Posts Tagged ‘government’

• May 16 – “Big Brother” is big business?
• May 19 – Pope ties Church movements Mass to Pentecost
• May 13 – Poll: Many Protestant Pastors Lean Toward Young Earth Creation
• May 15 – New spectre of cloned babies: Scientists create embryos in lab that ‘could grow to full term’
• May 21 – Gallup Poll: Majority Now Say Gay Sex, Unwed Births, Are Morally OK
• May 16 – Natural Disasters Displaced 32.4 Million People In 2012, IDMC Study Shows
• May 21 – Final Declaration from the IV Christian-Buddhist Colloquium
• May 22 – Pope says no to intolerance, everyone can and must do good, even atheists

By Heather Clark
Christian News Network

Washington, D. C. – Over 40 United States Congressmen have signed a letter calling upon the secretary of the Army to rescind a briefing by an instructor who classified evangelical Christianity and other faiths as “religious extremism” next to Al Qaeda and Hamas.

As previously reported, the training session occurred a year ago in Pennsylvania, and involved an Army Reserve unit that was receiving training on worldwide religious extremism. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) obtained a copy of the Power Point presentation, which includes a slide that lists 18 religious groups that the instructor deemed to be extremist. While it is not known whether the groups were ordered in relation to their severity, evangelical Christianity appears first on the list, followed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, a group called “Christian Identity,” Al Qaeda and Hamas.

The presentation had utilized information and data collected by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that classifies “hate groups” throughout the country.Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Commentary: The article below our commentary written by Washington Times is a sign of the times. Here is the sign: If a bill is passed in California that removes the non-profit tax-exempt status from any youth organization that doesn’t allow those openly practicing homosexuality to be leaders in that organization, it is just a matter of time when other states will follow suit. California has usually  led the way in “revolutionary” law changes. We believe that day WILL come when such a bill passes. The Implications? In time, and probably less rather than more, ALL non-profits will be at risk of losing their tax-exempt status if they do not hire those who openly live a homosexual lifestyle as leaders. This will include missionary organizations, Christian youth organizations, retreat centers, churches, seminaries – virtually all facets of the Christian church because almost all Christian organizations are under the government’s tax-exempt status.

The handwriting is on the wall. Perhaps it’s time Christian non-profits start moving toward dropping their non-profit status and becoming financially independent without it. Otherwise, what could happen (and it could happen practically overnight) is that when it becomes “law” to allow those practicing homosexuality to lead Christian organizations, these organizations with either have to fall into step with these laws or lose their tax-exempt status and cave in financially because they depended so heavily on that status.

It isn’t easy being a Christian ministry that ISN”T non-profit 501 (c)3. We should know. Lighthouse Trails opted not to apply for that status 11 years ago when we launched because even back then we could see that it would both mean coming under restrictions that would one day mean having to compromise our faith and compromise our ability to report factual evidence accurately. Not having that status, though, means Lighthouse Trails doesn’t get very many donations because such donations are not tax deductible. Thus, we must work all the harder to keep financially sound.

While we realize that some day laws will most likely try to force even for-profit groups and businesses to hire those who practice homosexuality, the first target will be the non-profits. Perhaps it is time for Christian non-profits to evaluate just exactly what it means to take this handout from the government and to ponder just how high the cost may be. We live in a fallen sinful world with fallen sinful governments. Remember the admonitions of Jesus Christ: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16-see more below). The day is coming when we, as Christians, may not be able to work the work of God, at least in the same capacity and freedom we presently have in the Western world. Jesus said, “I must work the works of him tht sent me, whilt it is day: the night cometh when no man can work” (John 9:4).  We should not be disheartened though for we are also told by Jesus: “[S]ee that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass” (Matthew 24:6).

As for the Boy Scouts, obviously the Boy Scouts are being pressured to lift their ban on homosexuals not being allowed to be leaders in the Boy Scouts. If they do, there is another serious implication about this situation. In the history of man, societies and nations have come and gone. Some sociologists have taught that the final taboo societies and civilizations have become involved with before becoming extinct is what is referred to as “man-boy love.” By allowing openly practicing homosexuals complete access to young vulnerable boys, America is jeopardizing her existence like never before. Saying this is obviously politically incorrect, but it’s the truth and it needs to be said.

“Calif. [homosexual]-rights bill aims to strip Boy Scouts of tax-exempt status”

Scouting organizations in California that bar open homosexuals as leaders and members could lose their state tax-exempt status if a bill is enacted.

The Youth Equality Act has a broad sweep, covering not only the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girls Scouts, but also such youth organizations as the Little League, Bobby Sox, Campfire Inc., Future Farmers of America, 4-H Clubs, Boys’ Clubs, Girls’ Clubs, Special Olympics, California soccer associations and Pop Warner football.

The proposed legislation “seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups by revoking their tax-exemption privilege, should they not comply with our nondiscrimination laws,” said California State Sen. Ricardo Lara, an openly gay lawmaker who is also lead sponsor of SB 323. Click here to read more.

More of Matthew 10:

And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.  And when ye come into an house, salute it.  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:11-23)

By Carl Teichrib
Forcing Change

“What’s old is new again.”

To some extent Agenda 21 fits this mold. Emanating from the 1992 United Nations Rio Earth Summit, officially known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), concerns were raised by political researchers during the mid-to-late 1990s about the dangers posed by federal agencies looking to implement Agenda 21 management principles, particularly as it related to property rights, energy and industry, and agriculture.

Research articles were published, hearings took place, education campaigns were launched, and the topic was a talking point on some radio shows. Arguably, it wasn’t a mainstream issue – not in the sense of being a nationally recognized news story. Nevertheless, an energized effort to inform the public did make headway during that time.

Then came the “war on terror, instantly becoming the international talking point. Paralleling this was the intensified battle over climate change. Agenda 21, it appeared to many, had faded into the background. Ironically, and not unknown to the research community, the Kyoto convention on climate change was launched through the Earth Summit process and was an extension of the Agenda 21 concept. All of this said, researchers and environmental lobbyists understood the long-term relevance of Agenda 21, and a back-story political struggle continued between advocates of private property versus those pushing socialized management. In this sense Agenda 21 never went “out of style” although the general public was largely ignorant of the controversy.

Now, approximately 20 years after UNCED and the release of Agenda 21, it has once again become a political focal point, especially in the United States. Consider the following.

In 2012 the Republican Party passed a resolution opposing Agenda 21, and in January 2013 a Missouri House committee found itself with an Agenda 21 ban proposal. In Oklahoma, two Agenda 21 ban resolutions are on the table, and anti-Agenda 21 legislation is before the Virginia House of Delegates. Educational meetings are springing up across the country as political researchers seek to inform the public about this critical issue.

the Obama administration has put forward environmental and economic platforms that are reminiscent of Agenda 21, and has enhanced the federal funding of Local Governments for Sustainability, also known as ICLEI – a global Agenda 21 support organization working with more than 600 jurisdictions in the United States. On another front, agri-industry giant Monsanto joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) on January 22, 2013. The WBCSD, established to draw global businesses into the Earth Summit framework, partners with more than 200 major corporations in the pursuit of Agenda 21 sustainability concepts.

And last year’s Rio+20 conference, meant to bolster the original 1992 UNCED package, helped reawaken the topic. Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Note: The following news story is posted, not as an endorsement of the content but for informational and research purposes. The implications of this story are staggering in that Congressman Tim Ryan (D) hopes that other congress members will benefit from his book on mindful meditation. With eastern-style meditation now in the public schools, in the health industry, in the business world, and in the military, Ryan’s efforts will accelerate it being welcomed wholeheartedly in government. And with the Christian church welcoming it with open arms through the spiritual formation movement, the results are that an entire society is being saturated in occultic meditation.

Tim Ryan’s book, A Mindful Nation, is no half-hearted book on meditation. On the contrary. It is published by THE publisher for New Age books, Hay House (which publishes books by Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsch, Caroline Myss, and many other New Age teachers) and carries a foreword by zen teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn. Ryan says that there is a “quiet revolution” going on in America. He is referring to the explosion of eastern-style meditation in all areas of life. He believes that meditation should be taught to all, including young children.

2nd LTRP Note: In the article below from CBS, it states that almost 10 million are practicing meditation in the U.S. However, in a 2009 U.S.A. Today article, “‘Mindfulness’ meditation being used in hospitals and schools,” it states that “A government survey in 2007 found that about 1 out of 11 Americans, more than 20 million” practiced some form of meditation.

A Mindful Nation by Congressman Tim Ryan

“Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan’s Meditation Crusade”
By Jim Axelrod
CBS News
(courtesy My Word Like Fire Ministries)

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – In the challenge of slowing down the hectic pace of life, it can often seem as though we’ve squeezed out any time for thoughtfulness and contemplation as we go about our daily lives. But one man’s got an idea how to change that and perhaps the power to do so.

In the tranquility of his living room in Youngstown, Ohio, 39-year-old Tim Ryan is conducting his 30-minute morning ritual. He is meditating: slowing his breathing and clearing his head of clutter.

“How much faster literally can we go, until you are so distracted all the time that you’re actually missing your life?” he asked.

If this all looks and sounds a bit New-Agey, guess again. Congressman Tim Ryan will tell you the New Age is now. “It’s a quiet revolution that’s happening,” he said.

Ryan is a former high school football hero from a shot-and-a-beer district who’s now written a book on mindfulness. The group he thinks could benefit most from reading it? His colleagues on Capitol Hill.

“Yeah, that’s true. It’s a problem,” he said about Washington, a city that is probably less introspective. “And I think if you look back at our country to the big mistakes that we made, it seems to me that we weren’t seeing things quite clearly.” Click here to continue reading and to watch video (also see video below).

Hartford, Connecticut – A national homeschooling organization is sounding the alarm against a bill proposed in the Connecticut legislature which would require both public school and homeschooled children to undergo a behavioral health assessment at various stages of child development.

Bill 374, proposed in the General Assembly by sponsors Senator Toni Harp and Representative Toni Walker, is likely in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, which took the lives of 20 children and 6 adults this past December. Some believe that the incident could have been better prevented should there have been sufficient mental health assistance for gunman Adam Lanza, and therefore, the women are seeking to ensure that today’s youth are screened throughout their adolescence for any concerning behavioral problems.

Harp, who serves as the chairman of the Connecticut mental health task force, recently told reporters that while she does not want children to be stigmatized over the matter, she feels that lawmakers need to see how to better care for the mental well-being of youth in order to prevent another tragedy. . . .

“This assessment would constitute an unwarranted, gross invasion of family privacy,” Black said. “This bill should be opposed.”

Click here to continue reading.

LTRP Note: While the article below by the Washington Times is favorable toward Marines practicing meditation, we have posted it for informational and research purposes. Please also try to read some of the articles we have posted below, which further illustrate how the U.S. military is making eastern style meditation a standard for those enlisted. This is going to have profoundly negative effects in more than one realm.

By Patrick Hruby
The Washington Times

While preparing for overseas deployment with the U.S. Marines late last year, Staff Sgt. Nathan Hampton participated in  a series of training exercises held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., designed to make  him a more effective serviceman.

There were weapons qualifications. Grueling physical workouts. High-stress  squad counterinsurgency drills, held in an elaborate ersatz village designed to  mirror the sights, sounds and smells of a remote mountain settlement in Afghanistan.

There also were weekly meditation classes — including one in which Sgt.  Hampton and his squad mates were asked to sit motionless in a chair and  focus on the point of contact between their feet and the floor.

“A lot of people thought it would be a waste of time,” he said. “Why are we  sitting around a classroom doing their weird meditative stuff? Click here to continue reading.

Related Articles:

Efforts Underway to Train U.S. Military Chaplains and Personnel in Eastern Mysticism

WorldNetDaily: U.S. soldiers to be subjected to ‘mind control’

Interfaith school for military chaplains dedicated

Men Who Stare at Goats and Toward a Mystical Military

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press

KALISPELL, Mont.— When Sara Weaver saw her father Randy struck in the shoulder by a government sniper’s bullet in the Idaho wilderness in August 1992, she began to sprint back to the family’s cabin on a mountaintop called Ruby Ridge.

As the 16-year-old closed in, her mother, Vicki, opened the cabin door and stood behind it, holding Sara Weaver’s 10-month-old sister in her arms. Just then, a sniper’s bullet struck her mother in the head, killing her.

For the next nine days, the surviving Weavers holed up in the cabin while hundreds of federal agents laid siege in a standoff that helped spark an anti-government patriot movement that grew to include the Oklahoma City bombing.

Today, 20 years later, Sara Weaver has left the anger behind, finding religion — and forgiveness.

“I went 10 years without understanding how to heal” until becoming a born-again Christian, she said. “All bitterness and anger had to go,” she said. “I forgave those that pulled the trigger.” Click here to continue reading.