People of the Keys!

“The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”.
(Ephesians 2:2)

Children Of Disobedience

Dear Friends,

Greetings! We hope you have had the time to read or review " The Coming Temple" which we posted last week. If not, you can click on the link to view it. Below are some additional quotes from Ernest L. Martin's book “The Temples that Jerusalem forgot.”, that serve to reinforce our belief that the former Jewish Temples were not located above the rock on which the Muslim “Dome of the Rock” presently stands but instead above the Gihon Spring approximately six hundred feet south of the south wall of the Haram Al-Sharif.

“There is NOT a single reference either in the Holy Scriptures or any secular source that a natural outcropping of rock located on the highest point of a ridge (or hill) was ever associated with the positioning of the Temples. This also applies to the sites of both the Holy of Holies and the Altar of Burnt Offering. This is a most important fact that we must now consider and be cognizant of its importance.

Where David prayed and raised up an altar that became the site of Solomon”s Temple was once a threshing-floor. The word in Hebrew denotes a type of a floor (that is, a level area where grain could be threshed). All threshing-floors are level areas, just like a floor, usually on a terrace between the strata of rocks on the upper slopes of hills. No farmer would think to make a threshing-floor on the peaked tip of a natural outcropping of rock with rough indentations where grain would fall and have to be scooped out by hand. One can search the Bible throughout and never find that the Temples were built over the natural rock outcropping like the “Rock” under the Dome of the Rock.

Every Jewish person in the world was fully aware a generation before the time of Maimonides (1134-1205) that the holy site of their former Temples was over the Gihon Spring in southeastern Jerusalem. But, a generation after the time of Maimonides there was NOT a Jew in the world who remembered this historical fact. Indeed, it was Maimonides himself who got the whole of the Jewish nation to turn their eyes from the true site of the Temples over the Gihon Spring, and make them focus on the fake site of the Dome of the Rock that they all recognize today.”[1]

Maimonides

“The man Maimonides was one of the finest human beings (judged by human standards) that has ever lived on earth. He simply loved human beings, no matter if they were Jewish, Arabic, European, Asiatic, African, or what. And though he considered those people in the far north and the far south (near the equator) as being sub-human (these were his exact words), he would render help and service to them as though they were his equal and brother.

In a word, if one had to single out a noble person within all of history who put the welfare of the human race as paramount (no matter who they were or what religious or social beliefs they had if those beliefs were based on the concept of kindness to all on earth), Maimonides would be a candidate for those in top position.

In real practical and philosophical belief, Maimonides by his own admission and practice was a thorough-going Hellenist who insisted that the Jewish nation give up the simple and plain teachings of Moses on several important Old Testament doctrines and to adopt in their place the "Greek philosophical way" (notably the concepts of Aristotle). The word "Hellenist" came to mean anyone who adopted the pagan teachings of the Greeks and Romans. Maimonides was a Hellenist.

Let me give an example of what I mean. In all places of the Holy Scriptures (and also among the Jewish Sages of the Talmudic period) God is defined in anthropomorphic terms. That is, He is consistently described as being like humans in appearance. In the first chapter of Genesis, we find that human beings are made in the likeness and image of God. And this teaching dominates all pages of the Holy Scriptures. The New Testament advocates the same thing. God is reckoned to look in body-form just like Jesus Christ (expressly so – Hebrews 1:3) and Christ Jesus is even described in his glorified condition at the present to be an anthropos (a man) (see I Timothy 2:4-6). When man observes this image of Deity, the Scriptures show that God looks like all humans. This is the scriptural teaching. Indeed, the design of the Holy Temple at Jerusalem showed the anthropomorphic appearance of God.

Maimonides, however, found this belief to be very distasteful and unsatisfactory to him. It was not the manner in which many of the philosophers of his time (twelfth and early thirteenth centuries) viewed the Creator. In order to alter this long held belief by early Jewish teachers (including all the writers of the Holy Scriptures), Maimonides dogmatically stated in his "Third Principle of the Jewish Faith" the statement that "God has no body." There was uproar among Jewish scholars at the time over his assertion (among other foreign doctrines that Maimonides taught), but within 200 years almost all scholars within Judaism accepted this teaching of Maimonides. What Maimonides did was to allegorize every statement in the Scriptures or written by the Talmudic Sages that suggested that God had body parts like a human. The symbolism of the Temple, however, gave Maimonides some major criticisms of his personal belief that God did not have a body like humans (or, that God had any body at all).

It was the actions of Maimonides over his dislike of the Temple features (because it promoted anthropomorphic descriptions of God) that helped in making the Jewish people forget even where their former Temples were located in Jerusalem. The Mosaic and biblical Temple design and rules and regulations of the Temple were totally anthropomorphic in their outward appearance and this was an anathema to Maimonides in his heart of hearts. As a matter of fact, in his own ideal Temple that he recorded in his book "Guide for the Perplexed", Maimonides had Aristotle and his teachings positioned solidly within the Holy of Holies (along with Moses, whom he taught believed like Aristotle), while the ordinary Jewish people with their Rabbis still teaching Moses and the Holy Scriptures in the biblical sense were left out of his Holy of Holies. Maimonides even called the eminent Rabbis who believed that God had a body as the Tanak (the Old Testament) taught along with the Talmud, as nothing more than ignoramuses.

The truth is Maimonides’ book "Guide for the Perplexed" is pure heresy to all the principles of the early Jewish faith of those who lived during Temple times and in the period of the Talmuds as well as those who wrote the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. Quite a number of Jewish scholars who have studied it admit this is a true appraisal. The "Guide" is an attempt to make Hellenism (in its philosophic sense) the official doctrine of Judaism. But the teaching is heathen to the core. What Antiochus Epiphanes and the emperor Hadrian tried to do with their armed forces to coerce the Jewish people to accept the normal teachings of Hellenism (that is, force them to accept Hellenism alongside their Judaism as the proper ecumenical philosophical and religious standard), Maimonides who retained his status as a Jew accomplished in his time (and for 200 years afterward) what Antiochus and Hadrian set out to do...Maimonides did his work of destroying the true teachings of the Tanak (the Holy Scriptures) as a Jew who openly taught "orthodoxy" to the Jewish masses and did this without firing a shot of antagonism against his people. He attempted (and in all accounts he succeeded) to turn Judaism into Hellenism. He was clever.

In a word, Maimonides was a great philanthropist and servant to all human beings who needed his help in their time of need, but he died as perplexed as he was throughout his life over the fact that the common people (whom he called ignoramuses) were willing to live and die for their God, that to him did not exist.”[2]

If you are still not convinced that the Temples were not over the rock where the Dome of the Rock now stands we might suggest you obtain a copy of “The Temples that Jerusalem forgot.” which is available at askelm.com. This 476 page book with 704 references approaches the subject from every imaginable angle possible. Although we do not agree with every single aspect of the book, concerning the Temple he has certainly done his research.

To put it in the most simple terms, the Temples had to be built where there was running water for the animal sacrifices. The Gihon Spring is the only running water within five miles of Jerusalem.

If it is so simple why is so difficult for leaders of the Jewish faith to understand this? This is what we hope to answer in this paper.

The Haram esh-Sharif where the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque stand was the Roman Praetorium, Fort Antonia.

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Rabbinic Judaism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism (Hebrew: "Yahadut Rabanit" - יהדות רבנית) has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. Growing out of Pharisaic Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism became the predominant stream within the Jewish diaspora between the 2nd and 6th centuries, with the redaction of the oral law and the Talmud as the authoritative interpretation of Jewish scripture and to encourage the practice of Judaism in the absence of Temple sacrifice and other practices no longer possible. Rabbinic Judaism is based on the belief that at Mount Sinai, Moses received directly from God the Torah (Pentateuch) as well as additional oral explanation of the revelation, the "oral law," that was transmitted by Moses to the people in oral form.

Mainstream Rabbinic Judaism contrasts with Karaite Judaism (Hebrew: יהדות קראית), which does not recognize the oral law as a divine authority nor the Rabbinic procedures used to interpret Jewish scripture. Although there are now profound differences among Jewish denominations of Rabbinic Judaism with respect to the binding force of halakha and the willingness to challenge preceding interpretations, all identify themselves as coming from the tradition of the oral law and the Rabbinic method of analysis. It is this which distinguishes them as Rabbinic Jews, in comparison to Karaite Judaism.

Historically, the division of Jews in many Western countries into denominations, which in the United States in particular took the form of three large groups known as Orthodox, Conservative and Reform, can be traced to Jewish reaction to the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) and its aftermath, and to a certain extent the philosophies of these movements were shaped in reaction to one another. Several smaller movements have emerged in the years since. In more recent years, all of these movements have been shaped by the challenge of assimilation.

As of 2001, Orthodox Jews and Jews affiliated with an Orthodox synagogue, accounted for approximately 50% of Anglo Jewry (150,000), 25% of Israeli Jewry (1,500,000) and 13% of American Jewry (529,000).[4] (Among those affiliated to a synagogue body, Orthodox Jews represent 70% of British Jewry[5] and 27% of American Jewry).

Background

In keeping with the commandments of the Torah, Judaism had centered tightly on religious practice and sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. However, after the destruction of the Temple, Jews were deprived of a central place of worship and religious activity and were unable to fulfill the Temple-related practices mandated in the Tanakh, and were scattered around the world.

Written and oral law

The feature that distinguishes Rabbinic Judaism is the belief in the Oral Law or Oral Torah. The authority for that position has been the tradition taught by the Rabbis that the oral law was transmitted to Moses at Mount Sinai at the same time as the Written Law and that the Oral Law has been transmitted from generation to generation since. The Talmud is said to be a codification of the Oral Law, and is thereby just as binding as the Torah itself. To demonstrate this position some point to the Exodus 18 and Numbers 11 of the Bible are cited to show that Moses appointed elders to govern with him and to judge disputes, imparting to them details and guidance of how to interpret the revelations from God while carrying out their duties. Additionally, all the laws in the Written Torah are recorded only as part of a narrative describing God telling these law to Moses and commanding him to transmit them orally to the Jewish nation. None of the laws in the Written Law are presented as instructions to the reader.

Development of Rabbinic Judaism

As the Rabbis were required to face a new reality—mainly Judaism without a Temple (to serve as the center of teaching and study) and Judea without autonomy—there was a flurry of legal discourse and the old system of oral scholarship could not be maintained. It is during this period that Rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing. The theory that the destruction of the Temple and subsequent upheaval led to the committing of Oral Law into writing was first explained in the Epistle of Sherira Gaon and often repeated. The oral law was subsequently codified in the Mishnah and Gemara, and is interpreted in Rabbinic literature detailing subsequent rabbinic decisions and writings. Rabbinic Jewish literature is predicated on the belief that the Torah cannot be properly understood without recourse to the Oral Law. Indeed, it states that many commandments and stipulations contained in the Torah would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep without the Oral Law to define them — for example, the prohibition to do any "creative work" ("melakha") on the Sabbath, which is given no definition in the Torah, and only given practical meaning by the definition of what constitutes 'Melacha' provided by the Oral Law and passed down orally through the ages. Numerous examples exist of this general prohibitive language in the Torah (such as, "don't steal", without defining what is considered theft, or ownership and property laws), requiring — according to Rabbinic thought — a subsequent crystallization and definition through the Oral Law. Thus Rabbinic Judaism claims that almost all directives, both positive and negative, in the Torah are non-specific in nature and would therefore require the existence of either an Oral Law tradition to explain them, or some other method of defining their detail.[citation needed] Much Rabbinic Jewish literature concerns specifying what behavior is sanctioned by the law; this body of interpretations is called halakha (the way). (Previously published on People of the Keys.)[3]

The Pharisees and the Rabbanites

Do Not Equate Karaism with Zionism

by Abraham Collier 01/09/08:

It is of necessity to remind you that the Pharisees, who are the ancestors of the Rabbanites, were the enemies of all Judaism during the Second Temple Era. Once this is understood, you will see how Rabbanite Judaism is the true plague that maladies the Jews.

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The Pharisee and Sadducee Controversy

When one studies the Second Temple Era, they are usually overwhelmed by the contradictions, obscurities, and blatant bias that many historians, philosophers, clergymen and rabbis had towards the Jews at that time. Josephus, he is probably the best source for knowledge of this period, states: "...while some men who were not concerned in the affairs themselves have gotten together vain and contradictory stories by hearsay, and have written them down after a sophistical manner; and while those that were there present have given false accounts of things, and this either out of a humor of flattery to the Romans, or of hatred towards the Jews..." (Josephus War. Preface 1 Ch Line 2) People should take established legend and tradition with a grain of salt. For whosoever is the victor writes the history of the victim! Contrary to popular opinion, the Pharisee sect was the main enemy of Judaism in the Second Temple era. The Sadducees comprised of the majority of all Jews. Additionally, there was a tiny Hellenistic Sadducee sect that controlled the priesthood and conspired with the Pharisees. The Pharisees and Hellenistic Sadducees also collaborated with the Roman Empire in order to obtain religious and political power over the Jews in Palestine at the time. Regarding the Pharisees, the historian Josephus, himself a Pharisee, stated, 'What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers (not by Yahweh, but by men), which are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers.' (Josephus Ant. 13 Ch. 10 Par. 6)

The Pharisee sympathizer Queen Alexandra (76-67 b.c.e) was recorded to have done the following: "So she (Alexandra) made Hyrcanus high priest, because he was the elder, but much more because he cared not to meddle with politics, and permitted the Pharisees to do every thing; to whom also she ordered the multitude to be obedient. She also restored again those practices which the Pharisees had introduced, according to the traditions of their forefathers, and which her father-in-law, Hyrkanos, had abrogated. So she had indeed the name of the regent, but the Pharisees had the authority; for it was they who restored such as had been banished, and set such as were prisoners at liberty, and, to say all at once, they differed in nothing from lords." (Josephus Ant. 13 Ch. 16 Par. 2)

At the time of the Idumean/Arab/Hellenistic puppet king Herod, Josephus writes how the king favoured the Pharisees because they supported his Roman sanctioned ruler ship:

"And since Herod had now the government of all Judea put into his hands, he promoted such of the private men in the city as had been of his party, but never left off avenging and punishing every day those that had chosen to be of the party of his enemies. But Pollio the Pharisee, and Sameas, a disciple of his, were honored by him above all the rest; for when Jerusalem was besieged, they advised the citizens to receive Herod, for which advice they were well requited." (Josephus Ant. 15 Ch. 1 Par. 1) "So Aristobulus's party (Sadducees) was worsted, and retired into the temple, and cut off the communication between the temple and the city, by breaking down the bridge that joined them together, and prepared to make an opposition to the utmost (to the death!); but as the others (the Pharisees) had received the Romans into the city, and had delivered up the palace to him (Pompey)- he then disposed all things that were round about them so as might favor their attacks, as having Hyrcanus's (Sadducean Pharisee sympathizers) party very ready to afford them both counsel and assistance."

The Roman transfer of Jewish control to the Pharisees now Rabbanites was finalized after the final Jewish revolt by Bar Kokhba in 135 b.c.e. In doing so, the Rabbanites had full control of the writing (or re-writing if you will) of the crucial political and religious history of Palestine during Roman occupation. The Pharisees were free to reinterpret the history and facts about the Sadducees, Romans, Zealots, and Revolutionaries according to their own theology and political biases in retrospect and place them in the Talmud and commentaries. Having established seminaries and academies, training of a new generation of Pharisee rabbis, the canonization and writing down of the traditions of the fathers (Talmud), and the dictatorial imposing of their once tiny sect upon the rest of Judaism, the Pharisees now Rabbanites secured their longtime lust to control every aspect of Jewish life

The results of a Pharisaic control of Judaism effectively produced "establishment Judaism" which we now call Orthodox Judaism. And to 99% of the world, this expression of Judaism, with its traditions and Talmud is what most consider to be Judaism. Thus "mainstream" or "true" Judaism for nearly 2000 years was, in the eyes of the majority, Orthodox Rabbanite Judaism.

Throughout history the Rabbanites knew that disclosure of their part in Jewish betrayal and Hellenic/Roman collaboration would leave their reputation and authority waning. Also, any attempt at a Messianic uprising would prove dangerous not just to the Jewish population, but to the rule of the Rabbanites themselves. And therefore one of the most powerful and long lasting implications of Pharisaic/Rabbanite control of Judaism was its ability to downplay and reject most forms of messianic/nationalistic hopes on part of the Jewish population.

To prevent any type of nationalism that could threaten Pharisee control, most messianic concepts were turned into a strange type of mysticism. Pharisee/Rabbanite methods of interpretation, called PaRDeS, advocated that mystical interpretations of Scripture were the text's most definite interpretation. To make things worse, many Rabbanites with mystical leaning claimed that their mystical texts even predated the Torah and were written by Adam or Abraham!

To prevent any hope of reestablishing an independent Jewish state, most energies for Messianic hope were transferred to the pursuit of mystical practices. Once these mystical pursuits became more the norm, a new aspect of Rabbanite Judaism emerged- that of the Qabbalah- or Rabbanite Jewish mystical tradition. The inclusion of certain Zoroastrian doctrines and concepts into the Talmud (such as astrology and angelic hierarchies) also allowed the influx of non-Jewish magical systems into the Qabbalah. The publication of allegedly "ancient" mystical texts such as Sefer Yetsirah and the Zohar occurred in the Medieval period as well as the erection of Qabbalistic schools in Europe and Palestine. Since the Medieval times, many non-Jewish occult schools emerged whose foundations were in the Qabbalah.

Maintenance of ignorance toward the Torah: To keep the Jewish mind busy and allied to Rabbanite thought, the Rabbanite establishment placed an enormous emphasis on studying Torah. In almost all cases when the Rabbanites say "Torah", they mean the Talmud and other commentaries. Constant study of Rabbanite thought and belief amongst the Jewish population assures the rabbis that all Jews will conform to Talmudic practice. When the Karaite sect emerged in the 8th century and maintained that the Jews should only practice and follow the Tanakh alone, the Rabbanites lashed out in violent protest. Luckily, the Islamic authorities allowed the Karaites to maintain a autonomy of their own without Rabbanite oppression.

Deuteronomy Chapter 4

1 And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which YHWH, the God of your fathers, giveth you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy Chapter 13

1 All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Proverbs Chapter 30

5 Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him.

6 Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

The fact that there was no additional oral law given to Moses is quite clear. These are all before the Rabbanites but they choose not to see it. They still insist that the "written" Torah is incomplete without its oral accompaniment. Rabbanite dominance over all of Judaism allowed them to place the existence of the Talmud in the mouth of Moses in retrospect. The insistence of this lie combined with the influence to punish those who do not believe it creates a forced conformity that Rabbanite Jews are very proud of. "This conformity", they say, "is proof that we have the true Judaism." They like to point out that the Karaites are unorganized and that is why they remain in such small numbers today. Since when was conformity a criteria for righteousness? Or unyielding obedience to the words of Man equivalent to holiness? It is for this adherence to silly traditions which add to the Torah that the Conservative and Reform movements were established. But even these liberal Rabbanite groups have failed in that the result of their actions have caused their followers to reject the real Torah while retaining the customs of the Talmud. While they can't see it, its clear to us that the liberal movements take equally away from the Torah as the Orthodox have added to it. Strong allegiance to the Talmud of the rabbis have caused many Jews just to give up and become secular, self-hating Jews. These secularists have become the Jews' worst enemies. They have established the twisted ideas of Marxism and Zionism. They have participated in the murder of Jews around the world.

Refusal to use the Name of YHWH: The foolish precepts of the Rabbanites have prevented Jews from using the Name of God- YHWH. No matter what the Rabbanites say, Jews are to use God's name- it is a commandment. Though most Jews claim the name is forgotten, to the contrary, information on pronouncing the name is readily available. I pronounce the name Yahweh. The calling on the name YHWH is an important part of prophecy for those who call on the Name of YHWH will be saved.

Exodus Chapter 3

14 And God said unto Moses: 'I AM THAT I AM'; and He said: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.'

15 And God said moreover unto Moses: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them: YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying: I have surely remembered you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

And the name, YHWH, was commonly spoken by those in the Tanakh

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

25 that Moses commanded the Levites, that bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH, saying: 26 'Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of YHWH your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against YHWH; and how much more after my death?

Second Samuel Chapter 12

13 And David said unto Nathan: 'I have sinned against YHWH.' And Nathan said unto David: 'YHWH also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast greatly blasphemed the enemies of YHWH, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.'

Nehemia Chapter 9

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: 'Stand up and bless YHWH your God from everlasting to everlasting; and let them say: Blessed be Thy glorious Name, that is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Concerning why the name YHWH is not written, Rabbinical Jews point to the following verses as reason to protect YHWH's name from being erased; however, these verses describe an action of YHWH's. He blots out someone's name from heaven not someone blotting out YHWH's name. This effort to prevent YHWH's name from being blotted out has resulted in blotting out YHWH's name from almost everywhere including most interpretations of the Tanakh!

Deuteronomy Chapter 9

13 Furthermore YHWH spoke unto me, saying: 'I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people;

14 let Me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.'

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

19 YHWH will not be willing to pardon him, but then the anger of YHWH and His jealousy shall be kindled against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him, and YHWH shall blot out his name from under heaven;

20 and YHWH shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law.

Jeremiah Chapter 23

25 I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in My name, saying: 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'

26 How long shall this be? Is it in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

27 That think to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.

The Conclusion

My opinion is that Rabbanite Judaism is the true plague. You may think this is harsh but you need to consider the bigger picture. I feel that Rabbanite Judaism is the cause of the Jews' hardships. Shabbatai Tsvi, the liberal Rabbanite movements, Zionism and Marxism are all the result of the sins of Rabbanite Judaism.

The Talmud states that the messiah will follow the Oral Law of the rabbis. The Talmud also states that Rabbanite authority is so powerful that even God must acquiesce to it. Additionally, the Talmud states that if any prophet were to arise (and the Talmud gives Elijah as an example) and contradict Rabbanite law, that prophet will die. I say that the Rabbanites do not want the Messiah to come. They do not want the Redemption to happen. Why? How could I say such a thing? Because of history. History shows that the Pharisees rejected Jewish independence and nationalism. History shows that the Pharisees wanted to establish their traditions at the cost of Jewish blood. History shows that the Pharisees wanted to maintain control at the cost of Jewish blood. History shows that the Rabbanites twisted Scripture and Jewish minds with their traditions.

If the Messiah were to come today and say "There is no oral law. There is only the Torah of Moses." The rabbis would agree that they have to kill the messiah. If Elijah returned today and stated, "Return to the Torah of Moses alone." The rabbis would have to kill Elijah. The rabbis have created a self-defeating cycle of hopelessness. They have enacted laws to prevent any type of true reformation in their religion. They have put so many fences around the Torah that they don't know what the Torah looks like any more or how to acquire it. Rabbanite Judaism is a self-perpetuating monster that cannot heal itself or deal with its own history. It is incapable of true reform. It is impervious to the Messiah. It is impervious to YHWH. It is impervious to the Prophets. For there to arise Elijah, the Prophets, and a Messiah would mean that the Rabbanite authority would have to relinquish all of their power and traditions. I know for a fact that they are not ready to do that. And because they maintain the power hungry lust of their ancestors the Pharisees, they will do all they can to maintain that power. [4]

It would seem that the same “spirit” that was behind Pharisee-ism is the same “spirit” guiding Rabbinical Judaism. (Previously published on People of the Keys.)

Karaite Views on the Mishnah (Oral Torah-Talmud)

Karaites do not accept the existence of an Oral Law because:

The Mishnah quotes many conflicting opinions.

The Mishnah does not go on to say in which opinion the truth lies. Rather, the Mishnah sometimes agrees with neither one nor the other, contradicting both.

They argue that the truth of the oral law given to Moses could only be in one opinion, not many opinions.

They question why the Mishnah does not solely speak in the name of Moses.

The Oral Law is not explicitly mentioned in the Tanakh.

When God told Moses to come up to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah He said, "Come up to me into the mountain, and be there: and I will give you tablets of stone, and a law, and commandments that I have written"; (Ex 24:12). The text states the commands are written, and no mention is made of an Oral Law.

The Tanakh reports that the written Torah was both lost and completely forgotten for over 50 years and only rediscovered by the Temple priests (2Ki 22:8; 2Chr 34:15). It is inconceivable that an Oral Law could have been remembered when even the written Law was forgotten.

The words of the Mishnah and Talmud are clearly the words of people living in the 2nd–5th centuries CE, in contrast to the Torah, which is held to be a direct revelation by God through Moses.

The Torah states, "You shall not add to the word that I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH, your God, which I command you." (Deut 4:2) They argue that this excludes the possibility of later interpretation, when that interpretation is viewed as divinely ordained.

Joshua 8:34–35 states:

וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן, קָרָא אֶת-כָּל-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה, הַבְּרָכָה, וְהַקְּלָלָה—כְּכָל-הַכָּתוּב, בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה.לֹא-הָיָה דָבָר, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה—אֲשֶׁר לֹא-קָרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, נֶגֶד כָּל-קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף, וְהַגֵּר, הַהֹלֵךְ בְּקִרְבָּם.

After that, he [Joshua] read all the words of the Torah, the Blessing and the Curse, according to all that is written in the Torah scroll. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that walked among them.

Since Joshua read from the Torah every word Moses had written, this implies that Moses had not been given an Oral Law, since Joshua could not have read an Oral Law from the written Torah. Secondly, there could not have been additional commandments outside of the written Torah, since all the commandments that existed could be read from the Torah scroll.

In addition to this, Joshua 1:8 states: This book of the law is not to depart out of your mouth, but you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. (Previously published on People of the Keys.)[5]

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The above material should help us in our understanding of the Pharisees and modern Rabbinic Judaism. We need to keep in mind that all of Jesus' early converts, thousands of them, were Jewish.

Luke 2

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Incidentally the name Y E S H U A in the Old Testament actually means salvation

The word “Christ” actually appears four times in the Septragint version of the Old Testament in Kings 1 2:10(1 Samuel in the KJV) “The Lord will weaken his adversary; the Lord is holy. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; but let him that boasts boast in this, to understand and know the Lord, and to execute judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. The Lord has gone up to the heavens, and has thundered: he will judge the extremities of the earth, and he gives strength to our kings, and will exalt the horn of his Christ,Psalm 2:2 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers gathered themselves together, against the Lord, and against his Christ; Amos 4:12 For, behold, I am he that strengthens the thunder, and creates the wind, and proclaims to men his Christ, forming the morning and the darkness, and mounting on the high places of the earth, The Lord God Almighty is his name and Daniel 9:25 And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the prince there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and then the time shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall, and the times shall be exhausted.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament approximately forty-five times in the Gospels. If you look up Jesus' quotes in the Old Testament you will see that they do not fit exactly the quotes from the Old Testament. But if you look up Jesus' quotes in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament you will see they are almost spot on. There is of course a reason for this.

Between the sixth century AD and the year 1000 there was a subset of Jews known as the Masoretes.

They took it upon themselves to retranslate the Septuagint from the Koine Greek back into Hebrew. In doing so they left out words like 'Christ' amongst other changes as well.

Another point, if you look at the original Hebrew called Paleo Hebrew found with the Dead Sea Scrolls which were found at Qumran along the Salt (Dead) Sea you will see there is virtually no resemblance to modern Hebrew. Palio Hebrew was a pictographic language which some say was derived from ancient Aramaic.

The reason Jesus' quotes do not match that well in the King James Version of the Bible and almost every English translation is because they were translated from the Masoretic version of the Old Testament.

John 7

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they (the Pharisees) seek to kill?

But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

John 11

Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

John 8

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Abraham is our father. We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

To whom was Jesus talking.... the scribes and Pharisees. Just after they finished proclaiming how righteous they were He tells them they are of their father the devil. Then they wanted to stone Him to death. He was not talking to the entire Jewish nation of whom all the early Christians were Jews, He was talking to those whom claimed to be the most righteous, the scribes and Pharisees. Even one of the greatest Pharisees of that time who actually persecuted the early Church, Saul, eventually received Jesus as the Christ and became the Apostle Paul.

Jesus was not talking to Simeon and Anna and those Jews that knew He was the Christ and believed on Him.

Worth noting here is the saying that most people who are used by the devil do not realize they are being used by the devil.

Mark 7:13

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. See also Matthew 23 for further understandings of Jesus' feeling on the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 27

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

“Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. Growing out of Pharisaic Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism became the predominant stream within the Jewish diaspora between the 2nd and 6th centuries.[6]

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The Antichrist and the Temple

Vision: "He [the Antichrist] even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down" (Daniel 8:11).

Interpretation: The Prince of the host (and the Prince of princes in verse 25) is either God or Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 confirms this where it says that the Antichrist "exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped."

"By him [the Antichrist] the daily sacrifice was taken away." "Daily sacrifice" refers to ritual animal sacrifices carried out in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, a practice that has been suspended since the second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It appears, however, that some time between now and the Great Tribulation, the Jews will finally be able to rebuild their Temple on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah and reinstitute animal sacrifices on its altar. But in the middle of the Antichrist's seven-year reign, when he exalts himself above all religions, he will bring an end to this practice (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; Matthew 24:15,21).

Then, in that holy place, the Temple area, the world government will erect some kind of "living" (possibly computer-controlled) image of the Antichrist. This is the "abomination of desolation" that both Daniel and Jesus spoke of (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15). The Antichrist will then demand that the whole world worship his image or be killed (Revelation 13:14-18).

"The place of His sanctuary was cast down." It doesn't seem that the Antichrist is going to destroy the Temple, but rather occupy it himself, because we are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that he "sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." So "cast down" apparently means that the Temple will no longer be sacred; it will be desecrated or "polluted" (Daniel 11:31) by the abominable Image of the Beast.

Verse 31: “Forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.”

This is a key verse because, together with Daniel 9:27, it tells us that three and a half years after confirming the seven-year covenant, the Antichrist will break it when he forcibly enters the Jewish Temple (soon to be rebuilt on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem), “takes away the daily sacrifice,” and places there something called the “abomination of desolation” (also referred to in Revelation, chapter 13, as the “image of the Beast”).

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

The Antichrist reign and his persecution of God's Children begins with the placing of the abomination of desolation and continues for exactly 1,260 days, 42 months, 3-1/2 times (years), or 1/2 week (Rev.12:6; 13:5; Dan.7:25; 9:27)

MAT.24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) We have learned from the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation and many other places in the Bible, that the abomination of desolation is going to be an image, an idol of the antichrist. The antichrist tries to force the world to worship the idol, and in so doing, worship him. Jesus says here that "when ye see", when you see this idol, this image standing in the holy place, Mount Moriah, Jerusalem, when you see the antichrist image, raised up and standing there, then "whoso readeth, let him understand", you had better understand.

This image or idol of the beast was called by Daniel the "abomination of desolation," which would be set up in a temple which is yet to be built by the Jews in Jerusalem. It could very possibly be a super computer, possibly using the Internet with its center in Jerusalem.

It says that the false prophet "causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (13:6) Compiled from Joseph Candel's material endtimeinfo.com.[7]

What Satan wants is for the antichrist to rule the world from the soon to be rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and to be worshipped as God!

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Jesus' Trial

We know that Jesus' trial took place before Pilate. But where did this trial take place?

From our previous material we know that the Haram Al-Sharif had nothing to do with either Solomon's or Herod's Temple but was in fact Fort Antonia also known as the Roman Praetorium.

“Pontius Pilates was the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea from AD 26–36. He served under Emperor Tiberius, and is best known from the biblical account of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.”[8]

Judaea was a Roman province ruled by Pontius Pilate from the Roman Fort Antonia.

It would only make sense that Jesus' trial took place inside Fort Antonia.

In a sixth century work written by the Piacenza Pilgrim he said: “We also prayed at the Praetorium, where the Lord's case was heard: what is there now is the basilica of Saint Sophis, which is in front of the Temple of Solomon below the street which runs down to the spring of Siloam outside of Solomon's porch. In this basilica is the seat where Pilate sat to hear the Lord's case, and there is also the oblong stone which used to be in the center of the Praetorium. The accused person whose case was being heard was made to mount this stone so that everyone could hear and see him. The Lord mounted when he was heard by Pilate and his footprints are still on it.

The central symbolism associated with the spot for Christians was their belief that Jesus' footprints were embossed in the “Rock” that later came to be underneath the Dome of the Rock. Christians and even Muslims accepted those footprints as authentic until the time of the Crusades. Saladin's court recorder said the “Rock” underneath the Dome of the Rock contained Jesus' footprints. See Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, article “Saladin.” This was the very “pavement” where Jesus stood when condemned by Pilate before his crucifixion. This made the site of the “Rock” at first an important Christian holy place, not a Jewish or Muslim one. [9]

The question of the footprints is academic. If this is in fact true the trial of Jesus took place on the “Rock” under the “Dome of the Rock” this could help explain our initial question, of why do the Jewish people have such a difficult time accepting where the original Temples stood.

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Points to consider

What we are going to do is to propose a theory. In considering these points...

The original Temples were not over the Dome of the Rock but several hundred feet south. The evidence is overwhelming and should be self evident. It just does not make sense that it is not accepted.
The modern Rabbinic Judaism that exists today is similar if not the same as Pharisee-ism.
Satan wants his antichrist to be worshiped as God and to rule the world from the coming rebuilt Jewish Temple.
Jesus was tried and sentenced to death on the rock in Fort Antonia which today is under the Dome of the Rock.

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Conclusion

Again we have to look at and remember this is a spiritual not physical warfare, although it is often manifested in the physical.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

Is it possible that Satan in his extreme insanity and rebellion against God wants to have the antichrist rule as God over the very place he had Jesus condemned to death as a final insult. And does he intend to have the same people Rabbinical Judaism/Pharisee-ism have that Temple built over that “Rock”?

Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen, but with this in mind, it now makes sense.

Sources

[1] the Temples that Jerusalem forgot pages 86 and 474 Ernest L. Martin Ph.D

[2] Extracted from Maimanides -Saint and Heretic by Ernest L. Martin Ph.D.

[3] Rabbinic Judaism Wikipedia

[4] Abraham Colllier 01/09/08

[5] Karaite View on the Mishnah Wikipedia

[6] Ibid.

[7] Joseph Candel endtimeinfo.com

[8] Pontius Pilates wikipedia

[9] the Temples that Jerusalem forgot pages 89 and 135 Ernest L. Martin Ph.D.

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The Telegraph (Edited from longer article. Ed.)

Welby: Artificial Intelligence and gene therapy could hand super-rich ever more power

Archbishop of Canterbury’s dystopian vision of robot future amid Wall Street address condemning growing gap between rich and poor

Killer robots from the film Terminator Photo: Warner Br/Everett/REX

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor

6:59PM GMT 23 Jan 2015

The rise of robots and gene therapy could allow a tiny ultra-rich elite to amass ever more power while almost everyone else grows poorer, the Archbishop of Canterbury has told an audience on Wall Street.

The Most Rev Justin Welby set out a bleak, dystopian vision of a future in which growing numbers of people live out a “life sentence to poverty” while others act as if they had a “divine right to wealth”.

He also issued an unrepentant defence of his recent comments about inequality in the UK, which have infuriated the Conservatives and led to accusations from some quarters that archbishops should stick to religion not politics.

The Archbishop, a former City oil executive, said the Bible is ambivalent about wealth itself but is “absolutely clear” in its condemnation of unrestrained inequality.

Allowing the gap between rich and poor to widen unchecked “always” ultimately leads to abuse and corruption, he said.

He added that one passage in the Bible, the Magnificat – or the Song of Mary – is so “revolutionary” he was surprised it was not banned as “un-American” during the McCarthy era.

His comments came as he took part in a conference at the Trinity Wall Street church in New York discussing the idea of the “common good”.

In an address on whether inequality “matters”, he argued that a message of basic equality can be traced through the Bible from the Garden of Eden to the New Testament accounts of the early church.

He said that although wealth is, in some parts of the Bible, viewed as a blessing, in others it is linked to corruption but that overall there was “no right to be rich”.

He added that some people had labelled passages in the Book of Acts, talking about wealth being shared between the early Christians, as “communist” but said this was untrue because the common ownership in the Bible was voluntary not obligatory.

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humanity + (For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods. The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun. Genesis 3:5 and Ecclesiastes 1:9)

The End of Religion: Technology and the Future

January 26, 2015

History is littered with dead gods. The Greek and Roman gods, and thousands of others have perished. Yet Allah, Yahweh, Krishna and a few more survive. But will belief in the gods endure? It will not. Our descendents will be too advanced to share such primitive beliefs.

If we survive and science progresses, we will manipulate the genome, rearrange the atom, and augment the mind. And if science defeats suffering and death, religion as we know it will die. Without suffering and death, religion will have lost its raison d’être. For who will pray for heavenly cures, when the cures already exist on earth? Who will die hoping for a reprieve from the gods, when science offers immortality? With the defeat of death, science and technology will have finally triumphed over superstition. Our descendents will know, once and for all, that they are stronger than imaginary gods.

As they continue to evolve our post-human progeny will become increasingly godlike. They will overcome human physical and psychological limitations, and achieve superintelligence, either by modifying their brains or interfacing with computers. While we can’t know this for sure, what we do know is that the future will not be like the past. From our perspective, if science and technology continue to progress, our offspring will come to resemble us about as much as we do the amino acids from which we sprang.

As our descendents distance themselves from their past, they will lose interest in the gods. Such primitive ideas may even be unthinkable for them. Today the gods are impotent, tomorrow they’ll be irrelevant. You may doubt this. But do you really think that in a thousand or a million years your descendents, travelling through an infinite cosmos with augmented minds, will find their answers in ancient scriptures? Do you really think that powerful superintelligence will cling to the primitive mythologies that once satisfied ape-like brains? Only the credulous can believe such things. In the future gods will exist … only if we become them.

Still the future is unknown. Asteroids, nuclear war, environmental degradation, climate change or deadly viruses and bacteria may destroy us. Perhaps the machine intelligences we create will replace us. Or we might survive but create a dystopia. None of these prospects is inviting, but they all entail the end of religion.

Alternatively, in order to maintain the status quo, some combination of neo-Luddites, political conservatives or religious fanatics could destroy past knowledge, persecute the scientists, censor novel ideas, and usher in a new Dark Ages of minimal technology, political repression and antiquated religion. But even if they were successful, this would not save them or their archaic ideas. For killer asteroids, antibiotic-resistant bacteria or some other threat will inevitably emerge. And when it does only science and technology will save us—prayer or ideology will not help. Either we evolve or we will die.

But must we relinquish religious beliefs now, before science defeats death, before we become godlike? We may eventually outgrow religious beliefs, but why not allow their comforts to those who still need them? If parents lose a child or children lose a parent, what’s wrong with telling them they’ll be reunited in heaven? I am sympathetic with noble lies, sometimes they are justified. If a belief helps you and doesn’t hurt others, it is hard to gainsay.

Still religious consolation has a price. Religion, and conservative philosophies in general, typically opposes intellectual, technological and moral progress. Religion has fought against free speech, democracy, the eradication of slavery, sex education, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, women’s and civil rights, and the advancement of science. It has been aligned with inquisitions, war, human sacrifice, torture, despotism, child abuse, intolerance, fascism, and genocide. It displays a fondness for the supernatural, authoritarian, misogynistic, hierarchical, anti-democratic, anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, and anti-progressive. Religion has caused an untold amount of misery.

One could even argue that religious beliefs are the most damaging beliefs possible. Consider that Christianity rose in power as the Roman Empire declined, resulting in the marginalization of the Greek science that the Romans had inherited. If the scientific achievements of the Greeks had been built upon throughout the Middle Ages, if science had continued to advance for those thousand years, we might live in an unimaginably better world today. Who knows how many diseases would be cured by now? Who knows how advanced our intellectual and moral natures might be? Maybe we would have already overcome death. Maybe we still die today because of religion.

The cultural domination by Christianity during the Middle Ages resulted in some of the worst conditions known in human history. Much the same could be said of religious hegemony in other times and places. And if religion causes less harm in some places today than it once did, that’s because it has less power than it used to. Were that power regained, the result would surely be disastrous, as anyone who studies history or lives in a theocracy will confirm. Put simply, religion is an enemy of the future. If we are to survive and progress, ideas compatible with brains forged in the Pleistocene must yield. We shouldn’t direct our gaze to the heavens but to the earth, where the real work of making a better world takes place.

Of course religion is not the only anti-progressive force in the world—there are other enemies of the future. Some oppose progressive ideas even if they are advanced by the religious. Consider how political conservatives, virtually all of whom profess to be Christians, denounce Pope Francis’ role in re-establishing Cuban-American relations, his criticism of unfettered capitalism and vast income inequality, and his warnings about the dangers of climate change. The plutocrats and despots hate change, especially if it affects their wallets. The beneficiaries of the status quo don’t want a better world—they like the one they have.

How then do we make a better world? What will guide us in this quest? For there to be a worthwhile future we need at least three things: 1) knowledge of ourselves and the world; 2) ethical values that promote the flourishing of conscious beings; and 3) a narrative to give life meaning. But where do we find them?

Knowledge comes from science, which is the only cognitive authority in the world today. Science explains forces that were once dark and mysterious. It reveals the vast immensity, history and future of the cosmos. It explains our biological origins and the legacy that evolutionary history leaves upon our thoughts and behaviors. It tells us how the world works independent of ideology or prejudice. And applied science is technology, which gives us the power to overcome limitations and make a better future. If you want to see miracles, don’t go to Lourdes, look inside your cell phone.

Ethical values do not depend on religion. The idea that people can’t be moral without religion is false, no matter how many think otherwise. The claim that morality is grounded in religion is also false, as can easily be demonstrated. Ethical values and behaviors arose in our evolutionary history, where they may also find their justification. Yes, the moral-like behaviors sometimes favored by evolution have also been prescribed by religion— cooperation and altruism come to mind—but the justification of these values is biological and social, not supernatural. We are moral because, for the most part, it’s in our self-interest. We all do better, if we all cooperate. Everyone can endorse values that aid our survival and flourishing—even our godlike descendents.

Finally we need a new narrative to replace outdated religious ones—a narrative to give our lives meaning and purpose. We need a story that appeals to the educated, not superstition and mythology. With the death of religion imminent, we need to look elsewhere for meaning and purpose.

Fortunately such a narrative already exists. It is the story of cosmic evolution, the story of the cosmos becoming self-conscious. Nature gave birth to consciousness, and consciousness comes to know nature. Through this interaction of the universe and the minds that emerge from it, reality comes to know itself. Surely this story is profound enough to satisfy our metaphysical longings. And it has an added benefit over mythological accounts—it’s based on science.

What is our role in this story? We are the protagonists of the evolutionary epic; determining its course is our destiny. We should willingly embrace our role as agents of evolutionary change, helping evolution to realize new possibilities. We are not an end, but a beginning. We are as links in a chain leading upward to higher forms of being and consciousness. This is our hope, this gives our lives meaning.

I don’t know if we can make a better future, but I know that no help will come from the gods. Turning our backs on them is a first step on our journey.

John G. Messerly, Ph.D taught for many years in both the philosophy and computer science departments at the University of Texas at Austin. His most recent book is The Meaning of Life: Religious, Philosophical, Scientific, and Transhumanist Perspectives.

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THEJC.com

The battle to pray on the Temple Mount

Why tensions have risen around Judaism's most sacred site

By Author Start Mordechai Beck Author End , January 15, 2015

Demonstrators in Jerusalem march to the Temple Mount following the shooting of a Jewish activist last autumn

When Jerusalem's Old City and its eastern neighbourhoods were captured by Israel in 1967, it was obvious, for Israelis at least, that the city would never again be divided. A law was passed by the Knesset "legalising" the unity of the city, although it was never recognised by the rest of the world.

There was one place, however, where Jewish claims to sovereignty were considered limited. This was the Temple Mount, at the centre of the Old City. No less than the then Defence Minister, Moshe Dayan, used his considerable influence to ban Jews from praying on the mount. He could have cited rabbinical opinion which found halachic objections to praying on an area where the Holy of Holies once stood.

But, ever the consummate politician, Dayan decided on pragmatism - allowing Jews to pray on the mountain, he claimed, would incite the entire Muslim world. Despite objections from such notable rabbis as Shlomo Goren, this arrangement was made the status quo.

Unfortunately, the status quo is only relevant where the conditions that promoted the arrangement in the first place remain the same. And the conditions of the Temple Mount have changed, on the ground if not on paper. It is this change that must be taken into consideration when viewing the violence that flared up towards the end of last year.

There are now many more Israelis who believe that Dayan's approach has run its term. Their arguments have some legitimacy. In 1996, the Waqf, the Islamic religious council which is in charge of the Temple Mount (or Haram al Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, as it is known in Arabic), made changes in the infrastructure of the mountain.

It built a huge underground mosque, enough for 10,000 worshippers - the largest mosque in the Middle East. From 1999 onwards, it moved tons of earth in the process, earth that contained much historical material (Jewish and non-Jewish). This was illegal and moreover broke the status quo agreement. But the government of Israel said nothing. It was up to a professor of archaeology, Gabriel Barkai, to raise the protest and in 2004 set up a committee that called for the prevention of such illegal digs.

As a result of the intifada in 2000, the Waqf had already banned Jewish Israelis from entering the Temple compound, a practice that had been quite common for years. (In fact non-Muslims had been allowed on to the mountain since the 19th century). The Jordanians who are nominally in charge of the Temple Mount then objected to the Israelis rebuilding the entrance up to the Mograbi Gate through which visitors had to pass to gain access to the site. Israel claimed that this was for safety's sake only. Nevertheless, out of a sensitivity to the Muslims, work on the bridge was stopped.

At the same time, and perhaps as a response to the moves on the Muslim side, more Israelis began to demand the right to pray on the parts of the Temple Mount, which had been declared definitely not the site of the Holy of Holies (by rabbis, archaeologists and other scholars).

The Muslim reaction has been to stonewall any talk of compromise. For them (as for some Israelis), controlling the Temple Mount is a zero sum game, in which there is only one winner. This is the recipe for disaster.

Left-wing Israelis, such as the expert on Jewish mysticism Professor Rachel Elior, echoed the earlier fear that such a move would cause World War Three. On the other hand, such liberal Orthodox rabbis as Benny Lau have come out in favour of the late Rabbi Goren's stand, that it is certainly permissible to pray on certain parts of the mountain.

For Rabbi Lau, a turning point came after the attempted assassination of Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick last October. The struggle to assert Jewish rights, he said, should be supported by those who defend the free expression of religion and the rights of man, but he added, "not by a right-wing organisation that wishes to take over the mountain by force".

Just as there are extremists on the Muslim side, who wish to deny any connection of the Temple Mount to the Jews, so, too, on the Jewish side there are those who wish not only to pray on the Mount but to do so after having destroyed the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque and replaced it with the Third Temple. Both attitudes are dangerous and unnecessary. Israel for its part can announce unequivocally that it has no plans to build a Temple. It merely claims its right - historically and religiously - to pray on the most holiest site in Judaism.

The Muslims for their part should realise that they have no monopoly on monotheism and that by opening the mountain to others, no harm is done to them or their faith.

Whether or not the politicians on both sides can control themselves and not use religious arguments for stirring up an already complex situation remains to be seen.

***

BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Meet the “Jewish Indiana Jones” Searching for the Lost Ark of the Covenant

By Lea Speyer January 22, 2015 , 7:30 am

“David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.” (2 Samuel 6:1-23)

(Photo: Josh Hallett/ Wiki Commons)

The Ark of the Covenant has inspired a whole sector of humanity to chase after one of the world’s most treasured – and missing – items. In what is known today as the Lost Ark, the search continues for Judaism’s most holy and significant artifact of religious and historical importance.

Meet Harry Moskoff, the man who is becoming known as the “Jewish Indiana Jones.” A filmmaker and researcher by hobby and an IT specialist by trade, Moskoff has spent the last 25 years of his life dedicated to uncovering the location of the Lost Ark.

“Truth of the matter is, for the last 25 years, it’s been a personal hobby of mine to find the Makom Hamikdash, the exact location where the Jewish Temple once stood,” he told Breaking Israel News.

Inspired by the teachings of Maimonides, Moskoff has met with world renowned rabbinical and archaeological authorities in Israel as he comes closer to finding the Lost Ark.

God first commanded Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant in the Book of Exodus:

“Have them make an Ark of acacia wood – two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it…Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.” (Exodus 25:10-16)

Plated with pure gold and mounted with two golden Cherubim, the Ark was carried by the Levites as the Jewish nation wandered in the desert for 40 years. Playing a significant role in various Biblical accounts, the Ark is described as having supernatural powers.

Eventually, the Ark came to rest in the First Temple, which was built by King Solomon. The Ark was placed in a special inner room known as the Holy of Holies, where the High Priest would enter once a year on Yom Kippur.

The Ark was last seen in 586 BCE when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple. What happened to the Ark remains unknown until today.

Harry Moskoff inside the cave where the Temple Scrolls were found in Qumran. (Photo: Courtesy)

Moskoff believes that he is getting closer to finding the true location of where the Ark is buried – right under the Temple Mount itself. His “Moskoff Theory” explains that where we believe the location of the Holy of Holies is – the current location of the Dome of the Rock – is in fact wrong.

Based on historical, archaeological, topographical and biblical evidence, the Moskoff Theory states (in simple terms) that when we find the true location of the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant may very well be found in a secret chamber built directly underneath, in a room built for it by King Solomon, who foresaw the destruction of the Temple. He Designed this underground Temple room to hide and protect the Ark for future generations until the advent of the Third Temple.

“Is the Dome of the Rock the real place of the Temple? Some Jewish sages argue that God would never put any building on top of the Holy of Holies,” Moskoff explains. “The Dome of the Rock is not on the Foundation Stone, but rather the highest point on Mount Moriah.”

Moskoff explained that after researching various theories by well-known historians who claim to know the exact location of the Jewish Temples and where various features, such as the altar, stood, he realized that “they all cancelled each other out.”

“I found in one theory that some things just didn’t make sense with the original topography of the mountain. It didn’t jive,” he said. “So I went to another famous theory and found that things didn’t make sense from a scriptural perspective.”

“The game changer that made me pursue with interest the Lost Ark was a book published in 1982 called ‘In the Shadow of the Temple’ by the great Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov. That book changed my whole perspective,” Moskoff said.

In his book, Ben-Dov recalls the discovery of a tunnel spoken about in Jewish scripture that was used by ritually impure priests. The tunnel is said to run directly under the Temple Mount.

“The tunnel ran to the south under the Mount into a ritual bath with a fire and bathroom. This place is described in the Talmud. He (Ben-Dov) found that tunnel and it exists today, described in the exact same way,” Moskoff said.

“This tunnel was blocked up 150 years ago and it is clear that the original finders wanted it to remain closed. Over 2,000 years old, the tunnel exists in complete form. If we go through that tunnel it would lead us to the exact location of the Temple because we know from scripture where it surfaced.”

“Following the tunnel would either prove or disprove the Moskoff Theory! It would tell us the exact place of the altar, Holy of Holies and the location of the Ark,” he explained.

“The archaeologists were not religious and it was a huge find,” he continued. “Once I read about this find, I thought how all the other theories were not possible with the direction of the tunnel. Something clicked and I realized that what we think about the Temple Mount today is not all correct.”

While some may roll their eyes and say Moskoff is just another adventurer out for glory, this notion is far from the truth. He is the first person to ever come close to finding the Ark in a way that makes sense.

“I’ve spoken with other archaeologists and researchers. None of them have the scriptural sources or references where the holiest and most valuable item ever in history is located,” Moskoff stated. “None of them are looking for the Ark from a true Jewish, traditional, biblical perspective combining all the sources.”

“Everyone is looking in Ethiopia and other places where there are no real proofs as to the location of the Ark.”

When asked about the importance of his quest, Moskoff explained his belief that in today’s world, with the worsening geopolitical situation surrounding Jerusalem, finding the Ark would “validate and strengthen the Jewish connection and rights to Jerusalem.”

“I discovered that when talking about the Ark, you can’t not talk about what is happening in Israel today. Every day, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are in the headlines. By discovering the Ark and even other Temple related artifacts, we can have an effect on the validation of the Jewish connection to Jerusalem,” he said.

Moskoff has become one of the world’s foremost experts on the Ark of the Covenant. Explaining in further detail the “Moskoff Theory,” Judaism’s Indiana Jones published “The A.R.K. Report” and an accompanying documentary which further features how Moskoff is reaching new levels of understanding about the Lost Ark.

Backed by a historical and biblical understanding, Moskoff is narrowing the gap between an important part of Jewish history and modern times. “The idea is to raise awareness and inspire people. This is just the beginning for Israel,” he said.

“In the big picture of Jewish history, things are speaking up and coming to a close. We can’t deny it. Things are happening now to the Jewish people and I want to tell people, show people, that there is a great and holy future for Israel.”

***

BBC (Here it is.)

Office puts chips under staff's skin

Rory Cellan-Jones

29 January 2015 Last updated at 12:01 ET

The chip allows employees to open doors and use the photocopier without a traditional pass card

Want to gain entry to your office, get on a bus, or perhaps buy a sandwich? We're all getting used to swiping a card to do all these things. But at Epicenter, a new hi-tech office block in Sweden, they are trying a different approach - a chip under the skin.

Felicio de Costa, whose company is one of the tenants, arrives at the front door and holds his hand against it to gain entry. Inside he does the same thing to get into the office space he rents, and he can also wave his hand to operate the photocopier.

That's all because he has a tiny RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted in his hand. Soon, others among the 700 people expected to occupy the complex will also be offered the chance to be chipped. Along with access to doors and photocopiers, they're promised further services in the longer run, including the ability to pay in the cafe with a touch of a hand.

On the day of the building's official opening, the developer's chief executive was, himself, chipped live on stage. And I decided that if was to get to grips with this technology, I had to bite the bullet - and get chipped too.

The whole process is being organised by a Swedish bio-hacking group which was profiled by my colleague Jane Wakefield recently. One of its members, a rather fearsome looking tattooist, inserted my chip.

First, he massaged the skin between my thumb and index finger and rubbed in some disinfectant. The he told me to take a deep breath while he inserted the chip. There was a moment of pain - not much worse than any injection - and then he stuck a plaster over my hand.

Before trying my chip out, I wanted to know more about the thinking behind it. Hannes Sjoblad, whose electronic business card is on his own chip and can be accessed with a swipe of a smartphone, has the title chief disruption officer at the development. I asked him whether people really wanted to get this intimate with technology.

"We already interact with technology all the time," he told me. "Today it's a bit messy - we need pin codes and passwords. Wouldn't it be easy to just touch with your hand? That's really intuitive."

When I tested my chip, I found that it was not all that intuitive - I had to twist my hand into an unnatural position to make the photocopier work. And while some of the people around the building were looking forward to being chipped, others were distinctly dubious. "Absolutely not," said one young man when I asked him if he'd sign up. An older woman was more positive about the potential of the technology but saw little point in being chipped just to get through a door.

But Hannes Sjoblad says he and the Swedish Biohacking Group have another objective - preparing us all for the day when others want to chip us. "We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped - the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip." Then, he says, we'll all be able to question the way the technology is implemented from a position of much greater knowledge.

I've returned to Britain with a slightly sore hand - and a chip still under my skin which has my contact details on it. Not that useful, but no doubt more sophisticated chips will soon replace wearable technology like fitness bands or payment devices, and we will get used to being augmented. All sorts of things are possible - whether it becomes culturally acceptable to insert technology beneath our skin is another matter.

***

***

dunyanews.tv

Pope sees 'shadows and dangers' amid Vatican attack fears

Last Updated On 22 January,2015

Security was tightened after intelligence services intercepted possible plan to attack Vatican.

VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Pope Francis on Thursday told Italian police officers in charge of security around the Vatican that he saw "shadows and dangers", but urged them not to give in to fear.

"On the horizon we see shadows and dangers which worry humanity," he said in the wake of an increase in security around the Vatican amid fears Islamic State extremists may be plotting to attack the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

"As Christians we are called not to lose heart or be discouraged," Francis said in a new years message to the police.

Security was tightened in Saint Peters Square in September after intelligence services intercepted a possible plan to attack the Vatican.

Iraqs ambassador to the Holy See, Habib Al Sadr, at the time warned that "what has been declared by the self-declared Islamic State is clear. They want to kill the Pope. The threats against the Pope are credible."

Some worry Francis has made himself a target by speaking out against the Islamic State group and having the Holy See voice support for US air strikes in Iraq.

Italys interior minister this month said police were on high alert in key locations across Rome and around the Vatican after the Paris attacks.

***

THE INDEPENDENT

King Abdullah's friends in the West stayed loyal, but revolution is on the horizon in Saudi Arabia

How long can our Western leaders go on stroking and purring and fawning over – and arming – these Croesus-like autocrats?

ROBERT FISK

Friday 23 January 2015

Poor old Kingdom. And old is the only word you can use about Saudi Arabia, where monarchical brothers take precedence over sons.

King Abdullah died at 90. He had outlived two other crown princes. His successor Salman is already 79 and cannot expect to survive much more than a decade. And at 69, the new Crown Prince Muqrin is no spring chicken. Can these old folk go on ruling one of the richest nations on earth without a revolution?

And how long can our Western leaders go on stroking and purring and fawning over – and arming – these Croesus-like autocrats before they make themselves look as pitiful to their own electorates as they do to the Arabs who have to tolerate Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi ethics – the most purist, anti-apostate extremism and a ruling family of thousands whose cult-like worship was founded by a violent 18th-century Muslim preacher. Remember the Taliban? Remember, for that matter, Osama bin Laden?

Abdullah was “candid and had the courage of his convictions”, Obama told us. He had a “commitment to peace” and “strengthened understanding between faiths,” said statesman Cameron. All this of a man in whose kingdom dozens are beheaded every year after trials which match no recognised standards of fairness, in which a Burmese woman was dragged through the streets of Mecca this month, screaming her innocence of the murder of her step-son, only to have her head chopped off by a government executioner who needed three sword-hacks at her neck to decapitate her. That’s some commitment to peace and interfaith understanding.

But there’s another side to old Abdullah which was much to his credit, but naturally fell foul of our own love affair with Israel – his continued offer of peace with Israel and full Arab recognition of our notorious ally, in return for a Palestinian state and an Israeli military withdrawal from all of Gaza, the West Bank and Golan. In a nutshell, international compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 242, plus a new and peaceful Arab “Palestine”. “A heck of a deal” is how President Bill Clinton described it when Abdullah – then Crown Prince – disclosed his plan in 2002.

The luckless John Kerry gave it his blessing – a kiss of death, perhaps, but at least a sign of its continued recognition. Even Egypt’s military Tarzan, General-President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, has demanded a revival of the idea. Benjamin Netanyahu was reported to have talked of the “potential” of the initiative – although given his effective destruction of any future Palestinian state by robbing more West Bank land from the Arabs, he can scarcely have been serious.

The best Obama could produce on the subject this week was to burble on about Abdullah’s “bold steps” without specifying which particular “step” he was talking about. Israeli elections – US elections, for that matter – are too close for any more courageous language to come from the leader of the world’s only (for the moment) superpower.

In his last days, the previous king Fahd’s physical incapacities became obvious to all who knew him. Abdullah was reportedly senile, his successor Salman slandered within hours of taking office as suffering from dementia. But these old boys are shrewd. They know how succession must be decided in private, how a thousand royal princes must be suborned and bribed and favoured while balancing oil wealth and Isis-style Wahhabism with a truly blindfolded symbol of justice.

Thus US presidents could praise the magnanimity of Saudi wisdom while a Pentagon committee heard a Rand corporation expert describing Saudi Arabia after 9/11 as “a kernel of evil in the Middle East”. Thus in Lebanon, the dead king could be called an “Arab knight” – standard fare for Sunnis who have received the Kingdom’s largesse – while in the halls of Isis, his demise was welcomed as further evidence of the decay of the House of Saud. Bin Laden had the same aim of destroying the monarchy after he lost his citizenship, perhaps desiring the crown of Arabia for himself.

No, Abdullah was neither narcissistic nor vicious; he was no mafia clown like Gaddafi nor a tycoon-killer like Saddam. But he could move from political courage – his Arab-Israeli peace proposal – to the tribal Sunni insanity of privately urging the US to attack Iran. The Sunni fear of an expanding Shia empire led Saudis to support the cruellest of Wahhabi insurgents. Isis and the Taliban are both creatures of the Saudi creed. Abdullah offered the Lebanese military $4bn in French military aid, which he hoped would be used to control both Isis proxies and Hezbollah’s thousands of fighters – an offer stymied when Israel objected to the purchase of rocket-firing helicopters which, it claimed, might be turned against itself.

Abdullah’s defenders were legion – and mostly well-paid – and we shall hear from them in the coming days. They will speak of his “modernity” and of his encouragement of women’s education, his curtailment of religious “fatwas”, his granting of a little freedom to Saudi critics. These defenders will hope the lashing of bloggers moves out of public consciousness for a while.

Abdullah was rightly fearful of the Arab revolutions in 2011, sending his troops to crush Shia dissent in Bahrain while promising to throw almost £300bn in education grants, new infrastructure, public housing and unemployment benefits at his own people to buy their quiescence.

But age is withering the monarchy. The last direct family of the Kingdom’s founder are now growing older – Crown Prince Muqrin is himself the youngest surviving son of King Abdulaziz – and the revolution that threatens the monarchy will not come from Iran. Nor from Saudi Arabia’s own Shia minority, nor the country’s armed Wahhabists. It will come from within the royal family.

***

ALMONITOR

Some Shiites link Saudi king's health to end-times

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz sits before a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Royal Palace in Jeddah, Sept. 11, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski)

Author Rohollah Faghihi

Posted January 14, 2015

Author Rohollah Faghihi

Posted January 14, 2015

In the last two years, media outlets have published conflicting reports on Saudi King Abdullah's health. Just last week, Saudi Arabia's Royal Court announced that the king has pneumonia and is temporarily using a breathing tube. In fact, every time the king's health deteriorates, news agencies speculate on what will become of the Saudi dynasty and its leadership after the king's death. But some Shiite scholars think differently about the matter, believing that Abdullah's death will mark the beginning of a chain of great events that will shock the world.

Abdullah, the 10th son of King Abdulaziz, was born Aug. 1, 1924. His mother, Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim, was a member of the Al Rashid family, longtime rivals of the Al Saud family and a historic dynasty in the Arabian Peninsula that ruled the emirate of Jabal Shammar. Abdullah ascended to the throne in 2005 following the death of his half-brother King Fahd, though power was already in his hands.

According to Shiite hadiths, after the death of a king named Abdullah in the Hijaz — a western region of present-day Saudi Arabia — no successor to the throne would be accepted, and disagreements would escalate and persist until the rise of Imam Mahdi.

The Shiites believe that divine Imams are heirs to the political and religious Ummah, or Islamic nation. These 12 imams are successors to the Prophet Muhammad and to the head of the caliphate, with Mahdi being the final Imam who disappeared, or went into occultation. Mahdi will be revealed only in the end-times, along with Jesus, to deliver peace to the world.

According to the book "250 Signs Until the Appearance of Imam Mahdi," Prophet Muhammad said: “On doomsday, a man who is carrying the name of an animal ascends to the throne, after which a man named Abdullah comes to the power. Whoever informs me of his death, I will inform him of the rise [of Mahdi]. After Abdullah passes away, for several days and months, the government will appear.”

A seminary teacher based in Qom told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, "The animal-named man can be King Fahd because one meaning of Fahd’s [name] is rapacious animal and cheetah, which matches what Prophet Muhammad said."

The Bahar al-Anvar, a book of hadiths, quotes the sixth Shiite Imam Sadegh as saying: "When Abdullah dies, people will agree on no one, and this issue will be kept alive till the rise of Imam [Mahdi]. An age of a hundred-year reign comes to an end, and an age of a [kingdom lasting] a few days and months arrives."

The Shiite scholar in Qom said, "Currently, there is a possibility of a power struggle in Saudi Arabia, as King Abdullah has tried to make up the new post of deputy crown prince. Actually, with regard to [this], if Prince Salman becomes the king and Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is named the crown prince, the next deputy crown prince will be Mutaib bin Abdullah, so we can expect tensions between King Abdullah's sons and Salman's brothers to escalate after Abdullah passes away."

In 2012, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was named crown prince, and two years later, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was introduced as deputy crown prince.

According to Al-Akhbar newspaper, past tradition dictated that the interior minister would be the most likely candidate for second deputy prime minister, and after that, the post of crown prince. But after upgrading the status of the National Guard, which is chaired by Mutaib bin Abdullah, and turning it into a ministry on par with the ministries of defense and interior, King Abdullah’s wing in the royal family is well-positioned to be a strong contender for the throne.

The Qom seminary teacher said that according to some hadiths, leaders in the Hijaz will hide news of the king's death for 40 days. Based on Abdullah's deteriorating health situation, this could have happened by now.

Some believe that the rise of terrorist groups in the Levant, along with their black flags, is another sign of Mahdi's resurrection.

According to the books "Comments on the Peak of Eloquence" and "Nahj al-sa'adah fi mustadrak Nahj al-balagha," the first Shiite Imam Ali said, “When you witness black flags, don’t move, because their calls are void and null and you shouldn’t help them. Their heart is like iron fillings, and they don’t honor their promise. Their names and monikers are taken from the names of cities.”

The Qom-based scholar explained the quotation, “Black flags can suggest the Islamic State, which is killing hundreds of innocent people in the region with brutality, and [regarding people named after cities], I can mention Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Omar al-Chechen.”

He added, “Many in the seminary of Qom believe that the rise of Imam Mahdi is imminent. Even important figures in the seminary have expressed their hope for this event to happen and has called for our readiness to help him.”

“What’s happening in the region is very similar to what our Imams have predicted about preconditions for the rise of Imam Mahdi, so the moment of truth may have come.”

Historian Muhammad Hossein Rajabi Davani told an Iranian newspaper: “With respect to promises in Shiite hadiths, we are certainly experiencing doomsday, but doomsday has no time frame and it’s not known when it begins and ends.”

Yet, certain Shiite narratives and hadiths contradict the aforementioned narratives, suggesting different signs for the rise of Imam Mahdi. Today, however, many are speculating about the events that will follow the Saudi king's death, as well as its impact on global developments. With the death of King Abdullah, according to some analyses, stability in Riyadh may come to an end, setting off a chain of prophecies and the resurrection of Mahdi.

***

21stCENTURYWIRE

Challenges for America: ISIS, Boko Haram and… Russia Today?!

JANUARY 23, 2015 BY STUART HOOPER

According the new chief of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, Andrew Lack, news outlet Russia Today (RT) represents a challenge for America similar to that posed by terrorist organisations.

He stated that “we are facing a number of challenges from entities like Russia Today which is out there pushing a point of view, the Islamic State in the Middle East and groups like Boko Haram”. The nonchalant attitude expressed here represents a growing disconnect between the Western media and their consumers.

US AFRICOM analysis suggests that Boko Haram may be beneficial, not challenging, for America if certain warmongers get their way. Moreover, if ISIS are a challenge for America, why is the U.S. arming them; particularly as it is now known there are no moderates left in Syria?

America mainstream media is all too busy pushing the next military intervention, instead of thinking about how it could become more competitive and appealing for consumers. It is this attitude of parroting talking points, and supposed facts that are nothing more than propaganda pieces, which is allowing RT to grab an audience thirsty for something not simply prepping them for further war.

How will Andrew Lack’s attitude effect policy going forward?

***

RADICAL LEFTISTS WIN ELECTION IN GREECE – FUTURE OF EUROZONE IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY

Radical leftists have been catapulted to power in Greece, and that means that the European financial crisis has just entered a dangerous new phase

by MICHAEL SNYDER | ECONOMIC COLLAPSE | JANUARY 26, 2015

Radical leftists have been catapulted to power in Greece, and that means that the European financial crisis has just entered a dangerous new phase. Syriza, which is actually an acronym for “Coalition of the Radical Left” in Greek, has 36 percent of the total vote with approximately 80 percent of the polling stations reporting. The current governing party, New Democracy, only has 28 percent of the vote. Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras is promising to roll back a whole host of austerity measures that were imposed on Greece by the EU, and his primary campaign slogan was “hope is on the way”. Hmmm – that sounds a bit familiar. Clearly, the Greek population is fed up with the EU after years of austerity and depression-like conditions. At this point, the unemployment rate in Greece is sitting at25.8 percent, and the Greek economy is approximately 25 percent smaller than it was just six years ago. The people of Greece are desperate for things to get better, and so they have turned to the radical leftists. Unfortunately, things may be about to get a whole lot worse.

Once they formally have control of the government, Syriza plans to call for a European debt conference during which they plan to demand that the repayment terms of their debts be renegotiated. But the rest of Europe appears to be highly resistant to any renegotiation – especially Germany.

Syriza says that it does not plan to unilaterally pull Greece out of the eurozone, and that it also intends for Greece to continue to use the euro.

But what happens if Germany will not budge?

Syriza’s entire campaign was based on promises to end austerity. If international creditors refuse to negotiate and continue to insist that Greece abide by the austerity measures that were previously put in place, what will Syriza do?

Will Syriza back down and lose all future credibility with Greek voters?

Since 2010, the Greek people have endured a seemingly endless parade of wage reductions, pension cuts, tax increases and government budget cutbacks.

The Greek people just want things to go back to the way that they used to be, and they are counting on Syriza to deliver.

Unfortunately for Syriza, delivering on those promises is not going to be easy. They may be faced with a choice of either submitting to the demands of their international creditors or choosing to leave the eurozone altogether.

And if Greece does leave the eurozone, the consequences for all of Europe could be catastrophic…

Syriza risks overplaying its hand, said International Capital Strategies’ Rediker. “Given that the ECB controls the liquidity of the Greek banking system, and also serves as its regulator through the SSM (Single Supervisory Mechanism), going toe-to-toe with the ECB is one battle that could end very badly for the Greek government.”

If the ECB were to stop funding the liquidity of the Greek banks, the banks could collapse—an event that could lead to Greece abandoning the euro and printing its own money once more.

Milios didn’t believe it would come to that, saying, “No one wants a collapse of banks in the euro zone. This is going to be Lehman squared or to the tenth. No one wants to jeopardize the future of the euro zone.”

Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, because one bad move could set off a meltdown of the entire European financial system.

Even before the Greek election, the euro was already falling like a rock and economic conditions all over Europe were already getting worse.

So why would the Greeks risk pushing Europe to the brink of utter disaster?

Well, it is because economic conditions in Greece have been absolutely hellish for years and they are sick and tired of it.

For example, the BBC is reporting that many married women have become so desperate to find work in Greece that they are literally begging to work in brothels…

Some who have children and are struggling to support them have turned to sex work, to put food on the table.

Further north, in Larissa, Soula Alevridou, who owns a legal brothel, says the number of married women coming to her looking for work has doubled in the last five years.

“They plead and plead but as a legal brothel we cannot employ married women,” she says. “It’s illegal. So eventually they end up as prostitutes on the streets.”

When people get this desperate, they do desperate things – like voting radical leftists into power.

But Greece might just be the beginning. Surveys show that the popularity of the EU is plummeting all over Europe. Just check out the following excerpt from a recent Telegraph article…

Europe is being swept by a wave of popular disenchantment and revolt against mainstream political parties and the European Union.

In 2007, a majority of Europeans – 52 per cent – trusted the EU. That level of trust has now fallen to a third.

Once, Britain’s Euroscepticism was the exception, and was seen as the biggest threat to the future of the EU.

Now, other countries pose a far bigger danger thanks to the political discontents unleashed by the euro.

At this point, the future of the eurozone is in serious jeopardy.

I have a feeling that major changes in Europe are on the way which are going to shock the planet.

Meanwhile, the rest of the globe continues to slide toward another major financial crisis as well.

So many of the things that preceded the last financial crisis are happening once again. This includes a massive crash in the price of oil. Most people have absolutely no idea how critical the price of oil is to global financial markets. I like how Gerald Celente put it during an interview the other day…

I began getting recognition as a trend forecaster in 1987. The Wall Street Journal covered my forecast. I said, ‘1987 would be the year it all collapses.’ I said, ‘There will be a stock market crash.’ One of the fundamentals I was looking at were the crashing oil prices in 1986.

Well, we see crashing oil prices today and the banks are much more concentrated and levered up in the oil patch than they were in 1987. From Goldman Sachs to Morgan Stanley banks have been involved in major debt financing, derivatives and energy transactions. But much of this debt has not been sold to investors and now we are going to start seeing some big defaults.

By itself, the Greek election would be a significant crisis.

But combined with all of the other economic and geopolitical problems that are erupting all over the planet, it looks like the conditions for a “perfect storm” are rapidly coming together.

Unfortunately, the overall global economy is in far worse shape today than it was just prior to the last major financial crisis.

This time around, the consequences might just be far more dramatic than most people would ever dare to imagine.

***

RT

Greece elections: Merkel has lost, hope has won

Bryan MacDonald is a Russia-based Irish journalist and media commentator who focuses on Russia and its hinterlands and international geo-politics.

Published time: January 25, 2015 23:11

Syriza’s landslide victory in this weekend’s Greek elections has immediately been called a ‘political earthquake’. It’s more accurate to say that Greek voters have gatecrashed the Euro elites’ party and let off a grenade.

Megalomania is a condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power and relevance, combined with inflated self-esteem. There are sufferers all over Europe but they can most frequently be spotted in Brussels, at the EU’s headquarters. There’s something about the institution; contact with it can turn a perfectly decent person into an eminently dislikable sort in short order.

In the aftermath of Greece’s seismic election, I assumed the eurocrat elite would follow the diktat, “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.” So, I cranked up the Twitter machine and within 5 seconds, I encountered this ‘gem’ from our old friend Carl Bildt. Bildt was the the Swedish Foreign Minster – and one of America’s favourite European poodles – until his own electorate voted him out last year.

Bildt’s Tweet is important because it reveals a mindset among the elite. They extol the benefits of democracy for others, while pouring scorn on the results, if they fail to suit their own agendas. An example was when they forced Ireland to vote again (twice) after initial rejections of EU treaties. Or when they speak of bringing free elections to the Middle East while refusing to deal with Palestine’s elected government, or even recognise the state’s existence.

Two-party systems

For decades, the eurocrats had it their own way. Every member state operated a ‘Tweedledee and Tweedledum’ system, where both dominant parties expressed fealty to the EU ‘project.’ Hence, when the former were voted out, Tweedledum would only make superficial changes, largely restricted to domestic matters. As national elites benefited from the Brussels’ gravy train, with its fat pensions and perks, they system was designed so that ‘important people’ wouldn’t rock the boat.

That tradition changed on Sunday. Greece’s establishment parties, New Democracy (ND) and PASOK were knocked off their perch by Syriza, founded only 11 years ago. In 2004, the radical leftist grouping secured only 3.3 percent of the vote and 6 seats. On Sunday, exit polls suggested Syriza would win around 38 percent of popular support, leading to about 150 parliamentary slots. It’s worth noting that PASOK had already been crippled during the 4 other ballots Athens has held since 2007, but ND were the outgoing government.

Greek man beside me: "Merkel has lost, hope has won." Syriza could be set for an overall majority in Athens according to exit polls

What happens next will be key. Syriza has won power on a fervent pledge to cancel the Brussels-imposed austerity programme which has reduced Greeks to penury. Now, we are in unchartered waters. If the incoming Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, backtracks on his promises, the prospects are unclear. Should he maintain his hardline stance, there’s little doubt that Greece will be forced out of the euro currency zone. However, if Europe (read Germany) relents to his demands, the floodgates would open for radical, populist parties all over the continent.

Effects of a ‘Grexit'

Of course, the biggest nightmare for the eurocrats would be if Greece left the Euro, and even the entire union, and became a success story. A resurgent Greece, freed from the shackles of Merkelism, starting to prosper, would serve as a beacon for other put upon nations. Merkel and her fellow euro power-brokers are now faced with an existential choice. Giving in to Tsipras would risk a political tsunami of radical European administrations. On the other hand, standing firm could lead to a Greek exit and others following them out the door, leaving a diminished bloc for Brussels to rule.

Spain and Ireland are the next eurozone strugglers where elections are due. In Madrid, Podemos, who are riding high in opinion polls, are essentially a copy of Syriza. Whatever about Greece, a Spanish euro exit would surely mean the end for the single currency. Meanwhile, in Dublin, Sinn Fein (the former political wing of the IRA) echoes many of the radical left policy platforms with some heavy nationalism added to the mix. British security services believe that it leader, Gerry Adams, is a former IRA commander (which he strongly denies).

“In Dublin tonight, people apparently assume that Greece will have to vote again until Brussels gets a result it is comfortable with.”

As of now, Podemos look likely to form the next Spanish government. However, Ireland’s economy is improving (less to do with benefits of austerity and more to do with demographics and the US recovery) and my guess is that Sinn Fein will narrowly lose out to the pro-Europe Fine Gael, who are in situ.

One wonders what Merkel, the chief architect of austerity, makes of it all? Europe’s economic crisis presented her with a historic opportunity to build a united continent with Germany at its centre. The Chancellor has blown it, and she’s entitled to feel nervous now. Syriza’s victory reminds Europeans that there is another way and that fealty to neoliberalism isn’t the only show in town.

A ‘forgetful’ Germany

In 1953, the London agreement granted generous debt relief to (West) Germany, which had previously buckled under a credit mountain in the Weimar Republic-era. Half of what it owed to the rest of the world was written off. West Germany, freed from the shackles, boomed during the subsequent wirtschaftswunder (‘economic miracle’). This was in addition to Marshall Aid which Bonn, and other parts of Europe, had received from the USA a few years earlier.

Nevertheless, when the so-called PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) began to creak under a pile of loans, Germany decided not to do unto others as had been done unto it. Merkel spearheaded a counter-productive austerity drive and the arrogant Berlin media blamed the PIIGS for their own misfortune. How they laughed at stories of homeless, abandoned horses in Dublin and ‘lazy’ siesta-loving Andalusians. They aren’t as smug now.

“Lenin & Stalin spent 40 years trying to turn Greece communist. The GDR's Angela Merkel achieved it in 5. That's a considerable achievement.”

Merkel has one last chance to change course. To do this she has to embrace the concept of forgiveness and permit the eurozone’s victims to write off portions of their debt. This would allow public sector salaries to rise and pensions to be increased, thus rekindling economic growth by boosting consumer demand. In turn, a rising tide would help to alleviate the hardship of Europe’s ‘lost generation’ of youth.

If Merkel doesn’t perform an uncharacteristic u-turn, the EU, as we know it, is finished. With that, Germany’s opportunity to lead the continent, which flickered briefly, will be extinguished.

***

Zero Hedge

Greece Begins The Great Pivot Toward Russia

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/27/2015 23:50 -0500

Ten days ago, before the smashing success of Greece's anti-austerity party, Syriza, we noted that Russia gave Greece a modest proposal: turn your back on Europe, whom you despise so much anyway, and we will assist your farmers by lifting the food import ban.

And, sure enough, Greece's new premier Tsipras did hint with his initial actions that Greece may indeed pivot quite aggressively away from Europe and toward Russia in general and the Eurasian Economic Union in particular (as a tangent recall "Russia's "Startling" Proposal To Europe: Dump The US, Join The Eurasian Economic Union").

Some recent examples of this dramatic shift in perspective were the following:

Today we got further evidence that Tsipras will substantially realign his country's national interest away from the west and toward... the east.

First, as Reuters reported, today the new premier halted the "blue light special" liquidation of Greece to those highest bidders who have the closest access to various printing presses and stopped the privatization of Greece's biggest port on Tuesday, "signaling he aims to stick to election pledges despite warning shots from the euro zone and financial markets."

One of the first decisions announced by the new government was stopping the planned sale of a 67 percent stake in the Piraeus Port Authority, agreed under its international bailout deal for which China's Cosco Group and four other suitors had been shortlisted.

"The Cosco deal will be reviewed to the benefit of the Greek people," Thodoris Dritsas, the deputy minister in charge of the shipping portfolio, told Reuters.

Europe, for one, will be most displeased that Greece has decided to put its people first in the chain of priority over offshore bidders of Greek assets. Most displeased, especially since the liquidation sale of Greece is part of the Greek bailout agreement: an agreement which as the Troika has repeatedly stated, is not up for renegotiation.

Syriza had announced before the election it would halt the sale of state assets, a plank of the 240 billion-euro bailout agreement. Stakes in the port of Thessaloniki, the country's second biggest, along with railway operator Trainose and rolling stock operator ROSCO are also slated to be sold.

And it wasn't just this open act of defiance that marked the new government's anti-European agenda:

In a separate step, the deputy minister in charge of administrative reform, George Katrougkalos said the government would reverse some layoffs of public sector workers, rolling back another key bailout measure. "It will be one of the first pieces of legislation that I will bring in as a minister," he told Mega TV.

The Germans were not happy: A German central banker warned of dire problems should the new government call the country's aid program into question, jeopardizing funding for the banks. "That would have fatal consequences for Greece’s financial system. Greek banks would then lose their access to central bank money," Bundesbank board member Joachim Nagel told Handelsblatt newspaper.

Well, maybe.... Unless of course Greece finds a new, alternative source of funding, one that has nothing to do with the establishmentarian IMF, whose "bailouts" are merely a smokescreen to implement pro-western policies and to allow the rapid liquidation of any "bailed out" society.

An alternative such as the BRIC Bank for example. Recall that the "BRICS Announce $100 Billion Reserve To Bypass Fed, Developed World Central Banks."

And yes, the BRIC are going through their own share of pain right now as a result of plunging crude prices, but remember: crude is only low as long as the US shale sector is still vibrant. Once this marginal producer of crude with a $80 cost-breakeven is out of the picture, watch as Saudi Arabia tightens the spigots and Crude surges to $100, $150 or more. The question is whether Saudi FX reserves can outlast the Fed's ZIRP, which is the only reason - think idiots junk bond investors desperate for any ounce of yield - why the bulk of unprofitable and cash flow-bleeding US shale can still operate with WTI at $45.

Which naturally means that now Russia (and China) are set to become critical allies for Greece, which would immediately explain the logical pivot toward Moscow.

But wait, there's more.

As Bloomberg further reports, "Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is due in Brussels on Thursday to discuss possible additional sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. Before the cabinet even meets for the first time tomorrow, the Greek government said that it disagreed with an EU statement in which President Donald Tusk raised the prospect of “further restrictive measures” on Russia."

The punchline:

In recent months, Kotzias wrote on Twitter that sanctions against Russia weren’t in Greece’s interests. He said in a blog that a new foreign policy for Greece should be focused on stopping the ongoing transformation of the EU “into an idiosyncratic empire, under the rule of Germany.”

And when it comes to the natural adversary of any German imperial ambitions in recent history, Europe has been able to produce only one answer...

***

Mirror

Panicked super rich buying boltholes with private airstrips to escape if poor rise up

12:14, 26 January 2015

By Alex Wellman

Hedge fund managers are buying up remote ranches and land in places like New Zealand to flee to in event of wide-spread civil unrest

Escape: Rich financiers have put plans in place to getaway from rioters

Super rich hedge fund managers are buying 'secret boltholes' where they can hideout in the event of civil uprising against growing inequality, it has been claimed.

Nervous financiers from across the globe have begun purchasing landing strips, homes and land in areas such as New Zealand so they can flee should people rise up.

With growing inequality and riots such as those in London in 2011 and in Ferguson and other parts of the USA last year, many financial leaders fear they could become targets for public fury.

Robert Johnson, president of the Institute of New Economic Thinking, told people at the World Economic Forum in Davos that many hedge fund managers were already planning their escapes.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW IN FULL HERE

He said: “I know hedge fund managers all over the world who are buying airstrips and farms in places like New Zealand because they think they need a getaway."

Mr Johnson, said the economic situation could soon become intolerable as even in the richest countries inequality was increasing.

He said: "People need to know there are possibilities for their children – that they will have the same opportunity as anyone else.

"There is a wicked feedback loop. Politicians who get more money tend to use it to get more even money."

His comments were backed up by Stewart Wallis, executive director of the New Economics Foundation, who when asked about the comments told CNBC Africa: "Getaway cars the airstrips in New Zealand and all that sort of thing, so basically a way to get off. If they can get off, onto another planet, some of them would."

He added: "I think the rich are worried and they should be worried. I mean inequality, why does it matter?

"Most people have heard the Oxfam statistics that now we’ve got 80, the 80 richest people in the world, having more wealth that the bottom three-point-five billion, and very soon we’ll get a situation where that one percent, one percent of the richest people have more wealth than everybody else, the 99."

***

ENENEWS

Study: Fukushima the most serious man made disaster in human history — Obesity rates now nearly double Japan average — Excessive weight gain after nuclear crisis “a marker of radiation brain damage”

Asahi Shimbun, Jan 24, 2015 (emphasis added): Obesity a growing problem among children in Fukushima… An education ministry survey released Jan. 23… found that 15.07 percent of 9-year-olds in Fukushima Prefecture were 20 percent or more heavier than normal. The figure was much higher than the national average of 8.14 percent, and the highest among all 47 prefectures. [It] was also the highest among all prefectures for 7-year-olds, 11-year-olds and 13-year-olds… According to the ministry, obese children are most commonly found in the Tohoku region… the trend has been especially acute in Fukushima Prefecture since the 2011 onset of the nuclear crisis…. The ministry said this appeared to be because children in Fukushima Prefecture are restricted from playing outdoors due to radiation fears…

National Research Center for Radiation Medicine (Ukraine), 2013: Rise of obesity incidence in ChNPP accident survivors is related to abnormal secretion of α-melanotropin [α-MSH]

Accident at the Chernobyl NPP… was followed by the intensive release of a wide range of radioactive elements with affinity to many endocrine tissues. The mentioned radioactive fallout resulted in both internal and external radiation exposure, among others, of the central endocrine structures of the human brain.

Higher incidence of borderline obesity – 37%… and of primary obesity – 32.5%… was found in the ChNPP accident survivors vs persons in the control group (31.1 and 24.6% respectively)… For the first time there was revealed a new abnormal way of a reaction on radiation namely – the ‘blunted’ protective response of the physiological increase of α-MSH secretion along with body mass index elevation normally preventing further growth of adipose tissue. There is no increase of α-MSH secretion or even there is a hormone deficiency in most [obese] survivors of the ChNPP accident…

Received data indicate to the increased risk of borderline obesity and obesity after the prolonged exposure to radiation in moderate doses. The mentioned risk is stipulated by disorders in melanocortin system resulting in α-MSH deficiency at the background of obesity that can be considered as a marker of such an abnormality.

The Chernobyl NPP accident in 1986 and Fukushima NPP accident in 2011 are still the most serious wide scale man made disasters in human history… Massive radioactive release and fallout followed both accidents. Wide range of radioactive isotopes were released some having high affinity to hormone-producing tissues including ones in the cerebral endocrine structures… Today the Chernobyl NPP accident is not over but has evolved into the long-term fourth phase…

Subjects: The Chernobyl NPP accident survivors (emergency workers… and evacuees…)

Decrease of α-MSH… can be considered as a marker of radiation brain damage. Thus α-MSH can be considered as a sensitive marker of radiation impact which deficiency of synthesis leads to disorder of pathways preventing further body mass increase…

α-MSH: Most important of the melanocyte-stimulating hormones in stimulating melanogenesis, a process that… plays a role in feeding behavior… regulation of appetite, metabolism…

***

Daily Mail

Stunned scientists find FISH beneath 2,400ft-thick Antarctic ice sheet - and they could be getting energy from Earth's core

Discovery made after drilling a small hole through the Ross Ice Shelf

Scientists spotted the sea creatures in water just 33ft (10 metres) deep

Small pink fish had organs that showed through translucent bodies

Chemical energy from inside Earth's interior, rather than sunlight, could be sustaining bacteria and other microbes which the fish feed on

By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 15:31 EST, 22 January 2015 | UPDATED: 03:14 EST, 23 January 2015

Incredibly-resilient fish have been found living in perpetual darkness beneath a 2,430ft (740 metre) thick sheet of Antarctic ice.

Stunned scientists made the discovery after drilling a small hole through the Ross Ice Shelf, which covers an area the size of France.

They spotted the sea creatures in an area of remote seawater 33ft (10 metres) deep, sealed between the ice sheet and the seafloor.

Resilient fish have been found living in darkness beneath a 2,430ft (740 metre) thick sheet of Antarctic ice

'I'm surprised,' Ross Powell, a glacial geologist from Northern Illinois University told Douglas Fox at Scientific American.

'You get the picture of these areas having very little food, being desolate, not supporting much life.'

The discovery of fish in waters -2°C and perpetual darkness poses new questions about the ability of life to thrive in extreme environments.

The expedition had initially wanted to analyse the stability of the Whillans Ice Stream, which is one of about a half-dozen large, fast-moving rivers of ice pouring from the West Antarctic.

When ice drillers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln peered beneath the region, they initially didn't believe it could hold life.

But over several hours, they spotted 20 to 30 fish and lowered a camera into the area to capture their discovery.

The fish had a bluish-brownish-pinkish, were roughly 15cm long with internal organs showing through translucent bodies.

'It was clear they were a community living there,' Proessor Powell says, 'not just a chance encounter.'

The team encountered two other types of smaller fish - one black and another orange. They also found red, shrimp crustaceans, as well as some other marine invertebrates.

Researchers suspect one source of food for the fish is plankton which can be grown in the waters of the Ross Sea and then swept under the ice shelf over a period of six or seven years.

Stunned scientists made the discovery after drilling a small hole through the Ross Ice Shelf, which covers an area the size of France. They spotted the sea creatures in an area of remote seawater 33ft (10 metres) deep, sealed between the ice sheet and the seafloor below

Chemical energy from inside interior, rather than sunlight, could also be sustaining bacteria and other microbes which the fish feed on.

The team are currently in the process of analysing the fish to understand more about their species.

'I have been investigating these types of environments for much of my career, and although I knew it would be difficult, I had been wanting to access this system for years because of its scientific importance,' said Professor Powell.

'Findings such as these - gaining an understanding of the ice sheet dynamics and its interaction with ocean and sediment, as well as establishing the structure of its ecosystem - are especially rewarding. It's a big pay-off in delayed gratification.'

***

Natural News

USA Today columnist calls for arrest and imprisonment of vaccine skeptics

Thursday, January 29, 2015

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

(NaturalNews) Now we finally come to the real agenda of the vaccine industry. After vaccines have been repeatedly documented by the Natural News Lab to contain neurotoxic chemicals such as mercury, formaldehyde and MSG; after vaccine shots have been repeatedly shown to kill people who take them; and after flu shots have been exhaustively shown to be based on no science whatsoever -- with vaccine manufacturers openly admitting there are no clinical trials to show they even work -- the rabid vaccine pushers are unveiling their end game: throw vaccine resistors in prison.

This is the call by USA Today columnist Alex Berezow. "Parents who do not vaccinate their children should go to jail," he writes in this USA Today column.

And just to be clear, what Berezow means is that parents who do not vaccinated their children no matter how toxic the vaccine ingredients really are should be thrown in prison. There is no exemption being discussed or recommended that would allow parents to object to vaccines because of the neurotoxic chemicals they contain (such as the heavy metal mercury, still found in flu shots given to children in America). There is also no discussion that informed parents might reasonably object to vaccines based on the recent confession of a top CDC whistleblower who reveals how the CDC committed scientific fraud to bury scientific evidence showing a link between vaccines and autism.

But continuing with the imprisonment idea now being touted by USA Today, it begs the practical question: What exactly should happen after the parents are thrown in prison? Well, of course, the state will take custody of the children because they are now parentless.

So the suggestion that parents who seek to protect their children from toxic vaccine ingredients should be thrown in jail is simultaneously a call for the state to seize custody of all children who are not yet vaccinated with Big Pharma's toxic vaccines.

Vaccine skepticism to be criminalized in America?

Let's all be perfectly clear about the crux of this argument published by USA Today. Because police resources in U.S. cities are finite at any given time, Berezow is essentially arguing that law enforcement officers -- who are already spread dangerously thin almost everywhere -- should be diverted from stopping real criminals such as rapists, murderers and child molesters, and instead should fan out across U.S. cities, going door to door to handcuff and arrest vaccine skeptics while demanding Child Protective Services seize their children.

This argument, dutifully printed by the blindly obedient mainstream media, represents the total abandonment of scientific reasoning and the desperate invocation of the very same policies espoused by Mao, Pol Pot, Mussolini and Adolf Hitler: If the People can't be persuaded to do what you want through reason, then force them to do so at gunpoint.

This is, by definition, the very essence of a medical police state. To find that such a policy is boldly called for in the pages of USA Today demonstrates just how treacherously far we have now ventured into the all-too-familiar territory of the world's past dictatorial regimes which routinely violated human rights in the name of compliance.

And yet this column in USA Today is actually a tremendous victory for vaccine skeptics. There is no greater admission of the failure of vaccine "science" than this call for vaccines to be enforced at gunpoint. It is the wholesale abandonment of any philosophy that might respect human freedom, dignity or choice. Instead, this pronouncement equates intelligent, informed vaccine skeptics with murderers and rapists, implying they should share the same fate, if not the same prison cell.

It is an admission, ultimately, that the vaccine pushers have run out of reasonable ideas and must now resort to force as their last remaining weapon against common sense.

Medical tyranny lives in America

Berezow, like most vaccine promoters, is a medical tyrant. He openly calls for government to use the threat of violence to destroy families, ripping them apart at gunpoint and seizing their children, in order to achieve a level of vaccine compliance that Berezow claims is based on irrefutable evidence of safety and efficacy.

That evidence, of course, is entirely imagined by the vaccine industry itself -- the same industry that includes printed inserts in its own vaccines which openly admit things like, "...there have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL."

As Natural News has exhaustively documented, many vaccine inserts openly admit they don't work. Vaccine virologists working for Merck even went public with detailed admission that Merck faked vaccine clinical trials and committed scientific fraud. Beyond that, all vaccine inserts openly admit to a shockingly long list of side effects which include seizures, skin disorders, neurological problems and more:

To make a broad claim that all vaccines are "safe and effective" is to label yourself hopelessly ignorant of medical reality and utterly unqualified to comment on vaccine safety in the first place. To say "vaccines are universally safe and effective" is as cognitively incompetent as saying, "the Earth is flat" or that mercury is also good for children when it's installed in their teeth. (That's the official position of the American Dental Association, by the way, a chemical-pushing industry front group still hopelessly stuck in the chemical denials of the 1950's.)

And the yet the tremendous appeal of government coercion -- from the point of view of a medical tyrant -- is that it no longer requires consent. This "miracle of compliance" is of course the science method of choice in North Korea, Communist China and the old U.S.S.R. The basis of the idea of coercion is that "people should be free to make their own choices, but only as long as those choices are the ones we demand they make."

When American media outlets begin to print opinion pieces that resemble the logic of Kim Jong-Un, you know something has gone terribly awry.

No one can threaten your safety... except US!

In his USA Today column, Berezow argues that "no person has the right to threaten the safety of his community," yet he personally threatens millions of Americans with arrest and imprisonment in his own column. He alone has the right to make such threats, you see, because his threats of taking away your children and imprisoning you as a parent are conducted under the contrived banner of "science."

His threats don't count as threats in exactly the same way the Obama administration's murder of over 3,000 civilians with drone strikes don't count as civilian casualties, either. Or how the national debt of $18 trillion -- most of it accrued under Obama alone -- doesn't count either because "the federal budget is balanced!" (Hint: it isn't.)

Speaking of civilian casualties, in the name of "science," Berezow obviously wants to see an armed medical Gestapo going house to house, taking children away from parents and turning them over to the state while those parents are incarcerated in a prison system that's already bursting at the seams.

The same government that Berezow hopes would use armed police to enforce vaccine compliance has, of course, already granted absolute legal immunity to vaccine manufacturers. So children who are harmed by vaccines have no legitimate legal recourse.

The obvious catch-22 is damning to the industry: Here, take these vaccines at gunpoint, but if your child is harmed or even killed by these vaccines we've forced upon you, that's your problem, not ours. Even the Associated Press recently conducted an investigation into the kangaroo vaccine court system in the United States and concluded it was a comedy of justice that denied payouts to parents for ten years or more.

This imprisonment argument by Berezow also begs the question: Does Mr. Berezow support government coercion and the threat of violence against the citizens of America solely in the arena of vaccines? Or does he also think government should arrest and imprison people who don't comply with the government's wishes in all other areas, too?

By Berezow's own logic, people who refuse to purchase Obamacare health insurance should also be arrested and imprisoned. Probably even people who write about vaccine dangers should be arrested and imprisoned too, by simply legislating that pesky First Amendment out of existence. And why stop there? Why not arrest and imprison people who refuse to testify against themselves, refuse to quarter government soldiers in their private homes, refuse to submit to illegal searches and seizures or refuse to remain silent in their own defense?

Perhaps one day the government will demand that everybody eat Soylent Green. Those who refuse will not merely be arrested, but scooped up and "processed" into more Soylent Green to force-feed to the obedient, ignorant masses.

USA Today promotes a medical police state

The fact that USA Today would even run a column like this shows the late hour of the medical police state which the American people have apathetically allowed to emerge under their watch. In an era where the U.S. government now openly spies on all our phone calls, emails and phone texts -- and where the Obama administration has prosecuted more truth-telling whistleblowers than any other administration in U.S. history -- the systems of oppression, propaganda and control have reached a tipping point of public revolt.

The mass militarization of local police forces across the country is a screaming red alert that civil liberties are being crushed while the government itself seems to be arming for war against the American people. Local police departments now possess mine-resistant armored cars, automatic military weapons, surveillance drones and even futuristic thermal vision devices that can see through walls. If vaccine skepticism is criminalized, all these weapons of war -- many transferred to police departments after returning from the front lines of battle in the Middle East -- will be turned against citizens who refuse to inject their children with the toxic chemical poisons still found in vaccines.

The next simple step is to declare vaccine skeptics to be "domestic terrorists." From that point, all varieties of government coercion, violence, torture and murder of these people is "ethically justified" according to the vaccine pushers.

Rather than removing the toxic chemicals, the vaccine industry wants to force them on you at gunpoint

Public trust in the government is at an all-time low. Public trust in the lying mainstream media continues to plummet by the day. Public trust in toxic vaccines continues to fall as well, and this trend will never be reversed until the vaccine industry decides to remove toxic heavy metals and chemicals from its vaccines (if ever).

Rather than cleaning up its own products, the vaccine industry turns to people who call for government violence against citizens in order to achieve involuntary compliance.

We've seen these kind of people before, of course. They are the same kind of people who shoved Obamacare down our throats, hitting us all with hefty fines if we refuse to purchase an insurance product that the government totally lied about with claims that it would be "affordable." Remember, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor?" It's the same kind of malicious lie uttered by vaccine poisoners who claim vaccines are "totally safe and effective."

But in his USA Today column, Berezow ups the ante. He does not merely call for vaccine skeptics to be fined. That financial coercion tactic is apparently too mild for a man who is so sure he's 100% correct that he's willing to bet YOUR family on it. No, Berezow calls for vaccine skeptics to be arrested and imprisoned. If you do not get your children vaccinated, he unabashedly argues, you are an enemy of the state.

He's sure of it. In fact, he knows far better than you what should be injected into your children. You are too stupid to know the right answer, he implies, so leave it to the pharma companies that conduct deadly drug experiments on children to tell you what to do with your own children.

Inform yourself of the facts about Big Pharma's ongoing chemical child abuse by reading about The top ten medical conspiracies that actually happened.

I want to thank Berezow for finally removing all doubt about the true agenda of the vaccine pushers. I'm sure it won't be long before non-vaccinated children and adults will be required by law to wear Scarlet-letter shame symbols much like the Jews in 1939, and at some point people like Berezow will no doubt call for parents who don't vaccinate their children to be rounded up and sent to "re-education camps" where they will be subjected to PowerPoint presentations dreamed up by GlaxoSmithKline, the same company found guilty of felony bribery crimes by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

Medical freedom was almost written into the U.S. Constitution

Berezow has done us a service in all this, however. He has made the argument for a national "medical freedom" amendment to the United States Constitution.

It is because of tyrant-minded people like Berezow that America's founders created a First Amendment, Second Amendment, Third Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment and so on. All of these Constitutional amendments grew out of systematic government abuses of civil liberties and human freedoms.

Interestingly, a "medical freedom" amendment was also considered at the time by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Over 230 years ago, he warned:

"Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship to restrict the art of healing to one class of Men and deny equal privileges to others; the Constitution of the Republic should make a Special privilege for medical freedoms as well as religious freedom."

Dr. Rush, in other words, foresaw precisely the kind of medical tyranny now published by USA Today. "Medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship" is exactly what we've seen happen. That dictatorship, argues Berezow, should be enforced at gunpoint by the government itself. This is the definition of fascism: a corporate-government partnership to force obedience onto the population through coercion dished out under the threat of violence and incarceration.

USA Today should be ashamed that it has published a medical dictatorship propaganda piece that would have made Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels proud.

When the facts don't support the agenda, turn to government guns instead

The call to imprison vaccine resistors is an open admission that the SCIENCE behind vaccines isn't compelling and must therefore be replaced with GUNS.

How else will you arrest people, take their children away and imprison them unless you bring men with guns and badges to the "guilty" households, anyway? Where junk science fails, government guns are clearly the answer. And if guns alone don't work, they always have tanks, too.

In essence, the argument being made in the USA Today column is that guns should be used to force vaccine compliance. It's not even a leap, as guns in the hands of government goons are already being used to force children into toxic chemotherapy treatments against their will.

Why stop at vaccines? Why not threaten to arrest anyone who disagrees with a doctor on anything?

If total medical compliance -- at any cost to human freedom and dignity -- is the goal, then why not launch a whole new domestic army called D.M.S.; the Department of Medical Security. Declare that all who oppose Big Pharma's medical advice are "threats to national security" and ship them all to Gitmo where the U.S. government continues to run torture operations.

Once you start down the road of medical tyranny, it doesn't end well for humanity. Just ask the victims of the Nazi chemical conglomerate IG Farben, which was later split into chemical corporations, one of which is now known as Bayer. Under the guidance of the "science" of Nazi Germany, heinous chemical crimes were committed against countless Jews, including gassing them to death and using Jewish prisoners for medical experiments.

The former chairperson of Bayer, for the record, was convicted of Nazi war crimes at the Nuremburg tribunals and sentenced to prison. Today, pharma executives routinely commit felony crimes yet go free, even while USA Today calls for parents to be imprisoned for saying no to Big Pharma's deadly chemicals.

No doubt the vaccine promoters of today who demand the arrest and imprisonment of American vaccine resisters would also approve of using those prisoners for their medical experiments. Most of these inhumane medical experiments were carried out against prisoners, minorities or soldiers.

It's quite clear that the very same ethically-perverse medical system that's right now calling for the imprisonment of vaccine skeptics would, of course, have no hesitation using those people for "important medical research in the interests of the public good."

This is how crimes against humanity are born. You are watching it unfold right before your very eyes, right in America today, in the pages of USA Today. This is history in the making, and it is a history that will march us all right down the road of state-sponsored medical terrorism that's openly supported by the mainstream media.

Some people learn from the mistakes of history. But Berezow is determined to repeat them.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/045418_flu_shots_...

http://www.naturalnews.com/037653_vaccine_ad...

http://www.naturalnews.com/047841_flu_vaccin...

http://www.naturalnews.com/048422_flu_shot_s...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/0...

http://www.naturalnews.com/046630_CDC_whistl...

http://www.naturalnews.com/048383_measles_ou...

http://www.naturalnews.com/048402_measles_va...

http://www.naturalnews.com/047702_vaccine_co...

http://www.naturalnews.com/026685_Pfizer_chi...

http://www.naturalnews.com/044385_medical_co...

http://www.naturalnews.com/036417_Glaxo_Merc...

http://www.naturalnews.com/034892_Benjamin_R...

http://www.naturalnews.com/048348_medical_ki...

http://www.naturalnews.com/045939_ig_farben_...

http://www.naturalnews.com/036484_Bayer_Nazi...

http://www.naturalnews.com/019189_human_medi...

http://www.naturalnews.com/019187_human_medi...

http://www.naturalnews.com/048032_US_governm...

***

Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions

“A poor man walking in truth is better than a rich liar.”
(Proverbs 30:6)

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