Sex Isn’t Only Two Longing Casual Years Left? to Live The Philadelphia february 2011 | thetrumpet.com Trumpet €!? How economic crisis is transforming Europe february 2011 Vol. 22, No. 2 T Circ. 304,147

COVER 1 | FROM THE EDITOR A Monumental Moment in European History! German soldiers mark an 2 | Taking Charge Once more, observance during the 20th Germany is leading Europe. Where will it end anniversary of the Bundeswehr this time? before a cathedral in Dresden.

world etc. 16 | Worldwatch Learn German or get out • 12 | history | Winston Churchill—The 31 | principles of living Rigged election, angry mob • Chinese friend, U.S. Watchman America and Britain are in grave The Sin of Idolatry nemesis • Making nice with Europe • Africa’s danger today because most of our watchmen are 32 | test your bible iq head in the mouth of a lion • In math, we’re #32! blind. Here’s why. By Gerald Flurry • See? Political correctness abets terrorism How Humanity Will 22 | economy | America: Only Two More Learn Its Lesson 28 | Deluged The latest WikiLeaks downpour Years? Keen observers say debt-addicted 34 | LETTERS exposed just how weak America has become. America is about to learn some tough lessons from bygone empires. 35 | commentary Marriage—Soon LIVING 24 | religion | Pope: Don’t Take Bible Literally In his latest treatise, Benedict xvi Obsolete? 6 | The Emotional Corrosion of Casual Sex reverts to medieval teaching. 36 | television log Brain science proves what we’ve known all along. 26 | music | How Important is Music? 8 | Longing to Live Our quest for long life has What the ayatollah, Darwin and Freud were raised some vital questions and obscured others. missing out on FROM THE EDITOR GERALD FLURRY A Monumental Moment in European History!

his might be one of the most important messages on will lead this 10-king conglomerate. The financial meltdown is world events I have ever written. bringing to fruition this German-led, 10-nation superstate! Do you realize that what is currently unfolding in Eu- Watch closely. Germany will use this crisis to force Europe rope is going to affect your life in a radical way more than to unite more tightly. In the process, some eurozone countries anythingT else ever has? will be forced out of the union. When that happens, the pundits In May 2010, Germany was forced to bail out Greece’s econ- will say European unification is dead, that the European Union omy. Last November it rescued Ireland. Other European coun- has failed. Don’t listen to them! tries are in the same mess, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal. The Every country that leaves the EU puts us one step closer to economies of these nations, and the future of the entire Europe- seeing the German-led 10-nation European superstate! an unification project, are on life support—and Germany’s Twice in Revelation 17, John calls this church-state union a fingers are on the power switch! “mystery.” What is happening in Europe today has mystified Last December, Stefano Micossi, a professor at the College of politicians and other “experts,” the media and the public. Many Europe, wrote that soon, “either all of the sovereign debts [of Eu- see that this crisis is empowering Germany and could possibly rope] become German public debt, or the euro will collapse …” provoke a complete restructuring of Europe. (VoxEU.org, Dec. 10, 2010). Unless Germany rescues Europe, the But they don’t see what this means for humanity. We are Continent will collapse as a political and financial union. This is witnessing one of the most significant moments ever in exactly what Herbert W. Armstrong warned would happen—as the history of Europe. The final resurrection of the Holy Ro- far back as the 1940s: that a massive financial crisis would give man Empire is staring us in the face! When this government is Germany the opportunity to shape a United States of Europe! fully empowered, the Bible reveals it will plunge this world into Ambrose Evans-Pritchard warned that it seems inevitable that “great tribulation,” a time more terrifying and violent than this the debts of Europe will have to be “fused immediately with Ger- world has ever experienced! man debt.” Germany has the only healthy economy in Europe. It’s Revelation 17 shows that Europe is going to emerge from this the only “solution” to Europe’s financial woes. “This is the sort crisis with more power, not less! It will be more stable, more of game-changer that may now be required to save [this streamlined, more influential, and more terrifying than anything union],” he wrote (Telegraph, Nov. 29, 2010; emphasis mine). any human has ever seen! What is happening in Europe is not merely a game-changer— But here’s the most astounding and inspiring part of Revela- it’s a world changer! tion 17: God put it in the minds of Europe’s leaders to do what The Bible discusses many different beasts. As Mr. Armstrong they’re doing! Verse 17 reads, “For God hath put in their hearts explained, these beasts picture world empires. In Revelation 17, the to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the Apostle John wrote about a totally unique and terrifying beast. beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” The church lead- This empire is different because it is a church-state union. ing the Holy Roman Empire is not God’s true Church. But God Verses 1 and 2 read, “… I will shew unto thee the judgment of does allow this church to gain control of this German-led Eu- the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom ropean beast power. Expect the Catholic Church to become more the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the in- vocal and for this church-state axis to become more evident. habitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her We do not hate Germany or the church that is the spiritual fornication.” Notice, throughout history this woman, or church, force motivating the Holy Roman Empire. Bible prophecy reveals has made the whole world drunk on her doctrines! that God actually employs this European superstate as an instru- This great church commits fornication with kings. In other ment by which He corrects some very evil nations. words, it recruits kings and nations to serve its despicable and That is inspiring truth. Right now, Revelation 17 is being ugly ambitions. fulfilled, and we are witnessing the emergence of the most pow- Verse 3 continues, “and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet erful and frightening force ever, and the beginning of the most coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven terrifying and violent period in mankind’s history. But God is in heads and ten horns.” This beast has seven heads, or seven dis- total control! tinct resurrections. If you study European history, you will eas- God is watching and shaping everything so His will might be ily see six times when the Catholic Church has guided European fulfilled. In Matthew 24 Jesus Christ says this European super- empires, such as Charlemagne, Napoleon and Nazi Germany. state will embark on a reign of terror. But He also comforts us by The beast of Revelation 17 is responsible for some of the most saying that God will intervene to prevent the ultimate catastro- gruesome and violent wars in human history. Now, the financial phe, mankind’s annihilation. crisis is bringing about the seventh and final resurrection of the Matthew 24 also reveals that at the end of the “great tribula- Holy Roman Empire! tion,” Jesus Christ returns to Earth! As we watch the rise of Verse 3 says this last head has 10 horns. These 10 horns symbol- this Catholic-inspired, German-led beast, we must never ize 10 kings, or 10 nations or groups of nations. Using various Old forget: The emergence of this institution is a sign that the Testament prophecies, Mr. Armstrong taught us that Germany most joyous event in history is about to take place! n 1 world

Taking Charge Once more, Germany is leading Europe. Where will it end this time? By Ron Fraser

e beat the Germans revive their smashed economy through Stratfor’s Peter Zeihan, in a keen piece trumpet

twice, and now they’re the Marshall Fund and supply starting of analysis, observed, “What most people photo back.” British Prime Min- fuel for its growth into a postwar miracle. haven’t realized in dealing with the Euro-

ister Margaret Thatcher And we have certainly been nice enough pean crisis is that in many ways this is a illustration “Wallegedly declared these words to an as- to the Germans since reunification to al- little intentional. … Now, in modern Eu- semblage of European leaders on Dec. 8, low them free rein to develop their dream rope, the Germans are back on the scene. 1989, one month after the Berlin Wall fell. of a United States of Europe. “They have a foreign policy, they have Three months later, Mrs. Thatcher In fact, France is right now being so opinions, and they’re acting upon them. invited historians and politicians to a nice to the Germans that for the first time And so their goal is to actually restructure discussion at her country residence to ad- since German troops were banished from the rules, the laws, the institutions that cre- dress the question, “How dangerous are its soil following the Nazi invasion of ate the eurozone and make the common the Germans?” After the seminar, Thatch- World War ii, a battalion of German com- currency possible to their own end. And er’s adviser Charles Powell said that the bat troops is now formally stationed on the that end does not necessarily mean pre- attendees agreed unanimously that “we eastern border of that nation. This is being venting bailouts, it does not even neces- should be nice to the Germans.” touted as “a gesture that showed the two sarily mean economic austerity. It’s about Well, it’s not just since the reunification European powers would never clash with making sure Berlin is large and in charge of Germany, but actually for the past 65 guns and bullets” (Xinhua, Dec. 11, 2010). on the Continent” (Dec. 10, 2010; emphasis years we have been “nice to the Germans.” Well, we’ll see. mine throughout). Nice enough to hand over the denazifica- But right now, amid a raging crisis for The EU in its present form has obvi- tion process to the Germans within a few Europe’s currency, the euro, and the on- ously had its day as far as Germany is con- years of the end of the world war the Nazis going decline of American power, it is the cerned. Germany is reasserting its own started. Nice enough to the Germans to Germans’ turn to be nice to all those who national sovereignty over and above the have been nice to them. collective of the European Union. February 2011 But, really, how nice are the Germans In a classic Germanic way, German 2 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET being right now? elites are using Europe’s sovereign debt Irish crisis, German opportunity acing economic collapse and at Sir Richard Body clearly articulates Ger- risk of spreading the contagion man intentions behind the monetary Fthroughout the eurozone, Ireland union scheme for the European Union: caved in to EU elites’ demands to accept a “The objective of a single currency in the bailout, taking loans of up to around €90 European Union … is to integrate for- billion on November 21. mally and irrevocably all the economies This is a hammer blow to Ireland’s na- of the member states. They will be merged tional sovereignty. Ireland will now hand into a single economy under the control of over control of much of its budget to Eu- a single authority that will be (de facto if rope. The nation’s economic policy from not de jure) a government.” this point on will be subject to the pur- Thus, the true intent behind the Eu- view of the EU’s central bankers. ropean Monetary Union is to consolidate As in the previous Greek bailout, the control by a single entity over all European Irish crisis brought German bullying tac- economies. The grave danger in all this is tics to the surface. Talk of “hit squads” contained in economist Maynard Keynes’s descending on Ireland to force the EU’s observation that “Whoever controls the (Berlin’s) will on the benighted Emerald currency controls the government.” Isle have added to a spreading sense that Sir Richard further comments that as Germany is in command of the future the Germanic single currency project ma- direction of EU economic and fiscal poli- tures, “A concentration of power over 350 cy—that the will of the German elites will million people will pass into the hands of prevail in the current crisis. a few … the few will be the directors of the Marko Papic, Stratfor’s analyst for Euro- [European] central bank.” pean affairs, declared of the Irish financial Ever wonder why the European Cen- crisis: “For Germany the bailout is another tral Bank is located in Frankfurt, Germa- opportunity …. The uncertainty about ny, not Brussels as are the other central- the eurozone and its markets means ized bureaus of the EU? that the euro is trading lower, which Dr. Walther Funk, Hitler’s economic helps German exports immensely. affairs minister, planned to have Berlin Furthermore, Germany is using the impose fixed rates of exchange in Euro- opportunity presented by the crisis to pean countries. Such a plan would work redesign the European Union and its against the growth of other European institutions—especially eurozone fis- economies while allowing the Continent’s cal rules and the enforcement mecha- strongest economy, Germany, to become nisms for those rules. The real test for ever richer, selling its manufactured goods crisis to bring EU member nations to heel the eurozone therefore is not the panic level on ever more favorable terms. in what will soon prove to be a dramatic in Madrid or Lisbon or Dublin, but rather German elites have, in reality, imposed restructuring of the EU into 10 specific the extent to which the policymakers in the Nazi vision of Dr. Funk on the mod- regions under Berlin’s control. (For an ex- Berlin are concerned” (Nov. 22, 2010). ern-day economies of the European Union, planation of what informs that statement, It is not by accident that the economies with exactly the results he envisioned! request a free copy of our booklet Germa- of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain are Europe’s sovereign debt crisis is simply ny and the Holy Roman Empire.) failing, risking spread of the contagion to taking that old Nazi vision one step fur- This theme popped up in a recent Fi- other weaker European nations. It is a di- ther. As Marko Papic so rightly stated, it is nancial Times blog. Under the title “In- rect result of Germany imposing its single creating the opportunity for Germany to en- troducing Greater Germany” was a map currency scheme on Europe! tirely reshape the European Union to its will. of Europe—with countries viewed as Ger- Berlin and Frankfurt, through their The current crisis in Europe actually man possessions colored blue. “The entire lackeys in Brussels, usurped the means places us on the brink of the imminent eurozone was blue,” EUobserver wrote. “If of exchange among European Monetary fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of you passed over the map with your mouse, Union (emu) member nations by replacing the carving up of Europe into 10 specific a caption popped up: ‘The area formerly their national currencies with the euro. regions (Revelation 17:12-13), each under known as the eurozone’” (Dec. 9, 2010). They seized control of setting member a dictatorial power in turn submitting This article mused, “Perhaps the author nations’ interest rates. The next move is to one overarching government, which was … suggesting that through the EU’s to seize control of their taxation systems. the Prophet Daniel labels the king of the Bundesbank-inspired economic strictures, The ultimate third-party control of any EU north (Daniel 11:13). Germany, finally, in its third try at it, had member nation occurs when, economically Watch for more “Irelands” in the EU managed to rule most of Europe.” Inter- exhausted by having sold itself to the emu, over the coming months. And as you esting thought. the nation rolls over and capitulates to the watch, note the progressive loss of sover- One thing is certain: The Germans controllers in Berlin, Brussels and Frank- eignty of EU member nations, are seizing the moment. Thatcher’s words furt—just like Ireland did in November. with the dramatic exception of ring loudly today: Now they’re back. In his book The Breakdown of Europe, one—Germany! 3 Equal partners? Not anymore. p until recent times, the a better alternative. So long as Germany is no resistance to Berlin on basic issues. … strength of the arrangement of con- willing to consult and even defer to France France’s loss of political influence Uvenience between France and Ger- in many matters, the French are willing to vis-à-vis Berlin is in correlation many has kept designs on European unifi- let the Germans have their way with the with its growing economic loss of cation alive. For years, the Europe project financial system” (Stratfor, Dec. 10, 2010). ground vis-à-vis Germany. … Overall, has represented France’s effort to keep The team at German-Foreign-Policy France is pursuing the same line of for- German political ambitions in check, and .com has also highlighted the unhing- eign policy as Germany and has given up Germany’s contentment with using France ing of the Franco-German relationship: previous deviating approaches. But France as a foil for its own expansionist goals. “France is clearly lagging behind Ger- is clearly lagging behind the European he- But that is all now changing. many in important targeted regions of its gemonic power” (Dec. 6, 2010). “France used to like to think of itself as foreign policy,” they wrote, citing a series The clearest-thinking analysts see this equal partners with Germany in Europe. of recent studies published by the Ger- fracturing of the postwar Franco-German But aren’t these two headed for a clash?” man Council on Foreign Relations. “At the platform upon which the EU has been Peter Zeihan responded to the question same time, Paris has, for the most part, largely built as highly dangerous and open- adamantly: “Definitely. The question is adopted Berlin’s foreign-policy priori- ing up the prospect of a more aggressive when. At this point, France does not have ties and—contrary to the 1990s—puts up expansionist foreign policy from Berlin.

Merging militaries: More than just lip service aving succeeded in uniting Eu- (Dec. 10, 2010). This is entirely consistent merging of EU military industry and de- rope economically, commercially, with German Defense Minister Karl-The- fense capabilities. Defense Minister Gut- Hpolitically and—albeit precarious— odor zu Guttenberg’s policy of unifying tenberg has declared that the “scarcity of financially, Germany is doing what any both European defense industries and resources in all nations” necessitates the imperialist power would do as its next military forces. pooling of skills and equipment to sup- move: consolidate its military and secu- Just last September, EU members port other European states. “The commit- rity structures. The German government agreed to the formation of a European ment to European defense must be more is working to combine the EU’s defense Air Transport Command, a German idea. than just lip service,” Guttenberg wrote in forces under German hegemony. This plan is certain to open up other ini- an opinion piece for the Frankfurter Allge- Deutsche Welle reported that ministers tiatives for EU member governments to meine Zeitung daily. “By intensifying our at a European Council defense meeting unify the Continent’s military structure— military cooperation, we will all benefit in recently “gave their backing to a German and it is all being driven by Berlin. the end” (Dec. 9, 2010). and Swedish plan to analyze areas where Germany is cleverly using the Con- Translate that statement, “What’s good more collaboration would be possible” tinent’s financial troubles to justify this for Germany is going to be good for all!”

Return of the SS? he other arm of any imperial to combine the two federal police forces, As Interior Minister Thomas de power’s security—in addition to mili- the Bundeskriminalamt (bka) and the Maizière said, in the words of Financial Ttary forces for the protection of its Bundespolizei, into what some have called Times Deutschland, “The reform is neces- own borders and to reach beyond them to a “super-police force.” sary to dispose of more than 60 years of colonize weaker powers—is its police force. Der Tagesspiegel, a Berlin newspaper, duplication.” But that’s exactly the point. It German elites, ever ready to convert sounded the following warning: “There has is the duplication, or rather the separation crisis into opportunity, have now used the been a trend, driven by the federal govern- of structures, within the German police terrorist threat as an excuse to consolidate ment, since 1990 to centralize the security force that gives it protection from evolv- the German state’s policing structure. Al- structure. And this in a country that his- ing into something akin to the dreaded SS ready the increased terror threat in the torically hasn’t had good experience with of Nazi infamy. Now Germany’s Interior country has resulted in airports, train the centralization of the police. That’s why Ministry, by posing the prospect of a cen- stations and streets being pa- the merging of the Bundeskriminalamt tralized super-police force, is again putting trolled by more machine-gun- and the Bundespolizei should be watched Germans—and the rest of Europe—at risk 4 toting police. Now they want carefully” (Dec. 10, 2010). Amen to that. of the revival of such a dreaded system. The United States of Europe ust what is all this centralizing conceivably now emerge to stun the whole global financial crisis” (Nov. 10, 2010). of power under Berlin going to produce world in wonder …. This whole situation It starts with the rhetoric, a war of Jwithin Europe? is extremely serious. The whole world is words—and as it takes its inevitable Back in 1997, Hans Tietmeyer, then pres- aflame and in chaos …. The formation of course, it ends in hot war. That has hap- ident of the German Bundesbank, stated to the United States of Europe … is close at pened so many times throughout history. a group of Danish corporate executives that hand” (Good News, January 1980). The current U.S. administration is yet to regarding the eurozone project, “Any split A couple of years later he declared in a score one foreign-policy success in its two in real economic trends would naturally message to his supporters, “I have known years of existence. In the meantime, Ger- exert pressure in the direction of a transfer for years (and you have heard me proclaim many is racking up foreign-policy success and social union, or even of a European ‘su- again, and again, and again) that the Unit- upon success. It has been doing it from its perstate.’ … You in Denmark—if I under- ed States of Europe is coming. They are first excursion into the foreign-policy arena stand it correctly—do not want [it], and … going to unite—10 nations in Europe; and as a united nation, back in 1990, when it rec- we in Germany—I can assure you—do not the Vatican will be on top of the heap …. ognized Croatia and Slovenia as sovereign want [it] either” (EUobserver, Dec. 9, 2010). All the pieces are falling into place now, states separate from the greater Yugoslavia That was 14 years ago. A lot of water has all of a sudden …. All are going to look on and promptly sparked the Balkan wars. tumbled under the EU bridge since then. with absolute dumbfounded wonder when Now, Germany is becoming an ex- And what do we have emerging today? Ex- they see this United States of Europe rise pansionist military power of note, and it actly what Tietmeyer said Germany did not up” (Nov. 17, 1982). will—courtesy of a consolidated, central- want—an emerging superstate, with a cen- Just months before his death on Jan. 16, ized European military force, incorporat- trally controlled currency, gearing toward 1986, Herbert Armstrong again declared ing nato assets no doubt—spark more a centralized command of a consolidated in the Plain Truth of June 1985, “This com- wars in its drive for global power. Queen’s EU military structure, already possessing ing ‘United States of Europe’ is the dream Counsel and former lawyer for the British a centralized air command, centralizing of many leaders—not only within Europe, security services Michael Shrimpton be- control of industry standards, and a cen- but in Britain and America. The Common lieves that Germany is preparing for hot tralizing police force in the most centralist- Market is only its economic beginning. war within two years, no doubt as it gears minded EU nation of all: Germany. “Every indication is that this advance up to react to the Islamist terrorist threat. As EUobserver put it, “It is no exag- news will be current news. And it will The results will, yet for a third time, geration to ask whether we are living in completely stun the world! Yet the prove disastrous for the rest of the world, the last days of the eurozone, or the first Plain Truth has reported this news in ad- in particular the U.S., and Britain with its days of a United States of Europe” (ibid.). vance for the past 51 years! dominions. A United States of Europe! “Can you envision what that will mean So where will this all lead? One has but Sound familiar? in the world’s balance of power?” to have a mind to history to answer that It certainly would had you been one Well we hardly have to imagine that to- question in the immediate term. of the multiple millions worldwide who day. Germany is once again the dominant Yet, the real question to be answered heard a lone voice crying out over the air- power in Europe. It is back and working is, where will this all ultimately lead? How waves warning of this prospect through- hard and fast at the business of once again will it affect your future and the future of out the latter half of the 20th century. becoming not only the holder of the bal- your loved ones? ance of power in Europe, but also a domi- You need to read our inspiring free A Clarion Warning nant world power that will, for a moment booklet The Key of David. It will help un- Does the name Herbert Armstrong ring a in time, tip the global balance of power in lock the future to you in fantastic detail. It bell? It certainly should to many who lived its own favor. will give you a mind- from the 1930s to the mid-1980s. Through It is already “They are going to unite—10 expanding vision of the voice of the World Tomorrow radio happening. nations in Europe; and the Vatican not only what the im- and television program, and the pages of In the run-up to will be on top of the heap.” mediate future holds. the Plain Truth magazine, Herbert Arm- the November G-20 Herbert w. Armstrong It will expand your strong warned the world for decades of summit, German vision to see way be- what was about to rise up in Europe. voices strongly criticized America crank- yond the coming world chaos to a fantas- Thirty-five years ago, Herbert Arm- ing up the printing presses to try to stave tic future which the Savior of humankind strong warned, “Germany is the econom- off the inevitable declaration of the bank- will impose, under the rule of godly law, ic and military heart of Europe. Probably ruptcy of the United States. A couple of Re- to finally bring peace to this strife-torn, Germany will lead and dominate the uters journalists noted that “Berlin has tak- war-weary world. coming United States of Europe.” en the rhetoric to a new level.” They quoted That will be a time when all peoples— Five years later, he wrote, “The new Anton Boerner, head of Germany’s Foreign German, Jew, Israelite, Gentile—will learn giant world power of the United Trade Association, as observing, “The At- to live together in harmony and build a States of Europe—the revived ‘Holy Ro- lantic is getting wider” through a “‘creep- world such as man has only imagined man Empire’ of ing alienation’ between America and Eu- and never achieved: a literal paradise on 554 to 1814—could rope, which has been exacerbated by the Earth! n

Read of the next prophesied phase of the fulfillment of the great prophecies for Europe in February 2011 our free booklets Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? and Daniel—Unsealed at Last! THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 5 living The Emotional By Dennis Leap Corrosion of ecently I had the opportunity to work with a group of people from starkly different back- Rgrounds. Most of our conversa- tions were simply small talk. Yet one wom- an was surprisingly open about her life. Without prodding, she often articulately explained her philosophy on sex and re- lationships. Having been married and di- Casual istock Sex vorced multiple times, she now welcomed Contraceptives—includ-

“no strings attached” sexual encounters. ing condoms—are not the so- photo She thrilled at the hunt and the conquest. lution. The harm done goes However, studying her over a period much deeper than an unwanted of time I noticed that she was often de- pregnancy or being struck by pressed. One day she came to me and a health-threatening sexual asked, “Why does casual sex hurt people?” disease. This painfully honest question de- New brain research proves serves a truthful answer. that there is no such thing Casual sex is sex for physical pleasure as safe sex outside of mar- only, without emotional connection, no riage. How science has come strings attached. Often it’s a one-time oc- to this conclusion is amazingly currence. It includes any kind of sex act interesting. with anyone, heterosexual or homosexual. In its rawest form it involves total strang- The Brain and Sex ers—no names, no history, no tomorrow. Neuroscience research has un- It coldly seeks to suppress the develop- covered useful information ment of any type of relationship. about how sex affects the hu- Casual sex has been glamorized in man brain. Using mri tech- movies and on television. Casual sex mem- niques, scientists have gained a bership websites, often accompanied with clear picture of what takes place pornographic material, make it easy for within the brain during sexual partners to hook up. Many authors praise activity. Although it is not new its advantages. They assure us of the thrill- knowledge, science confirms ing excitement of the casual sex lifestyle. that the use of sex can either Its joys are made to appear unquestionable. give us wholeness—or damage The philosophy underlying all this us, possibly for a lifetime. These hype is that marriage is out; casual sex is scientific facts add support to necessary momentary physical act,” they write. “It harmless fun; everyone is doing it; you are sex instruction that must be provided to produces powerful, even lifelong changes missing out—just do it! protect our teens and young adults. in our brains that direct and influence our This is a seriously flawed philosophy. Joe McIlhaney and Freda Bush, both future to a surprising degree.” Risks are minimized. The threat of pos- ob-gyns, have taken the current neuro- In other words, the use of sex can ei- sible lifelong damage is ignored. science research and translated it into a ther keep the human brain healthy or se- Let’s face the problem squarely. The plain-speaking, easy-to-understand book verely damage it. misuse of sex brings incredible personal titled Hooked. Dr. McIlhaney also founded sorrow. Monogamous, marital sex is the the Medical Institute for Sexual Health in Emotional Bonding only source of true fun. order to tackle the global epidemics of teen The brain has been described as the larg- Casual sex is extremely risky and harm- pregnancy and sexually transmitted infec- est human sex organ. Neuroscience con- ful to all involved. Yet, without question, tions (stis). These two medical profession- firms this fact. Sex triggers a magnificent casual sex experimentation is most destruc- als have much experience in working with biochemical process within the human tive to our youth. All parents must come teens and young adults. They have seen brain. Three different chemicals flood to grips with this problem. Why? Young the incredible damage done to our youth the brain from initiation to completion of adults and the youngest of teens are the as a result of the improper use of sex. the sexual act: dopamine and oxytocin in most likely to be taken in by such thinking. In Hooked, the duo confront the emo- women, and dopamine and vasopressin in The current adult generation has yet to tional and psychological damage casual men. Each chemical is designed to fulfill a deal with the problem of and the problems sex does to young, developing brains. specific purpose. caused by promiscuous sex. Our “[W]ith the aid of modern research Dopamine is known as a feel-good sex-crazed society willfully over- techniques and technologies, scientists chemical rewarding us when we accom- 6 looks the bad fruits of its actions. are confirming that sex is more than a plish something thrilling or exhilarating. this addiction. Abstinence Until Marriage Certainly this is a terrible problem that Let’s be honest. Science is uncovering is extremely difficult to overcome. Yet what God knew thousands of years ago. those who move from partner to partner God placed within the pages of the suffer even greater damage. Bible vital instruction on the proper uses The bonding biochemicals oxytocin of sex. Just after the creation of Eve and and vasopressin are just as powerful as while at the first marriage ceremony, God dopamine. Neuroscience shows that these taught our first parents to “be one flesh.” Casual Sex hormones are released with intimate phys- The newly created couple were to use sex Runners often experience dopamine highs ical contact such as hugging or kissing. to bind them together for life. They were during exercise. Dopamine has an addic- McIlhaney and Bush explain: “When two also instructed to multiply—build a fam- tive property that causes us to want to re- people join physically, powerful neurohor- ily that would rule and beautify the Earth peat whatever we have accomplished. mones are released because of the sexual (Genesis 2:24). There was no shame to Oxytocin is present in both males and experience, making an impression on the sex within this God-ordained boundary females, but it has a far more important synapses in their brains and hardwiring (verse 25). role in the life of a woman. Science has their bond. When they stay together for The Bible also warns of the penalties that known for some time that oxytocin is pres- life their bonding matures. This is a major accompany the abuse of it. Study Romans ent when a mother nurses her baby. It aids factor that keeps them together, provid- 1:26-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 2 Peter 2:6. and accelerates the human bonding pro- ing a desire for intercourse, resulting in We shouldn’t need science to tell us cess between the mother and child. During offspring, and assuring those offspring of what God has already told us. Unfortu- sex, the release of oxytocin in the female a nurturing two-parent home in which to nately, we have ignored God. It is likely brain helps a woman bond with her mate. grow” (ibid.). Although not new knowl- that humans will also ignore the evidence Vasopressin serves a similar function edge, science confirms the immeasurable of science. in males. Besides helping a man to bond value of monogamous sex within marriage. Human sexuality was designed by a with his children, during sex it aids bond- Science also affirms a destructive great Creator God to bestow lifelong ben- ing with his mate. downside to casual sex. The doctors ex- efits to mankind. To reap those benefits, How does all of this relate to casual plain: “[E]very time a person has sexual sex must remain within the bounds of sex? McIlhaney and Bush connect the intercourse or intimate physical contact, marriage. Abstinence until marriage is the dots. They emphasize that parents need to bonding takes place. Whenever break- only workable safe-sex practice. It is inter- understand the role these hormones play ups occur in bonded relationships there esting to note that a survey taken among in sexual experience. is confusion and often pain in the brains teens revealed that 93 percent of the teens Concerning dopamine and young peo- of the young people involved because the questioned believe that teens need to be ple having casual sex, they write: “It seems bond has been broken.” given a strong abstinence message from that the dopamine reward signal is work- The problem described here also has parents and other adults. ing very well in these young people. Once much deeper and long-lasting effect. The Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this in his they experience sex, they want to repeat it authors report: “Further, there is evidence book The Missing Dimension in Sex: “God again and again. We have discussed else- that when this sex/bonding/breaking-up designed sex to produce pure, righteous, where how sex is similar to drug, alcohol, cycle is repeated a few or many times— clean, holy and rich blessings! or nicotine addiction; it is understandable even when the bonding was short-lived— He made it to be the loving bond that a young (or older) person would want damage is done to the important, built-in which not only would inspire a to experience that same rush again” (ibid.). ability to develop significant and mean- properly mated couple to marry The dopamine reward process in the ingful connection to other human beings.” but which would preserve that brain is values-neutral: It cannot distin- Living a casual sex lifestyle spawns a loss marriage in love. Sex should be guish between positive or negative behav- of human connectedness. The truth is, we the energizing magnet to draw Free ior. If an individual gets a thrill out of risky all need human attachment to survive and constantly closer and closer upon sex, the dopamine reward will encourage thrive. Right use of sex promotes personal together with increasing love a request the repetition of the risky behavior. wholeness and builds stable family life. Ca- husband and wife ….” sual sex, by contrast, impairs an individu- This wonderful, factual book is avail- Loss of Connectedness al’s ability to form lifelong relationships. able to you at no charge upon request. Mr. The dopamine reward for sex is intensely McIlhaney and Bush warn that in fact, Armstrong used the Bible and science to powerful. Thus, a sexually active couple the emotional corrosion caused by casual provide the missing dimension so preva- upon breakup will often move quickly to sex makes people less than human: “It may lent in sex knowledge today. In the hands sexual intercourse with a new person. In a sound blunt, but if we try to eliminate this of loving parents, this book is the best tool culture that encourages casual sex, many connectedness from sex, we remove the to instruct our youth on how to avoid the people are moving quickly from partner uniquely human aspect of it, and the sex- damage caused by casual sex. n to partner. Sexual addiction is often the ual act becomes nothing more than raw result. The tabloids are full of accounts of animal behavior.” It is time well spent to February 2011 the broken lives of people suffering from think deeply about that quote. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 7 living

February 2011 8 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET Longing to LiveLife doesn’t last forever. But our quest to extend it has raised some vital questions —and obscured some others. By Joel Hilliker

he pain is killing his wife, Nelson recently appeared in a heart- always the nagging concern in the back and John is knotted up with rending Frontline episode called “Facing of your mind, ‘Have I really left no stone grief over it. Death,” about doctors and families at New unturned?’” “One of the greatest diffi- York City’s Mount Sinai Medical Center In addition to the treatments avail- culties of any human being I struggling with the raw, painful decisions able, machinery makes it possible to keep think is to watch another who involved in treating terminal patients. a body’s vital functions operating—heart you love suffer,” he says. How much have you thought about it? beating, blood flowing, lungs pumping— His wife isn’t sick. John is the one with There is something remarkable, even no- almost indefinitely. T ble, in this near-universal quality among The gritty drive to use any means nec- cancer. He’s the one with constricted breathing, erratic sleep, diarrhea, nausea, people and all living things. We want to essary to preserve life is understandable— exhaustion. He’s the one in pain. Inces- preserve the spark of life we possess. some would even say heroic. But these ad- sant, almost incomprehensible pain. He Inhabiting perishable bodies, living vancements also have a downside. While takes just enough medication to manage in an ephemeral world, we pretend life is offering promise to sick patients, the the misery without befogging his mind or permanent. Then, rude reality intrudes. range of possible treatments also creates a building his body’s resistance to the treat- Our bodies age and fail. Our friends pass formidable set of expectations for modern ment more than necessary. away. Our families suffer loss. And still we medicine to live up to. And in most cases, But all the while, his wife is right there are loath to face it. Even in intensive care, it is simply not equal to the task. waiting on him, feeding him, cleaning where it hangs in the air, the words die, “[T]he availability of the therapies has him, praying with him, weeping with him. dying and death are almost never uttered. created this fiction that we can orchestrate As strong and as loyal as she is, John can Dr. Nelson’s profession peddles hope. this one way or the other, when the truth see the suffering consuming her life along To patients stricken with fatal conditions, it of it is that, for all of this magnificent with his own. offers an ever growing menu of treatments. technology, the underlying illness and “In some ways this absolutely rips and A chance of escaping the inescapable. the medical condition of the patient are tears at the very chords of your marriage,” At the same time, it also creates some far and away the most important factors John says. “The marriage is a team. When gut-wrenching conundrums, and raises in determining the outcome,” Dr. Nelson one is sick, you have more trials—and questions that are deeply important for says. “But it feels like, when you have the only half the team. It devastates you.” each one of us to consider. technology available, that your decisions The questions and trials surrounding to use or not use it are like the decisions to dying and death are among the most ex- A “Fiction” in Modern Medicine allow life or not allow life. And that’s not a cruciating that human beings face. For Medicinal and therapeutic innovation ex- position that any of us want to be in.” both the victims and their families. pands the decision-making capacity and This moral dilemma is a striking by- “Nobody wants to die. And nobody responsibility for people facing death. product of contemporary health care. wants to die badly,” says Judith Nelson. “[T]here’s almost always something else Nobody wants to die. Death is an intimi- Nelson has wrestled death firsthand that we can do to put off the inevitable— dating enemy; it has never been easy to like few people. She specializes in end- another course of chemotherapy, a little confront. But accepting the reality of a of-life care. A doctor in the intensive care bit more radiation,” says David Muller, body succumbing to a fatal disease be- unit of one of America’s most highly re- dean of medical education at the Mount comes more difficult when accompanied istock garded hospitals, she regularly serves peo- Sinai School of Medicine. “What if we got photo ple on the edge of life, grappling with the one more cat scan? What if we explored February 2011 unknown beyond. this person’s belly one more time? There’s THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 9 For so many, the last days of life are spent not in peace, but in warfare, armed only with faith in the frail weapons of science. by the notion—however false—that it was is worse. “We have his body,” he says, “but become preoccupied with essentially mate- a choice. I choose death. Do not resuscitate. we don’t have his mind” (Dec. 2, 2010). rial concerns—options, treatments, sched- Given that choice, fewer and fewer take Ken and his family ask themselves ules, odds. For so many, the last days of it. Per person, Americans spend more on whether it would have been better for Ryan life are spent not in peace, but in warfare, health care than any other people world- if he had died the night he was beaten. You armed only with faith in the frail weapons wide; the bill totaled $2.5 trillion in 2009. may think you know the answer. But had of science. We pour what little life we have More Americans now die in hospitals than it been your son, and had you been offered into fighting the enemy that will end it. anywhere else, often after significant med- the hope—however slim—that with the And ultimately, that “rage against the dy- ical intervention. According to Dr. Nelson, right treatment, he could still have a fu- ing of the light” always ends in defeat. there are about 100,000 critical patients on ture, would you have decided differently? Modern medicine promises a kind of artificial respirators at any given moment immortality. It suggests that our ener- in America. Their treatments generate a Putting Off the Big Questions gies are best put toward employing ev- bill of $20 billion to $25 billion per year. At the heart of the issue is a painful ery means to extend physical existence But there is another, more intangible cost. paradox. as long as possible. If we are not careful, “[T]hese are the broken survivors of Doctors are applying the utmost of this “fiction,” as Dr. Nelson termed it, can intensive care,” Nelson says. “And the bet- their intellectual and creative powers to preempt the important spiritual concerns ter intensive care gets, the more of these pursue the fundamentally benevolent that should dominate our thinking, even broken survivors we have.” goal of giving individuals a valuable, al- our decision-making, as we contemplate beit fleeting gift: more years of precious the inescapability of death. “We Have His Body” life. More years to deepen relationships, to One of these broken survivors is Ryan. He create memories, to share wisdom, to dare At Peace With Death is 21 years old and has been in an “eyes- exploits, to fulfill dreams. Harry has a tumor in his left lung. Nine open coma” for over a year after receiv- At the same time, they recognize that months ago, doctors said he would live ing a horrendous beating. He must be it is impossible to indefinitely defy human another six months to a year. He is gradu- fed through a tube attached to his stom- mortality. They have no power to heal. ally adapting to new inconveniences and ach. He has received nine surgeries, and And in many cases, their treatments actu- discomforts: soreness that forces him to his heart stopped beating at least twice. ally harm patients, diminishing quality of sleep only on his right side; a couple of Doctors estimate he has a 10 to 20 percent life and hastening death. Thus they, along hours each day sucking oxygen from a chance of waking up, probably into “basic with patients and their families, confront machine; upset stomach; numbness and consciousness, closer to being an infant agonizing choices about how much therapy unresponsiveness in his left foot. than an adult.” A year of Ryan’s medical to administer, treading uncertain ground, Doctors have tried to sell him on get- care costs half a million dollars. guided by probabilities and feelings. ting radiation and chemotherapy treat- Ryan is tended to around the clock by “There’s no question that the tech- ments, but he has refused. “I’m 80 years his father. Ken quit his job so he could nology has saved, in a meaningful way, old, and I didn’t want to spend all that remain with his son, brushing his teeth, hundreds of thousands, if not millions time in the hospital,” he says with a smile. bathing him, administering his medica- of lives,” Dr. Muller says. By “lives,” of He has chosen instead to address his con- tions (50 of them), changing his catheter, course, he is referring to years, since the dition through a restricted diet, some sim- stretching his limbs. most successful treatment can only put ple natural treatments—and faith. Concerned family and friends have off the date of one’s death. He continues, “I’ve placed it in God’s hands. Whether formed a prayer group for Ryan. But Ken “But with those advances and all of that I live or die, He can control that,” Harry no longer believes in prayer. “What kind of progress comes an ultimate tradeoff. And says. “I want to do everything I can that’s God would allow this to happen?” he asks. the toll is sometimes devastating on the logical and makes sense to help myself, “What kind of God wouldn’t correct it?” patients themselves, on their family, their and leave the rest to Him.” A Washington Post article about these loved ones, and on the health care system.” Harry wants to live. But he is frank, two shattered lives quotes Ken testifying Three in four Americans say they be- clear-headed and unafraid about death. at a court hearing for Austin, the 19-year- lieve in life after death. But just what that “If God says it’s time to go, okay. I do feel old boy who kicked his son in the head in might be remains shrouded in mystery I’m learning some lessons from this trial a parking lot fight and is now serving time for most people. They simply have never which are good for me—and I’m thankful for malicious assault. “My fantasy is to closely examined the subject. Maybe for that.” He is focused less on his physical have two minutes in a locked room with a they’re afraid to. health than on his spiritual health. baseball bat,” Ken says ominously. Austin, Modern medical advances have clearly John has taken the same approach, but he promises, “won’t come out in any worse given years—of varying degrees of qual- the advanced state of his cancer makes condition than my son.” ity—to many people. At the same time, it more difficult. “I wish I would have Then he relays a bitter fact: these advances have enabled us to put known how fatiguing this would be,” he that, though losing a child is said off the fundamental questions that our says, “so that I would have prepared my- 10 to be life’s worst experience, this mortality raises. With death looming, we self spiritually more for it in advance.” Comfort One Another With These Words ebrews 6:1-2 show that the resurrection is one of the founda- physical bodies once again. For the first time, they will receive the op- tional doctrines taught by your Bible. And it is the knowledge of portunity to understand God’s precious truth and put it into practice in Hthe resurrection that gives us God’s mind about the purpose of their lives (Isaiah 30:20-21) so that they, too, can be added to the spirit- life—and the meaning of death. composed Family of God (Ephesians 3:14-15). There are several references in the Old Testament to the resurrec- This second resurrection gives us the sure hope of again see- tion, but only the Prophet Daniel begins to hint that there might be more ing even those loved ones who never knew the truth of God. Every than one resurrection. Daniel wrote, “And many of them that sleep in human being only gets one opportunity to respond to God’s truth! the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to Just because a person has lived does not mean they understood shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). In the New Testament, God’s truth. They will receive their one opportunity in the second Jesus Christ said, “… the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the resurrection! graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done The third resurrection will also be a resurrection to physical life, but good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the end result of this resurrection will be eternal death, complete cessa- the resurrection of damnation [judgment]” (John 5:28-29). tion of life—not an eternity boiling and bubbling in an ever burning hell- In Acts 24:15, the Apostle Paul plainly stated “that there shall be a fire, but death. These individuals understood God’s truth and ways but resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Paul wrote at rejected them, through either rebellion or weakness (Hebrews 10:26-27; length regarding the resurrections in 1 Corinthians 15. Revelation 20:13-15; 21:8). God will mercifully impose an eternal death The simple truth of your Bible is that there will be three resurrections penalty upon them to prevent them from becoming ever living, miser- (Revelation 20:4-15). The first will be at Christ’s return to Earth (1 Corinthi- able wretches like Satan the devil. ans 15:22-23) when He will resurrect to eternal spirit life those who have God’s plan in Scripture inspires tremendous hope—a hope offered received God’s Holy Spirit in order to belong to Christ (Romans 8:9) and to every person who has ever lived. who have overcome and endured in God’s ways and held fast to God’s The Apostle Paul, in explaining this truth, wrote thus: “I would not truth (Revelation 3:11-12; 21:7). have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep This reality explains God’s perspective on the end of physical life: [are dead], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Then, after describing the first resurrection in glo- The second resurrection will occur 1,000 years after Christ’s return rious detail, he concluded by admonishing us, in verse 18, “Wherefore (Revelation 20:11-12). Those in this resurrection will be given human comfort one another with these words.”

Even with faith in God, facing death can hope in Christ, we are of all men most 18:4, 20; Romans 6:23). Scripture says be exceedingly difficult, particularly when miserable,” wrote the Apostle Paul. that when we die, our “thoughts perish” ongoing pain is involved. “It drives you be- This was a man who faced death with and that “the dead know not anything” yond what you think you can possibly stand, confidence. “For I am now ready to be (Psalm 146:3-4; Ecclesiastes 9:5; see also in every way—mentally, physically, spiritu- offered, and the time of my departure is Psalms 6:5; 115:17). Jesus Christ Him- ally, emotionally, financially,” John says. at hand,” he wrote. “I have fought a good self said that “no man hath ascended up “These things wreak havoc on your emo- fight, I have finished my course, I have to heaven, but he that came down from tions, your motivation, your desire to live.” kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up heaven, even the Son of man which is in Even Jesus Christ, who was perfect in for me a crown of righteousness, which the heaven” (John 3:13). faith, struggled mightily as He faced His Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at The true hope of Scripture is not about own death, praying with penetrating emo- that day: and not to me only, but unto all our possessing an “immortal soul,” or tion that He could avoid the suffering He them also that love his appearing.” about the “miracles” of medical interven- faced (read Matthew 26:36-44 and Luke Paul longed to live, just as we all do. tion. It is the promise of resurrection. 22:41-44). But what he alluded to was not an empty It is the promise that, “as in Adam all Still, though, there is a serenity that hope of extending his physical life—but die, even so in Christ shall all be made comes from saying, as Jesus did, “Never- the true hope expounded in Scripture. alive”—and that ultimately, “The last theless not my will, but thine, be done.” It is a hope founded in understand- enemy that shall be destroyed is death” And there is tremendous peace in rec- ing God’s wonderful purpose in creating (1 Corinthians 15:22, 26). Human death ognizing and understanding the value of man mortal, subjecting us to the trials of means nothing to God except a temporary the spiritual over and above the physical. the flesh—an experience that, in order to sleep (verses 51-55), because God can res- What, after all, is the real purpose for life? fulfill that purpose, He even put His only urrect humans from the grave! Using every possible means to stretch it begotten Son through (e.g. Hebrews 2:9). There is a reason—a wonderful, in- for a few more years does nothing to an- Many people believe that men possess spiring reason—that something within swer that fundamental question. immortal souls, and that when they die, us clings to life. A reason we crave per- And what happens after death? depending on their choices in life, they go manence, even as our physical existence to either heaven or hell. The Bible is clear, passes like a shadow. We were, in fact, cre- Real Hope however, that souls are not immortal— ated to inherit eternity. “If in this life only we have they can die (e.g. Matthew 10:28; Ezekiel How much have you thought about it? n

The truths about the purpose for human life and what happens after death are revealed in Scripture. For a February 2011 riveting exposition of them, request Herbert Armstrong’s inspiring book The Incredible Human Potential. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 11 n 1932, there were 2 million members in the Nazi Party; 400,000 men belonged to Hitler’s semi-mil- itary “storm troopers.” Three of the Nazis’ most strident demands were: 1) They wanted an end to the Ver- sailles Treaty—a treaty to make the Germans pay for the damage they caused byI starting World War i! 2) They wanted to rearm—something they were not allowed to do after World War i. 3) They demand- ed that German Jews be removed from all walks of German life. This last demand should have alerted the world to where Germany’s rearma- ment would lead! Any good watchman should have understood and warned the people. Actually, there was only one prominent leader who was alarmed by what was happening in Germany. He spoke out publicly against it. That man was Winston Churchill. He wanted to see Britain strengthen its weak military. Yet Britain’s foreign secretary, Sir John Simon, was working feverishly to get the British government to rapidly and com- prehensively disarm! His appeal gained strong and enthusiastic support. Other members of Parliament were also working History to achieve that goal. Winston Churchill was a watchman crying in the wilderness. How could so many of our leaders in Winston the United States and Britain—almost all of them—have been so weak in dealing with Hitler? Why was the British Parlia- ment thinking of disarming as Germany Churchill rapidly rearmed?

America and Britain are in Across the Atlantic, America was as- TheWsuming a similarly passiveatchman posture. We grave danger today because might have remained that way throughout most of our watchmen are World War ii if Japan hadn’t directly pro- voked us at Pearl Harbor. As Edward R. blind. Here’s why. Murrow said, “America didn’t enter into by Gerald Flurry the war, they were bombed into it.” Our leaders lacked the watchman qual- ity of a strong leader like Churchill. He faced reality and spoke the truth in a dan- gerous world. Most leaders in the U.S. and

UK lived in a weak world of illusion. getty Martin Gilbert wrote the greatest bi-

ography ever of this great leader, Winston images 12 S. Churchill. In Volume 5, The Prophet of Truth, he wrote, “Into Europe’s ‘highly and, because he was the very symbol of “First, history was not just the pursuit of complicated and electrical situations,’ John Bull, Churchillian. He cherished, as idle hours but was, itself, philosophy and, Churchill declared, ‘our well-meaning but a law of history, the principle that a people rightly read, furnished lessons which thoughtless and reckless pacifists ex- who flout these virtues is doomed to decay statesmen could ponder and apply. pect us to plunge with sweeping gestures, and dissolution, and that a people who re- “Second, history was both memory encouraged by long-distance hal- spect them will prosper and survive.” and prophecy. It provided the counsel loos from the United States’” (em- Learning lessons from great leaders of and the solace of the long view both to the phasis mine throughout). the past is critical to our national well-be- past and to the future. The contemplation The U.S. was even more pacifist than ing. If we flout those heroic virtues of the ages which mankind had somehow Britain. Both nations made horrendous of history, our nations are “doomed endured, and survived, infused the stu- misjudgments about Hitler. We should be to decay and dissolution.” But if we re- dent with patience, with humility, and with embarrassed even today by our shameful spect and emulate them, we “will pros- courage; the prospect of a posterity which, fear and weakness against one of the worst per and survive.” a thousand years hence, might pronounce tyrants ever. That is “a law of history.” Our na- the verdict that one generation had given The big question is, did we learn any- tional survival is at stake! to a nation ‘its finest hour’ encouraged thing from this towering mistake that al- resoluteness and hope, and strength- most cost us our freedom? Did Churchill’s The Lessons of History ened the ability to confront crises example teach us why we made such co- Commager wrote, “[Churchill] accepted, that seemed insurmountable. lossal misjudgments? The answer is no to instinctively, the attitude toward history “Third, history followed great cycles: both questions. which that century took for granted: that The same themes recurred, again and Those who fail to learn from history history, in the words of Bolingbroke, was again, the same drama was played out, are destined to repeat its catastrophes! To- philosophy teaching by examples. What from age to age; and as men had somehow day a nuclear first strike is apt to win the is more, he was quite ready to stand there survived the vicissitudes of the past there next major war. So our margin for error is and point to the examples. Indeed we can was ground to hope that they might sur- much smaller. That means we would have say of Churchill what he himself wrote vive those of the present and the future. to stop a Hitler-type movement before it of Rosebery, that ‘the past stood ever Thus four times Britain had fought to gained power. at his elbow and was the counselor rescue Europe from the grip of a tyrant— Never was there a greater need for po- upon whom he most relied. He seemed Louis xiv, Napoleon, Kaiser William, and litical and media watchmen! to be attended by learning and his- Hitler—and four times Britain had suc- We can’t afford the pacifist attitude tory, and to carry into current ceeded in saving Europe and, with it, the we had before World War ii and survive events an air of ancient majesty.’ cause of liberty and justice. Here was a re- nationally. Yet our pacifist attitude today “Nowhere does this appear more sim- curring pattern which augured well for is far worse than it was then. And China, ply than in the ‘Grand Theme’ which the future of ‘this island race,’ and of man- Russia and other nations are exploiting Churchill imposed upon his history of The kind, for, as Churchill saw it, the welfare that weakness. Second World War: ‘In War: Resolution; of mankind was inextricably intertwined One of Winston Churchill’s greatest bi- In Defeat: Defiance; In Victory: Magna- with that of the English-speaking peoples. ographers, William Manchester, said that nimity; In Peace: Good Will.’ He read “Fourth, history bore witness to the vi- Churchill “saved Western civilization” in history as a stupendous moral scrip- tal importance of national charac- ter, for character was as important to a people as to an individual, and every nation must be alert to defend and preserve it. That each nation had a special character Churchill did not doubt, and as he contemplated the long arch of centuries he was led to a fifth conclusion, that it was, above all, the English charac- ter which had lighted up the corridors of time, flickering now and then but mostly pure and clear and even luminous—the World War ii—not just Britain and Europe. ture, and for him the writing was, if not English character and that of England’s TheWatchmanHow important is it that we divinely inspired, at least authoritative. daughter nations around the globe.” To- learn from that civilization-saving More, it was straightforward and simple. day, character isn’t even important history? History was a struggle between the forces enough to raise as a political issue Henry Steele Commager wrote an in- of right or wrong, freedom and tyranny, in Britain and America! troduction to Winston Churchill’s biogra- the future and the past. By great good for- Commager continued, “From all this phy of his ancestor, Marlborough. In it Mr. tune Churchill’s own people—‘this island flowed a sixth lesson, that the test of Commager wrote, “… Churchill’s reading race,’ as he called them—were on the side greatness was politics and war. … of history reinforced his early education of right, progress and enlightenment; by “‘Battles,’ he wrote in the Marlborough, to exalt the heroic virtues. He was Roman great good fortune, too, it was given to him ‘are the principal milestones in secular rather than Greek, and as he admired Ro- to buckle these virtues onto him as armor history. … All great struggles of his- man accomplishments in law, government, in the struggle for a righteous cause. tory have been won by superior will empire, so he rejoiced in Roman virtues of “If history was philosophy teach- order, justice, fortitude, resoluteness, mag- ing by examples, what lessons did it February 2011 nanimity. These were British virtues too, teach? … THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 13 History “Such questions should not be difficult World War ii, they also started World War i! for high school seniors. But at the time of And many other wars before that! power wresting victory in the teeth of the survey, none of the 55 colleges and uni- How often have we heard that “history odds.’ [Our will power has been broken versities required a course in American his- repeats itself”? It does—time and time (Leviticus 26:19).] And elsewhere he con- tory. And students could graduate from 78 again. cluded flatly that ‘The story of the hu- percent of them without taking any history The Bible contains many prophetic man race is war.’ Like those statesmen course” (ibid.). books, including what are classified as the he most admired, Marlborough, Chatham, What a disturbing survey! Most of “major” and “minor” prophets. There also Wolfe, Clive, Washington, Lee, he was the students—78 percent—didn’t are “former prophets” in the Bible—com- himself a war leader; alone of great war have to take even one history course! prised of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings and leaders he was a great war historian. Numerous authorities credit Winston 1 and 2 Samuel. These books are mostly “History—not least the history of Churchill with saving Western civilization. about the history of Israel, but they are war—taught a seventh lesson, and taught Churchill could not have accomplished called former prophets for a reason: They it not only to Churchill but through him: that unparalled feat unless he had been were written by prophets and are filled the vital importance of leader- steeped in history. It would have been with end-time prophecy. If we live the ship”—another disastrous failure in Brit- impossible for him to become one of the same lifestyles our forefathers did, we will ain and America (Isaiah 3:1-4). greatest political watchmen ever without attain virtually the same results—good or his profound understanding of history. bad. History prophesies the fate of nations, Education Has Failed Us In spite of this recent World War ii his- whether they will thrive or collapse! Today we hear many academic voices tell- tory, our universities in America and Brit- If we have a deep understanding of his- ing people that learning history is of little ain hardly require any courses in history. tory, it’s much easier for us to learn Bible or no value. This is an extremely dangerous How important is a deep understanding prophecy. trend that may be too entrenched to correct. of history? Massive fruits from Churchill’s God always sends His watchman to This educational plague is rampant life in World War ii loudly proclaim the warn Israel (that includes America and among the American and British peoples. And it seems that very few of our leaders Numerous authorities credit Winston Churchill understand what a colossal disaster it is! Syndicated columnist George Will with saving Western civilization. Churchill could wrote this in his Dec. 23, 2001, column: “When history is taught at all nowadays, not have accomplished that unparalled feat often it is taught as the unfolding of inevi- tabilities—of vast, impersonal forces. The unless he had been steeped in history. role of contingency in history is disparaged, so students are inoculated against the importance of learning history. Britain) of imminent disasters. That is a ‘undemocratic’ notion that history How deplorable and dangerously lack- historical fact. can be turned in its course by great ing is much of our education today! These Those who heed and support that individuals” (Times Union). institutional leaders deserve the same con- watchman are protected from the ca- He then implied that America proba- tempt for not teaching history that most of tastrophes. They are also given majestic bly would not have been born without the them display toward teaching history. leadership roles in the imminent wonder- bravery and leadership of George Wash- It is inexcusable and deadly ful World Tomorrow. (Request our free ington. We came dangerously close to los- dangerous! booklet The Wonderful World Tomor- ing the Revolutionary War. Educators are often out of touch with row—What It Will Be Like.) Mr. Will wrote, “Two hundred twenty- reality. And our people will pay the bloody five Christmases ago, history was being price! Murrow and Churchill made around here. And recently Lynne Educational institutions have produced Here is what Joseph E. Persico wrote in Cheney … came here to advocate teaching most of our political and media watchmen his book titled Edward R. Murrow: “Mur- history more extensively and more wisely today. The fruits are horrendously bad. row freely confessed that Churchill had than we currently do. … Most of these watchmen are ignorant been his hero. His own language was in- “Cheney recalled a 1999 survey of col- of history and deeply confused in a world fluenced by Churchill, not so much the lege seniors at 55 elite colleges, from Princ- whose number one problem is that of hu- rolling and grandiloquent sonorities, but eton to Stanford, which revealed that only man survival. the other Churchill, the one who spoke 22 percent knew that the words ‘govern- When are we going to wake up? in simple, powerful Anglo-Saxon imag- ment of the people, by the people, for the ery that sounded like the Bible in mod- people’ are from the Gettysburg Address. History Is Prophecy ern dress. He saw Churchill as ‘a gallant Forty percent could not place the Civil War Churchill made some astounding proph- gambler, an aristocrat, an historian, and in the second half of the 19th century. … ecies before and during World War ii. 18th-century cavalry officer … and an in- Twenty-five percent thought the pilgrims Many of them came true because of his destructible juvenile …. He is, I think, the signed the Magna Carta on the Mayflow- profound understanding of history. He most considerable man to walk the stage er. … To the question of who commanded believed that history is prophecy. of world history in 50 years.’” American forces at Yorktown, the most He prophesied what Germany would The “historian” Churchill was Mur- frequent answer was Ulysses S. Grant. do in World War ii because he understood row’s hero. German history so well. The Germans sim- During World War ii, Murrow, a me- February 2011 ply repeated what they had done so often in dia watchman, became acquainted with 14 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET the past. For example, they not only started Churchill in a most unusual way. “[Murrow] was not bothered at being out without dramatics, without more emotion gathers the “outcasts.” The Great Tribula- of doors in the middle of an air raid. He had than needed be … you have destroyed … tion will afflict Israel very soon. The ter- thought through that risk. He never had the superstition that what is done beyond rifying end time is being discussed. “All gone into an air-raid shelter, except to get a 3,000 miles of water is not really done at ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, story. ‘Once you start going into shelters,’ he all.’” all ye beasts in the forest” (verse 9). The told Larry Le Sueur, ‘you lose your nerve.’ How does that compare with what you Gentile “beasts” are almost ready to Following his example, Janet did not go into see in most journalism today? Are we devour Israel. The nations of Israel are shelters either, though there was one in the learning these powerful lessons today in living on the edge of disaster. We are enter- mews behind their apartment building. … our universities where our journalists are ing into the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke “For six nights, Ed stood on the roof- taught? To our great shame, we are not! 21:24; Revelation 11:2-3). If ever there was top. The German bombers never failed And that portends dreadful days ahead a time to warn our people, it is now! him. They came every night. He captured for America and Britain! But then unfolds one of the strangest on recordings the unearthly howl of a Alexander Kendrick wrote this in his events ever to occur in our nations or in bomb as its fins cut the air and the crum- book Prime Time: “Murrow after the war God’s Church! “His watchmen are blind: pling sound it made when it exploded. He characterized Churchill as ‘the most re- they are all ignorant, they are all dumb caught the cursing of an antiaircraft bat- markable’ man of the age. ‘In some ways dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying tery as the crew worked its gun. He sub- and in some moods, he creates the impres- down, loving to slumber” (Isaiah 56:10). At mitted his test records to the Air Ministry, sion of a precocious and indestructible a time when America and Britain face their which promptly lost them. juvenile. At other times Mr. Churchill greatest danger, the watchmen are “blind.” “He went back up to the rooftop on appears to be a combination of an early Capture this dumbfounding picture. Fero- Portland Place and started over. The Air 18th-century cavalry officer and a bril- cious Gentile beasts are surrounding Israel, Ministry heard this batch of recordings liant student of history ….” ready to devour, and the watchmen are and concluded that he had not betrayed any Again, many authorities say Churchill dumb dogs who won’t bark! useful information. But it turned him down saved Western civilization. He did so in Under similar physical circumstances, any way. Who large part because he was a “brilliant stu- if lions, bears and wolves were about to de- could tell what a dent of history.” vour the inhabitants of a home, the watch- man might blurt Still, many dangerously ignorant uni- dogs would be in a barking frenzy! But not out with a bomb versity leaders think this history isn’t even these physical and spiritual watchmen. falling on him? At worth teaching! They are asleep, blind and dumb! this point Murrow Any real watchman ought to see that The worst time of suffering on abandoned bu- these educational institutions are leading planet Earth is about to explode! reaucratic channels our countries into a deep sleep about what (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21). and got word to the is happening in this dangerous world. “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can prime minister. The journalist in Winston That can only lead to a major catastrophe! never have enough, and they are shep- Churchill understood instantly what Mur- Sperber also wrote, “Murrow, no ad- herds that cannot understand: they all row was trying to achieve. Furthermore, mirer of the rhetoric of policies of postwar look to their own way, every one for Churchill wanted America to hear what Secretary of State James Byrnes, wrote an his gain, from his quarter” (Isaiah 56:11). London was going through. Pressure from English friend that the situation in New The shepherds, God’s lukewarm minis- the top down worked, as it usually does, York and Washington filled him with fore- ters, “cannot understand.” Why? Because and Murrow at last received permission to boding: ‘It isn’t so much that the men who “they are greedy dogs which can never broadcast live during an actual raid” (ibid.). are conducting our affairs are vicious or have enough.” How could God ever work “The [watchman] journalist in Winston irresponsible; they simply fail to appreci- through such an attitude? These ministers Churchill understood instantly what Mur- ate the importance of issues that they are put job and money, or “gain,” ahead of row was trying to achieve,” Persico wrote. deciding in an altogether offhand manner. God. They have very weak faith, and God Murrow’s watchman ability caused him Their knowledge of the dynamics of his- condemns them harshly! to want the world to see and be warned by tory is altogether inadequate, and I am what was happening between Germany fearful lest my country in the near future God’s Watchman Warns, Gives Hope and Britain—and learn from that history! become what Professor [R.H.] Tawney de- Winston Churchill was a watchman be- Murrow did his job supremely scribed as “merely a great straggling island fore and during World War ii. Without well. But did we learn what he off the coast of Kamchatka”’” (op. cit.). a doubt, his efforts to warn the nations wanted us to from that disaster? Those words utterly condemn our about Germany made a great impact on No, we did not! leadership today. Our leaders have little the outcome of the war. Here is what A.M. Sperber wrote in interest if any in the “dynamics of histo- Ezekiel 33:1-6 are about this end time her book Murrow: His Life and Times: “In ry.” And Edward R. Murrow was seriously and may be talking directly about what words that were to become classic, the poet pessimistic about our future! happened in World War ii: “Again the MacLeish paid tribute not only to Mur- What he predicted has come to pass! word of the Lord came unto me, saying, row but to radio itself, to the qualitative Son of man, speak to the children of thy change in mass perception brought about Blind Watchmen people, and say unto them, When I bring by the mass medium: ‘You burned the “The Lord God which gathereth the out- the sword upon a land, if the people of the city of London in our houses and we felt casts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others land take a man of their coasts, and set the flames that burned it. You laid the to him, beside those that are gathered unto him for their watchman …” (verses 1-2). dead of London at our doors and we him” (Isaiah 56:8). This is referring to the God did bring the sword upon knew that the dead were our dead … end time, after the nations of Israel have our nations to correct us, and a were mankind’s dead … without rhetoric, been cast out of their own lands, when God See Churchill page 36 ➤ 15 europe john

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ermany’s chancellor asserted tal for the strength images Germany’s role as a major world of Europe,” Marto- Gpower, and emphasized Germany’s nyi said after meet- role as a Christian nation, in a powerful ing with his Ger- speech on November 15. man counterpart “Whoever wants to live here must learn Guido Westerwelle German … (and) obey our laws,” Angela in Berlin on No- | Merkel told the Christian Democratic vember 4. As EU 3 rome Under fire for failing to fire Union Conference. “It’s not that we have president, “we will More evidence personally implicating Pope Benedict xvi in the too much Islam, but rather that we have support all that is Roman Catholic child abuse scandals has emerged. It involves too little Christianity …. We speak too important for Ger- a case in 1980 where a priest was transferred to Munich—then little of our Judeo-Christian heritage.” many,” he said. under the jurisdiction of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—after Stratfor commented, “The gist of the sexually abusing boys in Essen. The head of personnel in Essen speech was that Germany was a Euro- told Ratzinger that “there is a risk which has prompted us to pean leader, it should not be ashamed of immediately remove him from the parish.” The priest was then its German identity allowed to go on abusing children, and received a fine and sus- and it needed a mod- pended sentence for this in 1986. ern army to defend its interests. However, its 4 | netherlands Nearly 2,000 people said they had been martonyi standing in the world sexually and physically abused as minors by Roman Catholic was not guaranteed Church personnel in the Netherlands, an independent commis- and the looming de- Credit risk sion reported on December 9. This makes the Netherlands the mographic crisis could Hungary had its second-most abused nation by the Catholics, after Ireland. Merkel very well threaten its credit rating cut preeminent position. … by two notches “[I]ts politicians are beginning to by credit rating | speak of a German security and defense agency Moody’s 5 portugal economy tanking; people want more strategy in mature tones, without a pre- on December 6. On November 24, public sector workers in Portugal went on requisite ‘we’re sorry’ attached to every Its rating is now strike for a day as the country’s two biggest unions held their policy statement. In short, Germany is Baa3—Moody’s first joint strike since 1988. The two unions say they represent ascending to what it feels is its rightful lowest investment 1.5 million workers. The strike was called over dissatisfaction place as a global power, if not one of the grade. with the government’s austerity measures. world’s true superpowers” (Nov. 16, 2010). “Current Cold War-era institutions that dominate Europe politically, economically The alliance that lost its way NATO discusses and in terms of security—the European its future. Union and nato—were not originally nato leaders met to decide on a new strategic concept, designed for a unified, assertive and un- or mission statement, for the alliance in Lisbon on ashamed Germany,” Stratfor concluded. November 19 to 20. The result was essentially mush. “The Germany that Merkel spoke to on nato has lost its way and doesn’t really know its mis- Monday will either make these sion in today’s world. As the Trumpet has long fore- institutions work for Berlin or cast, expect either Germany to twist the alliance to its 16 will leave them behind.” own ends, or for nato to fade into insignificance. middle east

6 | Israel Jerusalem not for sale! Israel’s Knesset has passed a law to pre- vent an Israeli government giving up East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights without a significant number of people support- Mubarak’s effort to ing it. The national referendum law, squash dissent appears passed on November 22, means that this to have created a backlash. territory can only be given away if ap- proved by two thirds of the Knesset. Un- 8 | egypt less 80 out of the 120 Knesset members 10 | lebanon approve such a land giveaway, the deal Rigged election—angry mob Operation must be approved by a majority of voters in a national referendum. iots erupted throughout Egypt at the end of No- Misguided “The new law makes it extremely un- vember, resulting in eight deaths and scores of injuries, Evacuation likely that any government can surrender Rover accusations that the country’s government rigged the In an effort to get any of the land covered by the law, barring November 28 election. The unrest indicates that a shift is un- the United Nations a drastic shift in political leanings against derway in Egypt’s political alignment. to declare it free the growing nationalist The party snubbed by the election fraud was the govern- of Lebanon border mood,” wrote IsraelNa- ment’s only real rival, the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim violations, Israel tionalNews.com (Nov. Brotherhood (MB) party. Although the MB is officially banned has agreed to with- 23, 2010). in Egypt, its candidates run as independents, and it is the larg- draw Israeli forces The Trumpet has est political opposition to President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling from the northern long predicted that Is- National Democratic Party (ndp). Suspiciously, in this election, part of a village rael would not give away the ndp won its largest share of the legislature in 15 years, while that straddles the East Jerusalem in a peace the MB was obliterated, going from 88 seats to zero. Israeli-Lebanese deal. Rather, the Bible indicates that the Although the government has defended the integrity of the border. Israeli eastern part of the city will be violently elections, its refusal to allow international organizations to Security Cabinet taken over by the Palestinian Arabs. observe them has undermined its credibility. Egyptian security officials voted on forces arrested more than 1,000 MB activists in a nationwide November 17 to crackdown in the days leading up to the election. transfer the north- “Iran and Pakistan are two brother In runoff elections on December 5, the ndp won 83 percent ern section of Gha- of the seats, with the two main opposition groups, including the jar, an Arab village, and Muslim countries which would MB, boycotting the vote. The Brotherhood promised to mount to UN control. The never let insecurity and border legal challenges against the results, and popular opposition fig- United Nations problems damage solidarity ure Mohammed ElBaradei called for a boycott of the 2011 presi- Interim Force in among their nations.” dential election, dismissing Egypt’s election process as a “farce.” Lebanon will take The MB has not abandoned its quest for power in Egypt. MB over security for Mashallah Shakeri Iranian ambassador to Pakistan candidate Sobhi Saleh said the Brotherhood hopes the rigging the northern part will discredit the ndp and draw more Egyptians to the MB. Re- of the village, sup- 7 | pakistan portedly, 82-year-old Mubarak is terminally ill and will likely be posedly to prevent unable to run in this year’s presidential election. Will his succes- Hezbollah infiltra- Watch this anti-West alliance sor be able to maintain Egypt’s dictatorship and its suppression tion. While this Iran and Pakistan have agreed to boost of the MB? The Trumpet’s editor in chief has predicted, based may sound plausi- security ties and strengthen regional on a prophecy in Daniel 11:42, that Egypt will fall to Islamists. ble in theory, uni- cooperation, Iran’s Press tv reported No- fil’s track record in vember 17. In a November 16 meeting be- southern Lebanon does not provide tween the Iranian ambassador to Islam- | abad and the Pakistani interior minister, 9 syria nukes? Um ... er ... much assurance. Iran’s ambassador reportedly called for Syria is refusing UN nuclear inspectors access to multiple In reality, this the two countries to exchange intelligence suspect sites. An International Atomic Energy Agency report unilateral retreat and carry out joint operations against shows that for over two years, Syria has blocked iaea access to by Israel is just one drug traffickers. The same day, Iran’s par- the nuclear site bombed by Israel in September 2007. It is also more concession liament speaker, meeting with a Pakistani denying access to a pilot plant used for acid purification, which that will weaken its official in Tehran, also spoke of the need produces uranium ore as a by-product. At a research reactor in security and only for cooperation to establish peace and Damascus, inspectors found unexplained particles of processed be met with more security in the region. Signs of increasing uranium; Syria gave inconsistent information to the iaea and demands from its solidarity between Iran and Pakistan— dodged questions about this uranium. The UN has proved in- Arab enemies. images based largely on a shared foundation of effectual in preventing or even monitoring nuclear

getty Muslim ideology and anti-Western senti- weapons development in rogue countries, including / February 2011 afp ment—should concern the West. Syria, Iran and North Korea. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 17 worldwatch asia 7 1 | North korea 8 1 2 9 Chinese friend, U.S. nemesis 4 hen Kim Jong Il began shell- the facility Hecker visited went com- 3 6 ing the South Korean island of pletely undetected, so North Korea could 10 WYeonpyeong in November, most easily have another hidden site. 5 of the world, especially regional counter- China’s fingerprints on the project are parts such as Japan and Taiwan, roared discernible. The Bulletin of the Atomic with disapproval. Scientists wrote on June 18, 2009, that Amid the fracas, China remained rela- North Korea’s uranium procurement tively quiet. China’s leaders display little scheme involved commercial entities in interest in curbing North Korea’s belliger- China. The Institute for Science and In- 2 | bulgaria ence. On December 8, Adm. Mike Mul- ternational Security, a U.S.-based think len, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of tank, confirmed in a report last October Abetting an energy monopoly Staff, stated that the “Chinese have enor- that North Korea often procured for its Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin mous influence over uranium enrichment left Bulgaria on November 14 with an the North, influence program in China agreement for Russia’s state-owned energy that no other nation or used it as a transit giant Gazprom to work with Bulgarian on Earth enjoys, and point. Energy Holding to build and run the Bul- yet, despite a shared In response to garian section of the South Stream pipe- interest in reducing North Korea’s deadly line. The pipeline is planned to transport tensions, they appear attack on South Ko- Russian gas through the Black Sea and unwilling to use it.” rea, Beijing hosted the over Bulgaria to Europe’s Balkan region. But China isn’t the chairman of North The agreement, Moscow’s most recent only country unwill- Korea’s parliament the victory in a rapid expansion of Kremlin- ing to use its influence. last week of Novem- operated energy firms into the EU, means The question not being ber. While its initial that Bulgaria has followed Poland’s exam- asked is: Why is the response was muted, it ple of teaming up with Russia to circum- United States—presum- Kim Jong Il is later called for emer- vent the EU’s anti-monopoly legislation. ably the most powerful getting help from his gency talks among the nation in the world— neighbor to the north. leaders of the nations looking to China to involved in the stalled rein in Pyongyang to start with? After all, six-party talks. Washington says the talks China is the nation helping North Korea. can’t be resumed until Pyongyang makes “China will firmly China’s view of North Korea as a strategic concessions over its attacks on South follow the path of buffer against the U.S. has prompted it to Korea. North Korea’s belligerency, which peaceful develop- defend and increase aid to Pyongyang in the West has often rewarded in the past, ment and support recent years. It is the primary source of po- is its latest attempt to obtain aid from the the renaissance litical and economic support for the rogue international community. China’s calls for nation—and, it is emerging, also a source the emergency talks suggest that Beijing of Russia as a of its nuclear technology. wants Pyongyang to accomplish this goal. great power.” The stunning progress North Korea It is true—China has the leverage to Wen Jiabao has made in its nuclear technology was truly pressure North Korea. But the prob- Chinese Premier recently exposed when a nuclear scien- lem is, the United States lacks the lever- tist was invited to tour the facilities in age to convince China to do so. In fact, 3 | india 4 | japan 5 | singapore November. Stanford professor Siegfried America right now needs China to keep S. Hecker visited two new North Korean the U.S. economy alive by financing its Asian giant is coming together nuclear facilities, including, shockingly, gargantuan debt. Foreign ministers from China, India and a new uranium enrichment plant that In reality, that the U.S. would look Russia vowed in November to boost co- kns / contains 2,000 centrifuges. “The control to North Korea’s main ally to rein it in operation in energy, aerospace, high-tech, afp / room was astonishingly modern,” Hecker speaks volumes of its own diminished innovation, trade, cultural exchanges and getty later said. He reported that the uranium power. As a result, America’s allies such geopolitical affairs. Chinese officials also images enrichment facility was currently config- as South Korea are destined to look less emphasized the need for Russia, Japan , ured to produce low-enriched uranium— and less to the U.S. for support. Such na- and Singapore to ally themselves with raveendran material for use in a nuclear reactor and tions will end up searching for security China economically in order to capitalize

unsuitable for a nuclear bomb. However, elsewhere—even if it means drawing on the influence they wield within the / afp /

he pointed out that it could be reconfig- closer to China. Without a strong Ameri- international monetary system. Watch getty ured pretty easily to produce ca clearly behind them, these nations will such economic and political cooperation

highly enriched uranium, the have little choice but to make concessions among these Eastern powers to increase, images 18 type used in bombs. In addition, to the nearest rising power. paving the way for military alliance. numbers Trillions the U.S. Percent of the Millions of Chinese and Treasury owes world’s population Indian 16-to-49-year-old $2.4 Asian nations 61 that is Asian 559 males fit for military service 6 | philippines 9 | china Another U.S. Deserting the dollar ally slipping China and Russia have agreed to aban- don the U.S. dollar in favor of using On December 7, their own currencies for bilateral trade. Filipino and Chi- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime nese military of- Minister Vladimir Putin announced the ficials met to sign news on November 23, saying the policy a military logistics is not designed to challenge the dollar deal between their but to protect the Russian and Chinese two nations. A economies amid the global financial spokesman for the crisis. Expect this movement away from Armed Forces of the dollar to continue to gather steam. the Philippines EU President Herman Van And watch for Russia and China, as their (afp) called it a Rompuy, Medvedev and Barroso global economic influence increases, to step in the direc- are forging a relationship to watch. draw closer to each other. tion of bolstering Manila’s military 7 | russia 8 | poland Prime Minister Putin praised Europe’s ties with Beijing. single currency while criticizing the U.S. The afp is too Making nice with Europe dollar as the world’s reserve currency on weak to control November 26. “We have to get away from either domestic Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Europe in Decem- the overwhelming dollar monopoly,” he threats or outside ber, boosting Russia’s relations with the Continent and bringing said. “It makes the world economy vul- security challenges Moscow closer to joining the World Trade Organization (wto). nerable and unbalanced.” involving the na- Medvedev visited Brussels for an EU-Russia summit on De- tion’s many sea- cember 7, where he signed a bilateral trade agreement between “There are cur- lanes and islands. Russia and the European Union, drafted the previous month. rently problems in Historically, Ma- European Commission President José Manuel Barroso called nila has depended the agreement “a milestone.” Russia has been negotiating to join Portugal, Greece on the U.S. for the the wto for 17 years, and is the only large nation not a part of the and Ireland, and military assistance 153-member group. At a press conference with Medvedev, Bar- the euro is a bit it needs, but the roso said Russia is expected to become a wto member in 2011. unsteady, but the U.S.-Philippines The agreement commits Russia to phasing out lumber and euro is a stable military relation- other raw materials tariffs. There are still some other issues the world currency.” ship is cooling. EU wants Russia to change, such as its seemingly arbitrary bans Beijing sees an op- on European meat. Vladimir Putin portunity to gain On the same trip, Medvedev visited Poland, where he worked Russian Prime Minister images a foothold in the to improve relations in the first official visit to the country by getty / Philippines and a Russian leader in nine years. Medvedev said that in order to afp / expand its influ- attain better relations with nato and the EU, Russia must draw ence in Southeast closer to Poland. He is right—often it is Polish objections that nikolsky Asia, while elbow- hinder EU-Russia or nato-Russia rapprochement. 10 | vietnam

alexey ing the U.S. out. The visit was an apparent success. Polish President Bronislaw , , Komorowski said that it heralded the end of a period of “bad Yes, them too images drought” in relations between the two countries. China and Vietnam held their first-ever getty

/ However, Poland hasn’t suddenly decided that Russia is a be- bilateral strategic defense dialogue on afp

/ nevolent, friendly nation. “We have no illusions about the nature November 27. The two sides agreed to thys

of the Putin regime,” an anonymous government official told collaborate in the areas of naval and

john the Wall Street Journal. “We got tired of being the one country to border guard forces, and military sci- , , stand up to Russia. Russia is our number-two trading partner— ence research and training. Previously, images we have more to lose [than other states in the EU]” (Dec. 8, 2010). Vietnam’s concerns over China’s mush- getty

/ The Russia-EU, and specifically the Russia-Germany, rela- rooming power had been prodding it to afp / Filipino armed forces tionship is important to watch. If the two work together, as they develop a closer relationship with the are looking for help aljibe have several times in recent history, they can rise in power very U.S. These talks, however, show that

ted from China. quickly—putting them in a better position to wage war. Vietnam’s alignment is shifting.

February 2011 T Visit theTrumpet.com for ongoing coverage of the latest news and trends around the world. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 19 worldwatch Latin america and africa 6 | somalia Ahoy! Pirates 5 moving east! 7 Somali pirates 8 6 hijacked a Bangla- 1 deshi ship only 300 4 miles away from 3 the coast of India 2 on December 5. The Jahan Moni A Palestinian holding a was 1,300 miles 8 | rwanda Brazilian flag argues with east of Somalia an Israeli soldier. when it was seized. Western efforts Africa’s head in the 1 | brazil 2 | argentina 3 | uruguay 4 | paraguay to combat Somali piracy have mainly mouth of a lion Forget peace talks—here’s a two-state solution involved patrol- frican leaders are concerned On December 3, Brazil said it recognized a Palestinian state ex- ling the Gulf of they’re being exploited by resource- isting in the territory owned by Jordan west of the Jordan River Aden. They have Ahungry Europe. At an African in 1967. Argentina followed suit three days later, and Uruguay not dealt with the Union meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, from said it would do so this year. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign cause of the prob- October 29 to November 2, several min- minister, Riad al-Malki, said he expected Paraguay and other lem, but rather isters of trade criticized the Economic South American nations to also recognize a Palestinian state merely tried to Partnership Agreements (epas) the EU is soon. Not only does this demonstrate the continuing trend of protect a small attempting to sign with their nations. nations worldwide siding against Israel, but it also reveals these area from pirates. The epas are ostensibly designed to nations’ increasing willingness to publicly spurn their neighbor This means that benefit African nations by allowing them to the north, the United States. the problem has to trade with Europe on favorable condi- not gone away— tions. However, the terms seem more fa- “The Argentine government the pirates are just vorable to the EU, and one minister said recognizes Palestine as a free spreading out over that by signing an epa a country puts its and independent state within a much larger area. head in the mouth of a lion. the borders defined in 1967.” Germany is pursuing a similar policy Cristina Kirchner in Latin America. On October 30, Ger- Argentine President 7 | gambia man Aid Minister Dirk Niebel left for Iranian arms a week-long trip to the region. “During turn up in Germany’s unification and the European Africa Union’s extension to the east, we have not | paid enough attention to some other parts 5 venezuela eager to shush a drug smuggler The government of of the world,” Niebel said, specifically Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez seems to have rescued him- Gambia broke off mentioning Africa and Latin America. self from a very tricky position. Last August, one of the world’s relations with Iran A draft European Commission policy most wanted drug smugglers, Walid Makled, was arrested and sent all Iranian document, titled “Raw Materials Initia- yuri in Colombia. He is rumored to have recordings of all of his diplomats home on tive,” states that the EU wants to access cortez

dealings—including those with high-ranking members of the November 22 over most of its raw materials from outside / afp /

Venezuelan government. If released, that information would an arms smuggling its own borders by means of new trade getty be catastrophic for Venezuelan officials—and could even bring scandal. On Oc- agreements. Watch for Europe and Asia to down Chávez’s government. Key government members could tober 27, Nigerian compete for raw materials in these areas. images ,

faces charges of money laundering, drug trafficking and even media stated that mykhaylo terrorism. But on November 16, Colombia agreed to extradite the government

Makled to Venezuela, not to the U.S. had seized a large markiv In exchange, a desperate Chávez is giving shipment of weap- / a lot to Colombia. On November 18, Ven- ons from Iran at afp / ezuela announced it would extradite at least the port of Lagos. getty four members of the Revolutionary Armed The government images Forces of Colombia and National Liberation informed the UN , Army—rebel groups that Chávez usually Security Council of mahmoud protects—to Colombia. Chávez also agreed the seizure on No- to renew trade ties with Colombia. chÁvez vember 12. Despite turkia

The Trumpet has long watched for Latin American nations the fiasco, Iran is / afp / to draw closer together as part of a trade bloc that will even- certain to find al- African Union getty tually align with Europe. A ternative means of

president Jean Ping images February 2011 quieter Chávez could allow the smuggling weap- expresses concerns. 20 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET continent to better unite. ons into Africa. Anglo-america They’ll die in debt and that’s ok Though most dire financial headlines in the UK describe the government, individual Britons are also heavily in debt. A No- In math, we’re #32! vember study found that a third of Britons think they’ll never he United States and the United King James be free from and will die in debt. One in five had no qualms leav- Kingdom were solidly beaten by a host what? ing their debts to their next of kin. Half who owed money said Tof countries in math, science and read- A November sur- they did not feel in control of their debt, and half said they would ing tests conducted by the Or- vey found that half always need to borrow money in order to fund their lifestyle. ganization for Economic Co- of Britons under operation and Development 35 did not know Guess what your cabbie does on holiday 2 (oecd), the results of which what the King 3 were published December 7. James Bible was. In October, Guardian reporters traveled with a group of Taliban # Asian nations regularly The renowned fighters in Afghanistan with a variety of ethnicities, includ- came top in an assess- translation is one ing some from London. One mid-level commander who spoke ment of 470,000 15-year- of the most impor- English with a slight Londoner accent said he fought for three olds in 65 different tant books of all months of the year and the rest of the time lived in East London countries in 2009 under time, religiously, and worked as a minicab driver. “There are many people like the oecd’s Program for culturally and me in London,” he said. “We collect money for the jihad all year International Student linguistically. and come and fight if we can.” Assessment (pisa). Out of the oecd countries, South Korea came top in reading and math, and third in science. Finland came second in reading See? Political correctness abets terrorism and math, and took the top spot for sci- s 12,000 people attended a This is not the first time political ence. However, when China (not an oecd Christmas tree lighting ceremony in correctness has hampered U.S. security nation) is included and subdivided into APortland, Oregon, on November 26, efforts. In the 1990s, the government re- economic regions, then Shanghai comes Mohamed Osman Mohamud attempted stricted how many agents could keep taps out first, by far, in all three categories. to detonate a truck full of explosives. on the growing number of religious ji- The UK’s ranking has plummeted Happily, the explosives were fake, sup- hadist cells in the country. “So, for exam- since the pisa first began in 2000. This plied by the fbi in a sting operation, and ple,” wrote the Washington Times, “agents year it came 16th in science, 25th in read- Mohamud was ing and 28th in math (ranking includes charged with at- non-oecd countries, and China’s re- tempted use of a gions). In 2000 it was fourth in science, weapon of mass seventh in reading and eighth in math. destruction. The U.S. performed even worse, com- The bomb, had ing 23rd in science, 32nd in math and 17th it been real, “could in reading. Both nations remained above have killed hun- the oecd average for reading and science dreds,” according (though only barely, for the U.S.). to the Portland The U.S. and UK did not do spectacu- Tribune. larly badly; they ranked just above the Portland’s own middle. But the days of their educational actions put the city Pioneer Courthouse superiority are over. The trend is worth at risk. In 2005, the Square, where a would- noting: The quality of a nation’s education city council decided be terrorist could have is a predictive measure of its future power. to end Portland murdered hundreds. police’s coopera- tion with the fbi’s Joint Terrorism Task might know that a meeting of radicals “Often you get two or three very Force—the same task force that thwarted was taking place inside a mosque, but badly behaved children, but bad Mohamud. The mayor at that time, Tom they could not watch the building or even behavior spreads like a cancer.” Potter, wanted top-secret security clear- collect the tag numbers of cars parked in Katharine Birbalsingh ance to ensure that the fbi didn’t violate the parking lot because the entire struc- Former UK deputy head teacher the state’s anti-discrimination laws, but ture was off-limits” (Dec. 1, 2010). the fbi refused it. The American Civil Lib- Today, America’s Transport Security erties Union praised the city’s refusal to Administration refuses to profile obvi- work with the fbi, saying there is “ample ous potential terrorists. Giving invasive Hazard pay for teachers? evidence that several fbi task forces else- patdowns to small children and elderly Almost 1,000 British students are sent where have targeted individuals because people in wheelchairs doesn’t make the home from school every day for attacking of their political or religious affiliations.” country safer. Focusing on young, Arabic or verbally abusing fellow students or staff, The fbi succeeded, despite the city’s ob- looking men would. Political correctness, a November 17 study found. The figure is struction. But it could have been very dif- endemic in the U.S., Britain and images thought to be higher, as many such inci- ferent. Now, the city says it is considering other Western nations, poses a getty dents are not reported to the government. renewing cooperation with the task force. demonstrable danger. 21 economy America: Only Two More Years? Don’t ignore the warnings! Keen observers say debt-addicted America is about to learn some tough lessons from bygone empires. by Robert Morley

wo years. That is how in Iraq and Afghanistan neatly wrap up; dollar spent is borrowed. At present, So- much time America has to there is no double-dip recession; employ- cial Security, Medicare and Medicaid take fix its problems—or risk sud- ers start hiring again; the too-big-to-fail up all of federal revenue, reported the au- den collapse. This is the star- banks don’t need more money; and the thors. The rest of the federal government, tling conclusion of Harvard Fed avoids accounting for government- including fighting two wars, homeland se- historian Niall Ferguson. owned Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on curity, education, art, culture, you name And that was six months ago. its balance sheets. it—the whole rest of the discretionary The world has witnessed what happens What if things don’t go according to budget—is financed by borrowing. Twhen investors lose faith in a country’s plan? That is a question the experts either Even a child could see that this is a di- fiscal policy, he says. Just look at Greece. dismiss as unlikely or don’t like to think saster waiting to happen. Is it possible that the richest, most about. Yet before the report even hit the presses, powerful country in the world could re- The simple truth is that this once great leading members of Congress pronounced alistically face sudden collapse? After all, nation is so addicted to debt that it would it dead on arrival. Cutting programs and America isn’t Greece. But that is just the collapse if it could no longer borrow mon- handouts would cost too many votes. Too problem. America is not some small coun- ey. The addiction goes far beyond sub- many special interests would be offended. try that has overspent a few tens of billions prime mortgages and unaffordable vehicle America’s national debt is already close of dollars. America is the world’s largest loans. It starts with the fresh-faced college to 90 percent of gross domestic product. debtor, and it is addicted to debt—bor- students bombarded with credit card of- By the end of 2011 it could exceed 100 per- rowing trillions of dollars to maintain an fers, and universities profiting from every cent of gdp, which is approaching Euro- unsustainable standard of living. dollar those students spend. It progresses pean crisis levels. It is an empire in evident decline— through America’s most prestigious cor- And still America’s leaders pretend like the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, or porations, which need to access debt mar- there is no problem. Rome just a few years before its fall. kets on a monthly, weekly, even daily basis to function. It encompasses city, municipal Averting Cardiac Arrest Debt Addiction and state governments willing to bankrupt On November 30, the Federal Reserve Ask yourself: What exactly holds America public treasuries to placate greedy unions was forced to release details surrounding together? Is it a common religion or eth- and to stuff unsustainable pension plans. its massive Wall Street bailout, corporate nicity? A shared national purpose? The It culminates with a federal government bailout and—as it turns out—foreign cen- beliefs espoused by the principles of the that has not balanced a budget since 1957! tral bank bailout. Founding Fathers? If any of these things Ultimately though, it both begins and Twenty-one thousand loans—$3.3 tril- ever were the ingredients that bonded the ends with the typical consumer citizen so lion worth: That is what it took in terms of republic together, they are no longer. engrossed with satisfying the senses that hard cold debt for the Federal Reserve to Today, just about the only com- he is blind to the looming catastrophe. stop the financial meltdown of the United mon ground within America is ma- Yet the signs of collapse are not hard States. Yet where has this mountain of terialism. That, and its most obvious to spot. debt gotten America? Is the system fixed? manifestation—debt! No. It is just more evidence that the In 2010, according to the Congressio- Where America’s Money Comes From economy is far more precarious than any- nal Budget Office, America added $1.5 In December, President Obama’s bipartisan one will admit. trillion more to its national debt. And un- Deficit Commission released its report on Much focus has been put on the scale der President Obama’s proposed spend- fixing America’s budget problems. The au- of the bailouts. $3.3 trillion is a massive ing plan, America will run trillion-dollar thors say they think America can be saved. amount of money. More than double deficits until 2019. But the reality is that few, if any, of their America’s budget deficit, it is incredibly Annual trillion-dollar defi- recommendations will be implemented. significant in the U.S economy. cits! And that is if everything America’s problem gets down to the Most people seem to miss the fact that 22 goes according to plan: the wars fact that 40 cents out of every budget the Fed created the bailout money out digging deeper Ben Bernanke announced in of thin air. But maybe this fact is fitting, November that the Fed would since much of what the Fed traded that print $900 billion more. $3.3 trillion for appears to be vastly over- priced junk. $1.5 trillion worth of collat- eral came with the “ratings unavailable” designation. Only 1 percent of the pledged collateral was highly rated government treasuries. It was also revealed that the Federal Re- serve not only lent $600 billion to foreign central banks, but also to foreign automak- ers like Toyota and bmw, and billions more to foreign private banks at very low interest rates (sometimes at 0.15 percent). In other words, the Fed was so afraid at the height of the crisis that it was print- ing and lending money to anyone with a pulse, regardless of who they were and what collateral they pledged. The Federal Reserve even lent cheap money to speculative hedge funds and pension plans—like the Major League Baseball Players Pension Plan—to “in- vest,” in an attempt to get money flowing through the economy again. The Califor- nia Public Employees’ Retirement System, one of the most underwater retirement America’s debt addiction appears to have plans in the country, was among the most enthusiastic takers of Fed money: It bor- reached the point where it is threatening our rowed $5.14 billion to speculate its way out of its massive underfunding. ability to borrow. The addiction is so great that Under one of its lending programs, the Federal Reserve cycled a mind-boggling the Federal Reserve is now actually printing $9 trillion worth of debt in and out of the economy. money to finance federal government spending. Through this program, Citigroup alone borrowed an astounding $2.2 tril- lion in multiple revolving transactions to stay afloat. Merrill Lynch borrowed $2.1 debt that it needs to borrow money each The Fed needed 21,000 loans at near- trillion across 226 loans. Bank of America and every day. It needs credit just to keep zero percent interest to jump-start the borrowed $1.1 trillion in emergency money up business as usual. During the econom- system. to avoid failure. It asked the Fed for credit ic crisis surrounding Sept. 11, 2008, the one thousand different times. Morgan debt markets froze. No one would lend America’s Catch-22 Stanley took out 212 loans to stay in busi- money—at all. Banks were failing. The How long can America continue its debt ness. Even the venerable Goldman Sachs government was nationalizing trillion- addiction? We use debt to purchase things borrowed $620 billion across 84 loans. dollar corporations. The whole system to make us feel better and to finance our More ominously, it wasn’t just the was balanced on a razor’s edge. standard of living. We use it for busi- banks and failing hedge funds that the Fed Just imagine what would have hap- ness as usual. And when all the debt gets propped up—it directly propped up many pened if Caterpillar, Verizon or Mc- us into trouble, we use even more of it to of the biggest, most famous names in cor- Donald’s had a failed debt auction and stimulate the economy and to bail us out. porate America. Credit card companies, couldn’t borrow money. Contagion could But now, America’s debt addiction ap- insurance companies and vehicle manu- have gone national, even international. A pears to have reached the point where it is facturers all got loans. Some of this was massive domino effect might have swept threatening our ability to borrow. The ad- known. But did you know that Caterpillar the business world. The Fed had to step in diction is so great that the Federal Reserve took government money? That Verizon to provide the money—or it risked total is now actually printing money to finance Communications needed $1.5 billion? That shutdown of corporate America. federal government spending. Harley-Davidson received bailout money That is how addicted to debt America Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Ber- 33 times, for a total of $2.3 billion? Gen- is. Stop the debt and the whole system nanke announced in November that the eral Electric Co. needed funding 12 times goes into cardiac arrest. Not convinced? Fed would create $900 billion out of thin for a total of $16 billion? Even McDonald’s images needed to borrow money from the Fed. You can find regular coverage of the economy online at February 2011 T theTrumpet.com/economy THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET getty Corporate America is so addicted to 23 air to purchase government treasuries. Without access to debt, Wall Street Fiat money creation has historically led will experience a chain of unstoppable to massive currency depreciation. domino failures. Consumer spending Foreign nations, not wanting to be will sharply contract. Import prices will paid back in devalued dollars, are under- soar. Sales will dry up, and indebted standably angry at this announcement. corporations will stop sending out pay- This means it is going to become tougher checks. America will grind to a halt. and tougher for America to attract for- That is when the anger will surface. eign creditors. Debt-financed materialism will have It could easily devolve into a Catch-22 transformed from the glue precariously where the Federal Reserve is forced to sticking the system together to the agent supply more and more money to finance of its sudden death. government spending—which would only What then will hold society together? act to drive even more foreign lenders away. The U.S. government can only issue The End of Republics debt as long as people will take that debt, “History says we’re not going to make and the increasing chances of the U.S. de- it,” said Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn in faulting makes that less and less likely. a speech at President Obama’s debt com- According to Li Daokui, an academic mission meeting in December. Demo- member of the Chinese central bank’s cratic republics only last about 200 years monetary policy committee, the U.S. before they “rot from within” and then dollar will only be a safe investment for are conquered militarily, he said. “And the next 6 to 12 months. “For now, mar- we’re rotting. We’re rotting as we sit here ket attention is still on Europe and for the and speak today.” coming 6 to 12 months, it will not shift to Coburn, however, holds out hope. Pope: Don’t the United States,” said Li on December 8. There is a way to “cheat history,” he said. “But we should be clear in our minds that “The way we cheat history is for all of us the fiscal situation in the United States to give up something: everybody … and Take Bible is much worse than in Europe. In one then say, ‘The way forward for America or two years, when the European debt is for everyone to start sacrificing so we situation stabilizes, attention of financial create a future that is honoring the tre- Literally markets will definitely shift to the United mendous sacrifices that came before us.’” States. At that time, U.S. Treasury bonds Take a look around you. Take a look at In his latest treatise, and the dollar will experience consider- Congress. What are the odds that Amer- Benedict XVI reverts to able declines.” ica will embrace sacrifice on a national As international investor Jim Rogers scale? medieval teaching. noted December 7, “There comes a time The sad reality is that America will by Ron Fraser when people say ‘I’m not going to lend not “cheat history.” That’s prophecy! you any more money.’” When that day In a 1997 article, Trumpet writer Tim an you trust the Bible? Is it, arrives, America will not be a place many Thompson compared America’s debt-de- in fact, the inspired Word of God? people recognize. pendent society to the whitewashed tomb The pope recently weighed of Matthew 23:27: “It is beautiful on the in on these questions in an “ap- Prepare for This Scenario outside—it has the appearance of wealth ostolicC exhortation” called Verbum Do- One day, America will wake up to the and wellbeing—but inside it is ‘full of mini (“The Word of the Lord”), issued news of a failed U.S. government debt dead men’s bones, and all uncleanness’— on November 11. As cna/ewtn News re- auction. Lenders will have had enough. it is a financial nightmare built by hypo- ported it, this papal message was “a lofty Though many people will be oblivious crites and filled with all rottenness!” and impassioned plea for everyone in the for a short time, those in the know will As Mr. Thompson pointed out, bor- church to rediscover the Bible.” rush to the stores to buy everything they rowed money may make America appear The truth of it is, this was more than can get their hands on—diapers, alcohol, prosperous, but appearances don’t mean an “impassioned plea” from this pope to beans, bullets. They will be the lucky ones. much. The American republic is rotting his parishioners. It was a direct attack on Some will turn to gold and silver, but that on the inside, and time is running out. all who believe the inerrancy of the literal will only help for so long. Shortages will Last July, historian Niall Ferguson told Scriptures as inspired by God! soon be reported and become endemic. business leaders and academics at the As- Pope Benedict “criticized ‘funda- Attempting to calm markets, the pen Ideas Festival that America’s window mentalist’ or ‘literalist’ interpretations Federal Reserve will announce another to reverse course was closing. “Fiscally and urged renewed appreciation for the round of “money printing,” but this time and other ways,” America is “very near symbolic and spiritual interpretation it will have the opposite effect. The dollar the edge of chaos,” he warned. “I think techniques used by the ancient fathers of will plunge in value, the Dow Jones will this is a problem that is going to go live the church” (ibid., emphasis mine). plummet and officials will lock down really soon.” “An authentic interpretation of the Bible stock markets. “In that sense,” he said, “I mean within must always be in harmony with the faith the next two years.” of the Catholic Church,” Benedict declared. February 2011 The last days of the republic as we We must look at this declaration in 24 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET know it are here. n light of other recent endorsements of the religion

Spirit comes into the mind of an individ- are—as God sees us, not as we like to think ual, it reveals all things. He called it “the we are or to have other men look upon us.” Spirit of truth, [which] the world cannot That’s the plain and simple truth. receive, because it seeth [it] not, neither Hebrews 4:12 reads, “For the word of knoweth [it]” (John 14:17). God is quick, and powerful, and sharper Christ called the Holy Spirit the “Com- than any twoedged sword and is a dis- forter” (John 16:7). It is a revelatory Spirit, cerner of the thoughts and intents of the the Spirit of truth—actually a portion of heart.” The Bible is a powerful weapon God’s own supreme intellect embedded in that cuts both ways, opening up and lay- the mind of a converted Christian. Christ ing bare the inner man! declared that when it is given by the Fa- That is not a comfortable process—and ther to a servant of God, it “will guide thus, too often, men simply won’t subject you into all truth … and [it] will shew you themselves to it. As Herbert Armstrong things to come” (verse 13). further stated, “Too often men have ap- cna/ewtn News described “The heart plied some different meaning to the of Verbum Domini” as comprising “a long scriptures that reproved them. They have and often technical discussion of ‘herme- passed right over some scriptures that neutics,’ or the proper method for inter- corrected and rebuked them. Instead they preting the sacred texts.” studied diligently to find some other scrip- The reality is that Jesus Christ, the ture into which they could read a meaning christophe claim that the Roman Catholic Church is very Author of the Word of God, gave us that would justify their course of action. the only true church. This pope has said the proper method for understanding the “That is how men began, centuries ago, simon more than once that all Christian denom- Bible. We read of the direct experience to interpret the Bible. And so God’s Word / afp inations other than Roman Catholicism of His original disciples, from whom the has become perverted, twisted, wrested, / getty are illegitimate—either defective or not original apostles were ordained and who distorted. And almost every false and coun-

true churches. Now he has reasserted the in turn formed the very foundation of the terfeit meaning imaginable is read into it images medieval stance that only the interpreta- one true Church. Of their experience with instead of seeing the natural meaning—the tion of Scripture by the Roman Catholic the resurrected Jesus Christ, they remem- plain, simple meaning God intended. Church has authenticity. bered, “Did not our heart burn within us, “Today we have hundreds of interpre- That is a blatant papal lie that the very while he talked with us by the way, and tations of the Bible. But you never hear Scriptures themselves oppose! while he opened to us the scriptures?” of hundreds of interpretations of a biol- It is thus the living Jesus Christ, the ogy textbook. Why? Because biology text- How to Understand the Bible true Head of His one true Church, who books do not rebuke and correct men. Your Bible clearly declares, first and fore- opens up the Word of God to us by the “Instead of acknowledging the truth, most, that “no prophecy of the scripture is power of God’s Holy Spirit! repenting of the sin, having it legally justi- of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). fied by the blood of Christ, men seek to It further declares that “all scripture is The Real Reason Men Interpret the Bible justify their own acts by perverting the given by inspiration of God, and is prof- Yes, it takes dedicated study to grow in sacred and holy Word of God.” itable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- understanding the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15; Melanie Phillips recently mused that rection, for instruction in righteousness” Isaiah 28:10, 13). But, in reality, the Bible the Vatican today, under this pope, may (2 Timothy 3:16). There is no instruction interprets itself! be taking “a giant step backwards into a here to resort first to any “symbolic and Why do men insist on trying to inter- darker age”—an age when the Vatican spiritual interpretation techniques used pret the Bible? dictated that the Roman Catholic Church by the ancient fathers of the church”! A quarter of a century ago, Herbert alone was the sole authority for interpreta- Those “interpretation techniques” Armstrong gave the answer. In the Plain tion of the Bible! (Oct. 25, 2010). as applied over the centuries have led to Truth magazine of November 1983, he Could it be that this pope is in reality many contradictory interpretations of wrote, “The Scriptures are profitable for seeking to hide what inerrant Scripture re- Scripture, even within Roman Catholi- the purpose of reproving and correcting veals as to the true nature of the religious cism. But Jesus Christ plainly said “the us. But we resent being reproved and cor- body he leads, its true beginnings, and its scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). rected. How many people do you know prophesied end? Hide the truth by insist- The Bible does not contradict itself! who are even willing to be corrected ing on the application of the interpreta- It is not for the pope, it is not for any of where they are in error—to be reproved tion techniques imposed by the “ancient his priests, it is not for man at all to inter- for the wrong things they do? fathers of the church” and thus interpret- pret the Scriptures based on any particu- “People do not like to be reproved and ing, or rather wresting, the Scriptures to lar religious ideology! corrected. They love praise and flattery. suit the whim and the will of the Vatican? Only one power can unlock the plain, But reproof and correction they surely hate. (2 Peter 3:16). straightforward meaning of Scripture. “That’s why it is so hard for so many You need to allow the Bible to interpret That is the power of the mind of God alone, people to understand the Bible and to agree itself on this burning question and all oth- exerting His influence on the mind of an on just what it says. The Bible is God’s great ers. Request our free booklet Daniel—Un- individual by the power of His Holy Spirit. spiritual mirror. It shows up every flaw in sealed at Last! for insight into, Jesus Christ Himself, the Word of God our thinking and reveals every spot on and for the biblical answers to, personified, declared that when the Holy our characters. It pictures us as we really this question. n 25 music How Important Is Music? What the ayatollah, Darwin and Freud were missing out on by Ryan malone

t’s better that our dear Music and science were not considered at youth spend their valuable time odds with each other. A scientist examin- in learning science and essential ing the ayatollah’s comment about “learn- and useful skills.” Those were ing science and essential and useful skills” the“I words of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last would have been flabbergasted that the August when he denounced all forms of ayatollah was excluding music from that music as “not compatible with the highest grouping. values of the sacred regime of the Islamic “It is a recent notion that music is a Republic.” divertissement to be enjoyed in comfort- It’s not usual for dictators to forbid able surroundings at the end of the day, harmless or even worthwhile endeavors far removed from the hurly-burly of life’s that they find threatening to their author- business,” writes Jamie James in The Mu- ity. But did the ayatollah have a point? Are sic of the Spheres. “[T]hroughout most of science and other skills more “useful” to the history of our culture, music was it- our children than music? Many people ap- self an essential part of life’s business. … created the harmonies we found most parently think so, just judging by the im- [I]t was taken for granted throughout the pleasing, and that by understanding mu- poverished music programs of the average whole history of the West that music was sic, we could better understand the uni- public school. a defining human activity, and therefore verse. Ancient scientists also believed our How important is music to our exis- every educated person was trained in the bodies and minds are a musical instru- tence? Our underfunded music curricula rudiments of music.” ment. We find certain harmonies pleasing, aren’t able to answer that respectably. Even James points out that music “remained in fact, because they agree with our own some recent efforts to validate music have an important constituent of mathemat- internal rhythms. Our bodies are soothed backfired. Consider the famous “Mozart ef- ics in European education until the 19th or stirred by music because they, like a taut fect” study. Using faulty science, the study century.” The concept of music existing string, vibrate sympathetically to sounds endeavored to show music’s usefulness— merely to give pleasure would have been produced around them. Considering the by proving that it improved students’ per- considered as ludicrous as the idea of be- healing properties of music, and new dis- formances in “more important” subjects! lieving that sex only existed to give plea- coveries on how the brain reacts to music, “Think how absurd this would sound if we sure. Thinkers before the 19th century be- we know they were on to something. turned it inside out,” Daniel Levitin pointed lieved music has a pure and enlightening out in his book This Is Your Brain on Mu- purpose in human existence—that it links The Brain Loves Music sic. “If I claimed that studying mathematics us with the eternal and the spiritual. New brain-scanning technology is show- helped musical ability, would policy mak- “Musical training was considered ing us some remarkable things about ers start pumping money into math for that one of the high marks of refinement in the impact of music on health and brain reason? Music has often been the poor step- the Middle Ages,” write Patricia Shehan function. People who cannot talk have child of public schools, the first program to Campbell and Carol Scott-Kassner in sung. People who cannot walk have get cut when there are funding problems, Music in Childhood. By the time of the danced! Medicine is further acknowledg- and people frequently try to justify it in Enlightenment, “Music instruction was ing something it should have known all terms of its collateral benefits, rather than more than ‘window dressing’ in European along: the health-influencing properties letting music exist for its own rewards.” schools. It was viewed as ‘basic’ to the ed- of music. The healing properties of music What are music’s intrinsic rewards? ucation of all children.” (expounded in our July 2010 article “Well- How vital is it to life? Is it a frivolous hob- Men of science long believed that mu- Toned: A Whole New Meaning”) should by for the specialized few, or an extracur- sic was not only sound that emanated be enough to make the case for music’s ricular entertainment for the “undertal- from a minstrel’s lyre, but the way both intrinsic worth in our lives. ented” masses? the heavenly bodies and even the human The brain has no single music “center.” body were ordered. It was no coincidence Listening to or performing music engages Lost Wisdom to them that the ratios dictating the mea- “every area of the brain that we have so Centuries ago, such questions surements of the solar system were the far identified, and involve[s] nearly ev- 26 would have sounded absurd. same as the ratios in the frequencies that ery neural subsystem” (Levitin, op. cit.). brain because music provides a special communication channel between parent and child” (U.S. News, op. cit.). Music in Childhood states, “Children are stimulated intellectually, physically, and even spiritually in their recognition of music for its own sake as well as its integra- tion with their knowledge of the humani- ties, the sciences, and the social studies.” Music Haters As off base as the ayatollah’s comments may seem, he is in famous company—par- ticularly among two thinkers who shaped the musically handicapped modern edu- cation system as we know it today: Sig- mund Freud and Charles Darwin. Not only was music simply not impor- tant to them, there appeared to be some great chasm between them and this illustri- ous element of humanity. In all his writings, Freud mentioned his personal connection to music only once: “I am almost incapable of obtaining any pleasure [from music]. Some rationalistic, or perhaps analytic, turn of mind in me rebels against being moved by a thing without knowing why I am thus affected and what it is that affects me.” Darwin was similarly unmoved by it. “Formerly … music [gave me] very intense You could call it the best mental workout and papers, but of all forms of organiza- delight. But now … I have almost lost my around. Physical education experts laud tion meant to put those papers in the right taste for … music,” he wrote. “My mind swimming for using all the body’s major drawers, music is most effective. seems to have become a sort of machine muscle groups. Music, you could say, is Music was how the great Irish min- for grinding general laws out of large col- the swimming of mental activities. strel-bards were capable of retaining and lections of fact. … The loss of these tastes No wonder the corpus callosum (the recalling so much information in their is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be area connecting the brain’s two hemi- advisement to the Irish kings: They knew, injurious to the intellect, and more prob- spheres) is enlarged in professional mu- as Dr. Oliver Sacks writes in Musicophilia, ably to the moral character by enfeebling sicians. No wonder studies have found that “music … has played a huge role in re- the emotional part of our nature.” that musicians distinguish and remember lation to the oral traditions of poetry, sto- Perhaps this inability and even blatant sound better than non-musicians. rytelling, liturgy and prayer. Entire books refusal to enjoy music by the fathers of But music’s impact on the brain is true can be held in memory.” modern psychoanalysis and modern evo- for musicians and non-musicians alike. Music benefits our mental, physical lutionary thought is evidence of their— Brain imaging has shown that the brain and emotional health. It aids our thinking ahem—mental instability. “gives a little start of surprise when a pas- and our moods. It also aids our children “Music is part of being human,” Dr. sage of music takes an unexpected turn” through their earliest development—even Sacks writes, “and there is no human cul- even in someone without musical training while still in the womb. ture in which it is not highly developed and (U.S.News and World Report, Aug. 5, 2001). Study after study is emerging show- esteemed. Its very ubiquity may cause it to It is a mistake, in fact, as Music in ing that when our children have musical be trivialized in daily life: We switch on a Childhood points out, to buy into the training, they tend to excel in their devel- radio, switch it off, hum a tune, tap our feet, “myth that few children are musically en- opment and may even enjoy a boost in IQ. find the words of an old song going through dowed”—one that “threatens the right of (The studies cite the neurological benefits, our minds, and think nothing of it.” all to a musical education, and may even though we can’t count out the behavioral How important is music? So impor- endanger a musical culture.” habits that regular disciplined practicing tant, in fact, that it ironically becomes Music aids our minds in that it can be instills.) Some educators are taking note, trivialized by its very saturation of our a powerful mnemonic device. How many and Kindermusik and other music pro- lives. May we never let that familiarity children learn the alphabet by having it grams are receiving more funding. breed such contempt that we forget its im- attached to a Mozartian tune? How many Research also suggests that the brain pact on our existence, how intrinsic it is remember the books of the Bible with the is prewired for music from infancy and to the world created around us, and how aid of a song? At the very least, we can can learn music as quickly as it can learn vital it is to the instruction, development all think of popular products sung to the speech. Because of parents’ tendencies to and maturation of our children. n tune of a commercial jingle. speak to babies in singsong, Sandra Tre- Music is like a reliable secretary for your hub of the University of Toronto specu- February 2011 mind. Our brain is full of filing cabinets lates that “we are born with a musical THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 27 The latest WikiLeaks downpour didn’t just hurt U.S. interests—it exposed just how weak America has become. By Stephen Flurry

hen Julian Assange re- however, don’t fix the damage the leaks president to win a Nobel Peace Prize. This leased a deluge of confidential have caused. In fact, the lack of a firm re- feat would have been impossible if either U.S. intelligence documents sponse only reinforces an uncomfortable side feared their communications could be on the Internet last Novem- truth that the leaked cables themselves made public. Both sides were afraid of los- Wber, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clin- post on a billboard for all the world to see: ing face by being the one to ask for peace, ton initially called it a major attack on the that America’s will has been broken. yet both sides wanted peace. Tsar Nicolas United States. The response was accurate, only agreed to negotiate on the condition justified and suitably forceful. Broken Connections, Damaged Credibility that his agreement would remain “abso- It was also an anomaly. Sadly, soon Consider the damage done to America’s lutely secret” until Japan had also agreed after that refreshing display of force, the information-gathering abilities. For exam- to do so. Actually, Japan had been asking U.S. began backpedaling away from any ple, one secret cable contained important the U.S. the same thing for some time. talk of aggression or retaliation against testimony from a well-connected Iranian In this case, Japan and Russia put their the blatant act of espionage. businessman who works in Baku, was edu- trust in America firstly because it was in The day after Clinton made her re- cated in Britain and made famous in Iran their interest, but also because they trusted marks, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as a sportsman. His name was omitted America to keep their secrets. Thus Roos- downplayed the significance of the unau- from the cable, but how long will it be be- evelt was able to negotiate a treaty that thorized release of more than 250,000 clas- fore Iranian authorities figure out who it stopped a war, helped American interests sified State Department documents. He is? Next time he’s interviewed by American in the Far East, and increased America’s said the overall impact of America’s secrets diplomats—assuming he is even alive— global prestige. going public would be “fairly modest.” how forthright do you suppose he will be? Now that trust is gone. “[T]aking away Gates explained, “The fact is, govern- “We do know … that our adversar- privacy makes diplomacy impossible,” ments deal with the United States because ies are out there actively mining this in- wrote Stratfor’s George Friedman. “If what it’s in their interest, not because they like formation,” a Pentagon spokesman ex- you really think of the guy on the other side us, not because they trust us, and not be- plained. We just don’t know how they are of the table is made public, how can diplo- cause they believe we can keep secrets. … going to use it, he said. macy work? … [W]hat [Assange] did in We are still essentially, as has been said Besides abetting the terrorist cause, leaking these documents, if the leaking did before, the indispensable nation” (em- consider the impact WikiLeaks will have anything at all, is make diplomacy more phasis mine throughout). on America’s diplomatic exchanges with difficult. It is not that it will lead to war White House Press Secretary Robert allies. There have already been reports of by any means; it is simply that one cannot Gibbs exuded this same air of superior- foreign diplomats backing away from their advocate negotiations and then demand ity during an interview on December 1. dealings with American officials. Accord- that negotiators be denied confidentiality We’re not afraid of one guy with a laptop, ing to the State Department, fewer diplo- in which to conduct their negotiations. No Gibbs exclaimed. “We’re the United States mats are now attending meetings abroad. business could do that, nor could any other of America!” In one case, there was a request for note- institution” (Dec. 14, 2010). America’s leaders weren’t the only books to be left outside the meeting room. All in all, as former cia officer Robert ones claiming the leaks were no big deal. Who can blame them? No one wants Baer wrote in the Financial Times, Ameri- Former New York Times columnist Leslie their off-the-record comments to go viral. can credibility and diplomacy have suffered Gelb actually said that WikiLeaks “ac- Even America’s own diplomats must sure- “incalculable” damage. “[T]he credibility cidentally helps” America. In his list of ly be thinking twice about offering candid of the State Department as a reliable inter- WikiLeaks winners, Foreign Policy’s Da- remarks when reporting back to Washing- locutor has evaporated, and no doubt for a vid Rothkopf handed first place to “The ton. How can they be expected to provide long time,” Baer concluded (Nov. 30, 2010). United States of America,” and second the unvarnished truth if, in the backs of place to “American diplomats.” their minds, they are worried about some- No Consequences Such expressions of inflated self-worth, one else seeing that information later? The most disturbing development, as Remember the example of Theodore Washington Post columnist Charles Krau- February 2011 Roosevelt. For negotiating peace between thammer noted, “is the helplessness of a 28 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET Russia and Japan, he became the first U.S. superpower that not only cannot protect Yemen onsider the now-blown cover of Yemen’s president (a covert U.S. ally). The cia Clists the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda as the most urgent threat to U.S. security. One leaked cable shows that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave U.S. Gen. David Petraeus permission to routinely bomb al Qaeda targets within Yemen, saying, “We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours.” The cable also indicts Yemen’s deputy prime minister for blatantly lying to parliament when he claimed Yemeni forces were dropping the bombs on the terrorist positions—implying that heathen American forces were not allowed in the country. Another cable reveals President Saleh gave his approval to alcohol smuggling by government officials, even as he worked to boost his popularity by portraying himself as an Islamic leader in the full religious sense. The cable paints him as a blatant hypocrite. Greg Johnson, a Yemen expert at Princeton, said, “In some of the its own secrets but shows the world that tribal areas where al Qaeda is really attempting to recruit people, having something if you violate its secrets—massively, wan- like this where the president and his ministers are on the record talking about lying tonly and maliciously—there are no con- and deceiving parliament and the Yemeni public, I think it will have traction. Al sequences” (Dec. 3, 2010). Qaeda will be able to use it in the months to come.” A reporter asked Pentagon spokes- Now, not only is America’s ability to attack al Qaeda in Yemen in peril, but there is man Geoff Morrell why the United States also the potential loss of an ally and the reinforcement of the terrorists that America didn’t employ its recently developed Cy- will have to deal with. ber Command in order to prevent the WikiLeaks fiasco. This was his stunning response: “We … clearly have offensive capabilities. But at the end of the day … Lebanon the decision was made not to proceed with any sort of aggressive action of that sort in ikiLeaks also gave Hezbollah terrorists a boost in Lebanon. The cables quote this case. It was just deemed not appropri- WLebanon’s Defense Minister Elias Murr, former Telecommunications Minister ate for us to consider such a thing.” Marwan Hamade and other politicians giving sensitive information about Hezbollah The Pentagon, in other words, might to American officials. Murr offered advice for the U.S. to pass on to Israel to use have stopped WikiLeaks before it even got against Hezbollah. The leaks show that Murr wanted Israel to weaken Hezbollah so started, but that wouldn’t have been appro- the Lebanese Army could “take over.” priate. And besides, as Morrell went on to This is exactly the type of propaganda that Hezbollah, which paints itself as the explain, at the end of the day, the docu- true defender of Lebanon, loves. Hezbollah will no doubt use it to justify radical ment dump “does not … adversely impact actions against the Lebanese government. America’s power or prestige.” The Lebanese leaks will also affect the international tribunal investigating the Don’t worry—we’re the United States of murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A Lebanese tribunal was expected America! We’re invincible and indispensable! to implicate Syria and accuse several Hezbollah members of being involved in the The rest of the world, meanwhile, sees murder. However, leaked cables reveal that the tribunal had asked the U.S. for America as a former superpower in rapid intelligence. Hezbollah is using this to claim that the tribunal is a setup. Again, the decline. The pride of America’s power has leaks hurt the politicians that chose to work with the U.S. against terrorist groups. already been broken, just as God said it would be (Leviticus 26:19). Nothing illus- trates this quite like America’s passive re- sponse to the WikiLeaks sabotage—a bla- Zimbabwe tant act of international espionage aimed directly at the United States. n Zimbabwe too, the position of America and its allies has been undermined. Leaked It’s a far cry from the iron-handed ap- Icables paint President Robert Mugabe’s chief opponent, Prime Minister Morgan proach to foreign affairs that presidents Tsvangirai, as an American stooge, and a crummy one at that. They relate Tsvangirai’s like Theodore Roosevelt once employed, discussions with the U.S. on how to oust Mugabe. The leaks also reveal the name of when America was on the rise as a presti- a member of Mugabe’s own party who was informing the U.S. Now he could end up gious and dominant world power. “Speak fired, in prison, or dead. Zimbabwean officials are accusing Tsvangirai of treason. softly and carry a big stick—[and] you will Liesl Louw-Vaudran of the Institute for Security Studies said the leaks could go far,” Roosevelt said. As Thomas Bailey easily destabilize Zimbabwe: “We are sitting with a very tense situation, very delicate, wrote in his 1968 volume, The Art of Di- where we’ve got a dictator now for the last 25 years here in Africa, absolutely insistent plomacy, Roosevelt’s proverb means that that any opposition to him is being instigated by the West. And now he has that on for diplomatic courtesy to produce tan- paper, and that is dangerous. … I do fear that the revelations [are] really going to gible results, it has to be backed by a show give ammunition to President Robert Mugabe, especially while we are facing a new of real strength. election in Zimbabwe [in 2011].” Now, America seems to be ditching the The cables have made a mess of America’s efforts to undermine a despotic proverbial “big stick” altogether. regime that disregards human rights and works closely with China. 29 Pakistan Terrorist Targets merica’s tenuous alliance with Pakistan also took a hit. U.S. he leaks broadcast to the world the locations of America’s Acritics in Islamabad, of which there are many, cannot be happy Thard-to-defend soft spots. According to Agence France-Presse, about the cable accusing Pakistan of “playing a double game.” one secret cable contains a list of important global infrastructure Other leaks reveal America’s aggravation over the lax security locations, including underwater pipelines, communication ports surrounding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. As one Pakistani official and mineral reserves. Said P.J. Crowley, spokesman at the State recently noted, “The documents show what Washington really Department, it’s exactly the kind of classified information that thinks about us.” Which is to say, not much. can be used by terrorist groups as a target list. Iran he WikiLeaks reveal an America not the primary source of state-sponsored As many of our readers know, we were Tonly unwilling to use force against its terrorism, America backed down. talking about the likelihood of Iraq falling most avowed enemy, but a nation going to In November 2009, according to one to Iran as early as 1994. Can you imagine extremes to cover up that nation’s hatred diplomatic cable, King Hamad of Bahrain the power Iran would have, Gerald Flurry for the U.S.—even going so far as to hide “argued forcefully” for the U.S. to use asked in December of that year, if it gained from Americans the fact that Iran is at “whatever means necessary” to knock out control of Iraq? Then, soon after the war war with America and killing its soldiers. Iran’s nuclear program. “The danger of broke out in March 2003, we wrote, “It may Try to wrap your mind around that: Even letting it go on is greater than the danger seem shocking, given the U.S. presence as American soldiers are asked to sacrifice of stopping it,” he said. in the region right now, but prophecy their lives in the war against terrorism, two His plea was shared by numerous indicates that, in pursuit of its goal, Iran U.S. presidents—representing both political other Arab leaders. “Bomb Iran, or live will probably take over Iraq” (June 2003). parties—have been hard at work covering with an Iranian bomb. Sanctions, carrots, According to one cable that turned the tracks of the world’s number-one state incentives won’t matter,” said one senior up in the latest WikiLeaks dump, King sponsor of terror! representative from the Jordanian Senate. Abdullah “frequently exhorted the U.S. to In October, when WikiLeaks released attack Iran and put an end to its another batch of secret documents “The danger of letting nuclear weapons program.” The coming from the Iraqi battlefield, the [Iran’s nuclear program] Saudi ambassador to Washington New York Times said it revealed how Iran’s go on is greater than the implored America “to cut off the military had “intervened aggressively” to danger of stopping it.” head of the snake.” support combatants fighting American Many of our readers will Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa remember us using that same troops. Another Times piece noted that king of bahrain U.S. troops had discovered evidence of analogy when the war on Iran’s role in training Iraqi militants and terrorism began. “If the Taliban supplying militias with rockets, magnetic Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is just one tendril of the monster, where bombs and other weapons. “The reports referred to Iranian President Mahmoud is the head?” we asked in November 2001. make it clear that the lethal contest Ahmadinejad as being irrational and “The real head of the snake of terrorism between Iranian-backed militias and accused Iran of continually “stirring is referred to in end-time prophecy as the American forces continued after President trouble.” In another cable, America’s king of the south.” And Iran, that article Obama sought to open a diplomatic ambassador in Cairo described Mubarak explained, was the one Mideast nation dialogue with Iran’s leaders,” the Times as having “a visceral hatred for the Islamic with enough strength, willpower and wrote (Oct. 22, 2010). Republic.” resources to be the king of the south. Even as Iran continued its deadly assault Abu Dhabi’s crown prince said it was Students of Bible prophecy are well on American troops, President Obama only a matter of time before Ahmadinejad aware of the coming clash between the worked to erase the Iranian connection. plunged the Middle East into war. He said kings of the north and south, spoken Who can forget his Cairo speech, when if American air strikes didn’t take out the of in Daniel 11:40. This is referring to a he showered praise on the Iranian people nuclear program, then the U.S. should German-led European combine, the king and encouraged the mullahs to finish their send in ground forces. He urged such of the north, coming against the Iranian- nuclear power project? action back in 2006. led king of the south like a whirlwind. For his part, President Bush repeatedly Even before that Saudi Arabia’s The United States, meanwhile, isn’t stressed toward the end of his second powerful King Abdullah angrily expressed even mentioned in the Daniel 11 prophecy. term that he had “no desire” to go to war his disapproval of the Bush administration In fact, no Bible prophecy speaks expressly against Iran. for disregarding his advice against the of a major clash between the United States Even as practically every major leader Iraqi invasion. Prior to the war in Iraq, and Iran. in the Middle East was pleading with Abdullah said, the U.S., Saddam Hussein What prophecy does reveal is that afp

and Saudi Arabia had collectively kept Iran God has broken the pride of American / the United States to do something about getty in check. But by knocking out Saddam, the power—that America’s military strength

images February 2011 U.S. had unwittingly handed Iraq over to in these latter days will be spent in vain 30 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET Iran as a “gift on a golden platter.” (Leviticus 26:19-20). n principles of living Stephen flurry The Sin of Idolatry It’s more common than you might think.

f all God’s commandments, the ban on idolatry peers. For us, it may be an inordinate love of self—or vanity—as might seem the most outdated. It must be for another it was with Lucifer. His heart was lifted up because of his own age, many assume—when people offered sacrifices before beauty—so much so that he wanted to raise his earthly throne man-made statues or deified the sun, moon and stars. above his own Creator’s (Ezekiel 28:17; Isaiah 14:13). OIn fact, idolatry is just as common today as it was in the Maybe it’s pursuing the physical beauty of others that we place Stone Age. Of course, the materials, technologies, trends and in front of God. Just look at how our Western culture glamorizes fashions are much different than they were then. But human na- beauty, among women especially—as if good looks and a youth- ture remains the same. ful appearance are all that matters. Look at the reverential treat- In the pivotal Old Testament prophecy of Leviticus 26, God ment of celebrity icons. reaffirmed the birthright promises He had made to Abraham. Perhaps it’s physical wealth and materialism that prevents us He told the Israelites of Moses’s day that they would receive the from putting God first, like the young man who told Jesus he birthright blessings then, if they faithfully obeyed God’s laws. In had obeyed all of God’s commandments since his youth. When outlining these conditions to Israel, God placed special empha- Jesus told him to give up his earthly possessions, he went away sis on two of the Ten Commandments. sorrowful because his heart was so attached to material things. Notice: “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither Pleasure-seeking also separates a lot of people from God— rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of things like entertainment and sports or excessive television view- stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your ing. God’s way of life, after all, is demanding. Among other things, God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I God expects us to observe His weekly and annual sabbaths, to am the Lord” (Leviticus 26:1-2). tithe on all of our income and to seek Him daily through effectual Keep my sabbaths, God said, and don’t bow down to idols. fervent prayers and diligent Bible study. If we spend most of our These were the two great test commandments for the people of leisure time pursuing things other than God, this might be an idol. Israel. Now why would God emphasize these two? Because these Some make an idol out of gluttony, drunkenness and other two, more than the others, were designed to keep man in the clos- such addictions. Instead of looking to God in time of need, they est, most intimate contact with his Maker! turn to physical substances in order to cope or to escape. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the Still others insist on putting friends or family members ahead land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,” God thundered at Mt. of God. They would rather give God second or third place in Sinai, before reiterating the ten indispensable laws mankind has their lives than face alienation from loved ones over their obedi- always needed to regulate their relationships with God and man. ence to God’s laws. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” God continued What about our profession or career? God praises those who (Exodus 20:1-3). That word before means “in place of.” God must work with all their might, but if we turn to work in order to avoid have first place in our lives—always; without exception. This responsibilities at home or in the church, then we can make a First Commandment forbids man from placing anyone or any- god out of working. On the other hand, there are also those who thing in front of God. It forbids idolatry. refuse to work—who make a god out of idleness and ease. Now notice how the Second Commandment flows right out of Whatever it is, if we place it ahead of God and living accord- the great command to put God above all else. “Thou shalt not make ing to His laws, it becomes a false god! If it interferes with our unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in relationship with God, the Bible says, then it becomes an idol— heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the wa- and it must be crushed! ter under the In Mr. Armstrong’s case, it took God 28 years to finally stamp Whatever it is, if we place it ahead earth: Thou out every vestige of self-assured confidence, which was idolatry! shalt not bow “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry,” Paul of God and living according to His down thyself wrote to the brethren at Corinth, well over a thousand years af- laws, it becomes a false god. to them, nor ter Israel had come out of Egyptian captivity. He knew well that serve them: the idolatry command was not meant for some bygone age. It was for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God …” (verses 4-5). written for us. Like the rest of the Ten Commandments, it applies This commandment obviously forbids the use of any physical to our time today! substitutes or aids man sets up in order to “worship” God. But And it remains, even to this day, as one of two critically im- what about the spiritual idols we set up in our hearts, as it says portant test commands. If faithfully obeyed, it automatically in Ezekiel 14:3? We may not bow down to physical idols made of draws us closer to our Maker! stone, wood or precious metals, but our modern world is filled Keep yourselves from idols, as John wrote to conclude his first with idolatry just the same! epistle. Give God first place in your life. Make your relation- “Every person has his idol,” Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in ship with Him more important than anyone or any- his Autobiography. For Mr. Armstrong, it was an egotistical sense thing else. Nothing in this material life is as important of self-importance—the desire to attain status in the eyes of his as that. n 31 Test your bible iq How Humanity Will Learn Its Lesson

The Philadelphia he state of our world was prophesied Comment: Jesus Christ, the new world Ruler, will Trumpet, in conjunc- and written in advance. About 2,000 years not be automatically accepted by the warring nations tion with the Herbert ago, the greatest “newscaster” the world has as the King of the Earth. The nations will actually W. Armstrong College ever known foretold today’s chaotic world con- gather their armies to challenge Christ. They will Bible Correspondence ditions.T He foresaw today’s scientific discoveries and consider Him their common enemy, and will rage Course, presents this technological advancements, and the radical changes against Him for coming to take control of all earthly brief excursion into they would effect on humanity. He foretold the wars, governments. They know that with Jesus Christ rul- the fascinating study famines, disease epidemics and natural disasters now ing, their human schemes can never be completed. of the Bible. Simply increasingly occurring before our very eyes. It is this climactic battle that will determine the turn to and read in This famous newscaster knew that men would outcome of World War iii, and who will rule the world! your Bible each verse produce the destructive forces that now threaten cos- given in answer to mocide! He warned: “For that will be a time of greater Seven Final Punishments the questions. You horror than anything the world has ever seen or will 1. Is this time of God’s intervention the time of His will be amazed at ever see again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is righteous wrath on rebellious mankind? Revelation the new understand- shortened, the entire human race will be destroyed” 11:18. What more is revealed about this time of God’s ing gained from this (Matthew 24:21-22; New Living Translation). wrath? Revelation 15:1. short study! This great newscaster was Jesus Christ of Naza- Comment: Just as the seventh seal is divided into reth—the same Jesus who is coming again to inter- the seven last trumpets, so the seventh trumpet is di- vene at the last moment to save humanity from ex- vided into seven last plagues. These plagues will fi- tinction and establish world peace! nally crush all rebellion. But before He intervenes, a number of catastrophic 2. Are the seven last plagues—likened to vials of events that will impact all humanity must first occur. God’s wrath—about to be poured out? Verse 7. How These events are outlined in the book of Revela- are the seven last plagues described? Read Revelation tion. In the last two installments, we have learned 16 for a summary of all seven plagues. that this last book of the Bible details “seven seals” 3. Because men refuse to repent, will God continue that reveal events to occur in the years leading up the to send each plague in sequence? Revelation 16:9, 11. return of Christ (Revelation 5:9). The seventh seal Comment: Despite the plagues, the majority of contains seven symbolic trumpets (Revelation 8:1-6) mankind will not turn to God in repentance right away. that represent consecutive punishments from God 4. How long will it take for all seven plagues to be on a rebellious mankind. And, as we saw last month, administered? Revelation 18:8. the fifth and sixth seals are also known as the first Comment: All seven vials against the disobedient and second woes, signaling warfare between military will begin in one 24-hour day—the day ushered in by powers in Europe and Asia. the blowing of the last trumpet. Some of these vials of Next in the sequence of events described in Rev- wrath will continue to be administered beyond this elation is the seventh trumpet. 24-hour period. The combined power of these plagues 1. What will happen when the seventh trumpet will devastate the disobedient. sounds and the third woe begins? Revelation 11:14- 5. With the sixth plague, will God prepare the way 15. Who will then be given the kingdoms, or govern- for the kings of the east and their armies to cross the ments, of this world? Verse 15. Euphrates into the Holy Land? Revelation 16:12. Is this Comment: On the climactic day of Christ’s re- part of God’s plan to gather the armies of all nations turn, a myriad of events will take place at whirlwind that remain rebellious to His government into one speed. The very first event that occurs at this time is place for the final battle of World War iii? Verses 13- the coronation of Jesus Christ (Daniel 7:13-14), fol- 14. See also Zephaniah 3:8 and Joel 3:9-14. lowed by the announcement at the trumpet blast that Comment: Recall that the fifth and sixth trumpets His government will finally replace those of Satan and are also called the first woe and second woe. In the first man. Other events will take place at the moment of two woes, the beast power will attack, then be devas- the seventh trumpet’s blast as well, as we will see later. tated by a counterattack from the kings of the east. But But first, let’s notice what happens as Christ’s return to on the day of the seventh trumpet, when Christ returns claim the Earth is noticed by the people of the world. to Jerusalem, both armies will unite to fight Him! 2. What will be the reaction of the nations of this 6. Will Christ make war in righteousness against 32 world? Revelation 11:18. those nations that fight Him and His armies? Revelation The Seven Seals of Revelation White Horse: 1st False Prophets Hail, fire and blood; one third of trees, grass burned Revelation 8:6-7 t SEAL Rev. 6:1-2 Trumpet

1s Matt 24:3-5 es 2nd One third of sea becomes blood Red Horse: Trumpet Revelation 8:8-9 War gu a o

Rev. 6:3-4 T

la 3rd One third of fresh water made bitter 2nd SEAL Matt 24:6-7 h Trumpet Revelation 8:10-11 ne- e D

Black Horse: y t p ea

Famine e 4th One third of light darkened ay o Rev. 6:5-6 Trumpet Revelation 8:12 r p

3rd SEAL Matt 24:7 e G of riod

Pale Horse: ump 5th War inspired by Satan 1st f th Pestilence r Trumpet Revelation 8:13; 9:1-12 Woe Rev. 6:7-8 th SEAL 4 Matt 24:7-8 6th Army of 200 million; 1/3 of mankind killed 2nd e Lo od The Great en t Trumpet Revelation 9:13-21 Woe ’ v Tribulation s wr Rev. 6:9-11 7th 3rd rd th SEAL RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST 5 Matt 24:9-10, 21 Trumpet Woe at e se First resurrection occurs; all seven vials begin within 24 hours. The Heavenly Rev. 11:15-19; 19:1-21; Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16; Zech. 14:3-4 h

Signs th Rev. 6:12-17 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th th SEAL

6 Matt 24:29 vial vial vial vial vial vial vial Silence in heaven for Terrible Sea Fresh wa- Scorching Darkness Euphrates Greatest half an hour (Rev. 8:1-6), sores turned ter turned by the and dried earth- followed by the seven inflicted to blood to blood sun pain up quake; hail th SEAL trumpet plagues. 7

19:11; Isaiah 11:4-5. Is Christ going to smite the nations Comment: The glorified Christ is coming with His sharp sword, symbolic of His divine power, in all the splendor, power and glory of God to and rule them with a rod of iron? Revelation 19:15. stop escalating wars, nuclear mass destruction, 7. Who will be defeated in this climactic battle of human pain and suffering. He is coming to usher World War iii? Verses 19-20. in a radically different, utterly transformed global 8. After all organized military resistance to the order. God’s laws will be taught, embraced and Kingdom of God has been crushed, will Christ then enforced worldwide, which will result in peace, punish the leaders of this world’s political and reli- abundant prosperity, happiness and joy for all gious system that warred against Him? Verse 20. mankind. Meanwhile, each of us can receive the blessings Why God Sends Punishment of God’s way of life and His protection now. But first This short study 1. Are God’s angels who will pour out the seven last we must come to see the catastrophic effects of sin as is a sample of the plagues upon Earth clothed in white linen, a symbol God does. Left unchecked, man’s sins would lead to method employed of righteous judgment? Revelation 15:6. the destruction of humanity. The events that occur in each lesson of 2. Does God have to punish mankind because at the seventh trumpet show how much God hates the free Herbert their sins would eventually lead to the destruction of sin—and what He will do to finally eradicate it in the W. Armstrong life on Earth? Zephaniah 1:17; Revelation 11:18. world. We must have this same attitude toward sin. College Bible Comment: God is love (1 John 4:16). God and That means coming to have a sincere willingness and Correspondence Christ love all of humanity (John 3:16). But Christ earnest motivation to completely eliminate it from Course. Over 50,000 will be angry at the sins of mankind when He re- our own lives, just as Jesus Christ will utterly destroy people have enrolled turns. He is coming to punish—in love! Otherwise, the sin in the world at His return. in this exciting, man would destroy all life upon the planet! Power- Those who turn to God and seek to do His will, dynamic course. mad politicians at the helm of human governments instead of following the sinful ways of this world, will Ordering information will have already destroyed much of the Earth, and be given divine protection (Revelation 3:10; 12:14-16). is on the back cover unless God intervenes with force to stop warfare, no You need not suffer any of the coming plagues! n of this magazine. human would be left alive (Matthew 24:22). 3. Will the nations finally accept God and repent, You can read previous articles in this series February 2011 and seek to learn His way? Isaiah 2:1-4. T online at theTrumpet.com/BibleIQ THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET 33 letters the last dot and comma. We obviously buying them. Thanks again for of the taxpaying class are now another fantastic article! The way to peace? feeling more and more un- Angela—Queensland, Australia Thank you for taking the comfortable in this continuing time to warn people will- atmosphere of sullen tribal I really do believe what they’re saying ing to read and prove all dislike of us in the ethnic here about our world and all the ugliness things for themselves by minority. I’m personally a re- that goes along with it. I’d rather worship reading the Bible (“The tired white male, and I simply the God of understanding, truth, love, Last Crusade,” January). cannot bring myself to invest light, compassion, caring and helping Nuclear weapons have kept any of my funds or my wife’s others. These pagan holidays are for kids, peace for 64 years. Nuclear savings in any asset class other but under it lies evil. … I could never weapons now in the wrong than liquid money market ac- understand anything the Bible said until hands will soon start World War iii. The counts due to this everyday discomfort we I started reading the Trumpet and the Bible says the way to peace they (humans) feel. There is a movement of Mugabeism literature. Anthony—New Jersey do not know. … Keep on watching and smoldering under the surface, with media warning, Trumpet staff. freedom now openly being threatened. Setting the stage for Germany Robert Corbett—Wisconsin This is combined with a racial ethnic- Brilliant analysis! (“Britain Buddies cleansing agenda/state religion known as With France. What Could Possibly Go Change of perspective toward Iran “transformation.” A sad but predictable Wrong?” January). This pact also sets the Awesome and inspiring are two words that outcome to totalitarian anc rule. stage for future military integration at come to mind (“The History Iran Forgot,” David—Johannesburg, South Africa German insistence—with the excuse that January)! Thank you for this article! Ev- no one complained about the British and ery person on the planet should read this. Well spoken. It takes courage to say what French “aligning militarily.” Political cor- It would make an Earth-changing differ- no one else will for fear of being politically rectness will force the world to not hurt ence in our perspective toward Iran! “incorrect.” I work in a “politically cor- Germany’s feelings by protesting their J.B.—California rect” environment, and I see what happens military integration plans. when someone messes up and speaks their John Hopkin—North Carolina A must-see website mind. It’s not pretty. Although the subject I don’t know what prompted you to write of South Africa is a hotbed of controversy Your humor has me rolling such an article, but it was a refreshing piece to say the least, I admire that you took this “Therefore, scientists have reasonably ex- to read—and inspiring (“Break Through on and spoke the truth! J.B.—Canada pected to find thousands, or at least hun- Giant Barriers,” January). Thanks. Just dreds, or maybe 10, fossils of transition- a comment about theTrumpet.com. In Grotesque and creepy! ary species. But they can’t find a single my opinion, it is the best site now on the I had never heard of zombie walking before one!” Your humor has me rolling (“Have Internet. The addition of the Forum, the (“Don’t Even Think About It,” January). You Ever Looked at a Monkey?” January). blog, and the other video news just make Then yesterday, we were trying to drive I love this line. The ending was brilliant. it a must-see website. through the city of Brisbane, and we could The link we have to God is amazing, so Charles Woelfel—Cebu, Philippines not get through. There were people every- it’s clear why the god of this world wants where. They had red paint on clothing and us to believe we are merely primates. If Thanks for visiting my country faces to look like blood, and people had he can keep our focus on the physical we I have taken the liberty of reading your masks, etc. It was grotesque and creepy. will never reach our potential. well-researched article about South Af- I looked it up and found that it was Bris- K.O.—United States rica (“Clouds Across the Rainbow,” Janu- bane’s annual Zombie Walk, and they were ary). It is clear that you are well aware raising money for the Brain Foundation of How can it be that these very same people of what the status quo is in South Africa Australia. I actually thought it was insult- (or at least people with a similar mindset) unlike so many others that report on ing to the families with brain injuries to trying so desperately to conjure up a link our country without even having visited have money raised for them in this way. between monkeys and man would scoff at it. Our country is a mess. We have the L.K.—Australia hard, physical evidence being dug up out highest number of murders and rapes of the ground in Jerusalem of a city, a king committed in the world. Corruption is on Spot on! Halloween has never been any and a nation? Mike B.—Pennsylvania par with all other African nations. What real big deal in Australia until the last more is there to say? … The fact is that couple of years where it is taking root An eye opener! we have sinned against God. This is truly (probably attributed to the tv series/mov- This is the first publication of your maga- our punishment. Most of us know exactly ies you mentioned). I don’t even like being zine I have received, and what an eye which way this country is heading and around the paraphernalia at the checkout opener! I have often wondered how the it’s definitely not toward prosperity. at the shops with our two young boys—it newsworthy stories depicted on our cable Durandt—South Africa is so offensive and impressionable on a news fit into the Bible’s prophecies. Now young curious mind. … As for vampires, I have a source to explain them using the You have the entire frightening, but they are selling T-shirts for toddler girls Bible itself. How refreshing is this? An wholly predictable, future of this latest saying, “Forget being a princess, I’d entity that wants to gain nothing for it- example of Afro-tribal fascism down to rather be a VAMPIRE!” and parents are self, the overall result is gain for someone else, i.e. our Heavenly Father and Christ, February 2011 Comments? Write to [email protected] or: our Lord and Savior! Truly remarkable. 34 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET The Trumpet, P.O. Box 1099, Edmond, OK 73003 D. Walton—Hanover, Pa. commentary Ron fraser Marriage—Soon Obsolete? Americans say yes, but they are wrong.

s marriage on the way out? Is adultery still wrong? parents who were never Are home and family life to disappear from society? How married. A notable and when did the institution of marriage originate? Does chunk within those two it serve any necessary purpose? Herbert Armstrong asked groups—6 percent— Ithose questions well over 40 years ago in his booklet Why Mar- have parents who live riage! Soon Obsolete? together, but decided to The title of that booklet flashed before my eyes when I read raise children without a recent Associated Press headline using the same terms. “Four getting married. in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete,” it said (emphasis mine). When I attended el- “[N]early one in three American children is living with a par- ementary school from ent who is divorced, separated or never-married,” it said. “More the mid-1940s to early people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren’t needed to 1950s, I did not know the meaning of the term divorce. I was the have a family” (Nov. 18, 2010). only child in my class from a single-parent home. My mother was Those people couldn’t be more wrong! I know the negative widowed. I consciously felt my status diminished by not having statistics surrounding the families without monogamous mar- a father like all my peers. riages. And I have, over the years, worked with people whose By the time my eldest son reached high school, half his peers lives have shattered as a result. came from either single-parent homes or homes that had suf- I know and have studied for years the figures surrounding the fered the identity trauma of divorce and remarriage. devastation caused by single-parent, broken families produced We pride ourselves on just how we have “matured” as a highly by couples without the courage nor the sense of responsibility to developed, politically correct society. But in reality, our society is make a lifetime marriage commitment. Not to mention the ter- rapidly devolving back to the pre-Flood Noachian era of trashed rible psychological damage done to those who deign to establish moral standards, no absolutes, and popularized perversion in a “family” within a homosexual relationship. human relationships. The result was annihilation! But more, I know, from a lifetime’s experience, the very op- Your Bible prophesies of those times repeating themselves to- posite—the unspeakable blessings, the peace, the happiness and day, times of mass carousing, times when the God-given laws of the security that come from being bound in marriage to one wife marriage would be trashed as obsolete! (Matthew 24:37-38). for almost half a century, and the tremendous stability such a We live in this society today. relationship produces in a second and on to a third generation! The Pew poll revealed that about 39 percent of Americans say I know because I’ve simply lived it! marriage is becoming obsolete. As the Associated Press brought I’ve heard every argument over the years from the feminists, out, “that sentiment follows U.S. census data released in Septem- the leftists, the so-called swingers of the ’70s, and the morally de- ber that showed marriages hit an all-time low of 52 percent for prived generations produced from the beatnik to the rap genera- adults 18 and over. In 1978, just 28 percent believed marriage was tion. Most have argued against marriage as the ideal way to build becoming obsolete” (ibid.). healthy families and societies. And most used their argument to But the deepest concern ought to be that our society has lost justify their own chosen immoral lifestyle. the definition, the meaning, and the vision of the term marriage Well, I’m thankful that, as a young person seeking after truth, as revealed in Scripture—applying to the monogamous relation- I came across one who preached the truth, and who challenged ship between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). his listeners to prove he was right! “When asked what constitutes a family … four of five sur- I took the challenge and proved it! veyed pointed … to an unmarried, opposite-sex couple with As a young children or a single parent. Three of five people said a same-sex Around 29 percent of children married parent couple with children was a family” (ibid.). of two 42 years What would happen within another lifetime? Could the mar- under 18 now live with a parent ago, I read Her- riage institution itself even survive? The reality is that if marriage or parents who are unwed. bert Armstrong’s as an institution does not survive, then civilization as we know booklet proph- it will collapse! esying of a coming generation that would see marriage as largely Thank the Eternal Creator of man and woman, the Creator of obsolete. Now I read the headline that shows the fulfillment of the institutions of marriage and family, that we will never reach that prophecy. that stage! The Son of God, the Savior of mankind, has declared The sure thing about prophecy is that all you have to do is that when we see society degenerate back to its pre-Flood condi- wait, and one day it will be fulfilled. tion, the Creator is about to intervene in the affairs of man! He will The Pew report that sparked the newspaper article revealed put a defining stop to humankind’s rebellious, anti-God ways, and that around 29 percent of children under 18 now live with a par- usher in the establishment of His very own government on Earth! ent or parents who are unwed or no longer married—five times “But of that day and hour knoweth no man …. But more than in 1960. Among these, about 15 percent have par- as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the photostogo ents who are divorced or separated; the other 14 percent have Son of man be” (Matthew 24:36-37). n 35 ➤ Churchill from page 15 television log man named Winston Churchill came on the scene, and the people set him up as their watchman. God had a hand in it, but still, the people chose Churchill. Mr. Churchill’s warning in the 1930s would fulfill those verses better than any example I know of in America and Brit- ain’s history in this end time. In verse 7, however, it is no longer talk- ing about World War ii or a period like All times are a.m. local time unless otherwise noted. that. The setting dramatically shifts to United States Chicago WCIU 9:30, Sun; WCPX 5:00, Fri this present time: “So thou, O son of man, Nationwide Satellite Peoria WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun I have set thee a watchman unto the Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Rockford WREX-DT 8:30, Sun house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET Indiana, Fort Wayne WPTA-DT 21.2 9:30, Sun the word at my mouth, and warn them Direct TV DBS WGN Chan. 307 8:00 ET, Sun Indianapolis WIPX 6:00, Fri Direct TV DBS ION Ch. 305 6:00 ET, Fri Terre Haute WBI 8:30, Sun from me.” This is not a watchman that Dish Network ION Ch. 216 6:00 ET, Fri Iowa, Austin KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun the people chose, like the one referred to Dish Network DBS WGN Chan. 239 8:00 ET, Sun Cedar Rapids KPXR 5:00, Fri in verse 2. God says boldly and strongly, Nationwide cable WGN 8:00 ET, Sun Des Moines KFPX 5:00, Fri “I have set thee a watchman.” This watch- Alabama, Birmingham WPXH 5:00, Fri Keokuk WEWB 8:30, Sun Dothan WTVY-DT 8:30, Sun Kirksville KWOT 8:30, Sun man is set there and sustained by God. Montgomery WBMM/WBMM-DT 8:30, Sun Mason City KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun Why is this important? Because God Anchorage KIMO-DT 8:30, Sun Ottumwa KWOT 8:30, Sun has now taken the situation to another Fairbanks KATN-DT 8:30, Sun Mason City KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun level. This is not the same as the people Juneau KJUD-DT 8:30, Sun Sioux City KTIV-DT 8:30, Sun choosing a Churchill to save America and Phoenix KPPX 5:00, Fri Kansas, Topeka KSNT 8:30, Sun Arizona, Yuma-El Centro KSWT-DT 9:30, Sun Kentucky, Bowling Green WBKO 8:30, Sun Britain, or modern-day Israel. That will Arkansas, Fayetteville KWFT 8:30, Sun Lexington WUPX 6:00, Fri not happen this time around. Times have Fort Smith KCWA 8:30, Sun Louisiana, Alexandria KBCA 8:30, Sun changed dramatically! This time, people Jonesboro KJOS 8:30, Sun El Dorado-Monroe KNOE-DT 8:30, Sun will either hear God’s man or suffer Rogers KWFT 8:30, Sun Lafayette KLWB 8:30, Sun Springdale KWFT 8:30, Sun Lake Charles WBLC 8:30, Sun nightmarish catastrophe! California, Bakersfield KGET-DT 9:30, Sun New Orleans WPXL 5:00, Fri Here is an amazing point. By going Chico KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun Maine, Bangor WABI-DT 9:30, Sun through that tribulation, according to El Centro KWUB 9:30, Sun Presque Isle WBPQ 9:30, Sun Ezekiel, all these victims are going to get Eureka KUVU-DT 9:30, Sun Maryland, Hagerstown WJAL 12:00 pm, Sun to know God! They don’t know Him today. Los Angeles KPXN 6:00, Fri Salisbury WBD 9:30, Sun Monterey KMWB 9:30, Sun Massachusetts, Boston WBPX 6:00, Fri; WZMY 8:00, Sun If a Churchill came on the scene today, Palm Springs KESQ/KCWQ-DT 9:30, Sun Holyoke WBQT 9:30, Sun he wouldn’t be telling us to repent. He Redding KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun Springfield WBQT 9:30, Sun might tell us some of our flaws and weak- Sacramento KSPX 6:00, Fri Michigan, Alpena WBAE 9:30, Sun nesses, but he wouldn’t tell us to repent of Salinas KION 9:30, Sun Cadillac WGTU/WGTQ 9:30, Sun San Francisco KKPX 6:00, Fri Detroit WPXD 6:00, Fri; WADL 10:00, Sun our sins toward God. Only God’s watch- Santa Barbara KSBY-DT 9:30, Sun Grand Rapids WZPX 5:00, Fri man would do that. And that is what Is- Colorado, Denver KPXC 5:00, Fri Lansing WLAJ-DT 9:30, Sun rael, or America and Britain, needs. Denver KWGN 10:00, Sun Marquette WBKP 9:30, Sun Can we appreciate the significance Grand Junction KKCO-DT 10:30, Sun Traverse City-Cadillac WGTU-DT/WGTQ-DT 9:30, Sun of this end-time event? God chooses a Montrose KKCO-DT 10:30, Sun Minnesota, Duluth-Superior WDLH 8:30, Sun Connecticut, Hartford WHPX 6:00, Fri Mankato KWYE 8:30, Sun watchman and gives him words: Hear the Delaware, Dover WBD 9:30, Sun Minneapolis KPXM 5:00, Fri word at my mouth, He says. The words Salisbury WMDT-DT 9:30, Sun Rochester-Austin KTTC-DC 8:30, Sun from Ezekiel (and the rest of the Bible) are Florida, Gainesville WCJB-DT 9:30, Sun Sioux Fall (Mitchell) KWSD/KSWD-DT 8:30, Sun from the very mouth of God! God gives Jacksonville WPXC/WPXJ-LP 6:00, Fri Mississippi, Biloxi WBGP 8:30, Sun Miami WPXM 6:00, Fri Columbus WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun this man revelation. Then He sends him Orlando WOPX 6:00, Fri Greenville WBWD 8:30, Sun out to proclaim those words: You tell them Panama City WJHG-DT 8:30, Sun Greenwood WBWD 8:30, Sun this warning is from me. No matter what Tallahassee WTXL 7:30, Sun Gulfport WBGP 8:30, Sun they say, unless they repent of their sins, Tallahassee-Thomasville WTLF-DT/WTLH-DT 9:30, Sun Hattiesburg WBH 8:30, Sun they will go into captivity or die. This is not Tampa WXPX 6:00, Fri; WTTA 8:30 am, Sun Laurel WBH 8:30, Sun West Palm Beach WPXP 6:00, Fri Meridian WTOK-DT 8:30, Sun about a Winston Churchill; this is a direct Georgia, Albany WBSK 9:30, Sun Tupelo WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun message from God to the nations of Israel! Augusta WAGT-DT 9:30, Sun West Point WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun If they don’t hear God’s watchman, there Brunswick WPXC 6:00, Fri Missouri, Columbia KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun is only invasion and captivity, worse than Columbus WLGA 9:30, Sun Hannibal WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun any ever known. Macon WBMN 9:30, Sun Jefferson City KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun Savannah WGSA/WGCW-LP 9:30, Sun Joplin-Pittsburg KSXF 8:30, Sun There is no solution in having a Hawaii, Hawaii Na Leo Chan. 54 6:30, Sun; 8:30, Wed Kansas City KPXE 5:00, Fri Churchill anymore. But God has a message Kaui Ho’ Ike Chan. 52 9:30, Tue Quincy-Keokuk WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun that would save them if they would listen! Maui/Lanaii/Molokai/Niihau/Akaku St. Joseph WBJO 8:30, Sun Will you listen? n Chan. 52 6:30 pm, Sun; 3:30, Mon Montana, Billings KTVQ-DT 8:30, Sun Idaho, Idaho Falls KPIF/KBEO 10:30, Sun Bozeman-Butte KBZK-DT/KXLF-DT 10:30, Sun Pocatello KPIF 10:30, Sun Glendive KWZB 10:30, Sun February 2011 Twin Falls KMVT-DT/KTWT-LP 10:30, Sun Great Falls KRTV-DT 10:30, Sun 36 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET Illinois, Bloomington WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun Helena KMTF-DT 10:30, Sun Philadelphia Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry appears each week on The Key of David television program, explaining the meaning behind world events and teaching the inspiring truths of the Bible. Check below for when the program airs in your area—and don’t miss it! The program is also always available for viewing at keyofdavid.com

Missoula KPAX-DT 10:30, Sun Florence WWMB/WWMB-DT 9:30, Sun Parkersburg WBPB 9:30, Sun Nebraska, Lincoln-Hastings KCWL-TV 8:30, Sun Myrtle Beach WWMB/WWMB-DT 9:30, Sun Weston WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun Kearney KCWL-TV 8:30, Sun South Dakota, Mitchell KWSD 8:30, Sun Wheeling WBWO 9:30, Sun North Platte KWPL 8:30, Sun Rapid City KWBH-LP 10:30, Sun Wisconsin, Eau Claire WQOW-DT/WXOW-DT 8:30, Sun Scottsbluff KCHW 10:30, Sun Sioux Falls KWSD 8:30, Sun La Crosse WQOW/WXOW 8:30, Sun Nevada, Reno KREN/KREN-DT 9:30, Sun Tennessee, Jackson WBJK 8:30, Sun Milwaukee WPXE 5:00, Fri New York, Albany WYPX 6:00, Fri Knoxville WPXK 6:00, Fri Rhinelander WAOW/WYOW 8:30, Sun Binghamton WBXI 9:30, Sun Memphis WPXX 5:00, Fri Wausau WAOW-DT/WYOW-DT 8:30, Sun Buffalo WPXJ 6:00, Fri; WUTV 10:00, Sun Nashville WNPX 5:00, Fri Wyoming, Casper 10:30, Sun Elmira WBE 9:30, Sun Texas, Abilene KTWS-DT 8:30, Sun Cheyenne KCHW 10:30, Sun New York City WPXN 6:00, Fri; WLNY 10:00 Sun Arillo KVII-DT/KVIH/KVIH-DT 8:30, Sun Riverton 10:30, Sun Syracuse WSPX 6:00, Fri Beaumont KFDM-DT 8:30, Sun Utica WBU 9:30, Sun Brownsville KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Canada Watertown WWTI-DT 9:30, Sun Corpus Christi KRIS-DT 8:30, Sun Nationwide satellite North Carolina, Charlotte WLMY 8:30, Sun Harlingen KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Durham WRPX 6:00, Fri; 9:00 am, Sun Houston KPXB 5:00, Fri Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET, Sun Fayetteville WFPX 6:00, Fri Laredo KTXW 8:30, Sun Nationwide cable Greensboro WGPX 6:00, Fri Longview KCEB 8:30, Sun WGN 8:00 ET, Sun; Vision TV 4:30 pm ET, Sun Greenville WEPX 6:00, Fri; WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun Lubbock KLCW 8:30, Sun Grace Television Network 11:00 ET, Sun. Lumber Bridge WFPX 6:00, Fri Midland KWWT 8:30, Sun; KMID 9:00 am, Sun British Columbia, Vancouver New Bern WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun Odessa KWWT 8:30, Sun; KMID 9:00 am, Sun KVOS 8:30, Sun; CHEK 9:00, Sun; CHNU 5:30 pm, Sun Raleigh WRPX 6:00, Fri; 9:00 am, Sun Port Arthur KFDM 8:30, Sun Victoria CHNU 5:30 pm, Sun Washington WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun San Angelo KWSA 8:30, Sun Maritime Provinces CIHF 7:30, Sun Wilmington WBW 9:30, Sun San Antonio KPXL 5:00, Fri Ontario, Toronto North Dakota, Bismarck KWMK 10:30, Sun Sherman-Ada KTEN-DT 8:30, Sun WADL 10:00 Sun; CHNU 8:30 pm, Sun; WUTV 10:00, Sun Dickinson KWMK 10:30, Sun Sweetwater KTWS-DT 8:30, Sun Quebec, Montreal WVNY 10:00, Sun Fargo WDAY-DT 8:30, Sun Tyler KCEB 8:30, Sun Minot KWMK 10:30, Sun Victoria KWVB 8:30, Sun Valley City WDAY-DT 8:30, Sun Weslaco KSFE-LP/KTIZ-LP 8:30, Sun Latin America Ohio, Cleveland WVPX 6:00, Fri Wichita Falls KAUZ-DT 8:30, Sun Regional satellite Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Cincinnati WSTR 8:30, Sun Utah, Salt Lake City KUPX 5:00, Fri El Salvador WGN 6:00, Sun Lima WLIO-DT 9:30, Sun Vermont, Burlington WVNY 10:00, Sun Guatemala WGN 6:00, Sun Steubenville WBWO 9:30, Sun Virginia, Charlottesville WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun Honduras WGN 6:00, Sun Zanesville WBZV 9:30, Sun Harrisonburg WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun Mexico WGN 7:00, Sun Oklahoma, Ada KSHD 8:30, Sun Norfolk WPXV 6:00, Fri Panama WGN 7:00, Sun Lawton KAUZ 8:30, Sun Roanoke WPXR 6:00, Fri Oklahoma City KOPX 5:00, Fri Washington D.C. WDCW 8:00, Sun; WPXW 6:00, Fri Caribbean Tulsa KTPX 5:00, Fri Washington, Kennewick KCWK 9:30, Sun Regional satellite Oregon, Bend KTVZ-DT 9:30, Sun Richland KCWK 9:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Eugene KMTR-DT 9:30, Sun; KEVU 10:00 am, Sun Seattle-Tacoma KWPX 6:00, Fri Galaxy 5 Trans. 7 8:00 ET, Sun Klamath Falls KMFD 9:30, Sun Seattle KVOS 8:30, Sun Aruba WGN 8:00, Sun Medford KMFD 9:30, Sun Spokane KGPX 6:00, Fri Bahamas WGN 8:00, Sun Portland KPXG 6:00, Fri Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick Belize WGN 7:00, Sun Pennsylvania, Erie WBEP 9:30, Sun KCWK/KCWK-LP 9:30, Sun Cuba WGN 8:00, Sun Philadelphia WPPX 6:00, Fri West Virginia, Beckley KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun Dominican Republic WGN 8:00, Sun Pittsburgh WPCW 9:00, Sun Bluefield KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun Haiti WGN 7:00, Sun Wilkes Barre WQPX 6:00, Fri Charleston WLPX 6:00, Fri Jamaica WGN 9:00, Sun Rhode Island, Providence WPXQ 6:00, Fri Clarksburg WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun Puerto Rico WGN 8:00, Sun South Carolina, Charleston WCBD-DT 9:30, Sun Oak Hill KVVA-DT 9:30, Sun Trinidad and Tobago WGN 8:00, Sun

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