The Golden Compass

"You are urged, people of faith and values not to corrupt your children with the odious atheistic world view of "The Golden Compass." Instead, there are plenty of good movies this Christmas, such as "Enchanted," that will build and not destroy values.

A society shaped by the materialist and godless ethic promoted by films like "The Golden Compass" is a society without hope. If there is no God and no eternity, if all that exists is matter, human life loses all value. Sex becomes the ultimate form of pleasure we can achieve, and unlimited autonomy from other people while being our own gods becomes the goal. A society like this will destroy itself."

Please CLICK HERE to read WND's full story on this film.
Shame on you Nicole Kidman!

Scholars Wish to Omit 'Problematic" Text in the Bible

The story below is only part of the whole.

The following quote is one of the most absurd statements I have ever read, "In some instances, he continued, people of faith need to say to themselves, "This is part of my sacred tradition, but I reject it. I find this text offensive. It goes against my own morality, and it goes against what I believe God expects of me in the world today.""
Since when has God's Word been offensive and why on earth would I reject it? ~Molly

Christian, Jewish and Muslim experts met this week to add context to passages that have been perceived as hostile toward other faiths.

By K. Connie Kang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 20, 2007

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Speaking with mutual respect and sensitivity, prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars and clergy from around the country met in Los Angeles this week to "wrestle" with what one rabbi described as the "dark side" of the three faith traditions.

Experts cited "problematic" passages from the Hebrew Scripture, the New Testament and the Koran that assert the superiority of one belief system over others.

As an example, the Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, ecumenical and interreligous official of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, quoted from the Gospel of Mark: "Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

Rabbi Reuven Firestone, director of the Institute for the Study of Jewish-Muslim Interrelations at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, mentioned a series of texts, including a verse from Deuteronomy: "For you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God: of all the peoples of the earth the Lord your God chose you to be His treasured people."

And Muzammil H. Siddiqi, chairman of the Fiqh (Islamic Law) Council of North America, quoted from the Koran:

"You who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies: they are allies only to each other. Anyone who takes them as an ally becomes one of them -- God does not guide such wrongdoers."

In explaining the passage from the Gospel of Mark, Smith said that the troubling portion was appended a century after it was written -- when the four Gospels were compiled.

He said the longer ending, which added 12 verses, was written at a time when Christians either were questioning their faith in the resurrection of Jesus or defending it against skeptics and nonbelievers.

Siddiqi took up the quote from the Koran, found in Chapter 5, verse 51, explaining that the problem lies not in the text, but in its interpretation.

"Some extremists among Muslims use this text to say that Muslims should not trust non-Muslims," he said. "Some Islam bashers use this text to claim that Islam is an unfriendly religion," said Siddiqi, who is also chairman of the Shura Council of Southern California.

He said the verse was revealed to the prophet Muhammad after the Battle of Hadh, when Muslims of Medina were overwhelmed by a larger number of nonbelievers from Mecca. "After that, Muslims were very frightened," he said. "Some, who were weak in their faith, said, 'We are going to make alliance with Jewish people, in order to find protection there.' Some said, 'We are going to make alliance with Christians, so we'll have protection there.' "

The idea behind the verse is not that Muslims should shun Jews and Christians, but that they should stand up on their own feet and do their best, he said.

CHUCK NORRIS SAYS: VOTE FOR MIKE!

WND Exclusive Commentary
My choice for president
Posted: October 21, 2007
8:20 p.m. Eastern

A short time ago, I wrote in jest about what I would do if I am elected president. Of course, that was written all in good fun.

Like most of you, over the summer and into the fall, I've been watching, listening, studying and praying about who could lead this country as our next president.

I won't leave you in suspense. Though Giuliani might be savvy enough to lead people, Fred Thompson wise enough to wade through the tides of politics, McCain tough enough to fight terrorism and Romney business-minded enough to grow our economy, I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Newt Gingrich called Mike "very effective … if Huckabee can find money, he will be dramatically competitive almost overnight." Bill Clinton called Huckabee the "only dark horse that's got any kind of chance … He's the best speaker they've got." There is even a pro-Huckabee swell rising among the younger generation.

Who he is (before what he can do)

More than anything he has done or can do, however, it is first who Mike is that impresses me most.

Part of our backward culture is reflected in the fact that we measure and value people by what they do, instead of first who they are. As a result, we nominate charisma, cast votes for articulation and repeatedly elect too many paper-thin corrupt politicians. Of course, I want a president who gets things done, but I first want one who has lived a life of integrity, commitment, truthfulness and respect. Mike is that man.

Mike hasn't lived an isolated, out-of-touch life like so many politicians. He was raised in Hope, Ark., with a dad who was a firefighter and always had a second job. Mike and his sister grew up poor, not privileged. He was the first person in his family to graduate from high school. And he worked two jobs in college and graduated in two-and-a-half years. He is an outdoorsman too – an avid fisherman, hunter and a long-term member of the NRA.

Mike is a committed husband and father. He has always prioritized his family before politics. His wife, two sons and daughter speak his highest praise.

Mike has also faced unique adversity, from helping a young wife endure the trials of spinal cancer to aiding the victims of hurricane Katrina as the governor of Arkansas. He has a heart for helping and will fight for the causes of average citizens. He is known for having a compassionate heart, genuinely caring for all people.

Mike is also a respected and fearless leader, and he does not cower to the cries of any majority or minority. He doesn't abandon his values for what's expedient. Like our Founding Fathers, he's not afraid to stand up for a Creator and against secularist beliefs. At the same time, he doesn't fear offending Christian leaders who give up their values in pursuit of electing their "team leader" just like everyone else.

A track record toward the presidency

Mike Huckabee has already proven his ability to lead our citizens as a lieutenant governor for three years in 1993 and governor of Arkansas for the following 10 years. Time magazine called him one of the best governors in America.

As governor, Mike led the citizens of Arkansas through difficult conditions. He balanced the budget each year, enhanced technology in commerce, was tough on crime, used tobacco lawsuit monies to better health care, initiated a toll-free hotline to report tips on government corruption and 16 times had to endure the long nights of the soul before he gave permission for executions to proceed. He also initiated the ARKids First program, cutting the number of uninsured children in half.

It's not a coincidence that four out of the last five presidents we've had were governors because they proved their abilities, perseverance and heart for running our country by serving in those state capacities. As New Man men's magazine (July/August 2007) said, "His proven ability to cast a compelling vision, as he did while governor, that transcends party, ideology and class might enable America to unite and begin to heal, an especially important goal at this point in our history."

Where he stands, and what he will do

Mike Huckabee will fight for the issues that lead us safely, and with prosperity, into the future. Here are several of his positions in his own words (to read or watch Mike speak about the issues, click the title)

Reviving healthcare – "The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken. … As president, I will work with the private sector, Congress, health care providers and other concerned parties to lead a complete overhaul of our health care system."

Implementing a FairTax – "I support the FairTax. As governor of Arkansas, I cut taxes and fees almost 100 times, saving the taxpayers almost $380 million. I left a surplus of nearly $850 million, which I urged should go back to the people. Our massive deficit is not due to Americans being under-taxed, but to the government's over-spending."

Creating more choices for education – "I believe that every child should have the opportunity for a quality education that teaches the fundamental skills needed to compete in a global economy. … Test scores rose dramatically when I was governor of Arkansas because of my education reforms."

Stopping illegal immigration –"My number one priority is to secure America's border."

Winning the war on terror – "I believe that we are currently engaged in a world war. This war is not a conventional war, and these terrorists are not a conventional enemy. … With a focus on renewed diplomacy and inclusion, we can accomplish the goals of our nation without having to go it alone."

Saving marriage – "I support, and have consistently supported, passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. … As governor of Arkansas, I led the successful effort to pass a similar state constitutional amendment in 2002."

Protecting the right to life – "I support, and have always supported, passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life."

Achieving energy independence –"The first thing I will do as president is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term."

(I will address the whys of these and other positions in upcoming articles)

An ordained minister as president?

Does the fact that Mike Huckabee served as an ordained minister create a disadvantage to his election or presidency? Not if one knows Huckabee and history.

First, many may not realize there was an active clergy (Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon) among the signers of the Declaration of Independence – and that two others had been previously ministers. Others were sons of clergy. Virtually all were Protestant Christians.

Signers of the Constitution even included Abraham Baldwin, a minister. "Williamson, Madison, and possibly others, had studied in this field but had never been ordained." And again, most signers of the Constitution were also Protestant Christians, except two, Carroll and Fitzsimons, who were Roman Catholics.

Being honored to share this bi-vocational duty as minister and politician with some of those early patriots, Huckabee has advanced and fine tuned his people and oratory skills. And most of all, it has taught him to put others first. Isn't that what we want in a leader?

Mike is a compassionate Christian conservative. Though solid in his faith and standing for traditional family values, he's not an uncaring extremist. He lives what he believes, and respects others' beliefs even when they disagree with him, committed to a republic that was founded upon the free exercise of religion.

In all respects, Huckabee meets our Founders' recommendations for president.

The David among them

The one question that remains is: Can Huckabee win the nomination? The presidency?

As with the other candidates, Huckabee has, and will continue to have, his hecklers: "He hasn't raised enough money." "He'll never beat Hillary." "Our society is too prejudice and paranoid to vote for a once Baptist minister." "He'll never out-race the top four Republican candidates."

I was thinking about these types of comments the other day when I recalled another leader in ancient times that didn't match up in the line up: King David. Seven men were poised and paraded for the position of king, but David was left in the field shepherding because he wasn't "a frontrunner in the polls." They overlooked the best because they were too busy judging by outward appearance. But God appointed David king.

It's time to quit choosing our leaders based solely upon charisma or one strong suite, and move back to being a culture which esteems and elects its leaders because of character and qualifications. It's substance, not pizzazz, we should want in a leader. Mike Huckabee is the real deal.

Huckabee in '08!

Friends, it's time for people to get off the bench and onto the playing field. If we are going to see a man like Mike Huckabee elected, it's time to rally behind him, support him financially, pray for him daily and spread the word of his character, platform and experience.

So can a man who was raised in a poor background from Hope, Ark., become governor then president? As Mike says, "Our country has already proven that!" What I would ask is: Give Hope another chance! This time, they want to send in the real cavalry.

Keep Hope alive! Join my wife Gena and me by electing Mike Huckabee in '08!

Pastor John Hagee Speaks Out

OCTOBER 09, 2007
GLENN BECK PROGRAM
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

GLENN: Hello, sir, how are you?

PASTOR HAGEE: I'm fine, Glenn, how are you today?

GLENN: I'm very good. So where do we start with your controversial views on Iran?

PASTOR HAGEE: Well, you first begin with the principle that there's a right and there is a wrong. There's an evil and there's a righteous. There's a light and there's a darkness. You cannot continue to walk in this American political fog and come to definitions of right and wrong. We have to recognize that Iran is a threat to Western civilization. Iran is deadly serious about acquiring nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad has pledged to share those weapons with terrorist organizations around the world. The statements this man is making, they are not statements off the cuff. They are statements that he has made from prepared speeches, which means it was the thought process of his innermost being. He's saying that Israel should be wiped off the map, he's saying that Israel will disappear in a sudden storm, and that means a nuclear storm, he said I can see the day God willing, that God being Allah, when there will be no more Israel and no more America. Very clearly this man intends to attack Israel first, he wants to create a nuclear Holocaust and then he wants to bring that sight to the streets of America.

GLENN: You had several meetings with fairly prominent individuals. You've met with Benjamin Netanyahu. Have you had enough conversations with these people to tell them that you believe that we're living in the end times, and what is their reaction?


Pastor John Hagee

PASTOR HAGEE: Yes, Benjamin Netanyahu sat in my office and we have talked about the geopolitical circumstances of the Middle East. Benjamin Netanyahu sat just across my desk and told me that when he was prime minister, he had to give photographic proof to the United States intelligence agencies to convince them that Russia was in Iran helping them produce long-range missiles. Now, those long-range missiles would have the ability to hit London, New York, and Jerusalem, and right now Israel. Iran is trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons and if they can put nuclear warheads on these missiles, can you imagine, Glenn, a world where London, New York, and Jerusalem have been hit by a nuclear missile on the same day. That's the nightmare scenario that Ahmadinejad is trying to put together and he's dangerously close to doing it.

GLENN: Everyone will say that Iran is a third world country, it doesn't have this kind of power, it doesn't have the control that we say. He is just thumping his chest and he's just a guy who's using religion to whip everybody up in his own region and hold onto his power, that he doesn't have -- he is not a threat because he just doesn't have the power to get it done.

PASTOR HAGEE: That's a serious mistake and it's totally wrong. He does have the power, he does have the wealth, he does have the assistance. The Russians have been helping him for years. The intelligence agencies of Israel know that he's dangerously close to having nuclear capability. He does have a following of at least 200 million people. There are 1.3 or .4 billion Islamics and all authorities say that 15 to 20% of these people feel that they have a mandate from God to kill Christians and Jews. That means he has 200 million people following him who would be willing to strap a bomb on and to walk into the place where you're eating or to walk into a school or to a university or to a church or to a synagogue and blow everybody up in there and think that they have done God a favor. This man does have the motive, the ability, and the theology to drive him to do it. He believes that if he starts the third world war, the twelfth Imam will suddenly and mysteriously appear. I understand they don't know where he is now and they don't know who he is. But if they start this world war, he will appear and lead them to victory and produce a global Sharia, which is an Islamic law that rules the world.

GLENN: All right. So what makes you believe -- by the way, we're talking to Pastor John Hagee. What makes you believe that we're living in the end times? No man will know.

PASTOR HAGEE: Well, the Bible says no man knows the day, nor the hour. That's a 24-hour period of time. So that means no one can set the date that Jesus Christ is coming back to Earth. But the Bible says that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the son of man. The days of Noah were these: That God told Noah that a flood was coming, that he was to build the ark and that when he built the ark, the animals would get on it, he would put his family of eight people on that ark and God would shut the door.

Now, as it was in the days of Noah, whenever Noah got that ark built, which took him over 100 years, and the animals were on by the assistance of God himself, his family was on and the Bible says and God shut the door. When you're Noah, you've built the ark, the animals are on, your family's on and God has shut the door, you know it's time for the rain to start. You don't know exactly what day it's going to start, but you know it's very, very near. And the Bible gives a series of prophetic signs in the Bible that will be a very clear indicator of the terminal generation that is on the face of the Earth.

GLENN: You know I'm playing devil's advocate here, so to speak. You know, people have been saying the end is near forever, forever. I mean, even the apostles thought he was coming back pretty quickly.

PASTOR HAGEE: That's true.

GLENN: So what makes you say that this is, this is it, this is the scenario?

PASTOR HAGEE: Well, the thing that makes me say that is the Bible signs that were given. This is the only generation that has ever lived on the face of the Earth where all of these phenomenons line up like lights leading an airplane to a landing strip. There's thirst of knowledge explosion of Daniel 12. Daniel said -- God's saying to Daniel, shut up the book, the book that Daniel is writing, until the time of the end. That's a very important phrase, "Until the time of the end," when knowledge shall be greatly increased. Now, that phrase literally translates there will be a knowledge explosion. We are the generation that has had that knowledge explosion. From the Garden of Eden until the 12th century, men rode on horseback just as King David and Julius Caesar and George Washington to found this nation. And then came the automobile and then came jets and then came a man on the moon. Consider communication. From the Garden of Eden until the 12th century, men communicated principally the same way, beatings of drums, mirrors from mountains to mountains. But then came the telegraph and then the television and now we have the ability, with satellite television, to communicate to people all over the Earth anywhere on the Earth because the knowledge explosion has happened. From the Garden of Eden to the 12th century and medical science, nothing changed. But now medical science has become so advanced that we've had to redefine death because we have the ability to keep people alive with machines and stimulants. So we are, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that generation that has had the knowledge explosion. So that's signal number one.

GLENN: Do you believe, do you believe that the Army of the Mahdi, which is basically the Army of the twelfth Imam if you are Shia and you believe as President Tom does, do you believe that the Army of the Mahdi and President Ahmadinejad are fighting a battle for the literal antichrist?

PASTOR HAGEE: You have asked a question that is really the hot button question in Christian theology right now because when the antichrist comes to the Earth, he's going to do three things. One, he's going to come as a prince of peace, he's going to establish a one world government, and he's going to establish a one world religion and now there are many religious believers, religious theologians who believe that perhaps that one world religion that he's talking about is Islam because one of the things that happens in the tribulation period, and the tribulation period is the seven-year period that happens on the Earth when there's such devastation that happens on the planet is that anyone who does not receive the faith of the antichrist is beheaded, and beheading is the methodology of execution of Islam.

GLENN: So you didn't really answer the question. You don't have to, but you didn't really answer the question. All right. Well, pastor, I appreciate it. Are you surprised at how few people are paying attention to things that are seemingly so clear when Ahmadinejad got up in front of the UN and now has moved to the front of his speeches what used to be at the last: Oh, Allah, give me the strength to hasten the return of the promised one.

PASTOR HAGEE: That's who he's talking about.

GLENN: Yeah, I know that's who he's talking about. And are you surprised how few people are paying attention to this or taking him seriously and how the media is just completely dismissing his religiosity?

PASTOR HAGEE: I am surprised that that's happening in America, and here's the problem. If you admit there is a problem, you have to then solve the problem, and it's just so much more convenient for political leaders, for media leaders to talk about the problem rather than confess there is a problem because if you say there is a problem, you have to solve the problem. And then if you say there's a problem, people become disturbed, but let me tell you something. If we let this man do what he wishes to do, we will see the day that he will put missiles that have nuclear warheads and he will start a world war that will literally destabilize Western civilization and the day. He has the power, he has the knowledge, he has the willingness. 9/11, 9/11 proved that radical Islam has the willingness to attack us. They just didn't have the power. But if Ahmadinejad gets his hands on nuclear power, they will then have the willingness and the power to take us down.

GLENN: Are you advocating going in with troops and taking him out?

PASTOR HAGEE: I think that the United States should put everything on the table and quit talking about the problem and solve the problem. Everyone says that Iran is killing one third of our people in the field of combat in Iraq. That's an act of war. That gives us the license to go in, to take action without dancing with the United Nations for the rest of our lives, but no one in Washington seems willing to do that. I'll assure you whatever it takes, forces on the ground, a military preemptive strike to destroy his nuclear capacity to produce nuclear weapons. If we don't do it, Israel will have to do it because Israel knows they are number one on his hit list and they have the muscle to back him down.

GLENN: Are you under attack? I've got to believe you are. Can you talk a little bit about the strange situation that you must find yourself in where you are under attack for saying, you know, quote/unquote hateful things when you are talking about an individual who has said what he has said and yet there would be those in this country that would label you a religious zealot that would be dangerous?

PASTOR HAGEE: Yes. The same thing happened when Hitler was in Germany, and Hitler was saying we're going to kill the Jews. There were a handful of people who rose up and resisted Hitler and predominantly the majority of the German people resisted. Martin Niemoller was a Lutheran pastor who resisted Hitler aggressively. Hitler put him in prison and the final days of Hitler's administration had Martin Niemoller killed because Martin Niemoller spotted him for who he was, labeled him and everything he said about him came exactly true. History is repeating itself. We are, in fact, reliving 1938. Iran is Germany. Ahmadinejad is Hitler. When Hitler was talking about killing the Jews, no one was listening, and especially the Christians of Europe were strangely silent, the Christians of the world were strangely silent. Here we are in the 21st century. We have another Hitler. He has the ability, he has the power, he has the motive. He wants to put together nuclear weapons to have a nuclear Holocaust in Israel, and this time we have organized a national organization called Christians United for Israel for the purpose of standing up and speaking for Israel and the Jewish people. We're not going to do this two times in a row. We are not going to have another Holocaust, not on our watch. There are millions of Christians in this country who are ready to scream on any given day that Israel is threatened and in a serious way.

GLENN: Pastor John Hagee, I appreciate your time, sir. We're going to spend some more time with you later in the television show, spend a full hour with you. I want to get into a little bit of what you talked to me about last night, that America does not exist in the end times, in the Bible as it is laid out and you said that's because we won't play any significant role. And we'll get more into that later on in the week on the TV show. Pastor, thank you very much. I appreciate it, sir.

PASTOR HAGEE: Thank you, Glenn. I look forward to seeing you Friday.

END TRANSCRIPT

Israel Warns World War III May be Biblical War of Gog and Magog

It is interesting that we don't all have to believe in the same things to derive at the same timeline. Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in a similar end. Read this article to see how the prophecy in the book of Ezekiel will fit into our near future.

by Ezra HaLevi

(IsraelNN.com)
US President George W. Bush said a nuclear Iran would mean World War III. Israeli newscasts featured Gog & Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict.

Channel 2 and Channel 10 TV showed the world map, sketching the basic alignment of the two opposing axes in a coming world war, in a manner evoking associations of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. The prophecy of Gog and Magog refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).

On one side were Israel, the United States, Britain, France and Germany. On the other were Iran, Russia, China, Syria and North Korea.

US President Bush said Wednesday during a press conference that Iran attaining nuclear weapons raises the risk of "World War III."

"If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace," Bush said. "So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested [in preventing a nuclear Iran]…I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iran Tuesday and slammed the US’s refusal to rule out the use of force against Iran’s nuclear project. "Not only should we reject the use of force, but also the mention of force as a possibility," he said.

Russia has blocked tougher UN sanctions in the UN Security Council, where it has veto power. The Russian president asserts that there is no evidence Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons rather than a peaceful nuclear power program.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called for a new Security Council resolution against Iran at a press conference following her meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Wednesday. "I do believe there is a need for another Security Council resolution,” she told reporters. “In the past, the need to get everybody on board - including Russia and China - led to some compromises on the nature of the sanctions. I hope this will not be the case this time."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Wednesday a sudden trip to Moscow Thursday morning, where he will meet with Putin about Iran. Other topics of discussion will reportedly be Russia’s continued supply of weapons to Syria, which have then made their way into the hands of various terrorist groups based there as well.

CLICK HERE to order the The Magog Invasion - DVD - Chuck Missler

FairTax Takes on the IRS!

So what's the difference between the FairTax vs. Flat Tax vs. IRS?

Here is a SIMPLE CHART that compares the FairTax with today's income tax and the so-called "flat tax."

No matter how you look at it, the FairTax leaves more money in more taxpayers' pockets.

FairTax.org has created a calculator that lets you enter in your tax-relevant information and compare how your taxes under the FairTax compare to what you pay today. Keep in mind that this is a real-world model based on today's horribly complicated tax code. If you are in the middle of wrestling to figure out your own taxes, much of the information needed for the calculator may be at hand. In any case, the complexity of this calculator is necessary in order to accurately assess your details as they apply in the current system and are not a reflection of the FairTax. As you work with the calculator, imagine how you will be freed of all the time and money associated with preparing tax returns and how simple our tax lives will be under the FairTax.


CLICK HERE to launch the calculator. (Please note, you will need Microsoft Excel or the free Open Office from OpenOffice.org installed on your computer to launch the calculator. We are developing a java version that will not require special software like Excel in order to work. We appreciate your patience. In the meantime, if you cannot launch the calculator click here to get a tax comparison worksheet that you can print and complete manually.)