Australia: An Underappreciated Nation

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Australia: An Underappreciated Nation






article by Melvin Rhodes





World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraq. Only one nation has fought in all these wars from beginning to end—Australia.



Each time I visit Australia, I have the same thought: "If I were 30 years younger, I'd move here!"



In fact, we almost did. Forty years ago my father had wanted to take advantage of the assisted-passage program offered by the Australian government, through which British people could move to Australia for just 10 British pounds. What finally put him off the idea was Australia's presence in Vietnam. He did not want to lose any of his six sons fighting a war he strongly opposed.



But many Australians did die in Vietnam. Australians also made the ultimate sacrifice, dying in great numbers, particularly in World War I and World War II. The country also sent its soldiers to Korea and more recently to the first Persian Gulf War. Australians now serve alongside their American and British allies in Iraq.



It's ironic: Australians inhabit the one continent that has not experienced war, yet their record in fighting for freedom is second to none—especially when you consider the country's relatively small population. Australia is the only nation in the world that fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and the two Persian Gulf conflicts against Iraq from beginning to end. When it comes to the ongoing defense of the Western world, Australia truly is an underappreciated country.



Australia is a relatively new country. British settlement of the island continent did not begin until after the United States was formed as an independent nation. The first European settlers sailed into Botany Bay in 1788.



Throughout the 19th century they continued to come until, at the dawn of the 20th century, Australia became an independent nation, one of the dominions that formed the nucleus of the British Commonwealth. As The Encyclopaedia Britannica puts it: "A British dominion and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, it had become the most important monument to the British Empire in the Southern Hemisphere" (15th edition, Macropaedia, 1976, "Australia," p. 399).



In writing of the character of the Australian people, the encyclopedia states: "The long struggle by these settlers to tame the Australian Outback helped to form the tough and independent character of modern Australians just as the struggles of the pioneers and frontiersmen helped to mold the national character of the United States" (p. 403).



Together with Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the dominions played an incredible role in helping Great Britain during the two major conflicts of the 20th century.



Isolated some 12,000 miles from London via the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, and 7,000 miles from the United States, the Australians could easily have stayed out of the 1914-18 war against Germany and the other Axis Powers. But Australians volunteered in the hundreds of thousands to fight. Tens of thousands



of them died.



Australians help Great Britain



After relying on Britain for defense during most of the 19th century, Australia was to more than pay Britain back in the conflicts of the 20th. Colonial troops had already fought alongside the British in the last two decades of the 19th century, in both the Sudan and the Boer War. But in World War I, 330,000 Australians were to serve—60,000 of whom did not return. An additional 165,000 suffered wounds. Few nations paid such a heavy price.



The Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) played a key role in the 1915 campaign in the Dardanelles, the narrow straight in western Turkey linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea, a crucial crossroads between Europe and the Middle East. April 25—the day of the ANZAC landing there at Gallipoli—came to be honored as a day of national reverence.



Yet even before that, Australian forces had captured German New Guinea and the German cruiser Emden was sunk by the Australian navy. After the Dardanelles campaign, Australian troops fought in many bloody battles in France. In the Holy Land, Australian cavalry helped British forces defeat Turkey, leading to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.



In World War II, Australia again came to Britain's aid, long before Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor threatened Australia itself. Again the Australians made a heavy sacrifice. Around 30,000 of them died in World War II; another 65,000 were injured.



In the 27 months that the British Empire and Commonwealth fought Germany before America entered the war, Australians played a major role in helping the British avoid defeat. During the Battle of Britain, when the United Kingdom was fighting for its very survival, the



Royal Australian Air Force was active in defending the skies over the island nation.



At the same time, the Royal Australian Navy operated in the Mediterranean, helping to win the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941. Australian troops fought in North Africa against Rommel's Afrika Korps, with Australians playing the greatest role during the Allied defense of Tobruk in late 1941. Australians suffered heavy losses in the Allied defeats in Greece and Crete, as well as in the Allied victories in the Levant. All of this was prior to Pearl Harbor, which changed the country's priorities.



Australia assists America



After Pearl Harbor, Australia was to look to the United States as its principal ally in the Pacific theater. As World War II Prime Minister John Curtin declared: "I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free from any pangs about our traditional links of friendship to Britain."



Two months later, emphasizing this change of direction, after losing 15,000 men in the fall of Singapore, Prime Minister Curtin insisted that Australian troops recalled from the Middle East should return to Australia itself and not be used in Burma as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wanted. Four days after the fall of Singapore, the northern Australian city of Darwin was bombed by Japanese planes.



U.S. General Douglas MacArthur placed his headquarters in Australia, while the Australian navy assisted in the victorious Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942. After that, Americans and Australians were to fight together in many of the battles of World War II. Australia"s role, though secondary, remained very significant. After 1942 the British Royal Navy was no longer Australia's protection against invasion or foreign attack.



Following World War II, Australia was to look more to the United States than to Britain, forming the ANZUS treaty with America and New Zealand. Australia sent troops to Korea and Vietnam. More recently, Australians have fought in both Persian Gulf conflicts. Additionally, they supported Britain in the only successful anti-insurgency war of modern times, fought in Malaysia in the 1960s. More recently, Australia has helped end regional conflicts in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.



But it"s not only in the fight for freedom that Australians have been prominent. Australia is also a caring and compassionate nation that is actively involved in helping its neighbors. After the Dec. 26 tsunami, Australia, geographically almost as big as the United States but with only 19 million residents, pledged more aid than any other single nation. Australians were among the first to arrive with material help, alleviating the suffering of tsunami survivors.



The source of Australia's blessings



Australia truly has been blessed. It has often been called the "lucky country." But luck has nothing to do with the tremendous blessings of this great land.



The preamble to the Australian con-stitution begins: "Whereas the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God . . ."



Indeed, it is God who gave this land to the original British settlers, as part of the promised blessing to the descendants of Joseph, the favorite son of the biblical patriarch Jacob, whom God renamed Israel.



Through Jacob, God revealed that Joseph's two sons were to grow into "a multitude of nations" (Genesis 48:19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.



See All...), a prophecy that was fulfilled in the British Empire and Commonwealth, and a "great" single nation, the United States of America.



As descendants of Abraham, these nations were to be a blessing to "all the families of the earth" (Genesis 12:3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.



See All...). Joseph was further told that his descendants would be a "fruitful bough" (Genesis 49:22Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:



See All...). Australia and America have been two of the most productive agricultural nations on earth, helping to feed the world"s hungry and poverty-stricken peoples.



These nations, along with Great Britain and the other nations of the British Commonwealth, were also to play a military role "in the last days" (Genesis 49:1And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.



See All...).



Verses 23-24 describe this role: "With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob" (New International Version). In other words, God—whether acknowledged or not—has played a major hand in these nations" victories.



Australia is an underappreciated country. But the great God who gave Australians their wealth and their strength is also underappreciated, even in Australia. The world needs to give thanks for Australia and also for the God who gave this land its many blessings. GN

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Does Marriage Matter?

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Does Marriage Matter?






article by Scott Ashley





The Good News magazine is dedicated to showing solutions to our problems. No doubt some of our greatest challenges lie in today's marriages and families. Almost everywhere you look, the family is in trouble.



The Good News magazine is dedicated to showing solutions to our problems. No doubt some of our greatest challenges lie in today's marriages and families. Almost everywhere you look, the family is in trouble.



You can tell something is seriously wrong when the U.S. president proposes spending $100 million to promote marriage and, as happened several months ago, is soundly criticized by various individuals and groups declaring that whether people marry is nobody else's business.



But does marriage matter? Is it the government's business—or anyone else's—whether people marry or whether they stay married?



Several key statistics reveal why some national leaders think it's crucial to promote marriage to successfully battle poverty. Notice these sobering numbers about the state of marriage and the family in the United States:



•About half of first marriages, and up to 60 percent of second marriages, end in divorce.

•Single women as a whole are five times more likely to be poor than those who are married.

•Children living in single-parent homes are four times as likely to live in poverty than those in two-parent families.

•Compared to those raised in two-parent families, children of single-parent households are twice as likely to drop out of school, three times as likely to have an illegitimate child and far more likely to use drugs and engage in other antisocial activities.

•One third of American children are born out of wedlock.

You'll find many more disturbing numbers elsewhere in this issue, including some from other countries showing that the family is rapidly becoming an endangered institution throughout much of the Western world.



Civilizations, like most other structures, are constructed piece by piece. Marriage is the basic building block of the family. The family is the building block of the community. The community is the building block of the city. The city is the building block of the state or province. The state or province is the building block of the nation. The nation is the building block of civilization.



If any of these building blocks are faulty, the entire structure begins to falter and, if not shored up, will eventually collapse.



Sadly, as the statistics cited above show, the cracks that started to appear in earnest a generation ago are steadily widening. Crime, poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual perversion, child abuse and the like are among the bitter fruits we're reaping. No community, nation or civilization can survive if such problems continue to worsen.



Just what changed in recent decades to bring about such profound shifts in attitudes toward marriage and family? One major change has been the loss of stigma surrounding divorce and illegitimate children.



A generation has been brought up on the idea that absolute good and evil don't exist and that the only real sin is to suggest that someone else is living the wrong way and that his actions will cause harm to himself and others in the long run.



Thus the traditional family modeled in classic TV programs like Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet are out and Sex and the City and Temptation Island are in. Movies, TV and music undermine marriage but push promiscuity, assaulting the very foundations of society.



But it doesn't have to be that way for you and your family. Be sure to read the articles in this issue to discover the real solutions to some of the many problems threatening today's families. GN

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"The Only Thing We Learn From History Is That We Learn Nothing From History."

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"The Only Thing We Learn From History Is That We Learn Nothing From History."

 With the arrival of a new year has come a wave of new laws and new political leadership, the result of November's election choices.



In the state where I live, officials and law-enforcement authorities are trying to sort out the mess created when voters approved growing, sharing and consuming marijuana for personal use. It's raised a whole tangle of legal issues, not least that it conflicts with federal law under which marijuana use remains illegal. The moral issues involved are far more serious, but a majority of voters have already dismissed those as not worthy of consideration.



Liberals in my state are also enthused about their gaining control of both houses of the state legislature—where, for the first time, avowed homosexuals now hold the top leadership positions in both the state house and state senate.



And although the state faces many serious challenges, what's at the top of their legislative agenda? To no one's surprise, legalizing civil unions is one of their highest priorities (only because same-sex marriage is banned in the state constitution, though I don't doubt we will soon see efforts to reverse that).



To top it all off, voters also approved a number of higher taxes, which will grow government even more at the expense of taxpayers and businesses.



What's happening in my state only mirrors what's taking place at the national level, where after four years of exploding government spending, skyrocketing debt, growing government handouts, high unemployment, stagnant economic growth and expansion of government intrusion into the lives of individual citizens, Americans went to the polls and decisively voted for more of the same.



As a student of history, I'm fascinated by the factors that lead to the rise and fall of great powers. I've walked among the ruins of the long-vanished empires of Egypt, Greece and Rome and studied what led to their decline and collapse.



The noted philosopher George Santayana penned one of the great truths about human history: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."



His observation echoes a somewhat more cynical version written earlier by the German philosopher Friedrich Hegel: "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history."



We are at a turning point in human history. It's not often that we witness the point at which a nation's momentum, driven by its collective choices, carries it in a direction it might not otherwise go and which it finds itself unable to change.



Watching what is taking place in the United States today is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. The train has jumped the tracks, the engineers in the locomotive can't stop it, and the train's momentum makes the disastrous outcome unavoidable.



You need to wake up to what's really happening today. The United States is at a critical turning point—if it hasn't passed it already. America's role as world superpower was foretold long ago in the pages of the Bible—as was its downfall for turning its back on the God who blessed it so abundantly.



You need to understand what's happening and why. You need to know the answer to the question posed in this issue of The Good News— "Where Does America Go From Here? "







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Second Thoughts on Abortion

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Second Thoughts on Abortion



Source: Photos.comWatching this week's Beyond Today program reminded me how serious the murder of unborn children is every day, in all parts of the world. For the United Church of God to take on this subject is a stepping stone for us. Raising the awareness of this modern plaque of society is a first, and I expect, not the last effort for us. Regardless of how many responses we receive, we have made a direct statement. That's what matters most.



If it causes just one pregnant mother to pause and consider the right to life of her unborn child then we have achieved something. That one life counts. All life is important, and if one life is saved it's worth our effort.



My wife and I spent the Thanksgiving weekend with two of our grandchildren. Romping around the house with them was a pure delight and joy. They enjoy life, simple and honest as it is for them. I am glad their mother honored and recognized them while they were in the womb. Watching their lives develop is a gift and a blessing for this phase of our life. We are thankful life was chosen. Our private world is better for that.



I saw an article last week saying abortions had decreased in number during the past decade. Economic factors may be the prime reason more than a turn in society. Let's pray it might become a trend—one person at a time. At least there are additional children born and having their chance at life. Thank God their mothers chose life.







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New World Order: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

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New World Order: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly


A commentary by Don Hooser



Influential people predict that world peace can't really come unless it is enforced by some world government. But many others believe that cure is worse than the problem.



Confusion and controversy are intensifying regarding a future "New World Order," commonly abbreviated as NWO. What does it mean? Would it be good or bad for the world?



Let's first acknowledge an implied difference between a new world order and the "New World Order ."



Hopes for a new world order

During the past century, many world leaders and others have expressed their desire and hope for a better world with peaceful relations among all the nations, and some have used the phrase a new world order .



For example, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill spoke of their desires for a new world order following World War I and World War II, respectively.



The popular usage of the phrase escalated when President George H.W. Bush expressed in a half dozen speeches his hope for a new world order. In his March 6, 1991, address to Congress, he said, "Now, we can see a new world coming into view. A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order... A world where the United Nations, freed from cold war stalemate, is poised to fulfill the historic vision of its founders."



Some were alarmed by President Bush's use of the term, but it was largely seen in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the cold war. Now, however, it seems many more Americans have become quite alarmed after numerous remarks by President Barack Obama indicating his desire to see a powerful "international order" to solve the world's problems.



Influence of books on popular thought

British writer and futurist H.G. Wells published a nonfiction book in 1940 titled The New World Order . The book addressed the ideal of a world without war in which law and order emanated from a world-governing body and collectivist economy.



Other books have taken a negative view. Consider two popular dystopian novel s where a society promoted by the rulers as a utopia becomes, in reality, a nightmare.



Brave New World is a 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley about life in London in A.D. 2540. It describes a totalitarian state in which everyone is kept preoccupied and "happy" by hypnotic recordings, propaganda, disinformation, materialistic consumption, promiscuous sex and drugs.



Nineteen Eighty-Four is a 1949 novel by George Orwell picturing a world of pervasive government surveillance (by "Big Brother") and incessant public mind control .



American televangelist Pat Robertson in his 1991 book The New World Order popularized the NWO theory that rich and powerful people, banks, secret and semisecret societies, and other groups conspire together to form the shadow government that controls world events from behind the scenes, steering us constantly and covertly in the direction of world government under the Antichrist.



Many other books and booklets about an NWO have been marketed as well.



Fears of the New World Order

Until about 1990, most people ignored the warnings of conspiracy theorists about a coming NWO. But in addition to the other influences, the Internet has given a powerful worldwide voice to all the conspiracy theorists and subcultures.



And globalization is proceeding at an astonishing pace, having major impacts on the nations and peoples of the world—impacts good and bad.



Would a New World Order be good or bad? An NWO implies that all nations surrender their sovereignty to a world-ruling government. For nearly a century, the world has depended on the protection and leadership provided by a strong, independent United States of America. Considering the corruption that absolute power seems to always bring, a powerful world government ruled by human beings would be a catastrophe for the United States and all the world.



But that doesn't mean we need to research all the different conspiracy theories out there. The real and important truth about the past, present and future of the world is in the Bible!



The real conspiracy and the real solution

The power of human conspiracies is usually overemphasized. But throughout history, there has been one superpowerful conspiracy by Satan the devil, "who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All...).



Will an NWO happen? In a sense, the answer is that the world is going to experience two! First, there will be a New World Order that will be bad and ugly—a dystopia. Satan will mastermind the formation of an international government and religious system referred to in the Bible as "the beast" and "Babylon the great" (Revelation 17:5-7 [5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

[6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

[7] And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.





See All..., 13). They will dominate "all the nations" and "the kings of the earth" and "the merchants of the earth" (Revelation 18:1-4 [1] And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

[2] And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

[3] For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

[4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.





See All...).



But Jesus Christ, the "King of Kings," will destroy that order ( disorder! ) and will replace it with a worldwide utopia—the glorious Kingdom of God (Revelation 19:11-16 [11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

[13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

[14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

[15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

[16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.





See All...). He loves His human creation and has our best interests at heart. His government will never be corrupted but will produce a world where disease will be replaced with health, hunger will be banished by abundance and everyone will be able to achieve his or her full potential.

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All Those Yellow Bracelets

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All Those Yellow Bracelets

Source: Stock Xchng/Bobd3142 For years you have seen people wearing them. A symbol of solidarity with a sports icon who represented courage in the face of adversity and what was thought to be excellence in his field.



The yellow silicon bracelets that say "live strong" became a symbol of a man and his fight against the ravages of cancer. More than 80 million have been sold. In the wake of Lance Armstrong's admission to doping during his cycling career you wonder what they might symbolize going forward.



Sold for $1 a piece they raised a lot of money for a good cause–cancer survivorship. The foundation the sales support has dropped Armstrong's name and now goes by "Livestrong Foundation " Presumably they will continue their work despite the backlash against Armstrong who is now proved to be a liar as as well as a doper.



There are many obvious lessons from this sad and disheartening matter. We did a BT Daily episode this week and quoted the scripture in Numbers 32:23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.



See All... that says "your sins will find you out". I am not sure how many will learn from this solid spiritual truth, but we have a clear example of it right in the daily headlines. Another man, chosen by legions of followers, as a role model is shown to have feet of clay. This undermining of trust within our social fabric continues on. No wonder cockroaches are rising in the public esteem.



A suggestion. If you bought one of the yellow bracelets please, keep wearing it. The idea to live strong is noble. Because one man did not live up to its creed is no excuse for us to let the flag fall. Keep it up. Hold on to the ideal, the goal of something good to live for. The idea counts and the failure of one man can cause us to rally and continue moving forward. A life well lived is worth the effort.







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God, Science and the Bible: Does Life Exist Somewhere Out There?

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God, Science and the Bible: Does Life Exist Somewhere Out There?

article by Mike Kelley





For years people have wondered: Are we alone in the universe? Do other life forms exist out there? Will we ever find them?



Source: NASA Astronomy began to develop as a science in the 15th century, sparked by the discoveries of Galileo and Copernicus that the Earth is not the center of the universe. Based on information gathered by their primitive telescopes, they discovered that Earth revolves around the Sun—not the other way around, as had been supposed for centuries. Far more advanced telescopes of the 20th century revealed billions of specks of light that turned out to be galaxies millions of light years away.



As we learned more about our own solar system, astronomers began to focus attention on Mars, one of the two planets closest to us and the one thought most likely to harbor life. More than 40 years ago America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched a probe toward Mars, the 1965 Mariner IV, that sent back faint radio signals showing the planet to be a lonely, pock-marked wasteland, a dead world with seemingly no way to support life.



Eternally curious, scientists wanted to know more. Last August, the attention of millions was riveted on the approach of a spacecraft to the surface of Mars. Its payload was the most advanced robotic rover ever designed to explore the surface of another planet. Through maneuvers of amazing complexity, that rover, dubbed Curiosity, landed successfully on the Martian surface on August 5.



About the size of a tiny car, Curiosity was designed for one singular purpose—to look for signs of life on the Red Planet. A roving laboratory, Curiosity will spend at least two years trying to unlock the scientific history of Mars. Equipped with an array of scientific sensors and other instruments, the explorer will scoop soil and rock samples for analysis to determine if life exists, or ever existed, on Mars. For example, the rover can analyze soil to determine if the soil ever offered the environmental conditions to support microbial life.



Scientists are looking for "biomarkers"—evidence, however faint, that life may have at one time existed on Mars. One of those biomarkers, perhaps the most important one, is the existence of water, a key ingredient needed to support even microbial life.



Even before Curiosity, astronomers noted the similarity between Mars and Earth. Both have an atmosphere, although Mars' is much less dense than Earth's and chemically much different. Both have a surface covered with soil. Curiosity has analyzed soil samples that show Martian soil to be a volcanic type, somewhat similar to volcanic soils here on Earth. Scientists have long puzzled over the presence of Mars' huge polar ice caps, similar in appearance to those on Earth.



Curiosity has lived up to its name. In the three months since it touched down, it has sent back thousands of pictures and hundreds of hours of communications. The scientific world thrilled to the late September discovery of evidence that a stream of water once ran across the area of Mars where the rover is exploring. In early October, a hammer-like device on Curiosity gathered powder samples of a Martian rock that was found to be similar in mineral composition to common rocks here on earth.



In late October and early November, Curiosity experienced dust storms similar to those on Earth. As on Earth, the atmosphere provides some shielding from outside radiation and helps to regulate temperatures. However, because the atmosphere is thinner, the rover detected, as expected, evidence of large amounts of radiation present. And the Martian atmosphere was found to keep surface temperatures within a range of -130° F to about 5°, a difficult abode for even microbial life.



Uniqueness of planet Earth

So one might well ask: Do the various similarities point to the possibility of life on Mars?



Beyond the similarities are huge differences that make the probabilities of life as we know it being found on Mars or any other planet in our solar system quite miniscule.



At more than twice the Earth's distance from the Sun, surface temperatures on Mars seldom rise above 0° Fahrenheit. Life as we know it would not be able to survive in the thin Martian atmosphere (only 1 percent that of Earth), composed predominantly of carbon dioxide with much smaller amounts of nitrogen and argon. The Curiosity scientific team had hoped to find methane, which might be an indicator of life, but none has been detected.



It was reported Dec. 3 that in soil sample analysis Curiosity had detected "water and sulfur and chlorine-containing substances," as well as "one-carbon organics"—which are needed for life—though "it is possible the carbon may be of Earth origin, carried by Curiosity and detected by [its lab's] high sensitivity design" ("NASA Mars Rover Fully Analyzes First Soil Samples," NASA.gov). In any case, in its several months on Mars, Curiosity has not discovered any clear evidence of life.



However, even if no life is found that's not to say that life doesn't exist outside our planet. It does —it's just not life as we know it.



Extraterrestrial life of a different kind

God Almighty, Maker of the universe, dwells in the spiritual abode of heaven. And sometime in the ancient past, God created spirit beings to help Him rule and administer the vast universe. We call these spirit beings angels. In your Bible, Psalm 148:1-5 [1] Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

[2] Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

[3] Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

[4] Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

[5] Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.





See All... shows that they, and the physical universe, were created at God's command! There are millions of them (Daniel 7:9-10 [9] I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

[10] A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.





See All...), and God created them with some of the same supernatural powers He Himself possesses.



God refers to these angels in several ways. Job 38:7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?



See All... calls them "morning stars" and says they sang and shouted for joy when God created the earth. So the angels have been around for eons.



Over the past 35 years, millions have flocked to the Star Wars movie series. They've thrilled to the adventures of Jedi warriors Luke Skywalker and Yoda in their struggles against Darth Vader and the evil Sith. It's the classic struggle between the forces of good and evil.



You may be surprised to learn that a true cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil did take place in the universe! This cataclysmic event occurred before human beings existed. The pockmarked surface of the moon and other scarred planets, moons and asteroids of our solar system may be evidence of that battle. But what led up to it?



One of the archangels God created, referred to as Lucifer in translations of Isaiah 14:12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!



See All..., was, as Ezekiel 28:17Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.



See All... shows, a being of immense beauty and perfection—and entrusted by God with vast responsibilities. But Lucifer became dissatisfied and led a rebellion of one third of the angels against God (Revelation 12:3-4 [3] And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

[4] And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.





See All...).



Does this sound like fantasy? Isaiah 14:13-15 [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

[14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

[15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.





See All... reveals that Lucifer planned to "exalt [his] throne above the stars of God" and "be like the Most High." In other words, this being led an angelic rebellion to overthrow God!



So there was what we might call an original "star wars," a literal war in heaven among supernatural beings. "And war broke out in heaven. Michael [another archangel] and his angels fought with the dragon [Lucifer now having become Satan, meaning "Adversary"]; and the dragon and his angels fought" (Revelation 12:7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,



See All...).



Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All... shows that Satan and his angels, since their rebellion referred to as demons, were defeated and hurled from heaven back to the earth (see Revelation 12:4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.



See All...). Jesus Christ said of that time, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.



See All...). Again, that great cosmic catastrophe may be why we see such scattered debris—in the form of comets, asteroids and other such wreckage—in outer space.



That may well be when Mars was likewise left a wasteland. Was Mars created a barren wasteland, or did it become that way? We don't know. But nothing Curiosity has discovered on Mars has changed the reality of its desolate condition.



God will expand life throughout the universe

So what do we know at present? We are certainly familiar with life on Earth, including the seven billion human beings who call this planet home. Your Bible says God created angels to be His servants. Despite the fact that a third of them rebelled, we know that two thirds still serve God as His messengers and servants.



And here is the exciting good news: God is not finished with the universe He's created! He reveals there will be more life throughout the universe. And what many may find astounding is that human beings are part of that plan!



It will come as a surprise to many religious people to learn that the reward of God's followers is not just to float off at death to live in the spiritual heaven of His throne. Notice what God says in Matthew 5:5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.



See All...: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Those words are Christ's own, from the Sermon on the Mount. John 3:13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.



See All... further tells us, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."



But if going to heaven at death is not the reward of the saved, then what is? Let's pose this question: Does it make sense that a God who endowed human beings with the desire to know more about the universe, and the ability to explore it, would not have a higher purpose for mankind than to merely live a brief physical life and then die?



While science strives to find out if life exists on planets other than Earth, God's Word reveals—if one is willing to look—the incredible potential of human life. In the book of Hebrews we read this: "What is man, that you are mindful of him . . . you made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and put everything in subjection under his feet" (Hebrews 2:6-8 [6] But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

[7] Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

[8] Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.





See All..., NIV).



Did you catch that? Man's current status is "a little lower than the angels"—or "for a little while lower," as some versions translate this—but God reveals that in time everything will be put in subjection under man!



We begin to get a clue about our future and our place in the universe in recognizing that the "all things" God has promised us in various verses includes everything—the earth, heaven, the entire physical universe! God says that, for those willing to believe what He says, the vast universe, with all its billions of galaxies, its innumerable stars and planets, will be put under our dominion.



Romans 8:22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.



See All... is quite revealing: "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (NIV). All of our exploration has revealed this to be true—that the planets we have been able to observe other than our own are lifeless, dead places with conditions hostile to life. But notice Romans 8:21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.



See All... of the same chapter: "The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (NIV).



No evidence has yet been found for life on other planets. But even if some form of physical life—bacteria or something more complex—were to be found elsewhere, that would only mean that God created it too—not that it somehow evolved there on its own. However, other than the wishful thinking of some, we have no reason to think there is any physical life at all beyond the earth.



In any case, there is indeed certain "life out there" already—and there will yet be more in the wonderful future God has in store for us!

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Two Thoughts on the "Special Relationship"

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Two Thoughts on the "Special Relationship"




 The special relationship between the United States and Great Britain is referenced twice in today's Financial Times . Both speak truths overlooked and taken for granted by people on both sides of the Atlantic.



The common language of English is one of those bonds. That an American movie can be received and understood in England as well as a BBC series like Downton Abbey is in America illustrates the point. Michael Skapinker points out that the Afrikaans language of the South African Dutch is far different from the ancestral language of the Netherlands. British rule in the land severed the ties and helped create an insular language shared today by no one outside the country. It seems that America and England reveled in forming a common understanding of the differences in expression while retaining a unifying appreciation for the power of English.



The second reference is to Great Britain's future within the EU. Prime Minister David Cameron is due to give a major speech outlining his governments position on the role the country will have with the changing European bloc. The lead editorial points out Britain's EU membership is a key feature of its "special relationship" with the United States, Even American officials acknowledge this fact. Britain is seen as an advocate for American economic interests in Brussels, something it does not wish to lose. The evolving economic crisis of the the last four years has affirmed the critical importance of open communication with the world's largest global market. The EU may be wounded but it is not out. No right-minded observer thinks this. Should Great Britain exit the EU it would rearrange the seats at the world's biggest table.



The "special relationship" between American and Great Britain goes deeper than most understand. It is rooted in a Biblical story of God's promises to Abraham and his descendants. It is not a coincidence of nature these two nations rose to become world powers speaking the same language. No fair minded historian thinks otherwise. It's a story you can understand by reading our Bible study aid booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy . It is the missing dimension in world history.

Monsters are Real

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Monsters are Real

Source: stock.xchng/emospadaMost children are afraid of the dark. Their eyes seem to conspire against them, playing tricks and creating monsters out of shadows.



A bedroom closet and the space underneath a bed seem to be places of mystery, housing monsters only seen after the lights have been turned out. As a child I was not only afraid of monsters in the dark but during the daylight hours my fears would run away with me as well. The creaking of our old hardwood floors, the settling of the apartment building, and older plumbing offered sounds that most certainly came from monsters laying in wait for an unsuspecting little girl to walk into their lair.



My mother did her best to assure me that monsters do not exist. With all of her assurance, I knew they not only existed but adults were unable to see them because they did not believe. To this day I find being alone in the darkest hours of the night leaves me uneasy, especially if the darkness is paired with sounds of our home creaking and moaning.



What if I told you that monsters do exist, would you believe me? There is an unseen world, one full of monsters lurking about, creating as much chaos and destruction as possible. That world is the demonic world, run by Satan himself. You don't believe? He will be very pleased to hear that. As people of this age become more and more “enlightened” and accepting of various types of religions and thought processes, it seems the demonic world becomes less real and less of a threat in their minds.



The Bible speaks of a time when the unseen monsters of this world will bring real chaos into the lives of many people. Those people will be living at the end of the age, when a power will arise, called the Beast. It will control governments, religions and the people of this world. This Beast gains its power from Satan and seeks to destroy anything that would represent the one true God.



People will believe this Beast is the way to worldwide peace and a type of savior for all mankind. He will perform miracles, speak soothing words and sound very religious. They will follow his lead and be his tools for chaos and destruction. They will accept the mark of the Beast. He will be so powerful that even those who believe in the one true God and all that he stands for may be fooled into following him. To do so is to walk into the lair of the monster as it lays in wait.



While this monster story may sound frightening, it ends well. In Revelation 19-20 we learn that Jesus Christ returns to earth and destroys the Beast and all of those who are with him. When He returns He will be looking for those who saw the Beast as the monster he truly was. Will He find you?







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SMBC and Disposable Fathers

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SMBC and Disposable Fathers






article by Cecil Maranville





Family structure is constantly changing. We cannot afford to assume that different is better. Tampering with God's design will bring catastrophic results.



US Airways, a major air carrier, ran a contest this year inviting children to write an essay about their father or their "father figure." Such is the time in which we live. "Father figures" who replace the real McCoy are within the boundaries of "normal" life.



"SMBC" is another reality that would have been considered an oddity not long ago. Do you know what it represents? It stands for four words that define a current trend in Western society—"Single Mother By Choice." This defiant moniker stands in stark contrast to the idea of a Father's Day, a day set aside to honor dads.



Among today's trendsetters are several prominent female entertainers who have chosen to have children without the presence of a father. One of these, actress Camryn Manheim, explained in a recent interview that she plans to provide everything her child needs, including "male stimulus" from family members and friends. She much preferred that arrangement, she said, to having to "seek the approval" of a spouse for such typically shared decisions as naming the children.



Can occasional contact with any male actually replace what a father gives to his son or daughter? Are fathers so disposable?



"How on earth will Ms. Manheim teach her son to be a good father when she has made such a mockery of the concept?" asked columnist Michelle Malkin. "'Go ask your male stimulant' seems a criminally inadequate response." The title of Malkin's stinging editorial was "'Male Stimulant's Day?" (Creators Syndicate, Inc., June 13, 2001). It's worth your time to read it.



Ms. Malkin makes a good point-children learn to parent best through the example of their parents. Take the normal father out of the picture, as has happened much in this generation, and the future generation of males is doomed to struggle with its identity and role. (We have to add "normal," because the character and behavior of some fathers makes them a terrible example and influence on their children.)



Another actress, Calista Flockhart of Ally McBeal fame, adopted a baby recently. She doesn't mind the idea of having a husband, she told The New York Post , but "meanwhile, the baby is all I really want."



Of course, there are many more reasons that fathers are absent from their families than the SMBC ilk; but for the purpose of this article, we'll look at those homes where fathers would be found, if wanted. Whatever the reasons, currently more than one third of children in the United States live apart from their biological fathers. Of those children, 40 percent have not seen their fathers in at least a year.



Aren't the children better off with just a mother, who after all is a better nurturer? Don't be too sure.



A surprising study



A California psychologist has just released a book that shows how effective a father is at nurturing his children on his own. Wayne Farrell's research revealed that both sons and daughters would fare better under the care of a single father than they would under the care of a single mother.



Better? How so?



In Father and Child Reunion: How to Bring the Dads We Need to the Children We Love , Farrell reported that single fathers make better disciplinarians and exercise self-control more effectively than single mothers. Single mothers more commonly "lose it" and strike their children in uncontrolled anger. Farrell says that single moms are 24 times as likely to kill their children as are single fathers—a gruesome topic and statistic.



Further, children of single dads do better in every academic discipline, with math and science at the top of the list. They miss fewer days of school due to sickness and are also socially healthier than their counterparts who live only with mom.



Does this mean that men are better nurturers than women? It is more likely that the statistics reflect the type of men who seek primary custody of their children. However, the research disproves a too-widely accepted modern myth, that children are "better off without dad" in their lives.



Columnist Maggie Gallagher featured Becky Peck in a recent article on single mothers. Ms. Peck was considered avant-garde for her time by having a baby through anonymous sperm donation in the early '80s. She is the consummate SMBC. In spite of all the love and material provisions Ms. Peck gave her child, a fatherless household wasn't enough. By the mid-teen years, the child wanted—needed—to know its father. Just carrying his DNA wasn't enough.



The debate will probably continue, and statistical cannons will be rolled out to shoot figures back and forth. But it isn't a petty battle over who could do a better job rearing the children, mother or father. SFBC-Single Father By Choice-isn't an improvement over SMBC.



Dr. Farrell's book shows the need for two-parent homes. He ranks family structures according to how they best serve the interest of the children. Out of four rankings, a home with primarily the mother present-including the silly and selfish SMBC-is dead last.



A home with a father as the primary parent is only slightly better.



There's a difference between a home in which a father excludes the mother from her children and the family structure Farrell calls shared parent-time, which he ranks as healthier. In this structure, the primary parent invites and encourages the other parent to be involved with his or her children, in spite of divorce.



And single fathers are more likely to include their children's mother in their lives than single mothers are, according to Farrell.



But the healthiest home, the best environment for rearing children, is what he calls "the intact family," a home in which children live with their father and mother.



All the "modern" reasoning aside, what's best for the children is the way the Creator structured a home from the beginning. Children are the losers when mothers or fathers try to compete with the other by becoming a SPBC-Single Parent By Choice.



Bringing up children not a competitive sport



Rearing children is not a competitive sport, a field of contest in which one parent is proven superior to another.



President George W. Bush appropriately observed: "A child's greatest source of security today is not only knowing, 'my mom loves me' and 'my dad loves me,' but also that Mom and Dad love each other. If we're serious about renewing fatherhood, we must be serious about renewing marriage" ("Fatherlessness a Problem for Kids, Not Mothers," by Maggie Gallagher, June 12, 2001, Universal Press Syndicate).



Does the SMBC crowd stop to consider the wording of the Fifth Commandment, "Honor your father and mother"? The apostle Paul noted further that it was "the first commandment with promise," and quoted, "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:2-3 [2] Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

[3] That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.





See All...).



The Fifth Commandment promises well-being to more than just a child who honors his or her parents. We are so used to thinking in terms of the individual that we may fail to perceive that this special commandment looks beyond the individual to the entire human family. Revealed within this promise is a formula of success for generations to come. The pledge isn't necessarily of long life for every child who heeds and applies the law.



Rather, it guarantees that mankind itself would be preserved.



Addressed to more than children, the law calls on men and women to create and rear families in the context of marriage.



More at stake than most could imagine



God's law says children need their fathers. Women who choose to have a family without a father have their own interests at heart, not their children's. Worse, they sacrifice the best interest of the entire human family—not just that of their offspring.



Malachi was inspired with an appeal from God similar to what was later recorded in Ephesians: "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:4-6 [4] Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

[5] Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

[6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.





See All..., NIV).



In the present context of those who are SMBC, the wording of this prophecy is strikingly appropriate-"turn...the hearts of the children to their fathers." The intent of the Hebrew, however, is to imply that parents turn their hearts to their children and vice versa. Several translations of the Bible have the word parents. Both the SMBC and the SFBC are selfish.



More must be said about Malachi's prophecy, for the English word curse inaccurately tempers the actual meaning. The Hebrew word from which it's translated conveys a much broader and more serious warning. The word and the root from which it's taken imply utter destruction.



What would be destroyed? Written to the remnant of Israel that still occupied the Promised Land, their homeland is the immediate focus of the warning. However, the prophecy is clearly about an end-time setting, a time in which God concerns Himself with the entire earth, not just a limited territory in the Middle East.



The full impact of the warning is that God would be forced to scrap His plans and hopes for mankind if it abandons the family structure. Some people attempt to spiritualize the prophecy, ascribing the sense that people (children of God) must return to their (heavenly) Father. Clearly, though, the Father doesn't need to be admonished to turn His heart to His children! So, the warning is to physical parents about physical families.



We assume that most readers of World News and Prophec y are dedicated to the biblical ideal. Nonetheless, we realize that we are all influenced by the society in which we live, that fathers are discouraged by the growing whim that families are better off without them and that women are encouraged to choose a family structure that will only hurt all concerned.



The United States took a census in 2000. The previous census showed that 55 percent of the population lived in married couple households. Last year's count showed the figure has dropped to only a little over half, 51 percent. At the same time, single-parent households have jumped to 7.5 million, a 25 percent increase .



How are American children faring in the evolving family structure, as their parents indulge their selfish whims? Today 30 percent of U.S. children do not live with two parents—even stepparents, much less their mother and father.



The United Church of God is dedicated to the spirit of Elijah, seeking to have our fathers' and children's hearts turned toward each other. It's also our desire to bring this urgent, double-edged message of warning and promise to all who have ears to hear. WNP

.

Britain Debates Life's Ultimate Question

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Britain Debates Life's Ultimate Question






article by John Ross Schroeder





Especially in the last year, the reemergence of media coverage about aggressive atheism has helped focus British attention on that most crucial of all questions: Does God exist? Even scientists are arguing the question. In spite of a rather vigorous defense, atheism certainly appears to be gaining ground in Britain and Europe.



In the title of a feature article, columnist Gerard Baker of The Times recently called 2006 "a good year for religious conflict and atheism" (Dec. 22, 2006).



Many things have been and are being written about Oxford Professor Richard Dawkins' disbelief in God. He is perhaps the world's foremost apostle of atheism. John Preston, writing in Seven (the magazine supplement of The Sunday Telegraph), stated that Dawkins "is almost evangelical in telling Christians they are misguided in their faith" (Dec. 17, 2006, p. 8).



Even those who vehemently oppose his views generally acknowledge that Professor Dawkins "has caused a sensation this year with the runaway success of his anti-religious book, The God Delusion" (The Sunday Times, Dec. 24, 2006, p. 2). His book has headed the nonfiction best-seller list in Britain, and it stayed on The New York Times best-seller list for 14 weeks.



On a recent train and ferry trip from England to Northern Ireland, I saw at least two individuals reading The God Delusion intently. In one case I sat down opposite a businessman, and a conversation about Professor Dawkins' book soon ensued. It turned out to be a friendly discussion in which I pointed out some of the flaws in the author's rationale.



Education and religion



Richard Dawkins started his aggressive educational campaign with a two-part television documentary titled The Root of All Evil?—referring to religion in general and Christianity in particular.



However, as Gerard Baker has astutely pointed out, "The two great global conflicts of the 20th century were not truly religious at all...It was twisted ethnic, rather than religious, ideology that principally animated the Nazis. And it is worth noting that the narrowly avoided conflict which would have trumped even these tragedies—a nuclear war with the Soviet Union—would have been launched and prosecuted in the name of militant atheism" (The Times, Dec. 22, 2006).



As British author Roger Scruton summed it up, "Richard Dawkins believes that faith is an infectious disease which spreads intolerance and conflict. In fact...it is our principal source of love and peace" (The Spectator, Jan. 14, 2006, p. 24).



Professor Dawkins has stated that "there is a strong correlation between religion and education: the more educated people are, the less religious" (FT magazine, Dec. 16/17, 2006, p. 16). It's no surprise that secular-minded professors are "educating" students away from believing in God. But actually we would suggest that only those who have examined the overwhelming evidence and have come to believe in the reality of a personal God are truly educated.



Nonetheless, this exponent of atheism is not at all satisfied with education in even elementary schools that mostly emphasize secularism. A fairly recent report stated that "the Oxford professor and campaigning atheist is planning to take his fight against God into the classroom by flooding schools with anti-religious literature" (The Sunday Times, Nov. 19, 2006, p. 5). Dawkins plans to set up a charity that "will subsidise books, pamphlets and DVDs attacking the 'educational scandal' of theories such as creationism while promoting rational and scientific thought" (ibid.).



Far too many erroneously believe that religion is chiefly responsible for every human wrong in the world. Gerard Baker helps counter this false notion: "You don't have to be religious to have a dangerous inclination to bend others to your own views. Professor Richard Dawkins provided a timely reminder that belligerent intolerance of the beliefs of others is by no means the preserve of the faithful" (The Times, Dec. 22, 2006).



Comparative national religious beliefs



Historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto recently assessed the current state of British religious interest in general terms. He stated: "Sermons are about society, not salvation. Alastair Campbell [Tony Blair's director of strategy and communications] spoke for England when he said we don't do God. The British now respond to religion with the embarrassment once provoked only by sex" (The Independent, Dec. 24, 2006, emphasis added throughout).



British educational authorities like Chris Woodhead have indicated that "RE [Religious Education] lessons are badly taught and fail to instill faith and tolerance. They should be axed" (The Sunday Times, July 24, 2005, p. 11).



The Jewish community in Britain also has adherents in the atheist/agnostic camp, while still claiming to hold to some aspects of Judaism. For instance, one couple gave their twin sons "a faith-free" bar mitzvah. The two are quoted by The Jewish Chronicle as saying, "You can be Jewish without praying to a God you don't believe in" (Dec. 22, 2006, p. 20).



According to Harvard professor and author Niall Ferguson, "the Gallup Millennium Survey of Religious Attitudes shows that barely 20 per cent of West Europeans attend church services at least once a week, compared with 47 per cent of North Americans and 82 per cent of West Africans. Less than half of Western Europeans say that God is a 'very important' part of their lives, as against 83 per cent of Americans and virtually all West Africans. And fully 15 per cent of Western Europeans deny that there is any kind of 'spirit, God or life force'" (The Daily Telegraph, July 31, 2005).



The other side of the debate



Daily Mail columnist and author Melanie Phillips has pointed out that "religion lies at the heart of our society's greatest achievements because it enables the human spirit to soar...It was this Judeo-Christian heritage that has given us values that secularists prize, such as human rights and tolerance. Religion gives us a code to live by which helps make us better people...The value we in the West place on every individual and on the principle of equality is based on our foundation religious doctrine that we are all created equal in the image of God" (Daily Mail, Dec. 19, 2005).



Columnist Jeff Jacoby articulated the fact that "without God the difference between good and evil becomes purely subjective" (International Herald Tribune, Dec. 15, 2006).



At least a few scientists also ask some searching questions relevant to life's ultimate question. For instance, Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, stated: "The pre-eminent mystery is why anything exists at all. What breathes life into the equations; and actualized them in a real cosmos. Such questions lie beyond science, however; they are the province of philosophers and theologians" (The Sunday Times, Dec. 24, 2006).



A cover article in Time magazine (international edition) stated: "The universe seems uncannily well suited to the existence of life. Could that really be an accident?" (Nov. 29, 2004, p. 58).



In yet another piece from Time, Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Research Institute, states: "For me the fundamental answers about the meaning of life come not from science, but from a consideration of the origins of our uniquely human sense of right and wrong and from the historical record of Christ's life on earth" (Aug. 15, 2005, p. 34).



The testimony of a former atheist



It happens! About three years ago, "one of the most renowned atheists of the past half century...changed his mind and decided that there is a God after all. Anthony Flew, emeritus professor of philosophy at Reading University, whose arguments for atheism have influenced scholars the world over, has been converted to the view that some sort of deity created the universe" (The Sunday Times, Dec. 12, 2004, Internet).



To quote this long-believing atheist directly, Professor Flew stated: "I have been persuaded that it is simply out of the question that the first living matter evolved out of dead matter and then developed into an extraordinary creature" (ibid.).



It is axiomatic that life comes from life! The question is: Who possessed life before the creation? The Bible tells us that both the Father and the Son have life within Themselves (John 5:26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;



See All...).



During the middle of the first century, the apostle Paul addressed academics in Athens, declaring the reality of the Creator God to the Greek philosophers of his day (see Acts 17:16-28 [16] Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

[17] Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

[18] Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

[19] And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

[20] For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

[21] (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

[22] Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

[23] For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

[24] God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

[25] Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

[26] And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

[27] That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

[28] For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.





See All...). This aspect of the gospel is also a part of the teaching of the United Church of God today.



We have written in voluminous detail about the many reasons we believe there is a personal Creator God who has always existed. Please be sure to request (or download) our free booklets on this important subject— Life's Ultimate Question: Does God Exist?, Who Is God? and Creation or Evolution: Does It Really Matter What You Believe? The rationale for these three booklets springs from the Bible and from the perspective and evidence of true science.



Does it really matter what you believe?



There are two opposing worldviews at stake in this crucial battle for the minds of the British people. The first worldview argues that human beings are nothing but a cosmic accident, the result of millions of years of being gradually engineered by the evolutionary process, occasioned through the survival of the fittest. Thus the bottom line is that we should all look out for number one because this life is all there is.



This despairing outlook sums up the Darwinian worldview. In his weekly Spectator column, British author Paul Johnson has analyzed the results.



"Much of the blame lies with Richard Dawkins, head of the Darwinian fundamentalists in this country [Britain], who has (it seems) indissolubly linked Darwin to the more extreme forms of atheism, and projected on to our senses a dismal world in which life has no purpose or meaning and a human being has no more significance than a piece of rock, being subject to the blind process of pitiless, unfeeling, unthinking nature" (Aug. 27, 2005, p. 25).



Yet, as world statesman Sir Winston Churchill once articulated in a speech to both houses of the U.S. Congress: "He must be a blind soul indeed that cannot see that a great purpose is being worked out here below."



The other worldview is firmly based on life having a great divine purpose. In the vernacular it says, "It's not about me." This life is not about human beings seeking to please the self, but instead, showing love to neighbor and striving to become more like the greatest Man who ever lived, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He showed us the ultimate example of love in giving His life for us so that we might eventually share the entire universe with Him (see Romans 8:16-23 [16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

[23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.





See All...; Hebrews 2:5-11 [5] For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

[6] But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

[7] Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

[8] Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

[9] But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

[10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

[11] For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,





See All...).



If you would like more information about this second and much more fruitful worldview, request or download our free booklet What Is Your Destiny? Why did God create human beings in the first place? Does the Bible reveal a great divine plan and purpose? Why has it been hidden from most of mankind? All these questions and more are answered in this publication, which you can read in just one sitting. WNP



Recommended Reading

Can you really know if a Creator God exists? Can you prove it? If so, why did He create you and me? These are crucial questions, and never have the answers been more important. Request a free copy of Life’s Ultimate Question: Does God Exist?

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The Missing Dimension in American Education

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.


The Missing Dimension in American Education


A commentary by Cecil Maranville



If America wants to understand this present world, succeed in globalized business and navigate the explosive configuration of 21st-century geopolitics, this is the wrong time to exclude God from the classroom.



The cost of education represents one of the largest budget outlays of every level of U.S. government, as politicians of every stripe claim a firm commitment to providing American children with the best education possible.



Curiously, America is simultaneously expunging from formal education any dogmatic reference to the Creator or His laws. If America wants to understand this present world, succeed in globalized business and navigate the explosive configuration of 21st-century geopolitics, this is the wrong time to exclude God from the classroom.



Pilgrims and Lincoln can't be separated from the Bible

America just celebrated one of its most accepted national customs, Thanksgiving Day. It stems from Pilgrims recreating an English harvest festival in acknowledgement and thanks to God for bringing the Plymouth colony through their first year.



Americans still champion the courage of these pioneers from whose tiny start would sprout the most powerful nation the world had ever known. Books were scarce among the first immigrants and education a challenge, but one book that all possessed was the Bible. It was guaranteed to be read—more than that, studied and learned by every child.



In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day in the soberest of times, the height of the bloody Civil War. In spite of tragedy, the president saw national benefits that could be explained only by supernatural intervention. In part, the proclamation reads:



"Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.



"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."



A biblical compass in a complex world

Although Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims and Abraham Lincoln remain popular in American culture, strangely, the Bible does not. Formal education is painstakingly vacuumed of any reference to the Bible.



Yet those who control the curriculum fail to realize that this handicaps our children from success in navigating globalized business, as well as governing in a complex world.



This was graphically illustrated in a piece written by political scientist George Friedman, founder and chief intelligence officer of Stratfor, a private intelligence corporation. The internationally respected Friedman is currently traveling through critical areas of the world to refresh his perspective in a way you can only do face to face. This small anecdote is just the tip of the iceberg of how religion and knowledge of the Bible are still vitally important in today's world.



In his Nov. 23 update from Turkey, he wrote:



"We arrived in Istanbul during the festival of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael on God's command and praises the God who stayed his hand. It is a jarring holiday for me; I was taught that it was Isaac whom God saved. The distinction between Ishmael and Isaac is the difference between Hagar and Sarah, between Abraham and the Jews and Abraham and the Muslims. It ties Muslims, Jews and Christians together. It also tears them apart." (See full text here . You may be asked to sign in to read it, but it is free.)



Clearly, Friedman was educated in the Bible—and it aids him in understanding the world, as well as in advising presidents, prime ministers, business leaders—and anyone else with ears to hear.



Americans have lost sight of the value of a biblical education , without which they are hopelessly without a compass in a complex world.



Friedman continues:



"Muslims celebrate Eid with the sacrifice of animals (sheep and cattle). Istanbul is a modern commercial city, stunningly large. On this day, as we drove in from the airport, there were vacant lots with cattle lined up for those wishing to carry out the ritual. There were many cattle and people. The ritual sacrifice is widely practiced, even among the less religious . I was told that Turkey had to import cattle for the first time, bringing them in from Uruguay. Consider the juxtaposition of ancient ritual sacrifice so widely practiced that it requires global trade to sustain it" (emphasis added).



Religion defines, motivates, divides and—unless God steps in to stop it—will destroy the world. Don't spurn your roots, America! Learn, love and live the Bible