|
|
This newsletter is available online by
clicking here. The archived newsletter are also available by
clicking here.
The News In Review newsletter is a service
provided
by Understand The Times that
is a compilation of the news articles
previously posted
on our site . Understand The Times does not
endorse these events but rather is
showing the church the current events.
The
purpose of posting these articles is to warn the church of deception from a
Biblical perspective.
 |
|
|
December 9 - Papal preacher: Mary is model for New Evangelization
Artical: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days
Comment from Understand the Times:
Raniero
Cantalamessa is not only pastor to the pope and an important
figure in the New Evangelization, he also speaks at Alpha
leadership meetings in the UK and is an advisor to Nicky Gumbel,
who founded the Alpha program. The Alpha Program has infiltrated
almost every denomination there is including Calvary Chapel.
This shows how far down the road to ecumenism we have traveled
and very few are saying a word.
In his 2nd Advent Sermon, delivered on December 9, the preacher
of the pontifical household said that prayer
and contemplation are essential elements
of any missionary effort.
Speaking on the "new evangelization,"
Father Raniero Cantalamessa began by tracing the history of the
great missionary impulses of the Church, especially in Europe.
The growth of Christendom, he observed, was spurred by St.
Augustine's teaching on the distinction between earthly and
divine authority. Later the monastic movement preserved the
faith and formed the base for a new burst of missionary activity
in the Middle Ages.
The contemplative life and the task of evangelization are
inextricably connected, the papal preacher argued, and "there
must rather be a synthesis of the two things in the very life of
every missionary." In this respect, he observed,
the model for evangelization is the Virgin
Mary, who "brought the Word-not to this or that people-but to
the whole world," by bearing Christ. She did not preach, he
said, but "she radiated Him with her very presence."
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe - She Who Crushes the Head of the Serpent
Article: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days
Let us focus our attention on
the First Reading from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception taken from the
Book of Genesis. In the reading we hear these words:
"The Lord God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you shall be
banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall
you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike
at your head, while you strike at his heel" (Genesis 3: 14 - 15).
"I will put enmity between you and the woman." Who is the woman in this text
from Genesis. The woman is not Eve, but the new
Eve, Mary.
"He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
Scripture scholars over the years have debated regarding the word he.
Should it be translated he or she or even they?
But does it matter? In another words, does the he refer to the Messiah who is to
come? Does the she refer to Mary? Does the they refer to the descendants of
Mary; i.e., Christ and the Church?
A commentary for the Douay-Rheims says "Ipsa, the woman; so
divers of the fathers read this place, conformably to the Latin: others read it
ipsum, viz., the seed. The sense is the same:
for it is by her seed, Jesus Christ, that the woman crushes the serpent's head."
So, how is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady
of Guadalupe connected? Here is something that is really amazing. What would you
think if I told you that Our Lady of Guadalupe is not really Our Lady of
Guadalupe, instead she is really Our Lady of
coatlaxopeuh which is pronounced "quatlasupe" and sounds extraordinarily like
the Spanish word Guadalupe? Coatlaxopeuh means She who crushes the head of the
serpent.
The miraculous encounters between the Blessed Virgin Mary
and Saint Juan Diego would have taken place in his own native language and not
Spanish. The Spanish word Guadalupe refers to another Marian event that took
place in 1326 in a small Spanish village called Guadalupe. Experts believe that
title Our Lady of Guadalupe came from a misunderstanding of the translation into
Spanish of the word Nahuatl coatlaxopeuh. Thus,
Our Lady of Guadalupe is in reality Our Lady of Quatlasupe - She who crushes the
head of the serpent.
The proximity of the apparitions to the site of the temple
of the Aztec mother-goddess Tonantzin had an amazing effect on the Aztecs
because they saw that Tonantzin (Our Mother) or Teonantzin(God's Mother) was to
replace the Aztec mother-goddess.
Thus, the
Mother of God led the Indigenous people away from the Aztec religion to the
Catholic Faith.
Mary will lead humanity back to her Son. Mary will free us from the sins of our
modern times. Mary, Our Lady of Quatlasupe - She who crushes the head of the
serpent, is leading the new evangelization.
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 8 - Invasion of the Vein Scanners for Cashless Society
Article: Technology For Global Monetary System
In an article I wrote in
late October 2011 ("NJ Transit Ushers In Cashless Society With Google
Wallet App For Smartphone Payment), I detailed a new policy being
implemented at New Jersey Transit stations and Newark Liberty
International Airport Rail Station, as well as in Penn Station and the
New York Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York. At the time, I deemed
the program, "the most recent Orwellian Big
Brother policy under the guise of greater traveler convenience; a cover
story for privacy intrusion that is becoming more and more popular when
attempting to introduce the hi-tech police state security grid."
Essentially, the new procedure being introduced is a wireless
payment program that allows passengers
to wave their smartphones in front of a special sensor in order to
purchase a ticket for travel. The sensor is located on the ticket
vending machine and both the train and bus tickets are accessed via
Google Wallet - an app that provides for wireless payment capabilities.
In the article mentioned above, I argued that the implementation of such
technology is the foreshadowing of the coming cashless society which
itself will play a major role in the totalitarian police state control
grid being established right before our eyes.
Taking the cashless
control grid one step further, an article published on August 8, 2011 in
Technology Review, entitled "Beyond Cell Phone Wallets, Biometrics
Promise Truly Wallet-Free Future," explains that major corporations are
not even waiting for the "digital wallet" to catch on.
They are actually moving forward with a system
that will allow for an individual to swipe their palm, not their phone,
in front of a digital recognition device in order to gain access to
various buildings, pay for merchandise, or otherwise identify oneself.
The new system, known as PalmSecure, is not Near
Field Communication, however. PalmSecure requires no tangible hardware
on the part of the user, so phones are not necessary.
All it requires is that the user wave his/her
hands in front of an electronic reader and the small device reads the
unique pattern of veins by way of near-infrared light.
Indeed, this new type of
technology, even this specific product, is already being introduced all
over the United States.
For instance, New York University's Langone Medical
Center has already implemented the vein
scanners in some of its medical facilities. Manufactured by Fujitsu, the
scanners are being placed in the hospital under the guise of greater
convenience (the marketing gift that keeps on giving) and faster access
to medical records. Health histories, insurance forms, and other
documents are all handled electronically and at a much faster pace with
the help of the new vein scanners.
It should be noted, however, that almost every
element of any control grid begins by being optional when it is first
introduced to the target population. But,
as more and more individuals acquiesce to the system, the more
inconvenient and, subsequently, the harder it will become for the rest
of us to opt out. Eventually, the ability to opt out will be removed
altogether.
Schools, too, have begun to implement the Fujitsu
systems. For instance, the Pinellas County School District in Florida
recently announced that it was introducing
the system in order "to identify students and thereby reduce waste and
the threat of impersonation."
Obviously, the introduction of the Fijitsu vein
scanners in the NYU hospitals and the Pinellas County School District
are simply more examples of how
gradualism is used in order to condition the public into accepting these
technologies as a fact of life. Particularly if the younger generation
can be trained to accept palm scans even for the most basic and common
goods and services, they and the generation that comes after them will
never think to question the greatly enhanced digital control grid when
it is rolled out into the general social sphere.
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 8 - Pope highlights Mary's role as 'woman of the apocalypse'
Article: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days
Comment from Understand the Times:
Anyone who
risks accepting the pope's explanation that "Mary" and the church
are the same thing does so under a strong delusion. Jesus Christ is
the head of the Church - not Mary. To believe this distorted
Babylonian deception places it in the category of being deceived and
spending eternity in hell. This "Mary" veneration can be traced back
to ancient Babylonianism.
Pope Benedict XVI reflected
on the biblical description of a "woman clothed with the sun" in his
remarks at Rome's Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate
Conception.
"What is the meaning of
this image? It represents the
Church and Our Lady at the same time," the Pope
told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the
1854 definition of Mary's Immaculate Conception.
"Before all, the 'woman' of the apocalypse is
Mary herself."
The 12th chapter of the
Biblical Apocalypse - also known as the Book of Revelation -
describes the glorification and persecution of
"a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on
her head a crown of twelve stars."
Though not named, this
woman is described as the mother of the Messiah. In poetic language
akin to the Bible's other prophetic books, Saint John says
she faced the threat of "a huge red dragon,
with seven heads and ten horns," and "fled into the desert where she
had a place prepared by God."
Pope Benedict,
offering white roses in his traditional yearly
act of Marian veneration, gave listeners his insight into the
connection between the Virgin Mary and the Church - portrayed in the
Apocalypse through the single image of the sun-clad woman.
"She appears 'clothed in
sunlight,' that is, clothed in God," observed the Pope.
"The Virgin Mary is in fact completely
surrounded by the light of God and lives in God . The 'Immaculate
One' reflects with all of her person the light of the 'sun' which is
God. Besides representing Our Lady, this sign personifies the
Church, the Christian community of all times,"
he continued.
"But in every age the
Church is supported by the light and the strength of God," the Pope
said. "She is nurtured in the desert with the bread of his word
and the Holy Eucharist.
While sinless herself, Mary remains
in solidarity with the Church struggling against sin.
That is why the people of God, pilgrims in time,
turn to their heavenly mother and ask
for her help," explained Pope Benedict.
"For this also we,
especially on this day, never cease
to ask with filial trust for her help: 'O Mary, conceived without
sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.'"
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 15 - Alternative Nativity Scene Set Up At Capitol
Article: Miscellaneous
An atheists' group, the
Freedom From Religion Foundation, has set up an
alternative Nativity scene in the Capitol Rotunda. The display,
which was installed on Wednesday, is in response to the traditional
Christian Nativity scene on display at the Capitol, which was assembled
by the conservative group Wisconsin Family Action.
Aside from the manger,
the Freedom From Religion Foundation's display isn't the typical
Nativity scene. The display includes a
baby girl in a manger, three wise people and Venus as Mary. Charles
Darwin, Albert Einstein and Mark Twain make up the three wise people.
The angels in the scene include the Statue of Liberty and an astronaut.
The Freedom From
Religion Foundation said its display is
meant to celebrate the winter solstice. The group said that in
celebrating the winter solstice, it is celebrating reality.
"It is not intended to be offensive," said Annie Laurie Gaylor
with the Freedom From Religion Foundation. "There
may be Christians who consider it blasphemous. That's not why we did it.
It's representing our point of view. We're honoring real people and real
things." The group has asked Capitol police for extra security
around its display in case of damage or theft.
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 16 - Tony Blair pays tribute to Christopher Hitchens as a unique character and a privilege to know
Article: Miscellaneous
Tony Blair today
paid tribute to the author, journalist and
literary critic Christopher Hitchens as a "unique character" who was
"fearless in the pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed."
Tony Blair and
Christopher Hitchens publicly debated together in November 2010 at the
6th annual Munk Debate in Toronto. The sell-out debate focused on
competing claims regarding religion's effect on human civilisation,
today and into the future.
Tony Blair said:
"Christopher Hitchens was a complete one-off, an amazing mixture of
writer, journalist, polemicist, and unique character.
"He was fearless in the
pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed. And there was no
belief he held, that he did not advocate with passion, commitment and
brilliance.
"He was an extraordinary, compelling and colourful human being
whom it was a privilege to know."
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 16 - Christmas Message 2011 from the World Council of Churches general secretary
Article: Ecumenical Movement - Protestants Uniting With Roman Catholics
Grace to you and peace in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the appearance of the
gracious salvation of the Triune God enlighten our hearts, minds
and spirits in this joyous season.
New Testament accounts of the advent and
nativity of Jesus stress the all-encompassing nature of the
Christ event. Without reservation, the Biblical text says that
God's grace appears to
all, offering the promise of
forgiveness, healing and reconciliation with God in heaven and
with our neighbours on earth.
In May 2011, one thousand people gathered in
Jamaica under the theme, "Glory to God and Peace on Earth." It
is the heart of the Christmas message and gave heart to the
International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC). This song of
angels recorded in Luke called our attention to the need for
Just Peace for all in the 21st century. Praying that the peace
of God will appear to all, the message of the IEPC made this
vow:
"With
partners of other faiths, we have recognized that peace is a
core value in all religions, and the promise of peace
extends to all people regardless of their traditions and
commitments. Through intensified inter-religious dialogue we
seek common ground with all world religions."
And the IEPC message offered this
exhortation to Christians:
"We as churches are in a position to
teach nonviolence to the powerful, if only we dare. For we
are followers of one who came as a helpless infant, died on
the Cross, told us to lay aside our swords, taught us to
love our enemies and was resurrected from the dead."
May the grace and peace of God appear to
many more through this season of Christmas! On behalf of the
World Council of Churches, I wish you well at the turning of
this year, and I pray for God's
blessing on our common journey in the years to come.
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General secretary
World Council of Churches
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 15 - Pope: Interdependence Not a Threat, But an Opportunity
Article: One World Religion
In an address to 11 new
ambassadors to the Holy See, Benedict XVI today said that
the interdependence of the human family, brought about by modern technology,
is not a threat, but an opportunity.
"In our time the unity of the human family is an
undeniable fact," he remarked. "Thanks to the
communications media that bring all regions of the planet together,
transport which facilitates human contacts, commercial ties which make
economies interdependent, and problems of global importance such as
environmental protection and mass migration,
human beings have become more aware of their shared
destiny. ... Mankind must see this interdependency not as a threat but as an
opportunity. We are all responsible for one another, therefore it is
important to maintain a positive vision of solidarity because it is the
driving force of integral human development."
Benedict XVI
specifically highlighted "intergenerational solidarity," which has its roots
in the family. Concern for education and for the destiny of future
generations is "a significant contribution to the perception of the unity of
the human race," he said.
"Shared responsibility" for the good of humankind is
not opposed to cultural and religious diversity, the
Holy Father went on. "The pluralism of
cultures and religions does not contradict the joint search for truth,
goodness and beauty. ... The Church, illuminated and upheld by the light of
Revelation, encourages men and women to entrust themselves to a reason
which, purified by faith ... becomes capable of seeing beyond partisan
interests in order to discern the universal good necessary to all human
beings: social and religious harmony and peace."
Benedict XVI said that
solidarity fulfills its role of "social
virtue" when it is founded on "structures of subsidiarity and on each
individual's firm and unrelenting determination to work for the common
good."
"Justice and solidarity," the Pope
concluded, "cannot be separated from the
concept of the integral development of the person. In this sense,
highlighting the primacy of the spirit is not only the responsibility of
religions, but also of states which must implement cultural policies that
promote universal access to the things of the spirit, emphasize the
importance of social relationships and never hinder human beings in their
free search for spirituality."
Read Full Article....
|
|
|
|
|
December 8 - The Cashless Society: What Gadgets Will We Be Using in 2021?
Article: Technology For Global Monetary System
With 2011 drawing to
a close we at the International Business Times UK aren't just
looking forward to the tech 2012 has to bring, but we're most
excited for the technology we'll all be buying in 2021.
In
ten years' time we
think cash will be going the way cheques are today
as near field communication (NFC) in smartphones and
credit cards will make paying with notes and coins a
think of the past. NFC is the same technology used
in London's Oyster travel card and it has started to
appear in selected smartphones. Google Wallet is an
application that takes advantage of NFC and we
imagine that the number of chips in smartphones and
applications like Wallet will increase dramatically
over the next decade.
But
it doesn't have stop at smartphones...NFC is already
being used in wristwatches in Hong Kong,
where commuters can pass
through train station barriers by touching their
watch - or phone - against a terminal.
Home
automation has been around for some years now,
providing systems that can electronically open and
close curtains, adjusting lighting depending on who
is home and serving up films and music to every
room. But
smartphones and tablets of the future will take home
automation a step further and become the control
units for every aspect of our homes. Google has
recently suggested that it will incorporate home
automation with Android and we're certainly excited
at the prospect of controlling curtains, lighting,
heating, burglar alarms and more from our
smartphones and tablets.
The tech-savvy amongst us carry around a whole range
of devices; smartphones, tablets, eBook readers,
laptops, netbooks and portable games consoles to
name a few; but in
2021 we think that these will all be replaced by
just two things - a smartphone and a super-powerful
tablet.
A tablet of the future could even replace
most mid-range personal computers by incorporating a
docking system for use at home that would provide a
large screen, speakers, and everything else that's
usually plugged into a desktop.
While technology will continue to get faster, more
powerful and cheaper,
more importantly it will be
interesting to see how technology changes our lives
- will social networks affect our real-world
friendships? And will implementing more technology
in schools change the way we educate? We're as
excited as everyone else to find out the answers to
these questions, among many others.
Read Full Article....
|
|
We hope the Weekly News In Review has been a
blessing to you.
Sincerely,
Roger Oakland
|
|
