Bringing the world into focus through the lens of Scripture
K-House eNews
For The Week Of October 09, 2007
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**TABLE OF CONTENTS**
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This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast
Articles and Commentary
A Columbus Day History Lesson - (Read)
UPDATE: Europeans Warned of the "Dangers of Creationism" - (Read)
In-Tolerance In the University - (Read)
Upcoming Events - (Read)
Important News Headlines
Memory Verse of the Week
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**THIS WEEK'S 66/40 RADIO BROADCAST**
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Psalms 101-118
God's Gracious Dealings
The fifth section of psalms begins with a great retrospect in the plains of Moab, which reviews God's gracious dealings with His people. They were soon to enter the land of promise.
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**SPECIAL OFFER**
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The Kingdom of Blood - MP3 Download by Chuck Missler
Chuck Missler and Dave Hunt, internationally recognized Biblical authorities, review the realities of church history and their shocking implications for the future. Who is the Woman that rides the Beast in the Book of Revelation? What are the implications of the current "Ecumenical" movement? This Briefing Package explores the tragic misconceptions and surprising implications of the history of the church: the violence, injustice, and false worship imposed on a desperate humanity. One cannot understand the present (and the prophetic future) without a perspective of history. One cannot understand the Protestant Reformation without an appreciation of the history that led up to it.
MP3 Download - $5.95
This offer will expire in 7 days.
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**ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY**
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A COLUMBUS DAY HISTORY LESSON - (Print)
On March 31, 1492, the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella issued a royal decree ordering all Jews to leave the Spain and its territories or convert to the Catholic faith. The deadline was set for August 3rd of that year. If any Jews were found in Spain after this period they were to be killed. Before midnight on August 2nd, Christopher Columbus and his crew boarded their ships. At dawn Columbus (whose voyage was financed by wealthy and influential Jews, and who himself may have been of Jewish descent) set sail on his now-famous voyage to the New World.
More than two months after setting sail in Spain, on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his fellow explorers arrived in the America. It was an adventure that changed the course of human history - which is why we celebrate Columbus Day each year on the second Monday of October. This Thursday marks the 515th anniversary of that discovery.
The Alhambra Decree, also known as the "Edict of Expulsion," which forced the Jews to convert or flee Spain, was part of the Spanish Inquisition that began in 1480. The Spanish Inquisition sought to rid Spain of Jews, Muslims, false converts, and heretics (although it was also motivated by the desire for political power and profit). It is interesting to note that on the Jewish calendar the deadline for the Alhambra Decree was the 9th of Av, also known as Tisha B'Av. The 9th of Av has become a symbol of all the persecutions and misfortunes of the Jewish people. It is a day of mourning that marks the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Spanish Inquisition and its counterparts encompass one of the bloodiest periods in the history of the church. During the Inquisition(s) millions of people were slaughtered for the crime of "heresy" by Roman Catholic persecutors. In fact, Pope Innocent III murdered far more Christians in one afternoon than any Roman emperor did in during his entire reign.
Most Christians today have only a vague knowledge of the history of the church. However one cannot understand the present (and the prophetic future) without a perspective of the past. Likewise, one cannot understand the Protestant Reformation without an appreciation of the events that led up to it. Chuck Missler and Dave Hunt examine the history of the church in the briefing pack The Kingdom of Blood (click here for special offer).
To learn more about Christopher Columbus (and his possible Jewish heritage) read the article on our website titled "Mysteries Behind our History: Was Columbus Jewish?"
Related Links:
• Mysteries Behind our History: Was Columbus Jewish? - K-House Archives
• The Kingdom of Blood - MP3 Download - Special Offer!
• Tisha b'Av - Article - eNews Archive
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UPDATE: EUROPEANS WARNED OF THE "DANGERS OF CREATIONISM" - (Print)
The idea that we are all simply the result of random chance has become embedded in Western culture - here in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere. The premise that life is accidental pervades, not just biology, but also the fields of psychology, our social and political sciences, our news media, entertainment, and, of course, our public schools.
In last week's eNews we brought this issue to your attention, today we are going to follow up with an in-depth look the outcome of Thursday's vote: On October 4th the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution titled "The Dangers of Creationism in Education" that firmly opposes the teaching of creation and intelligent design in public school classrooms. The "non-binding" resolution is indicative of the widespread opposition to intelligent design among Europe's political leaders. These events do not bode well for Bible-believing Christians, and are no doubt a foreshadowing of things to come.
The text of the resolution, which passed by a 2 to 1 margin, states that: "The Parliamentary Assembly is worried about the possible ill-effects of the spread of creationist ideas within our education systems and about the consequences for our democracies. If we are not careful, creationism could become a threat to human rights which are a key concern of the Council of Europe... The Parliamentary Assembly therefore urges the member states, and especially their education authorities to firmly oppose the teaching of creationism as a scientific discipline on an equal footing with the theory of evolution and in general resist presentation of creationist ideas in any discipline other than religion and to promote the teaching of evolution as a fundamental scientific theory in the school curriculum."
"Therein Lies The Danger..."
Perhaps most disturbing is the resolution's description of the "extremists" who believe that what the Bible says is true: "The war on the theory of evolution and on its proponents most often originates in forms of religious extremism which are closely allied to extreme right-wing political movements. The creationist movements possess real political power. The fact of the matter, and this has been exposed on several occasions, is that some advocates of strict creationism are out to replace democracy by theocracy... Investigation of the creationists' growing influence shows that the arguments between creationism and evolution go well beyond intellectual debate. If we are not careful, the values that are the very essence of the Council of Europe will be under direct threat from creationist fundamentalists..."
The Council of Europe also claims that because Creationism is a "total rejection of science" it is "one of the most serious threats to human rights and civic rights." Yet even more troubling to the Assembly is the spread of intelligent design, which "presented in a more subtle way, seeks to portray its approach as scientific, and therein lies the danger." The resolution also describes Creationists as pseudo-scientists who "sow doubt and confusion."
The Assembly then goes on to inextricably link evolution with the fight against AIDS and infections disease and even global warming: "Denying [evolution] could have serious consequences for the development of our societies. Advances in medical research with the aim of effectively combating infectious diseases such as AIDS are impossible if every principle of evolution is denied. One cannot be fully aware of the risks involved in the significant decline in biodiversity and climate change if the mechanisms of evolution are not understood."
Rather than encouraging open scientific debate, the Council of Europe is employing fear-mongering and government-imposed censorship to stifle intelligent design - which they view as a growing threat. The good news is that more people are opening their eyes to the truth.
Why Do They Feel Threatened?
The more we learn about universe, the more obvious it becomes that we are not the result of random chance. The discovery of DNA, in particular, has radically transformed modern science and changed how many look at the origin of life. DNA is a digital, error-correcting, and self-replicating code; and within its complicated and elegant structure are the blueprints of every living thing on the planet. According to Dr. Jerry Bergman, a professor of science at Northwest College, "At the moment of conception, a fertilized human egg is about the size of a pinhead, yet it contains information equivalent to about six billion chemical letters. This is enough information to fill 1000 books, 500 pages thick with print so small you would need a microscope to read it! If all the chemical letters in the human body were printed in books, it is estimated they would fill the Grand Canyon fifty times!"
Random chance cannot account for the complex design of DNA. It is statistically and mathematically impossible. The chances of winning the state lottery every week of your life from the age of 18 to 99 are better than the odds of a single-celled organism being formed by random chance. Likewise, the probability of spontaneous generation is about the same as the probability that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard could assemble a 747 from the contents therein. It is impossible. The evidence all points to the unavoidable conclusion that we not the product of chance or evolution, but the result of intelligent design.
Related Links:
• Bible Study Resources: Creation and Evolution - K-House Archives
• The Creator Series - CD-Rom - Koinonia House
• Unlocking the Mystery of Life - DVD - Koinonia House
• The Privileged Planet - DVD - Koinonia House
• Genesis - DVD Set - Koinonia House
• The Dangers of Creationism in Education - Full Text of Resolution - Council of Europe
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IN-TOLERANCE IN THE UNIVERSITY - (Print)
Universities, as centers of higher education, are supposed to be bastions of open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. And they often are. However, despite the cries of "tolerance!" the ideas being exchanged are generally more leftist than not. Conservative and/or Christian students, faculty and speakers often find they are marginalized and even censored by the same people who claim to promote diversity.
The recent speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia University underscores the problem. In the name of the First Amendment, Columbia is certainly free to invite the anti-American, Holocaust-denying tyrant of Iran to speak from its halls. Columbia President Lee Bollinger introduced President Ahmadinejad with a list of blistering rebukes, but still permitted Ahmadinejad to address the audience. And when Ahmadinejad rose to speak (a steady criticism of US policies throughout modern history) he was not tossed out, but was received with applause.
Yet, when Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist came to speak at Columbia in October 2006 about illegal immigration and guarding the border, he was attacked by a mob and forced off the stage. That's right. Certain student groups, declaring that they were against "racism", would not let Gilchrist speak. Another invitation to Gilchrist to speak at an event this fall was recently reneged. The Columbia Political Union said in its statement that the event "could not effectively accomplish the goals we had hoped it might."
Ahmadinejad, though rebuked, was allowed to speak, but Jim Gilchrist was forced off stage and has not been given a second opportunity. This type of double standard is not as uncommon as you might hope.
In Boise State's student newspaper The Arbiter, student Jonathon Sawmiller notes several instances of obvious anti-conservative bias he had witnessed at his university. Sawmiller writes, "I asked a student why she was tearing down advertisements for a speech about Islam and terrorism by professor and best-selling author Robert Spencer. 'I don't think conservative ideas belong on a college campus' was her explanation."
Political ideas are not the only ones to be stifled. Bias has also led to the suppression of scientific research. According to I.D. theorist, William Dembski:
"[A] big story, perhaps the biggest story yet of academic suppression relating to ID. Robert Marks is a world-class expert in the field of evolutionary computing, and yet the Baylor administration, without any consideration of the actual content of Marks's work at the Evolutionary Informatics Lab, decided to shut it down simply because there were anonymous complaints linking the lab to intelligent design."
The problem is widespread enough that one filmmaker, Evan Coyne Maloney, has made a documentary about it. His full-length film, Indoctrinate U, was shown to a sold-out audience at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC at the end of September. Indoctrinate U details the far reaching problem of intolerance and censorship in the American universities, most of which is aimed against conservative or Christian ideas.
According to producer Thor Halvorssen, Indoctrinate U is not a conservative documentary or a liberal documentary; it simply shows the discrimination that is too common on college campuses today, "from speech codes to discrimination to the watering down of standards to the unspeakable bias in the hiring of faculty members and the disparity of ideological diversity."
In the Kentucky Kernal, philosophy student Brett Nolan points out Columbia University's obvious double standard in giving Ahmadinejad a platform while failing to hear Gilchrist: "This is a subversive move against the current American establishment," Nolan writes, "and a glorification of those with anti-American agendas."
Related Links:
• Ahmadinejad Blasts Israel, Denies Existence of Iranian Gays During Columbia Speech - Fox News
• Columbia Student Union Nixes Speaker And Founder Of Anti-Illegal Immigration Group - AP
• The Leftist View of Free Speech - The Arbiter
• Leftist Agenda Celebrates Terrorist, Demonizes Real Freedom Of Speech - The Kentucky Kernal
• New Film Exposes Apparent Lack of Academic Freedom in US - CNS News
• Academic Freedom Expelled from Baylor University - Evolution News and Views
• Indoctrinate U - FrontpageMagazine.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS - (Print)
Strategic Perspectives Conference - Coming Soon!
The second annual Strategic Perspectives conference will be held in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on November 9th and 10th, 2007 with an optional Brunch Cruise on the 11th (cruise seating is limited and selling quickly so don't wait until the last minute or you'll miss out). This exciting event brings together some of today's brightest Christian thinkers to share their insiders perspectives on today's events and how they relate to the Bible. Last year's conference sold out, so be sure to purchase your tickets early to insure your seat! To learn more click on the link below.
Berean Bible Study Tour - Israel 2008
Mark your calendar! Join Chuck and Nancy Missler in the Holy Land for the Berean Bible Study Tour! Our next trip to Israel is scheduled for March 25th to April 4th of 2008, with and optional Petra extension from April 4th to April 6th. More details coming soon! For more information contact Sharon Stolebarger at sharon@khouse.org
Related Links:
• Strategic Perspectives Conference - Koinonia Institute
• Event Calendar - Koinonia House
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**IMPORTANT NEWS HEADLINES**
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Christians Fear Jail for Criticising Gays - October 09, 2007
Evangelical Christian groups in the UK are warning that Christians who say gay sex is wrong could be sent to prison for up to seven years if MPs pass a new law being debated today. Times Online
Christians in Gaza Being Targeted - October 09, 2007
Attacks on members of the 2,500-strong Christian community in the Gaza Strip have increased in recent months, especially since Hamas took full control of the area. The body of a Palestinian Christian man who worked in a Christian bookstore was found this week. Before his death he had received several death threats from radical Muslims who accused him of missionary activity. Jerusalem Post
Russia Boosts Bomber Drills Near North America - October 09, 2007
The US military said yesterday that the United States or Canada scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers conducting drills outside US airspace near Alaska on at least seven occasions this summer. The frequency of the drills has been described as reminiscent of the Cold War. Reuters
Fatah Threatens Catastrophe if Summit Fails - October 09, 2007
Sources are now saying that the Middle East peace conference in Washington sponsored by US President Bush might be pushed off by two weeks, until late November. The delay would give Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas extra time to agree on a joint statement. Senior Fatah terrorists threaten a "new intifada" if the PA's demands are not met. INN
Big Mac Trumps 10 Commandments - October 09, 2007
A new poll indicates that Americans are more familiar with the ingredients of the McDonald's Big Mac hamburger than the Ten Commandments. Christian Post
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**MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK**
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Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 KJV
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