Kevin Rudd's $7b UN wrangle

november, Andrew Bolt | NEXT month Kevin Rudd flies to Copenhagen to help seal a United Nations deal to cut the world's emissions - and to make Australia hand over part of its wealth

So keen is the Prime Minister to get this new global-warming treaty signed that he's been appointed a "friend of the chairman" to tie up loose ends.

So here's the question: is Rudd really going to approve a draft treaty that could force Australia to hand over an astonishing $7 billion a year to a new and unelected global authority?

Yes, that's $7 billion, or about $330 from every man, woman and child. Every year. To be passed on to countries such as China and Bangladesh, and the sticky-fingered in-between.

Beware the UN’s Copenhagen plot

With just over 40 days until more than 15,000 officials, advisers, diplomats, activists and journalists from more than 190 countries attend the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, we know nothing. Nothing about a climate change treaty that the Rudd government is keen to sign and one that will bind this country for years to come.

Is the New Testament Text Reliable?

october, Greg Koukl | In the spring of 1989 syndicated talk show host Larry King interviewed Shirley MacLaine on the New Age.  When a Christian caller contested her view with an appeal to the New Testament, MacLaine brushed him off with the objection that the Bible has been changed and translated so many times over the last 2000 years that it's impossible to have any confidence in its accuracy.  King was quick to endorse her "facts."  "Everyone knows that," he grunted.

Why Stand With Israel?

Jack Hayford | Israel is a land about which G-d says - uniquely, prophetically, redemptively, and repeatedly in the Bible - "This is Mine."  G-d refers to Israel as He does to no other land on Earth.  Israel was raised up to be a light to the Gentiles.

The Church at its inception was virtually entirely Jewish, and it remained so until the Gospel began to spread.  Ultimately, the Gospel spread to Antioch - where the first Gentile congregation began - the base from which the Gospel spread into all the world.

The First Church of Christian Gnosticism

Gary deMar | Not long ago, I received an email from a woman who asked me if I could direct her to some information that refutes Gnosticism. She wrote that a friend of hers “ claims to be on an extraordinarily intense spiritual ‘ pilgrimage ’ of ‘ really pressing in to know God intimately — but this guy has in effect divorced himself from the material world and from all relationships (including his wife and 10 children) which he views as a hindrance to his spiritual growth.”

Gnostics claim to have special knowledge (gnosis is the Greek word for “knowledge”) on how to live the Christian life that is not revealed to “ordinary Christians.” God’s revelation in Scripture is not good enough or sufficient to give direction on how to live the Christian life. Of course, this refutes what the Bible says when it states that Scripture is &ldq! uo;adequate” and equips the Christian “for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17). She went on to say that this friend, a farmer, “ was putting up hay recently and needed to get it in as they were expecting rain. Before he finished, he remembered that he had scheduled a Bible study, so he left his hay in order to keep the ‘ spiritual ’ duty. The rain came and the hay was lost, but he felt justified that he had chosen the higher calling. ”

Destroyed by a system gone mad

Andrew Bolt | ALL it took to kill the career of Theo Theophanous was for a mentally unstable liar to accuse him of rape.

It didn't matter that the accuser, let's call her Helen, was an "entirely unreliable witness", as magistrate Peter Reardon last week found.

It didn't matter that she at times was barely "clinging to reality, if not her sanity". Nor did it matter that the prosecution case built on her allegation was rightly described by Reardon as "inherently weak", lacking "credibility, reliability and truthfulness".

No, it was enough that Theophanous was accused of rape, which in this age of victimhood means guilt is assumed and the accuser not questioned.

And so this week, betrayed and vilified, Theophanous was obliged to announce his retirement from politics, despite having had the case against him thrown out even before it got to a jury.

The Trap of Neutrality

Gary deMar | According to a radio editorial some years ago, “a man’s religion and the strength of his conviction are his own personal matter” and therefore “religion should not interfere with politics.”[1] Of course, this too is an expression of humanist neutrality designed to silence Christians but allow for every other conceivable worldview to find expression in the public and political arena.

Let’s apply the neutrality logic to Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Should the churches have remained neutral because they were churches and their denouncement of Hitler and policies would have been fundamentally religious? In fact, this is exactly what many churches did do and for what they believed were sound theological reasons. “Religion was a private matter that concerned itself with the personal and moral development of the individual. The externa! l order—nature, scientific knowledge, statecraft—operated on the basis of its own internal logic and discernable laws.”[2]

Obama's attack on our (America's) Christian heritage

Judge Roy Moore | Every Fourth of July we celebrate that day 233 years ago when 56 men voted for American independence, but many do not know that it was not until Aug. 2 of 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was formally signed by most of the delegates to the Second Continental Congress. In a speech given at Independence Hall on the evening of Aug. 1, 1776, Samuel Adams – often called the Father of the American Revolution – spoke to an assembled crowd about the spiritual and religious significance of what he and others had done on July 4th:

We have explored the temple of royalty, and found that the idol we have bowed down to, has eyes which see not, ears that hear not our prayers, and a heart like the nether millstone. We have this day restored the Sovereign, to whom alone men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and with a propitious eye beholds his subjects assuming that freedom of thought, and dignity of self-direction which He bestowed on them. From the rising to the setting sun, may His kingdom come

The Importance of Psalm 110

Joel McDurmon | The New Testament quotes from Psalm 110 more than from any other Old Testament passage. This apostolic emphasis deserves more attention than it has so far received. In the New Testament references to this passage we find the determinant keys to Eschatology, or the doctrine of the future. The resulting ideas we glean from how Peter, Paul, and others apply Psalm 110 overturn much of the popular understanding of prophecy and “end times” teaching. A more consistent understanding will help modern Christians see through popular doom and gloom, through maniacal apocalyptic hysteria, and instead apprehend an optimism and goal-oriented Christian life many have not even yet considered.

Psalm 110, simply, teaches that the Lord (Adonai) shall sit at the right hand of the Almighty (Yaweh), and while the Lord holds that enthroned position, the Almighty shall vanquish all His enemies (v. 1). This vanquishing occurs through the power of the Lord’s strength applied in the midst his enemies (in other words, the enthronement of the Lord does not mean that He sits aloft and disconnected from worldly affairs, but just the opposite) (v.2) This point receives clarification and re-emphasis in v. 5. During the time of this enthroned rule, God’s people shall willingly rally to join and serve him (v. 3). The Lord does not rule as any ordinary ruler, but as an eternal priest-King like Melchizedek (Melchi-Zedek is Hebrew for “My King is Righteous”)—a point strongly emphasized of Christ in the book of Hebrews (v. 4). The Lord-Priest-King engages in the subduing of his enemies from his enthroned seat, and thus! jointly with the Almighty (v. 5). His rule extends over unbelieving nations and over the heads of nations; He is truly a King of kings (v. 6). He shall not stop to rest or turn aside from the way of battle, signifying his dedication to constancy of his mission until the completion and of the task (v. 7). This is the simple reading of the text.

The Lobbyists View: Combatting Aggressive Secularism and Rights-Driven Culture

Glynis Quinlan | “The electorate has had enough of self-opinionated bishops and crazy imams, and many citizens are fed up with the way the main parties bow and scrape to religious groups.”

So writes Ross Fitzgerald recently in The Australian in yet another attack on the rights of Christians to have an influence in the public square. Reading between the lines of the article, it's apparently better for the sex party and secularists to influence the way we are governed!

It's easy to dismiss these articles as simply reflecting the writer's own anti-religious bias, but the concern is that they are part of wider endeavours to sideline Christianity which in recent times have reached alarming levels in Britain.

Over there, several recent cases have given public sector employees good reason to fear for their jobs if they are open about being a Christian.

What Christianity Is About

A conversation that I had with a gentleman yesterday evening at the retreat was about a frustration that he was confronting with a young lady and a young man who was her boyfriend. The young lady was a Christian, the young man was not a Christian. You can imagine what the first frustration is, right? What's this committed Christian doing with a non-Christian in a relationship? That's forbidden by the Bible, and for very good reason. 2 Corinthians 5 or 6, "Do not be unequally yoked with non-believers." That is, don't be tied together with them in a vital way because when you have two oxen pulling the same plow in different directions one is going to be pulled off the furrow by the other. And Paul's concern is that the Christian will be pulled off by the non-Christian, so he says don't even get in the same plow with a non-believer, and certainly not a personal, intimate relationship. Boyfriend/girlfriend is an example of that. And I don't have to spell out why, I hope.

Vicar of Baghdad: ’Fighting for Peace in the Middle East Not Just One Problem, But Many’

Michael Ireland | Many people present solutions to the various crises in the Middle East; many more think they have solutions to the region’s manifold problems.

However, Rev. Canon Andrew White, president and CEO of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, and chaplain of St. George's Church in Baghdad, who is affectionately known as The Vicar of Baghdad, says: "The reality is that the Middle East does not have just one problem. Those who think that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will solve all the problems in the region are very wrong."

He adds: "The conflict which caused havoc in Algeria had nothing to do with the Israel-Palestine issue. Neither does the conflict here in Iraq. There are many problems in this region, and the problems are not all about land, territory, or occupation."

Philip Nitschke 'leaves trail of lonely dead'

Andrew Bolt | GIVING the likes of Philip Nitschke licence to kill could create all sorts of horror for the lonely, scared, helpless and impressionable.

When my mother was just days from dying of cancer, I finally agreed to ask a doctor for help so she could kill herself.

Few people could have been more in favour of euthanasia than was I.

My only regret back then was that mum's brave attempt failed, and she took more than another week to die

Decades later, I've changed my mind completely. Legalised euthanasia now horrifies me, and not just because I learned much in mum's last days.

In fact, what most influenced me far more has been -- ironically -- Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International.

It's Australia's most famous lobbyist for euthanasia who has best shown me how dangerous it can be and what evil might be unleashed in legalising it.

Sticks and stones, pins and needles

Melinda Tankard Reist | A company comes up with a voodoo doll for girls to stab with pins and use to curse the girls they don't like - and we wonder why girl-on-girl violence is on the rise.

The doll is just one more sign of the mainstreaming of violence at every level of society. At a time of heightened concern about bullying, companies find new and creative ways to trade in misery: real flesh and blood girls are treated as pin cushions.

Smiggle, the ultra cute stationery store popular with tweens and teen girls, had added to its line a "voodoo doll" canvas pencil case with plastic photo pocket. "Place photo here" read the helpful instruction on the face.

Corporate credibility for a product enabling girls to hex each other using an ancient occult ritual.

A Good Reason for Evil

Greg Koukl | The first step in answering the problem of evil is this: We've got to get clear on what this thing "evil" actually is. It does seem to follow that if God created all things, and evil is a thing, then God created evil. This is a valid syllogism. If the premises are true, then the conclusion would be true as well.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that the second premise is not true. Evil is not a thing. The person who probably explained it best was St. Augustine, and then Thomas Aquinas picked up on his solution. Others since them have argued that evil has no ontological status in itself.

The word ontology deals with the nature of existence. When I say that evil has no ontological status, I mean that evil, as a thing in itself, does not exist.

Let me give you an illustration to make this more clear. We talk about things being cold or warm. But coldness is not a thing that exists in itself; it has no ontological status. Coldness is the absence of heat. When we remove heat energy from a system, we say it gets colder.

What price for a child?

Andrew Bolt | YOUNG woman, call her Ms G, was rolled into the Canberra operating theatre on November 12, 2003, hoping to be made pregnant at last.

"Are we going to implant two?" asked her obstetrician gynaecologist, Sydney Robert Armellin.

It was at that moment of her IVF treatment that Ms G, unknown to anyone else, changed her mind.

And from her hesitation came not just a twin girl she didn't want, but an extraordinary court case that must surely now force our politicians to act.

Can we really have courts deciding that a child is such a curse that a parent like Ms G. should be paid $317,000 for the distress and the cost of raising it?

Obama has little in common with Lincoln

Star Parker | It's ironic that Barack Obama chooses to infuse these opening days of his presidency with the imagery of Abraham Lincoln.

I don't think there could be two more different men. Understanding why may help us think about what to expect in the days ahead.

Beyond his trademark "change we can believe in," Obama's defining theme has been unity and inclusiveness. "... There's not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there's the United States of America ... We worship an awesome God in the Blue States ... and have gay friends in the Red States."

Obama, of course, does not suggest that we don't have differences. His point is that those differences are not critically important and they're getting in our way. Let's put differences aside, get practical, and solve our problems.

Barack Obama's worshipped words of wisdom sound familiar

Andrew Bolt | PEOPLE whose business is words love Barack Obama. Worship him, actually, just for speaking well.

Prof Michael Eric Dyson, even cried in The Sydney Morning Herald that "words crackle and sentences simmer or sing in his mouth".

Not like that boor George Bush.

In fact, adds Prof Simon Jackman of Sydney's United States Studies Centre: "Obama's dazzling capacity for rhetoric has been . . . , and will continue to be, one of the cornerstones of his power."

Academics, journalists and other wordspeople say this to praise the new US President.

Words are their currency, you see, and Obama flatters them by using their coin. But so enchanted are they that they miss one thing. They've heard these words before. From Bush.

Incensed about censorship

Melinda Tankard Reist | It's not enough that there are already 4.2 million porn websites. It's not enough that every second, 28,258 internet users are viewing porn. It's not enough that every second, US$3,075.64 is spent on porn. It's not enough that worldwide porn revenue is more than US$97.06 billion, according to Internet pornography statistics, Internet Filter Review (2006)

It's not enough that Australia contributes $2 billion to worldwide porn revenues, and is in the top five porn profit generating countries. Internet pornography statistics, Internet Filter Review (2006).

Nor is it enough that the sex industry in Australia has grown at 8.1 per cent to $1.22 billion this financial year and that prostituting and stripping are worth $1.13 billion. No bust in sight during sex boom, by Sean Plambeck, September 1, 2008

The Cult of Obama

Babette Francis | I am grateful to Peter Hitchins of the Daily Mail (London) for deconstructing the mania surrounding the election of Barack Obama, President-elect of the United States.

I quote some of his article (10/11/08) "The night we waved goodbye to America.....our last best hope on Earth": "Anyone would think we had just elected a hip, skinny and youthful replacement for God, with a plan to modernise Heaven and Hell or that at the very least John Lennon had come back from the dead. The swooning frenzy over the choice of Barack Obama as President of the United States must be one of the most absurd waves of self-deception and swirling fantasy ever to sweep through an advanced civilisation.

At least Mandela-worship its nearest equivalent is focused on a man who actually did something. I really don't see how the Obama devotees can ever in future mock the Scientologists or people who claim to have been abducted in flying saucers.

Muslim Autonomous Zones in the West?

Daniel Pipes | In "Europe's Stark Options," I considered the future of the Muslim-European encounter and conclude there are three possible futures, "harmonious integration, the expulsion of Muslims, or an Islamic takeover." I then dismissed the first as unrealistic and stated that it is too early to predict which of the latter two unattractive possibilities will come to pass.

A reader, Chris Slater of Upper Hutt, New Zealand, writes me to predict a fourth outcome as most likely: "larger existing Muslim areas will re-create themselves into independent national entities" and "by the middle of the twenty-first century nearly all western European countries will be riven by the creation of Islamic city states within their borders. For the sake of brevity they will be referred to as ‘microstates,' that is, autonomous conurbations defined by the Islamic beliefs of their citizens."

Slater foresees boundaries being formed "around existing Muslim centres of population, initially in France, Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, followed rapidly by Britain, Norway, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. Dates for eastern European states, particularly Orthodox, may be more difficult to predict, although Russia, with 15 percent of its 143 million people professing Islam, may well lead many western European countries in having an independent Islamic state. By the end of this century this process will affect every non-Islamic state throughout the world."