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Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Suu Kyi urges US effort for rights probe (AFP)
WASHINGTON (AFP) ? Myanmar's opposition icon Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to push for a UN-backed probe into human rights in her country as she warned of a long and difficult road to democracy.
Suu Kyi, who was released in November after spending most of the past two decades under house arrest, spoke on a video in a first-ever message to the US Congress, a stronghold of support for the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
She asked lawmakers to do "whatever you can" to support the work of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and assured that a so-called commission of inquiry would not be a tribunal.
"It is simply a commission of inquiry to find out what human rights violations have taken place and what we can do to ensure that such violations do not take place in the future," she told a House of Representatives hearing.
Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy won 1990 elections but was never allowed to take power, warned it will take time to reform Myanmar.
"It is going to be a long road; it has already been a long road and a difficult one, and no doubt the road ahead will have its difficulties as well," she said.
But she added: "With the help and support of true friends, I'm sure we will be able to tread the path of democracy, not easily and perhaps not as quickly as we would like, but surely and steadily."
The United States has publicly supported a UN-led probe -- a longstanding demand of activists. But it has done little to make it a reality, worrying its efforts would be futile so long as Asian countries -- particularly China -- are opposed.
UN-led commissions of inquiry elsewhere in the world have led to charges and prosecution, with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir risking arrest if he travels to countries that recognize the International Criminal Court.
Human rights groups say that Myanmar has a record of severe human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths, torture and frequent rape of displaced women from minority groups.
Recent deadly clashes in far-northern Kachin State have triggered an exodus of refugees toward the border with China.
Suu Kyi called on Myanmar's rulers to free some 2,000 other prisoners which rights groups say are detained for political reasons and often held in poor conditions.
"Why are they still in prison if this government is really intent on making good progress toward democracy? If it is sincere in its claims that it wishes to bring democracy to Burma, there is no need for any prisoners of conscience to exist in this country," she said.
Myanmar held elections in November 2010 which the regime said was a step toward democracy, with the junta later handing over to nominally civilian rulers. But many outside observers say that the changes are purely cosmetic.
A recent joint study by Physicians for Human Rights and Johns Hopkins University found that in western Chin State, 91.7 percent of households had at least one family member who had been forced to work for the military in the past year.
One area of Chin State with particularly high rates of child conscription and sexual assault was under the command of Colonel Zaw Min Oo, who is now in parliament, said Chris Beyrer of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
"In post-election Burma, a military commander whose forces violently repressed the Chin people now represents those same households and communities in the new parliament. That is not change, it is impunity," Beyrer told the committee.
"The US has recently shown swift and effective leadership in diplomacy on calling for investigations into the killing of civilians by the Kadhafi regime in Libya. Why not Burma, where the evidence is overwhelming?" he said.
President Barack Obama's administration in 2009 launched a dialogue with Myanmar, concluding that the previous Western policy of trying to isolate the government had failed.
The administration has repeatedly said it plans to keep pursuing diplomacy despite deep disappointment over the results.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Top Investment Bank: 6 Energy Stocks to Buy Now (NYSE:CS, NYSE:BRY ...
By Dave Friedman
June 20 2011
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Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) released research today with positive notes on the following six energy plays:
- Berry Petroleum (NYSE:BRY): The shares recently traded at $46.05, down $0.14, or 0.30%, on the day.? They have traded in a 52-week range of $24.27 to $53.46.? Its market capitalization is $2.4 billion, its trailing P/E ratio is 227.95, it earned $0.20 per share last year, and it pays a dividend of $0.30 per share.? About the company:? Berry Petroleum Company produces, explores for, and markets crude oil and natural gas. The Company?s principal reserves and producing properties are located in Kern, Los Angeles, and Ventura counties in California.
- Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL): The shares recently traded at $53.80, down $0.15, or 0.28%, on the day.? The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $36.82 to $75.91.? Its market capitalization is $6.32 billion, its trailing P/E ratio is 28.65, and it earned $1.88 per share last year. ? About the company:? Whiting Petroleum Corporation is involved in oil and natural gas exploitation, acquisition, and exploration activities. The Company focuses on lower risk, long-lived oil and natural gas properties located primarily in the Gulf Coast/Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Michigan, and Mid-Continent regions of the United States.
- Swift Energy (NYSE:SFY):? The shares recently traded at $33.05, down $0.21, or 0.63%, on the day.? The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $24.71 to $48.19.? The company has a market capitalization of $1.4 billion, a trailing P/E ratio of 25.56, and earned $1.29 per share last year. ? About the company:? Swift Energy Company is an independent oil and gas company that explores, develops, acquires, and operates oil and gas properties. The Company focuses on United States onshore and inland water areas of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast and in New Zealand on onshore areas of the Taranaki Basin.
- Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ:ROSE):? The shares recently traded at $43.54, up $0.56, or 1.3%, on the day.? The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $18.77 to $51.32.? Its market capitalization is $2.26 billion, its trailing P/E ratio is 98.80, and it earned $0.44 per share last year. ? About the company:? Rosetta Resources, Inc. is an oil and gas exploration and production company.
- Petrohawk Energy (NYSE:HK): The shares recently traded at $22.67, down $0.43, or 1.86%, on the day.? The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $14.32 to $27.45.? The company has a market capitalization os $6.89 billion.? Its trailing P/E ratio is 217.69 and it earned $0.10 per share last year.? About the company:? Petrohawk Energy Corporation is an oil and gas company. The Company participates in the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil. Petrohawk?s operations are currently focused in proven oil and gas producing trends primarily in South Texas, Louisiana, and Central California.
- Kodial Oil & Gas (AMEX:KOG):? The shares recently traded at $5.28, down $0.27, or 4.86%, on the day.? The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $2.43 to $7.70.? The company has a market capitalization of $946.05 million, and lost $0.08 per share last year.? About the company: Kodiak Oil & Gas Corporation explores for oil and natural gas in the western United States.?Competitors to Watch: Brigham Exploration Co. (NASDAQ:BEXP), Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE:OAS), Northern Oil & Gas (AMEX:NOG), GeoResources, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEOI), Encore Energy Partners LP (NYSE:ENP), Bill Barrett Corporation (NYSE:BBG), Gasco Energy, Inc. (AMEX:GSX), Delta Petroleum Corp. (NASDAQ:DPTR), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Chesapeake (NYSE:CHK), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and BP plc (NYSE:BP).
(Note: Selected financial data is sourced from Yahoo! Finance.? All data are assumed to be accurate.)
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Ex-Tunisian president scorns his trial as parody (AP)
TUNIS, Tunisia ? The ex-president of Tunisia has denounced his trial and conviction in absentia, calling it a "parody of justice."
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife ? both in exile since Jan. 14 ? were convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison by the Tunis criminal court. In a statement via his French lawyer, Ben Ali on Tuesday called the proceedings "nonsense judicially but politically expedient."
Ben Ali, 74, flew to Saudi Arabia after a monthlong uprising that sparked protests around the Arab world, putting Tunisia in the avant-garde of an unprecedented pro-democracy movement in the region.
However, the former Tunisian strongman said he had been "tricked" into leaving his homeland.
In a statement via another lawyer in Lebanon, Ben Ali said he had boarded a plane to Saudi Arabia after being advised by his security chief of an assassination plot against him. He said he had planned to return on the same flight after dropping off his family, but the plane's pilot disobeyed orders and took off without him. His manipulated departure was the first act in a plot, aided by a media campaign, to discredit his regime after 23 years in power "and prepare Tunisians to accept a new regime," he said.
Ben Ali's statements this week were his first to the public in the five months since he went into exile. During that time, Tunisia has moved forward under an interim government which has been erasing all traces of Ben Ali's rule, dismantling his all-powerful party and investigating wrongdoings by Ben Ali and the much detested clan of his wife, Leila Trabelsi.
He said in the statement through his French lawyer, Jean-Yves Le Borgne, that the trial was a "parody of justice whose only merit was its brevity."
Ben Ali and Trabelsi were convicted of embezzlement and other charges after a treasure trove of jewels and cash were found in a private palace. Besides the 35-year prison terms for each, they were together fined some $64 million.
The court postponed until June 30 a second case centered on guns and drugs found in the official presidential palace in Carthage because public defenders said they needed time to study the file. He claims in his statement that the jewels and weapons were gifts from heads of state and the money and drugs were planted.
A series of other trials is expected. Ben Ali faces 91 other civil cases and 182 that fall under military jurisdiction, some of which could risk the death sentence.
In upcoming trials, he is likely to be asked to account for the deaths of 300 people during the uprisings. In his statement, Ben Ali denied widespread reports that he had ordered security forces to fire real bullets at protesters.
His Lebanese lawyer, Achraf Azoury, condemned Monday's trial as a farce and not in line with international standards of justice.
"The speed at which the trial ... moved is more reminiscent of a Formula 1 Grand Prix race than a court trial," Azoury said in a telephone interview. He added that the proceedings failed to respect international legal treaties to which Tunisia is a signatory, notably because Ben Ali was not allowed to choose the lawyers representing him in court.
Under Tunisian law, his foreign lawyers were not permitted to represent him at the trial.
Tunisians had mixed feelings after Monday's verdict.
Fathi Jaziri, a 49-year-old merchant, said the trial had not "quenched my thirst for justice."
For 29-year-old Mourad Bouzayane, "The verdict has no sense since the former president ... will do neither prison time nor pay a fine."
However, lawyer Mohamed Abbou, an outspoken dissident who spent more than three years in prison under Ben Ali, said the trial was "a message and a lesson for all those in Tunisia and the Arab world who may be tempted in the future to oppress their people."
___
Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
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Certification in Nursing and Get Set to Become a Fashion Designer
Like any other honored profession, nursing also wants certification so that the person in this field can enrich their career. Nursing certification enables nurses to speed up their professional growth, be in a position to earn good money, get career satisfaction, and increase their credibility and core competencies.
How to get a nursing certification:
- Decide on the type of certificate you want. To get help, look up your options; find out which schools offer the nursing courses you are interested in, the course syllabus and outline
- For individuals who have a full schedule, there are online choices available so you can take classes as your schedule allows
- Determine which course delivery method you'd prefer.
- When you're ready, register with the ANCC for the course
- Pay the required fee if there's any
- Find out what additional resources are available and take advantage of these. They could be study groups, multiple choice test banks, weekend review courses, online review seminars, etc.
- Set the date of examination for your course. The minimum required passing mark for nursing certification is 70%. Results are mailed to you within six to eight weeks.
Any nurse who wishes to be certified may either take a new program conventionally, which is just like going to school, or take up an online course where the theoretical aspects of the course are acquired through the Internet.? Either way, the nurses are sure to get a certification as long as they study and work hard for it. Unquestionably the online certification in nursing would be the more favourable choice, but the conventional would be just as fun.
Take your pick and become a certified nurse today.Become a Fashion Designer
Fashion is a reflection of the times, so it is crucial to keep up with the latest trends in politics and art. Design school courses will help you to research these trends.
Design would be nothing these days without a intense understanding of technological devices and tools - CAD is something you will need to learn in depth.
Enrolling in a reputed fashion design school is your first stepping-stone to becoming a well-known designer. However, there are still some requirements that should be considered before entering the bright world of fashion. One must have the kind of attitude that fit perfectly for a fashion career. Apparently, most professional designers today have begun small and some of them have simply capitalized on the right kind of attitude in order to win. An individual must be highly creative, confident and knowledgeable of trade skills such as sewing if he wished to join the industry. Fashion schools will be there to help people hone their potentials.
Though the curriculum for the course may differ from campus to campus, several top fashion design schools in US are offering their students with flexible study hours to admit various schedules. This is favorable for the students, especially for those who are taking part-time jobs. There are available classes in daytime, evening and even weekends to allow the students to catch up with their lessons and trainings. However, students with continuous study programs will usually earn an Associate?s degree in as little as eighteen months, and a Bachelor?s within three years.
Possibly the best thing yet about a fashion career is that you get to enjoy the work that you love the most. With several opportunities that are being served to all aspirants, there's definitely a good choice for a profitable career path in fashion industry. Attending a fashion school will aid you land your dream job in the fashion world.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Gaming industry: Centrebet signs sponsorship extension deal with ...
Mark McKenna
June 20, 2011
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Australia?s Centrebet International Limited has signed a five-year extension to remain as the exclusive naming rights sponsor of the Geelong Cup.
Last year, the Geelong Cup offered $225,000 in prize-money and any increase will be announced after a decision is made next month on the club?s application to have the October race elevated from Group Three to Group Two. This new sponsorship extension is being heralded as the largest corporate partnership secured by the Geelong Racing Club in its 146 year history.
Despite the actual value of the deal being undisclosed, club president Paul Bongiorno has described it in the press release as the largest corporate partnership ever signed by the club and broke new ground in regional Victoria.?We believe this is the largest sponsorship secured by a country club,? Bongiorno said.
Bongiorno added, ?The club is thrilled that Centrebet will be its major partner for the next five years as we continue to build the Geelong Cup into a truly international race.?
Centrebet?s head of media Neil Evans said in the release that the Geelong Cup was one of the most progressive races in Australasia. ?With the Cup, and housing the only all-weather synthetic racetrack in Victoria, we are extremely happy to stand alongside Geelong racing as its major partner and we have a unique vision planned?We are delighted to secure the naming rights for another five years.?
The Geelong Cup is held annually at the Geelong Racecourse on the fourth Wednesday of October, and was first run in 1872.
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Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com
blog comments powered bySource: http://calvinayre.com/2011/06/20/business/centrebet-signs-geelong-cup-sponsorship-extension/
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Let's come to know Korea!: Biography of 'Ice Queen' Kim Available ...
The Korean version of a book about figure-skating queen Kim Yu-na that chronicles her rise to the pinnacle of the sport is now available at bookstores in the country.
The translation is a product of two famous children's book authors. American Christine Dzidrums wrote the original text of "Yuna Kim: Ice Queen," and Korea's Roh Kyung-sil broadened the book's access to Korea's non-English speakers. It is being distributed in Korea by Creative Media Publishing.
Dzidrums, who established her credentials in the realm of winter sports by writing a popular biography of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette, pieces together a gripping narrative in her latest opus. It begins with how Kim fell in love with figure skating when visiting an ice rink with her parents at the age of seven. After watching a performance by American star Michelle Kwan on TV, she then began cradling her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
Kim realized her ambition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver by seeing off Japanese rival Asada Mao to seize a gold medal despite harboring a number of injuries. As such, the biography focuses on the theme of overcoming adversity and never giving up on your dreams.
Link:http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/09/2011060900784.html
Source: http://sovathngin.blogspot.com/2011/06/biography-of-ice-queen-kim-available-in.html
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Chicago Airport Limo Services - Travel
Airport commute is perhaps one of the most demanding transportation requirements of all time. We subconsciously tend to overlook the hassles, up until the moment before we leave for the airport. So our problems start at from this point onwards.
First there is the frantic search for a taxi, which is almost frustrating as the time ticks away. You find one, jump in and then get dead stuck in traffic as soon as you cut the first corner, finally after what seems like an eternity the cab inches forward only to stop at the red light ahead. Finally, you arrive at the airport and the cabbie informs that he doesn?t have change, with a tight knot in your gut you ask him to keep the remaining amount. Maddening! Isn?t it?
In case if you haven?t noticed! There are most probably scores of airport limousine services available in your area.
Look out for Limo services, which are most likely to make your airport commute much easier and trouble free. Why waste time looking for cabs, when a classy limousine will pick you up right from your doorstep. These services are more widespread in larger metropolises; a prime example is Chicago Limousine Services which is a consistent source of reliable Limousine service in the city of Chicago.Imagine yourself, being jostled around from one corner to the other in the backseat of a speeding taxi with the cabbie swearing at a drop of a hat.
Now picture yourself all sweaty, rushing towards the departure gates because you are sure that you are going to miss that flight, just because it took you almost a quarter of an hour just to find a parking spot for your Beetle.Now picture travelling to the airport like a king! Just imagine yourself sprawled out on plush leather seats reading the morning daily or listening to your favorite track, sipping your favorite drink and surfing the net or TV channels. With all your anxieties aside completely relaxed and assured that you are not going miss your flight.
If you are a frequent flyer, a e source of transportation airport transportation is a fundamental need. You can?t always rely on cabs and your own means to get to the airport on time, limousines can get you there in style, on time and in complete indulgence without you breaking a sweat. And being treated like a celebrity will surely put you in a good mood before or after a tiring flight. If you want this sort of red carpet treatment on your way to? any of the airports in Chicago like the O'Hare Intl Airport, choose O'Hare airport Limo Service for all the expediency.
Limousines services being relied upon by a growing number of individuals for airport transfers on daily basis. Not only are these services apt for personal utilization, a lot of corporations also heavily depending on limousines for fulfilling their business transportation requirements as these services are reliable and always on-time. High profiled executives with seconds on counting choose limousine services to accentuate their style and status. As most limousines are en suited with phone and internet facilities, a lot of executives can conduct various official activities from within the comfort of the limousine, on the way to the airport.
Limo services at airports also offer a lot of choice whether your requirement is an exclusive stretch limo, town car, SUV and even limo vans or buses. They can cater to an individual or a group depending on the requirement; you have plenty of options to choose from. A prior booking is the only necessary formality that you have to carry out to hire a limo, as this again ensures that you receive the best possible service.
As most limousines are chauffeured, you don?t have to worry about anything. The chauffeurs are well-informed, professional and courteous with your safety as their prime concern. Their ?meet and greet,? services are very obliging, as you would definitely want someone at the airport to assist you whenever you arrive or depart.
Not all limo companies are genuine service providers. Most of the time you might come across ?middlemen,? at the airport offering you a limo deal that might sound lucrative, but beware! Most of these shady characters might be working for unregistered limo operators, and they might just rip you off! So it is very necessary to book a limo from a reputed limo service provider, you must also ensure that the limo company is registered and licensed as per the governance of the area.
With the brewing competition in the limousine service market, most limousines are quite affordable these days. Hire Rush Chicago Limousine Service and experience luxury conveyance with a difference, leave those nasty cabs behind and forget the parking hassles at airports and reach your destination on time. A luxurious limousine for your airport travel is the way to go. Bon Voyage!
Source: http://travel.ezinemark.com/chicago-airport-limo-services-7d2d4bb1380e.html
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Monday, June 20, 2011
Uterine Cancer | Birth Control By Injection
Birth manage by injection is an efficient substitute used that has its own advantages and disadvantages. The many efficient and renouned form of this sort of preventive is Depo-Provera. This injection functions in the same way as the hormonal tablet Progestogen. It does not enclose estrogen.
DMPA, Depo-Provera is an injection of man-made hormone medroxyprogesterone acetate that is since by illness caring veteran and is injected in to the woman?s bum or the arm muscle. The conceiving physically avoidance starts after twenty 4 hours of the injection. This injection prevents the ovaries from releasing eggs. The lady has to take the injection once every twelve weeks. That means this injection may be since every 3 months and you do not have to take it continually similar to the pills.
Advantages:
DMPA is exceedingly efficient as the disaster rate inside of the initial year of use is usually 0.3%. It is fitting as it does not create any side belongings as estrogen such as blood clotting. Irregular durations turn regular. It moreover lowers the danger of established endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Disadvantages:
The injection has the waste that it does not give insurance against intimately transmitted diseases. DMPA can check the lapse of flood if women have used it for a longer period. Problems such as menstrual irregularities, headaches, dizziness, nausea, hair loss, depression and weight earn can go on for about a year after the final injection.
There are a few major risks related with Depo-Provera such as loss of bone firmness that can lead to osteoporosis. This injection is not endorsed for long time use as it causes shortcoming of calcium causing osteoporosis. The women who are on this injection are suggested to take a lot of calcium. Depo-Provera is particularly not endorsed for young females as their skeleton are still growing.
Lunelle
Lunelle, a monthly bieing born manage shot has both man-made estrogen and progesterone hormones. It may be injected in to the arm, thigh or rear. Lunelle prevents eggs from being expelled from the ovaries. It thickens the cervical phlegm and creates it tough is to spermatazoa to come in the uterus. You do not have to take it continually as the pill. Although it is 99% efficient it does not safeguard against HIV/AIDS and other intimately transmitted diseases. It is taken inside of a month. If the shot is since after a month (33 days) then it may not be effective. It is endorsed to take the next shot inside of 28 to 30 days. If you are not able to to take the injection inside of a month then you should use condoms and spermecides.
One of the familiar side efficient of Lunelle is inconsistent draining that could operation from no draining to complicated bleeding. There are other side effectives such as weight gain, liquid retention, nausea, breast tenderness, headaches, nervousness, mood changes or depression, change in passionate desire, dizziness, rash, or vaginal infections. Lunelle should not be used by women who have high blood pressure, breast or uterine cancer, diabetes, allergies to hormones and women who have story of blood clots.
Find more data visit: Birth Control by Injection
Comments
Source: http://cancer-survivors.net/cancer_survivors/uterine-cancer-birth-control-by-injection/
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Sunday, June 19, 2011
Animal Rights Extremists Part V
As mentioned throughout this series and in part IV, PETA is involved with ALF and ELF. ?Ingrid Newkirk (7:12 mark in video below), president and co-founder of PETA, maybe an atheist, who was influenced by the writings of Peter Singer, but her company spews out religious distortions, ALF propaganda to children and opposes life-saving science. ?She had herself spaded at age 22, spreading pseudo-science, and does not believe in having other animals as family members or as she puts it ?possess animals?, as heard by her in the video. ?While she is right about slaughterhouses, the truth is, she has no clue about animals, yet she declared herself the rabid social worker of four-legged children?s services, while I am St. Francis of Assisi. ?She is no different from Sarah Palin, who I deplore, except maybe somewhat more educated and the opposite extreme concerning animals. ?Personally, both Newkirk and Palin make me sick, so excuse me if I get a little emotional at times.
Newkirk insists that the world would be a better place without people: ?Humans have grown like a cancer. We?re the biggest blight on the face of the earth.?
Enough taking potshots at a fellow atheist and vegetarian I do not completely agree with, even if she is the president and co-founder of PETA. ?She and her agency, as well as other Animal Rights extremists, spew myths and include religious propaganda in their catalog, blog, and links to a Jesus website, which they supposedly do not necessarily indorse. ?Thus, Newkirk maybe an atheist, but some extremists do use their religion to support their animal rights views and while some may know these things about PETA, others do not.
I learned this about slaughterhouses when I was a girl. Humans created them so that others could consume meat without having to kill the animals themselves. It is a bloody and stomach-turning place, so what do Newkirk et al expect? The only way to close down such places is for everyone human to stop eating meat. It is not going to happen anymore than religion is going to disappear off the face of the earth, because the majority of people enjoy eating meat as much as they love their god concept. Like the religious, especially the extremists, PETA does nothing more than impose their ?Evangelical Fundamentalist? agenda on others, even waiting outside of schools to evangelize children, with various leaflets like Gideons with their little New Testaments and preaching about hell. ?Peter Singer's book is "referred to as the animal rights "bible,"" which PETA pushes.
4) PETA activists regularly target children as young as six years old with anti-meat and anti-milk propaganda, even waiting outside their schools to intercept them without notifying their parents. One piece of kid-targeted PETA literature tells small children: ?Your Mommy Kills Animals!? PETA brags that its messages reach over 1.2 million minor children, including 30,000 kids between the ages of 6 and 12, all contacted by e-mail without parental supervision. One PETA vice president told the Fox News Channel?s audience: ?Our campaigns are always geared towards children, and they always will be.?
No, PETA, I would not eat my friends and no, I do not believe other animals are ours to eat, but at the same time, I do not impose my views on others like it were a religion nor do I attempt to stop life-saving medical and veterinarian research. ?I do not attempt violence either when I hear of things like what was in the first video in this series. ?I certainly try not to spew pseudo-science, but one would be ignorant not to know that slaughterhouses kill animals and that it is a bloody gory mess. ?However, no vegetarian or vegan is going to get meat eaters to stop eating meat by preaching their own philosophy concerning other animals and eating meat. ?Like religion, people do not give it up unless they want to give it up.
Rather than going after slaughterhouses and brainwashing children, I would rather go after a mother and her sons who slam kittens against a tree.
Dexter is able to keep his medication down, is eating from a feeding tube and has started to walk a little on his own. ?But veterinarians are still very concerned about potential damage to Dexter's brain and are not sure if he will ultimately succumb to his injuries.
The woman should not have been released on bail, because that is abuse, yet PETA wants to go after children with pseudo-science, propaganda, and a magazine called Grrr! which reminds me of the Animal Rights activist site called Bite Back, a magazine which promotes arson, vandalism, and other crimes. ?This does not mean children cannot learn to defend abused animals though, but it does mean one does not have to brainwash them with pseudo-science at the same time, as PETA turns cats and dogs into vegetarians, which is not natural or healthy for them. ?That is like teaching a dog to pray, which is creepy, as well as not natural.
Now that is scary. ?Just as scary as the Religious Reich, if not more so. ?The children whose parents are involved with PETA are also surrounded by ALF and ELF ideology, in which they learn violence, not compassion. In fact, PETA donated to ALF, ELF, and other violent extremists ?terrorists? groups. They also supported those charged with terrorist activities.
Well, here?s another quote, this time from PETA?s head, Ingrid Newkirk.??We are complete press sluts.?
Whoops. ?Wrong quote, although she did say that in the New Yorker magazine back in 2003. ?This is the quote I was looking for.
?I will be the last person to condemn ALF.?
She?s right. ?PETA doesn?t condemn the Animal Liberation Front. ?In fact, Newkirk has written a gushing biography of the terrorist group entitled ?Free the Animals?. ?She?s provided financial support for the ALF publication No Compromise. ?PETA has, over the years, compared ALF to the French Resistance, called the terrorist group the ?army of the kind?, and has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the defense funds of ALF members charged with crimes.
They are accused of condoning arson and other crimes, supporting ELF and ALF, according to an FBI investigation. Active Cash stated:
PETA?s connections to ALF and ELF are indisputable. ?We did it, we did it. We gave $1,500 to the ELF for a specific program,? PETA?s Lisa Lange admitted on the Fox News Channel. PETA has offered no fewer than eight different explanations of what the ?specific program? was, but law enforcement leaders have noted that since the Earth Liberation Front is a criminal enterprise, it has absolutely no legal ?programs? of any kind.
For instance, in 2003, ELF set fire to an unfinished, 200 unit condominium complex near San Diego. The arson caused $50 million in damage, and according to a San Diego Fire Captain: ?It could have killed someone.? ELF left its calling card in the form of a twelve foot sign that read: ?If you build it ? we will burn it ? the ELF?s are mad.?
PETA also has given $2,000 to David Wilson, then a national ALF ?spokesperson.? The group paid $27,000 for the legal defense of Roger Troen, who was arrested for taking part in an October 1986 burglary and arson at the University of Oregon. It gave $7,500 to Fran Stephanie Trutt, who tried to murder the president of a medical laboratory. It gave $5,000 to Josh Harper, who attacked Native Americans on a whale hunt by throwing smoke bombs, shooting flares, and spraying their faces with chemical fire extinguishers. All of these monies were paid out of tax-exempt funds, the same pot of money constantly enlarged by donations from an unsuspecting general public.
Attacking Native Americans? ?What would PETA do if American Indians were tending to their cattle and preparing to have one for dinner? ?Now from my understanding, American Indians traditionally use all of the animal or as much as possible. ?Tatanka and other animals, as well as nature, are sacred, so there is more ignorance happening with PETA than just scientific ignorance. ?However, the millions of dollars Newkirk and PETA make a year, just from donations alone, which they use to kill animals and pay those the FBI labels ?terrorists?, not for animal welfare, make them wasichu.
Wasi'chu does not describe a race; it describes a state of mind.
Wasi'chu is also a human condition based on inhumanity, racism, and exploitation. It is a sickness, a seemingly incurable and contagious disease which begot the ever advancing society of the West. If we do not control it, this disease will surely be the basis for what may be the last of the continuing wars against the Native American people.
For Newkirk and PETA, it would appear it is the last of the continuing wars, at least in the case of the whales. ?Newkirk et al have no concern for anyone, human or non-human, and the FBI has made a report of the effects of terrorism on animal enterprises, which PETA contributes and enables (page 4 and 7).
The cause of animal rights soon became a mainstream "single issue" movement, in some instances competing for or displacing the agenda of traditional animal welfare societies and in others fueling the proliferation of new organizations. In the United States, the most prominent among the new organizations was the non-profit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), established in 1982 and which, in just over 10 years, has gained a membership of over 350,000. By some estimates, in the United States there currently are as many as 7,000 animal protection groups, of varying sizes, interests, and objectives.
Though never publicly condoning ALF's illegal activities, PETA representatives almost always voice support for the motive or principle underlying any given incident.] This often includes releasing videotape footage taken by ALF activists during the course of a raid on an enterprise.
There is also a 2001 FBI report on PETA too.
These pages (page 1 of 10) from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigative files detail connections between People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a FBI-designated ?domestic terrorist? group. PETA?s support of the ALF appears to include financing the legal defense of arrested ALF activists, providing resources to individual ALF cells, recruiting interns for ?the sole purpose of committing criminal acts at protests,? and publicizing ALF activities ?in a favorable manner.? One witness interviewed by the FBI (whom other sources have indicated was a former long-term PETA employee) made ?statements suggesting that PETA was formed as a cover for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).?
The only thing PETA cares about is money, PR, and connections to questionable animal groups. ?Their earnings per year, which goes not to animal welfare, but to ?organizations? such as ALF and ELF, as well as yellow journalism and propaganda, according to PETA Kills:
PETA rakes in nearly $30 million each year in income, much of it raised from pet owners who think their donations actually help animals. Instead, the group spends huge sums on programs equating people who eat chicken with Nazis, scaring young children away from drinking milk, recruiting children into the radical animal-rights lifestyle, and intimidating businessmen and their families in their own neighborhoods. PETA has also spent tens of thousands of dollars defending arsonists and other violent extremists.
PETA goes to extremes when it comes to other animals, right down to companion and therapeutic animals. ?They do not take into account just how helpful other animals can be psychologically and physically. ?Maybe if they had a furry four-legged family member they might view the world a little differently and what the hell does God have to with it, especially when PETA shows no love?
PETA kills more animals per year and as my 22-year-old son stated, ?To sterilize every single animal on this planet would be to commit genocide."
The only way to make our communities "no-kill" is to work toward a "no-birth" nation through legislative measures that mandate spaying or neutering unless a proper permit is purchased, with permit revenues used solely to subsidize sterilization surgeries for low-income families and citizens. ~ PETA's ABCs
The fact is, if we sterilized every single animal and have a ?no birth nation?, as PETA would like, instead of taking responsibility for them, there would be no other species on this planet and even the humans would die because, whether we eat them or not, we are dependent upon other animals just as they are us.
It is a symbiotic relationship by nature and even with that; all species are connected to the earth too. Once again, the PETA shows their ignorance and maybe if Newkirk adopted a furry child, her mental state might improve. This is not even talking about animals who assist humans with various disabilities.
Cuerella Deville (AKA Ingrid Newkirk) gives atheists, vegetarians, and scientists a bad name, with all of this happening and on top of it all, PETA kills more animals than science. In 2009, PETA earns millions of dollars, yet murdered 97% of the animals they took in, while scientists hardly cracked a skull to study the brains of cats.
Animal rights groups grossly exaggerate the number of animals used in research. They claim the majority of research animals are primates and stolen pets. Yet, as previously stated, 90 percent or more of the animals used in research each year are mice, rats and other rodents.; cats, dogs, and other animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, primates, and farm animals collectively make up the small remaining percentage of animals. This concern for our pets is being focused in the wrong direction. Millions of pets end up in animal shelters; according to the Humane Society of the United States, an estimated 3?4 million of these dogs and cats are killed each year because they are senselessly abandoned by their owners (The Humane Society of the United States).
Animals used in science:
In 2006 US government statistics put the number of laboratory animals used in research at 1,012,713. The above graph shows the breakdown of different species used. It is important to note that these statistics do not include rats, mice, birds and fish, as these animals are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act. Precise figures for the number of rats, mice, birds and fish do not exist, but it is estimated that approximately 25 million of these animals are used every year. This would account for over 95% of all animals used for such in the US, as the graph below shows us.
Animals hunted and consumed by humans:
OH MY GOD! Science kills more rats and mice than my cats! My little Shiva water boards the mice in the bathtub and still? Those little guys keep coming and won?t go away! Oh but we discovered a vaccine for Chicken Pox and HPV, so more lives were saved than lost in science. As they say in Star Trek, sometimes the needs of the many, which includes all animals, not just humans, outweigh the needs of the few or the one. I think that can apply to finding a cure too.
Veterinarians, who have chosen their profession because of their concern for animals, are intimately involved in the care and treatment of laboratory animals. They realize that results of animal research improve the health of animals as well as humans. In fact, many of the advances in veterinary medicine are the direct result of research with animals. The parvovirus vaccine, routinely administered by veterinarians, has saved the lives of many dogs. Pacemakers for both humans and animals were developed through research on dogs. Research in reproductive physiology on animals has helped save certain species from extinction. Distemper vaccines, tested on Siberian polecats, have resulted in the revitalization of the waning black-footed ferret population. In addition, the growing field of laboratory animal medicine has refined the care and treatment of laboratory animals, making the animals healthier and more comfortable. The scientific community realizes that quality laboratory animal care ensures more reliable scientific results, and therefore, it is in its best interest to treat laboratory animals with respect.
The needs of the few hateful people with ?a terrible scam that the world deserves to know the truth?, called PETA, do not outweigh the lives of millions that they murder for no purpose except to serve their own needs, which is to make money.
5) PETA?s president has said that ?even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it.? And PETA has repeatedly attacked research foundations like the March of Dimes, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, solely because they support animal-based research aimed at curing life-threatening diseases and birth defects. And PETA helped to start and manage a quasi-medical front group, the misnamed Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to attack medical research head-on.
Now seriously, who are you going to believe? ?PETA who murders more cats and dogs in a year than science and cats kill mice and rats in a year put together or Scientists who are helping to save lives, using the 3 Rs? ?PETA really needs to get a grip on reality instead of harming others.
The scientific community advocates the highest quality of animal care and treatment for two key reasons. First, the use of animals in research is a privilege, and those animals that are helping us unlock the mysteries of disease deserve our respect and the best possible care. Second, a well-treated animal will provide more reliable scientific results, which is the goal of all researchers.
The number of animals used in research has actually decreased in the past 20-25 years. Best estimates for the reduction in the overall use of animals in research range from 20-50%. This reduction is more consistent and striking when comparing species. For example, best government estimates report that the number of cats used in research has dropped 66% since 1967. Due to a variety of factors, including the increase in non-animal adjunct testing and the refinement of laboratory animal medicine, there are fewer animals used for many research projects. Repetition of some experiments must occur for a variety of scientific reasons. The validation of data is critical to minimize or discover potential error. Experiments must be repeated to account for even the slightest change in variables such as dosage, temperature and weight.
Thus, the number of euthanized animals, due to science experiments is, less than the number PETA murders per year. ?It is also less than the number of animals humans consume for food.
Up next: The difference between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GodDiscussion/~3/jM-p65vnyN0/
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Peres: Palestinians' UN move 'an illusion' (AP)
JERUSALEM ? Israeli President Shimon Peres urged a resumption of Middle East peace talks Thursday, dismissing the Palestinians' plan to instead ask the United Nations for recognition as "an illusion" and arguing that a peace deal ? despite widespread skepticism on both sides ? was possible within months.
"In a strange way the differences are rather psychological than material," the 87-year-old head of state and Nobel laureate said in an interview with The Associated Press.
"I don't exclude that in spite of the shortage of time we can conclude an agreement with the Palestinians" before September, Peres said, referring to the month the Palestinians, in the absence of a peace deal, plan to ask the United Nations for recognition as a state.
Peres warned the U.N. gambit could backfire. The U.S. is expected to veto the measure in the powerful Security Council, forcing the Palestinians to turn to the General Assembly, where a majority seems likely but any decision would have no legal force.
"It will remain (on) paper and it will raise false hopes," Peres said. Israel would simply ask: "Can you stop terror, United Nations? Can you stop the politics of Iran that finances Hezbollah and finances Hamas? Can you stop the smuggling of arms? ... And if the United Nations cannot answer it, so what is the value of their resolution?"
With his comments, Peres joined a chorus of world leaders, including President Barack Obama and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, urging the Palestinians not to follow through with the U.N. resolution. Palestinian officials have acknowledged they are having second thoughts, but insist they will press forward if peace talks don't resume.
The Israeli president dismissed skepticism about the gaps between any Palestinian leadership and the current right-leaning Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"I know a little bit about negotiations," said Peres, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with the Palestinians. "The opening position is extremely loud and very maximalist ... But then you have to go down, quietly."
Would the Palestinians give up the so-called right of return by refugees and their millions of descendants ? a persistent and principled demand that Israelis across the spectrum reject out of hand as demographic suicide?
"I think so," he said, insisting a "creative" solution is possible.
Among the obstacles to talks even beginning is Israel's rejection of an emerging Palestinian "unity government" between Fatah, the moderate grouping of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas which controls Palestinian autonomy zones in the West Bank, and the Hamas militant group, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
The sides reached a reconciliation agreement last month and are still laboring to implement it, wrangling over issues like the appointment of a prime minister. But Netanyahu has already made the deal an obstacle to talks, saying he cannot negotiate with a government even partly backed by a sworn enemy like Hamas.
Peres noted the United States and other world powers have insisted that Hamas recognize Israel, renounce terrorism and accept previous agreements. Hamas' acceptance of these terms, Peres suggested, would enable such talks between Israel and a unified Palestinian leadership.
As president, Peres is a figurehead, but his words carry weight because of an elder statesman status achieved over six frequently turbulent decades in Israeli public life ? a period marked by achievement and electoral futility in seemingly equal measure.
As leader of Israel's center-left Labor Party, Peres lost an improbable string of elections ? in 1977, 1981, 1988, and 1996 ? and managed only a tie in 1984, with Israel's economy mired in hyperinflation and its army in a costly and unpopular war in Lebanon.
Despite these difficulties, he has managed to serve in practically every top government position, including three brief stints as prime minister.
Peres' dogged pursuit of peace has made him a regular at global gatherings such as the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where his penchant for visionary pronouncements and his extraordinary longevity have given him a somewhat iconic status.
Alert, jocular and surrounded by adoring aides, Peres spoke to the AP at his presidential compound as he prepared to host his own version of Davos ? the third annual "Israeli Presidential Conference" ? an event which he said would this year attract 1,700 figures from outside Israel.
The diverse guest list ranges from Colombian singer Shakira and U.S. comedienne Sarah Silverman to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, advertising magnate Martin Sorrel and European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet, in addition to a cluster of leaders and government ministers.
Peres said the three-day event next week will focus on "the issues of tomorrow ? in Jewish life, in world affairs, in Israeli development, in all domains ? science, technology, politics."
He said he had special interest in exploring the workings of the brain, cybernetics, and what he perceived as an unprecedented type of generation gap.
"Youngsters are equipped with ... Facebook and the Internet. They don't want their parents to get involved in their own way of life. They respect the parents but without much admiration. They say: ... 'The world you have handed over is full of blood and suffering and mistakes. Let us have our own future.'"
Peres credited Facebook-wielding youth for the current upheavals in the Arab world and offered his neighbors free advice: "If you don't give equal rights to (women) you're half a nation ... No money can compensate (for) this mistake."
Peres clearly feels the changes in the region belatedly vindicate the optimism he espoused 18 years ago in a book titled "The New Middle East" ? which earned him some derision at the time by critics who considered him naive.
He dismissed the concerns of many Israelis today that Arab democracies would elect Islamists and authoritarians: "The moral call is the right one and the preferred one. Don't make too many calculations. I shall be a happy person when the Middle East will become free and democratic."
Peres predicted that the unusual Israeli presidential conference ? despite its association with him personally ? would continue after he leaves office, because the Jewish state has a global role in advancing knowledge.
"A good Jew cannot be satisfied," Peres said. "All the time he feels he has to improve ... which creates, in a way, creativity and imagination."
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2nd test flight of X-51 aircraft ends in crash (Providence Journal)
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Safety, Parking Top Concerns For Mavs Parade
DALLAS (AP/CBSDFW.COM) ? Dallas police and fire officials say they are trying to ensure that the 250,000 jubilant Mavericks fans expected in downtown Dallas for the team?s victory parade are safe from a myriad of potential threats within and outside the crowd.
Police insist they?re better prepared to prevent a repeat of the 1993 melee that followed a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl parade. Police say new tactics and a heightened awareness designed to counter terrorism in a post 9/11 world will benefit the Mavericks NBA Championship victory celebration on Thursday.
Chief David Brown said he?ll take the blame if this parade goes bad.
Plainclothes cops will be in the crowd, hundreds of additional officers will be deployed along the route, and nearby tactical teams and other units can be quickly summoned.
Many of the officers got a hands on training session last year before the Super Bowl, giving them valuable experience dealing with a hostile crowd.? Its training they don?t expect to need Thursday morning as people celebrate the Maverick?s NBA title.
Workers are still installing more than 22-thousand feet of barricades.
And mobile command centers will hold anyone who gets arrest as well as provide first aid from the heat.?? The city will not discuss its security plan but says it will use twitter to communicate directly to the public.
More than 300 officers will assigned to this event along with some from other agencies. And expect to bring some extra cash if you plan to drive.? The price of parking will be going up at many lots around town for the Dallas Mavericks NBA Championship parade.
Officials with Platinum Parking who own about 16,000 spaces on 30 downtown lots say they will charge 10 dollars a vehicle and expect their competitors to follow suit.
Parking operators say if you?re willing to walk a half mile or more you should be able to find spots.
The city is urging people to take DART trains and buses, but those are expected to be full also.
Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/06/15/80037/
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Friday, June 17, 2011
Matthew Fox and Ed Harris in Talks for World War Z
Matthew Fox and Ed Harris are in talks to join Brad Pitt in 'World War Z,' which kind of means that Nazi hunter Lt. Aldo Rayne of 'Inglourious Basterds,' 'The Rock''s renegade Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, and 'Lost''s Dr. Jack Shephard are teaming up to fight zombies. Sweet.
Also in talks are James Badge Dale (of 'The Pacific' miniseries and AMC's 'Rubicon' fame) and Mireille Enos from TV's 'The Killing.'
Marc Forster is directing the film, an adaptation of the Max Brooks novel set 10 years after a worldwide zombie infestation. The pic is budgeted at a whopping $125 million.
Getting Fox on board might require a bit of schedule juggling since 'WWZ' is slated to begin this month and his next film, 'I, Alex Cross,' is scheduled for an August shoot. (Either that or his part in the zombie epic will be a brief one.)
In 'I, Alex Cross,' Fox will play completely against type as a vicious serial killer with 'Madea''s Tyler Perry, who's taking over for Morgan Freeman as the title character, trying to apprehend him.
Fox just wrapped his West End run in the Neil LaBute play 'In a Forest Dark and Deep,' which is why he's been sporting that slightly gruesome gray beard. (And not due to any back-to-the-island melancholia, we think.)
Harris just wrapped the thriller 'Man on a Ledge,' which is due out next year.
Are you excited for the big-screen version of 'World War Z'?
[via Deadline]
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1922988/news/1922988/
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Nokia E6 can be pre ordered now in India
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Source: www.wareground.com --- Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Released a few days ago in the UK, the Nokia E6 will be available in India pretty soon, too. Nokia lets Indian customers pre order the E6 for 17,999 INR (about $400, thus much less than in the UK, where the smartphone costs more than $500). You can go here to pre order the new E6 right now youll be able to choose between three color versions: black, white or white. The E6 is Nokias first candybar to feature both a touchscreen display (2.46 inches, 640 x 480 pixels and a full QWERTY keyboard. It also features Symbian Anna (just like the Nokia X7), HSPA, Wi Fi, GPS, free navigation, 8MP camera, 720p video recording, 256MB RAM, 1GB ROM, and 8GB of storage space. ...
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Google Checkout closed from 4 to 5 p.m. (PDT) for maintenance
As I rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn noon, I noticed an e-mail from the Android Market team in my inbox telling me that paid applications and access to merchant accounts will be closed for an hour this afternoon for planned maintenance. What it boils down to if you're a shopper and not a developer is that you won't be able to purchase any apps between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. PDT today while they upgrade something. If you are a developer, you also won't be able to log into your Merchant account during this time.
Conspiracy theories aside, everything should be back to normal by 5 p.m. PDT and you can start buying apps again. We've got the full text of the e-mail after the break.
Thanks to everyone who sent this one in!
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Freemasonry and the Church of England
His Grace received a flurry of requests a few weeks ago to share his thoughts on the relationship between Freemasonry and the Church of England. They came in the context of the decision to appoint the the Rev Jonathan Baker, Principal of Pusey House in Oxford, to the (?flying?) Bishopric of Ebbsfleet. The appointment was made despite the Archbishop of Canterbury knowing he was ?an active and senior mason?.Dr Williams has previously made it known that he believes Freemasonry to be 'incompatible? with Christianity, doubtless owing to its reverence for some unspecified ?supreme being? and the need for its adherents to participate in certain cultic rituals and swear secret oaths. He has consequently refused to promote masons to senior positions with the Church, though lay involvement appears to have presented no problems. This is curious: surely if Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity, masons should not be in the Church at all, let alone arranging the flowers.
Curiously, just after the appointment, Fr Baker defended his continuing membership of the Masons to The Sunday Telegraph, insisting that it was ?compatible with his new role as a bishop?. Yet just a week later, he had changed his mind and recanted renounced announced that he was leaving the Masons ?to concentrate on being a bishop?. He said: ?I have concluded that, because of the particular charism of episcopal ministry and the burden that ministry bears, I am resigning my membership of Freemasonry.? This, again, is curious: if there was nothing incompatible between Freemasonry and being the principal of and Anglo-Catholic college, why should it be incompatible with the office of bishop? Is not membership of a male-only cult rather contiguous with being a ?flying? bishop to oversee clergy opposed to women priests? The Archbishop of Canterbury was evidently content for the appointment to proceed while Fr Baker was still a mason, so his anxieties have manifestly eased over the years.
His Grace really was not going to delve into this, but he has received a letter from an Anglican (?down under?) who also happens to be a third degree or Master Mason in the Blue Lodge. Hitherto, the joint affiliation has presented him with no problems. But the Diocesan Synod in Sydney has recently decreed that all Anglican Freemasons must withdraw from their Lodges or sever all connections with the Anglican Church. He wrote:
To His Grace Rt Rev Thomas Cranmer
Archbishop of Canterbury
Your Grace,
I trust that the pain of the fires did not trouble you for too long. I am reading your thoughts again, albeit from the grave.
I therefore wish to hear your views and advice on a matter of some importance to me, and of relevance to the current Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion. Last Sunday I was discussing with a church warden a proposed development to land adjacent to my parish church. A new church building is to be built between the old one (built in 1840) and the church hall (1910). Adjacent to the hall is the Masonic temple (1926). All of the buildings were commissioned by the founding family of this particular town. As a 5th generation freemason, I light-heartedly suggested that the Lodge could participate in the foundation stone-laying ceremony. I was told in very clear terms that this Diocese proscribes Freemasonry, holding it to be "irreconcilably incompatible with Christianity" and the Church is to have nothing whatsoever to do with Masonic lodges, nor to permit any Masonic activity on Church land, while Anglican schools in the Diocese are to sever all links with Masonic organisations of any kind (charitable or not). This was the result of a resolution in 2003, the text of which appears below (I know it's old news now, but it has a renewed relevance in relation to the Bishop of Ebbsfleet):
RESOLUTION 25/03 ? FREEMASONRYBelow is the media statement in response the next day from the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory:
Synod, noting the 1988 Report to Synod entitled ?Freemasonry Examined? and subsequent resolution 9/88 of that Synod -
(a) affirms that Freemasonry and Christianity are fundamentally and irreconcilably incompatible, and
(b) affirms that Freemasonry teaches and upholds a system of false religious and spiritual beliefs that are contrary to biblical Christianity.
Synod encourages ministers and other Christians to take every opportunity to reach out in love to all Freemasons and share with them the gospel of Christ.
Synod encourages all Christians who are members of a Masonic Lodge to demonstrate their commitment to Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God and as the sole way of salvation, by withdrawing from the Lodge.
Synod encourages ministers not to participate in, nor allow in their church buildings, any religious services or activities that uphold, condone, promote or encourage adherence to Freemasonry.
Synod requests the Councils of all Anglican Schools to consider any association that their school may have with any Masonic Lodge, and to withdraw from any such association. Synod further requests that Anglican Schools neither participate in any activity that may uphold, condone, promote or encourage adherence to Freemasonry, nor give publicity to any such activity, nor allow the name of the school to be used in association with any such activity.
Synod requests Standing Committee to undertake the preparation, production and distribution of a clear and unambiguous booklet suitable for wide distribution, examining the key rites, teachings and beliefs of Freemasonry and explaining why they differ from Biblical Christianity, and explaining why it is wrong for a Christian to belong to the Lodge.
(The Rev Bill Winthrop - 20.10.03)
MEDIA STATEMENT by M.W. Bro. Tony Lauer, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory, AustraliaThe issue apparently came about as one of vengeance, as a Masonic funereal rite had been performed in a particular parish, without the rector's knowledge. Quite a coincidence that the rector concerned was the mover of the resolution at synod.?SYDNEY SYNOD RESOLUTION THAT ANGLICAL FREEMASONS WITHDRAW FROM THE FREEMASONS ? OR ? FROM ATTENDING THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IS MISCONCEIVED, DISCRIMINATORY AND A BETRAYAL OF ITS FOLLOWERS,? says Tony Lauer, Grand Master of NSW & ACT Freemasons.
A resolution proposed by the Reverend William Winthrop of Lithgow that all Anglican Freemasons withdraw from their Lodges OR sever all connections with the Anglican Church, was passed last night by the Diocesan Synod in Sydney.
? The resolution is pure discrimination, smacks of bigotry and religious fundamentalism and is a betrayal of all Freemasons who practice the Anglican Faith,? says Tony Lauer, Grand Master of the NSW & ACT Freemasons, ?especially since a great percentage of Freemasons throughout the State are Anglicans.?
?Furthermore, this a one man vendetta on the part of Reverend Winthrop, over a local issue and very petty situation ? that received widespread publicity - which occurred in Lithgow last year.?
?This resulted in all local Freemasons being publicly not welcomed at the local Anglican Church,? says Mr Lauer.
?The stance taken is based on total ignorance and is a misrepresentation of what Freemasonry is all about,? says Mr Lauer.
?First and foremost, Freemasonry is tolerant and respectful of all religions and admits all men of good character who have a commitment to self improvement and to serve their community. Our one requirement is that they have a belief in God as the ?supreme being?. We do not question their other beliefs,? continued Mr Lauer.
?We accept members of all faiths as Freemasons, as long as they have this belief, hence many of our Lodge members work within their communities with men of many faiths including Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Catholics and Muslims,? added Mr Lauer.
?I would like to point out to Reverend Winthrop and the Synod, that many high-ranking ministers of religion, including Anglicans, have been ? and are ? Freemasons,? said Mr Lauer.
?I ask Mr Winthrop and the Diocese, whether these men are now to be considered not to be Christians because they are Freemasons,? said Mr Lauer.
?Freemasonry teaches tolerance, equality, compassion and brotherly love. If Reverend Winthrop?s and the Synod?s interpretation of ?Christianity? disagrees with these teachings, does this mean that the Sydney Anglican Church does not believe in the basic principles of compassion, brotherly love and above all ? truth?? challenges Mr Lauer.
?Over the last 200 years Freemasons have played a significant role in shaping the fabric of Australian Society, and have been prominent in all areas of Australia?s proud history including politics, commerce, sports, the armed services.?
?In fact since Lachlan Macquarie became Governor of New South Wales in 1809, each State has had one or more Governors who were Freemasons.?
?Three of Australia?s Governors General have been Freemasons as have 10 out of 25 Prime Ministers, since Federation.?
?Are these distinguished Australians now to be branded as ?non-Christians? by the Anglican Church,? asked Mr Lauer.
Mr Lauer added that ? I would also like to point out that Freemasons in this state alone each year distribute more that $1,000.000 to non-Masonic worthy causes, community initiatives and charitable organisations ? irrespective of their connection to any Church Group.?
? The world, as we have come to know it today, is undergoing very alarming, uncertain and chaotic times, fuelled mainly by religious fundamentalism.?
?Surely, is this civilised society the church?s role is to teach, love, compassion, unity and tolerance of one?s fellow man, and not to promote division, hatred, alienation and downright bigotry,? concluded Mr Lauer.
(The 1988 discussion paper referred to in the resolution is attached to this email).
On hearing this, I was quite shocked. Of course, I knew that Rome had long-since proscribed Freemasonry, especially the continental variety that was radically anti-clerical. In the case of the Roman Catholics, for a period of about 20 years during the reign of the last Bishop of Rome, there was a perception of ambiguity, while local priests were left to decide what to do about Freemasonry until the Head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, aka the inquisition, a certain Joseph Ratzinger, clarified that there was no parish discretion allowed and that Masons were held to be in a state of grave sin, unable to take communion until resignation from the Lodge. I digress, because I was used to hearing this from the Vatican, along with innumerable conspiracy theories about links to Templars, world domination etc. But I had always believed that, firstly, English and Scottish Freemasonry did not have any such revolutionary or anti-clerical character as it has been portrayed in Europe, and secondly, that with membership including royalty, senior clergy, and all manner of men of good character from Sir Winston Churchill to Sir Isaac Newton to Sir Christopher Wren, to the poorest honest men in our community, that Freemasonry had been and continues to be one of the shining lights in our civilisation.
Far from leading to any deviation from Christian thought, Freemasonry teaches members to pursue their religion with utmost vigour, exhorting men to read their Bibles and to lead their lives by the book of their respective religion.
(It is acknowledged that Freemasonry, along with the West in general, is certainly having to deal with the arrival of adherents to a certain religious background that Masons of old would never have imagined would join their ranks; one that at its heart is antithetical to the foundations of our system of morality, but that the fraternity of Freemasonry may have a moderating, perhaps one day reforming, influence on adherents to that particular faith system, in so much as we judge a man on his merits and qualities as a man, not his religious background - this is a personal view).
Indeed, the founding family of the church mentioned at the beginning of this email were all Freemasons! It goes without saying that Freemasons have a long history when it comes to building churches.
I then telephoned the Synod office today and asked if the encouragement ?to demonstrate [my] commitment to Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God as the sole way of salvation, by withdrawing from the Lodge? constituted a threat of excommunication if I did not resign. I was informed that the Anglican Church does not excommunicate people in the way that Rome does. I was not set at ease. Rather, I feel I cannot return to my church without feeling unwelcome.
I then wrote to my parish priest, asking the same question. Since there is a divergence of modes of worship in the Diocese, from Evangelical to Anglo-Catholic (complete with devotions to Mary of Walsingham), whether there was any parish discretion in any matter relating to Freemasons. Perhaps the reason for the lack of response is that he is seeking guidance from the Bishop's office.
Since becoming a Freemason on the death of my last grandfather, I have read far more Scripture and religious literature than I did before I joined. Among such literature was a collection of articles of religion, based on Your Grace's writings, most relevant among which relates to the ?Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation?. Indeed, while one may use other forms of devotion as aids to worship, they are not required. Likewise, Freemasonry has augmented the depth of understanding which I have derived from Holy Writ (as we refer to it). But it is still a secular organisation. It preaches no salvific doctrine (nor any other religious doctrine in fact). It does not preach salvation by works - the Diocese's chief criticism. If it vanished tomorrow, it would not have the slightest impact on the nature of grace and salvation. But it is not harmful to one's understanding of grace. It is not idolatry. It is no more anti-Christian than a Remembrance Day service or any other civic service. Ironically, these days in this particular Diocese, the only time one may hear the beautiful hymns of our childhood (such as ?Abide with Me?, or ?I vow to thee, my country?, is at such a civic-religious service. We had ?I vow to thee..? and ?Jerusalem? at our own wedding, but only because we requested it). Any other day it would be insipid, overhead projector rubbish from the 1970s.
So I would hear Your Grace's opinion on the proper relationship between Freemasonry and the Church, acknowledging that the craft was still mainly an operative stonemasons' guild during your reign as Archbishop of Canterbury, although one with a sacred mission, building churches and cathedrals of stone, whereas now they build cathedrals of men's mind and character. Of course, the relevance relates to your successor the Rt Rev Rowan Williams' views on Freemasons, during his tenure as Bishop of Monmouth and subsequent comments following the resignation from the Lodge of the new Bishop of Ebbsfleet.
If I do not receive satisfactory responses from my local church, ongoing attendance will be most difficult, if I am not to perjure myself with regards to one organisation or the other. I shall have to venture outside my Diocese to worship, the nearest town in the neighbouring diocese being ninety minutes' travel.
I thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Your humble communicant,
(name withheld to preserve anonymity)
His Grace was touched that this gentleman was eager to hear His Grace?s opinion on the proper relationship between Freemasonry and the Church. His Grace responded that he would be delighted to give it, but would put the matter to his loyal communicants, among whom is often found manifest wisdom, intelligence and discernment. Over to you.
Source: http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/06/freemasonry-and-church-of-england.html
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