What James Cameron Can’t Tell You about the Oil Sands
by Katrina Rose Dunkley:
When movie director James Cameron descended upon the Athabasca oil sands a while back, Albertans were subjected to the predictable but nonetheless aggravating media blitz of misinformation that occurs when a mega-star chooses a cause to elevate.
The elevation came in the form of a supercilious warning to put the brakes on the world’s second largest proved oil reserve. It could, he feared, become a curse if not properly managed. This revelation came upon reflection via a government sponsored helicopter tour and a token chat with a group of not-so disenfranchised First Nations peoples in the area. (In 2009, oil sands companies contracted more than $890 million for goods and services from Aboriginal owned businesses and employed 1600 Aboriginals in permanent jobs).
[...]
Canada pulls out of ‘racist’ UN conference
CNEWS:
Citing rampant anti-Semitism, the Conservative government announced on Thursday that Canada has “lost faith” in the United Nations’ human rights process and will not take part in the next anti-racism conference, known as Durban III.
“The original Durban conference, and its declaration, as well as the non-governmental activities associated with it, proved to be a dangerous platform for racism, including anti-Semitism,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
[...]
Whoopi Goldberg’s Ignorance
Selwyn Duke:
If she didn’t even know about madrassahs’ existence, how much has she actually read about the Muslim threat? It’s fair to assume that she knows nothing of the history of Islam. Could she possibly be acquainted with the Islamic conquests, from 632 A.D. onwards, of the old Middle Eastern Christian lands? Could she know about how the Muslim hordes then swept across North Africa (also Christian at the time), invaded Spain and Portugal (then Iberia), crossed the Pyrenees Mountains into France (then Gaul), and got within 130 miles of Paris before being stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732? And could she have any idea that these continued conquests were what inspired the launch of the Crusades in 1095? No, she probably believes that those defensive campaigns were animated by rapacious, imperialistic Europeans who suddenly got in into their heads that they wanted to convert those practitioners of the religion of peace. (Note: Earlier this year, I addressed this in a magazine essay titled “The Crusades: When Christendom Pushed Back.”)
It’s also hard to imagine that Goldberg could know anything about the Islamic canon’s eternal prescriptions for jihad, how Muslim thought involves Sharia law, or how dhimmitude is the inevitable lot of “infidels” in Dar al-Islam. In fact, after the O’Reilly interview, I very much doubt she knows what dhimmitude is.
[...]
Brother vows to raise orphaned siblings
Winnipeg Free Press:
A young Winnipeg man says he is determined to raise his four younger brothers — two of whom may have serious disabilities — after their parents were killed in a crash on a Saskatchewan highway.
Jordan Dubois, 19, said Tuesday he’s up for the challenge as his brothers recover from the horrific crash. Only three days ago, the boys’ parents, Marcel and Brenda Dubois, both 38, were killed after a car struck their minivan on Highway 16 near Saltcoats, Sask.
“I’m holding up as best I can,” said Dubois, who plans to raise the brothers he called the “strongest group of kids.”
The family, minus Dubois, had travelled west for a taekwondo competition.
He said Tuesday his brothers were “getting better.”
Matthew, 13, is in hospital grappling with brain injuries and a broken pelvis and collarbone. Jarret, 14, was in surgery Tuesday.
“He has pretty bad internal injuries to his organs. He’s probably going to be paralyzed from the waist down,” Dubois said of Jarret.
He is not sure if Jarret has been conscious enough to know what happened to his parents.
Jordan said his brother, Dustin, 9, is “doing good.”
Michael, 16, was also faring well at hospital, with a tear in his spleen that won’t require surgery.
“They’re just trying to lay him down and make sure it’s healed properly,” Dubois said. ‘They don’t want him overexerting himself.”
Dubois said he will not let his brothers be split up. “I’ve lost two great role models,” the tearful young man said Tuesday. “They showed me how to give.”
He said he will figure out a way to cope with any disabilities his brothers have to face.
[...]
Return to King Solomon’s mines
Alan Boyle:
Did King David and Solomon actually exist? The long-running debate over the accuracy of biblical accounts is resurfacing on TV and in print.
David is one of the best-known figures in Jewish scriptures — thanks to his stone-slinging victory over the giant Goliath, his divine selection as king of the Israelites, his purported authorship of the Book of Psalms, and of course his linkage to Christian and Muslim tradition. His son, Solomon, was described as the builder of the first Jewish Temple, famed for his wisdom and wealth but also for his failings.
The biblical stories raise a huge question for archaeologists: If these guys were so famous, why did they leave virtually no trace on the region’s historical record? Some experts suggested that the real-life David and Solomon were, at best, minor figures in the ancient Middle East whose reputations grew in the centuries that followed. According to these experts, the Jerusalem of the 10th century B.C. was little more than a hill-country village, and nothing like the glittering city described in the Books of Chronicles.
This is why there’s been such a buzz over a few pieces of evidence that have emerged in recent years:
[...]
The Persecution & Prayer Alert
The Persecution & Prayer Alert
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
http://www.persecution.net
Thursday, November 25, 2010
“While the government’s powerful backhoes can destroy church
buildings,
they can never destroy the faith in the hearts and souls of
believers.”
– Bob Fu, ChinaAid
Sign up now to receive our free monthly newsletter at
http://www.persecution.net/nlorder.htm
.
***********************************
In this week’s edition: reports from Pakistan, Iraq, China and
Indonesia
***********************************
1. Pakistani Christian killed for “blasphemy”
(Source: Compass Direct)
Police suspect two Muslim militants are responsible for the recent
murder of a Christian man in Punjab province, Pakistan. In early
November, 22-year-old Latif Masih was granted bail after five months
of imprisonment for “blasphemy” for allegedly burning pages of the
Qur’an. His release came after the complainant in the case told the
court he was not certain Latif was guilty. On November 18, two men
arrived at the home of Latif and his mother, Rubina Bibi, and asked if
he would accompany them. When Latif and the men were a few yards from
the house, they shot Latif five times. The men then fled by motorbike.
Police were watching the scene from the street but did nothing to stop
the assailants. Latif’s brother, Junaid Masih, claims that the two
attackers were associates of a Muslim man who had filed the blasphemy
charge against Latif — a charge that Junaid claims was part of the
Muslim man’s plan to take over Latif’s motorbike shop.
Pray that God will grant Latif’s loved ones the light of His love in
the darkness of grief. Pray that Christ’s Body in Pakistan will
continue to be a bold testimony of His love and grace. Ask God to help
Christians in Pakistan to respond in a Christ-like manner to injustice
and oppression.
For more on the suffering of Christians in Pakistan, visit
http://www.persecution.net/pakistan.htm
.
***********************************
2. Three more Christians killed in Mosul, Iraq
(Sources: Assyrian International News Agency, CNN)
This week, three more believers were killed in Mosul, Iraq — the
latest in a series of recent deadly attacks on the country’s Christian
community (see http://www.persecution.net/iq-2010-11-18.htm
). On November 22, assailants entered a shop owned by two Christian
welders — brothers, Saad Hanna, 43, and Waad Hanna, 40 — and shot
them. Waad was killed instantly and Saad succumbed to his injuries two
hours later. The same day, police found an elderly Christian woman
strangled in her Mosul home.
Pray for comfort for those mourning the loss of these believers. Pray
for strength of faith and endurance of hope for Iraqi’s beleaguered
Christians. Ask God to bring His peace to Iraq.
You can find out more about how Christians in Iraq are suffering for
their faith at http://www.persecution.net/iraq.htm
.
***********************************
3. Church building demolished in Jiangsu province, China
(Source: ChinaAid)
A church building was recently demolished in Tinghu district, Jiangsu
province, China. On November 19, Chengnan Church — that belongs to
the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and is legally registered with the
government — was destroyed on orders of the local government. The
demolition came as a surprise, as registered churches in China do not
typically face the same intensity of persecution from the government
as non-registered churches. In response to the situation, ChinaAid
President Bob Fu said, “While the government’s powerful backhoes can
destroy church buildings, they can never destroy the faith in the
hearts and souls of believers. No one can stop the vigorous growth of
the church in China. The Cross will surely be hoisted high in China by
the glory of God and the sickle and ax will surely fall in shame.”
Pray for the members of this church, as they are now without a
building in which to hold worship. Pray that, despite the loss of
their building, they will be reassured of their lasting and more
precious inheritance (Hebrews 10:36, 37). Pray that the Word of God
will continue to be declared with clarity, boldness, love and power by
all believers in China.
To find out more about the opposition facing Christians in China, go
to http://www.persecution.net/china.htm
.
***********************************
4. Islamic groups aim to close church in Indonesia
(Source: Compass Direct)
Muslims are reportedly attempting to stop a church from holding
worship services in West Java, Indonesia. Earlier this month, on
November 7, more than 50 Muslims gathered outside a multipurpose
building in Karask village where members of The King of Glory Church
were gathered for a Sunday worship service. The Muslims chanted “Allah
akbar” (God is great) and demanded that the meeting be put to an end
because the building was not approved for worship services. The
protest went on outside the church for more than an hour before the
Muslims dispersed.
Church permit applications are often stalled in Indonesian government
offices, opening the way for Muslim groups to accuse them of
worshipping without official permission. In this case, however, church
leaders claim that they were given permission to worship by an
official in 2005. One of the leaders reported that neither the
building managers nor the church leaders have ever received a written
complaint about the worship services. He also said that there was no
regulation against using a multipurpose building for worship services.
Pray that these believers will be free to worship in peace and without
fear of violence from Islamic groups. Pray the Spirit of the Lord will
guide and sustain Christians in West Java as they serve Him amid
opposition. Pray that Indonesian authorities will take just and
decisive action against those harassing Christians in the country.
Stay informed on the persecution facing Indonesian believers by
visiting the Country Report at
http://www.persecution.net/indonesia.htm
. You can view a special video report about an Indonesian Christian
taking a bold stand for Christ by visiting VOM’s multimedia site at
http://www.persecution.tv/indonesia-dewi
.
***********************************
The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the
Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 608, Streetsville,
Ontario, L5M 2C1)
Tel. (905) 670.9721. Website: http://www.persecution.net
Israel’s false friend
Melanie Phillips:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, is one of a (small) minority of Conservative Cabinet ministers – let alone if you include the LibDems in the Coalition – who is a staunch Atlanticist and well-disposed towards Israel. It is an open secret that his hawkish views on foreign affairs do not coincide with those of David Cameron. So it was to be expected that, as the guest of honour at the annual dinner of the Board of Deputies of British Jews last night, he would present himself as a friend of Israel. And he acordingly declared that Britain was a friend of Israel.
Methinks he did protest far too much. For his speech was full of easy platitudes. It was a kind of check-list of all the buttons that he knew he had to press to curry favour with that audience.
And then there was this
[...]
My Rebuttal to a Progressive who Admonished Me to Play Nice ….
Stop Shouting!
The following rebuttal is mine alone. I do not speak for my husband, for my friends, for my children, but solely for myself.
I am tired of being told to sit down and shut up.
I am tired of being told what I can and can not say.
What is “acceptable”, while my ideas and values are mocked and trampled.
Enough. I have had enough.
I remained stoic when your acolytes spit on my car and called my husband a “baby killer” when I crossed through your phalanx at Walter Reed to take my children for medical care. I refused to respond as you smashed your fists into the hood of my car, destroyed my mirrors with bottles and keyed my doors in California, my children mute and terrified as you screamed your hate and bile.
[...]
HT Linda
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