Catholic Church Searches for Renewal and a New Pope - SPIEGEL ONLINE

A shift is taking place in the otherwise immovable Catholic Church. A global struggle has begun over the prerogative of interpretation, opportunities, legacy and positions -- a silent battle for Rome.

The ultimate effects of the pope's resignation are thus far impossible to predict. But it is clear that previous certainties will now be up for debate -- certainties that were once just as firm as the understanding that the position of pope was for life.
In the modern age, a pope has never resigned from the office, one that some believe is the most important on earth. There hasn't been an ex-pontiff since the last years of the Schism, after Gregory XII and the Avignon pope agreed to resign to reunite the church. That was the last time that an ex-pope spent the rest of his days strolling around the Vatican gardens as nothing but a simple brother. Never before has the decision of a single pope presented such a challenge to the Catholic Church as this one. Zero hour has begun at the Vatican. The pope's resignation was certainly "great" within Dante's meaning. But it was not made through cowardice. On the contrary, it was probably the most courageous step in a long-drifting papacy marred by scandals and misunderstandings.

Catholic Church Searches for Renewal and a New Pope - SPIEGEL ONLINE

A 'balancing' article for the previous post:? Germany does not want 'diktat' on Europe

 Berlin - In his first-ever speech on the European Union, German President Joachim Gauck on Friday (22 February) told crisis-hit countries that there is no threat of them being ruled by a "German diktat."

EUobserver.com / Political Affairs / Germany does not want 'diktat' on Europe

The Return of German Imperialism | Global Research

Germany is making intensive preparations to conduct new wars to secure resources. This was the unmistakable message of a lead article in Germany’s business newspaper Handelsblatt, “Expedition Resources: Germany’s new course.”

The article shows the real face of the German bourgeoisie. As in the first half of the twentieth century, when it twice played a central role in plunging humanity into world war, it is again moving to enforce its imperialist interests through war. “The previous political measures to secure raw materials are reaching their limits,” the Handelsblatt states. Dependence on raw materials is the German economy’s Achilles heel, the paper writes: “Industry is plagued by the fear that the high-tech sector in Germany could be cut off from essential supplies.”
The very same business circles that financed Hitler are again banging the war drums. The article cites an interview with Dierk Paskert, the manager of the Resource Alliance founded in 2011. Members of the alliance include Volkswagen, ThyssenKrupp, Bayer and BASF—firms that either directly supported Nazi war plans, or whose predecessors did. Now they work closely with the German government to plan how Berlin will secure access to critical raw materials across the globe, by force if necessary.

The Return of German Imperialism | Global Research

The secret code used to bury bad news in the Bible: Researchers discover 'Genesis death sandwich' | Mail Online

Burying bad news is a common tactic in modern politics - but researchers say it was actually first used in the Bible.
British and American researchers say they have uncovered a secret 'Genesis Death Sandwich' that reveals a 'striking pattern between the two key themes of ‘life’ and ‘death’'.
'The opening and closing verses of the book contain frequent mentions of life, whereas mentions of death are only found in clusters in the middle,' they say.

Read more:

The secret code used to bury bad news in the Bible: Researchers discover 'Genesis death sandwich' | Mail Online

Saudi religious police arrest Ethiopian workers for practicing Christianity

Saudi Arabia’s notorious religious police, known as the mutawa, swooped in on a private gathering of at least 53 Ethiopian Christians this month, shutting down their private prayer, and arresting the peaceful group of foreign workers for merely practicing their faith, FoxNews.com has learned.
The mixed group of men and women was seized in a private residence in the city of Dammam, the capital of the wealthy oil province in Eastern Arabia, and Saudi authorities charged three Christian leaders with seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity. The latest crackdown on Christianity in the ultra-fundamental Islamic country comes on the heels of a brutal 2011/2012 incarceration and torture of 36 Ethiopian Christians, and drew a sharp rebuke from a U.S. lawmaker.

Saudi religious police arrest Ethiopian workers for practicing Christianity | Fox News

China's Christians see mounting persecution

Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings "patriotic" assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report.
Cases of the government persecuting Christians rose 42 percent last year, amid a three-phase plan by Beijing to eradicate the home-based churches, according to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/21/christians-house-churches-in-china-see-erious-escalation-persecution-report/#ixzz2Ldcba6eH

What Are These Strange Barcode-Like Images Visible in Aerial Pictures of the U.S.? | TheBlaze.com

Many might not know it, but there are dozens of large, barcode-like paintings across the United States. Just how long have they been there though and what do they do?

What Are These Strange Barcode-Like Images Visible in Aerial Pictures of the U.S.? | TheBlaze.com

Is TV’s New Cold-War Spy Thriller Anti-American?

For the last few weeks, Americans watching “The Americans” on the FX Network might have found themselves rooting against their own country — and that’s what the series executives want.

Executive Producer Joel Fields told The Hollywood Reporter, “It might be a little different to believe and get used to, but we want you to root for the KGB.”

Is TV’s New Cold-War Spy Thriller Anti-American? Producer Admits ‘We Want You to Root for the KGB’ | Video | TheBlaze.com

Military invests in smart-phone reconnaissance - CSMonitor.com

AOptix signs a $3 million contract with the US Department of Defense to help develop smart phones with Smart Mobile Identity technology, which scans fingerprints and other physical features for identity verification. Biometrics developers say they aren't far from making the technology commercially available.

Military invests in smart-phone reconnaissance - CSMonitor.com

US soldiers and spies to get handheld biometric scanners | Naked Security

 US soldiers and spies will soon be able to scan people's eyes, faces, thumbs and voices, at a distance, using everyday, commercially available smartphones - a boon for both the battlefield and for government snooping.
US soldiers and spies to get handheld biometric scanners | Naked Security

Retail Apocalypse: Why Are Major Retail Chains All Over America Collapsing?

 

 If the economy is improving, then why are many of the largest retail chains in America closing hundreds of stores?  When I was growing up, Sears, J.C. Penney, Best Buy and RadioShack were all considered to be unstoppable retail powerhouses.  But now it is being projected that all of them will close hundreds of stores before the end of 2013.

The mainstream media continues to proclaim that we are experiencing a robust "economic recovery", but at the same time there are a whole host of indications that things are continually getting worse.

Even global cell phone sales actually declined slightly in 2012.  That was the first time that has happened since the last recession.

Perhaps it is time that we faced the truth.  The middle class is shrinking, incomes are declining and there are not nearly as many jobs as there used to be.



Retail Apocalypse: Why Are Major Retail Chains All Over America Collapsing?

As vote nears, tensions flare among Egypt Islamists | Reuters

(Reuters) - President Mohamed Mursi's decision to fire a hardline Islamist as an adviser has laid bare rivalries between Egypt's two biggest Islamist groups as parliamentary elections approach.

The sacking of Khaled Alameddin of the Salafi Nour Party on Sunday has led his movement to step up criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood that propelled Mursi to power, narrowing the already slim chances of the two movements working together in the election.

Alameddin broke down in tears during a news conference on Monday, saying he had been accused of abusing power. The presidency has yet to issue a statement on why Alameddin was dismissed.

"I formally demand an apology from
the president. I won't accept an apology less than that," Alameddin said.


As vote nears, tensions flare among Egypt Islamists | Reuters

U.N. body says U.S. lax on clerical sex abuse cases | Reuters

(Well, it looks like the earlier post may have some substance to it after all, i.e. about the Pope resigning over the threat of arrest)


(Reuters) - A U.N. committee has accused U.S. legal authorities of failing to fully pursue cases of child sex abuse in religious groups, an issue especially troubling the Roman Catholic Church.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child wrote this month that it was "deeply concerned" to find widespread sexual abuse by clerics and staff of religious institutions and "a lack of measures ... to properly investigate cases and prosecute them".

Britain's National Secular Society, which drew attention on Monday to the little-noticed report, said it hoped the Catholic pope to be elected next month would open Church files to help prosecute as yet undiscovered cases of clerical sexual abuse.


U.N. body says U.S. lax on clerical sex abuse cases | Reuters

Walid Shoebat: Bible Prophecy and the Islamic Antichrist

Pope received news of his warrant of arrest before resignation - 1 Million Voices Against CBCP

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING....surely we aren't going to see something like this happen in our times!  We need to be praying for the millions of Catholic people....how will they survive such infamy!

Pope received news of his warrant of arrest before resignation - 1 Million Voices Against CBCP

Lincoln, the Movie and some lessons from history

As historian John J. Dwyer said in his New American article, in which he called Lincoln the “Step-Father of our Country,” Lincoln violated the Constitution of the United States on several occasions. He basically declared war on the southern states, without any approval from Congress, despite the fact that the power to declare war is a congressional power. To prosecute the war, Dwyer wrote, “He instructed the U.S. navy to buy five warships — an appropriations act needing the approval of Congress.”

Thomas DiLorenzo, author of The Real Lincoln, detailed how Lincoln interfered with Northern elections, deported a U.S. congressman for opposing his domestic policies, and imprisoned state legislators. Even Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, an ardent abolitionist, called Lincoln’s calling for 75,000 soldiers without the consent of Congress, “the greatest breech ever made in the Constitution, and would hereafter give the President the liberty to declare war whenever he wished, without the consent of Congress.”

(Note:  it seems as if we are experiencing this....more and more.  This article is not intended to denigrate Lincoln but it is including some facts about him that aren't often heard, but need to be.)




Lincoln, the Movie

Christian college in Toronto open Muslim ablutions & prayer facility

 Emmanuel College — a Christian college within U of T — has just opened a Muslim prayer space and “ablutions facility.” That’s a place for Muslims to wash various parts of the body before prayer. So this is no classroom set aside for quick prayer. This is the real deal.

 If you’re a little confused by why a Christian college is transforming itself into a mosque, principal Mark Toulouse, quoted in The Varsity, has the answer: “In February 2010, we started the Muslim studies program, as well as the Canadian Muslim continuing education certificate program. We also have a master’s program — the Muslim Studies track, for students interested in becoming Muslim chaplains.”


In education, we fund programs like diversity studies that give the taxpayer little bang for their buck. We’re neglecting the basics in favour of fluff.
Meanwhile, students are leaving with mounting debt, fewer job prospects and the taxpayer is handed bigger bills.

To read entire article:

Neglecting the basics: Post-secondary schools are becoming more and more like governments | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun