Word Of Truth Mary Hanbury
“And
he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be
called of all nations the house of prayer?”
(Mark 11:17)
Is
It Not Written
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BREITBART
Pope Francis Welcomes Turkish President Erdogan in Vatican to Discuss Status of Jerusalem
by THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, PH.D.5 Feb 2018157
On Monday morning, Pope Francis received the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for a 50-minute meeting in the Vatican, in the midst of heightened security, with thousands of extra police officers in evidence throughout Rome.
According to an official Vatican communiqué, two leaders discussed relations between the Catholic Church and Turkey, the migrant crisis and the status of Jerusalem. Prior to the meeting, President Erdogan told the Italian press that the most important issue to be discussed was the controversy over the Holy City, saying that his top priority for the talks was “the status of Jerusalem.”
The actual text of the Vatican statement read:
During the cordial discussions the bilateral relations between the Holy See and Turkey were evoked, and the parties spoke about the situation of the country, the condition of the Catholic community, efforts in the reception of the many refugees and the challenges linked to this. Attention then turned to the situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to the status of Jerusalem, highlighting the need to promote peace and stability in the region through dialogue and negotiation, with respect for human rights and international law.
Turkish media reported that the agenda for the meeting included “bilateral relations, the latest developments on Jerusalem, regional issues, the humanitarian tragedy in Syria, and the fight against terrorism, xenophobia and Islamophobia.”
“The two leaders stressed that ‘equating Islam with terror is wrong,’” reported Hurriyet Daily News, which added that Erdoğan told the pope that “Turkey values people from all religions, including Catholics, living in harmony and peace.”
As evidence of his open-mindedness, the Turkish president told the pope of the government-overseen restoration of 14 churches and a synagogue in Turkey.
Italian authorities banned protests in much of central Rome, although a small, authorized Kurdish demonstration against Erdoğan’s visit was held outside the Vatican.
In an interview with the Italian daily La Stampa Sunday, Erdoğan publicly thanked President Donald Trump for his phone call after declaring that the U.S. would be moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a measure that Erdoğan said was “against international law.”
The Turkish president went on to praise Pope Francis for his “sound message” after the news hit. “Because Jerusalem is not just an issue for Muslims. Both of us support the defense of the status quo and we have the will to maintain it,” he said.
Even prior to Mr. Trump’s announcement of the transfer of the U.S. embassy and the recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel, Pope Francis issued a special appeal, calling for respect for the “status quo” in Jerusalem.
“My thoughts now turn to Jerusalem,” the Pope said before the large crowd assembled in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. “I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has been created in the last days.”
“At the same time, I would like to make a heartfelt appeal for everyone’s commitment to respect the city’s status quo, in conformity with the pertinent United Nations Resolutions,” he said.
Erdogan’s meeting Monday was the first state visit by a Turkish leader to the Vatican in 59 years.
In 2015, Erdoğan “condemned” Pope Francis for his use of the expression “genocide” when referring to the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenian Christians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1917.
“Whenever politicians, religious functionaries assume the duties of historians, then delirium comes out, not fact,” Erdoğan said.
“I want to warn the pope to not repeat this mistake and condemn him,” he said.
The Pope had referred to the 1915 event as an “immense and senseless slaughter” and called it “the first genocide of the twentieth century,” ending speculation whether the pontiff would risk alienating Turkey by using the term “genocide.”
A year later, Francis visited Armenia, including its genocide memorial, to the consternation of Turkish officials who accused the Pope of “lies and slander” after the pontiff once again made reference to the Armenian genocide, saying that his actions betrayed “a crusader mentality.”
In an official statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry lamented the Pope’s visit to Armenia’s “genocide monument,” while also criticizing his “unfortunate statements” and “unacceptable references to the 1915 incidents.”
Turkey said that Francis made statements “proven to be lies and slander” which revealed “Pope Francis’ unconditional commitment to the Armenian narrative.”
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AL-MONITOR
Gaza suffering makes Israeli headlines at last
Mazal Mualem
February 6, 2018
REUTERS/Mohammed Salem A Palestinian girl sleeps inside her house in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, April 15, 2015.
Ever since Feb. 2, the Israeli public has been receiving a heavy dose of harsh images depicting the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Photos show Palestinian children lying helpless in hospitals without medication, a severe shortage of water, sewage flowing in filthy streets and long stretches of darkness because of lengthy power cuts. All these images have been flooding the press, news sites and current events programming.
While the situation in Gaza worsened in 2017 — it is now on the verge of becoming a humanitarian crisis — no one in Israel showed any interest: not the local media, not the political echelon and apparently not the Cabinet. The truth is that Gaza should have featured prominently in any coverage of the Israeli political and security situation. Nevertheless, it is all but invisible, despite the direct connection between a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the chance of another violent conflict. And we haven’t even touched on the issue of basic moral values when confronted with such a disastrous human tragedy.
The overall sense of apathy was replaced on Feb. 2 with growing interest, as initial reports from top defense officials began to show up in the media. These reports described the situation as a humanitarian crisis and warned of another war against Hamas. In many cases, the reports were accompanied by assessments that Israel itself would have to provide food and medicine to the Gaza Strip in order to avert a catastrophe, as the Channel 10 Friday night news show discussed.
On Feb. 4, the once anonymous quotes were coming straight from the mouth of Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot himself at the weekly Cabinet meeting. Eizenkot warned the ministers of a possible clash with Hamas, due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and said that Israel must make an effort to prevent the Gaza Strip from spiraling toward disaster.
By Feb. 5, the situation in Gaza had already become a hot political issue in the parties’ weekly meetings in the Knesset. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beitenu), Labor Party Chairman Avi Gabbay and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid all reacted to the situation in the statements they issued. Gabbay and Lapid called upon the government to listen to the chief of staff, while Liberman’s comments seemed to contradict themselves. On the one hand, he said that the situation in Gaza was worse than ever, but then he added that it is not a humanitarian crisis.
The chief of staff’s warning to the Cabinet was unusual, but it was completely understandable. Based on the regular reports that he receives, he is concerned that Gaza is potentially volatile, even if this doesn’t seem to bother the government or keep the prime minister awake at night. Otherwise, the deteriorating humanitarian situation there would have been on the security Cabinet’s agenda for a long time now.
The way that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been hiding his head in the sand ever since the end of Operation Protective Edge in 2014 is nothing less than a political fiasco. This is only exacerbated by the fact that Netanyahu himself made a point of speaking about the new opportunities that the cease-fire with Hamas afforded. Back then, he talked about a “new diplomatic horizon” and hinted that he planned to work with the pragmatic Arab states to create a regional coalition. At the time, there was also talk of rebuilding Gaza in exchange for its demilitarization. But the Gaza Strip was never rebuilt, Hamas continued to use aid money to fund terrorist attacks and life in Gaza got harder by the day. Meanwhile, Netanyahu went back to his old, established patterns of behavior, acting passively as long as there was no clear and immediate danger or an event that needed to be handled.
The election of Donald Trump in late 2016 relieved Netanyahu of the brunt of international pressure, even in his handling of the situation in Gaza and negotiations with the Palestinians. Given this situation, the problem of Gaza has been shunted to the side, while Netanyahu focuses on his transcontinental diplomatic trips, his investigations and various coalition crises. If there ever was a Cabinet discussion of Gaza or if there was some real creative attempt by the government to tackle the volatile situation there, it was not noticeable in anything the government has done, nor was it even mentioned in passing in any official report.
It was in this atmosphere that a plan submitted by Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) to construct an artificial island off the coast of Gaza, and his demand in March 2017 that the Cabinet discuss the future of the Gaza Strip, were both met with derision.
Israel has not had a systematic policy on how to deal with the Gaza Strip ever since the disengagement in 2005. All it has done since then was allow itself to get dragged into round after round of violence with Hamas. Operation Protective Edge earned the questionable honor of being “Israel’s longest war” (50 days), but at least it provided an opportunity to decide what to do with Gaza — and not just militarily either. Meanwhile, the years have passed, so that when the state comptroller released his report on Operation Protective Edge, the focus was on the tunnel fiasco, even though it has since been proved that this was actually a tactical threat that could be overcome using advanced technology. The real fiasco was a lack of policy for the Gaza Strip, based on the assumption that military occupation is not the preferred solution to the problem, even for the current right-wing government.
Paradoxically, it could be that US President Trump’s stern attitude toward the Palestinians and his recent efforts to block funding for UNWRA exposed the true nature of Israel’s position in the conflict. Ostensibly, Netanyahu would have been expected to embrace the US administration’s sanctions against the Palestinians, but he was actually the first to realize that this supposed “prize” could actually harm Israel. It could lead to the international community blaming Israel for the humanitarian disaster, while the deteriorating situation could result in another clash with Hamas, or in other words, another Operation Protective Edge. Israel’s achievements the last time that happened were questionable at best, while Netanyahu only managed to extricate himself from the ensuing crisis by the skin of his teeth.
This is why Netanyahu — who also happens to be foreign minister — had the Ministry of Foreign Affairs send a message to the Americans, asking them to show moderation when cutting their contribution to the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Here, too, he was guided by circumstances after failing to take advantage of the diplomatic window of opportunity, which he himself identified in 2014.
Now that the Israeli public is being exposed to the situation in the Gaza Strip, and it has become a major political issue, Israelis are also learning about how helpless Netanyahu really is in dealing with this challenge. There was no need for Netanyahu to make major historical decisions such as attacking Iran or dismantling settlements. Still he failed in showing initiative or taking political action, wasting almost four precious years along the way.
Mazal Mualem is a columnist for Al-Monitor's Israel Pulse and formerly the senior political correspondent for Maariv and Haaretz. She also presents a weekly TV show covering social issues on the Knesset channel.
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LIFE SITE News
Delaware bill would allow euthanasia for ‘intellectually disabled’
January 30, 2018
DOVER, Delaware, January 29, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – The Delaware state House is considering an assisted suicide bill that would allow the mentally incompetent to be killed.
Introduced by Rep. Paul Baumbach, a Democrat, the Delaware End of Life Options Act (HB 160) has an amendment which says “intellectually disabled” terminally ill people may be killed.
“These are people who can’t legally enter contracts! They can’t control where they live! They can’t make their own medical decisions! They also can’t vote, pursuant to the Delaware Constitution!” Wesley J. Smith wrote for National Review. “Yet, if they have a terminal illness, they are going to be able to commit assisted suicide if a social worker –who may be ideologically predisposed in favor– confirms that they ‘understand.’”
“It doesn’t even require approval of a guardian, as would corrective surgery or treatment to cure or palliate,” Smith added. “Good grief!”
“The assisted suicide lobby is committed to expanding who ‘qualifies’ for assisted suicide,” Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told LifeSiteNews. “The language in the Delaware bill is part of the assisted suicide lobby’s attempt to expand the assisted suicide laws.”
At issue is the interpretation of “terminal illness” as being an incurable ailment that will cause death in six months no matter what, or one that would cause death in six months only if left untreated.
“The term ‘terminally ill’ (in HB 160) is very vague,” Alexandra Snyder of Life Legal Defense Foundation told The Stream. “Does this include those with treatable conditions? What about those who elect not to receive treatment? This would radically expand the number of people who would qualify for a lethal dose of barbiturates.”
“Pro-suicide” groups manipulate words to make killing sound “humane and dignified,” Snyder said. “It’s a way of normalizing suicide.”
Other problems Snyder noted include:
Doctors do not know how long a patient will live.
Faced with the prospect of large medical bills, the poor can be pressured into suicide.
Adult children and relatives of the elderly can seek to hasten death for material benefit.
The Delaware legislation calls death by suicide “humane and dignified.”
“Suicide laws send the message (to society) that certain people’s lives are not worth living.”
The suicide rate among the general populace goes up in states that have enacted “aid-in-dying” laws.
“Death by suicide is inherently undignified,” Snyder critiqued.
She said such laws impact society toward more of a culture of death: “In Oregon, which legalized assisted suicide in 1997, the suicide rate is 35% higher than the U.S. average.”
Donna Latteri, who organized a pro-life demonstration against HB 160 last week, said the Delaware bill “opens up a can of worms for elderly abuse and abuse from anyone who would in any way benefit from the death of that person.”
“We want to protect life from womb to tomb,” Latteri added.
“Assisted suicide corrupts everything it touches,” Smith concluded. “For those with eyes to see, let them see.”
The Delaware House could vote on HB 160 as soon as March 6.
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LIFE SITE News
Priest calls for excommunication of 14 Catholic senators who voted against late-term abortion ban
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer high-fives Catholic Democrat Senator Heidi Heitkamp on Jan. 29, 2018 after she voted in favor of late-term abortion.
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A Catholic priest is calling on bishops to excommunicate the 14 Catholic-identifying U.S. senators who voted last week against banning late-term abortions. He is also calling on priests to deny the Catholic pro-abortion senators Holy Communion.
“Today is the day for their bishops to issue a formal statement acknowledging that these men and women have publicly denied their Catholic faith, and if not formally, then have informally excommunicated themselves,” Father Dwight Longenecker wrote in a recent blog post.
Many bishops often refuse to publicy correct pro-abortion politicians who say they are Catholic. Of these, a small number prefer to be more "pastoral," handling the matter in private.
But Father Longenecker wasted no time on this premise, pointing out the reality of the infraction committed by public figures identifying themselves as Catholic when they publicly support abortion.
“Since their offense is public, it should be acknowledged publicly and their pastors should publicly rebuke them and deny them access to the sacraments,” he said, adding that if Church hierarchy does not do so, then Catholics should make their concerns known via the most effective channel – the collection basket.
“If the bishops and priests do not do this,” Father Longenecker added, “the faithful in their parishes and dioceses should rise up and blizzard them with letters, emails and the one thing that will really make them sit up and take notice: withholding their contributions.”
Longenecker, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Greenville, South Carolina, wrote about the fact that last Monday 46 of 97 members of the U.S. Senate voted against ending debate on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the result of that was the Senate not being allowed to vote on the bill, and the senators in effect voting against the ban.
The bill’s premise is based upon the scientifically established fact an unborn child can feel pain at 20 weeks
One of two proposed bills up for a possible vote to coincide with the annual March for Life, it was not perfect, allowing exceptions for babies conceived in rape or incest. It was regarded by some as feel-good legislation timed for the annual March when pro-life advocates and media would be paying attention. Despite its shortcomings, the bill would have banned most late-term abortions, a brutal and inhumane practice.
“So fourteen Catholic senators voted for this barbaric, inhumane practice to still be legal in the United States and thereby assured its continuation,” Father Longenecker stated.
Father Longenecker called on Catholic media to publish their names and to “publish the horror that they have enabled by their vote.”
He also stated that “every Catholic college, university, institute of learning, newspaper and website should publish the names of the Catholic senators who voted for late term abortion, and circulate their names as widely as possible.”
He included links to the official vote roll call and public record of the senators’ identifying as Catholic, as well as a chart containing their district, diocese and bishop.
Father Longenecker remained vocal on social media throughout the week about his call to name the 14 Catholic pro-abortion voting senators, making numerous posts.
“USCCB website acknowledged Monday's Senate vote in favor of late-term abortion was "appalling,” he tweeted last Thursday, “but fails to name and condemn Catholic senators who voted for dismemberment of unborn babies. That article now gone from website. Essentially-silence from the USCCB. #namethefourteen.”
The USCCB responded that its statement was still available on the Conference website, but did not address the substance of Longenecker’s tweet.
“CRUX, National Catholic Reporter and America Mag -- leading Catholic online journals still all silent about Monday's Senate vote and no comment on the Catholic senators who voted for late-term abortions,” he tweeted that same day. “Does silence indicate consent? #namethefourteen.”
“I expect the bishops of "The Fourteen" will say, "It is better that I have a quiet word with them in private about this matter,” Longenecker tweeted as well. “No. Their vote was a formal, public action in favor of late term abortion. Public crime demands a public condemnation. #namethefourteen.”
He used the #namethefourteen hashtag in his other posts during the week that were related to the defense of human life as well.
“Neonatalogist says, "Babies at 20 weeks gestation do feel pain,” he quoted with a link to an article from The Federalist, “… #namethefourteen.”
Longenecker also shared the Catholic World Report column on the matter by canon lawyer Ed Peters, wherein Peters termed the senators The Bloody 14.
One of his posts showed that North Dakota Democrat Senator Heidi Heitkamp – who is among the Catholic pro-abort 14 – was also one who high-fived New York Democrat Chuck Schumer last Monday upon the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act’s defeat.
Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck, North Dakota, took heat in October 2012 after a letter to the diocese’s parishes regarding the forthcoming election was leaked. The letter had discussed the non-negotiable issues of life and marriage, and asked Catholics to consider the Church’s teaching on those issues when voting. Some regarded the letter as telling people not to vote for Heitkamp, who was running for the Senate.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, had previously upheld the decision of one of his priests to deny Holy Communion to Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, one of the Catholic pro-abortion 14.
Providence, Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin, who is listed as Democrat Senator Tim Kaine’s bishop, was critical of Kaine during the 2016 election for his support for abortion, gay marriage, same-sex adoption and women’s ordination. Tobin publicly rebuked Democrat Congressman Patrick Kennedy for Kennedy’s support for abortion.
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MailOnline
Foster parents told not to hug or cuddle children they are bringing up in official guidance about the risk of sex abuse
Foster parents are deterred from showing affection in guidance about sex abuse
A report found they are not allowed to make everyday decisions such as haircuts
There are more than 50,000 children living with temporary foster families
PUBLISHED: 22:46, 6 February 2018 | UPDATED: 01:27, 7 February 2018
Foster parents are discouraged from hugging or cuddling the children they are bringing up, a scathing report found yesterday.
They are deterred from showing affection by warnings in official guidance about the risk of sex abuse, it said.
The review of foster care blamed ministers for ‘encouraging’ the bar on hugging, which affects more than 50,000 children who are living with temporary foster families after being taken into state care.
The inquiry said foster parents are also hamstrung by rules that mean they are not allowed to make everyday decisions such as taking a child for a haircut or to have their ears pierced.
Foster parents are discouraged from hugging or cuddling the children they are bringing up, a scathing report found yesterday
Children have been told not to call their foster parents Mum and Dad and couples have been warned they are not foster parents but merely foster carers. ‘When carers want to love a child, they should not be discouraged by formal guidance or feel intimidated by the remote threat of allegations,’ the report said.
Foster parents were taught to fear allegations of sexual misconduct and often ‘believed that demonstrations of physical affection were frowned upon’, it said. One foster mother was met with disapproval when she kissed a baby’s tummy after changing its nappy.
Foster fathers were even discouraged from picking up a child from school or an evening out by instructions that said: ‘Carers should be aware of the possible risks of being alone in a car with a foster child.’ Advice that children should not go into a carer’s bed were not right ‘for an infant or toddler who will often value the comfort that can bring, particularly when ill or after nightmares.’
The report said: ‘Department for Education guidance and regulations are silent on this key issue and such silence must encourage the view that physical affection is considered inappropriate.’
It called on ministers to say that foster parents ‘should not curb the natural instinct to demonstrate personal and physical warmth’.
The report, by former Barnardo’s chief Sir Martin Narey and social work adviser Mark Owers, effectively called for a revolution in the treatment of foster families who bring up three quarters of the children under state care at a cost to local councils of £1.7billion a year. It called for teams of social workers to be removed from the lives of foster families, freeing them from bureaucracy and saving millions in taxpayers’ money. Each foster family should in future be supervised by just one social worker.
It said foster families should provide permanent rather than temporary homes for children removed from abusive or incompetent natural parents. Social workers should stop insisting that the children regularly see the natural parents from whom they have been removed.
Birth parents should no longer have a say over children’s lives – for example by having the right to decide when their child should have a haircut. Foster parents should be encouraged to adopt children, it said.
The report, commissioned by the Department for Education, praised the efforts of foster parents, saying the children they bring up do well at school given their poor start in life.
It said attempts by fostering organisations and trade unions to turn foster parents into paid independent professionals must be resisted because ‘we want foster carers who will be as biased and tenacious in pursuing the interests of their foster child as many of us are in pursuing the interests of our own children’.
The report added: ‘When we first heard of a carer having to get social worker permission for minor issues such as allowing a child to have a haircut, we thought we were listening to exceptional occurences. Sadly this was not the case.’
The inquiry found that, contrary to regular claims that there is a crisis in foster care, foster parents are successful and there is no shortage of people willing to foster. Foster parents are also well paid, it said.
One level of bureacracy, independent reviewing officers, should be abolished entirely, the inquiry recommended. Together with savings from more efficient use of agencies, this would help save taxpayers more than £100million a year, it said.
Children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi said: ‘We welcome this thorough and insightful report.
‘We will carefully consider the review’s recommendations to determine how they can help us to make sustainable improvements to the fostering system and to the outcomes for looked after children.’
(“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection...” 2 Timothy 3:1-3)
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LIFE SITE News
Teacher fired, reported to counter-terrorism agency after telling lesbian student ‘God loves you’
February 5, 2018
BRISTOL, England, February 5, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A government-funded pre-apprenticeship academy in Bristol reported a Christian teacher as a “radicalisation threat” for answering students’ questions about her beliefs, Bristol Employment Tribunal has heard.
Svetlana Powell, a teacher of some 17 years’ experience, told the Tribunal that she was dismissed by the T2 Apprenticeship Academy in Bristol in July 2016 after being asked by students about her views on homosexuality.
In reply to a personal question, Mrs Powell said that her personal belief was that homosexuality was against God’s will, but that He loved every person, regardless of what they did, or who they were.
When told that one of the students identified as a lesbian, Mrs Powell in conviction of God’s care and love for every person, turned to her and said: “God loves you”. Two days later, the Academy’s HR Officer, Stacy Preston, told Mrs Powell that she was fired for “gross misconduct” with immediate effect.
The Academy’s Chief Safeguarding Officer, Sian Prigg, told the Tribunal that after a group of students complained that they were “brainwashed and preached to”, she decided to contact the local coordinator for Prevent - the government’s ‘counter-terrorism’ strategy group – to report the incident. Mrs Powell said she did not know of being reported as a “radicalisation threat” until she brought a legal claim against the Academy and read Mrs Prigg’s witness statement for the Tribunal.
Fired with immediate effect
Mrs Powell has told the Tribunal she had been a teacher for 17 years at a Bristol College with an exemplary record, before joining T2 Academy in May 2016 as a tutor. T2 is a pre-apprenticeship academy run by a private firm, Marr Corporation, on rolling contracts from the government.
Returning to work from a one-week holiday on 25 July, Mrs Powell was assigned to teach a class for 2 days, on 25 & 26 July 2016, in the absence of a fellow tutor. She was provided with a lesson plan, including a discussion on employability, or another topic which she considered to be appropriate.
Powell had previously taught one of the students in the class, and in a small group, he had told her that he was a Christian, and she had told him that she was too.
On the morning in question, the Christian student was distracting fellow pupils, and so the tutor asked him to stop and to focus on his work.
He was given a verbal warning by the teacher, saying that if he didn’t produce a certain amount of work after the lunch break, she would have to move him away from the others, so that he could concentrate on his work and not distract other learners.
After the lunch break, the student continued talking while producing minimum work, so was asked to move away to the opposite end of the classroom. The student objected, and then started to be argumentative about the tutor’s faith, asking her first a question about her personal beliefs on evolution.
Other students then started to ask the tutor’s personal views on other faith issues, and as the class was engaging with the conversation, the tutor decided to use this as the
“I decided to use the students’ interest in the subject and to have a discussion to accommodate the activities included in the lesson plan,” Mrs Powell said. “I considered the topic appropriate, as the discussion about Christian views would contribute in raising cultural issues of our day and awareness of the religion of this country.”
The student who had originally been warned about his behaviour then asked the tutor for her personal views on homosexuality. She replied by saying that as a Christian, she “personally” believed the Bible says that homosexual activity was against God’s will, but that God still loves every person regardless of what they did, or who they were.
The same student then said that another student in the group was a lesbian, to which the tutor replied that God loved her. The tutor was then asked whether the lesbian student would “go to hell”, to which the tutor replied with the historic Christian view that for everyone who repents (turns to God), God has provided a way of salvation to us through His son, Jesus Christ. The tutor said nothing about ‘hell’.
The discussion became very heated with the original student who had been disciplined talking over others. At break, that student, and four others left the classroom and then went to talk to the Academy manager, Liz Barker.
As a result of this, Svetlana Powell was then called into another room by Ms Barker, told that the students had made a complaint, and that she would take it further and would be contacting Human Resources. When Mrs Powell returned to work the next day, she was told she had been suspended, and should await news from her employer, via email.
Mrs Powell was invited to a disciplinary hearing the next day at 11am, and did not have time to obtain legal representation. At the Hearing on 27 July, she was grilled about her Christian faith and what she had expressed about it in her discussion with students.
After one hour, Mrs Powell was called back into the room and told her contract was being terminated on the basis that she could not control the class, and that her comments were offensive to some students. She was told to leave the Academy immediately, and that she would not be allowed to appeal her dismissal.
Anti-Christian discrimination
Mrs Powell, supported by Christian Legal Centre (CLC), is suing Marr Corporation in Bristol Employment Tribunal for loss of earnings.
CLC lawyer, Pavel Stroilov, told the court that Marr Corporation discriminated against Mrs Powell because of her Christian beliefs. He argued that the school’s treatment of Mrs Powell is “in stark contrast” to dealing with students’ complaints against another teacher, Andrew Spargo, whom he described as an “outspoken left-wing atheist”.
When questioning one of Marr Corporation’s witnesses, Liz Barker, Mr Stroilov referred to an e-mail where she reported students’ complaints that Mr Spargo spent most of his time in class “preaching to them on the daily basis about how terrible England is and how many innocent people the government has killed, as well as why Jesus never existed”. On one occasion, Mr Spargo allegedly shocked the students by showing them a sketch of a naked woman with her legs open and vagina showing. On another, he allegedly twice told a student to “get the f*** out of my classroom”.
“The school dealt with that situation pastorally,” Mr Stroilov said in his submission to the tribunal. “Mr Spargo was only told off, and had his probation period extended for three months. He continues to teach at the Academy, and for all we know, carries on with anti-Christian and anti-British indoctrination of students. By contrast, Mrs Powell was dismissed on the spot for much milder comments. In my submission, we have proven today that this was because her views are Christian.”
Censorship and indoctrination
Andrea Williams, barrister and CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “We are seeing a worrying trend of cases such as this. The fact that Svetlana was reported to Prevent for holding Christian views is a sign of our times. It shows how Prevent will be used to punish innocent and soft targets. A radical rethink is required.”
The case continues.
NHK WORLD
Japan to drop restriction on human-animal embryos
January 29, 2018
Japan's science ministry is set to give researchers the green light to implant fertilized eggs containing both human and animal cells into the uteruses of animals. The goal is to grow human organs for transplantation.
Reversing a previous ban, a panel of experts on Monday basically approved a draft report opening the door to studies of human-animal chimeric embryos.
Such embryos are created by injecting human cells into fertilized animal eggs.
Researchers in other countries, including the United States, have been trying to grow human pancreases and other organs in pigs to use for transplantation.
But Japan bans the implantation of such embryos into animal uteruses.
Although the draft report allows chimeric embryos to be implanted, it forbids studies into growing human brain tissue inside animals.
Panel members cite the need to study overseas cases to see whether there is any risk of creating beings that are neither human nor animal.
The draft bans inseminating the reproductive cells of chimeras to produce offspring because such cells could contain human DNA.
The ministry plans to solicit public opinions before finalizing revisions to current guidelines.
The panel's chief, Shinichi Kosaka , says implanting the chimeric embryos has been approved because of the scientific significance.
He says the panel will keep a close eye on subsequent research to prevent the creation of human-animal hybrids.
FOX NEWS
Russia building a 'doomsday' torpedo, leaked Pentagon report draft says
By Chris Giaccia
February 2, 2018
As the Trump administration plans new U.S. nuclear firepower, leaked Pentagon documents reveal that Russia is building and developing a nuclear torpedo that would leave a country's coastline uninhabitable for years. It's been called a "doomsday" torpedo.
According to a report in Popular Mechanics, the weapon was cited in a leaked draft of the forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review. It's known as Kanyon to the Pentagon and "Ocean Multipurpose System Status-6" to Russia. The torpedo is part of Russia's underwater nuclear arsenal according to the draft Review.
Washington Free Beacon was the first to report of its existence in September 2015. The torpedo was also mentioned on Russian television in November of that year.
The Pentagon's new Nuclear Posture Review will be rolled out on Friday. It is the first review of its kind since 2010 and is among several studies of security strategy undertaken since Trump took office.
The Huffington Post published online a draft of the nuclear policy report last month, and The Associated Press independently obtained a copy. Asked for comment at the time, the Pentagon called it a “pre-decisional,” unfinished document that was yet to be reviewed and approved by Trump, who ordered it a year ago.
FOX NEWS
Cape Town braces for civil unrest as city's water crisis continues to worsen
By Paul Tilsley | Fox News
February 6, 2018
The charming port city of Cape Town, South Africa has long had the distinction of being one of the world’s top tourist destinations. But now, the city is on track to top another list it doesn’t want to be included in: The first major city in the modern era to have its water supply chain switched off.
The city is experiencing a record-low water drought and city officials say soon they may have to take extraordinary steps to restrict water usage.
Experts say this kind of drought only comes once in 300 years. Dam water levels are dangerously low, at an average of 25 percent. In some areas, levels are dropping by as much as 1 percent a day.
Under Level 6B restrictions introduced this week, residents and tourists can only use about 13 gallons – or 50 liters – of water a day, or face stiff fines. That’s the equivalent of a small to medium-sized tub of water.
Long lines are forming at two wells in the city, where residents can get some water, about six gallons each. A brewery that owns the land where one of the wells sits offers limited water on a first-come, first-served basis. (AP)
So taking a bath as is out. People are being urged to take only two short showers a week, or use washcloths to clean themselves. They are also being asked to flush the toilet only once a day. Many restaurants have shut off the water at sinks and are asking customers to use bottled hand sanitizers.
Long lines are forming at two wells in the city, where residents can get some water, about six gallons each. A brewery that owns the land where one of the wells sits offers limited water on a first-come, first-served basis.
Many residents are trying to stock up because, even with these restrictions, “Day Zero” is likely to come. Barring a miracle, on May 11 – or sooner – most of the city’s water taps will be shut off.
Already, police and security agencies are bracing for possible civil unrest.
"It will be honestly horrific when day zero comes,” said Wendy Swiel, a local resident told reporters while in line at one of the wells. “It's going to be very scary but I think it's a reality, unfortunately.”
Analysts are blaming the ANC-led national government, which is responsible for supplying water, for not acting soon, despite being warned several years ago about the issue.
Some analysts claim that the ANC is punishing Cape Town's voters for recently booting the party in local elections.
Cape Town was the first of South Africa’s major cities where voters turned their back on the ruling party in local elections, ostensibly because of corruption, nepotism and mismanagement by the late Nelson Mandela’s party. Three of South Africa’s other largest cities, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth have also recently dumped the ANC.
Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, a leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, claimed that for months she has been trying to get a meeting with the country’s President, Jacob Zuma, to get national help – to no avail.
The municipality purchased new desalination plants, but they won’t be ready in time to avert Day Zero.
There’s a growing panic in town. The price of bottled water has shot up – if someone is lucky enough to find one. Shops sell out as soon as supplies enter stores. Even large chain stores are being heavily criticized for price gouging bottled water.
In Johannesburg, so many locals are collecting water for family and friends in Cape Town that authorities are asking people to stop doing so, because Johannesburg itself is in danger of running low in this arid country.
But many are most concerned about the poor, many of whom collect water from communal taps instead of individual taps at home like in the richer suburbs, according to the Associated Press.
The rich are already trucking in tankers of water, and filling their swimming pools, or converting them to operate on salt water. In the Cape township of Khayelitsha, however, poor residents have always had to stand in line for water, so for them there is an ironic satisfaction that many in the more affluent areas of the city will have to also stand in line.
Experts say they foresee clashes between those desperate for water – and those hoarding it.
MailOnline
Mass exodus from 'Mad Max violence' in Venezuela: Thousands flee across bridge to Colombia amid desperate hunger and soaring crime following economic crisis
Thousands of desperate Venezuelans are trying to enter Colombia through the border crossing of Cucuta
They are fleeing hunger, inflation and the political crisis threatening to engulf the South American country
Colombia - along with neighbour Brazil - has sent extra soldiers to patrol their porous border with Venezuela
The crisis shows no sign of easing and Colombian lawmakers are beginning to tighten their border controls
By KEIRAN SOUTHERN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:13, 10 February 2018 | UPDATED: 06:04, 10 February 2018
GATEWAY PUNDIT
Slovakia Will Build Border Wall – PM Says “We Will Never Accept a Single Muslim”
February 5, 2018
The conservative prime minister also told supporters Slovakia will NEVER accept a single Muslim in the country.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico announced this week that he will build a great border fence.
JewsNews reported:
Slovakia will build wall and “never accept a single Muslim” says Prime Minister
Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, told thousands of cheering Slovakians that he will build a border fence between Austria and Hungary to stop African and Middle Eastern illegal immigrants going to Germany.
“We’ll never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia; we won’t create any Muslim communities here because they pose a serious security risk,” he said.
“It is predicted more than one million refugees will arrive in Europe this year,” he said “It cannot work to integrate people of other faiths and other cultures.”
He said Slovakia would “never bow to the European Union’s dictates and accept quotas,”
“The warnings issued by the Visegrad countries [Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia] have come true. The EU’s refugee policy has failed,”
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NEWSWARS
By Dan Lyman Wednesday, February 07, 2018
European globalists are preparing to "force" Central European nations to accept mandated migrant quotas and open borders, according to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.
Following a meeting with fellow Fidesz party officials, PM Orban posted a short video on Facebook summarizing the threat leveled by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel at Hungary and allied governments, vowing to stand firm in defense of European civilization and Christian identity.
"The presidency of Fidesz has discussed yesterday the announcement of the Belgian prime minister, that they will - if necessary with force - obligate Central European countries, including Hungary, to accept migrants," Orban said. "According to their plan, this will happen in June at the summit of the prime ministers in Brussels."
"Our presidency has taken a stand: we cannot give in to extortion. We will fight those who want to change the Christian identity of Hungary and Europe."
Orban's statement comes partly in response to recent comments made by PM Michel in which he warned, "We have formulated an ultimatum against the countries of Visegrad (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) who refuse solidarity in welcoming migrants: in the absence of a consensus, we will use qualified majorities at the end of the first semester to decide without them."
As Infowars reported earlier this week, Hungary is also embroiled in a bitter battle with the United Nations in the development of a new treaty on migration, and is prepared to leave the negotiating table altogether, citing a total disregard for dissenting viewpoints by the unelected authoritarian body.
Hungarian officials have asserted that the global plan runs parallel to agendas being promoted by EU stooges like PM Michel along with the 'George Soros mafia network."
"The UN’s draft directive on migration is chillingly reminiscent of the European Union’s plans, against which the Hungarian government is also fighting," said Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi. "The opinions of the UN Secretary General with relation to the planned compact for migration are far from supported internationally. The Hungarian government has also protested against the fact that the UN Secretary General is putting the plan forward as his own standpoint on the global organization’s various forums without the existence of a consensus on the issue."
The EU continues to threaten and apply immense pressure upon the growing list of member states who reject disastrous immigration policies and migrant quotas, while simultaneously moving forward with the formation of an EU army.
While the new military coalition is being praised as a program to facilitate a 'common defense' for the superstate, one can only wonder how it might be applied to "force" dissident nations to comply with the diktats of the internationalists in Brussels.
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MailOnline
Snowflakes? They're today's fascists! Jewish writer STEPHEN POLLARD says there's nothing funny about the march of the PC brigade
By Stephen Pollard Editor Of The Jewish Chronicle, For The Mail On Sunday
PUBLISHED: 00:14, 4 February 2018 | UPDATED: 00:18, 4 February 2018
[imgc;docs/Snowflakes offended.jpg]
The snowflakes are becoming an avalanche. Barely a week now passes without a fresh demand that they be protected from some form of supposedly offensive behaviour in the name of morality and decency (stock image)
Last weekend I, along with many around the world, commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day. As editor of the country’s leading Jewish newspaper, The Jewish Chronicle, it is a memorial of particular significance.
Through editing the newspaper, I am confronted daily with the legacy of that unique evil, including the suppression of debate, the distortion of truth and even the burning of books at the heart of that terrible chapter in our history.
I know, too, that the Third Reich’s totalitarian impulse – that only one type of question and one type of answer are legitimate, and all else must be extinguished – is far from unique because repressive regimes the world over continue to ban freedom of enquiry and freedom of expression.
We must be on our guard.
You might wonder, then, what Friday night’s attack on Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg as he attempted to give a talk to students has to do with this. Or last week’s decision – now reversed in the face of near-universal outrage – by Manchester Art Gallery to remove a pre-Raphaelite painting featuring mild nudity, Hylas And The Nymphs.
These are both an attempt to silence a view because it offends some people. It is for good reason that a new word entered the Oxford English Dictionary last month: a snowflake is ‘an overly sensitive or easily offended person’.
When the snowflake generation seeks to silence an MP because they disagree with him, or prompt an art gallery to remove a painting because someone might be offended by the nude depiction of a woman, they believe they have right and morality on their side.
But theirs is a dangerous delusion. Because free speech – and the offence which can come with it – is the bedrock of freedom itself.
The snowflakes are becoming an avalanche. Barely a week now passes without a fresh demand that they be protected from some form of supposedly offensive behaviour in the name of morality and decency.
We are now witnessing our own version of Newspeak, in which a form of cultural fascism masquerades as caring concern. Last month, for example, Netflix started to show the 1990s sitcom Friends. You might think it is a harmless piece of nostalgic escapism. But according to some people, it is in fact a disgusting litany of racism, sexism, homophobia and, yes, transphobia.
Ross didn’t like the idea of his son playing with dolls – sexist. Monica was ‘fat shamed’ – sexist. Chandler called his drag-queen father by his male birth name – transphobic. And the main characters were all white – racist.
Often the offence taken isn’t even theirs. They are, as it were, offended vicariously.
In 2015, students at the University of East Anglia banned a Mexican restaurant from handing out sombreros at the Freshers’ Fair because it was a form of ‘cultural appropriation’ that caused offence to Mexicans.
Not, of course, that any Mexicans had actually been offended. The snowflake students were offended on their behalf. This is of a piece with the insistence in recent years that university campuses be ‘safe spaces’, where students should be protected from the traumatic risk of encountering anything with which they might disagree or take offence. And this isn’t just about student politics. It is affecting academia itself.
Last year it was revealed that some Cambridge University lecturers had started issuing ‘trigger warnings’ about Shakespeare plays, in case students were upset by ‘discussion of sexual violence’. And theology students at Glasgow University received warnings before watching re-enactments of the Crucifixion in films, during a lecture on how Jesus had been depicted on screen.
Still more ludicrously, at last year’s National Union of Students Women’s Conference, attendees were asked to use ‘jazz hands’ instead of clapping. As the NUS Women’s Campaign put it: ‘Some delegates are requesting that we move to jazz hands rather than clapping, as it’s triggering anxiety. Please be mindful!’
God help the poor anxious souls if they ever go to the theatre or a concert.
But there is a far darker side to it than mere idiocy. If we close our minds to ideas that upset us, the long-term consequence is that our minds will atrophy. We will no longer be able to think for ourselves.
We are seeing the stunting of debate, the closing of minds.
Take the furore over seminars held by Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford, an expert in his field, who has suggested there might have been some positives to the British Empire.
For doing precisely what academics are supposed to do – thinking – he has been attacked in a series of open letters as an ‘apologist for colonialism’.
So it was right that the Vice Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Louise Richardson, should spell out why free speech and thought are so vital on campus.
In a talk, Prof Richardson said she had had many conversations with students who were upset they had tutors who expressed a view with which they disagreed, on homosexuality. ‘And I say, “I’m sorry, but my job isn’t to make you feel comfortable.” Education is not about being comfortable. I’m interested in making you uncomfortable. If you don’t like his views, you challenge them, engage with them, and figure out how a smart person can have views like that. Work out how you can persuade him to change his mind.’
You can guess what happened next. The students’ union offered emotional support to anyone who had been made uncomfortable by her words. More than 2,000 students attacked her in a vitriolic open letter. And Prof Richardson then issued a clarifying statement.
We should remember how in his novel 1984, George Orwell coined the word ‘Newspeak’ to describe the language used by a totalitarian state that removed the capacity for individual thought and turned words’ meanings on their head.
In Orwell’s dystopian world, The Party used slogans such as War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength.
Satire – yes. But a warning, also.
Demands that only one form of thought is permitted, and that anything which deviates from it is offensive and should be banned, are profoundly dangerous. They pretend to be about care and concern, but are in reality a form of intellectual totalitarianism.
Without offence and without upset, there is tyranny.
***
BUSINESS INSIDER
Doritos says it's making crunch-free chips just for women — and people are furious
Mary Hanbury
Women don't like to lick their fingers as generously as men when eating chips, PepsiCo's CEO says. Hollis Johnson
Indra Nooyi, CEO of Frito-Lay parent company PepsiCo, told Freakonomics Radio that it is looking at creating special chips just for women.
She said the new chips will be designed and packaged differently to reduce the crunch and limit the amount of flavor that gets stuck on consumers' fingers.
There's been some backlash on social media.
Doritos may have been trying to win over female fans, but it's ended up offending many of them.
In a recent interview with Freakonomics Radio, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said that the company is looking at ways to develop women-friendly chips that do not leave flavor residue on fingers and have a less audible crunch.
According to Nooyi, these are two traits of its chips that women don't like.
"As you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don't want to lose that taste of the flavor, and the broken chips in the bottom," Nooyi told Freakonomics.
She added: "Women I think would love to do the same, but they don't. They don't like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don't lick their fingers generously and they don't like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavor into their mouth."
The news has left some fans bemused.
Some are concerned — will crunch-less chips be soggy snacks?
Rather than winning over the hearts of its female fans, it has managed to ostracize some of them.
PepsiCo did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
***
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BUSINESS INDIDER
These nomads spend nearly their entire lives at sea — but they could be the last generation to do so
James Morgan
February 1, 2018
The Bajau Laut are a Southeast Asian people that have lived for centuries in the seas around Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The Bajau make their living spearfishing and selling to Hong Kong fishing companies.
But the Bajau are slowly losing their culture and may no longer be able to make a living as their habitat has been overfished.February 1, 2018
UK native James Morganwas studying photography in London when he read about a group of seafaring Southeast Asian nomads who had survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami with almost no casualties.
"They understood the ocean so well that they headed for protection before the tsunami hit," Morgan told Business Insider.
An anthropologist by training, Morgan decided to document the Bajau Laut, who have begun to lose their culture in recent years because of government programs that force them ashore and the difficult reality of fishing for a living in overfished seas.
Morgan found a nomadic people struggling to sustain themselves by continuing to overfish the waters and, ultimately, hurting the very habitat they call home.
In 2014, Morgan shared a selection of his photos of the Bajau Laut with us. You can see the rest at his website.
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Natural Blaze
13 Amazing Properties Of Cinnamon And Health Benefits
POSTED ON January 29, 2018
By Mat Lecompte, CPT
Cinnamon is a popular spice that has been used for its healing powers for centuries. Modern science is beginning to look more closely at potential cinnamon health benefits for oral infections, gastrointestinal issues, and skin diseases, among others. Its active compounds—cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate—appear to give it a leg up on most other spices, and cinnamon’s nutrition facts surely won’t disappoint.
The invigorating taste of cinnamon appeals to most, and adds a distinguished flavor to virtually anything. It’s a popular gum flavor and addition to cocktails, and can be rolled into sticks or sprinkled on oats, fruit, and bread in powder form to give them some extra kick.
It’s also been identified as a potent source of antioxidants, featuring anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, and anti-cancer properties while also promoting a healthy heart. All of these cinnamon benefits can contribute to improved health.
The two most popular types of cinnamon (which comes from cinnamon bark) are Ceylon and Chinese. Ceylon cinnamon is slightly sweeter and more refined, yet it seems to be the variety that’s most well studied.
Cinnamon Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon features a number of beneficial nutrients and can fit easily and wonderfully into a healthy diet. Serving sizes up to six grams per day have shown to have benefits, which you can experience with as little as one gram.
The below nutrition information is based on a 100-gram serving, which is an amount larger than most will ever eat. People typically take in about a teaspoon. That said, the 100-gram serving is used to compare it to other spices.
Based on this amount, cinnamon is a great source (offering at least 20% of the recommended daily amount [RDA]) of:
Vitamin K (31.2 mcg)
Calcium (1,002 mg)
Iron (8.3 mg)
Manganese (17.5 mg)
Cinnamon is a good source (10% to 19% of the RDA) of the following:
Zinc (1.83 mg)
Magnesium (60 mg)
Vitamin E (2.32 mg)
Vitamin B6 (0.158 mg)
Furthermore, the spice is rich in fiber while relatively low in calories, sugars, and fat. The biggest benefits of cinnamon are from its polyphenols, which are plant-based micronutrients that seem to be accessible in small amounts.
Cinnamon Health Benefits
There are plenty of health benefits associated with cinnamon. Uses range very widely because of its antioxidant and anti-microbial compounds; however, much of the research on the benefits of cinnamon still requires testing on human populations.
1. High Source of Antioxidants
Studies have shown that cinnamon activates antioxidant enzymes that prompt protection from free radicals.
Oxidative stress caused by free radicals can lead to illness and disease, and these antioxidant effects help to maintain the health and integrity of cells.
The active antioxidants found in cinnamon are from the polyphenol family, and in a comparative study of 26 spices, cinnamon featured the highest amount—even more than heavy hitters like garlic and oregano.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Although a certain degree of inflammation is required as part of a healthy immune system, chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on your health.
Cinnamon’s ability to act as an anti-inflammatory could help manage or prevent a long list of diseases that have chronic inflammation at their root.
These include diseases like heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, and more.
3. Anti-Clotting Properties
In emergency situations, such as when you cut yourself, you want your blood to clot so that you don’t bleed out. But blood can also clot internally, and when it does, it can lead to poor circulation, heart problems, and an increase in the risk of a cardiac event.
Cinnamaldehyde, also called cinnamic aldehyde, is a compound in cinnamon that may have an anti-clotting benefit. Studies have shown that it may limit the release of arachidonic acid, which can limit clotting.
This may partly indicate why cinnamon is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
4. May Lower Blood Pressure
Studies in individuals with diabetes and prediabetes have shown that cinnamon can have a significant impact on blood pressure, thus reducing the risk for heart disease or heart attack.
One study showed that it lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.39 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) and 2.6 mmHg, respectively.
This result was based on short-term consumption and is believed to be a result of cinnamon acting as a vasodilator, relaxing arteries and veins so that blood moves more easily.
It’s possible that cinnamon triggers the production of nitric oxide (NO), which initiates vasodilation.
5. Blood Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes
Patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes may benefit from including between one and six grams of cinnamon in their diet per day.
Research shows that such amounts reduce serum glucose (blood sugar), as well as total triglycerides, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and total cholesterol.
Cinnamon’s anti-inflammatory effects may also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a common condition among diabetics. There is even some evidence suggesting that it can improve glucose control and insulin secretion.
6. Fungal Infections
Cinnamon may be useful for treating both internal and external infections due to its anti-microbial, antifungal, and antibacterial compounds. There is some lab evidence that it may be particularly useful in fighting staph infections and Candida albicans(yeast infection).
A study published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine showed that cinnamon oil damaged and destroyed the ends of yeast cells, ultimately leading to their death.
It may be a unique way that cinnamon benefits women and men—as an alternative for battling yeast infections in as little as 72 hours.
7. Antibacterial Properties
Cinnamon has been used as a natural food preservative because of its unique ability to kill dangerous bacteria. It is especially effective at taking down E.coli, a major cause of food-borne illness.
Cassia cinnamon seems to be the most effective at fighting bacteria, and is particularly useful in combating E.coli, staphylococcus (staph infection), salmonella, and candida species.
8. May Help with Neurological Disorders
Studies on mice have shown that cinnamon may have the ability to reverse the physiological changes associated with neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease.
Using Ceylon cinnamon, the study found that after oral feeding, ground cinnamon is metabolized to sodium benzoate before entering the brain. This led to improved neurotransmitter levels, the protection of neurons, and enhanced motor function.
Although a clinical trial is needed to see if humans experience the same effects, it could be a major breakthrough for the 1.2 million patients with Parkinson’s in North America.
9. Useful in Dental Health
Sure, a stick of cinnamon gum makes your mouth feel refreshed, and cinnamon-flavored anything provides some pleasure for your taste buds. However, its benefits for your mouth may extend beyond the superficial.
Test tube studies have shown that the antibacterial and anti-microbial properties of cinnamon may reduce the risk of cavities and fight the formation of harmful plaque build-up.
It should be noted that these results are based on a comparison to clove oil, wherein cinnamon oil was better for oral health. So, it might not be the best idea to swap your toothpaste for cinnamon!
That said, cinnamon oil is reportedly effective in battling 10 species of cavity-causing bacteria.
10. Protects Heart Health
Because of its ability to produce nitric oxide and its anti-inflammatory effects, cinnamon could be a useful tool in protecting heart health.
Studies in diabetics have shown that it can improve cholesterol profile and lower blood pressure, which add further reinforcement for its potential in this area.
Other studies have indicated improvements in cholesterol levels, particularly LDL, which is associated with high blood pressure.
All in all, cinnamon seems to be effective at keeping your heart healthy, but it shouldn’t be your primary focus when it comes to heart health.
11. Helps Fight Allergies
The anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon may work to reduce symptoms associated with allergic reactions.
This is another area where more research is needed to establish efficacy, but it could be yet another reason why you might want to think about adding a little more cinnamon to your diet.
12. May Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Studies have shown that the antioxidant compounds in cinnamon may be able to thwart the growth of cancerous tumors.
There is some evidence suggesting that it may be particularly helpful with colon cancer, but human trials are yet to take place or be published.
13. May Help to Alleviate Digestive Discomfort
Cinnamon bark oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat indigestion and flatulence for a very long time.
The belief is that its warmth leads to better blood flow, thereby boosting the availability of oxygenated, nutrient-dense blood to fight illness. Based on what has been noted with regard to cinnamon’s impact on vasodilation, this doesn’t seem far-fetched!
If you’re feeling bloated or gassy, a cup of warm cinnamon tea may help. Use ground cinnamon.
Other Potential Benefits of Cinnamon
I would definitely stop short of saying that cinnamon is a cure for any of the conditions mentioned above, largely because so many of cinnamon’s benefits have yet to be studied outside of lab or animal models.
What happens in a test tube, mouse, or guinea pig can be very different than what might happen in a human body. Still, cinnamon is so rich in beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that including it in your day (in one way or another) is likely to impact inflammation and protect your cells.
Some other areas where cinnamon has shown to have some benefit—in animal and test tube experiments—include:
Fighting HIV
Aiding respiratory illness
Speeding metabolism to induce fat oxidation
Lowering body temperature
Healing chronic wounds; cinnamon benefits for skin may be noticed with topical application
Cinnamon Health Benefits: Adjust Your Expectations
If there’s one word I strongly avoid, it’s “superfood.” Yet, according to the lengthy list of potential health benefits served up by cinnamon, it certainly seems to fit the category.
But it’s important to remember that no single food or spice can single-handedly protect you from illness or improve your health. Adding a dash of cinnamon to a bowl of ice cream or sugar-laden specialty coffee won’t necessarily negate the impacts to your heart, cholesterol level, or diabetes risk.
Nutrition works synergistically, and it’s important to keep that in mind whenever reading about the benefits of particular spices or foods.
Therefore, before running to the store to buy some cinnamon sticks or gum, take a look at your overall nutrition and consider how it could be helping or hindering your health.
Rao, P. and Gan, S., “Cinnamon: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, April 10 2014; DOI:10.1155/2014/642942, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Nabavi, S., et al., “Antibacterial Effects of Cinnamon: From Farm to Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries,” Nutrients, September 11, 2015, DOI: 10.3390/nu7095359 , last accessed January 4, 2018.
Anderson, L., “Cinnamon for health,” Michigan State University, January 10, 2013; http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/cinnamon_for_health, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Dhuley, J., “Anti-oxidant effects of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark and greater cardamom (Amomum subulatum) seeds in rats fed high fat diet,” Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, March 1999; 37(3):238-42; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10641152, last accessed January 4, 2018
Kawatra, P. and Rajagopalan, R., “Cinnamon: Mystic powers of a minute ingredient,” Pharmacognosy Research, June 7, 2015, DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.157990, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Akilin, R., et al., “Effect of short-term administration of cinnamon on blood pressure in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes,” Nutrition, October 2013; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.03.007, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Khan, A., et al., “Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes,” Diabetes Care, Dec. 2003; 26(12):3215-8;http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/12/3215, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Roizman, T., “The Benefits of Taking Cinnamon Orally,” 2017; http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-taking-cinnamon-orally-7690.html, last accessed January 4, 2018.
“Cinnamon essential oil kills several strains of E. coli,” Medical News Today, July 21, 2014;https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/279786.php, last accessed January 4, 2018.
Ka, H., et al., “Cinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis by ROS-mediated mitochondrial permeability transition in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells,” Cancer Letters, July 2003; 196(2):143-52; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12860272, last accessed January 4, 2018.
“Cinnamon Treatment Upregulates Neuroprotective Proteins Parkin and DJ-1 and Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease,” Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, June 20, 2014; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11481-014-9552-2, last accessed January 4, 2018.
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Until
next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions
“The
Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon
thee, and have mercy upon thee; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance
upon thee, and give thee peace.”
(Numbers 6:25-25)