresses bond between Eucharist and Church's
mission |
|
|
Vatican City,
Oct. 24, 2005 (CNA) - Before praying the angelus prayer
yesterday in St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict entrusted the
fruits of the just-concluded General Synod of Bishops to the
Virgin Mary and stressed the unique bond between the
Church's mission and the centrality of the Eucharist.
During the closing Mass for both the Synod and 'Year of the
Eucharist' yesterday, the Pope also canonized five new
saints--the first of his pontificate.
"These new saints," he said, "whom we contemplate in their
heavenly glory, invite us to resort in all circumstances to
the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, in order to
progress ever more along the road of evangelical perfection,
upheld by constant union with the Lord, truly present in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist."
Calling Mary the, "Eucharistic woman," the Pope entrusted
the "spiritual fruits of the Synod and of the Year of the
Eucharist" to her care. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 20, 2005 - Bush: Palestine is
upon us |
US President
George W. Bush Thursday declared that the dream he shares
with the Arab world of birthing a Muslim state on the
ancient Jewish lands of Judea, Samaria and Gaza is closer to
reality today than ever before.
He vowed to use America's considerable influence to help
"realize [that] shared vision."
Speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, Bush
heaped praise on visiting PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas,
despite
the latter's refusal to honor his primary peace commitment
to disarm and dismantle anti-Jewish "Palestinian" terrorist
organizations. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 27, 2005 - Israel Calls for
Ousting Iran From the United Nations |
|
 |
(IsraelNN.com)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his address to
the"A World Without Zionism" conference in Teheran called
for the annihilation of Israel.
Responding to the remarks, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has
instructed UN Ambassador Danny Gillerman to call for the
ousting or Iran from the international body. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days
October 26, 2005 - Catholic priests
seek to adopt Hindu rituals |
A gathering of
leading Catholic clergymen from all over India have asked
the Vatican to endorse their proposal to include Hindu
rituals in the church.
The Pune Papal seminary said priests from all over India
were unanimous that the Catholic clergy must incorporate
Hindu practices like performing aarti during mass, studying
Sanskrit and the Vedas, and experiencing ashram life.
The Catholic Church's Indianisation process began in the mid
1960s, when a revolutionary council introduced local
traditions and practices like mass in regional languages.
Four decades later, the Catholic Church feels there is a
need to give that process a fresh emphasis.
"The Catholic Church plans to adopt a number of Indian
traditions and practices, which will give us a feel of being
an Indian," said Father Ornellas Coutinho, Rector, Pune
Papal Seminary. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 27, 2005 - IDF Forces Enter
Jenin |
|
 |
The army has
begun retaliating for the murderous terror attack in Hadera
with a "limited maneuver" in Jenin. Ground offensives in
Gaza are also expected. PM Sharon: "We won't accept
terrorism."
IDF forces entered the PA-controlled terrorist-haven city of
Jenin in the Shomron this afternoon (Thursday), arresting at
least one terrorist leader amidst scattered gunfire. One
report states that two Israel Air Force helicopters were
seen overhead, while 40 jeeps and tanks entered the city.
Israel says it is a "limited" maneuver.
The offensive was the first concrete result of a high-level
security consultation that followed yesterday's murderous
attack in Hadera. The attack claimed five lives and wounded
28 others. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: One World Government
October 28, 2005 - Chase Rolls Out RFID
Credit Cards in N.Y. and Philadelphia |
J.P. Morgan
Chase & Co. said Thursday that it has begun rolling out its
contactless credit cards, known as "blink," in the New York
and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. To use the blink cards,
customers wave the card near a reader at the checkout line.
The reader emits a tone and lights up to signal payment
confirmation.
In trials of the blink card, consumers appreciated the
security of retaining possession of the card during the
transaction, rather than swiping it or handing it to an
employee, the bank said. They also praised the card's speed
and convenience. The most significant time savings was
realized in the drive-thru environment, where transaction
time was reduced by as much as 20 seconds compared to cash.
For merchants, the card speeds checkout times and lets
customers spend more time shopping and less time waiting in
line. |
 |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
|
Article: Israel and the Last Days
October 29, 2005 - Iran leader defends
Israel remark |
|
 |
Iran's president
has defended his widely criticised call for Israel to be
"wiped off the map".
Attending an anti-Israel rally in Tehran, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said his remarks were "just" - and the criticism
did not "have any validity".
His initial comment provoked anger from many governments,
and prompted Israel to demand Iran's expulsion from the UN.
Egypt said they showed "the weakness of the Iranian
government". A Palestinian official also rejected the
remarks.
Defiant rally
Tens of thousands of Iranians took part in the rally in
Tehran which Iran organises every year on the last Friday of
the fasting month of Ramadan to show solidarity with the
Palestinian struggle.
Shouting "Death to Israel, death to the Zionists", the
protesters dragged Israeli flags along the ground and then
set them on fire. |
|
|
Entire Article
Back to top |
|
|
