Monday, May 7, 2012

May Newsletter

The cover picture is from a drawing of the resurrection of Christ that was created by a marine in World War II in Iwo Jima-very soon after the battle. Christ's face shows the anguish over the multitudes of Americans and Japanese who died in that terrible battle.

New Videos

Aramaic: the Language of Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5GvEyXGHKI&list=UUtfUPQjU9upeTGtAO0LNx9A&index=1&feature=plcp

James: the Brother of Jesus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez03YzEGdjg&feature=relmfu

The Name of Yahweh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY2qdHymyws&feature=relmfu

King of Saints #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvmbAvGIFQA&feature=relmfu

King of Saints #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AARMwdrUNlo&feature=relmfu

India launches an intercontinental ballistic missile

India can now launch a nuclear missile that can reach Beijing, China and Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

There is no such thing as a free lunch

The Dutch government collapsed in a dispute over budget cuts over the austerity and an attempt to bring government spending under control. The French are on the verge of electing a socialist into power. The UK is also slipping into recession and this is threatening the Cameron coalition. There are millions of Islamic immigrants in Europe and a large number of them do not seek or gain employment and immediately upon their arrival to Europe receive welfare. How long Europe can afford to support millions of foreigners in their countries who have no desire to integrate, to work, or to learn the language of the nations in which they are settling is uncertain.

Pray for Syria and Sudan

Islamic Sudan is attempting to go to war with Christian Southern Sudan and seize all of the Christian territory. Please pray for Sudan. Syria is shelling its city such as Hama and executing people in the streets as the UN "observe." France is calling upon the UN Security Counsel to consider action in Syria. Senator John McCain is also calling for military action in Syria. I believe that it is time for regime change in Syria. The Syrian regime is a major source of destabilization in the region and has been so since the 1980s when the Assad Regime used a suicide attack that killed over one hundred US Marines.


 

Americans are dying in Afghanistan but we aren't hearing about it-why?

The media focused on casualities in Iraq and Afganistan in order to weaken Bush and turn the public against the war effort. Now that Obama is in office, we hear little about casualties. The reason is that the Media supports Obama, they got him elected, they have a vested interest in his re-election and are unwilling to do anything that may weaken their man.

"Anti-bullying" Lecturer attacks/bullies Christians

As many as 100 high school students walked out of a national journalism conference after an anti-bullying speaker began cursing, attacked the Bible and reportedly called those who refused to listen to his rant "pansy assed." The speaker was Dan Savage, founder of the "It Gets Better" project, an anti-bullying campaign that has reached more than 40 million viewers with contributors ranging from President Obama to Hollywood stars. Savage also writes a sex advice column called "Savage Love." Savage, and his husband, were also guests at the White House for President Obama's 2011 LGBT Pride Month reception. He was also invited to a White House anti-bullying conference. Savage was supposed to be delivering a speech about anti-bullying at the National High School Journalism Conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. But it turned into an episode of Christian-bashing. Rick Tuttle, the journalism advisor for Sutter Union High School in California, was among several thousand people in the audience. He said they thought the speech was one thing – but it turned into something else. "I thought this would be about anti-bullying," Tuttle told Fox news. "It turned into a pointed attack on Christian beliefs." See Fox news report by Todd Starnes: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/anti-bullying-speaker-curses-mocks-christian-teens.html
More than 100 students reportedly walked out of the event after Savage, who founded the "It Gets Better" project — widely praised as part of the "anti-bullying" movement — used obscene language in attacking religious beliefs against homosexuality: People often point out that… they can't help with the anti-gay bullying because it says right there in Leviticus, it says right there in Timothy, it says right there in Romans, that being gay is wrong," Savage tells the crowd in a short video posted on Tumblr by a student attendee. "We can learn to ignore the [expletive] in the Bible about gay people the same way we have learned to ignore the [expletive] in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation," Savage said. At this point, student Jenny Patterson yelled "That's bull," and walked out. As other students followed, Savage called them "pansies," she said. Patterson said she had put up with Savage's cussing and "references to how good his husband looks in a Speedo and how he has to pry him off." But his attacks on Catholics, Mormons, and Christians for their stance on homosexuality went too far. Among other issues raised by this disturbing report:

  • Isn't it time to admit that the "anti-bullying" movement is just another way to get gay-rights activism into public schools?
  • Can we also now admit that, insofar as the public education system is pro-gay, it must also be anti-Christian?
  • Why aren't you home-schooling yet?


 

Dan Savage discusses bible at High School Journalism convention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ao0k9qDsOvs

See video: "Anti-bullying speaker a bully?" http://video.foxnews.com/v/1612875073001/anti-bullying-speaker-a-bully Todd Starnes interviewed the Christian students who were victimized by Dan Savage's hateful anti-Christian tirade. See: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/christian-teens-say-gay-activist-made-girls-cry.html Jake Naman, 18-year-old student from Redlands, California who was present at the hatefest, said a number of the Christian girls began crying. He said it seemed like such a safe environment "But then Dan Savage went off and it didn't seem that way anymore." "He had a position of power as a speaker and he was using that against a group of students who had never done anything to him," Naman said. "I would consider that bullying." "He was completely insulting and degrading our faith," his sister said. Mulder said Savage needed to practice what he preaches. "I felt it was ironic coming from a person who was talking about not bullying," she said. In all about a hundred students walked out of the speech, but Naman said many others wanted to. He said some Christian teenagers felt intimidated and were afraid of what might happen if they had left. Still, the 18-year-old said one thing was certainly obvious – "The majority of the students did not support us at all," he said. This is true-is you watch the video, the vast majority of the students were cheering Savage for his hateful and blasphemous comments.

Muslims slaughter Christians in Africa: Red Cross: 16 killed in attack on Catholic worship service at Nigeria university on April 29, 2012 An official with the Nigerian Red Cross says at least 16 people were killed in an attack on church services at a university campus in the country's north. Andronicus Adeyemo said there were also a number of people wounded, though the aid agency did not have an exact figure. He said officials canvassed local hospitals to get the figure. The attack happened Sunday morning at Kano's Bayero University. Police say gunmen attacked a Catholic Mass on the campus, using small explosives to draw worshippers out before shooting those who fled. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though it mirrored others previously claimed by a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram. That group carried out a coordinated assault in Kano in January that killed at least 185 people. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/29/6-killed-in-attack-on-catholic-worship-service-at-nigeria-university/?test=latestnews#ixzz1tUJeKMe0

Killings in Kenya:

One person died and 15 people were wounded when a grenade was thrown into a church in Kenya's capital during Sunday service, an official said. Nairobi's deputy police chief, Moses Ombati, said the grenade exploded at God's House of Miracles International Church in Nairobi. Doctors at Nairobi's Kenyatta Hospital said they had treated 11 patients wounded in the attack. None of the injuries were life-threatening, said a doctor who refused to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Steven Mulinge, a church pianist who was among the wounded, recalled seeing a man walking through the entrance and hurling what looked like a stone at the altar. "I heard a blast and then around me everyone was covered in blood," he said. "Later I found myself lying down with a deep cut on my hip." He said about 50 people were attending the service when the attack happened. The incident is the latest in a string of grenade attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October last year. In March, grenade explosions at one of the main bus stations in Kenya's capital killed nine people and wounded 40 others, the deadliest in the series of attacks. Al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants from neighboring Somalia have vowed to carry out a major attack on Kenya for sending troops in. Sunday's attack follows a U.S. Embassy warning that a terror attack on prominent government buildings and hotels in Nairobi could be imminent. The embassy said Monday that the timing of the attack is not known but they believe it to be at a final planning stage. Police have said that the Somali militant group is suspected of killing at least 30 Kenyan civilians since Kenyan troops entered Somalia. In February, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the killings -- which go back to October -- are believed to have been carried out by sympathizers of al-Shabab in Kenya. He said most of the attacks were carried out in towns near the border between Somalia and Kenya. Police say that dozens of Kenyan youth have been recruited by al-Shabab and are operating in the country. Al-Qaida announced in February that it was merging with al-Shabab. Some church members said they suspected the attack was related to an unresolved land dispute. James Maina, who described himself as a church elder, said his church may have been targeted by neighbors who claim to own the land on which it is built. He said the church had suffered minor attacks in the past, including having its windows smashed. "This thing is between the mechanics and the church," he said, referring to the motor repairmen who he said want them gone. "The mechanics don't want us to utilize this land. They are against us." Ndegwa Muhoro, Kenya's director of criminal investigations, told reporters outside the church it was "too early to say" who might be responsible. "We need to maintain vigilance because we don't know who they are," he said. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/29/1-killed-in-grenade-attack-on-church-in-kenya-official-says/#ixzz1tUKuI85s

Camp Pendleton Cross

Atheist groups are attempting to remove a memorial cross at Camp Pendleton. What concerns me about this is that where will it end? If we don't stand up to them now they will be kicking down the doors of our churches and homes and dragging Christians off to concentration camps. Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have already publically stated that this is their objective.

Jon Lovitz has had enough of Obama's B.S. (foul language below)

Celebrities may have a reputation for being ardent supporters of President Obama, but don't count former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Jon Lovitz among them. In fact, the comedian thinks he is a "f**king a**hole." In a podcast entitled "The ABC's of SNL" hosted by Lovitz and filmmaker Kevin Smith, Lovitz took on the president over taxes. "This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don't pay their taxes is f**king bullsh**. And I voted for the guy, and I'm a Democrat. What a f**king a**hole. The rich don't pay their taxes? Let me tell you something, right. First they say to you, you're dead broke, 'the United States of America, you can do anything you want, go for it.' So then you go for it and then you make it, and everyone's like 'f**k you.'" He went on to say, "If I make a dollar and out of every dollar I'm taxed at 50, half, at 50 cents, I have to give, isn't that like enough? It's half. HALF!" In a series of tweets Sunday, former Saturday Night Live comedian Jon Lovitz defended comments he made on his podcast last week, in which he called President Obama a "f***ing a**hole." He tweeted: "Because I criticized the President, it's news? Last I checked, he's President, not King! This is America! Freedom of Speech. what's the [big f***ing deal]?" The comments received a great amount of media attention, and some blasted Lovitz for his comments. But Lovitz defended himself from the all-important Twitter critics over the weekend. He tweeted, "excuse me… the President is lying… I just pointed it out. It's not my fault he's lying." Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/30/jon-lovitz-doubles-down-on-obama-is-a-fking-ahole-comments/#ixzz1ta8Q95XW Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/04/24/comedian-jon-lovitz-launches-expletive-laced-tirade-against-obama-tax-policies/#ixzz1ta74KE62

Obama's re-election strategy seems to create conflict-turn the poor and middle class against the wealthy, create racial tension between whites and blacks and between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. I think this hatred and animosity is something that the country needs to move away from and isn't something that the White House should be encouraging. It is despicable.

The Blood of Lambs: A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption by Kamal Saleem Memoirs of a Terrorist reveals the true inside story of the life and mindset of a radical muslim terrorist who finally came to renounce his murderous mission and embrace freedom. Some radical Muslims believe that non-Muslims who refuse to convert must die. Memoirs of a Terrorist is the true account of the life of such a terrorist who has since renounced his deadly participation in jihad, or "holy war." His memoir conveys an urgent message to Americans to wake up to the dangers of the terrorists who are still executing their harmful and destructive schemes. Kamal Saleem was born under a different name into a Sunni Muslim family in Lebanon. From a young age he was taught that the loftiest accomplishment he could achieve in life was to be martyred while killing infidels, namely Christians, Jews, and Americans. At age seven, he was recruited by the Muslim Brotherhood and entered an assault camp where members of al-Assifa, the armed branch of Fatah, trained for terror missions against Israel. After years of training, Saleem operatedin successful terror campaigns funded by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and wealthy oil sheikhs. He infiltrated the United States with the sole purpose of converting others to radical Islam. However, a life-changing event caused him to reevaluate his worldview. Kamal came to know three kind Christian men, and through them he saw the love of God—eventually coming to know their God as well. As a result of their love andsacrificial giving, Kamal acknowledged his need for Christ as Savior. Memoirs of a Terrorist is his riveting story that attests to the power of love and freedom.

Review of Saiid Rabiipour's "Farewell to Islam" (Xulon 2009)

Saiid Rabiipour was born in Tehran, Iran, and this book is the story of his life, including his childhood, emigration to the USA, marriage, and conversion to evangelical Christianity. Most of the book takes place after his conversion to Christianity though, during a visit back in Iran in the 2005, long after his conversion. He had originally been in the Iranian Navy, and had been sent to the USA under the Shah's government for training. He went AWOL during that time, having decided to stay in the USA. Not surprisingly, this eventually catches up with him and the Iranian government wants him to pay back the funds they spent on him for training. In Iran he is plunged into a labyrinth of government and military offices, and time after time his attempts to resolve the situation are frustrated. Hi is trapped in Iran. Eventually he concludes that he is going to be imprisoned and interrogated and tortured (which is not an unrealistic conclusion), and decides to hire smugglers to take him through Iranian Kurdistan into Turkish Kurdistan. He returns home safe and sound to his family and friends. He is writing both for Western Christians who want to know more about Iran and Persian culture, and Islam in general, but also for Iranian Muslims, and he makes the case that Christianity is the religion of freedom and love–things which cannot be found in Islam, in his point of view. The book is self-published, and has numerous errors in editing and formatting. All in all, though, people interested in religious conversion and Iranians of different backgrounds will find this an interesting book, even if they are not in the end convinced by his religious arguments for the superiority of Christ over Muhammad.

Duane Alexander Miller/Lecturer in Church History and Theology/Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary

The Last Camel Charge

I have traveled throughout the Middle East and have often gone on camel rides. People think camels spit and are very aggressive-but all the camels I have ridden-in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt-have all been docile. Unbeknownst to most Americans, the US Army had a Camel Corps and many camels were used by the military in the Wild West era. Camels in the American West are not featured in most Westerns-except "One Little Indian" with James Garner and Jay Silverheels (Tonto in the Lone Ranger). Filmed on location in Utah, One Little Indian is a leisurely paced Western adventure for children and families. This sets it apart from many of those that preceded it in the '70s--and appear to have served as influences--like Little Big Man (1970) and Jeremiah Johnson (1972). There is less violence and, as in many Disney productions, animal sidekicks are a big part of the action; in this case, an ornery camel named Rosie and her calf, Thirsty. James Garner plays Keyes, a deserter from the U.S. Cavalry, who "borrows" the camels while making his escape. Shortly afterwards, he meets Mark (Clay O'Brien), a white boy raised by Indians upon the death of his parents. He too slipped away from the cavalry after they rounded up his adopted family for relocation. He joins Keyes for a trip to Mexico. Along the way, they encounter widow Doris McIver (Vera Miles) and daughter Martha (Jodie Foster). All the while, the cavalry is hot on their trail. Bernard McEveety directed episodes of a number of TV Westerns from the '50s through the '70s. These included Gunsmoke, which featured appearances by Miles (a favorite of John Ford) and Foster. He would later direct Garner in his best-known series, The Rockford Files, the following year. Product Description: Clint Keys (James Garner) is a hunted man. On the run from the Cavalry, where he faces a hangman's noose for mutiny and desertion charges, he makes a frantic attempt to fade into the vast desert countryside. His conspicuous companions? "Rosie," an ill-tempered camel, her offspring, and a 10-year-old runaway boy (Clay O'Brien). Additional complications arise when they encounter a pioneering widow (Vera Miles) and her young daughter (Jodie Foster) who must choose between aiding the unlikely fugitives -- or hampering their desperate flight. Another film featuring the Camel Corps was Hawmps! is a 1976 American film about a United States Cavalry experiment to introduce camels into the service in the western United States, specifically Wyoming. It was written by William Bickley, Joe Camp, and Michael Warren, directed by Joe Camp, and produced by Mulberry Square Productions, one of very few films from that studio to not involve the more-lucrative Benji franchise. It starred James Hampton and Slim Pickens. Both "One Little Indian" and "Hawmps" are family movies/comedies. On June 4, 1856, the Army loaded the camels and they were driven to Camp Verde via Victoria and San Antonio. Reports from initial tests were largely positive. The camels proved to be exceedingly strong, and were able to move quickly across terrain which horses found difficult. Their legendary ability to go without water proved valuable on an 1857 survey mission led by Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale. He rode a camel from Fort Defiance to the Colorado River and his team used 25 camels on the trip. The survey team took the camels into California, where they were stationed at the Benicia Arsenal. During a 1859 survey of the Trans-Pecos region to find a shorter route to Fort Davis, the Army used the camels again. Under the command of Lt. Edward Hartz and Lt. William Echols, the team surveyed much of the Big Bend area. In 1860, Echols headed another survey team through the Trans-Pecos that employed the Camel Corps. There is a new book about this interesting subject entitled The Last Camel Charge: The Untold Story of America's Desert Military Experiment by Forrest Bryant Johnston. Like America, Australia also began a camel corps.

Australia's experiments with camels were more successful-or permanent anyway. There are many wild camels in America today. The major issue was transportation through the wilderness-once the railroads were built across America-the camels weren't as necessary.

I have written the Texas Camel Corps after seeing an article about them in a NG article in May 2008. I saw a photo about you about a Gil Hernandez in a National Guard publication. I am interested in learning to work with a camel. I have been to the Middle East several times before. Perhaps you could publicize yourself by participating in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo trail ride next year

Howdy Stephen. Thanks for taking the time to email. Gil is a good friend who traces his family's heritage right through the middle of the historic US Army camels of the 19th century. His
great-great-great-great grandfather was both a civilian and soldier who worked with the camels. Knowing Gil has been a real treat. He's a retired Texas Air National Guardsman; I imagine that's how you came to see his picture in that publication. I'd love to see it myself. I, Doug, am the owner of the Texas Camel Corps, a modern nod to the historic Army camels. I do reenactments, TV/Film production, anything I can to make a living (almost) with my camels. You are welcome to come visit our farm anytime. We're located just NW of Waco, off of Hwy 6, near Valley Mills. Would love to hear about your experiences in the Middle East. I'm a tour guide in Egypt/Sinai and have great respect for the folks who live with camels and depend on them day in
and day out. Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps.com 254 675 HUMP (4867)

I saw a book in the bookstore yesterday "The Last Camel Charge." It was about the US Army's use of camels. It was very interesting. I am sure you have heard of it.

Hi Stephen, thanks for thinking of me. Funny, I ordered that book online yesterday! I'd seen it mentioned in a post on Facebook. Not sure how it's going to be, but am eager to dig into it. For my money, the best one written is Noble Brutes by Boyd. Thanks again! Doug Baum www.facebook.com/texascamelcorps
www.texascamelcorps.com
texascamelcorps.blogspot.com 254-675-HUMP (4867)

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