Information Related to "World News and Prophecy - Mar 1999"
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World News and Prophecy
MARCH, 1999
by Melvin Rhodes
The Cause of Natural Disasters
by Rod Hall
Atheistic Scientists Who Play God-Where It Might Lead
by John Ross Schroeder
And the World Was Filled With Violence
by Mario Seiglie
by Darris McNeely, David Palmer, John R. Schroeder
This Is the Way... A Walk In the Snow
by Robin Webber
BOX:
The United Church of God provides World News and Prophecy (WNP) as an educational service for interested persons. The purpose of WNP is to help readers discern the times and increase their awareness and understanding of current events in the light of Bible prophecy. Although the staff strives for truth and accuracy in its reporting, analysis, and Bible commentary, WNP is not a doctrinal publication. Articles do undergo both an editorial and a review process.
King Hussein's Uncertain Legacy
When King Hussein ascended the throne, Churchill, Truman and Stalin were still in power. Today's world is very different from theirs. No longer is the world dominated by these three great powers. The United States remains the only super power but fails to get its own way, especially in the Middle East, the most unpredictable and volatile region in the world.
King Hussein was a voice of moderation and reason in the region, working for peace with Israel and trying to contain the radical influences calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. For this reason his death could make a big difference. Even if his son and heir, King Abdullah, continues the same policies as his father, his lack of experience could still be a decisive factor in the Mideast cauldron.
Additionally, the sudden change in the succession just two weeks before the King's death may have led to division in the royal family and divided loyalties in the military and amongst the Bedouin clans (the support of all of these groups is needed by the new king to succeed). It is to be remembered that King Hussein was present when his grandfather, Jordan's first king, was assassinated in 1951 and survived more assassination attempts himself than any other monarch of the modern age.
Although Britain and America in turn have played major roles in the Middle East during this century, it remains the case that there is no democracy in the region, other than the Jewish state of Israel, which is only 50 years old. Many of the Arab nations that were carved out of the defeated Ottoman Empire following World War I had kings, usually local emirs from Turkish days, installed on their thrones by Great Britain.
These were constitutional monarchies but their parliamentary systems did not work well, leaving the monarchs with most of the power. Many of these monarchs and their children received their education and military training in Britain. They often had alliances with the British until Britain began withdrawing from the region following the loss of the Suez Canal in 1956. King Hussein received his education at Britain's most prestigious private school, Eton, followed by military training at Sandhurst. One of King Hussein's four wives was British. Their son now sits on the Hashemite throne. He speaks with a perfect British accent.
These monarchs have all been influenced by western ways and western thinking. Unfortunately, they have had to contend with a rising tide of Arab nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism which has led to some of the thrones being overthrown and has made the future of the others uncertain.
This failure by the Arabs eventually led to disgruntled army officers in Egypt overthrowing King Farouk in July 1952. Farouk was not pro-British but had an international reputation as a playboy and was perceived as a corrupt influence on the Egyptian people. After his overthrow Farouk made the following prediction: "Eventually there will be only five kings left in the world: the king of spades, the king of diamonds, the king of hearts, the king of clubs and the king of England." Farouk's prophecy has not quite been fulfilled but a number of thrones were to fall in the following years. His overthrow led to a radicalization of the Arab world and increasing Soviet influence. The Russian presence has virtually gone but the radicals remain.
As you can see from the above, each time a monarchy has been overthrown in the Middle East, a radical anti-western regime has replaced it. In most cases the army overthrows the monarch, Iran being the exception. The army usually attracts people who are less educated and not able to succeed in civilian society. The various radical presidents in the region bring to mind a scripture in Ecclesiastes 9:16-17: "Woe to you, O Land, when your king is a child (or slave-somebody from the bottom echelons of society), and your princes eat in the morning (unused to living well); Blessed are you, O Land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness."
This is not to say that the monarchies in the region are perfect, by any means. Some of them are ostentatious with their wealth, thereby encouraging resentment and dissidence within their kingdoms. But their overthrow could unbalance the whole area.
Because they are willing to work with the United States toward peace in the Middle East, which basically means patiently cooperating as the U.S. puts increasing pressure on Israel to give up the occupied territories, the stability of the monarchies is important to the United States. However, the tie with America can be a negative for the kingdoms themselves, as their leaders can be blamed for American actions in the region, including "aggression" against Iraq.
King Abdullah begins his reign with much in his favor. He has the goodwill of his subjects as a result of the respect and devotion accorded his father; he is well educated and has military experience; he understands the West and will likely continue to receive the aid his poor nation needs to survive; he is married to a Palestinian, which should help him with the majority of his subjects who are also Palestinians; he has the support of the various desert tribes within Jordan; he has the sympathy and respect of the Israelis who sent a sizeable delegation to his father's funeral; he will again receive financial support from the Gulf states, support that was withdrawn when his father did not back the allies against Iraq; but he still retains Iraq's friendship and even Syria's.
He has everything going for him. The peace of the Middle East depends very much upon this man. v
The Cause of
A recent Life magazine article summarized, "Not since the Dust Bowl days of the 30s has meteorological mayhem so dominated headlines and minds....The rogue Pacific current known as El Niño began wreaking havoc around the world. Indonesia's jungles burned while Chile's Atacama Desert got a foot of rain. Snow fell in Guadalajara for the first time since 1881. Canada suffered its worst-ever ice storm. Floods killed thousands in Africa. In Peru endless downpours created a 2,300 square mile lake. Thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds trashed Moscow. The rain-swollen Yangtze River killed more than 400 as it cut a swath through central China."
All of this chaos is unsettling. While there have been cataclysms of greater immensity and intensity in our century, the distribution, variety and frequency of the recent unpredictable weather has been extraordinary. This past year has been the third most severe in a decade, tying that of 1982-83 as one of the century's worst.
Are upset weather conditions, earthquakes and natural disasters on the increase worldwide? Are there spiritual causes behind them or are they just the result of random, environmental happenings? Do disasters have any meaning or message for humankind today?
Some see natural disasters as nature's way of some monumental system of checks and balances, designed to control the world's population. To others it seems like pure happenstance, impure accidents or random violence that proceeds mindlessly out of a universe without a pattern.
However, Jesus mentions that many natural disasters, as we term them today, would be a sad reality of life throughout history and would build in impact as we approach the end of the age. He predicted: "There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines and calamities; this is but a beginning of the intolerable anguish and sufferings" (Mark 13:8 Amplified). Various types of earthquakes, plagues and major upsets in the weather, including drought, floods, tidal waves, tornadoes, and hurricanes will continue to wreak havoc on countless thousands around the globe.
The National Earthquake Information Center for the U.S. Geological Center indicates, "We continue to hear from many people throughout the world that earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years."
They indicate that a partial explanation may lie in the fact that over the last 20 years, more have been located each year because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations and improved global communications. Scientists locate about 12,000 to 14,000 each year or approximately 35 per day.
However, they indicate that the effect of earthquakes has been "more pronounced." In spite of building safer structures, losses (both human and property) are greater. They suggest this is because the earth's population is increasing and more property exists that can be destroyed. Regardless of the frequency and intensity of earthquakes and natural disasters, their increased impact and destructiveness is certain.
Other experts also see an overall increase in the destructiveness of natural disasters, especially in the last few decades. Dr. William H. Hooke, Director of the U.S. Weather Research Program Office, of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, asked in a recent speech, "Is the seeming increase in the occurrence of natural disasters real?" He used the increasing annual cost of damage as a definite indicator that it is. The annual U.S. losses to natural disasters, while highly variable, have averaged $50 billion per year in the last few years, or roughly one billion dollars per week. Of even greater concern are long-term trends in costs, showing a doubling or tripling of damages each decade, in constant dollars, over the last 35 years.
Dr. Hooke indicates impact is increasing as a result of societal changes such as urbanization and technological interdependence. While disaster losses are expected to vary considerably from year to year, it is expected that they generally will continue to increase, as a fraction of the gross national product (GNP).
He indicates that the frequency, strength, and location of hazards-storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires-are intimately connected to "longer-period global change," whether due to natural variations or human-induced changes.
God does not directly cause all natural disasters. Many are simply freak occurrences that strike at random. God in general has taken a hands off approach, letting mankind go his own way experiencing the fruit of his actions. Wise King Solomon observed, "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them" (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).
Jesus Christ explained this principle of random destruction by giving an example of Pilate killing some Galileans in order to mix their blood with his sacrifices. "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:2-3, emphasis ours throughout). He goes on to give another example of the tower in Siloam falling on and killing people passing by (verses 4-5). Perhaps an earthquake caused its collapse. Regardless, the point Jesus was making is that natural disasters, circumstances or accidents can cut short human life for those who are caught by them.
This does not mean those who suffer this fate are necessarily more evil than others in society. However, disasters should send a warning message to us all. Repent and turn to God for protection while there is still time. "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).
God, on occasion, will bring earthquakes and natural disasters to strike the rebellious in order to teach lessons or bring His righteous judgments. For example, God used an earthquake to strike down the rebellion of Korah against Moses and the leadership God had chosen. Notice, "and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods" (Numbers 16:32).
History records man's constant struggle with foul environmental conditions to survive. Even today, one seventh of the human race, 840 million people, lives in conditions of chronic and persistent hunger. Every day 24,000 people die from hunger. Three quarters of them are children.
God has occasionally intervened in the course of human endeavors to bring blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. He told Israel, "But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments...I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze...and your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.... And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy...when I have cut off your supply of bread" (Leviticus 26:14,19-20,25-26).
At the time of the end Satan will inspire his representative, the false prophet, to perform signs and wonders using some natural looking phenomena like fire falling from heaven (Revelation 13:13). The Apostle Paul indicates: "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2Thessalonians 2:9-10).
Some signs may be similar to those used by the Egyptian magicians. As a counterfeit to the miracles of God's power working through Moses, they brought natural disasters, rivers turning to blood, frogs, lice and flies plaguing the land (Exodus 7:21-22; 8:7,18).
Even after Christ begins to reign on the earth the natural environmental elements will strike some nations who stubbornly continue to disobey (Zechariah 14:16-19). Until Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom, the impact and destructiveness of earthquakes and natural disasters will increase just as He predicted (Matthew 24:24). They will strike many unsuspecting people at random. Good and evil supernatural forces will utilize them more frequently as the end time approaches. The lesson we should learn is clear: repent and draw close to God for protection while there is time.
The good news is, eventually magnificent environmental blessings will be poured out on the obedient. Many biblical prophecies picture a utopian environment developing as a result (Isaiah 41:17-18; Mica 4:3-4; Amos 9:13). The fundamental cause behind the curse of natural disasters will be removed. The rebellion begun by the first Adam will at long last be stopped by the arrival of the second Adam, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 11:9-10). v
Rod Hall is a United Church of God member in Spokane, Washington.
Atheistic Scientists Who Play God - Where It Might Lead
In fact, a recent survey shows that fewer scientists believe in God than ever before. Today only about 7 percent of leading scientists profess belief. Doubt, disbelief and agnosticism reign in the world of science. The statistics are not encouraging (please see sidebar).
Britain's Richard Dawkins is in the forefront of militant atheism. Noted journalist Paul Johnson has named him as a prime candidate for the title: "The most dangerous man in Britain." Dawkins presently occupies a specially created professorial chair at Oxford University.
Writes Mr. Johnson: "Dawkins, a handsome, plausible and self-confident performer on TV and radio, uses his position not only to undermine belief in God, but to press the case for scientific adventurism of the kind many find frightening." Professor Dawkins is a strong advocate of human cloning.
Paul Johnson continues: "When Dolly the sheep was cloned, Dawkins said he looked forward to having a copy of himself made, 30 years younger, so that he could go on pontificating well into the 21st Century."
But atheism can be dangerous! Those who advocate human cloning are not usually strong believers in God and the Bible, but the very opposite.
In the past, questionable inventions in the scientific laboratory have been misused by irresponsible political tyrants seeking to impose their godless doctrines and ideologies on many others. Human cloning may soon be added to the already extant dangers of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Mr. Johnson points out that "the desire to produce armies of identical superwarriors is an ancient one in China, as thousands of recently-unearthed terracotta figures, more than two millennia old, testify." Dictators using human cloning on an industrial scale is a frightening prospect. What about Saddam Hussein's notorious revolutionary guards, chosen for their size, strength and cunning?
We live in an uncertain world filled with all kinds of jeopardy. Certain aspects of scientific inquiry threaten to go amok. Only the principles of the Bible can keep scientists on the right track. That is one reason why atheism, twinned with the rejection of Scripture, is so potentially dangerous to humankind.
Sources: The Daily Mail (London),
February 1, 1999; The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, February 7, 1999; Newsweek
(Atlantic edition), July 27, 1998.
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LEADING SCIENTISTS REJECT GOD This survey was conducted by asking 1,000 scientists listed in a reference book of top scientists about their religious beliefs. Personal belief 27.7 15 7.0 Personal disbelief 52.7 68 72.2 Doubt/agnosticism 20.9 17 20.8 Source: Nature Journal (quoted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). |
And The World Was Filled With Violence
For instance, back in 1980, when we moved to beautiful Santiago, Chile, violence was relatively rare. We were always kidding that this part of the world was behind the times by at least 20 years and so were the cars! It was not uncommon to see Latin gentlemen still tipping their hats when a lady passed by. This was such an isolated part of the world that foreigners were viewed with a certain awe. They wondered, "Who would ever come down this far to live?" It was, on the whole, a peaceful and conservative society with relatively high morals and few crimes.
Not any more. What a change in close to 20 years! It seems violence has now penetrated even the remotest regions in the world. As everywhere else, now there are tabloid newspapers that luridly describe details of the daily murders, rapes and robberies. Drugs are rampant with the youth. At night, everyone bolts their doors and there are bars on every window. It seems we are the ones that live as prisoners inside our homes while the robbers roam freely outside. Such is the world we now live in, wherever that may be.
Also, a "hidden" type of violence to take into account is the many abortions taking place annually around the world. According to the U.N. population statistics for 1997, of approximately 175 million pregnancies that take place each year, 45 million end in abortions and 75 million live births are unwanted. Also they estimate 60 million baby girls would now be alive if they had not been aborted due to their sex. Finally, they mention each year, two million girls from ages 5 to 15 enter the business of prostitution (World Population Prospects for 1997, United Nations Population Fund, May 27, 1997, pages 2-3).
Until this century violence was limited, among other factors, by the ways murder could be perpetrated. It was difficult to carry it out with only a knife or a club. It was a messy thing, where a struggle was involved, and the proximity was horribly close. It was not always successful, and the criminal could end up being killed. But in this century, with the advent of cheap guns around the world, suddenly there was a faster, cleaner and more distant way to commit murder. This has certainly helped criminals in multiplying their crimes in a fit of rage. Millions of guns are now available to the local population worldwide.
Although man has been violent since his inception, as the first murder of Abel by Cain can attest, many factors, such as those mentioned, had kept the crime rates down. Only once before has history recorded violence on a worldwide scale comparable to what we are seeing now. It was in Noah's time. "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11, emphasis ours throughout).
Christ mentioned in the end times that the conditions in the world would be similar to Noah's day. "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man...when the Son of Man is revealed" (Luke 17:26,30).
Paul also described the end time society as being cruel and violent. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal" (2Timothy 3:1-2).
Isaiah, one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, was used by God not only to describe the worsening moral conditions in Israel during his days, which would lead to captivity and exile, but also to describe as a parallel what would occur in the end times. From the outset, in chapters one and two, we see God going back and forth, describing first the atrocious corruption of Israel in those days, and then the same circumstances which will prevail in the final days, when the kingdom of God will be inaugurated.
Isaiah begins in chapter 1: "Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, (society as a whole) but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment (Isaiah 1:5-6). And in chapter 2, it then describes the end times: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains...and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:2-3).
This duality of the accounts continues throughout Isaiah. In chapter three it describes the increasing amount of violence: "And the worst sort of anarchy will prevail-everyone stepping on someone else, neighbors fighting neighbors, youths revolting against authority, criminals sneering at honorable men" (Isaiah 3:5, Living Bible). This certainly is an apt picture of what is occurring today.
Daniel also describes rampant violence and immorality as conditions of the end time. "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise" (Daniel 8:23). Thus, sin has to reach a certain level until God intervenes and allows the end time scenario to unfold. Then shall arise the chief personalities that will lead it.
Revelation describes the same thing: "And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities'" (Revelation 18:5).
It is not enough for the readers of World News and Prophecy to remove themselves from the evil of this world to escape God's correction. But we are to move to a greater understanding of God's transcendent purpose-to not only focus on the effects, but consider the cause of human conditions. Notice Ezekiel 9:6: "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." Unless we are truly grieved over the state of human affairs, we will not desire to separate ourselves from this world. Jesus built on this concept found in the Old Testament when he mentioned in His "Sermon on the Mount," "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted."
Truly, the earth is filled with violence and immorality, but we don't know at what point God considers it has reached its "peak" level and decides to intervene. But in the meantime, we should continue to watch and be aware that the increasing level of violence in the world is one of the factors that will bring about the end time scenario. v
In Brief...
The Daily Mail commented: "Among everything Britain has signed away to Europe, the right to reintroduce the death penalty may be the one that is regretted most, especially by victims of future murderers." Polls over the last 30 years have shown that the vast majority of the British people want hanging reintroduced. Though former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher always voted "yes," the British Parliament consistently refused to do so when the decision was still in its power.
This landmark decision comes at a time when the evidence is beginning to show that the reintroduction of capital punishment in some 38 states is working in the United States. The American murder rate has dropped considerably over the past ten years, and some observers feel that the death penalty is primarily responsible.
Take New York state: capital punishment was reintroduced in 1995 and the number of murders has fallen by about 50 percent since. Murders in New York City have dropped from 1,200 in 1994 to 500 in 1998.
Correspondent Daniel Jeffreys summed up his report from the Big Apple: "It has taken 15 years but the streets of America's big cities are now safer than they have been for generations. All categories of violent crime are down." Of course, this does not mean that America is completely out of the woods. There is still far too much general crime and the murder picture, though much improved, still has a long way to go.
Source: The Daily Mail, January 28, 1999
MANILA AND NEW YORK: (Innovative Media, Inc.) - The year 1999 could prove to be very decisive in the history of human rights if there is success in abolishing the death penalty. Next autumn, the U.N. General Assembly could decide on a moratorium regarding the death penalty. It will be a highly debated issue, as countries are increasingly declaring themselves with clarity in favor of or against execution.
The European Union is clearly abolitionist, having overcome Great Britain's reluctance and paid attention to the pope's defense of life.
The hard core countries in favor of the death penalty are the U.S., many Islamic countries, and some Asian states like Singapore, China and the Philippines.
If the United Nations attempts to have the
death penalty abolished on a worldwide scale, would the U.S. use it's veto to overrule
such a mandate? And if the United States were successful in their influence, what
will be the reaction in Europe and especially in Rome?
Some of the world's most populous nations are already facing looming shortages. In northern China and in much of India the water table is dropping 1 to 2 meters per year due to increasing use of wells. Most of the world's rivers have been tapped for irrigation, and much of the planet's irrigated land is under threat from salinization.
Experts on conflict tell us that many of the wars in the new century could be fought over the distribution of water from shared river basins. Some 260 rivers are shared by more that one state. Potential disputes over the sharing of water exist in over half of these.
The situation is probably most grave in
the region which is often the focus of Bible Prophecies-the Middle East. War could
easily break out over shared rivers in the Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, and Jordan valleys.
Experts on the Middle East warn that any attempt by Turkey to cut off Euphrates or
Tigris river waters to Syria or Iraq would provoke a major war. Both
of these down river states are watching Turkey's Southeast Anatolia Project with
increasing apprehension. Israel's mining of the groundwater under the West Bank is
one of the key issues standing in the way of a final settlement between Israel and
the Palestinians.
Terrorist financier and organizer Osama Bin Laden has rejected the traditional militant hotbeds of Iran and the Levant, and with them the tacit equation of Islamic identity with Arabic or Persian identity, and has instead turned to the Indian Ocean basin. There he has set about forging a new pan-Islamic identity and movement that ignores ethnic, social, and political differences.
While there is nothing wrong with religious unity, in this case, forged by a terrorist, it has a distinctly violent underside-one we expect to plague Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for some time to come.
It may not be long before we see the sword
of Islam unsheathed again in the hands of a madman with a vengeful hatred for America.
Bin Laden's terrorist activities are not finished. They are merely on hold.
Yasser Arafat, president of the National Palestinian Authority, came to Rome for the opening of the conference and to address aspects of the "Bethlehem 2000" project, an ambitious program financed by the European Union, the United Nations, and several governments and private entities.
The Bethlehem project will build the infrastructure necessary to transform the city of Jesus' birth into an attractive place for the pilgrims of the Jubilee.
Arafat expressed his satisfaction with the
idea, although he emphasized that Bethlehem is still not a free city; it continues
to be surrounded by old and new Jewish settlements. Arafat reiterated his invitation
to the pontiff to visit Bethlehem, where the pope's presence is greatly anticipated.
John Paul II accepted the invitation, which was first made during the Palestinian
president's last visit. This was Arafat's seventh visit to the Holy See. His first
was in 1982, and his most recent visit was last June.
Referring to King Hussein of Jordan's death, the Patriarch said, "We hope that Jordan's politics will not change, and that the new king will follow in his father's footsteps, doing the same work, and giving the same input for peace."
In face of the current standstill in implementing
the Peace Agreements, the Patriarch said that "the Palestinian people believe
and hope that a new government in Israel will have a new vision, capable of integrating
Israel's need for security with the Palestinians' right to liberty. Only with this
broader vision can there be hope to achieve peace."
The Japanese are vulnerable economically, given their lack of recovery from financial problems. The Russians are carrying this message to the Japanese: unless Western help is forthcoming, Russia's economy will continue to worsen, undermining the prospects of a global economic recovery. Therefore, the Japanese have a serious interest in advocating the Russian position to the Americans. Moreover, unless the Japanese succeed in this task, they can forget about recovering Japanese islands occupied by the Russians at the end of World War II.
The Russians were delivering a more geopolitical message to the Germans. The Germans badly want stability along the territory running from the Baltics to the Balkans. They are more directly affected by instability in these regions than any other major power. They have made enormous investments in this region as well as huge investments in Russia.
Russia is letting Germany know that more than investments are at stake in this region. Russia is in a position to destabilize the entire region. This would lead to increased German dependence on the United States for stability, to Germany being forced to intervene in the region on its own or in concert with other European nations, or to the acceptance of instability and tension in its own back yard. None of these options appeal to the Germans. That is what the Russians are counting on.
During this past week recent press reports began to surface to the effect that Russia and its partner Belarus were supplying arms to Iraq. Similar reports have been surfacing for a while, but their frequency and prominence are increasing. There is little doubt in our minds that Russian and Belarussian weaponry is reaching Iraq.
On another front Russia has long been worried about Turkish intentions in the Caucuses, particularly among the Moslem nations in the region. Moscow has been increasingly close to Armenia, a non-Moslem antagonist to Turkey. In recent weeks, Russia began delivering S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Armenia, in a dramatic increase in weaponry certain to alarm Armenia's neighbors.
Such tactics are reminiscent of the Cold War. This time Russia's emphasis is not only the United States, but Japan and Germany as well.
OTTAWA: (CP/BN) - Academics, economists and politicians met last month in Ottawa to discuss the state of the world's economy. One of the key items discussed was the possibility of debate on a common North American currency to compete with the euro.
The Canadian center for Policy Alternatives conference heard suggestions of a common currency, the dollar, to be used by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Among those opposed to the idea was Auto Workers Union economist John Stanford. He warns that using the U.S. dollar would be Canada's loss. He says it would mean accepting U.S. leadership not only on currency but on Canada's socio-economic policies.
What's interesting is that economists in North America have known for years that the Europeans were working toward a common currency. Like so many things in this world the tendency is to wait...until it's too late. After the fact has become common place today. Although all nations live in a global village, some nations isolate themselves and then wonder what happened when the world doesn't unfold as expected. By the time North American economists even get around to discussing a common currency, whether using the U.S. dollar, or trying to incorporate a system that would include the Canadian dollar (often called the "loonie" due to the image of the bird on the reverse), and the Mexican peso, the European currency will be so entrenched in world economics that our economists would be wasting their time, not to mention tax dollars.
Recall the blessings God promised Israel if they followed the way He set out for them. "The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them"(Deuteronomy 28:12-13).
FRANKFURT: (Internet/Reuters) - The president of Germany's Bundesbank, Hans Tietmeyer, has said that the introduction of Europe's new single currency, the euro, should be accompanied by more political unity. Tietmeyer wants a "higher degree" of political cooperation.
Eleven of the 15 members of the European Union merged their currencies on January 1, forming a close Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Mr. Tietmeyer, one of Europe's most influential central bankers, now says that EMU has to be accompanied by a "high degree of political unity at a European level." Speaking on German radio he warned that "if everyone goes their separate ways, that could lead to conflicts with what will be a supranational monetary policy."
He warned that the launch of the euro would intensify the competition between the economies in the eurozone. Until recently, countries with high unemployment were able to increase their competitiveness through currency devaluation. EMU will make that impossible. Mr. Tietmeyer's conclusion is that high unemployment can only be tackled through closer political cooperation.
Contributors:
Darris McNeely, David Palmer,
Phil Schafer, John Schroeder
This Is the Way...
Long ago, God stated to Abraham that, "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed"(Genesis 12:3). It is to be understood that first and foremost this is speaking of spiritual salvation for all humanity through the birth of Abraham's descendant, Jesus Christ. But there is also an added aspect of historical note regarding the physical descendants of Abraham that should be considered. It is found in Genesis 48:19. In speaking of Abraham's grandchildren, the Bible says, "He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
This verse spells out a prophetic blessing upon Abraham's descendants that defines a role of historical greatness.These verses speak of a people who would become "great" and a kindred people who would become a "multitude of nations." We see spelled out verses that depict the modern rise of the special relationship communities of the United States (Manasseh) and the famous alliance of nations known as the British Commonwealth (Ephraim).
But greatness does not just occur. God utilizes men and women throughout human history to bring about His will and purpose. God intervenes in the human chronicle through the hearts and minds of people. Romans 13:1 exemplifies God's finger on the pulse of history by stating, "For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
Throughout the biblical narrative we think of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Tiberius and Herod. What about George Washington? No, he is not biblically mentioned by name, but can we consider that he was directly used by God? Was he "appointed" by God to a role in His plan of establishing the "greatness" of modern day Manasseh? A "greatness" that would be molded by his personal walk through the historical fresh snow laid before him at the dawn of the American Revolution? Let's peek back in history and understand the tracks that Washington laid for future generations to follow.
Today, many people when confronted with George Washington, think of the man with the stern face painted by Gilbert Stuart that appears on America's one dollar bills. As a landed gentleman, he would become first a general and later the first president of the United States. This is indeed a limiting picture, and to limit Washington is to limit ourselves. Rather than being stuck with the visual picture of the colonnades of Mt. Vernon, let's understand that Washington was born in humbler surroundings, being born into a much lower rung of Virginia gentry. We might say towards the bottom.
At his father's early death, in accordance with the British custom, most of the inheritance of family domain went to his half-brother Lawrence. Washington's formal education was over at age 15. But he did an amazing thing. He wrote out a collection of European maxims which he titled "The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." This exercise would instill in him a moral fabric in relating to other human beings. It would be his shining star to guide him. This is not too unlike the writing exercise the ancient kings of Israel were to perform. The instruction of Deuteronomy 17:18-20 states, "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel."
God's law was more than just rules for rules' sake, but more about relationships. Relationships that would not separate men, but bring them together on the equal plane of "brethren." Washington's list is in no way holy writ, but it contains a lot of wisdom pertaining to personal dealings with others. Let's read a few of the rules he wrote:
"In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet." "Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop." My favorite is, "Spit not in the fire, nor stoop low before it, neither put your hands into the flames to warm them, nor set your feet upon the fire especially if there be meat before it."
What is interesting is the sense of value placed on outgoing concern towards others. These "proverbs" of the classical era would offer Washington a sensitized moral compass of "justice, judgment and equity;" as mentioned in the Bible and offer "to the young man knowledge and discretion-A wise man will hear and increase learning"(Proverbs 1:4-5). At a time when colonial America was still inventing itself, this young man was likewise self-examining and personally inventive. He recognized that if he were to succeed and be a person of worth he would have to establish standards and values. Values that would work later in life for him-recognizing that you do not find your values in a trial or situation, but you take them into the arena with you. The common self invention of the man and the nation would cross paths on the snow field of history 40 years down the line.
This would be very important in the bumpy road to independence from the British Empire. Early on, he would be chased from Brooklyn, lose Manhattan, flee across New Jersey, and pick up a couple of victories at Princeton and Trenton. But always his biggest victory would be keeping the army together. Imagine an army composed of merchants, farmers, backwoodsmen, including every ethnic and racial group in America (still in some cases speaking their native tongue), all from 13 different sovereign states. Yankees from New England, Dutch from New York, Germans from Pennsylvania, Scots-Irish from the South, Swedes from Delaware, and African-Americans seeking a piece of the dream for liberty .
But all this would come to a grinding halt in the snows of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1777. Washington despaired, "The game will be pretty well up!" The British General Howe was outside Philadelphia, Congress had fled to Baltimore, and there before him in the snow was the sight of "men, without clothes, to cover their nakedness; without blankets to lay on; without shoes, by which their marches might be traced, by the blood from their feet." His army had shrunk to 3,000 men, and more were deserting daily. What had happened to that bright and wondrous picture of liberty? What had happened to the pure and glistening wonderment of government not based upon birth, but government based upon personal ability?
Like the snow, Washington now had to step out and make tracks where no man had gone before. Encouragement would come from a young, French nobleman, the Marquis de Lafayette. It is said that at one particularly low point the Marquis reminded his general that "the eyes of Europe are upon you!" Every step was being watched, every footprint in the snow was being analyzed by a world which had never known anything other than kings, emperors, czars and khans. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Sometimes we need to remind one another exactly "why are we here?" In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey calls it "beginning with the end in mind." Herbert Armstrong called it "keeping the big picture." Remember, you don't find your values in a trial, you take them in with you. First Corinthians 3:13 vividly reminds us, "Each one's work will become clear: for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is."
In English history, having disposed of King Charles, Oliver Cromwell stayed on his horse at the head of the New Model Army and became Lord Protector. Napoleon a few years down the line would stay on his horse and go from being "first citizen of the republic" to Emperor. In the course of the American Revolution as sole commander, Washington had outlasted eight presidents of the Continental Congress. On December 23, 1783, at Annapolis, Maryland, Washington ceremoniously handed back to the president of Congress the parchment commission he had received in Philadelphia on June 15, 1775. He had never lost the vision. For this man, giving up power was more ennobling than winning a war. It is said that King George III asked the American painter Benjamin West what General Washington was likely to do when peace came. Would he stay with the army, would he become head of state? West replied, "Washington will probably return home to his farm." King George responded, "If Washington does that, he will become the most famous man in the world."
Rather than merely comparing Washington's example to Cincinnatus, let's focus on Christ's words in Matthew 20:25-28. "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Whether or not Washington fully recognized it, he was following someone else's tracks that had been laid out long before his.
For the remainder of his life, George Washington realized he would have incredible responsibility in how he conducted himself and used his fame and notoriety. He would be called on again and again to "walk through the snow." In 1785, two years after the final peace treaty had been signed, with the country tottering in its disunited infancy under the Articles of Confederation, he stated, "I can foresee no evil greater than disunion." Here were 13 loosely confederated states of America now more afraid of one another than the nearby lingering shadow of the British Empire. How could they ever unite? As he would state, "the fate of unborn millions" would rest on their deliberations. Here was an individual of growth and invention that would spend his life in transformation from a British subject, to a man of the South from Virginia, to a Nationalist.
Pierce Butler, of South Carolina, thought the president's powers were "full, great, and greater than I was disposed to make them. Nor do I believe they would have been so great had not many of the members cast their eyes towards General Washington as President; and shaped their ideas of the Powers to be given a President by their opinions of his virtue." From the beginning America's concept of the presidency, was the idea of virtue-let's put it plainly-character. The standard would be-not simply what you do-but what you are. This was the only way a young and frightened nation could come to terms with trusting an executive leader. Washington's lifetime of self invention based upon his "Rules of Civility" had served him and the nation well.
Today, during and after the recent impeachment hearings and trial, there is talk of "compartmentalization"-the notion that all the parts of one's life do not necessarily have to connect, that moral character and job competency do not have to be in one man. This is simply not the original American equation of republican ideal and it is certainly not biblically founded. Notice the power of cause and effect as outlined in Proverbs 29:2: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Washington's stepping off his horse, and later his stepping away from the executive office after his second term, set forever the mode of America's greatness of being gallant enough to conquer the problems that lay in her path, but also to have the ability to muster the "right stuff" and go back home when the task was accomplished.
Snow is a wondrous attraction. So are the revolutions of history. What appears wondrous can take a sharp turn towards disaster. Many revolutions would follow the American experiment. Hope would turn to despair as tyrants of royal blood would be replaced with demagogues with radical blood flowing in their veins. Much of Latin America would devolve for nearly two centuries into military dictatorships. The great revolutions of France and Russia would go through stages of moderation to radicalism-ending with much of their citizenry losing their lives, because of the lack of a galvanizing example of moderation like Washington's. Imagine a "modern day Manasseh" whose civilians would report to the military or whose chief executive maintained total power for a lifetime. Then, think again of one man's influence as he walked in the snow for a nation to follow. v
© 1999 United Church of God,
an International Association
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