"Arise, O God, judge the earth!" For it is You who
possess all the nations." (Psalm 82:8)
- HATE-CRIMES BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE
- COMMENTARY: RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
- FAMILY GROUPS SUE FDA OVER CONTRACEPTIVE
- GOP EYES SUCCESS ON WAR FUNDING
- DEFIANT IRAQI LAWMAKERS MEET
- MILITARY SPENDING TO RETAIN TROOPS SKYROCKETS
- ONLINE JIHAD
- STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES WORLDWIDE TERROR ALERT
- NORTH KOREA SET TO CARRY OUT NUCLEAR DEAL
- GERMANY WILL BACK US ANTI-MISSILE SHIELD
- IRAN LEADS ATTACK AGAINST U.S. DOLLAR
- PELOSI'S FATHER AND THE HOLOCAUST
1. HATE-CRIMES BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE
A bill to add federal penalties for crimes involving sexual orientation or gender identity was introduced in the Senate on Thursday. If passed, the measure would give sexual preference special protections comparable to that given race and religious belief. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has bipartisan support. Patrick Sammon, president of the pro-gay Log Cabin Republicans, said the additional legal cover is needed. "This isn't just symbolism," he said. "This bill provides important protections and resources that will benefit and help law enforcement agencies across the country."
But Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America, pointed out there are already laws to protect everyone from violent crime. "There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that homosexuals or transgender people are not receiving equal protection or equal justice under the law," he said. "The weight of the evidence establishes that their true motive is to silence any criticism of their homosexual lifestyle."
Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs at the Family Research Council, called the bill a well- intentioned but bad idea. "What we'll probably see is this bill passing both the House and the Senate as it has in the past," he said. "It will be up to President Bush to draw that final line in the sand." (Citizen Link)
· We look to You Father,as the "law giver" and we especially ask for the absolute demise of the Hate- Crimes Bill introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy. Cause this bill to be struck down and never to rise up again, and bring Your Justice forth into this extreme unnecessary bill. We thank you dear Lord, In Jesus' Name, Amen. · "For The Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our law giver, The Lord is our King; He will save us." (Isaiah 33:22)
2. COMMENTARY: RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
Paul Krugman is a well-known columnist for the New York Times who woke up this morning very worried about religious extremists. He devoted his whole column to it this morning. I understand his concern. Islamofascists are blowing up people in the name of Allah from one end of the globe to the other. The "president" of Iran is waiting for the "12th Imam," who is coming soon as an Islamic messiah to kill all the infidels, including Mr. Krugman. The only problem is that the usually thorough Mr. Krugman didn't write about any of these murderous thugs and the threat they pose to western civilization.
What has Mr. Krugman's adrenalin flowing is a plot he has uncovered by Christians who are "infiltrating" the U.S. government. No, I am not kidding. Krugman bravely names names of these nefarious characters who are trying to turn America into a theocracy.
There is Kay Cole James, a conservative black woman and friend of mine, who was the chief personnel officer of the federal government from 2001 to 2005. Her "sin" was the fact that she once was dean of the law school at Pat Robertson's Regent University. Gasp! The next player in this nefarious plot by Christians to serve in government is Rachel Paulose, the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, who Mr. Krugman informs us is "in the habit of quoting Bible verses in the office." Clearly we should call out the National Guard and take her away.
I am trying to bring some levity to this, but Mr. Krugman is dead serious, and his radical secular mindset is dangerous to your liberty and mine. What really bothers me is that the Krugmans of the world are on the march right now, while I sense a lot of people who believe in Judeo-Christian values are voluntarily retreating from the fight. That retreat better end soon if you want your kids and grandkids to live in a country where religious freedom still survives. (Gary Bauer, End-of-Day; April 13, 2007)
· In the authority and power given to us in The Name of Jesus, we bind the mind-blinding spirit, the lying deceiving spirits, and the spirit of error concerning Christians, in Columinist Paul Krugman. We loose unto him the Spirit of Truth, Light and Life that he will see, hear and understand the true Christian way. We are grateful and thankful for all authority and power given to us by our Lord. Amen. · "Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means harm you." (Luke 10:19)
3. FAMILY GROUPS SUE FDA OVER CONTRACEPTIVE
The Family Research Council and other groups yesterday sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, seeking to overturn the 2006 decision that allowed over-the-counter distribution of the contraceptive Plan B also called the "morning-after pill." Among its many complaints, the lawsuit -- filed in U.S. District Court -- accuses the FDA of violating the law by allowing the same drug to be distributed simultaneously by prescription and over the counter, and charges that the FDA's decision was made under improper political pressure from Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Patty Murray of Washington state. (Washington Times)
On Thursday, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and others filed a lawsuit against the FDA asking that the U.S. District Court rescind the FDA's approval. Our complaint also states that Senators Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) applied improper pressure on the FDA. Clinton and Murray placed potentially permanent "holds" on acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach's nomination to lead the FDA. After the FDA reversed its position on Plan B, the holds were lifted, and the nominee was eventually confirmed by the Senate.
We also argue that Plan B's labeling is inadequate because testing revealed that only 67% understood that Plan B is not a replacement for regular methods of contraception. This suit marks the first time that FRC has participated in litigation to challenge an administrative agency's action we deem unlawful. (Family Research Council)
· Pray for the protection of all the named litigants in this article -- for their staffs, families, and financial supporters. Pray for justice to be served in this case. · "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
4. GOP EYES SUCCESS ON WAR FUNDING
Senate Republicans Friday said Democrats are weakening in the war-funding standoff with the White House, citing party infighting and the capitulation of its leaders to meet next week with President Bush. "They are very divided on the issue," said Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, chairman of the Republican Conference. "The Democrats are all over the board on this." He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked "embarrassed" when they snubbed a White House invitation but then turned around and agreed to the talks on the war-funding bill Mr. Bush vows to veto. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Democrats are having "a debate among themselves" and he sees cracks in support for a troop pullout from Iraq. "The first dam that is going to break is going to be on the other side after they see a presidential veto," the Kentucky Republican said.
But Mr. Reid, Nevada Democrat, said his caucus will not retreat from the troop-withdrawal timelines Congress attached to $100 billion of emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We're not going to back down from what we think is right for this country," Mr. Reid told reporters Thursday after reluctantly accepting the president's invitation.
The standoff over withdrawal deadlines for U.S. forces in Iraq threatens to stall war funds even as Pentagon officials say money started to run out yesterday (Sunday). Mr. Bush says it undermines the war effort, but Democrats say troops need to exit Iraq's "civil war." (Washington Times)
· As Democratic leaders from both sides of the Hill prepare to meet with President Bush this week on this war-funding bill, pray for a miracle in this dialogue regarding the datesetting of any troop withdrawals from the battlefield. A war is not over until it's over; may the Democrats begin to "wake up and smell the coffee" on this one, allowing our Commander in Chief the free reign and the resources he needs to get this job done! · "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; . . ." (2 Tim. 4:7)
5. DEFIANT IRAQI LAWMAKERS MEET
Iraq's parliament met in an extraordinary session of "defiance" on Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, and declared it would not bow to terrorism. A bouquet of red roses and a white lily sat in the place of Mohammed Awad, the lawmaker killed a day earlier in the dining hall suicide bombing claimed by al-Qaida. The unprecedented Friday meeting was call to send "a clear message to all the terrorists and all those who dare try to stop this (political) process, that we will sacrifice in order for it to continue," al- Mashhadani, a Sunni Muslim, said. (Washington Times)
· Father, we pray that this resolve will remain - finally, the Iraqi government standing up for freedom, and against terror! We ask that You strengthen them to fight against the evil one and those who follow him. NO MORE RIDING THE FENCE AND TURNING THEIR FACES - let their their no, be NO! · "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)
6. MILITARY SPENDING TO RETAIN TROOPS SKYROCKETS
The struggle to entice Army soldiers and Marines to stay in the military, after four years of war in Iraq, has ballooned into a $1 billion campaign, with bonuses soaring nearly sixfold since 2003. The size and number of bonuses have grown as officials scrambled to meet the steady demand for troops on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan and reverse sporadic shortfalls in the number of National Guard and Reserve soldiers willing to sign on for multiple tours. Besides underscoring the extraordinary steps the Pentagon must take to maintain fighting forces, the rise in costs for re-enlistment incentives is putting strains on the defense budget, already strapped by the massive costs of waging war and equipping and caring for a modern military. (Associated Press)
· Oh Lord, this is a difficult issue - all the way around. We pray for ample people to protect our country and preserve our freedom. We pray for the men and women that have been fighting so valiantly - and sacrificing not only their lives, but their relationships with their own loved ones. We pray for those fighting to be refreshed and encouraged - and that too much would not be asked of them. Oh Lord, this is difficult. But we know there is nothing too difficult for You. We pray for a NOBLE END TO THIS WAR, so that one again, men and women would want to be a part of the forces that protect our country. · "Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.." (Jeremiah 32:17)
7. ONLINE JIHAD:HOW TO FOSTER ANTI-WAR SENTIMENT USING THE WEB
ISLAMIC TERRORISTS FOSTER ANTI-WAR SENTIMENT BY POSING ONLINE AS AMERICAN CITIZENS
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, a posting on the Al- Mohajroon Islamist website with the username Al-Wathig Billah provides instructions on how to infiltrate popular American Internet forums and use them to distribute jihad films and spread anti-war sentiments. "Our experience shows that such instructions often yield compliance," Eli Alshech, said director of the Jihad and Terrorism Project at MEMRI. The instructions direct jihadists to "raid non-political forums and trivia forums which American people favor." Contributors are encouraged to register as Americans and to use a purely American- sounding username: "Choose an icon that indicates that you are an American, and place it next to your nickname."
As reported by MEMRI, the Al-Mohajroon website instructs media jihad as follows: "There is no doubt, my brothers, that raiding American forums is among the most important means of obtaining victory in the fierce media war and of influencing the views of the weak- minded American who pays his taxes so they will go to the infidel American army. This American is an idiot and does not [even] know where Iraq is. [It is therefore] mandatory for every electronic mujad [to engage in this raiding]."
"It is very difficult to identify a specific posting as media jihad," Alshech said. "One should know a forum very well and pay attention to writing and posting patterns. A few months ago, for example, jihadists posted a video message showing a military ID of one soldier they claimed was killed in Iraq, he said. U.S. bloggers, however, followed up the story and discovered the soldier was alive - he suffered identity theft in Iraq, but he had not lost his life. (WorldNetDaily, 4/1/07)
· Lord, You know the damage that this clever strategy has done to maintaining support for this war. Deal with these terrorists and cause them to make such obvious errors that they will be exposed to the average citizen who is surfing the net for information about this war. May people know when they are listening or seeing a balanced report and when they are being brainwashed. And may the real media pick up this story and broadcast it far and wide, so that our people can be warned of the traitors in our midst!
· Today, in the English language, a shibboleth is any word or phrase that can be used to distinguish members of a group from outsiders. The word is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean specialized jargon, the proper use of which identifies speakers as members of a particular group or subculture. May our own people become as discerning as the Gileadites of old, who used that one word -- shibboleth -- to distinguish their friends from their foes, and to save their people. · "And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand." (Judges 12:5-6, KJV)
8. STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES WORLDWIDE TERROR ALERT
On Tuesday, April 10th, the Department of State issued an updated terror alert, which reads, in part, as follows:
"The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings. Ongoing events in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries. Americans are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning.
Extremists may elect to use conventional or non- conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. The bomb attacks targeting buses carrying foreign workers in March 2007 and December 2006 in Algeria, a series of bombings in Thailand in May and September 2006 that targeted commercial and tourist destinations in the far south, and the bombings in the the Egyptian resort town of Dahab in April 2006 all illustrate how terrorists exploit vulnerabilities associated with soft targets. Additional examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas and locales where Americans gather in large numbers, including during holidays. Financial or economic targets of value may also be considered as possible venues; the vehicle-based suicide attack on an oil facility near Mukalla and Marib in Yemen in September 2006 and the failed attack on the Abqaiq oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia in late February 2006 are such examples.
U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state.gov. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate."
· Pray for the safety of all American citizens living, working and traveling abroad. · "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (I John 5:14)
9. NORTH KOREA SET TO CARRY OUT NUCLEAR DEAL
North Korea promised to begin shutting its main nuclear reactor within a day of retrieving about $25 million that had been frozen in a Macao bank because of American sanctions, stated Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. North Korea also offered to admit United Nations nuclear inspectors for the first time in more than four years, Mr. Richardson said after an official visit to North Korea and a meeting with senior officials there.
Mr. Richardson, a Democrat running for his party's nomination for president in 2008, led a delegation to North Korea that included Victor D. Cha, President Bush's main policy adviser on North Korea, and Anthony J. Principi, a former secretary of veterans affairs. The delegation's official mission was to recover remains of American servicemen killed in the Korean War, 1950-1953.
Earlier on Wednesday, the group crossed the heavily guarded border between North and South Korea, completing a four-day trip to North Korea and bringing what American officials said they believed were the remains of six American soldiers. While in North Korea, the delegation members also pressed North Korean officials to restart the stalled nuclear disarmament process. (NY Times, Reported by IFA]
· Again, praise the Lord for progress being made in the conflict with North Korea. Ask the Lord to bless each member of the delegation who worked to gain the cooperation of North Korea. Pray that North Korea will not renege on its word. Pray for an open door into North Korea for the gospel. · "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy name's sake." (Psalm 79:9)
10. GERMANY WILL BACK US ANTI-MISSILE SHIELD
Europe as whole could profit from US plans to place anti-missile bases in Poland and the Czech republic, while in the long run the EU is heading towards a common army, Germany's defence minister has said. Warsaw and Prague on 12 April received political backing from the German EU presidency for their controversial plans to host a US defence system aimed at intercepting possible ballistic missiles fired from states such as Iran. Germany's defence minister Franz Josef Jung told members of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that the scheme could play an important "protecting role" for Europe as a whole, according to press reports. (EU Observer)
· Praise the Lord for cooperation between EU countries and the US in matters of mutual defense. Pray that Europe will awaken even more fully to the danger of Iran and radical Islam and offer more help in our defense and theirs. Praise the Lord for the technologies and strategies of this anti-missile shield and pray that such can be installed without delay. · "Our soul waiteth for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
11. IRAN LEADS ATTACK AGAINST U.S. DOLLAR
While the world press has focused on Iran's plans to move ahead with enriching uranium, Tehran continues to wage economic war against the U.S. dollar behind the scenes. Tehran has reached a decision to end all oil sales in dollars, according to statements by Iran's central bank governor, Ehrabhim Sheibany.
Zhuhai Zhenrong Trading, a Chinese state-run company that buys 240,000 barrels of oil per day from Iran, approximately 10 percent of Iran's 2.2 million barrels per day total output, has confirmed a shift to the euro for its Iranian oil purchases. About 60 percent of Iran's oil income is currently in non-dollar currencies, according to Hojjatollah Ghanimifard, who is responsible for international affairs for National Iranian Oil. Even Japanese refiners who buy some 550,000 barrels of oil a day from Iran have indicated their willingness to buy Iran's oil in yen.
China, which buys approximately 12 percent of its crude oil supply from Iran, signed last year a long- term $100 billion deal with Iran to develop Iran's giant Yadvaran oil field. Estimates indicate China could draw 150,000 barrels of oil from the Yadvaran field for the next 25 years, assuring Iran's position as one of the major suppliers of oil to China for decades to come. One possibility is that China may begin paying Iran for oil in yuans. Meanwhile, China which now holds $1 trillion in foreign reserve holdings, announced March 20 it will no longer accumulate foreign exchange reserves.
This is more bad news for the dollar, since approximately 70 percent of China's $1 trillion in foreign reserve holdings are held in U.S. dollar assets. About half of China's foreign exchange U.S. assets are invested in U.S. treasuries, which are vital to financing the continuing U.S. federal budget deficits.
The recent push by Iran to demand payment for Iranian oil in currencies other than the dollar marks a move away from a previous announcement that Tehran planned to open an Iranian oil bourse in March 2006, designed to quote oil prices in the euro. Iran has yet to open an Iranian oil bourse, but demanding payment for Iranian oil in currencies other than the dollar is seen by many experts as a more direct attack on the dollar, especially if the Iranian decision backs a worldwide move away from using the dollar as the underpinning of world foreign exchange reserves.
The move by both Iran and China to hold fewer dollars in their foreign exchange reserve reflects a desire to diversify foreign exchange reserve portfolios amid concerns the dollar will continue to lose value versus the euro. The dollar has lost 9 percent of its value against the euro in the last year and is down 35 percent against the euro in the last five years. (WorldNetDaily)
· Without US know-how, none of these Middle Eastern countries would have been able to develop their oil markets. Betrayal is the thanks that American oil experts have reaped. Pray that America will wake up to this attack on our economy and that the media will give due attention to what is happening to the US dollar. Our economic strength is being sapped from beneath us. Ask the Lord for His help in dealing with this problem with horrific consequences. Our God is capable! · "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12)
12. PELOSI'S FATHER AND THE HOLOCAUST
Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke at a Knesset dinner, making history in more ways than one. Not only was she the first woman Speaker of the House to address Israel's lawmakers, Pelosi was also addressing the parliament of a country whose creation her own father championed.
Speaker Pelosi's father, the late U.S. congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., of Maryland, was known as a Roosevelt Democrat. What is not widely known is that D'Alesandro broke ranks with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the issues of rescuing Jews from Hitler and creating a Jewish State. D'Alesandro was one of the congressional supporters of the Bergson Group, a maverick Jewish political action committee that challenged the Roosevelt administration's policies on the Jewish refugee issue during the Holocaust, and later lobbied against British control of Palestine. Until late in the Holocaust, the Roosevelt administration's position was that nothing could be done to rescue Jews from the Nazis except to win the war. The Bergson Group was convinced that there were many steps the U.S. could take to rescue refugees, without impeding the war effort.
The speaker talked about her delegation's visit to the Middle East last week that included stops in Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Saudi Arabia. (Intercessors for America)
· Praise the Lord that Mrs. Pelosi has such a rich heritage in support of the Jews and Israel! Pray that Speaker Pelosi never forgets nor violates this heritage because of political ambition. Surely she has received strong blessings from the Lord because of her father's stands for Israel. · "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward." (Psalm 19: 9,11)
