People of the Keys!

“There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”
(1 Samuel 2:2)

Rock Like Our God

Dear Friends,

Greetings! This weeks opening article concerns one of the best known rock bands of all time, U2. We think you will find the article inspiring as Bono and his band mates make no hesitation in expressing and witnessing their faith in Jesus Christ, that He is in fact the Son of God!

Our second article explains some of the basic beliefs behind Messianic Judaism. The inclusion of this article was inspired by a Messianic Jew who wrote into the web site last week.

Further down you will find a video with Clare Daly, a member of the Irish parliament addressing Enda Kenny, the Irish Taoiseach, prime minister, concerning Obama's recent trip to Ireland. A few more politicians like her could make a difference.

Because U2 are of course from Ireland and Clare Daly is a courageous truth teller, we decided to close out this week with Mary Black singing “Song For Ireland”.

Have a great week ahead.

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WND

U2'S BONO: YES, JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD

'Either He was who He said He was or a complete and utter nut case'

Published: June 24, 2013

JOE KOVACS

Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, is declaring that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God.

In a brand-new interview with Focus on the Family set to air Tuesday, the rock star and activist sounded like "Mere Christianity" author C.S. Lewis who argued Jesus was a lunatic, liar or Lord.

"When people say 'Good teacher,' 'Prophet,' 'Really nice guy,' ... this is not how Jesus thought of himself," Bono said. "So, you're left with a challenge in that, which is either Jesus was who He said He was or a complete and utter nut case."

"And I believe that Jesus was, you know, the Son of God," Bono said, according to a transcript provided to Religion News Service. "I understand that for some people and we need to ... if I could be so bold, need to be really, really respectful to people who find that ridiculous."

Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, also discussed one of the most famous biblical characters, King David, who authored many of the Bible's psalms, which are actually songs in the original Hebrew.

"First of all, David's a musician so I'm gonna like him," Bono said.

"What's so powerful about the psalms are, as well as they're being gospel and songs of praise, they are also the blues. It's very important for Christians to be honest with God, which often, you know, God is much more interested in who you are than who you want to be."

While Bono praised David's "honest language with God," Jim Daly of Focus on the Family noted that "sometimes it gets you into hot water with the more orthodox folks, because they see you as edgy, maybe too edgy at times."

"You've gotta be very careful that grace and politeness do not merge into a banality of behavior, where we're just nice, sort of 'death by cupcake,'" Bono responded. "Politeness is, you know, is a wonderful thing. Manners are in fact, really important thing. But remember, Jesus didn't have many manners as we now know."

U2's 1983 album "War" features the song "40," with lyrics from Psalm 40 of the Bible.

The rock star talked about Scripture openly, including the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus told a man not to wait and bury his father, but to follow Jesus immediately.

When Daly noted, "Seems cold-hearted," Bono replied: "No, seems punk rock to me. He could see right into that fellow's heart. He knew he wasn't coming and he was just, it was pretense. We've gotta be a bit more cutting edge, not look to the signs of righteousness. Look to the actions."

Bono, a native of Dublin, Ireland, says his faith has prompted him to fight disease and poverty with the ONE Campaign, a humanitarian group he founded.

"It's very annoying following this person of Christ around, because He's very demanding of your life," he said, laughing. "You don't have to go to university and do a Ph.D. to understand this stuff. You just go to the person of Christ."

Since the early 1980s, U2 has dominated rock music across the planet with many songs that include lyrics about God and His coming kingdom.

On U2's 1983 album "War," one of the songs was simply titled "40," and was based on Psalm 40 from the Old Testament, with lyrics stating:

I waited patiently for the Lord -

He inclined and heard my cry -

He brought me up out of the pit -

Out of the miry clay ...

He set my feet upon a rock -

And made my footsteps firm -

Many will see - Many will see and fear

See video of U2 performing "40" in concert in Chicago by clicking below:

On the 1987 smash album "The Joshua Tree," the gospel-sounding song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" features lyrics specifically referring to Jesus:

I believe in the kingdom come -

Then all the colors will bleed into one -

Bleed into one -

But, yes, I'm still running

You broke the bonds - and

You loosed the chains -

Carried the cross of my shame -

Oh, my shame, you know I believe it

One of U2's earliest hits, "Gloria," (Glory), even used Latin lyrics at times to express their praise for God:

I try, I try to speak up -

But only in You I'm complete

Gloria, in te Domine -

Gloria, exultate -

Gloria, Gloria -

Oh Lord, loosen my lips

Bono has occasionally expressed his Christianity in previous interviews, as have his bandmates.

In 1985, U2 guitarist the Edge, whose real name is David Evans, told Star Hits, "People seem to think Christians are incredibly pious, arrogant, superior individuals, but that's not true at all - I'm a very normal, very real person."

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. told Time magazine in 1987: "I am a Christian and not ashamed of that. But trying to explain my beliefs, our beliefs, takes away from it. I have more in common with somebody who doesn't believe at all than I do with most Christians. I don't mind saying that."

Time called U2 "Rock's Hottest Ticket" in 1987.

In the same issue, Time also reported that bass-guitar player "[Adam] Clayton, who alone has not announced formally for Christianity, says simply that for journalists, 'religion was an easy angle, a hook to hang a story on. We all believe in much the same things but don't express ourselves in the same way.'"

U2 has released 12 studio albums and are among the all-time best-selling music artists, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. The group has won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility.

Also in 2005, U2 topped Billboard's inaugural Money Makers list, bringing in more than $255 million that year, ranking the band ahead of the Rolling Stones, which generated $152 million.

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Messianic Judaism (Edited from longer article.)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of religious Jewish practice and terminology. Messianic Judaism generally holds that Jesus is both the Jewish Messiah and "God the Son" (one person of the Trinity). With few exceptions, both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are believed to be authoritative and divinely inspired scripture.

Salvation in most forms of Messianic Judaism is achieved only through acceptance of Jesus as one's savior. It is believed that all sin has been atoned for by Jesus' death and resurrection. Any Jewish laws or customs that are followed are cultural and do not contribute to salvation. Mainstream Christian groups usually accept Messianic Judaism as a form of Christianity.

From 2003 to 2007, the movement grew from 150 Messianic houses of worship in the United States to as many as 438, with over 100 in Israel and more worldwide; congregations are often affiliated with larger Messianic organizations or alliances. In 2008, the movement was reported to have between 6,000 and 15,000 members in Israel and 250,000 in the United States.

History

The Messianic Judaism movement, 1970s

Messianic Judaism itself arose in the 1960s and 70s. In the 1970s, a growing number of young Jews who had converted to Christianity were committed to maintaining a culturally Jewish lifestyle. Going against the thinking of the older members of the Hebrew Christian movement, they believed that different methods of evangelism of Jews were needed. They looked to and adopted some of the evangelizing techniques of Jews for Jesus. According to author Peter Hocken, "The new thrust that turned Hebrew Christians into Messianic Jews was distinctly charismatic." This reflected the influence of the charismatic Jesus movement at the same period.

Theology and core doctrines

As with many religious faiths, the exact tenets held vary from congregation to congregation. In general, essential doctrines of Messianic Judaism include views on God (that he is omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, outside creation, infinitely significant and benevolent--viewpoints on the Trinity vary), Jesus (who is believed to be the Jewish Messiah, though views on his divinity vary), written Torah (with a few exceptions, Messianic Jews believe that Jesus taught and reaffirmed the Torah and that it remains fully in force), Israel (the Children of Israel are central to God's plan; replacement theology is opposed), the Bible (Tanakh and the New Testament are usually considered the divinely inspired Scripture, though Messianic Judaism is more open to criticism of the New Testament canon than is Christianity), eschatology (sometimes similar to many evangelical Christian views).

God and Jesus

The Trinity

Many Messianic Jews affirm the doctrine of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as three representations of the same divinity:

1. God the Father--Messianic Jews believe in God and that he is all-powerful, omnipresent, eternally existent outside of creation, and infinitely significant and benevolent. Some Messianic Jews affirm both the Shema and the Trinity, by understanding that the phrase "the Lord is One" to be referring to "a differentiated but singular deity", and "eternally existent in plural oneness"

2. God the Son--Most Messianic Jews, in line with mainstream Christian theology, consider Jesus to be the Messiah and divine as God the Son. This belief is supported through links between Hebrew Bible prophecies and what Messianic Jews, together with most mainstream Christians, perceive as the prophecies' fulfillment in the New Testament. Many also consider Jesus to be their "chief teacher and rabbi" whose life should be copied. Many English-speaking Messianic Jews prefer to refer to Jesus by the Hebrew name "Yeshua" rather than by the English name "Jesus".

3. God the Holy Spirit--According to some Messianic Jews, the Spirit is introduced in the Old Testament as co-creator (Genesis 1:2), is the inspirer of prophets (II Sam. 23:1 - 3), and is the spirit of Truth described in the New Testament (John 14:17, 26). According to the teachings of Messianic Judaism, in the earthly life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was the dove at baptism (Matt 3:16) and the giver of tongues in Acts 2.

Jesus

The place of Jesus in Messianic Judaism is usually clearly defined. His Jewishness and that of all the original disciples is affirmed. Messianic Judaism asserts that Jesus is the Word of God become manifest (John 1:1;14), a belief that is identical with normative Christian doctrine regarding the nature and identity of the son of God. Furthermore, Messianic Judaism generally asserts that the Messiah has a dual aspect as revealed in Scripture. Messianic Jews believe Jesus' first role as Messiah was to rescue the world from spiritual bondage, and that he will return again to rescue the world from physical oppression and establish his unending Kingdom--again, a belief that is identical to the normative Christian view of the Messiah.

Scriptures and writings

The Bible

Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (sometimes called the "Brit Chadasha", from the Hebrew for "new covenant") are usually considered to be the established and divinely inspired Biblical scriptures by Messianic Jews.

Jewish oral tradition

Some Messianic communities believe that the rabbinic commentaries such as the Mishnah and the Talmud, while historically informative and useful in understanding tradition, are not normative and may not be followed where they differ from the New Testament. Other Messianic believers call rabbinic commentaries such as the Mishnah and the Talmud "dangerous", stating that followers of rabbinic and halakhic explanations and commentaries are not believers in Jesus as the Messiah.Furthermore, many Messianic believers deny the authority of the Pharisees, believing that they were superseded, and their teachings contradicted, by Messianism.

Sin and atonement

Messianic believers define sin as transgression of the Torah (Law/Instruction) of God (1 John 3: 4 - 5). Messianics hold to a belief that all sin (whether committed yet or not) is already atoned for because of Jesus's death and resurrection.

Evangelism and attitudes toward Jews and Israel

Messianic Jews believe God's people have a responsibility to spread his name and fame to all nations (Psalms 96:3, Ezekiel 3:18 - 19) It is believed that the Children of Israel were, remain, and will continue to be the chosen people of God, and are central to his plans for existence. Most Messianic believers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, can be said to oppose supersessionism (popularly referred to as replacement theology), the view that the Church has replaced Israel in the mind and plans of God.

There exist among Messianic believers a number of perspectives regarding who exactly makes up God's chosen people. Most commonly, Israel is seen as distinct from the church; Messianic Jews, being a part of both Israel and the church, are seen as the necessary link between the 'gentile' People of God and the commonwealth of God's people of Israel. The two-house view, and the one law/grafted-in view are held by many identifying as Messianic, although some Messianic groups do not espouse these theologies.

Some Messianic believers don't find it necessary or discourage halakhic conversion, in accordance with their interpretation of Romans 2:29 (that a "Jew" is not one who is one "outwardly" but is one who is a Jew in his heart). They also believe that salvation is received by accepting Jesus into one's heart and confessing that he is Lord.

Two House theology

Proponents of Two House theology espouse their belief that the phrase "House of Judah" in scripture refers to Jews, while "the House of Israel" refers to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, or Ephraim. Where scripture states the House of Israel and Judah will again be "one stick" (Ezekiel 37:15 - 23), it is believed to be referring to the End Times, immediately prior to the Second Coming, when many of those descended from Israel will come back to Israel. Advocates of this theology postulate that the reason so many "gentiles" are converting to Messianic Judaism is that the vast majority of them are truly Israelites.

Supersessionism

Historically, Christianity has taught supersessionism (replacement theology), which implies or outright states that Christianity has superseded Judaism, and that the Mosaic Covenant of the Hebrew Bible has been superseded by the New Covenant of Jesus, wherein salvation is brought about by the grace of God, and not by obedience to the Torah. This is generally complemented with the concept of God having transferred the status of "God's people" from the Jews to the Christian Church. Messianic Jews, in varying degrees, challenge both thoughts, and instead believing that although Israel has rejected Jesus, it has not forfeited its status as God's chosen people (Matthew 5:17). Often cited is Romans 11:29: "for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable". The core of supersessionism, in which the Mosaic Covenant is canceled, is less agreed upon.

Eschatology

Some Messianic Jews hold to certain eschatological beliefs concerning events such as the End of Days, the Second Coming of Jesus as the conquering Messiah, the re-gathering of Israel, a rebuilt Third Temple, a resurrection of the dead, and the Millennial Sabbath.[citation needed]

Some Messianic Jews believe that all of the Jewish holidays, and indeed the entire Torah, intrinsically hint at the Messiah, and thus no study of the End Times is complete without understanding the major Jewish Festivals in their larger prophetic context. To certain believers, the feasts of Pesach and Shavuot were fulfilled in Jesus's first coming, and Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot will be at his second. Some also believe in a literal 7000-year period for the human history of the world, with a Millennial Messianic kingdom prior to a final judgment.

Religious practices

Sabbath and holiday observances

Worship services are generally held on Friday evenings (Erev Shabbat) or Saturday mornings. According to the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship (SBMF), services are held on Saturday to "open the doors to Jewish people who also wish to keep the Sabbath". The liturgy used is similar to that of a Jewish siddur with some important differences including the omission of "salvation by works" as the Messianic belief is Salvation through Jesus. According to the SBMF, the main purpose in using a liturgy similar to a Jewish siddur is to bring others to Jesus. Other branches of the movement have attempted to "eliminate the elements of Christian worship that cannot be directly linked to their Jewish roots".

The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council recommends the observance of Jewish holidays. Most larger Messianic Jewish congregations follow Jewish custom in celebrating the three biblical feasts (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot), as well as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

Use of Hebrew names and vocabulary in English

The movement generally avoids common Christian terms, such as Christ and cross (tsalav--×¦×œ×‘), and prefers to maximise the use of Hebrew terms. Messianic Jews take the same approach as the Sacred Name Movement for the name "Yeshua".

Culture

Music

Messianic Jewish hymnologies are not merely Christian evangelical ones. Many of the hymns relate to Israel's role in history, convey a messianic hope, and refer to Jesus as the Savior of Israel. In addition, small changes differentiate them from the usual contemporary evangelical hymns, such as the use of the name Yeshua instead of Jesus. Messianic hymnals also include a large number of Israeli songs.

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The Telegraph

Church of England creating 'pagan church' to recruit members

The Church of England is trying to recruit pagans and spiritual believers as part of a drive to retain congregation numbers.

Crowds gather at dawn amongst the stones at Stonehenge in Wiltshire for the Summer Solstice Photo: Lewis Whyld/PA

By Radhika Sanghani

21 Jun 2013

The church is training ministers to create "a pagan church where Christianity [is] very much in the centre" to attract spiritual believers.

Ministers are being trained to create new forms of Anglicanism suitable for people of alternative beliefs as part of a Church of England drive to retain congregation numbers.

Reverend Steve Hollinghurst, a researcher and adviser in new religious movements told the BBC: "I would be looking to formulate an exploration of the Christian faith that would be at home in their culture."

He said it would be "almost to create a pagan church where Christianity was very much in the centre."

The Church Mission Society, which is training ministers to "break new ground", hopes to see a number of spiritual people align themselves with Christianity.

Andrea Campenale, of the Church Mission Society, said: "Nowadays people, they want to feel something; they want to have some sense of experience.

"We live in reflective England where there's much more of a focus on ourselves. I think that is something we can bring in dialogue with the Christian society."

The Church Mission Society's webpage advertising their pioneer training scheme states: "Wherever in the world the mission of Jesus goes on, the church needs pioneer mission leaders to break new ground."

The news comes as spiritual seekers celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge today.

Pagans and druids will gather to watch the sun rise following the longest day of the year, celebrating at the historic monument.

The new move could see famous druids such as druid leader Arthur Pendragon move to Anglicanism.

More than 20,000 people gathered at Stonehenge today ahead of a £27 million transformation of the site.

The huge gathering of people marked the event in a "positive, friendly atmosphere" as they waited for the sun to come up, but cloudy skies prevented them from basking in a beautiful sunrise.

Superintendent Matt Pullen from Wiltshire Police said: "Solstice 2013 has been a great success with approximately 21,000 people celebrating in the positive, friendly atmosphere as they waited for sunrise.

"The weather held but unfortunately the cloud cover was too dense to see the sun come up."

Loraine Knowles, Stonehenge director at English Heritage, said that although Stonehenge never failed to impress visitors, the setting of the stones had marred people's appreciation and enjoyment of the site.

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WND

PROMINENT PRIEST CALLS ON PELOSI TO EXPLAIN BELIEFS

'Whatever faith you claim to respect, it is not the faith the Catholic Church teaches'

by BOB UNRUH

Published: June 22, 2013

A Catholic priest known for his pro-life activism has written a letter to House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., charging it's impossible for her to be a faithful Catholic and promote abortion.

"You stated at [a] press briefing on June 13, 'As a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me when we talk about this. I don't think it should have anything to do with politics,'" wrote Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life.

Pelosi was responding to a question about convicted late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell just as the House was voting on a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks.

The question was, "What is the moral difference between what Dr. Gosnell did to a baby born alive at 23 weeks and aborting her moments before birth?"

"With this statement," Pavone wrote, "you make a mockery of the Catholic faith and of the tens of millions of Americans who consider themselves 'practicing and respectful Catholics' and who find the killing of children - whether inside or outside the womb - reprehensible."

Pavone told Pelosi she spoke of Catholic faith "as if it is supposed to hide us from reality instead of lead us to face reality, as if it is supposed to confuse basic moral truths instead of clarify them, and as if it is supposed to help us escape the hard moral questions of life rather then help us confront them."

"Whatever Catholic faith you claim to respect and practice, it is not the faith that the Catholic Church teaches," the priest wrote. "And I speak for countless Catholics when I say that it's time for you to stop speaking as if it were."

Pavone wrote: "Mrs. Pelosi, for decades you have gotten away with betraying and misrepresenting the Catholic faith as well as the responsibilities of public office. We have had enough of it. Either exercise your duties as a public servant and a Catholic, or have the honesty to formally renounce them."

Priests for Life posted a statement from Pavone praising the support in the U.S. House for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

The bill would protect unborn children from the pain of abortion from the fetal age of 20 weeks and beyond.

"For years, Priests for Life has supported the passage of this type of bill on the state level, and we have strongly advocated for its passage on the federal level as well," Pavone said.

He also noted that President Obama, who has said he would veto the protections for unborn children, has "views on abortion [that] are extreme, dangerous to women as well as to their children, antithetical to the principles on which our nation was founded, and simply barbaric."

"Nobody with his views on such a fundamental issue belongs in public office," he said.

Meanwhile, Breitbart.com blogger Debra Heine noted that Vice President Joe Biden said it was "Christian" to hand out amnesty to illegal aliens who broke the law to enter the United States.

"Since Biden considers himself somewhat of an arbiter of what Christians should and shouldn't do, I wonder what he would say about Nancy Pelosi's comments characterizing late-term abortions as 'sacred ground,' which has drawn fire from a national organization of Catholic priests active in pro-life work," Heine wrote.

"Joe Biden of course agrees with Pelosi on abortion, so I guess he would say Father Pavone is not doing the 'Christian thing' in confronting Pelosi, this way. He's doing the 'judgmental thing,' which as you know, is always bad," she said.

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BREITBART

GIRL SCOUTS OF BRITAIN REPLACE 'GOD' WITH 'MYSELF' IN OATH

by William BIGELOW

20 Jun 2013 535

On Wednesday, Great Britain's Girl Guides (their equivalent of U.S. Girl Scouts) and Brownies removed God from their 103-year-old oath.

Instead of the passage where they used to promise to "love God," they will now vow to be true to "myself" and develop "my beliefs." The organization said the move is intended to attract girls from secular families.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, condemned the move, saying, "These values have their roots in a Christian outlook. Taking 'God' out of the promise denies the history and foundations of the movement without offering anything in its place, with the result that the organization will lose its distinctive ethos and end up meaning nothing."

Chief Guide Gill Slocombe protested that the organization consulted 40,000 before it made the change. She said that using God in the pledge "discouraged some girls and volunteers from joining," and now the Guides could "reach out to girls and women who might not have considered guiding before, so that even more girls can benefit from everything guiding can offer."

Julie Bentley, the new CEO of the Guides, has called the Girl Guides the "ultimate feminist organization."

The Girl Guides in Australia also deleted God from the vow last year. The Boy Scouts in Great Britain are considering a similar move next month.

Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in the United States still vow to "to serve God and my country." - -

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SHTFplan.com

Russia: "Syria Will Be Armed With Weapons That Have Never Been Seen Before In the Middle East"

Mac Slavo - -

June 22, 2013

Last week, Noble Peace Prize winner President Barrack Obama advised that his administration would be arming the Free Syrian Army with weapons to resist the armies of Syria's President Bashar Assad. Furthermore, they would look to implement a Libya-style no-fly zone over the country, which like Libya, would likely involve widespread carpet bombing of suspected military strongholds and control centers.

With boots on the ground around Syria's borders, the United States is without a doubt preparing for widespread engagement across the region yet again, with the aim of the new U.S. supplied weapons being more killing and destruction in a civil war that has left tens of thousands dead in the last year.

It is the assumption of the Obama administration that these weapons will tip the scales of power in favor of the rebels, many of whom have been identified as members of America's arch enemy, Al Queda.

But Russia's KGB-hardened President Vladimir Putin has other ideas.

This week, according to a British intelligence report, Putin reportedly passed on a diplomatic communique to the United States and France using British Prime Minister David Cameron as the intermediary.

According to the report from Syrian-based Dam Press and the Dyar Newspaper, the Russians aren't backing off their Syria policy and they are getting ready to double down by supplying Assad's military with weapons the have never before been seen in the middle east.

If and when Western forces engage the Syrian army you can be assured that it will be nothing like the 1991 conflict in Iraq when a hundred thousand of Saddam Hussein's soldiers surrendered without firing a shot. Nor will it be a no-fly zone free-for-all where air forces will be able to target military assets as they did in Libya without being challenged.

No, this time will be different.

This time, Russia and America may well being playing with fire. The kind that leads the people of this planet head first into World War III.

Global Research reports:

The Patriot Missiles will be hit and repealed with S 300 SAM [already installed in Syria]. Putin also threatened to deliver the more advanced S400 anti-aircraft missiles (see image below) far superior to the Patriot missiles and ranked as the World's most advanced air defense system.

He added that Russia will also supply Syria with state-of - the-art 24-Barrell rocket launchers which have a range of 60 km ranked as the most developed artillery weapon of its kind.(see video below)

He added that Russia will supply 400 of these launchers which will be able to destroy all targets around Syria's borders.

...

The British intelligence site stated that Putin threatened to send other secret Russian made weapons to Syria which would tip the balance of power even further in favour of Syria and re-iterated that these weapons will not be used against Israel on condition that Israel will not participate in the war within Syria and neighbouring countries. {Lebanon, Jordan]

...

Putin's response came just over 24 hours after Obama's statement on Saturday that he was going to arm the Syrian resistance.

Putin clearly stated that the Middle East is going to witness a significant change. Syria will be armed with weapons that have never been seen before [in the Middle East] including computer guided smart missiles that never miss their target.

He also added that Russia will supply Syria with Skean 5 ground -to-sea missiles that are capable of hitting and sinking any target up to 250 km off the Syrian coast.

Full report: Global Research

In his documentary Strategic Relocation Joel Skousen suggested that one of the most critical threats facing the world right now is the real possibility that Russia and America will engage in a future nuclear exchange.

While the weapons being supplied to Syria by both sides are a far cry from nuclear meltdown, the current policies of both nations can very quickly metastasize into a much more direct confrontation.

Vladimir Putin comes from the old world of Soviet leadership; one that believes in Russian military superiority and rules with an iron fist. He has no qualms about going to war if he finds it necessary to the long-term interests of Russia.

In the United States, President Barrack Obama is embroiled in numerous scandals and is presiding over an economy on the brink of collapse, giving him ample motivation to divert the attention of the public.

Neither of these leaders, given their past, would give pause to the thought of killing millions of people if they believe it was in their interest, or in the interest of their globalist handlers.

Wars in the 20th century, most democidal in origin, claimed the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

Just statistics in the history books to leadership circles in the upper echelons of our governing apparatus.

The lives of innocents have been sacrificed on the alters of power, greed and corruption since the dawn of man.

The 21st century is no different.

What IS different is that we have never before had weapons capable of killing every single person on this planet with the press of a button.

War is coming in this century - just as it came to the good people of earth in every century before.

The Times

Paranoid about passwords? Just take a pill

BY: - JOHN HARLOW

From: - June 24, 2013 -

STRUGGLING to remember your long list of computer or bank passwords? Forgotten your driving licence or company ID card? Now there's a pill for that.

A US phone company is working with doctors to perfect a tiny, swallowable device that stores your codes and ID in your stomach. The pill, which has been approved for medical use by the US Food and Drug Administration, can automatically hook up with smartphones and confirm your identity to an array of devices. It is powered by stomach acid to broadcast encrypted details to code readers on phones or even office doors.

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The Telegraph

Surge in 'digital dementia'

Doctors in South Korea are reporting a surge in "digital dementia" among young people who have become so reliant on electronic devices that they can no longer remember everyday details like their phone numbers.

Doctors in South Korea are reporting a surge in "digital dementia" among young people who have become so reliant on electronic devices

Photo: Getty Images

By Julian Ryall, Tokyo

24 June 2013

South Korea is one of the most digitally connected nations in the world and the problem of internet addiction among both adults and children was recognised as far back as the late 1990s.

That is now developing into the early onset of digital dementia - a term coined in South Korea - meaning a deterioration in cognitive abilities that is more commonly seen in people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness.

"Over-use of smartphones and game devices hampers the balanced development of the brain," Byun Gi-won, a doctor at the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul, told the JoongAng Daily newspaper.

"Heavy users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped," he said.

The right side of the brain is linked with concentration and its failure to develop will affect attention and memory span, which could in as many as 15 per cent of cases lead to the early onset of dementia.

Sufferers are also reported to suffer emotional underdevelopment, with children more at risk than adults because their brains are still growing.

The situation appears to be worsening, doctors report, with the percentage of people aged between 10 and 19 who use their smartphones for more than seven hours every day leaping to 18.4 per cent, an increase of seven per cent from last year.

More than 67 per cent of South Koreans have a smartphone, the highest in the world, with that figure standing at more than 64 per cent in teenagers, up from 21.4 per cent in 2011, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

Dr Manfred Spitzer, a German neuroscientist, published a book titled "Digital Dementia" in 2012 that warned parents and teachers of the dangers of allowing children to spend too much time on a laptop, mobile phone or other electronic devices.

Dr Spitzer warned that the deficits in brain development are irreversible and called for digital media to be banned from German classrooms before children become "addicted."

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Babble

80% Of Pre-Packaged Foods In American Grocery Stores Banned In Other Countries

By TRACEY GAUGHRAN-PEREZ |

June 21st, 2013

If you or your kids enjoy pre-packaged convenience foods commonly found in grocery stores across the U.S. such as Froot Loops, Swanson dinners, Mountain Dew, and frozen potato and bread products, you may think twice before purchasing them after hearing what they contain: dangerous chemicals that other countries around the globe have deemed toxic to the point that they're illegal, and companies are fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for including them in food products.

In a new book, "Rich Food, Poor Food," authors Mira and Jason Calton provide a list of what they term "Banned Bad Boys" - ingredients commonly used in up to 80% of all American convenience food that have been banned by other countries, with information about which countries banned each substance and why.

And though it might not surprise you to hear that Olestra - commonly used in low/no-fat snack foods and known to cause serious gastrointestinal issues for those who consume it (understatement) - is on that list, having been banned in both the United Kingdom and Canada, you may be shocked to hear that Mountain Dew, Fresca and Squirt all contain brominated vegetable oil, a substance that has been banned in more than 100 countries "because it has been linked to basically every form of thyroid disease - from cancer to autoimmune diseases - known to man."

Way to go, FDA! Woot!

You might also be upset to hear that the food coloring used to make your kid's delicious Mac & Cheese dinner visually appealing - yellow #5 and yellow #6, namely - is made from coal tar, which among other things is an active ingredient in lice shampoo and has been linked to allergies, ADHD, and cancer in animals. And gaaaaah.

But why does it have to be so delicious? sob

Then there's azodicarbonamide - commonly found in frozen dinners and frozen potato and bread products - which is used make things like bleach and foamed plastics like those found in yoga mats (tasty!). Azodicarbonamide has been banned in most European countries because it's known to induce asthma, and is in fact deemed so dangerous that in Singapore its use carries a hefty $500,00 fine and up to 15 years in prison.

Yet, according to the FDA, it's SO TOTALLY FINE for us to keep shoveling it into our kid's faceholes: "[Azodicarbonamide] is approved to be a bleaching agent in cereal flour and is permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption."

Oooookay then.

Finally, there's butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) - found in Post, Kelloggs and Quaker brand cereals - which is made from petroleum and is a known cancer-causing agent. It's been banned in England and Japan, but those of us in the U.S. can keep right on serving up to our children for breakfast, because AMMURICA. And FREEDOMZ.

Anyone else find all of this, ohhhh I don't know, more than a tad bit disturbing? I'm not ashamed to say I have love for the blue box Mac & Cheese, and to think that chemicals known and recognized world-wide as completely toxic are included in that - a product openly marketed as being a meal FOR KIDS - makes me more than a little ragey. I mean, those chemicals can't be what makes it taste so good, right? So can't we, umm, just use something else instead? (PLEEEASE DON'T MAKE ME GIVE UP THE MAC & CHEESE, PLEEEASE.) Sigh.

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