Watchman Newsletter

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (July 30, 2011)

1. Imprisoned Lao Pastor ‘Extremely Weak,’ Family Says

2. Churches in Nigeria Shuttered, Reduced with Uptick in Terrorism

3. Pakistani Muslims Convicted for Beating Christian to Death

4. Funeral Held for Christians Killed in Suleja, Nigeria Bombing

5. India Briefs

3 Reasons the Media Quickly Embraced the Label ‘Fundamentalist Christian’ for Norway’s Terrorist

The Christian Post (Link) - Ed Stetzer (July 29, 2011)

By now, it appears, the media has decided that Norway’s shooter was not a “Christian fundamentalist.” GetReligion’s Terry Mattingly, explained:

At this point, I think most journalists have reached the point that they know that Anders Behring Breivik (a) has self-identified as a ‘Christian,’ (b) yet he also made it clear that he is not a Christian believer, in terms of beliefs and practice and (c) that it is bizarre to call him a “fundamentalist,” in any historic sense of the word.

This is a far cry from initial reports. CNN is my preferred news station and could not count how many times I heard the word, “Christian fundamentalist.” We are told we should renounce the “Christian terrorist,” and lest anyone be unclear, I (and all Christians) do. That label “Christian fundamentalist” traveled around the world before anyone asked if it was correct. Now, calmer voices have emerged. CNN’s Belief Blog brings the clarity:

Jim Rickards - Germany’s Fourth Reich Has Conquered Europe

King World News (Link) - Eric King (July 28, 2011)

With fear escalating around the financial world as the US debt ceiling deadline draws near, today King World News interviewed Jim Rickards to get his take on where things stand. One of the things KWN was surprised to learn was that while everyone has been focused on the US’s debt problem, the Germans with the cooperation of their political and financial foot soldiers have essentially conquered Europe.

Jim Rickards explains this extraordinary conquest,

“It became more and more clear that there was no good way out, in other words you could just have an outright Greek default, which would be highly disruptive or Greece could have left the Euro and that’s another bad outcome. Not so much economically, but politically, Germany and France don’t want that because it would lead to the unraveling of the entire Euro project which has been going on since the early ‘50s.”

Radical Islamists Trying to Take Over Temple Mount

Israel National News (Link) - David ben Yacov (July 28, 2011)

On the 90th anniversary of the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the vast Islamic Caliphate regime which fell in 1921 after WWI, thousands of members of the Radical Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir rallied on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They called for Muslims to unite and embrace the Caliphate rulership once more.

The rally took place in early July. Demonstrators flew banners bearing inscriptions such as “The Ummah (Muslims) Want Muslim Caliphates.” A giant banner was put up in the Al Aksa mosque courtyard on the Temple Mount. Other banners said “No to Democracy, Yes to Caliphates.” The crowd controller, using a microphone, soon had the crowd chanting over and over, “O Muslim armies, awaken to help Muslims.”

The Hizb ut-Tahrir (‘Party of Liberation’) website calls for the Muslim armies to forcefully lift the Gaza IDF naval blockade with military action, making it serve “as a tight noose” around Israel.

Caliphates were a totalitarian system of Muslim government established by Mohammed, who made himself the first Caliph, reigning until 632 C.E. The Caliph was a religious and political leader, who made the Koran’s prescriptions, now developed into the legal body known as Sharia law, the law of the land. The Ottoman Empire embraced the idea of a caliphate, and was governed this way until its dissolution.

Rare Ancient Golden Bell Discovered in Jerusalem

Bridges For Peace (Link) - BFP Israel Mosaic Radio - Joshua Spurlock (July 25, 2011)

A small golden bell—that was apparently originally sown on to the clothing of a high official in Jerusalem roughly 2000-years-ago and bring to mind the Biblical priestly garments—has been discovered in an archaeological excavation. According to an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) press release, the rare gold bell has a small loop on its end and is presumed to have come from the edge of a garment. In the Bible, Exodus 28:33 describes the robe of the high priest: “Upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around.”

The IAA press release said of the possible connection of the discovered bell to the priesthood, “It is impossible to know for certain if the bell did indeed belong to one of the high priests; however, the possibility should not be entirely discounted.”

The bell itself was discovered during an archaeological excavation of a drainage tunnel that runs from the Shiloah Pool (Pool of Siloam beneath the City of David) to near the Western Wall. In the region of the excavation, back during the Second Temple Period (first century AD), there was a main road above the channel, which was linked with a bridge, known today as Robinson’s Arch, that led up to the Temple Mount.

Erdogan’s ‘Plan B’: Downgrading Israel ties

YNet News (Link) (July 25, 2011)

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet on Monday reported that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considering moving to a “Plan B” which will see relations with Israel suffer further by downgrading the level of Turkey’s diplomatic staff in Israel.

On Sunday, Erdogan said that he still expects an apology from Jerusalem. “We will wait for the Israelis’ decision a certain period. If they don’t apologize by this time we shall move to plan b,” he said.

According to Hurriyet, “Plan B” means cooling down relations with Israel. One of the most significant steps will be downgrading the level of Turkey’s embassy staff in Israel. Ankara recalled its ambassador following last year’s flotilla event. It is also possible Turkey will not approve an Israeli ambassador to replace Gaby Levy.

On Sunday, the Turkish newspaper reported that the Palmer report has ruled that IDF soldiers boarded the ship with “the intent to kill.”

According to the report, Israel is considering compensating the families of the nine people killed aboard the ship, and intends to issue a statement regretting the loss of life - regardless of Turkey’s demand for an official apology. †