Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Your Face, Voice, and Tattoos are the FBI's Business Now
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsVice News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The FBI announced this week that the massive database system it had been building for eight years, pulling together stores of biometric information on millions of people, is at "full operational capacity."

The Next Generation Identification (NGI) system is a vast, centralized surveillance tool — and the stuff of totalitarian dystopia: fingerprint databases, iris scan details, more than 50 million images used for facial recognition (a.k.a. "faceprints"), and the capacity to hoard information of individualizing details like gait, voice pattern, and tattoos. Yet aside from a flurry of pained press releases from privacy groups and civil libertarians, the news of Big Brother's ascension was met not with a yell but a whimper.

Such is the nature of a surveillance empire that was not built in a day. The NGI system took eight years and cost $1 billion in tax-payer funded contracts with companies like Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems to reach full capacity. It was constructed in large part from already existing law enforcement, Defense Department, and Homeland Security databases and biometric technologies. While staggering in scope, the system has been creeping into fruition, perhaps accounting for the muted response from the outrage machine — which has also burned itself out on more than a year's worth of revelations about the NSA.

There is plenty to be concerned about with the FBI's system, especially if we still entertain the idea that the agency's primary goal is criminal investigation, not general civilian surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has noted that the FBI's biometric databases are not limited to those who have been arrested. "You could become a suspect in a criminal case merely because you applied for a job that required you to submit a photo with your background check." Indeed, the FBI's NGI announcement included details about its "Rap Back" program, which specifically monitors and targets individuals in "positions of trust."

If you were thinking "positions of trust" encompassed, say, municipal police forces around the country, think again. Rap Back monitors "non-criminal justice applicants, employees, volunteers, and licensees; Individuals under the supervision or investigation of criminal justice agencies." In other words, as TechDirt notes, the system does not target employees of criminal justice agencies; just those under their "supervision," like "parolees and those on probation." As Tim Cushing notes on TechDirt:

Presumably, the criminal justice system will police itself, relying only on pre-employment screenings (if that). The problem is that employees with criminal history have been known to jump from agency to agency without their new employers knowing (or caring) about the incidents that forced the job change.

The other unremarkable detail about the FBI's announcement was that promised privacy oversight measures did not attend the biometrics system's capacity-reaching milestone. In 2011, the agency launched a pilot version of the database and vowed that "it doesn't threaten individual privacy. As required with any federal system, the FBI is doing Privacy Impact Assessments on what information will be collected, how it will be shared, how it will be accessed, and how the data will be securely stored… all in an effort to protect privacy." But the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) that was promised for 2012 has still not been produced.

And while 18,000 law enforcement agencies will have access to NGI, which aims to store 52 million pictures by next year, there has been no great rush to buy "counter-surveillance" clothing. Nor have I seen an uptick in the use of make-up techniques to thwart facial recognition software; they're known as CV-Dazzle, and require monochrome geometric shapes drawn on one's face along with long, asymmetrical hair. It's kind of like living in Gotye music video.

The news of a centralized surveillance system was received with some resignation. At no one point in time did we consent to the fact of our totalized surveillance, but it did not appear as a fact all at once, to be accepted or resisted.

There's nothing especially new about "faceprints," nor law enforcement agencies identifying suspects through gait or tattoos; inked-up street protesters have known to wear long sleeves for years. The FBI's system was a long time in the making and arrives, fully formed, with little fanfare. Which is not to say that our tacit adaptation to surveilled existence — indeed, our production of it, as we feed online databases with images and once-private information — was ever something to which we consented. We have long been subjects of an archipelago of these databases, now united in a powerful surveillance empire. Mission creep, complete.

World Council of Churches Continues to Stumble Along in Darkness
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsFriday Church News Notes, www.wayoflife.org,
Categories: One World Church

I have subscribed to World Council of Churches  (WCC) publications for 35 years, and they are a window into the heart and soul of end-time apostasy. For example, last week's WCC Weekly Summary included a call for all "churches" to build new non-judgmental bridges to one another and beyond to other religions and to refrain from offending others with dogmatism. There is a call to celebrate the creation and honor "the feast of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment." There is a call to "fast for the Climate," which is "an interfaith initiative bringing people of different faiths to fast, as a spiritual exercise, in solidarity with the victims of climate change." And there is the announcement of the annual International Day of Prayer for Peace, Sept. 21, held in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Peace. Some of the things that are missing from WCC publications but which are prominent themes in the New Testament faith are as follows: The holiness of God and the fallen condition of man; eternal judgment; the gospel of personal salvation through faith in the blood of Christ; the urgency of preaching this gospel to every soul in every nation; the call for all men to repent and believe this gospel; the exposure and reproof of false doctrine; holy Christian living and separation from the world; the imminency of the return of Christ; the coming Day of the Lord to judge man's sin; and the coming glorious kingdom of Christ.

West Tells Iran it Must Address Nuclear Bomb Fears
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsYNet News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Iran says claims it has failed to cooperate with an investigation into its nuclear program are 'mere allegation without any substance.'

In a statement to the IAEA meeting, the EU said it was disappointed with the "very limited progress" in that inquiry.  

Western powers told Iran on Thursday it must step up cooperation with a UN watchdog's investigation into suspected atomic bomb research by the country if it wants to get a broader nuclear deal that would ease sanctions. 

The warning was issued at a board meeting of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, as chief negotiators from Iran and six world powers prepared to resume talks in New York after a two-month hiatus.

Iran's envoy, Reza Najafi, dismissed accusations about his country's atomic activities as "mere allegations ... without any substantiation" but also said a new meeting with the IAEA to discuss the matter was expected to be held soon.

A stalled IAEA inquiry could further complicate the powers' parallel efforts to reach a settlement with Iran on curbing its nuclear program

in exchange for a gradual phasing out of financial and other punitive measures hurting its economy. The United States and the European Union said they were concerned about the slow headway so far in the IAEA's long-running probe into suspicions that Iran has worked on designing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the charge and says it is Israel's assumed atomic arsenal that threatens Middle East peace.

An IAEA report in early September showed Iran had failed to answer questions about what the UN agency calls the possible military dimensions of the country's nuclear program by an Aug. 25 deadline.

"The EU underlines that resolving all outstanding issues (between Iran and the IAEA) will be essential to achieve a comprehensive, negotiated long-term settlement," it said.

That was a reference to the push by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to negotiate a resolution to the wider, decade-old dispute with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

Iran has been promising to cooperate with the IAEA since Hassan Rouhani, seen as a pragmatist, was elected president last year on a platform of ending Tehran's international isolation. It says its nuclear work is for non-military purposes only.

Nuclear deadline

But Iran did not address two key issues by late August as agreed with the IAEA: alleged experiments on explosives that could be used for an atomic device, and studies related to calculating nuclear explosive yields.

They were part of a landmark report published by the IAEA in 2011 with intelligence indicating Iran had a nuclear weapons research program but halted it in 2003 when it came under increased international pressure. The intelligence suggested some activities may have resumed later. The report identified about 12 specific areas that it said needed clarification. Iran says the allegations are baseless, while pledging to address the concerns. Najafi said the two issues had not yet been completed because of "their complexity and the invalidity" of the IAEA's information. "The so-called 'missing the deadline' is totally inaccurate," Najafi told reporters.

US envoy Laura Kennedy urged Iran to "intensify its engagement" with the IAEA. "Concerns about the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program must be addressed as part of any comprehensive solution," she said.

Rouhani's election raised hopes of a solution to the stand-off with the West after years of tension and fears of a new Middle East war. An interim accord was reached between Iran and the six powers in Geneva last November. But they did not meet a self-imposed July target date for a long-term accord and now face a new deadline of Nov. 24.

While the powers seek to limit the size of Iran's future nuclear program - and thereby extend the time it would need for any bid to amass fissile material for a weapon - the IAEA is investigating alleged research and experiments in the past that could be used to make the bomb itself.

Western officials say that although there is no chance of the IAEA inquiry being completed before the scheduled end of the six-power talks, some of the sanctions relief Iran is seeking would probably depend on its cooperation with the U.N. agency.

UN Proposes Emergency Health Mission As Ebola Cases Double Every 3 Weeks
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsRia Novosti
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday proposed the Security Council to establish an emergency health mission to address the Ebola lethal threat.

UNITED NATIONS, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - With the number of Ebola cases doubling every three weeks, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday proposed the Security Council to establish an emergency health mission to address the lethal threat.

"I have decided to establish a UN emergency health mission, combining the World Health Organization's strategic perspective with a very strong logistics and operational capability," the UN Secretary General announced.

Ban said that this international mission will be called the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response or UNMEER, and "will have five priorities: stopping the outbreak, treating the infected, ensuring essential services, preserving stability and preventing further outbreaks."

This Ebola outbreak was first reported in Guinea in March and then spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. As of September 16, according to the World Health Organization, there are 4,985 reported cases and 2,461 deaths from Ebola, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ban said on Thursday that in these three countries "the disease is destroying health systems. More people are not dying in Liberia from treatable ailments and common medical conditions, than from Ebola."

Ban said, "the outbreak is the largest the world has ever seen. The number of cases is doubling every three weeks. There will soon be more cases in Liberia alone than in the four-decade history of the disease."

The impact is more than medical, Ban said, adding that "inflation and food prices are rising. Transport and social services are being disrupted."

Ban on Thursday said "I welcome the resolution to be adopted today by the Security Council. Tomorrow, I will speak with the General Assembly."

Looking forward to next week's UN General Debate, Ban said "one week from today we will gather at the highest level to mobilize political will to meet this extraordinary challenge."

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Massing 4000 Troops Along Border in Crimea
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsHerald Sun
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

KIEV is accusing Moscow of massing its troops in annexed Crimea on the Ukraine border, rattling nerves just as Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko prepares to meet US counterpart Barack Obama.

The apparent push north by about 4000 troops in the Black Sea peninsula came despite Russia’s declared backing of a peace overture by Kiev to try to end five months of conflict in the rebellious east.

“According to our information, almost all military units of the Russian Federation stationed in the north of occupied Crimea ... were pushed to the administrative border with Ukraine along with all their equipment and ammunition,” Ukraine National Security and Defence Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters.

Mr Poroshenko holds his first White House talks with Mr Obama overnight, seeking to gain security guarantees from Washington as he steers the former Soviet state on a clear westwards path.

Shelling. A man shows a part of his house destroyed by shelling next to a pro-Russian militant in Vilkihka. Picture: AFP

The meeting comes just two days after parliament in Kiev ratified a historic pact with the EU and adopted legislation offering self-rule to the east in votes crucial to the future shape of the nation.

Mr Poroshenko’s offer won Russia’s support, although the pro-Moscow rebels have been more dismissive, saying it will not stop their fight for full independence.

The self-rule law and accompanying legislation granting amnesty to fighters were drawn up under a truce signed 13 days ago that has eased — but not halted — deadly violence around insurgent strongholds in eastern Ukraine.

The situation around the flashpoint city of Donetsk appeared to be calm on Thursday after days of shelling that has left around 30 civilians and soldiers dead.

Conflict ... a pro-Russian militant commander Vassili Petrovic stands on a hill close to the village of Zuivka. Picture: AFP

Moscow, echoing comments by Washington and Brussels, said Kiev’s overture was a “step in the right direction” towards ending a conflict that has cost almost 2900 lives and sent East-West tensions spiralling to post-Cold War highs.

The law was approved just moments before MPs also ratified a landmark political and economic pact with the EU that decisively pulls Ukraine away from Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Mr Poroshenko will cast Russia as a global menace when he meets Mr Obama, in the hope of winning a “special status” guaranteeing his troubled nation’s security and support for future membership of NATO.

While Mr Obama does not want to be drawn into a military standoff with a nuclear-armed rival, Washington has joined the EU in imposing waves of punishing sanctions on Russia.

A report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) showed how sanctions were biting, forecasting Russia’s economy will shrink 0.2 per cent next year.

 

Fighting ... a rocket shelling near the front line in Zuivka, 50 kilometres east of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Picture: AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin said overnight that the measures violated the principles of the World Trade Organisation.

But the crisis is even more severe for Ukraine, with the EBRD projecting a massive nine per cent contraction this year. The country is already relying on a huge IMF aid package to stay afloat.

Analysts say Ukraine’s peace overture to the east is a high-stakes gamble that could definitively splinter the country by creating a Russian-speaking zone that would depend more on Moscow than Kiev.

U.S. House Passes Resolution Condemning Anti - Semitism
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Anti-Semitic Graffiti

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the rising tide of anti-Semitism abroad.

The resolution was authored by Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Kay Granger (R-TX).

“Today’s unanimous passage of our resolution sends a clear and strong message that we condemn the rising tide of anti-Semitism throughout the world and that we will do all we can to prevent its spread. In 2014 alone, we have seen increased incidents of murder at Jewish sites, violent attacks and death threats against Jews, as well as violence, arson, graffiti, and other instances of vandalism at Jewish places of worship,” the lawmakers said in a statement posted on Roskam’s website.

“We must ensure the world views such actions for what they are, the vile and hate-fueled persecution of an entire people, rather than an acceptable expression of frustration with political events in the Middle East or anywhere else. The United States must continue to play an essential role in shining a spotlight on the ugly resurgence of anti-Semitism, as well as all forms of religious discrimination,” they added.

“Tonight, Congress sent a resounding message to the world about America's resolve to confront this ugly and dangerous hatred. We commend Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Kay Granger (R-TX) for their leadership mobilizing action against the upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, Latin America, and even in the United States,” said Abraham H. Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

“We hope world leaders will echo Congress’s call and will demonstrate the will to ensure that anti-Semitism has no place in their country and that Jews have the right to live in security and free of harassment and the fear of violence solely because they are Jewish,” he added.

The resolution was cosponsored by 174 House Members, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), Middle East Subcommittee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Ranking Member Ted Deutch (D-FL), and House Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY).

It comes as the number of anti-Semitic incidents continues to rise across the world, particularly in the wake of Operation Protective Edge in Gaza this summer.

Anti-Semitic attacks nearly doubled in France in the first seven months of 2014 while in the UK, 302 anti-Semitic incidents in July alone, making a whopping 400% increase over the same month last year.

During Operation Protective Edge, violent protests broke out in Paris. In a similar incident, hundreds of Muslim extremists attacked a major synagogue in Paris, provoking clashes with Jewish youths who rushed to defend the site and worshippers trapped inside.

A World Zionist Organization study in August found that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the world jumped 383% in July as compared to the same month the previous year, with Europe showing a 436% increase.

This week, the New York City police department said that suspected hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim people are up following unrest overseas.

There have been 89 suspected anti-Semitic attacks so far this year, up from 64. There have been 17 reported attacks against Muslims, up from seven last year. Fourteen of the attacks on Muslims occurred after July 1.

Syrian Nuclear Activities Divide Global Powers At UN Atomic Meeting
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Western states defeated a Russian proposal on Friday to remove Syria's alleged past nuclear activities from the agenda of meetings of the UN atomic agency, diplomats said.

But in a vote that highlighted how polarizing the global political debate has become, China supported Russia's initiative while only about half of the nations on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board - 17 out of 35 - voted against.

Western diplomats argued that Damascus should be kept under pressure to cooperate with the IAEA's long-stalled inquiry, even though this has hardly advanced in the last three years as the country descended into bloodshed.

US envoy Laura Kennedy told the meeting ahead of the vote that the Russian proposal if adopted "would threaten the credibility" of the IAEA's board of governors.

Senate Gives Final Passage to Obama's Plan for Arming Syrian Rebels
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Los Angeles Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., talk on Capitol Hill in Washington during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the U.S. strategy to defeat the Islamic State group. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

The Senate gave final approval Thursday to President Obama's plan to arm Syrian opposition groups in the fight against Islamic State militants, a vote that upended party allegiances and hardened opposition to the administration's strategy.

Senators faced the same unease that House members did a day earlier, when the measure was also passed with bipartisan support and opposition. Lawmakers have questioned whether moderate Syrians could be trusted with American arms and worried the U.S. will become mired in another protracted Mideast battle.

Caption Peshmerga fighter

JM Lopez / AFP/Getty Images

The 78-22 vote, part of a broader package that included funding to keep the government running past September, gives the White House important, but temporary, support. Its expiration in December promises another debate once lawmakers return from the fall mid-term election.

"We are asked to decide things in this chamber that are in the best interest of our country, even if they did not work out the way we wanted," said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a potential 2016 presidential contender, who supported the measure.

"If we do not confront and defeat ISIL now, we will have to do so later," Rubio said, using another name for the terrorist group. "There is a guarantee of failure if we do not even try."

Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the Republican minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, backed the president, an unusual show of bipartisan support.

Obama welcomed the vote and praised lawmakers for moving quickly.

“I want to thank leaders in Congress for the speed and seriousness with which they approached this … issue, in keeping with the bipartisanship that is the hallmark of American foreign policy at its best,” Obama said.

But opposition was also mixed among senators, as Democrats running in tough re-election campaigns and Republicans with their eyes on the White House in 2016 peeled away. Nine Democrats, 12 Republicans and one Independent voted no.

"I disagree with my president," said Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who opposed the package and is seeking reelection this fall. "What is our role in this endeavor?"

Among the 2016 hopefuls, Rubio parted ways with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who both voted no.

"It's not that I'm against all intervention," said Paul, who criticized the "insanity" of arming rebel forces. "Can you trust these people? It's chaos over there. We will be sending arms into chaos."

The White House's request to authorize the Syrian effort, once considered a modest way to show congressional "buy-in," ballooned into a broader debate on the administration's approach to the Islamic State threat.

Many lawmakers from both parties now want a fuller debate on whether the administration has the authority it claims, from 2001 and 2002 war resolutions provided by Congress, to conduct airstrikes on militants in Iraq and Syria.

The promise from Democratic leaders that the Senate would hold that larger debate and vote during the lame-duck session helped bring some senators to support the president's request.

"It did calm some concerns," said Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant majority leader and a close Obama ally. "The notion that this president, or any president, can use that forever and ever, amen, is troubling."

Scotland Independence Result: 'No' to Win With 54% of Votes - Yougov
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsInternational Business Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Alistair Darling leader of the Better Together meets with members of the public during a walk about in Kilmarnock, Scotland.(Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A final YouGov Scottish referendum poll has predicted the 'No' campaign will win with a 54% majority.

The poll, based on the responses of 1,828 people along with 800 who had already cast their vote by post, taken after thay had voted today.

The results gave the Better Together campaign a lead of 54% compared to 46% for the 'Yes' campaign.

So far, they have been two arrests in Scotland because of assault allegations at polling stations, one 'Yes' voter and one 'No' voter.

The penultimate YouGov poll, taken on the eve of the referendum, gave the 'No' campaign a 52% majority. The poll, conducted for the Sunday Times, gave the same result as the previous YouGov poll taken six days beforehand, once the undecided voters were removed from the data.

The poll is the best indication on what the result might be as there is no exit poll for the referendum, which would have also broke down the voting demographic in terms such as age, race and gender.

Exit polls are conducted with people leaving the voting stations, whereas this final YouGov poll was based on recontacting voters online after they voted.

Elsewhere, amid fears of unrest at polling stations, 10% of No voters said they had encountered "unreasonable behaviour" by Yes campaigners at local stations, compared to 5% of Yes voters who said they encountered the same with Better Together voters.

The latest poll means that the Better Together campaign has led every single pre-election survey bar one – another YouGov poll for the Sunday Times which placed Salmond's campaign in front with a narrow 51% margin on 6 September, and triggered panic among the Wetminster political leadership.

The poll was seen as a wake-up call for the Better Together campaign after 'Yes' voters managed to claw back a lead, having at one stage polled just 39% of the vote compared to 61% for the No campaign.

The result meant all three political leaders made a frenzied journey up to Scotland in an attempt to gather support for the Better Together campaign in the final few days, a move which Salmond said proved "Team Westminster" were "panicking" over the outcome.

Now, as the polls are closed and the counting begins across Scotland's 32 local authorities, Darling's No campaign are once again on course to win the historic referendum and keep the 307-year Union together.

The announcement on Scotland is expected to arrive around 6am on the morning of 19 September, with several key declarations due to be revealed in the hours before that.

At 2am, the results in the first seven areas announced, including North Lanarkshire, which contains one of the largest portions of the electorate as well as being a strong Labour council.

At 5am, the results for the capital Edinburgh and Glasgow, the area with the highest share of voters, will be announced. If the 'Yes' campaign are to have any hope of winning this referendum, they must hope Glasgow provides them with a massive winning margin.

Both groups can ask for a recount in any of the 32 local authorities, but not after all the results have been declared.

Cameron is scheduled to give a televised speech on the referendum result, no matter what the outcome is.

Russia Supports U.S. Proposal to Fight Foreign Recruitment to 'Islamic State'
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russia has welcomed a UN proposal aimed at preventing the recruiting of foreign nationals to the 'Islamic State' (ISIS).

Per the proposal, which was initiated by the United States, countries would prohibit their citizens from joining the terror organization.

"The proposal has been accepted by us with its current wording," the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.

Rift Widens Between Obama, U.S. Military Over Strategy to Fight Islamic State
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Washington Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Obama speaks at the White House after the Senate approved his plan for training and arming moderate Syrian rebels to battle Islamic State militants. (Olivier Douliery/Pool/EPA)

Flashes of disagreement over how to fight the Islamic State are mounting between President Obama and U.S. military leaders, the latest sign of strain in what often has been an awkward and uneasy relationship.

Even as the administration has received congressional backing for its strategy, with the Senate voting Thursday to approve a plan to arm and train Syrian rebels, a series of military leaders have criticized the president’s approach against the Islamic State militant group.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, who served under Obama until last year, became the latest high-profile skeptic on Thursday, telling the House Intelligence Committee that a blanket prohibition on ground combat was tying the military’s hands. “Half-hearted or tentative efforts, or airstrikes alone, can backfire on us and actually strengthen our foes’ credibility,” he said. “We may not wish to reassure our enemies in advance that they will not see American boots on the ground.”

Mattis’s comments came two days after Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took the rare step of publicly suggesting that a policy already set by the commander in chief could be reconsidered.

Despite Obama’s promise that he would not deploy ground combat forces, Dempsey made clear that he didn’t want to rule out the possibility, if only to deploy small teams in limited circumstances. He also acknowledged that Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commander for the Middle East, had already recommended doing so in the case of at least one battle in Iraq but was overruled.

 

Here's how Congress voted on President Obama’s plan to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels.

The White House and Pentagon have scurried this week to insist there is no hint of dissent in the ranks, though in some cases their efforts have focused only more attention on the issue.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel tried to reassure the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday that civilian and military leaders at the Pentagon were in “full alignment” and in “complete agreement with every component of the president’s strategy.”

Some lawmakers were skeptical. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, suggested that Obama should listen more closely to his commanders. “I think it’s very important that he does follow the advice and counsel that he receives, the professional advice of the military. They are the ones best suited to do that.”

“I realize he’s commander in chief, he has the final say and the final obligation and responsibility,” McKeon added. “I would also request that he not take options off the table.”

Obama’s strategy received a boost with the Senate’s passage of his plan to train and arm about 5,000 Syrian rebels to help fight the Islamic State, a jihadist movement that controls large parts of Iraq and Syria and has threatened to destabilize much of the region.

The 78-22 vote in the Senate came just a day after the House approved its own measure.

Since Aug. 8, the U.S. military has launched 176 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq. Obama has signaled the military will expand the strikes into Syria, but it is unclear when that new phase will begin.

Hagel testified Wednesday that he and Dempsey had approved a plan to conduct strikes against the Islamic State in Syria, and that Obama had received a briefing from Austin that same day at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa.

When asked if the president had endorsed the plan, however, Hagel acknowledged that Obama had not but did not elaborate.

Divisions between Obama and his generals have become a recurring feature of his presidency. In 2009, shortly after Obama took office, Pentagon leaders pressured the new president — who had run on a platform of ending the war in Iraq — to deploy a surge of troops to Afghanistan to rescue the faltering fight against the Taliban.

After a lengthy and tense internal debate, Obama did send more troops, but not as many as some commanders wanted. At the White House, Obama’s top aides privately expressed frustration that the Pentagon had tried to restrict his choices to get the result the military preferred.

At the Pentagon, military commanders expressed their own frustration last year as Obama weighed whether to take action in Syria following the determination that President Bashar al-Assad had employed chemical weapons against civilians. Although the Pentagon had internal disagreements about whether military action was warranted, there were widespread concerns that Obama was on the verge of ordering strikes without articulating goals or a clear strategy.

This time around, The White House and Pentagon agree on the basic outlines of a strategy to attack the Islamic State — one that centers on arming and training proxy forces, including Syrian rebels, Kurdish fighters and the Iraqi army, backed by U.S. and allied air power.

But the Pentagon is eager to retain the option of deploying small numbers of Special Operations forces to the front lines to help the proxy troops or to call in airstrikes from close range.

Mindful of the president’s campaign pledge to end the last war in Iraq, which led to the withdrawal of all U.S. military forces in December 2011, Obama and his aides have insisted since May that he will not send Americans back into combat there.

But as the conflict with the Islamic State has deepened, and 1,600 U.S. troops have deployed to fill advisory and other roles, the White House has struggled to reconcile that reality with its prior statements that Obama would not put “U.S. boots on the ground” in Iraq.

Report: 'Islamic State' Seizes Territory Near Syrian - Turkish Border
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The "Islamic State" (ISIS) terror organization has mde "surprisingly extensive progress" in northern Syria next to the Turkish border, in a (Friday) report by Al Jazeera. 

According to the report, the ISIS has taken control of 21 villages on the outskirts of Ein al-Arab, which is in northern al-Arak, and is presently surrounding the city itself.  It has also been reported that they have also taken the outskirts of the neighboring city of Jarabulus.

Fighting between the Kurdish PKK and the "Islamic State" continued throughout the night.

Putin: Western Sanctions Violate World Trade Organization Principles
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the increased sanctions imposed upon Russia by the US and the European Union saying the sanctions are highly politicized and contrary to the World Trade Organization's fair and equal competition principles.

Putin said the way to combat them was by further developing the domestic market, and to that end has announced that Moscow will introduce a stimulus package in order to boost his economy.

Relations between Moscow and the West have become increasingly strained over the crisis in Ukraine.

PA: 'Nothing in Place' to Reconcile Fracturing Hamas Unity Pact
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rami Hamdallah

Flash 90

A crumbling unity pact between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas may not be reconciled, PA unity government "Prime Minister" Rami Hamdallah stated Thursday, amid rising tensions between the various Palestinian Arab factions.

According to Hamdallah - whose remarks were recorded by Palestinian Arab Ma'an News Agency - no plans have been instituted to ensure the implementation of the reconciliation agreement signed by Hamas and the PA's Fatah in April. 

Instead, he said, all political parties who signed the agreement are "fully responsible" for finding solutions to internal conflict, and he urged Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, and other factions to hold emergency meetings to resolve their issues. 

Hamdallah's admission surfaces just hours after similar remarks were made by Hamas political official Mahmoud Zahran. Late Thursday night, Zahran alleged that the unity pact was meant as a "temporary measure" and that Hamas was looking for "alternative solutions." 

"There is no doubt [the current government] is a failure," Zahran added. 

Hamas and Fatah have seen deep differences of opinion since the unity government was established in June, including the war in Gaza, reactions to the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers, and the delayed payment of wages for government workers in Gaza in the weeks leading up to Operation Protective Edge. 

Hamdallah on Thursday placed the total number of "civil servants" still waiting on wages at over 40,000, highlighting the severity of the crisis and noting that a committee had been established within the PA to tackle the issue. 

The "premier" also blamed foreign intervention for the lack of national unity, saying that international donors had refused to continue aid if the salaries were paid to workers hired by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. 

However, the committee may not be enough to placate angry Fatah members, after Hamas staged dozens of executions of Palestinian Arabs allegedly "collaborating with Israel" - or working for Fatah - prompting at least one Fatah official to compare Hamas to global jihadist group Islamic State (ISIS).

Hamas has also refused the PA's demands that it supervise rebuilding in Gaza, sources say - furthering sowing discord between the two factions. It was also Fatah who exposed Hamas's human trafficking operation of Palestinian civilians to Europe earlier this month.

Nationalists Push for Irish Unity Vote After 'Inspiring' Scottish Referendum
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said Scotland's "inspiring" referendum on independence would accelerate a vote to unite Ireland, a prospect quickly dismissed by Unionists who share power in Northern Ireland.

Scotland spurned independence in a historic vote that threatened to rip the United Kingdom apart but an electrifying campaign has emboldened separatist movements across Europe from Catalonia to Flanders.

Predominantly Catholic Nationalists in Northern Ireland, who remained part of United Kingdom in a northern province dominated by Protestants after the Irish state secured independence from Britain in 1921, maintained a studied silence in recent weeks.

Although the pro-British Protestants still make up a majority of the Northern Irish population, Nationalist leader Adams intensified his push for a border poll - which is allowed no more than once every seven years under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

GEOMAGNETIC STORM
No geomagnetic storm was in the forecast for Sept. 19th, but a storm occurred anyway. Sky watchers around the Arctic Circle saw the midnight sky turn green as magnetometers registered an unexpected G1-class disturbance between 0300 and 0600 UT.  

Pope Francis on ISIS persecution of Christians: ‘We are in World War Three’
“Pope Francis told us privately that he believes we are in World War Three,” said Ronald S. Lauder, the head of the World Jewish Congress.  

Scientists Admit Defeat And Ask Pope Francis To Help Combat Global Warming
In what is being described as a ‘watershed moment’, a group of scientists have called on Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Church to help combat global warming. It sounds a rather bizarre relationship doesn’t it? relying on politicians to combat global warming is not enough and that engaging faith leaders could be just the spark required to ignite billions of people around the world into changing aspects of their lifestyles to prevent... climate change.  

False Christs Arising Worldwide Claiming to Be Second Coming of Jesus
A number of false Christs have been arising in various nations worldwide, claiming to be the second coming of Jesus. While many are following these self-proclaimed Messiahs, some are speaking out against their cults, being mindful of Christ’s words in Matthew 24:5, “For many shall come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and shall deceive many.”  

Poll: Liberals Ignore Religion, Value Teaching Tolerance
A new survey by the Pew Research Center shows that liberals think teaching tolerance to children is far more important than instilling religious faith, whereas conservatives think the exact opposite. Pew points to increasing political polarization as a reason for major divergence between conservatives and liberals on what to teach children.  

U.N. to deploy Ebola mission as death toll reaches 2,630
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a "threat to international peace and security" as the death toll hit 2,630... Since then the virus has infected at least 5,357 people, according to World Health Organization (WHO), mostly in Guinea, neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia. It has also spread to Senegal and Nigeria.  

Extensive Gas Pollution in Iceland, Fewer Quakes in Bárðarbunga
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas is expected to pollute the air in North Iceland from Strandir to Eyjafjörður, the north-central highlands and East Iceland from Egilsstaðir to Höfn, as forecast by the Icelandic Met Office, valid until midnight tonight. People who feel discomfort are advised to stay indoors, close their windows, turn up the heat and turn off air conditioning if there is visible haze. Use periods of good air quality to ventilate the house.  

US outlines climate plan ahead of New York Summit
The 13-page document, which was submitted by the State Department to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Thursday, advocates a 5-year timeframe for countries to make initial cuts to carbon emissions, starting in 2020 and ending in 2025.  

The End of European Jewry? 80% Assimilation Rate
Research conducted by over 800 rabbis of the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE) and European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC) has revealed that assimilation in the European continent has reached a shocking rate of 80%.  

Hamas Accuses Fatah of Splitting Unity Government
The war of words between Hamas and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction continued to heat up on Friday, after Hamas lashed out at unity government Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.  

Health workers need optimal respiratory protection for Ebola
We believe there is scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients, which means that healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not face masks. The minimum level of protection in high-risk settings should be a respirator with an assigned protection factor greater than 10.  

France launches first air strikes on IS in Iraq
French jets have carried out their first strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, the office of President Francois Hollande says. A statement said planes had attacked an IS depot in north-east Iraq, and there would be more raids in the coming days. The US has carried out more than 170 air strikes against the jihadist group in Iraq since mid-August.  

Obama hails Congress backing for Syria plan
President Obama has said Congress's backing for his $500m plan to aid moderate Syrian rebels shows the world the US is united against Islamic State. He spoke moments after the US Senate approved his plan, a day after it was passed by the House of Representatives. "The strong bipartisan support in Congress for this new training effort shows the world Americans are united in confronting the threat from Isil."  

US: Iran is welcome to participate in UN meeting on Iraq
Iran is welcome to sit in on a discussion at the United Nations on Friday on counter-terrorism efforts in Iraq, to be chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry, a senior Obama administration official said on Thursday night. ...Islamic State was a topic of conversation...between the US and Iranian delegations in New York, which met for two days privately to negotiate over Iran's nuclear program.  

Australia puts armed police in parliament after more threats
Australia announced Friday the deployment of armed police inside parliament in the face of threats from extremists after foiling a plot by Islamic State jihadists for "demonstration executions" in the country.  

WHO: 700 new Ebola cases emerge in one week
More than 700 more Ebola cases have emerged in West Africa in the past week week, a statistic that showed the outbreak was rapidly accelerating, the World Health Organisation has said. The UN health agency said on Thursday that more than 5,300 people have now contracted the virus, and that the latest statistics showed that just under half of these cases were recorded in the last three weeks.  

Iranians arrested over Pharrell Williams Happy video sentenced to 6 months in prison, 91 lashes
Six Iranians arrested for appearing in a video singing along to the American pop song Happy have reportedly been handed suspended sentences of 91 lashes and six months in prison for obscene behaviour.  

Putin says he could have troops inside Poland ‘in two days"
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken warlike rhetoric to a new level, threatening to send troops into a number of NATO countries, including Poland, an influential German newspaper reported Thursday.  

Islamic State plot in Australia raises questions
The Islamic State plot to carry out random beheadings in Sydney alleged by police is a simple and barbaric scheme that has shaken Australians. But terrorism experts on Friday questioned whether the ruthless movement had the capacity or inclination to sustain a terror campaign so far from the Middle East.  

Scottish Independence result: Alex Salmond accepts Scotland has rejected independence
Alex Salmond conceded defeat in his fight for Scottish independence, after Scots voted by a margin of around 55%-45% to stay part of the United Kingdom. The Scottish National Party First Minister said he accepted "the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland" and called on the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties to live up to promises of further devolution they made during the referendum campaign.  

Air Force dumps ‘so help me God’ from enlistment oath
Members of the U.S. Air Force will no longer be required to say “so help me God” during their enlistment oath. A legal review of rules that required the phrase occurred after the American Humanist Association threatened to sue on behalf of an atheist airman. The unnamed airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada was denied re-enlistment Aug. 25 after crossing the phrase out of the oath.  

Islamic State Conquering Syria's Turkish Border
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Islamic State terrorist (file)

Reuters

The brutal Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group has been conquering massive swathes of Syria and Iraq, and recently extended a foothold in Lebanon - now the push of the group's over 30,000 jihadsts has brought them to the very gates of Turkey in Syria's north.

Fierce fighting between ISIS and Kurdish forces Thursday night ended with the jihadists conquering 21 northern Syrian villages in 24 hours.

The ISIS fighters also beseiged the Kurdish city Ayn al-Arab (Kobani in Kurdish) located a mere 12 miles from the Turkish border, reports Al Jazeera as cited by Walla!.

The reported added that ISIS conquered large parts of the nearby city Jarabulus, also located right by the Turkish border on the Euphrates River.

In conquering the villages IS reportedly attacked with heavy weaponry including tanks, according the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In response to the encroaching ISIS jihadists around 3,000 Syrian Kurds, mostly women and children, fled to the Turkish border on Thursday night, where they were left waiting Friday on the Syrian side opposite the Turkish village of Dikmetas near Ayn al-Arab, reports Reuters.

Their fears of the approaching ISIS terrorists are well founded, given the brutal torture the terrorists have been subjecting women and children to in the region.

"We're ready to help our brothers who are building up at the borders regardless of their ethnicity, religion and sect. But our priority is to deliver aid within Syria's borders," said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday night, noting his aversion to letting in the Kurdish refugees.

Hours later on Friday Turkey finally relented, letting hundreds of Syrian Kurdish refugees into the country. Their entry was reportedly broadcast on Turkish TV.

The decision to temporarily keep out the Kurds may raise eyebrows given the fact that Turkey reportedly let 21 Gaza residents wounded in Operation Protective Edge into the country Thursday night for medical treatment, according to the Turkish Anatol as cited by Walla!.

Several senior Turkish officials reportedly were presented at the airport in Turkey to greet the wounded.

Some of Turkey's opposition to letting in the Syrian Kurds may be due to the fact that Kurds in Turkey have been at odds with the government, pushing for their own state through the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which Turkey has labelled a terrorist organization.

On Thursday night the PKK called for Turkish Kurds to help defending the Kurdish towns in northern Syria, but apparently they were denied access on the border as well.

It is worth noting that Turkey has recently been mulling a buffer zone with Syria so as to prevent ISIS incursions.

Iran Moving to Comply With Extended Nuclear Deal With Powers, UN Watchdog Says
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Iran is taking action to comply with the terms of an extended interim agreement with six world powers over its disputed atomic activities, a UN nuclear watchdog report obtained by Reuters on Friday showed.

The findings in a monthly update by the International Atomic Energy Agency - though no major surprise - may be seen as positive by the West as negotiations resumed in New York this week on ending the decade-old nuclear stand-off.

Hamas Accuses Fatah of Splitting Unity Government
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Sami Abu Zuhri

Flash 90

The war of words between Hamas and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction continued to heat up on Friday, after Hamas lashed out at unity government Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri gave Hamdallah a tongue lashing on his official Facebook page Friday, accusing the prime minister of "still being loyal to the orders of the Fatah movement and conducting its decisions."

Hamdallah "isn't behaving according to the rules of the unity government, and ignores the rights of Gaza residents and their suffering," charged Abu Zuhri. "He is reinforcing the rift and adding to the failure of the (unity) government."

Abu Zuhri's verbal barrage comes after Hamdallah earlier on Friday revealed no plans have been instituted to ensure the implementation of the reconciliation agreement signed by Hamas and Fatah in April.

The prime minister instead said that all factions who signed the agreement are "fully responsible" for finding solutions to internal conflict - pushing the responsibility off of the unity government.

Just hours before Hamdallah's comments, Hamas political official Mahmoud Zahran claimed late Thursday night that the unity pact was merely a "temporary measure," and that Hamas was looking for "alternative solutions." 

"There is no doubt (the unity government) is a failure," Zahran added.

Tensions between Hamas and Fatah have been at the boiling point lately, with Abbas last week threatening to end the unity deal over a range of issues, primarily among them Hamas's foiled coup attempt against Abbas in Judea and Samaria.

In that case too Abu Zuhri struck back, saying "Abbas's remarks against Hamas and the resistance are unjustified, and the sources of information and figures he relied on were incorrect and have nothing to do with the truth."

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Traditional Marriage and States Rights
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsFriday Church News Notes, www.wayoflife.org,
Categories: Contemporary Issues

The following is excerpted from "Federal Judge Becomes First to Uphold State Marriage," Christian News Network, Sept. 4, 2014: "A federal judge nominated to the bench by then-President Ronald Reagan has upheld Louisiana's state constitutional amendment enshrining marriage as being between a man and a woman. 'The court is persuaded that a meaning of what is marriage that has endured in history for thousands of years, and prevails in a majority of states today, is not universally irrational,' wrote Judge Martin Feldman on Wednesday. He broke a series of over 20 federal decisions striking down state bans on same-sex 'marriage,' opining that states should have the right to decide its own affairs, including allowing voters to have their say regarding preserving the institution of marriage. 'Must the states permit or recognize a marriage between an aunt and niece?' Feldman asked. 'Aunt and nephew? Brother/brother? Father and child? May minors marry? Must marriage be limited to only two people? What about a transgender spouse? Is such a union same-gender or male-female? All such unions would undeniably be equally committed to love and caring for one another, just like the plaintiffs.' 'This court is powerless to be indifferent to the unknown and possibly imprudent consequences of such a decision,' he wrote. 'A decision for which there remains the arena of democratic debate.' Louisiana's Amendment 1 was passed during the 2004 November election with 78 percent of the vote. 'Marriage in the state of Louisiana shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman,' it reads. 'No official or court of the state of Louisiana shall construe this constitution or any state law to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any member of a union other than the union of one man and one woman.' J. Dalton Courson, an attorney that challenged the amendment, said that he would appeal the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals."

Edelstein: Siddur Shows the Continuity of the Jewish People
Sep 19th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein spoke on Thursday as the world's oldest known siddur (Jewish prayer book) was displayed to the general public at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.

The 50-page siddur, which hails from the Middle East, is still in its original binding and was placed by carbon dating to be from the first half of the ninth century CE, the period of the Babylonian Geonim or religious leaders.

“To be able to peep into the book, which is open on the morning prayers, the shacharit, and to see that it’s the exact same words millions of us say every morning in the synagogue - it’s probably the best explanation of the continuity and survival of the Jewish people,” Edelstein said.

“These days, instead of being the people of the book, we are much more proud of being the people of the e-book and all kinds of other things, so reflecting for a second on being the people of the book, and realizing that we’re still the people of the same book, is something that will help us all in the coming year to be even more proud and more thoughtful about our Jewish continuity,” he added.

Bill Nye Ready to go to Hell for His Beliefs
Sep 19th, 2014
CommentaryFriday Church News Notes, www.wayoflife.org
Categories: Creation - Evolution;Contemporary Issues

Bill Nye recently told Popular Science that he is ready to suffer eternal judgment rather than give up his evolutionary faith. "Let's say that I am, through my actions, doomed, and that I will go to hell. Even if I am going to hell, that still doesn't mean the Earth is 6,000 years old. The facts just don't reconcile" ("Evolutionist Bill Nye," CharismaNews, Sept. 10, 2014). Nye starred in the Disney/PBS children's television program "Bill Nye the Science Guy," which ran from 1993-1998 and which was part science and part comedic. Lately he has made himself the great defender of "true science," which in his mind is evolutionary science, and the avowed enemy of creation science. Nye claims that a young earth doesn't reconcile with the facts, but in a debate with Ken Ham in February he demonstrated a gross ignorance of the facts. Though he claims that creationism is dangerous to science, it was obvious that his examination of the creationist position has been perfunctory. It was apparent in the debate that he has not read the Bible. He doesn't know its content and history, the rules of biblical interpretation, the principles of biblical apologetics, and such things as biblical archaeology and ancient history touching the Bible. It was obvious, too, that he is ignorant of the wealth of material written by highly educated creationists in defense of the biblical worldview. To mention a few: Andrew Snelling, Ph.D. geology - Earth's Catastrophic Past, a two-volume, 1100-page work; Walt Brown, Ph.D. mechanical engineering, MIT - In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood; Stuart Burgess, Ph.D. biomimetics and engineering design - Hallmarks of Design; Lowell Coker, Ph.D. microbiology and biochemistry - Darwin's Design Dilemma; Don DeYoung, Ph.D. physics - Thousands ... Not Billions; Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D. physical chemistry - By Design. All of these men are far more educated in "real science" than Bill Nye (with his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering), yet he despises their research by ignoring it. It was obvious, too, that Nye has not carefully examined the vast evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that He claimed to be and that He did indeed rise from the dead as He said He would, evidence that has convinced many brilliant men and women, including scientists. Lacking the education necessary to reach an informed decision on his issue, Nye nonetheless cleaves stubbornly to his delusion that faith in the Bible is blind religious faith. And now he says he is ready to go to hell for his evolutionary faith, a faith which is indeed blind and which flies in the face of true science. Every known scientific fact tells us that a universe cannot come from nothing, that life cannot rise from non-life, and that complex things such as DNA require a designer and creator. I'm sorry for Bill Nye, but the Bible says his blindness is willful. He has the same opportunity to investigate the truth as any other man. For example, Bill Nye could read the books that have been written by  lawyers who have used their judicial skills to investigate the claims of Christ. Examples are Simon Greenleaf's An Examination of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Law, Edmund Bennett's The Four Gospels from a Lawyer's Standpoint, Irwin Linton's A Lawyer Examines the Bible: An introduction to Christian Evidences, and Sir Norman Anderson's Christianity the Witness of History: A Lawyer's Approach. Bill Nye doesn't have to go to hell. He could be saved through the lovely grace of Jesus Christ as multitudes of others have been, and the living Christ stands ready to prove the truth to any sincere seeker. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).