Iran successfully simulates nuclear weapon detonation

Debkafile has a chilling story today titled, "Iran successfully simulates nuclear warhead detonation."

According to the piece, "Debkafile's Iranian and intelligence sources report that this development is alarming because detonation is one of the most difficult technological challenges in the development of a nuclear weapon. Mastering it carries Iran past one of the last major obstacles confronting its program for the manufacture of a nuclear warhead."

Is Jack Van Impe predicting the Great Tribulation will begin in 2012?

As we have discussed before on this blog, evidently Jack Van Impe may again be predicting dates for end times events.

Witch School relocating to Salem, Mass.

Witch School, which is a school offering courses on Wicca and other forms of Paganism recently announced that it will be relocating to Salem, Massachusetts. Witch School opened its doors in Roseville, Illinois in 2003 boasting a student enrollment of over 120,000 and now is the most trafficked Pagan website in the world.

According to the Witch School press release regarding the upcoming move, "Witch School settled from Chicago to Central Illinois in 2003, and became the center of protest by many of the Christian Churches in the area. A well-documented spiritual battle has been waged for the last six years, with open hostilities and long quiet truces by various Christian factions. Simply put, this has not allowed Witch School the staff and resources needed to keep up with their growth. On Halloween, Witch School Rossville will close permanently, and Witch School will be moving its HQ to ‘The Witch City’, Salem Mass."

Ed Hubbard, founder and CEO of Witch School said of the move, "The Churches are not the cause, they are a symptom of the problems in rural areas, and that is the lack of useful educational resources......The Churches believing that they were ‘protecting’ the community, have rejected and blocked several attempts by Witch School to improve Internet Service in the area. So it has become necessary to find a place where we can get the online access and staff we need to continue our growth."

Israel to attack Iran if further sanctions not in place by Christmas

YNetNews reported a few days ago that Israel's former Deputy Defense Minister, Ephraim Sneh, made a strong and clear statement regarding a nuclear armed Iran.

According to the YNetNews piece, Sneh said if Iran were not further sanctioned by this Christmas Israel would attack the Islamic republic and that if Israel had to attack Iran on its own it would do so.

Rev. Moon turns over control of church to his sons

Wales Online reports that Rev. Sun Myung Moon has relinquished control of his Unification Church, -now known as Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity- to his three sons.

According to the Wales Online piece,

"The youngest, 30-year-old Rev Moon Hyung-jin, was tipped last year to take over as the church’s religious leader. Moon Kook-jin, 39, is in charge of business ventures in South Korea, while 40-year-old Moon Hyun-jin oversees international operations. The church said all the brothers had Harvard degrees.

Since founding the church in Seoul, South Korea, in 1954, the elder Moon has built a business empire with hundreds of ventures in more than a half-dozen countries, from hospitals and universities to newspapers and even a professional football team and ballet troupe.

These include the Washington Times newspaper and the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, as well as an ad agency and ski resort in South Korea, and a seafood distribution firm that supplies sushi to Japanese restaurants across the US."

Nearly 25% of the world's population is Muslim

According to a recent comprehensive Pew Research study, the worldwide Muslim population comprises nearly 25% of the world's population. The Pew Research study notes, "A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion."

Televangelist Benny Hinn not permitted into the UK

Religion News Blog ran an interesting story on October 3 from the UK's Times Online which also appeared on the Times' Articles of Faith blog. According to the Times, televangelist Benny Hinn was not allowed in to the UK to conduct his October 1-3 crusade.

The Times stated that Hinn was not allowed in the UK because, " Mr Hinn has visited before without any problem but the Home Office has changed the rules for ministers of religion. He fell foul of tier five of the new points-based system for all visitors to Britain, which came into effect last November. One of the aims of the new rules was to combat extremism and prevent teachers of religious hate entering the country."

School Children Taught to Sing Praise Songs to Obama?

Is Obama Pushing Israel Toward War?

As was discussed on this blog recently, the conflict between Israel and Iran/Russia has arguably already commenced, but has not yet reached a fevered pitch. Interestingly, a recent Wall Street Journal piece titled, "Obama is Pushing Israel Toward War" discusses the Israel-Iran situation. The author of the piece, Bret Stephens, trying to reason through why President Obama is not more actively involved in the critical situation of a nuclear-armed Iran.

According to Stephens, Israel has reached the decision that Obama is not going to lift a finger to stop Iran nor will the "International Community." Stephens also notes that Israel has even been trying to "goad" the U.S. into dealing with Iran, but the U.S. isn't taking the bait. So we have to wonder why. Stephens suggests the answer to why is, "Perhaps it thinks its diplomacy will work, or that it has the luxury of time, or that it can talk the Israelis out of attacking. Alternatively, it might actually want Israel to attack without inviting the perception that it has colluded with it. Or maybe it isn't really paying attention."

Moshe Dann, in his piece, "Sacrificing Israel," on IsraeliNationalNews.com, suggests that Obama will use Israel as a scapegoat. Dann, says, "President Obama knows that, short of military intervention, nothing will prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Making Israeli concessions the key to stopping Iran, therefore, allows Obama a perfect excuse: Israel didn't do enough; it's Israel's fault."

Consider this, not only could Israel be used as a scapegoat for Obama in the Middle East as Dann suggests, but Israel could also be used as a scapegoat domestically. If Israel attacks the Iranian nuclear sites, undoubtedly oil prices will soar causing prices at the pump to soar. And since things are already bad and getting worse in the American economy, a major conflict in the Middle East could be a rather convenient tool for Obama in more ways than one. Hopefully none of these speculations are true, but it sure makes one wonder.

Iran now has enough Uranium to build 2 bombs!

Popular author and speaker, Joel Rosenberg, wrote on his blog today that Iran now has enough Uranium to build 2 bombs. Interestingly, as we discussed on this blog as early as February of this year The Financial Times reported that Iran had acquired enough Uranium for a bomb. If both reports are accurate then Iran has accumulated enough material for its second nuclear weapon since February 2009. Couple this with the fact that Iran recently test fired missiles capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases in Europe and you have something that should be a major concern to everyone.

To go along with this, Debkafile is reporting this week that the U.S. may install a missile defense system in Israel and Turkey instead of in Eastern Europe. Debkafile also reports this week that the U.S. Air Force is speeding up its production of bunker buster bombs.

Israel was also the focus of another interesting news item recently. Israel’s recent historically huge natural gas discovery is now estimated to be 16% larger than the original and subsequent revised estimates.

There is some talk of an inevitable Iran-Israel war. A credible argument can be made, however, that that conflict has already begun, but it is Israel facing not just Iran, but also Russia. If you recall, when Russia invaded Georgia last year they captured an Israeli air base in Georgia, but it was Israel and the Georgian army that stopped the advancing Russian forces from taking the capital of South Ossedia. And then not too long after that Israel destroyed an Iranian arms shipment in Sudan headed to Hamas in Gaza. Another recent development is that Russia with Iran’s assistance has established a good sized naval presence in the Gulf region. So, it appears that the conflict has begun, but it has not reached a fevered pitch yet.