Muslim Sues Oklahoma Over Anti-Sharia Ballot Measure

Fox News reports that the Director of CAIR's Oklahoma chapter, Muneer Awad, has filed a lawsuit against the state of Oklahoma over the "ballot measure banning state courts from considering Islamic or international law when ruling on cases." There was, however, no mention of Muneer Awad or of his pending lawsuit on the CAIR Oklahoma website at the time of this blog post.

Israel energy independent and natural gas exporter soon?

As we have discussed on this blog, Israel's 2009 discovery of an historically large natural gas field -called Tamar- off its Haifa coast could position Israel to be energy independent in the near future. Natural gas production sales from the Tamar project is expected to begin in 2012.

In addition to the 8.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas discovered in the Tamar project, drilling has begun at Israel's Leviathan project. Believed to contain a massive 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and possibly nearly 40 million barrels of oil, the Leviathan project is located in the Western Negev near Gaza.

Delek Group CEO, Asaf Bartfeld, said "We may be able to supply the European market and the Far East, where demand is highest. Though, of course, at this point, we are waiting to drill and to try and confirm the gas." Delek Group owns 23% of the Tamar and Leviathan projects.

It will be interesting to see the geo-political implications of Israel's soon-to-be energy independence. Too, it will be exciting to see the Jewish state prosper from being energy independent.

Book of Mormon Teachings vs. Mormon Church Teachings

Book of Mormon Teachings vs. Mormon Church Teachings Book of Mormon Teachings Mormon Church Teachings There is only one God: Mosiah 15:1,5; Alma 11:28; 2 Nephi 31:21 There are many gods: Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 5 The Trinity is one God: Alma 11:44; Mosiah 15:5; 2 Nephi 31:21 Trinity is 3 separate gods: James Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 35. 1985. God is unchanging: Mormon 9:9,19; Moroni 8:18; Alma 41:8; 3 Nephi 24:6 God is increasing in knowledge: Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 120. God is spirit: Alma 18:24,28; 22:9,11 God has the form of a man: Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3. Eternal hell: Jacob 3:11; 6:10; 2 Nephi 19:16; 28:21-23. Hell is not eternal: James Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 55. Polygamy condemned: Jacob 1:15; 2:23,24,27,31;3:5; Mosiah 11:2,4; Ether 10:5,7 Polygamy was taught and practiced: Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 266 12 Essential Mormon Teachings NOT Found in the Book of Mormon

Church organization Plurality of Gods Plurality of wives doctrine Word of Wisdom God is an exalted man Celestial marriage

Men may become Gods Three degrees of glory Baptism for the dead Eternal progression The Aaronic Priesthood Melchizedek Priesthood

President of Watchman Fellowship, James Walker, Interviewed about Mormonism and Glenn Beck

Former Mormon, James K. Walker, was interviewed today on the Dallas, TX Christian radio station, KCBI. The interview was about Mormonism.

Interestingly, the subject of conservative radio talk show and Fox News Channel show host, Glenn Beck, came up in the conversation since Beck is a committed Mormon. It is quite an interesting interview!

Evangelistic Atheists in Oklahoma City Erect Billboard

Atheists in Oklahoma City zealous for their religious faith have erected a billboard evidently in an effort to proselytize.

The atheist group that put up the billboard is called "Coalition of Reason," which of course is not only their name, but is an insult aimed at theists (i.e. theists are not a coalition of reason).

Nick Singer, coordinator of the Oklahoma City Coalition of Reason, noted the reason why the billboard was erected, "Reaching out to the like-minded isn't the only goal of the effort. 'We also want Oklahomans to know that there are many humanists, agnostics and atheists living here, contributing to the community.'"

Satanist Church Rents Oklahoma City Civic Center for Exorcism Ritual

ABC.com has a most interesting story today. According to ABC, a Satanist group known as "The Church of the IV Majesties" has decided to rent Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall.

According to NewsOK.com the Satanic church's reason for holding a meeting at the Civic Cent Music Hall is, "to hold a 'satanic exorcism,'" which is a parody of the Catholic exorcism ritual.

Fox News: Baptist Minister Wins Republican Nomination for US Congress in Oklahoma

Fox News reports that James Lankford, longtime director of one of the largest Christian youth camps in the world, on Tuesday won the Republican nomination for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District.

In November, Lankford will face Democrat nominee, Billy Coyle, and two independents for the 5th Congressional seat vacated by gubernatorial candidate, Mary Fallin.

Pew Poll: Increasing Belief that Obama is a Muslim, not a Christian than in 2009

According to a recent Pew Poll, the public increasingly believes Obama is a Muslim (up 7% from 2009) or is uncertain of his religion (up 9% from 2009).

Too, the number of people who believe he is a Christian fell by 14% from 2009.

Fox News: John Bolton on why Russia is giving green light to launch Iran's first nuclear reactor

Debkafile: Huge Iranian energy plant explosion coincides with bid on Ahmadinejad's life

Debakfile reports a most important story today, "Huge Iranian energy plant explosion coincides with bid on Ahmadinejad's life".

Most commentators think the conflict between Iran and Israel is something that is likely to happen. It is arguable, however, that -as we have postulated on this blog- the conflict is already underway and we just have not yet seen a major decisive strike by either Iran or Israel.

If in fact Israel is responsible for the attempt on Ahmadinejad's life and for the explosion at the Iranian plant then this could be the beginning of the next and more deadly phase of the conflict. It will be interesting to see how Iran responds to these incidents.

Planned Mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sparks Protests

CBS and Other US Media Outlets Refuse to Air Ad Opposing Ground Zero Mosque

Examiner.com reports that this ad produced by the GOP Trust will not be shown by some major U.S. media outlets.  According to Examiner.com, CBS stated, "CBS Standards & Practices has determined the Ad you submitted is not within CBS Broadcast Standards.”

Famous Pastor, Dr. Charles Stanley, Warns of Socialism in the U.S.

Minister Louis Farrakhan: Jews are "our worst enemy"

Nation of Islam leader, Minister Louis Farrkhan, has once again made some explosive racist comments. Ynetnews reports that Farrakhan stated in a letter to Jewish leaders and the director of the Anti Defamation League, 

"We could charge you with being the most deceitful so-called friend, while your history with us shows you have been our worst enemy."

Australia's New Prime Minister Grew up Baptist and now is an Atheist

Politics Daily has an interesting story today about Australia's new Prime Minister, who is the first woman to hold that position and apparently she is also an atheist.   

According to the Politics Daily piece, Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated, "'No, I don't,' she told an interviewer at Australia's national radio, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.) who asked her point blank if she believed in God. 'I'm not a religious person.'"

"I was brought up in the Baptist Church, but during my adult life I've, you know, found a different path. I'm of course a great respecter of religious beliefs, but they're not my beliefs."  

The piece goes on to say, "Gillard was a studious Christian as a child, winning prizes for catechism lessons and for memorizing Bible verses. But, she noted, "I've made decisions in my adult life about my own views."

Egyptian Foreign Minister: Obama admits he is a Muslim

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Aboul Gheit, made an explosive statement on Nile TV in January that is just now making news amongst some in the established media.  Nile TV's Facebook page has some interesting discussion about this story.

 

Israel Today in its May 2010 edition broke the story about the Egyptian Foreign Minister's statement.  According to Israel Today the Egyptian Foreign Minister said, "The American President told me in confidence that he is a Muslim."

Is Osama bin Laden Hiding in Iran?

Debkafile has a stunning piece today. According to the Debkafile piece Osama bin Laden has been hiding in Iran for the last 5 years.

The Debkafile piece, states, "Osama bin Laden's hiding place was pinned down for the first time Monday, June 7, by the Kuwaiti Al-Siyassa Monday, June 7, as the mountainous town of Savzevar in the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan, 220 km west of Mashhad. He is said to have lived there under Tehran's protection for the last five years, along with Ayman Al-Zawahiri and five other high-ranking al Qaeda leaders. Debkafile's intelligence sources disclosed Monday night that Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan and his intelligence chiefs are well aware that Bin Laden and Zawahiri are hiding in Iran. The leak to the Kuwait paper was intended to show the Obama administration that the Turkish leader's ties with Iran had grown intense enough for him to be fully in the picture of Iran's secret sanctuary for the authors of the 9/11 attacks on the United States."

Baptist Press: Israel now facing 'new anti-Semitism,' Sibley says

Baptist Press has an interesting story today. The Baptist Press piece titled, "Israel now facing 'new anti-Semitism,' Sibley says " makes the point that Israel is now facing global political attacks as a result of taking action regarding the attempted breach of its blockade by the so-called peacekeeping flotilla.

Jewish studies expert and Director of the Pasche Institute for Jewish Studies, James Sibley, said, "What we see in the reaction of much of the world in the wake of Israel's enforcement of its blockade of Gaza is what is called the new anti-Semitism. The old anti-Semitism was largely founded on a racial basis, while the new anti-Semitism is politically based. Nevertheless, it is still anti-Semitic in that it is a hatred of Israel simply because it is a Jewish state."

The Evolution of Atheism: Atheist Church in Dallas

The world of atheism is certainly one that has changed or should I say evolved a great deal over the last several years. As long as I can recall atheists routinely were opposed to and outspoken against religion, yet now it seems that atheism has evolved into a religion itself. Actually, atheism has always been a religion just a godless religion because not only is atheism a theological position, but it now has even created a church.

A church for atheists or "a fellowship of unbelievers" now exists. Actually, it was created in 1994. It is the North Texas Church of Freethought located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It's pastor is Dr. Tim Gorski, an Ob/Gyn in Arlington, TX.

I've actually written a Profile on the North Texas Church of Freethought.

And atheism has even evolved to the point of having an atheist evangelist as well. Perhaps it is more accurate to refer to him as an Avangelist though.

Here are some interesting things to note about atheism's evolution:

• 21% of atheists believe in God (Pew Research Poll)
  
  
• the creation of atheist churches (North Texas Church of Freethought, Houston Church of Freethought)
  
  
• famous atheist Richard Dawkins says aliens may have originated life on Earth, says he is 99% sure there is no God, and supports ad for agnostcism
  
  
• Well known atheist journalist says Africa "needs God"
  
  
• Atheist Church pastor explains the religion of Freethought
  
  
• Atheists create billboards advertising atheism
  
  
• Apple comes out with Iphone app for Atheists
  
  

The point is that it is odd to me why atheists are so intent on proselytizing others to their religion. It looks to me like if atheism were true that it shouldn't matter to atheists what anyone else believes much less try to win converts.

Atheist app for Iphone

Apple has come out with an interesting app for its Iphone. It is the mAtheist for Iphone by Perception Health.

The Itunes description for the mAtheist says,

"An unbeliever, agnostic, atheist, rationalist, or not quite sure; but looking for rational inspiration? mAtheist is a database of over 700 quotes from most of the world's best known freethinkers through the centuries. Dawkins, Ingersoll, Voltaire ... authors, scientists and rationalists who challenged the status quo. You'll find a random quote at every launch; but for more in-depth study, you can browse through the quotes categorized by author, source, or year. With mAtheist, you can also manage your own list of favorite quotes for ready reference. The developer has made every attempt to verify the authenticity of the quote and the accuracy of the data; but if you find errors, please point them out to us so that we can correct them in a future release. Enjoy and be inspired!"

Major General Paul Vallely: Iran-Israel War Likely in Summer 2010

U.S. Government: Israel has 122 Trillion Cubic Feet of Gas and 1.7 Billion Barrels of Oil Offshore

Joel Rosenberg has a most interesting piece on his blog today!

Rosenberg points out that "'The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Levant Basin Province using a geology based assessment methodology,' stated the report’s executive summary."

This is amazing news! And potentially it could be one day -especially given the current global economy - that Israel could emerge as one of the most stable if not one of the strongest economies in the world, which could be used as an excuse by many to aggressively oppose if not attack Israel.

Episcopal Church To Begin New Church Service For Pets

Calvary Episcopal Church in Danvers, Massachusetts will start a new church service for its parishioners on May 16. That sounds pretty normal. The service, however, is anything, but normal. The service the Calvary Episcopal Church plans to begin is for people and pets. It also sounds like a joke, but apparently it's true.

The Service Schedule on the church's website states:

SUNDAY SERVICE SCHEDULE:

• FALL, WINTER, SPRING (through June 1) 8 a.m. & 10 a.m.
  
  
• Holy Eucharist and Sermon
  
  
• SUMMER 9:00 a.m.Holy Eucharist and Sermon
  
  
• Starting May 16, 2010 -- and every 3rd Sunday thereafter --CALVARY PEOPLE-AND-PETS SERVICE 5 - 5:30 p.m. in Parish Hall All leashed dogs are welcome.

Mormon Missionaries Call Home on Mother's Day and Christmas Only

The Chicago Tribune has an interesting story on Mormon moms. In particular, Mormon moms whose son's are LDS Missionaries.

The significant part of the story relates to how often Mormon Missionaries are allowed by the LDS Church to call their families while on their mission. The Chicago Tribune piece notes, "young Mormon missionaries can talk to their families only twice a year. The cherished semiannual ritual falls on Christmas and Mother's Day.....The semiannual telephone calls are usually limited to 45 minutes or an hour."

The piece also notes, "More than 50,000 full-time missionaries — mostly men — ages 19 to 30 serve as missionaries for the Latter-day Saints. Young men can serve 24 months beginning at age 19. Young women can serve 18 months beginning at age 21."

UN Security Council Voice Support for Nuclear-Free Middle East

Haaretz reported yesterday that the UN Security Council is backing a move to make the Middle East free of nukes. This sounds good, but it is a direct move against Israel.

The Haaretz piece stated, "The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China on Wednesday voiced support for making the Middle East a nuclear-arms-free zone, which would mean Israel would have to scrap any atomic bombs in its possession."

Joel Rosenberg notes on his blog, "What makes the new U.N. announcement so dangerous is that it does nothing to stop Iran from continuing to build its own nuclear weapons. Rather, it turns the world’s attention away from stopping Iran from getting offensive nukes and towards pressuring Israel to give up its defensive nukes. The world will now ramp up unbearable pressure on Israel first to disclose and second to dismantle all of its nuclear arsenal, and claim that no more action can be taken to stop Iran until the “double standard” of Israel is dealt with. "

WorldNet Daily: "Latest Noah's Ark 'just wood planted on Ararat'"

Earlier this week we posted a story about the possibility of the discovery of Noah's Ark by a group of Chinese Evangelicals. The story apparently was not over.

According to WorldNet Daily, "At least two seasoned archaeologists who have made numerous expeditions to Mount Ararat in search of Noah's Ark are throwing cold water on this week's claim the Old Testament vessel has finally been discovered, saying it's a hoax involving wood hauled in from the Black Sea region."

Apparently the validity of the discovery is still very much up for debate.

US Senate Debate Mentions Prominent Christian Ministry, Answers in Genesis

Ken Ham, President of Answers in Genesis, wrote on his blog today that his ministry was mentioned by a Republican candidate for the US Senate in a recent debate amongst the candidates.

Ham states, "One nominee is the former superintendent of Public Instruction in the state, John Stephenson (that was back in the early ‘90s), and in his answer about abortion, he indicated that all people are created in God’s image, and that’s why he supports Answers in Genesis—and he indicated that he supports everything that Answers in Genesis does. He even noted that an AiG staff member was in the debate audience."

Fox News: Has Noah's Ark Been Found?

Fox News has a very interesting story on what looks to be a very interesting archaeological discovery on Mount Ararat in Turkey. Explorers from Noah's Ark Ministries International believe it to be Noah's Ark.

The video of the discovery is quite interesting indeed.

Answers in Genesis says of the discovery, "Answers in Genesis has seen many photos that were released, but without corroboration by the leading creationist organizations and not knowing all the research methods that were employed, we will withhold judgment until further study. Over the decades, we have learned to be cautious about such Ark claims."

Fox News: Comedy Central Censors 'South Park' Episode After Muslim Site's Threats

According to Fox News, the Muslim website RevolutionMuslim.com, has made a threatening statement on their website in response to Comedy Central's recent show on Islam in which the Prophet Mohammad was depicted in a bear suit.

The Fox News piece said that RevolutionMuslim.com stated this on their website: ""We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show," the posting reads. "This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them."

RevolutionMuslim.com also posted a clarification about the South Park incident on their blog.

Comedy Central evidently has decided to edit the South Park episode in an attempt to protect itself from a violent Muslim backlash.

Witch School Opens in Salem, Mass.

As was discussed on this blog a few months ago, Witch School announced that it planned to relocate to Salem, Mass.

Witch School, which is a school offering courses on Wicca and other forms of Paganism recently announced that it will be opening its doors in Salem, Massachusetts.

Witch School originally 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.

Wisconsin Federal Judge Rules Day Of Prayer Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled yesterday that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

According to WCCO in Minneapolis, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb in Wisconsin stated in her ruling, "the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic. 'In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.'"

Joyce Meyer: Jesus Would Have Owned a Jet

Russia: Iran's Nuke Reactor Ready In August

According to a Reuters report yesterday, Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's state-controlled nuclear corporation said,

"The launch is scheduled for August. We're on schedule." Bushehr doesn't threaten the regime of nonproliferation in any way. No one has any concerns about Bushehr."

Temple for the worship of dogs built in India

A oneindia piece titled, "People build a temple for dog in Karnataka," reports that Hindus in India have decided to build a temple dedicated to the worship of the dog.

According to the piece, "The common dog has been raised to the status of God in Channapatna's Ramanagar district, where the people not only have built a temple for the animal but are also conducting poojas to the dog-God. Besides idolising the dog for its faithful nature, the worshippers believe that the dog has the capability of donning a far more grave and unplayful avatar, when needed, to stop any wrongdoing or to set things right. This aggressive animal is believed to work alongside the village deity. There are two idols in the temple representing the two faces of the animal."

Iran: if Iran is Attacked Nukes Will Go Off in U.S. Cities

Debkafile had a rather disturbing story yesterday titled "Tehran: If Iran is attacked, nuclear devices will go off in American cities."

According to Debkafile, Iranian leaders said, "If the US strikes Iran with nuclear weapons, there are elements which will respond with nuclear blasts in the centers of America's main cities." The piece goes on to say, "For the first time, Debkafile's military sources report, Tehran indicated the possibility of passing nuclear devices to terrorists capable of striking inside the United States."

Equally disturbing is this statement from Debkafile's military source, "Although Iran has yet to attain operational nuclear arms, our military sources believe it does possess the makings of primitive nuclear devices or 'dirty bombs.'"

A Muslim and a Christian Talk About Jesus

Dr. Jeff Crawford, Senior Pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas posted a very interesting piece on his blog today.

Grand Avenue Baptist Church hosted a very interesting event yesterday: a debated between a Muslim and Christian apologist, James Walker.

Crawford stated of the event,

"Last night, our church did something that has never been done in our 75+ year history: we hosted a live 2 hour “debate” between a Christian and a Muslim. The topic was Jesus. In fact, I have not known of any church to host, in their own facilities, anything like what we did last night. I am sure somebody has done it but it certainly is not common. We had over 600 people show up to witness the exchange. For two FULL and fast paced hours, James Walker (president of Watchman Fellowship) and Khalil Meek (president and CEO of the Muslim Legal Fund of America) went head-to-head in a warm and civil discussion about Jesus. I found the whole exercise fascinating. Over 150 questions were text messaged into our system. Unfortunately time only allowed for a handful of those to be addressed."

Evangelical Seminary Professor Endorses Evolution and Leaves Seminary

Dr. Bruce Waltke, Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary has reportedly left the seminary over the issue of Evolution.

According to USA Today, Dr. Waltke made a statement in a recent video in which he "not only endorsed evolution, but said that evangelical Christianity could face a crisis for not coming to accept science."

According to the USA Today piece Waltke said, "If the data is overwhelmingly in favor of evolution, to deny that reality will make us a cult ... some odd group that is not really interacting with the world. And rightly so, because we are not using our gifts and trusting God's Providence that brought us to this point of our awareness."

Witch Killed Man as Apparent "Sacrifice"

CBS News reports that a woman involved in Wicca evidently killed a man as her "sacrifice."

According to the CBS story, "Angela Sanford, an Albuquerque woman thought to be a practitioner of modern witchcraft, killed a man in an apparent sacrifice, authorities say. A detective reviewing Sanford's cell phone said the victim's phone number was actually programmed under the word 'sacrifice.'"

Atheist Evangelist Preaches at Atheist Church in Dallas

Atheist evangelist, Brother Sam Singleton, recently preached at the atheist North Texas Church of Freethought according to the church's website. That statement sounds like a caricature, but it is apparently true.

According to the church's website, "BROTHER SAM SINGLETON will be performing at the April 4th Regular Monthly Service of the NTCOF! You can find out about the ministry of Brother Sam, the Atheist Evangelist, at http://www.samsingleton.com/Foyer.html which includes videos of his preaching. It will be noticed that Brother Sam, like the "Holy Bible" itself, frequently includes profanity and sexual references in his material. But the presentation for the NTCOF on April 4th will be family friendly without such references.

Atheist group places billboard on busy highway in Springdale, Arkansas

KFSM in Northwest Arkansas had an interesting story yesterday.

According to the KFSM story the atheist group, Northwest Arkansas Coalition for Reason, placed a billboard along the busy highway in Springdale, Arkansas.

I find it interesting that atheist groups refer to themselves as "Free Thinkers" and a "Coalition for Reason" inferring of course that theists do not think for themselves and are unreasonable. Ironically, it seems that the atheists are becoming more and more engaged in proselytizing as evidenced by the recent rash of billboards, the birth of atheist churches such as the North Texas Church of Freethought and even an atheist evangelist.

Emerging Church Leader Brian McLaren Blasts Evangelicals and Wonders Why They 'Dislike' Him

Brian McLaren, who in my view, fancies himself as some sort of modern-day Reformer, is wondering why Evangelicals "don't like him." McLaren has been a leading critic of Evangelicals urging them to reconsider their position on issues such as who Jesus is and homosexuality and embrace more liberal positions on these issues.

Newsbusters has a very interesting piece on McLaren titled, "Liberal Preacher McLaren Blasts Evangelicals; Wonders Why They Dislike Him." Not surprisingly, McLaren, blames the "authoritative" leaders of the religious right for Evangelicals' disliking of him as if Evangelicals cannot think for themselves. McLaren's blaming conservative Evangelical leaders for his unpopularity is reminiscient of the tactic liberals have used in politics recently in blaming George W. Bush for all that is wrong in the world. McLaren who routinely labels his critics would likely resist labels on himself, but interestingly, it appears that he is now closely tied to the left as evidenced not only by his beliefs, but also by his writing for the liberal blog, The Huffington Post. Hence, perhaps McLaren is not some kind of new Christian at all, but is a liberal.

New Age guru, Deepak Chopra, says his meditation caused earthquake

New Age guru, Deepak Chopra, is receiving some criticism due to his absurd remarks regarding the recent earthquake in Southern California.

Chopra said this on Twitter on April 4, "Had a powerful meditation just now - caused an earthquake in Southern California."

UNCONFIRMED REPORT: IRANIAN LEADER MAY BE IN CRITICAL CARE AFTER CAR EXPLODES

Joel Rosenberg published a blog piece today that is shocking!

According to Rosenberg, "Pars TV, a Farsi-language satellite TV network, first reported that the Ayatollah Khamenei was critically wounded by a car explosion. The reporter was Mr. Morteza Lutfi who broadcasts from Paris using first-hand accounts from sources inside Iran. Akbar Hashemi Mr. Rafsanjani, a top Iranian official, has reportedly travelled to the city of Ahvaz to visit Khamenei. 'I just watched Pars TV news at 2pm [eastern],' wrote an Iranian national that I know and trust in an email I just received. 'The reporter in the U.S. while talking to Mr. Lutfi in Paris was explaining to the viewers that the explosion report has not been officially confirmed yet and the validity of the report is at this time uncertain….Mr. Lutfi, who is a well-respected reporter, was very offended and reassured the Pars TV reporter and the viewers that his information is always valid otherwise he would not report it.'"

Rosenberg concluded by cautioning his readers on the story's validity at this point.

Congressman Cantor received death threat from Muslim convert

Pamela Geller posted an interesting blog piece at Bigjournalism.com that probably has not been reported widely.

Apparently, U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) was issued a death threat by Muslim convert, Norma Leboon.

According to Geller's piece, Leboon stated in his YouTube video, "Remember Eric…our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you’re a Lucifer, you’re a pig, a greedy [expletive deleted] pig. You’re an abomination. You receive my bullets in your office. Remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abominations."

CIA says Iran can now produce nuclear weapons

The Washington Times published a story yesterday that is quite chilling. According to the piece, the CIA in its annual report to Congress stated, "Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so."

The piece also noted that Iran "producing more capable medium-range ballistic missiles remains one of its highest priorities. Three test flights of a new 1,240-mile-range Sejil missile were conducted in 2009, the report said, noting that assistance from China, North Korea and Russia 'helped move Iran toward self-sufficiency in the production of ballistic missiles.'"

US researchers postulate Israeli tactical nuclear strike on Iran

Debkafile has a very informative piece today regarding the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

According to the Debkafile piece, "Scenarios of a potential Israeli attack on Iran - usually without Washington's assent - abound in leading US media in the last 24 hours....Debkafile's military sources point in particular to the work of two eminent experts on Iran's nuclear program, Anthony Cordesman and American-Jordanian Abdullah Toqan for the Washington Institute for Strategic Affairs, who report the belief in some American military circles that '…nuclear weapons are the only weapons that can destroy targets deep underground or in tunnels'… In their latest work, the two researchers find that 'Ballistic missiles or submarine-launched cruise missiles [such as those with which Israeli Dolphin submarines are armed] could serve for Israeli tactical nuclear strikes without interference from Iranian air defenses.'"

Certainly no one knows who will initiate the next clash in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, but it is for certain that the conflict is becoming a big concern to many people and it seems almost a given that the conflict will erupt into a major military battle probably sooner rather than later.

Televangelist Benny Hinn Confronts Joel Osteen

Skeptic Challenges Famous Guru to Kill him on TV

The UK's Times Online had an interesting story yesterday.

Apparently, famous tantric guru, Pandit Surender Sharma, said in a television interview that he could kill another man using his mystical powers. Skeptic, Sanal Edamaruku, answered the challenge from the guru requesting him to use his mystical powers to kill him. According to the Times Online, "First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man."

The incident is still on Youtube.

Israel's Ynet News: US shipping arms ahead of strike on Iran

Ynet News in Israel has an interesting story today.

According to the Ynet News piece, the Scottish newspaper, The Herald, reported that "the American government signed a contract in January to transport 10 ammunition containers to the island. According to a cargo manifest from the US navy, this included 387 “Blu” bombs used for blasting hardened or underground structures."

The Ynet News piece also said, "The report quoted experts as saying that the bombs are being put in place for an assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to the newspaper, although Diego Garcia is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, it is used by the US as a military base under an agreement made in 1971. The report said Superior Maritime Services, a shipping company based in Florida, , will be paid $699,500 to transport many thousands of military items from Concord, California, to Diego Garcia. The cargo includes 195 smart, guided, Blu-110 bombs and 192 massive 2000lb Blu-117 bombs, said The Herald."

Christian Minister turned Atheist Activist

The Age published an interesting story about Dan Barker, the co-President of the atheist group, Freedom Religion Foundation.

Barker was a Christian and a minister for 19 years of his life until 1984 when he announced to his friends that he decided to be an atheist.

The Age piece paints a not so surprising picture of how Barker went from Christian minister to atheist activist. The piece states, "Exposure to more liberal Christians pushed him from preaching hellfire and damnation. Then, in his early 30s, he studied theology, philosophy, history and science. Slowly, his beliefs began to unravel."

Southern Baptist Church Hosting Point-Counter-Point Dialogue Between a Muslim and a Christian

Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas will be hosting a most interesting event. On Sunday, April 11 the church will host a point-counter-point between Christian apologist and President of Watchman Fellowship, James K. Walker and Muslim and CEO of the Muslim Legal Fund of America, Khalil Meek. The point-counter-point will deal with Jesus, the cross and the resurrection.

Senior Pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. Jeff Crawford, announced the event on his blog today saying, "For two hours, on April 11^th, James Walker and Khalil Meek will go head-to-head, each sharing their story and then engaging in a point-counter point dialogue over the topic: Jesus, the Cross, and the Resurrection (remember, this is the week AFTER Easter.) We have already received word from groups within an hours driving radius that are interested in coming to this event. We will be inviting the congregations of both Islamic Centers in Fort Smith as well as the Mormon community. Needless to say, I am extremely excited that Grand will be hosting this unique event where the clear message of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed."

This could be an event that many Evangelical churches would be interested in hosting for their city.

The church has also produced a TV commercial of the event that is being broadcast on the local stations.

Is Joel Osteen the New Face of Christianity?

The UK's Guardian has an interesting story today about American Christianity. The Guardian apparently believes Osteen is the new face of Evangelical Christianity.

According to the Guardian, "Powerful politicians from both parties crave to be seen with him, just as in the past they paid homage to Billy Graham (who has endorsed Osteen). The Republican governor of Texas, Rick Perry, made sure to attend the grand opening of Lakewood in July 2005; Osteen in turn led the prayer during Perry's inauguration two years later. But Osteen doesn't pick political favourites; when Houston elected its first openly gay mayor this year (a Democrat), he said the prayer during her inauguration. The Clintons like to be seen worshipping at Lakewood when they're in town, and John McCain was happy to sing the praises of Osteen while campaigning in 2008. And while Obama is yet to pay a visit, last December he found the time to receive Osteen at the White House. These disparate and often opposed politicians recognise one thing: if anybody is the face of evangelical Christianity in America today, it is Joel Osteen."

The way the Guardian article begins, however, is most interesting. The piece says, "Forget Billy Graham and Jimmy Swaggart – the most popular and influential pastor in the US is Joel Osteen. On the surface he is modest and quietly spoken, but his belief in the 'prosperity gospel' is changing the way people pray."

It's interesting that the piece notes Osteen's Word-Faith theology because that may be something about Osteen that many people are unaware of.

Has Emerging Church Leader Brian McLaren Endorsed Homosexuality?

In the January 23, 2006 edition of Christianity Today's Leadershipjournal.net, Emerging Church leader, Brian McLaren, made this statement in regards to whether or not homosexuality is immoral, "Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements. In the meantime, we'll practice prayerful Christian dialogue, listening respectfully, disagreeing agreeably. When decisions need to be made, they'll be admittedly provisional. We'll keep our ears attuned to scholars in biblical studies, theology, ethics, psychology, genetics, sociology, and related fields. Then in five years, if we have clarity, we'll speak; if not, we'll set another five years for ongoing reflection. After all, many important issues in church history took centuries to figure out. Maybe this moratorium would help us resist the "winds of doctrine" blowing furiously from the left and right, so we can patiently wait for the wind of the Spirit to set our course."

Evidently, McLaren's 5-year moratorium is over in less than 5 years. In a piece in The Washington Post, McLaren said, "Since I come from an Evangelical background, most of my good friends sincerely and passionately hold the strict conservative view on homosexuality with which we all were raised. They can't understand why I don't stand side by side with them on this issue any more."