NEWS ALERT: Oct. 23: "Christians Fleeing IRAQ Area Once Considered Safe," - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Christians-Fleeing-Iraq-Area-Once-Considered-Safe/ "Increased violence in northern Iraq is pushing Christians out of that part of the country. The Kurdish north was considered a safe area for Christians fleeing from violent persecution in the central and southern regions. But bombings in recent months are causing panic and many are fleeing the country. Al qaeda has claimed responsibility for several of those attacks. Some Christians have been told by local police that they "should not be in Iraq because it is Muslim territory." The Christian charity Open Doors International is urging people around the world to pray for Christians in Iraq. They say that if the persecution continues, there may be no Christians left in Iraq by 2020.[PRAY that believers in Iraq will know God's protection and provision; that believers will know[ whether they are called to flee or remain and persevere; and that their persecutors may come to hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. - Stan]
"SYRIAN Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
"SYRIAN Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
IRAN - Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Global Warming and Scientism - Dealing in Dogma"; By: Eric Metaxas|Breakpoint.org : October 9, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23530?spMailingID=7129240&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=92255822&spReportId=OTIyNTU4MjIS1
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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Late last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, issued its latest report. In it, the panel “doubled down” on its earlier conclusions about human activity and the climate. Most notably, the IPCC went from saying that human activity was “very likely” the cause of global warming to “extremely likely.” It did so despite acknowledging that there has been a seventeen-year pause in said global warming.
The panel’s critics, of whom there are many, wasted no time in pointing out the report’s shortcomings. Richard Lindzen of MIT said that “the latest IPCC report has truly sunk to a level of hilarious incoherence.” He added that “they are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase.”
As if to reinforce Lindzen’s point, Thomas Lovejoy of George Mason, writing in the New York Times, asked the rhetorical question, “Does the leveling-off of temperatures mean that the climate models used to track them are seriously flawed?” His reply was “Not really. It is important to remember that models are used so that we can understand where the Earth system is headed.”
But why should we trust models to tell us where we’re headed when they can’t explain where we’ve been? Well, in Lovejoy’s telling, it comes down to an act of almost religious reverence. As he puts it, “It is time to restore the role of science to a respected place and reserve debate for understanding the implications of scientific results.”
Substitute “the Church” for “science” and “dogma” for “scientific results” and you could be talking about the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Folks, this is scientism, the view that natural sciences “alone can yield true knowledge about man and society.” And let me go one step further: this is really nothing less than a kind of religion, a kind of fear-based religion, if I can put it that way.
Let’s at least try to be rational about this. One can be undecided about the extent, if any, of man-made global warming and still object to the kind of hubris, and shall we say fear-mongering, on display here. Even if you believe that the phenomenon is real and poses a threat, you’ve still got to be taken aback by this kind of chutzpah.That pretty much sums up where Bjorn Lomborg stands. As he wrote in USA Today, “the leading current solutions [to global warming] have almost no impact and [come] at a very high cost.”
Better then to focus on problems we can do something about. Since 2004, Lomborg, a former Greenpeace member and the author of “The Skeptical Environmentalist,” has convened a group of Nobel Laureates and other experts to discuss the world’s most pressing health and environmental issues.What has emerged is known as the Copenhagen Consensus. The Consensus does what those urging immediate action based on the IPCC report steadfastly decline to do, which is to say, set priorities. Instead of spending hundreds of billions, if not trillions, on what may be a quixotic fight against climate change, the Consensus proposes spending far more modest amounts in ways that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Investments in improved nutrition for children and expanded malaria treatment yield infinitely more “bang for the buck” than money spent on trying to roll back global warming, a phenomenon that, even if real, we do not have a clear handle on.
Not surprisingly, Lomborg’s approach is anathema to climate alarmists. But it’s one that Christians should consider. Its combination of wise stewardship and love of neighbor has an almost-biblical ring to it. And it leaves dogma where it belongs: to theologians.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Global Warming and Scientism: Dealing in Dogma - Next Steps
As Eric has pointed out, priorities need to be re-set to focus on the world's problems we CAN do something about. Check out Bjorn Lomborg's documentary and article, linked below. Then forward this commentary to your friends and family members. Wise stewardship of investments in environmental and health issues is part of our responsibility as Christians.
Review of “Cool It” documentary - by Bjorn Lomborg (You can watch it on Amazon for $1.99.)
Tom Hite | imdb.com | February 9, 2012; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1694015/?ref_=sr_1
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