Category: prophecy

Posted in chicken or the egg, end time, prophecy

What came first, chicken or egg? Creationists say chicken. Scientists say…

Posted on by elizabethprata

Chicken!

For many philosophers the question “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” it is the ultimate conundrum. The answer is not known, they suppose, because it is a case of circular cause and consequence. Questions like that are impossible to answer because the consequence of the phenomenon is claimed to be its root cause. The same thing exists in science and engineering in which a parameter is required to calculate that parameter itself. Can’t happen, right? Wrong.

The creation of the world was not a scientific event, it was a supernatural event. God created it out of His mind and His power and His voice. Who can quantify that? But creationists know that the chicken came first. (Gen 1:20-21). Day 5. End of discussion.

(Above, Illustration from Tacuina sanitatis, Fourteenth century)

But that was not the end of discussion for generations of scientists who deny the bible and seek man-satisfactory answers. Well, they found their answer, and the answer is…the chicken! Circular, isn’t it?

The chicken came first, scientists prove
“But now they believe they have cracked the conundrum of what came first: the chicken or the egg. British researchers say the chicken must have come first as the formation of eggs is only possible thanks to a protein found in the chicken’s ovaries. ‘It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first,’ said Dr Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University, who worked with counterparts at Warwick University.”

It’s nice when people seek knowledge about our world through science, but God does not need scientists to prove or disprove Him. He exists and He is sovereign, even over the ‘natural laws’ that scientists say govern the world. After all, He appeared through walls, particulate matter being of no consequence to Him. He walked on water, gravity being of no consequence to him. He fermented wine, time having no consequence to Him. And the best part of all is that His believers will be the same as Him after we are raptured/resurrected. We also will be able to travel through hyper-dimensions, walk on water, appear at will here and there. In the crowning gift of the Supreme God to His people, and in a final incidence of circular cause and consequence, creationists will be the ultimate scientists, knowing the answers to all things, having the power to explore universes, and a possessing mind capable of understanding it. The real answer to what came first is not that the chicken and the egg came first, but that God came first. He is also last. He is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, and He created a universe with man in it, and set us free to explore  the tiny questions of the day like chickens and eggs, as well as large ones, like “How much does He love me?” Answer: a LOT!

Posted in end time, prophecy, sea floor collapse

Things that make me go hmmm…

Posted on by elizabethprata

In the transcript of the Press Briefing with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen July 13, 2010 regarding the BP efforts to contain the cap and squelch the oil flow, he said:

We just finished a seismic run through the field. About a 2.5 kilometer run basically from north to south with what we call the (inaudible) carrying very sophisticated acoustical sensors. That is intended to give us a baseline from which we can detect any anomalies after we do the well integrity test regarding anything that might happen with the sea floor or the formation moving ahead.[emphasis mine]

Yes it is always good to make sure the SEA FLOOR is stable enough to money around with putting different pressures on it, elsewhere… His statement reassuring the listeners and viewers coming on the heels of an abrupt cessation of well-capping is troublesome. To say the least. The Gainesville Sun noted, Government questions whether cap will make BP oil spill worse, and Rep Markey (D-MA) flat out said BP Stonewalling on Wellbore Integrity, Sea Floor Leaks. Yes, Rep Markey, we’re all wondering that.

Posted in bozrah, end time, israel, jordan, petra, prophecy, sela

Petra, Jordan, and God’s Mighty Love

Posted on by elizabethprata

Jordan and Israel’s relationship during the Tribulation is an interesting one. In researching the facts behind the Arab League for yesterday’s post, I learned that Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations to have normalized relations with Israel. Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel was signed in 1994 with President Bill Clinton as mediator, between Hussein I of Jordan and Yitzhak Rabin of Israel. King Hussein, of the Hashemite dynasty, died in 1999, and his designated son King Abdullah II became King. King Hussein had guided his country through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, balancing the pressures of Arab nationalism and the allure of Western-style development against the stark reality of Jordan’s geographic location. He worked throughout his life to advance the cause of peace between Jordan and Israel (which he successfully achieved in 1994. (Wikipedia). Above, Petra, the Rose-red city. That peace will be broken, and soon.

Between 1999 and 2009 relations between Israel and Jordan have maintained the same level of respect and courtesy. However, that has to change, because Jordan is listed among the nations that attack Israel during the Psalm 83 war.

“With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has to lend strength to the descendants of Lot.” (Psalm 83:5-8). Edom, Moab and Ammon are today’s Jordan. Ammon is the capital.

Yet…Jordan is one place the antichrist is not able to overcome. “He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.” (Daniel 11:41)

And…Petra in Jordan is the place the Jews flee to when the antichrist begins his persecution, and it is where they remain in safety, protected by God during the Great Tribulation and led out by Him to Jerusalem at the conclusion of the Day of the LORD. (Isaiah 63:1-6). Here is an excellent, scriptural basis for the supposition that Petra/Bozrah/Sela in Jordan is the place to which the Jews flee and are sheltered, I recommend it. “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” (Rev 12:6) “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” (Rev 12:14)

So it appears that though peace has held between Israel and Jordan for over a decade, something will change to cause Jordan to pile on in the Psalm 83 war and attack Israel. However, Jordan will remain intact enough so that the antichrist will not overcome her.

Whatever that “something” is to change Jordan’s mind about Israel, it is happening now. These are but a few of the headlines from the last two months and are an indication that Jordan is becoming impatient with Israel:
King of Jordan accuses Israel of ‘underhand’ plot to thwart nuclear project.
King Abdullah accuses Israel of blocking Jordan nuclear bid
Report: Jordan queen rejects Hebrew translation of book

I thought that last one was interesting: Queen Rania of Jordan wrote a children’s book which is a bestseller, was translated into Arabic and English, proceeds of which are being used to renovate 500 Jordanian schools. However, she refuses to allow a translation into Hebrew, even though further sales will help children.

Obama and King Abdullah of Jordan are pushing Israel to accept a two-state solution, which would create a Palestinian State and divide Jerusalem. East Jerusalem would become the capital of this newly created Palestinian State. When you hear of the “two-state solution” that is what it means: dividing Jerusalem. God has something to say about that:

“I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land.” (Joel 3:2)

A couple of further points before I reach my conclusion: Jordan’s full name is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Hashemites trace their ancestry from Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf (died c. 510 AD), the great-grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The early history of the Hashemites saw them in a continuous struggle against the Umayyads for control over who would be the caliph (successor) to Muhammad. The Umayyads were of the same tribe as the Hashemites, but a different clan. This rivalry eventually would lead to the split between the Sunni and Shia. (Wikipedia). And we see the tension between the ever-widening split beteen Sunni and Shia Muslims today.

It is interesting to note that the Kings of Jordan claim direct ancestry to Muhammad. I speculate that this may be one reason that Jordan escapes the antichrist’s domination: he may not even try, if he is a Muslim as many suspect he will be. It also may be why the “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” commands so much respect in the Arab world. Today Hashemites have spread in many places where Muslims have ruled, namely Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran. Above, the cleft in the rock to Petra, at places only 9-12 feet wide.

The second curious thing before conclusion is that Petra is also known as Sela, which means rock. It is referred to in Judges 1:36; Isaiah 16:1, Is 42:11; Obad. 3 where Petra is known as the “cleft in the rock”.  Petra is also known as Bozrah, which means sheepfold. Sheepfold or sheep pen is an enclosure designed with overhangs or other protection from the elements, and is solid enough to keep the sheep in and the wild animals out. It always has one narrow gate for entry. Bozrah is the perfect sheepfold! Our Shepherd Jesus will protect His remnant during the Great Tribulation at Bozrah, the sheepfold, the Cleft in the Rock. It is there He returns at the Second Coming and becomes stained with blood of the armies attempting to wipe out the remnant, and leads them to victory at Mt. Olive.

God’s Vengeance on the Nations
Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
“I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment. (Isaiah 63:1-3)

Finally, back at the beginning of this entry, I noted that one of the verses said of the Jews during the Great Tribulation that “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God.” (Rev 12:6) In John 14:3 He promised His church that “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”. All this time He has been preparing a place for the church believers. He also had prepared a place for His people, the Jews, to reside at Bozrah in protection and safety. He is a God who cares for His people, He prepares places for us. For US! And that is a mighty thing indeed. Hallelujah to the One True and Mighty God, who prepares for us a place!

Posted in demons step in, end time, nephilim, prophecy

Village in Barbados suffers demonic attack

Posted on by elizabethprata

This merits attention because it seems to be part of a pattern, weird as it is. And it is weird. But not unexpected. See what you think. This is out of Edey Village, Christ Church, Barbados. It’s not the whole article but it is most of it. If you want to read the whole article click on the link.

‘Demons’ step in
RESIDENTS of Edey Village, Christ Church, called on church leaders to exorcise what they believe to be demonic forces that have invaded the small, close-knit neighbourhood. For the past two weeks, residents have witnessed uncanny and unexplained events which led them to believe that evil forces had invaded the community. While many could not describe what the woman actually saw, they said she immediately started speaking in a foreign tongue and became delirious. (Left, the villagers on their prayer walk) Her family, well- respected members of the community, quickly summoned two church leaders and a group of “prayer warriors” to their home. The church group spent two days praying around the young woman. A member of the church group told the SATURDAY SUN that the voice coming from her was not her own, but that of an old man. “We prayed for two days asking God to spread the blood of Jesus on the young woman and to strike out the demon. After much praying on the second day we heard her say ‘thank you Jesus’ and the demon came out of her body and she fell limp”. However, another young woman, who lived next door, also fell victim to the demonic forces. “She was sitting on a chair in her living room when all of a sudden she was lifted high into the air and thrown outside in her backyard. She fell hard on the ground and started speaking in a foreign tongue,” a source said. The church group also prayed fervently for this second woman. “By the time we were finished praying for her she had lost a considerable amount of weight and the demon left her body,” the source continued. But sources say at least four more people in the district were affected and, as a result, a street prayer session was organised for Edey Village last Tuesday night. The Saturday SUN visited the area and witnessed residents and members of the church walking through the small district singing and praying for almost three hours.

“Whatever happened in Edey Village happened for a purpose. We can’t question it. That was the wake-up call for this village. This was a quiet village, but it is not anymore. Edey Village will never be the same again. We pray and ask God for deliverance. God sends warnings and then the destruction. This is a wake-up call.”

In Barbados, 82% of the population claim Christianity. These people who saw and are reporting these things are well-adjusted, adult, citizens. And there are a lot of them who are witnesses.

Also in the news in the last two weeks there was a 23-year-old man who quietly sat watching a vampire movie and died. He even died quietly, and no one knows why.

Then there was the woman in Colorado who was not drinking nor on drugs who said she saw a vampire and screeched her car to a stop and backed up so fast she went into a ditch instead.

How does this relate to prophecy? It may or it may not, but this we do know. In Genesis 6:1-4, the fallen angels were on the earth and they “saw the daughters of men and were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

This tells us that the fallen angels (demons) were active and that they will be again just prior to the last judgment. They were busy polluting the world and they are again. God rendered judgment, stayed it 120 years so Noah could build the ark and preach repentance, but the Flood eventually came and destroyed the evil. He would allow the righteous 8 comprising Noah’s family to start over.

Then Jesus said to the disciples in the Olivet Discourse that prior to the imminent judgment of the Tribulation, the days would be like Noah (Mt 24:37.) This is a fact.

Also fact is that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). His demonic host is still following him. That they would appear as demonic entities or possess people is no hard task for them. After all, ‘Demons step in.’

Posted in cme, emp, end time, prophecy, signs in the sun

Sunspot 1087 is gorgeous: signs in the sun

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’ve been watching sunspot 1087 and it is a busy one. It has been facing away from earth the last week, crackling the whole time, but the rotation is bringing it into view now. If it ejects another massive Coronal Mass Ejection, (CME) our satellites, electricity grid, gps, and electronics could be in for some interference. But isn’t it beautiful!

Note the inset, earth’s position. Source thanks to Spaceweather.com. “The active region could swallow our planet ten times over and still have room to spare. Fortunately, we’re 93 million miles away. We could still feel the effects of an eruption, however. The thicket of magnetic loops and filaments harbors energy for M-class solar flares. M-flares can heat and puff up Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing satellites to experience extra drag as they orbit our planet; they can also cause waves of ionization to ripple around the planet, disrupting radio communications. There haven’t been any big eruptions yet, but the magnificent magnetic field of sunspot 1087 has been restless, as shown in this time-lapse movie spanning four days.”

Spaceweather glossary says “there are 3 categories: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth’s polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth.”

If you really want to get your doom on, read William Forstchen’s “One Second After” about the societal breakdown after an electro-magnetic pulse, and man-made version of a natural X-class Coronal Mass Ejection.

Meanwhile, I enjoy seeing the sun’s activity, knowing that the Lord our God created it, and also that He told us that there would be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars! He is creative and wonderful!

Posted in bp, china ufo, Corexit 9500, end time, prophecy

Gulf chemicals sickening more people; Death at ‘Twilight’; No info on UFO

Posted on by elizabethprata

Here are a few, disparate items for you that I think are either important or quirky enough to offer but don’t fit into a pattern. The Chinese UFO that was seen by many eyewitnesses at low altitude and had caused Chinese officials to shut down the Xiaoshan Airport after it was also seen on radar was supposed to have been investigated with a full report forthcoming. They did indeed investigate, but Chinese officials are still stumped as to what the UFO was. Now they are saying that it was never seen on radar. It’s not a case of curiouser and curiouser, but murkier and murkier.

A 23-year-old man who went to the theatre to see the vampire  movie “Twilight”, died while watching it. He was found slumped over in his seat by after-movie cleaners who initially thought he was asleep. Police said that his death was mysterious, unexplained, but that nothing appeared untoward about him not did anything happen that was unusual at the theatre. An autopsy was scheduled and the results promised to be released, but information as to the cause of his death has not been released yet. His unfortunate death could be attributed to anything, but I thought it was creepy that he died while watching a vampire movie, rather than, say Toy Story3.

There is much to report about the BP Oil Catastrophe that is not being reported by mainstream journalists. Whether they are simply too comfy with big corporate or whether they are being actively blocked, (both is the case in my opinion) there is cause for concern on several fronts down south.

There is increasing worry along the Gulf Coast that the chemicals that BP uses to disperse the oil is toxic, dangerous, and sickening to those who come into contact with it. Almost a month ago, there were concerns as to the number of sick workers (70) and the fact that BP had only reported 2 ill from the job. However, BP’s takeover of the Gulf Shores and restriction of the information flow is troublesome. Though a number of workers report illness symptoms ranging from nausea, nosebleeds, headaches and vomiting, OSHA said this week those workers were ill from the heat. There are allegations of collusion with the police and more collusion with police and BP refusal to release valid scientific information. BP’s restriction of information flow is keeping many in the dark about the effects of these chemicals. Absent solid information, people cannot make informed divisions about their own health and safety.

 credit goes to cravatt.com

One of the links above is to a Youtube video of an ambulance at the parking lot of a Gulf Shore Beach, containing a BP worker who is being worked on inside the ambulance. These stills are from that video. Alongside the ambulance are a pack of police officers (who moved to block the view when the videographer approached) and a fire truck. There is enough anecdotal evidence and video evidence to be concerned that people on the beaches who come into more than short-term contact with the air and or water are getting sick. Many of those are workers, not not exclusively. Swimmers are getting sick also. Huffington Post reports that journalists are attempting to gain access to a Federal Compound set up for those who become sick, but failed to get anywhere with obtaining access or answers. It is “ringed with barbed wire-topped chain link fencing, it’s tightly restricted by police and private security guards.”

This oppression and haughtiness of those who are supposed to lead, and take responsibility, is a condition we are told would exist in increasing pervasiveness in the end time, especially of the rich.

In economic news, from the Aspen Daily News we read that  “Harvard professor and prolific author Niall Ferguson opened the 2010 Aspen Ideas Festival Monday with a stark warning about the increasing prospect of the American “empire” suddenly collapsing due to the country’s rising debt level. Ferguson said empires — such as the former Soviet Union and the Roman empire — can collapse quite quickly and the tipping point is often when the cost of servicing an empire’s debt is larger than the cost of its defense budget.”

We’ve seen the collapse of the Soviet Empire, (those if us above a certain age, lol) and we know how rapidly national collapse can occur. We’ve also seen the slow downward slide into Depression, which in 1929 took two and a half to three years. In other words, the slide can be fast or it can be slow. Personally, I think that tipping point the historian is talking about will come after the rapture. I believe that the current state of the US and global economy is so fragile, that the sudden removal of millions of people who participate in that economy will be the catalyst for a global crash. And we know that in the Tribulation that the economy is in such a state that 192 sovereign nations agree to give up national currency and go global by accepting a mark.

You don’t need me to tell you things are bad. Things are bad. But things are also GOOD. There is Good News! Jesus is coming soon to take His bride to the mansion He has prepared and sit with us at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! The inexpressible fact of a God as supreme as Jesus would care for us and prepare for us and sit with us and feed us with His mercy is such an awe-inspiring thing, almost too wonderful to comprehend, but it is a fact nonetheless. You can be part of the joy, but falling to your knees in recognition of your sins and ask Him to forgive them. Our sins keep us from Him, and in this state of sin we are all born in, we are enemies of God and rebellious ones. But we can become a friend of God by asking Him to forgive our sins, and the cares and woes of the world will fade away when you hear Him call to His own –  you among them- “Come Up Here!“

Posted in chaplain, end time, haiti a call to fasting and prayer, north carolina legislature, prophecy, yanked

Pastor yanked from Capitol over "Jesus" prayer

Posted on by elizabethprata

 Here is a story out of North Carolina today:

“A North Carolina pastor was relieved of his duties as an honorary chaplain of the state house of representatives after he closed a prayer by invoking the name of Jesus. “I got fired,” said Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. He had been invited to lead prayer for an entire week but his tenure was cut short when he refused to remove the name Jesus from his invocation. Baity’s troubles began during the week of May 31. He said a House clerk asked to see his prayer. The invocation including prayers for our military, state lawmakers and a petition to God asking him to bless North Carolina. “When I handed it to the lady, I watched her eyes and they immediately went right to the bottom of the page and the word Jesus,” he told FOX News Radio. “She said ‘We would prefer that you not use the name Jesus. We have some people here that can be offended.’” When Baity protested, she brought the matter to the attention of House Speaker Joe Hackney. “I told her I was highly offended when she asked me not to pray in the name of Jesus because that does constitute my faith,” Baity said. “My faith requires that I pray in His name. The Bible is very clear.” When the clerk returned, Baity said he was told that he would be allowed to deliver the day’s prayer – but after that – his services would no longer be needed. Hackney, a Democrat, and House Republican Leader Paul Stam released a joint statement to FOX News Radio:

“It has been our practice in the North Carolina House of Representatives for many years to request, but not require, that our guest chaplains deliver a nonsectarian prayer. This is intended as a show of respect for all the religions practiced by the members of the House and the people we represent. In this instance, we allowed Pastor Baity to deliver his prayer, without interference, even though it was sectarian in nature. Nonetheless, we will review our procedures and guidelines concerning guest chaplains, and we will make sure we abide by applicable constitutional procedures. The House will adjourn within the next few days, but the results of this review will be publicly available whenever it is complete.”

Baity said he’s not happy with the way he was treated. “When the state tells you how to pray, that you cannot use the name of Jesus – that’s mandating a state religion,” he said. “They talk about not offending other people but at the same time, if they are telling me how to pray – that’s the very thing our forefathers left England for.” The Christian Law Association helped Baity draft a letter asking for an apology and an opportunity to return to the state capitol and finish his tenure. “The First Amendment promises all Americans the free exercise of their religion, which includes the right to pray as their faith requires, even when they are invited to open state legislative sessions with prayer,” attorney David Gibbs told “We trust that the North Carolina House of Representatives will realize its mistake and will offer Pastor Baity another opportunity to pray without requiring him to use a prayer that is mandated by government.” Baity said he is still stunned by what happened. “You would expect this somewhere else – Cuba, Saudi Arabia,” he told FOX News Radio. “You would never anticipate this happening in the United States of America.” In a word – the pastor said – the decision is “anti-Christian.”

We are told that apostasy and godlessness would be the condition of the world at the time of the end: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b) and, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it [Jesus’ return] will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” (2 Thess. 2:3).”Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

The Bible states that if you deny Jesus is God, you are dead in your sins (John 8:24,58 cf. Exodus 3:14). Whom else would the Chaplain pray TO, except God? Denying him the opportunity to appeal to God in his prayer through Jesus denies God.

Besides the obvious state of increasing faithlessness, there are two things that rise to the level of severe concern with this incident. First, it was a Chaplain who had been hired for the purpose of praying. His stance was not unknown to the Legislature, and his presence there was invited. It wasn’t a case of intrusion, or incorrect doctrine or surprising comments in an inappropriate place. It was a prayer by an ordained minister.

Secondly, this occurred in North Carolina. NC is a bible belt state, in the conservative and Christian south, with a high number of church-goers. 84% of the population claim Christianity as their personal religion in that state. It didn’t happen in San Francisco, or Saudi Arabia, or Vermont. It happened in a place where the name of Jesus is lifted up in many venues, including the opening of the Legislative sessions.

Removing God from a life, culture, nation has always brought judgment. This time will be no different. When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith upon the earth? By the looks of things, we won’t even have to wait that long.

Posted in end time, gay marriage, homosexuality, Prop 8, prophecy, same sex marriage

DOMA, Prop 8, and legally defined marriage

Posted on by elizabethprata

There are two court cases in the US right now that have an interesting tension together. One is in Massachusetts, and the other is in California.

In the MA case, a decision from a federal district court judge in Boston last night struck down the 1996 federal law that defines marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman. It was the “Defense of Marriage Act” known as DOMA. DOMA was passed as a federal public law in 1996, and its precepts were that no state (or other political subdivision within the United States) needs to treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state. And secondly, the federal government defines marriage as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman. Judge Tauro wrote, “The federal government, by enacting and enforcing DOMA, plainly encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state.”

This was challenged in MA and last night the judge declared DOMA unconstitutional on the grounds that it takes away from the individual states their right to define marriage in the way they see fit.

However, the second case in CA is being challenged exactly because the state defined marriage, but not in the way that is preferable to homosexuals. California’s legal history with same-sex marriage is a long and a sad one. Without getting into boring specifics, in the past, the people voted traditional marriage as the only valid marriage to be recognized in the state, the homosexual lifestyle lobby challenged it in court, and it was overturned. Rinse. Repeat. This cycle has been ongoing for several years but in the latest iteration, the November 2008 elections contained a ballot initiative known as Proposition 8. This proposition amended the state constitution to declare marriage between a man and a woman as the only validly recognized marriage in the state. It passed.

The homosexual lifestyle lobby immediately challenged it in court and that is the CA decision we are awaiting imminently. If the Federal court in MA declared that DOMA was unconstitutional because the rights of states to determine for themselves which kind of marriages are legal, and California validly went through a process defining marriage just as the MA Judge said they have the right to do, it will be interesting to see how this CA judge decides this Prop 8 case and on what grounds.

That was the legal summary. Here is the cultural summary. Last night Drudge had a red blaring headline announcing that the Prop 8 case decision would be released at 9 pm ET. This rumor caused swarms of reporters, television crews, and activists to storm the courthouse in anticipation. Emotions were running high because of another controversial decision handed down shortly before regarding the Mehserle trial for murder, known as the BART murder. Indeed, riots broke out in Oakland. And adding to the emotional mix, the MA DOMA decision was handed down that dame day, fueling conjecture that more riots would break out in CA, depending on which way the CA verdict went.

Well, no verdict came out on the Prop 8 decision but that didn’t stop the twitter-sphere from running rampant with emotions and accusations of “rights denied”. One particular point of the defense of overturning Prop 8’s definition of traditional marriage, was that homosexual lifestyle adherents are being denied their civil rights. This is not the case, however. There are five states and one District of Columbia which allow gay marriage. Three other states offer reciprocity in recognizing gay marriages from other states. Rights cannot be denied if they exist.

Of course, gay marriage is not about rights at all. Gays have not been deprived of the law’s equal protection, the clause under which many of their challenges are based.  Nor have they been deprived of the right to marry — only of the right to insist that a single-sex union is a “marriage” according to a legal definition. Boston Globe commenter Jeff Jacoby explains, “They cloak their demands in the language of civil rights because it sounds so much better than the truth: They don’t want to accept or reject marriage on the same terms that it is available to everyone else. They want it on entirely new terms. They want it to be given a meaning it has never before had, and they prefer that it be done undemocratically — by judicial fiat, for example, or by mayors flouting the law. Whatever else that may be, it isn’t civil rights. “

Traditional marriage as defined as the union of a man and a woman does not deny homosexuals the basic civil rights accorded other citizens. Nowhere in the Bill of Rights or in any legislation proceeding from it are homosexuals excluded from the rights enjoyed by all. Here is the Family Research Council’s FAQ on ten facts about gay marriage.

Supporters of same sex marriage block the streets in a civil disobedience act in San Francisco, California, May 26, 2009. In a victory for gay rights in the United States, a U.S. district court judge in Massachusetts ruled on Thursday that a federal ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. source

In any case, homosexuals who choose that lifestyle are not qualified for marriage under the one law that counts: God’s law. Engaging in same sex sexual activity is sinful behavior condemned in the bible, along with other sinful behaviors. Attempting to set aside the standard of marriage that has for thousands of years been  the norm, to placate a small set of the population who declares it their right, is something that they will discover is a dangerous activity indeed. Displeasing the LORD is shaky ground and its effects last for all eternity.

Christian, please review these matters, it is an enormous national issue right now. Having both the legal facts and the spiritual facts, and then being able to speak the truth in love will do much for influencing those who are lost in hearing the truth. Being uninformed, or worse, being harsh and judgmental, will only further close the ears of those who need to hear the truth the most.

I’ll be awaiting the CA judge Walker’s decision. Please pray that he makes the right one: that the right of a citizenry to define marriage for themselves is valid. I hope he does not take away the rights of those voters. They participated in a valid and legal process, they voted, and they won. It is how democracy works. For now.

Posted in china sinkhole, end time, prophecy, UFO

Airport closed after UFO sighting and radar confirmation

Posted on by elizabethprata

Interesting story.

Flights diverted, delayed as UFO detected hovering
“An unidentified flying object (UFO) disrupted air traffic over Zhejiang’s provincial capital Hangzhou late on Wednesday, the municipal government said on Thursday. Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm, and some flights were rerouted to airports in the cities of Ningbo and Wuxi, said an airport spokesman, who declined to be named. The airport had resumed operations, and more details will be released after an investigation, he said. A source with knowledge of the matter, however, told China Daily on Thursday that authorities had learned what the UFO was after an investigation. But it was not the proper time to publicly disclose the information because there was a military connection, he said, adding that an official explanation is expected to be given on Friday.”

The Australian News said this:
“A Chinese airport was dramatically shut down after baffled air traffic controllers spotted an incoming UFO on their radar systems. Planes were grounded and flights were diverted away from Xiaoshan airport in Hangzhou City, in the country’s east, after the mysterious glowing object appeared on monitoring instruments late Wednesday night, the Shanghai Daily reported. In a further twist, the closure followed several supposed sightings of a strange airborne object across the city, with locals reportedly seeing a comet-like fireball in the sky. … However meteorological experts poured cold water on the supposed sightings, suggesting that people had seen nothing more sinister than sunlight reflecting off conventional aircraft.”

All agreed that they had seen something with their own eyes. All agreed that what they had seen defied explanation. And all agreed that it was confirmed on radar, so much so that the Chinese grounded planes for 4 hours. That is an extraordinary action! But the explanations of what it was conflict. One report said that it was military in nature, and another said that it was meteorological in nature.

Was it a conventional plane? Was is a secret military operation? Was it an off-planet UFO? I’ll be waiting to see if the Chinese come through on their promise to provide an explanation on Friday. If I find one, I’ll post an update.

Posted in anxiety religion study, end time, prophecy

Religious people are that way because they are anxious, researcher says

Posted on by elizabethprata

We already know that society considers Christian fundamentalists extreme-end wingnuts. So does the American government. The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but their curiosity as to what makes us tick is unabated. They wonder and wonder and study and study us. It is the Holy Spirit that makes us tick, given to us as a deposit of guarantee of what is to come. But to them, we are a perplexity.

The latest study trying to root out our inner workings has been published this week, and the answer to what makes us so offensively religious is … anxiety. We are anxious. Anxiety and uncertainty can drive people to become paranoid and more radical in their religious beliefs, the new research claims.

Anxiety May Be at Root of Religious Extremism, Researchers Find
“Anxiety and uncertainty can cause us to become more idealistic and more radical in our religious beliefs, according to new findings by York University researchers, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “Taken together, the results of this research program suggest that bold but vulnerable people gravitate to idealistic and religious extremes for relief from anxiety,” McGregor says.”

Because the cross is foolishness to them they cannot understand a ‘radical’ Christian’s devotion is because of personal recognition of our sins and that submission to the resurrected Jesus is the only way to live in a way that is not rebelling against Him. Nah! That can’t be it! It must be something more closely related to human reasoning, like…anxiety.

This report says “The researchers also measured superstitious beliefs of the participants and their deference toward a controlling God in order to distinguish religious zeal from meeker forms of devotion.”

Meeker forms of devotion… hmmm. In other words, forms of devotion that make others feel comfortable. Devotion they they can understand. Devotion that blends in with the world.  However, Christianity  practiced as Jesus wants us to practice it has never made people feel comfortable. It has always fomented division, because the world is the world, and the church body is not of this world. As for attitudes in the last days, Jude 18-19 states “how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”

I will say that the peace that Jesus offers the penitent disciple, the one who is saved by His grace the blood shed on the cross, is palpable and real. That after releasing all one’s sins and craven, fallen self to Jesus, that He lifts you up into a state of forgiveness and rolls the burden of your sins away. The burden of a person’s sins is what makes a person anxious, but they are not even aware of it. However, the moment you believe your own guilt and ask Jesus to wipe them away, you feel lightened by the release of that burden and you are immediately aware of how heavy they had been. (Imagine how heavy that burden must have been to Jesus when He became sin for all the world and all time! What a Savior!)

Personally, I’m not too anxious about studies like this but I am anxious over the lost state of so many people. Brethren, still and always pray for the lost. Their anxiety will only increase after the rapture.