Law Professor John Inazu writes in the USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-08-20/HHS-mandate-contraception-evangelicals/57168668/1) that when it comes to the Obama contraception mandate, “The legal challenges implicate an interest that all of us – Catholics and evangelicals, religious and non-religious – should value and safeguard: the right of private groups to dissent from the prevailing state orthodoxy.”
His wonderfully descriptive phrase – “prevailing state orthodoxy” – Is saddening. In a republic where personal virtue is the foundation of our political order and which rests, in Michael Novak’s wonderful phrase, “on two wings” – biblical revelation and natural law, law that is self-evident and accessible to everyone – the idea of there being a “state orthodoxy” is jarring. Yet such orthodoxy exists, which is why the Obama Administration is insisting that Evangelicals and Catholics cast away their consciences (we won’t, by the way).
When the federal government steps in to mandate that persons with reasonable, historic, and deeply held moral convictions must violate them in order to comply with a state dictate, Christians must echo the words of Peter in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.”
Prof. Inazu concludes, “the right to differ protects moral choices that lack government approval.” Amen. But, as he would agree, that right is not just one that exists within the mind. For it to be a fully realized right, it must be allowed to affect the choices we make in civic and political life. In other words, adherence to a belief while complying with a legal limitation on the capacity to act on it is the moral equivalent of junk food: it brings us temporary respite from hunger, but no enduring benefit.
It is not enough that, in its great wisdom and compassion, the federal state does not interfere with the function of our minds as long as this function remains limited to the space between our ears. True conviction – what one believes is of value in time and eternity – means concrete and visible action in the public square. It’s government’s job to protect this right, not diminish or squelch it. As Prof. Inazu notes, “Evangelicals and Catholics need not shudder at the prospect of being politically marginalized. After all, Jesus did not. But political marginalization does not require political passivity. And one means of resistance is asking courts to protect the ability of private groups to dissent from state orthodoxy.”
So, we will ask, fight, and stand. But, by God’s grace, we will not give in.
FRCBLOG.com (Family Research Council)
Another good resource for Praying for the USA and its leadership: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com
Vision:
Global connection at the same time of many Christians (and others) in a common prayer for humankind and its urgent needs every day from 3.00 – 3.05 p.m. Greenwich time – to form a wide channel between God and humanity in order to increase the love and power from God on our planet and thereby unitedly support the manifestation of His will for us and the transformation of our world.
Strategy:
1. You who want to join the SEPTIME to pray for humankind on a Biblical foundation seek at the time given a quiet place wherever you are – in the kitchen, bedroom, fields, etc.
2. Pray for one to fine minutes (or more) for the urgent needs of mankind – whether globally, for your region, city and/or friends and family and what else is on your heart. The targets of prayers you can get from the news of the last week for the respective field of prayer and/or find your own prayer targets.
3. The time for prayer is chosen because of the facts that most people in the world have holiday on Sundays and most people are awake at the suggested time of the day, except for the Pacific Area (around 7 a.m. in the western North and South America, 11 p.m. in eastern Asia).
4. It is recommended that your prayer starts with the Lord’s prayer, then followed by the specific prayers in the Name of Jesus.
5. No network for further directions should be needed. The message of the SEPTIME prayer could be spread through congregations, Christian media, social media and other ways that the Lord shows us.
About SEPTIME:
In the Sweden-prayer, we have some good experience of prayer in distance when we meet “in the Spirit” and many of us then recognize a “wind of prayer”. Last year, I understood that the Lord told me that this form of prayer could be used worldwide, and I got inspiration to write the concept of SEPTIME. I think it might work for people to have a short regular prayer time where to join brothers and sisters in Christ in prayers for mankind, for the nation, for the city/village or what else God puts on our minds. I have a picture of an electrical very thick wire, consisting of many, many little threads transporting the power. Maybe a global prayer will work in a similar way.
The Arab Spring takeover of Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood has run amok, with reports from several different media agencies that the radical Muslims have begun crucifying opponents of newly installed President Mohammed Morsi.
Middle East media confirm that during a recent rampage, Muslim Brotherhood operatives “crucified those opposing Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi naked on trees in front of the presidential palace while abusing others.”
Raymond Ibrahim, a fellow with the Middle East Forum and the Investigative Project on Terrorism, said the crucifixions are the product of who the Middle Eastern media call “partisans.”
“Arabic media call them ‘supporters,’ ‘followers’ and ‘partisans’ of the Muslim Brotherhood,” Ibrahim said. Ibrahim also says the victims can be anyone, including Egyptian Christians.
“It’s anyone who is resisting the new government,” Ibrahim said. “In this particular case, the people attacked and crucified were secular protesters upset because of Morsi’s hostile campaign against the media, especially of Tawfik Okasha, who was constantly exposing him on his station, until Morsi shut him down.”
Ibrahim said extra brutality is reserved for Christians, but the crucifixions are because of Islamic doctrine and are required by the Quran. The time and other details about the crucifixions were not readily available.
Center for Security Policy Senior Fellow Clare Lopez cited chapter and verse from the Quran to explain that crucifixions are not simply normal for Islam, they’re demanded.
“Crucifixion is a hadd punishment, stipulated in the Quran, Sura 5:33, and therefore an obligatory part of Shariah,” Lopez said. “It’s been a traditional punishment within Islam since the beginning, even though it’s not exclusively Islamic. The Romans used it too.
“So, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood haven’t the option to not include crucifixion within their legal code. It’s obligatory to comply with Shariah. And yes, it’s for shock value also to be sure,” Lopez said…
Author Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs, an analyst of the Middle East and Islam, fully agrees and also cites the Quran. “The Christians are in serious trouble because the Quran in Sura 9:29 commands Muslims to wage war against them and subjugate them, and they’re also identified with the hated West and the U.S.,” Geller said…
Reign of Terror
“I suspect that Morsi’s action was timed in part to forestall any further military action against the jihadis,” Geller said, adding that the results will make Egypt’s government more monolithic than it already was.
“Morsi is instituting a reign of terror to consolidate his power,” Geller said.
American Enterprise Institute Middle East analyst Michael Rubin agreed: Morsi is after the power.
“Morsi certainly wants absolute control. The Egyptian army have never been saints, but Morsi will broker no checks to his power as the Muslim Brotherhood writes a constitution and imposes its dream of an Islamic state on Egypt,” Rubin said.
Lopez says this all means that Morsi is shedding his “moderate” veneer.
“The point I would make is that Morsi is not bothering to play ‘moderate’ anymore. He’s moving very aggressively to consolidate power for the Muslim Brotherhood,” Lopez said.
She added that Morsi is now free to act without any concern for public opinion.
“He doesn’t seem to care who thinks what anymore. He knows he’s got the USG and president in his corner no matter what he does. He doesn’t have to pretend, no need for ‘plausible deniability.’ He also knows he’s got the majority of the Egyptian people behind him,” Lopez said.
Rubin believes, however, that Morsi will still try to play the “moderate” to continue to gain U.S. support.
Playing the Moderate?
“Morsi is going to play the moderate and the mediator for the world media, all the while complaining that he can’t take more forceful action against the extremists because the radical fringe won’t allow him to do more,” Rubin said.
“It’s nonsense, of course, but still an explanation that will satisfy American diplomats, safe behind the walls of their compound,” Rubin said.
Lopez added to Rubin’s explanation, but points to the White House as the main cheerleader for Morsi and the Brotherhood.
“This is exactly what many of us expected him to do (consolidate power) and I think the White House knew, too, and not only expected but wanted Morsi and the Brotherhood to take over Egypt,” Lopez said.
“As far as I know, the White House invitation for Morsi in September still stands – nor have I heard the slightest hint of criticism from any top U.S. government leadership figure about Morsi’s coup. He knows he’s on solid ground with this administration,” Lopez said.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/arab-spring-run-amok-brotherhood-starts-crucifixions/print/
Let’s pray for Egypt that the intentions of the wicked will somehow be foiled and that human rights and freedoms called for during the “Arab Spring” will be protected from Islamic radicalism.
This excellent video tells the story of a nation in civil war that has experienced a good deal of transformation in recent years. The president, a former rebel leader who came to Christ through reading the Bible in his jungle encampment, is now a prayer and worship leader in addition to his national development efforts. Click on the attached Youtube link to see the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0LhUPOOj5w&feature=youtu.be
August 21, 2012: The rainy season has begun in the Sudans. The result is less fighting, though small-scale actions continue in Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and in the Darfur region, and tribal violence continues to plague South Sudan. The various factions in both Sudans are always talking about peace, or at least talking about talking about peace, but the impact of the new oil production and transport agreement, reached on August 3, on the various armed conflicts has yet to be determined. Sudan and South Sudan remain locked in a frozen war.
“Is Iran Inviting Israel to Attack? With its extreme rhetoric in recent days, Iran seems to be daring Israel to attack, either because Iran's leaders do not believe Israel is in fact prepared to attack and are calling its bluff or because they think an Israeli attack would fail to do significant damage to its nuclear facilities. Iran’s new threats come at a sensitive time when senior Israeli officials may be on the brink of deciding whether to attack. They will certainly influence Israel's decision, as will a forthcoming UN report that is expected to show that Iran's nuclear program is accelerating.”
From : LIGNET (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Please keep the Iran-Israeli stand-off in your prayers. This is especially dangerous and could lead to a wider regional or even world war of great destruction. Let’s watch over this situation with vigilance.
“Is Iran Inviting Israel to Attack? With its extreme rhetoric in recent days, Iran seems to be daring Israel to attack, either because Iran's leaders do not believe Israel is in fact prepared to attack and are calling its bluff or because they think an Israeli attack would fail to do significant damage to its nuclear facilities. Iran’s new threats come at a sensitive time when senior Israeli officials may be on the brink of deciding whether to attack. They will certainly influence Israel's decision, as will a forthcoming UN report that is expected to show that Iran's nuclear program is accelerating.”
From : LIGNET (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Please keep the Iran-Israeli stand-off in your prayers. This is especially dangerous and could lead to a wider regional or even world war of great destruction. Let’s watch over this situation with vigilance.
Most of the time when the words "border patrol" are spoken, one thinks of those who hunt coyotes, check passports, search for drugs, and keep the borders safe. But there is another part of the border patrol that, while they participate in those same things, they have a different role: search, trauma and rescue.
The BORSTAR unit is a highly specialized team that's trained in a lot of different disciplines related to search and rescue," said Supervisor Gerardo Carrasco. "It definitely adds a different side to being a border patrol agent, doing this job," said Agent Julie Gallagher.
It's not just about criminals crossing the border; there are also many women and children crossing to look for a better life. The problem is, they simply do not understand how brutal the desert can be. "In an environment where there is very little water and you don't have help get to you within a few hours, you're not going to last very long out there," Carrasco said. BORSTAR agents said summer is their busiest time for rescues because of the extreme weather conditions but that they work the fine line between rescuing and arresting suspected illegal immigrants all year long. "We work law enforcement just as hard as we work our rescues," Gallagher said.
It can be an emotionally difficult job, never knowing what condition they will find a victim in. Carrasco said, "You have to keep your emotions under control and prepare for the worse". Once someone has been rescued and cared for, they are sent back to Mexico. One rescued victim said, "I will come again, but next time, I'll do it legally."
Pray:
• For the safety of the BORSTAR unit as they come to the aid of injured and dehydrated border crossers. Pray that the BORSTAR unit will have wisdom in dealing with the complex issues of illegal migrants.
• For the BORSTAR unit's protection from the mental stress and emotional trauma they face on a daily basis.
• For those considering crossing the border illegally - that they understand all the dangers involved and choose to respect the laws of the land.
PRAISES!
• The Mexican press reported last Friday that a cousin of Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most wanted drug lords, was arrested in Madrid along with a politician aligned with the party of President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto.
• The Mexican Marines have arrested Jorge Luis Martínez Rodríguez alias El Taz, the presumed leader for the Zetas in Campeche. He was responsible for the trafficking of stolen fuel and drugs.
• The Mexican Army has arrested Lamberto Gurrola Hernandez, alias "El Gato", the alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in southern part of the state of Chihuahua. He confessed to being responsible for performing the "execution" of more than 100 people in the central-southern part of the state.
• The Mexican military announced the arrest of Sergio Armando Barrera Salcedo, alias "El Checo" and six accomplices, in possession of 1.1 kilos of cocaine, half a kilo of marijuana, seven guns and two pistols. He is linked to the Sinaloa cartel, and at the time of arrest was coordinating the receipt of ½ ton of cocaine by sea.
Is There a Fox Guarding the Henhouse?
As Mexican cartels attempt to expand their drug and human smuggling operations, they are becoming "increasingly" involved in the "systemic corruption" of the US Department of Homeland Security's personnel. Their expansion includes the trafficking of aliens from terrorism-linked countries into the U.S., the DHS acting inspector general told lawmakers earlier this month.
"As the United States enhances border security with successful technologies and increased staffing to disrupt smuggling routes and networks, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have become not only more violent and dangerous, but more clever as well. The DTOs have turned to recruiting and corrupting DHS employees," Charles Edwards, the acting DHS inspector general, said.
Edwards said border corruption may take the form of cash bribes, sexual favors, and other gratuities in return for U.S. employees allowing contraband or illegal aliens through primary inspection lanes - "or even protecting and escorting border crossings." Edwards also said U.S. employees may be bribed to leak or sell sensitive law enforcement information to smugglers and provide them with necessary documents such as immigration papers.
"A corrupt DHS employee may accept a bribe for allowing what appear to be simply undocumented aliens into the U.S. while unwittingly helping terrorists enter the country," Edwards said. "Likewise, what seems to be drug contraband could be weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical or biological weapons or bomb-making materials."
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner David Aguilar, who testified alongside Edwards, said that 141 CBP employees "have been arrested or indicted for acts of corruption" since October 2004.
CBP has an estimated 47,000-strong workforce, including about 21,000 Border Patrol agents. It should be noted that the 141 CBP employees who have been arrested or indicted for corruption represents less than one percent of the entire force. Yet when it comes to guarding the nation, everyone counts.
PRAY:
• For all Department of Homeland Security employees to have the strength, courage and conviction to uphold the US laws and constitution and to continue to serve this nation with integrity and honesty. Pray that they will not yield to the enticements or threats of the DTOs.
• For any and all corruption to be exposed at every level of DHS. Pray that appropriate actions will be taken to bring justice to those who have fallen and prudent safeguards, if needed, to be put in place.
• For God to encourage the 99% of the DHS employees working hard to protect America and that He will give them a fresh vitality to do their job with excellence.
• We continue to pray that the cartels will fail and fall in their efforts to corrupt and that God's peace will fill our borderlands and our nation.
He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. 1 Corinthians 4:5b (NIV)
Mora, Edwin. "CNSNews.com." Mexican Cartels 'Increasingly' Corrupting DHS Employees to Smuggle Aliens From Countries 'Likely to Export Terrorism' N.p., 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mexican-cartels-increasingly-corrupting-dhs-employees-smuggle-aliens-countries-likely
PRAISES!
• A Russian citizen, identified as a terrorist by the United States, was arrested in Tijuana, and had accomplices linked to the Sinaloa cartel, said the Secretary of Public Security of Baja California, Daniel de la Rosa Anaya. Georgiy Chipunov is accused of threatening to blow up judicial court facilities in San Diego, California, and assassinate judges and other US officials. Following his arrest, he was extradited to the United States where he is considered highly dangerous.
• Gulf drug cartel boss, Lauro Tijerina Murrieta, and three other suspected members of the criminal organization were captured Monday, August 20, by marines in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, the Navy Secretariat said Tuesday.
• Police in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California seized more than $1 million that the Sinaloa cartel had made from drug sales in Los Angeles, security officials said. It was part of the large sum of millions of dollars being shipped to the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.