WEEKLY UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, www.cuttingedge.org

4/16/2005      Over 1,400 Articles Posted! 96,000 People Downloading A Salvation Page Per Year!


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---------- Inspiration For the Week----------"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible." 1 Peter 1:23

Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other "with a pure heart fervently" and he wisely fetched his argument, not from the law, from nature, or from philosophy, but from that high and divine nature which God hath implanted in His people. Just as some judicious tutor of princes might labour to beget and foster in them a kingly spirit and dignified behaviour, finding arguments in their position and descent, so, looking upon God's people as heirs of glory, princes of the blood royal, descendants of the King of kings, earth's truest and oldest aristocracy, Peter saith to them, "See that ye love one another, because of your noble birth, being born of incorruptible seed; because of your pedigree, being descended from God, the Creator of all things; and because of your immortal destiny, for you shall never pass away, though the glory of the flesh shall fade, and even its existence shall cease." It would be well if, in the spirit of humility, we recognized the true dignity of our regenerated nature, and lived up to it.

What is a Christian? If you compare him with a king, he adds priestly sanctity to royal dignity. The king's royalty often lieth only in his crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his inmost nature. He is as much above his fellows through his new birth, as a man is above the beast that perisheth. Surely he ought to carry himself, in all his dealings, as one who is not of the multitude, but chosen out of the world, distinguished by sovereign grace, written among "the peculiar people" and who therefore cannot grovel in the dust as others, nor live after the manner of the world's citizens. Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to cleave unto holiness, and to avoid the very appearance of evil. [C.H. Spurgeon, "Morning and Evening Devotions"]

 

  Book/DVD/VHS/CD

Update On The "Purpose Driven Church" Movement Seminar

This seminar is FREE! We are charging nothing to attend, and will only pass a plate for a free-will offering to help defray the cost of the seminar. We are filling up, but still have some room to spare. Please email us at bonnie@cuttingedge.org to let us know you are coming and how many will be in your party -- since seating is somewhat limited.

Details to remind you:

Title: "The Purpose-Driven Revolution: Biblical or Blasphemous?"

Speakers: Mac Dominick and David Bay

May 21, 2005 - Saturday at Atlanta's Cobb Galleria Centre -- Room 104 - Theater Style Seating

Two Galleria Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
tel: 770-955-8000
fax: 770-955-7719

Hotels In The Immediate Vicinity and Road Map

9:00 - 10:00 - Registration, coffee, tea
10:00-11:00 - Introduction, Opening Presentation by David Bay, Director, Cutting Edge Ministries
11:00 - 12:00 - Mac Dominick, Cutting Edge -- The Church Revolution -- Foundation
12:00 - 1:30 - Lunch in the area, not provided
1:30 - 4:30 -- Mac Dominick -- The Church Revolution -- Exploding In Today's Society
4:30 - Questions and Answers

If you cannot attend, please pray earnestly for this meeting. We have people flying in from South Africa, and quite possibly, Nigeria to attend, because Rick Warren is spreading his unbiblical program throughout Africa.

---------- New Articles Posted This Week ----------

* "Compassionate Doctors -- Or -- Nazi Doctors? "Deathmaking" is now a global scourge. While Europe is further down this road than America, the last 10 years have seen a rapid closing of the moral gap, as evidenced by Terri Schiavo. We shall examine the moral Abyss into which enough of our medical people have fallen into which renders the next Holocaust inevitable, and so close we can see the outlines on the horizon

* "State Murder of Terri Schiavo Just The Beginning: "Culture of Death" Gaining Steam Throughout America. As Cutting Edge has been warning for over 10 years, once we slip far enough down the slope to allow government to kill at both ends of the age spectrum -- Abortion and Adult Euthanasia -- our culture will rapidly slide the rest of the way into the Abyss of Holocaust very quickly.

* "How Many Mourners In St. Peter's Basilica For The Pope's Funeral Realized They Were Milling On and Around The World's Greatest Symbol of "The Great Sex Act"? Why does the Vatican display Baal's sexual organ inside an occult 8-Wheel Path of Enlightenment in St. Peter's Basilica? Why does the #1 promoter of priestly celibacy depict the Wiccan "Great Sex Act" in their most public square?

When the Trapezoidal Coffin of Pope John Paul II was placed down on the ground in St. Peter's, did you notice it directly "faced the obelisk"? And that it faced due East - the coveted direction of Sun God Worship?

* "* "This Pope Never Apologized - Never Asked Forgiveness" -- John Paul II. Even though Pope John Paul II presided over the worst, most pervasive priest Sex Abuse scandal in church history, he never apologized and never asked for forgiveness; and, to the end, this Pope protected the Cardinals who had been hiding the facts, and the perpetrators, for so long.

* "Will Ancient Catholic Predictions On The Exact Number of Popes Now Come True?" Both the Bible and our study demonstrate that God does allow the demonic host certain limited foreknowledge. Just as demons can cast out demons (Matthew 12:27), so can demons speak prophecy which may come to pass -- if God allows it. A 12th Century Catholic prophecy concerning the final number and destiny of popes have been fulfilled to the letter; will the final two popes also fulfill these prophecies and what may be the timeframe?

---------- Bookstore Resource Update ----------

Now Back In-stock

 

* Black Pope Book On CDROM -- Plus 12 Other Investigative Books Written In The Latter 1800's - VATICAN ASSASSINS BOOK was based upon these 13 books! VATICAN ASSASSINS Book was based upon these 13 books! The "Black Pope" was the major resource on which Vatican Assassins was based and was originally one of the hottest, most controversial books of the late 1800's. This book was so hot, son very controversial, that the Vatican forced its withdrawal shortly after it was published. This book reveals the hidden hand in the Vatican, that of the top Jesuit leader, always secretly referred to as the "Black Pope". Satanists contend that the real power is wielded by the "Black Pope"!

This CDROM also contains 12 other books: 1) History of Romanism, Dowling, 1845; 2) History of the Jesuits, Nicolini, 1854; 3) Popery, Puseyism, and Jesuitism, Desanctis, 1905; 4) Engineer Corps of Hell, Sherman, 1883; 5) Secret Instructions of the Jesuits, Brownlee, 1857; 6) The Jesuits, Griesinger, 1903; 7) Footprints of the Jesuits, Thompson, 1894; 8) Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, Maria Monk, 1835; 9) Thrilling Mysteries of a Convent Revealed!, Peterson, 1835; 10) Jesuit Conspiracy: Secret Plan of the Order, Leone, 1848; 11) Crisis: Enemies of America Unmasked, Leone, 1848; 12) Romanism as a World Power, Kauffman, 1922. As the world races toward the unveiling of Antichrist and his False Prophet, we need to be as aware as possible of the true occult nature of the Roman Catholic Church. - http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=262

13 books for only $19.99 -- http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=262

* "Fleshing Out Skull & Bones - The Whole Story" - Softcover -- Price break from $32.95 to only $24.95

Since two out of our last three Presidents have been lifelong Adepts in Skull & Bones secret society, and since our current President has refused to disavow this society, it is highly important for us to know exactly what kind of society this is. In the 2004 Presidential election, we actually had Bonesman John Kerry running against Bonesman Bush.

This chronicle of espionage, drug smuggling, and elitism in Yale University's Skull & Bones society offers rare glimpses into his secret world. Book is 712 pages, with 8 color photos, 80 black/white photos, 16 illustrations and 24 charts. Reports previously unpublished documents, photographs, and articles that delve deeply into issues such as racism, financial ties to the Nazi Party and illegal corporate dealings. Books prints a complete list of known members, including the Bush men - Prescott, George and George W. , and reprints of rare magazine articles on the Order of Skull & Bones. It is absolutely amazing the depth of material available to a skilled and determined researcher. Authors include journalists, historians, a professor emeritus of political science, and a newspaper editor; the only drawback is this book does not deal with the severe occult side of this society. However, the shocking secular information it does contain needs to be imparted to every citizen in America. http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=640

Related Book to understand the global plan -- "The Anglo American Establishment"

Secret Societies like Skull & Bones have long conspired to return American sovereignty to Great Britain. In this monumental book, Professor Caroll Quigley details this terrible plan! Bill Clinton's favorite mentor, Professor Carroll Quigley of Georgetown University, this book remained unpublished for 20 years because no major publisher dared print the true story of the secret society that set out to dominate the world and ultimately came to control both England and the United States. It is no accident that we now have had three Bush's in our history plus Bill Clinton, all committed to the one secret society that now controls both the United States and Great Britain. <354 pages> - http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=642

New Items -- Bible Study Materials

* "KJV Bible On MP3 - CD In Protective Case -- Entire Bible for only $16.97 - Regularly $29.95 - Save almost $13.00!

Demand for audio books is skyrocketing. Cutting-edge recording technology delivers a crystal-clear reading of God’s Word on only three CDs. Enjoy Stephen Johnston’s powerful narration of the King James Version accompanied by soothing background music—72 hours instantly accessible via MP3 device, computer, or MP3-enabled CD or DVD player.

Audio CDs hold just over one hour of reading—MP3-format CDs hold over 25. Get all sixty-six books of Scripture on only three CDs! • Disc 1: Genesis–Kings • Disc 2: 2 Kings–Jeremiah • Disc 3: Lamentations–Revelation A translation as richly poetic as the King James Version deserves a powerful reading and clear audio rendering. The KJV Bible on MP3 delivers!

ABOUT THE NARRATOR: Stephen Johnston, with his clear, expressive baritone voice, is one of the foremost narrators of the Bible. He has been involved in many facets of the radio and television industries and has won numerous awards, including an Emmy and a Film Critics Award. - http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=1029

* "Day By Day Devotionals For Reading With Children" -- Ages 4-7

The Day by Day Bible can be a great tool to help your child get in the habit of spending time with God each day. Take a few minutes each day with your child and explore this daily devotional, filled with simple-to-read texts and lively, colorful illustrations.

The readings for each day include a story that unfolds to reveal God’s purposes and plans.Get your child involved with “Talk Time,” which offers straightforward questions to help your child relate the story to his or her daily experiences, and “Prayer Time,” which offers simple prayers that you and your child can pray together. Great for young families, Christian pre-school and early elementary school libraries, and church libraries! -- http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=1027

* "Spurgeon’s Sermons on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus" - Book On Sale - Regularly $19.95, Sale $12.97, Save almost $7.00

Spurgeon was one of the nineteenth century’s greatest preachers. In this collection of over forty sermons, Spurgeon takes us through The Last Supper, Jesus’ passion and death, including Christ’s cries from the cross, up to his glorious resurrection .Drawing us into the scripture text for each sermon, Spurgeon uses vivid word pictures and thought-providing concepts to make his points.His direct, practical style,wide choice of topics, and biblically-saturated discussions offer a wealth of wisdom that is still dynamic and relevant today. Both lay readers and clergy will find treasures here in Resurrection Day —and throughout the year.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon served for thirty years as preacher and pastor of London's six-thousand-seat Metropolitan Tabernacle, which his growing congregation opened in 1861. His writings, including thousands of sermons, are still popular with pastors and devotional readers who, like him, treasure the gospel of God's grace. http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=1028

Roman Catholic Resources

* "Vatican Rising! The Seduction of Christianity Because of the Triumph of Rome" - DVD - VHS

This video chronicles the prophetically critical news that Pope John Paul II was uniting the world's religions under the banner of Roman Catholicism. As the story is told of the many Evangelical Christian (Ex-Protestant) leaders who are shepherding their gullible flocks into the path of Rome, you will discover they are the same Evangelical leaders we exposed for taking money from Rev. Sun Myung Moon (NEWS1818) and the same bunch of guys in our "Evangelical Hall of Shame" for approving of the movie, "The Passion of the Christ" (NEWS1902). Further, some of these same leaders are also telling us how Christian President Bush is!

Texe Marrs brings so many separate pieces of the End Times religious puzzle together in this video, it is truly amazing. No Anti-Semitism in this video.

DVD or VHS * "Catholicism: White Sepulcher ''Christianity'' - NEW - Expanded Edition Video -

The most important resource Cutting Edge has ever produced. In this video, I assume the role of the demonic overlord [Daniel 10] whom Satan has assigned to the Popes of Rome since the beginning of that religion. My role is to bring the Roman Catholic Church systematically into a practice of the prophesied religion of Antichrist, which is foretold to be Black Magick Witchcraft [Daniel 8:23-25]. To accomplish this feat, I must move Rome first into a worship of White Magic Witchcraft and then, over a period of millennia, into the final stage of Black Magic Witchcraft. Finally, I demonstrate that the final stage of Black Magick Witchcraft began in 1963, with Pope Paul VI, and is being aggressively continued today by Pope John Paul II. No one has ever examined the Catholic Church from this unique perspective.

This is the only video which answers the question as to how Roman Catholic priests could be sexually perverted for over 1,200 years, subverting woman and boy alike in the Confessional.

* "The Priest, the Woman, In The Confessional" - by Charles Chiniquy

Former Catholic priest reveals a tragic danger of the confessional. What happens when women are commanded, under penalty of eternal damnation, to confess to a man their deepest sexual thoughts and sins? Former priest, Charles Chiniquy, continually dealt with this problem. He personally heard the confessions of over 200 priests. All but 21 admitted falling prey to Satan's devices in this area.

You will see how sexual exploitation has dogged the Roman Catholic priesthood for over 1,200 years, and is carried over into the exploitation of even young boys! Celibate priests are a disaster for the Catholic Church! This book reverently and tastefully exposes why confession of sins to a man cannot be of God. You'll see how this practice destroys both the priest and the person doing the confessing. -- http://www.cuttingedge.org/detail.cfm?ID=213

Combination Offers

* "History of American Education & DVD Educate or Enslave" - DVD - VHS

Combination video offer which gives you more reasons than ever before for not sending your children to Public School. "History of American Education" shows how Public Education slowly, gradually changed from excellence in 1800 to planned mediocrity in 2000. Now, children are being programmed to be "Worker Bees"

"Educate or Enslave" shows how our precious children are being trained to just be good citizens of the Global Government -- to not think critically and to passively accept whatever they are told to do. For the first time in your life, you will realize why Johnny can't read, and why the problem will never be solved by throwing more federal and state monies into the system.

These 2 videos together retail for $39.98, you save nearly $10 when you buy them together.

* "World Dominion Plus Barbed Wire Over America" - Combination Offer! DVD - VHS

Save $7.00 over buying these two videos separately! Both these videos reveal the Illuminati Plan, but from different perspectives.

"World Dominion" traces the current drive to a New World Order backwards in time from the Tower of Babel! See how the stage is being set right before your eyes. Learn of the deceptive World Constitution, Earth Charter, unconstitutional Executive Orders, Global Biodiversity Treaty, State of the World Forum presentations by Mikhail Gorbachev. Understand the true agenda of the U.N. - the sinister International Criminal Court, World Court, World Trade Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. This information will change your life, priorities, and thinking. Shows a person how to receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

"Barbed Wire Over America" demonstrates that the reality of concentration camps now built here is proof that God's physical judgment is close at hand. In great film clips, Wegener details the coming plan to institute global dictatorship. What do: Detention centers, Depopulation, Demilitarization, Foreign Troops on U.S. soil, Mother Gaia worship, Martial Law, and the Anti-terrorism bill have in common? They are all in our immediate future, unless enough Americans wake up

Pre-Publication Sale!! Save over 15% ($4.00) if you order any of these products between April 1 - May 10. If you order as part of a larger order, we will ship everything else immediately and ship this item in early May via Postal Service. Great opportunity to save!

"Outcome-Based Religion: Apostasy, Purpose, and the Paradigm Shift" --

Book

DVD

VHS

CD

Are big changes taking place in your church? Has the expository preaching of the Word of God been replaced by lectures in “Psychology 101?” Have the messages from the pulpit been so permeated with “tolerance” that sin is no longer identifiable? Has the emphasis of reaching the lost for Christ been replaced by the mantra bringing in the unchurched? Have the hymnals been trashed in favor of the overhead projector? Has the choir been supplanted by a contemporary “praise band?” Has the direction of the Holy Spirit on the service been replaced by “40 Day” campaigns?

Church growth has become the order of the day within broad-based protestantism, evangelicalism, and even fundamentalism with the catch-phrases like “seeker-sensitive,” “seeker-friendly,” and “purpose-driven” becoming household terms among conservative religious individuals. This video gives the reader the vital information needed to identify the warning signs needed to stand in defense of the Faith in the face of this gathering storm of apostasy. It should be required reading for all pastors and lay people who desire to understand the deceptive nature of this apostasy, and particularly those who are battling this movement within their own church. Finally, this video exposes the very real danger that if this movement continues unchecked, there may well arise a new generation that “knows not the Lord.”

Book is 336 pages -- DVD and VHS are 2 hours, 30 minutes

---------- This Weeks Hot News ----------

I. Vice President Cheney and President Bush were apparently inaugurated for a second term according to "Skull & Bones" Time!

NEWS BRIEF: "Bush Sworn In Four Minutes Before Noon", Associated Press, January 20, 2005

"WASHINGTON — A stickler for punctuality, President Bush was sworn in four minutes early for his second term. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution provides that the term of president ends at noon on the 20th day of January, when the term of a successor begins. By tradition, the oath of office is administered exactly at noon. Bush took the oath at 11:56 a.m. EST, leaving plenty of time to spare."

Vice President Cheney took his oath of office before President Bush, an oath which just takes seconds to speak. I carefully and slowly read the Vice Presidential Oath of Office and it took me 30 seconds.

Therefore, if President Bush began his oath of office at 11:56 a.m., it is logical that, given the few seconds it would take for Cheney and President Bush to exchange places, Cheney began his oath of office at 11:55 a.m., five minutes early. What difference does that make, you ask? Consider this next story:

NEWS BRIEF: "Skull & Bones Society: A rare look inside Skull and Bones, the Yale secret society", by Alexandra Robbins

"ON High Street, in the middle of the Yale University campus, stands a cold-looking, nearly windowless Greco-Egyptian building with padlocked iron doors. This is the home of Yale's most famous secret society, Skull and Bones, and it is also, in a sense, one of the many homes of the family of George W. Bush, Yale '68. Bush men have been Yale men and Bonesmen for generations. Prescott Bush, George W.'s grandfather, Yale '17, was a legendary Bonesman; he was a member of the band that stole for the society what became one of its most treasured artifacts: a skull that was said to be that of the Apache chief Geronimo .... There were other Bush Bonesmen, a proud line of them stretching from great uncle George Herbert Walker Jr. to uncle Jonathan Bush to cousins George Herbert Walker III and Ray Walker ...

"WITHIN the tomb students run on Skull and Bones time, which is five minutes ahead of the time in the rest of the world. 'It was to encourage you to think that being in the building was so different from the outside world that you'd let your guard down', a Bonesman ('72) explains."

What does this seemingly small detail mean? It means that President Bush is signaling fellow occultists throughout the world that he intends to conduct the affairs of his office during his second term according to the plans and the goals of his secret society, Skull & Bones. What is the ultimate goal of Bones? It is to finish gathering the world into a One World Government, Economy and Religion so the Masonic Christ can appear to head his New World Order.

During his Inaugural speech, President Bush uttered the infamous phrase, "New Order of the Ages", which is another way of saying "New World Order". We covered this very important part of his speech in NEWS2001, and encourage you to read it, for it ties directly into this subject.

By the timing of his second term Oath of Office and by uttering the key phrase, "New Order of the Ages", President Bush is at least saying that he intends to pursue the original goals of the Illuminati in his second term, and it quite possibly may mean that he is signaling that the final end toward that goal will occur in his second term.

The beginning of the Final Birth Pangs war seems closer than ever.

II. Is an American attack on Iran really in our near future? A propaganda campaign has begun which would suggest that we really might attack Iran's heavily fortified and Russian-manned defenses.

NEWS BRIEF: "Iran nuke commercial hits TV markets: Spot depicting atomic terror attack in NYC to be seen in 20 cities", WorldNetDaily, April 13, 2005

"A commercial produced by an organization fighting for the freedom of Iran that depicts a nuclear terror attack in America – the kind many experts believe is possible should Tehran get the bomb – will run in 20 markets across the country this month. Titled "An Atomic 9-11: When Evil is Appeased," the spot, sponsored by the Iran Freedom Foundation ... (Author) Corsi believes an atomic 9-11 is an imminent threat once a terrorist state like Iran has the capability to develop nuclear weapons.

" 'The major technical problems that have kept terrorists from exploding improvised nuclear devices within American cities are solved once a terrorist regime like the Islamic Republic of Iran has the capability to manufacture a nuclear weapon and deliver it in containers to a major U.S. port', he said."

We have never heard of the Iran Freedom Foundation, but this organization sounds suspiciously like the CIA-created "opposition groups" which popped up before the Iraq invasion. These groups were not only created by the CIA, but heavily funded, as well. Their criticism of Saddam's regime added moral weight to the false picture the Bush Administration was painting of the terrible dangers of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction and the possibility that Saddam might give these nuclear weapons to terrorists. Now, we are hearing much the same rhetoric, that Iran might give this bomb to terrorists, and the warning is now being spread by Iranian "opposition groups".

As we return to our featured article, we see a favorite scare tactic, one that was popularized by Tom Clancy's novel and TV movie, "Sum of All Fears". Fortunately, Cutting Edge has already demonstrated how false this premise is.

" 'The device can be picked up by sleeper terrorist cells, assembled and driven into the heart of the city, where it can be detonated at the height of an ordinary business day'. The resulting destruction from a successful atomic 9-11 attack on a major U.S. city like New York would be enormous. 'In the blink of an eye, the United States could be reduced to second-class economic status', Corsi said."

"The scenario described in 'Atomic Iran' shows that a 150-kiloton IND exploded in New York would reduce much of the city to rubble. Some 1.5 million people would be killed instantly, with another 1.5 million certain to die over the next few days. The television ad will air for 13 days four times daily in each city."

I have watched this TV commercial and it is truly frightening; however, its premise is flawed because our technology has rendered nuclear terrorism obsolete and ineffective. If you have not read our article, NEWS1938, "Debunking The Propaganda Lie That Terrorists Can Actually Hit The United States With A Nuclear Terrorist Weapon", we encourage you to do so now.

We demonstrate that our satellites can detect even the most minute emissions of nuclear particles coming from all nuclear warheads on earth. Our orbiting satellites "carry special sensor devices (Developed by SAIC) that can detect high-velocity spin-off particles from enriched uranium (necessary for nuclear devices). Due to the small size and velocity of these particles, no amount of shielding can block them: not lead, not earth (subterranean). Radiation hazards from these particles are minimal due to limited quantity. Our satellites are fool-proof in detecting and pin-pointing the locations of enriched uranium throughout the world."

The author of this news story concludes with this somber warning:

"If an internal nuclear attack ever occurs in this country without a major failure of our satellite assets...perhaps we should rethink just who the enemy really is..."

We then demonstrate from other stories that America does, indeed, have this satellite capability. Therefore, this WorldNetDaily article is purely propaganda when it says that "The device can be picked up by sleeper terrorist cells, assembled and driven into the heart of the city, where it can be detonated at the height of an ordinary business day".

The moment a nuclear device is sensed coming into an American harbor, our authorities know that it is coming, and precisely where it is located. Should American officials decide to allow the nuclear warhead to be offloaded from the container in which it had been hidden, they would then be able to track its movement down the freeways, highways, and streets -- capable of intercepting it at any time.

This TV commercial can run only because the vast majority of Americans have never heard of this very real satellite capability. We encourage you to read our article on this capability, for the evidence is very clear, and if the word can ever get out to the American people, this propaganda ploy would end very quickly.

For the record, Iran does not need to develop a nuclear weapons capability right now, for she has possessed nuclear weapons since 2002! We revealed this capability at that time quoting Stratfor Intelligence Review, and we have reminded our readers of this fact on numerous occasions since then. Once again, this propaganda ploy simply would not work if the American people understood either of these two facts:

1) American satellites have long possessed the capability of sensing the precise location of every single nuclear warhead in the world at any time.
2) That Iran has possessed nuclear weapons since at least 2002

But, since the public knows neither of these facts, the propaganda campaign can continue.

The appearance of this TV advertising campaign is especially sobering, for its purpose clearly is to stoke public support for a strike on Iran's facilities, "before she perfects and deploys her nuclear weapons". Further, American authorities are putting forth the kind of rhetoric one would expect just before an attack: they are denying we are going to attack. Even Ariel Sharon got in on the act, stating that Israel would not attack Iran.

Our policies thus far since the 9/11/2001, attacks has drawn Russia further into the Middle East -- just as students of Bible history know has to happen. However, since Russian air defense systems are in place, and since Russian advisers are on the ground, an American attack against Iran could trigger an American - Russian confrontation. Russia would truly be drawn into the Middle East, on the Arab side, just as the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 foretell. [Read NEWS2014 for full details]

 

III. As Sharon leads Israel further down the path toward Unilateral Disengagement from the Gaza Strip and portions of the West Bank, the public rhetoric suddenly changes toward extreme radicalization! Is a Jewish Civil War possible?

NEWS BRIEF: "Disengagement Leads to Escalating Societal Tensions", Israel National News, April 15, 2005

"Policemen are patrolling in ever greater numbers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in between; rumors of road-blockings and school-lockings abound, and Ehud Barak uses his visit in Gush Katif to warn of schemes to kill the Prime Minister. Residents of Gush Katif expressed bitterness at former Prime Minister Ehud Barak for taking advantage of his visit there yesterday to make incendiary announcements to the press. "Barak toured the area," writes Katif.net, "and experienced the residents and their successful enterprise at their best, met with them and heard their problems - and then his response to the media was, 'There are Jews who are planning to murder the Prime Minister, and they should be arrested and stopped as quickly as possible.'"

Can you imagine this scene? Ehud Barak is a former Prime Minister of Israel, a member of the party opposing Sharon. He should be expected to back the settler's fight to keep from being expelled from their homes. In this spirit, they welcome Barak to visit their settlement, meet with anti-disengagement leaders, and then issue a call for Jews to resist Sharon's plans to give Biblically mandated lands to the Palestinians.

But, that is not what happened. Barak met the settlement leaders in apparent sincerity, and heard their passionate pleas, but then turned around to utter the Sharon propaganda line that "extremists are plotting to assassinate the Prime Minister and they must be stopped"!

How can a leader from the opposition party from Sharon become such a turncoat? The answer is simple, and is the same as the question as to why it makes no difference whom American politicians we vote into or out of office. The entire political "battling" in both America and Israel is simply a daily outworking of the Dialectic Struggle, in which politicians who are really committed to the same goal take opposite public positions so it only appears they are battling one another; right under the surface, they are cooperating with full intensity.

Other forms of societal discontent were noted in this article.

"Also yesterday, two youths penetrated heavy security at an officers' training course ceremony in Latrun. They ran up to the stage, where Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon was sitting, and unfurled a large anti-disengagement banner reading, 'Jews do not expel Jews'. Yaalon's guards and a military police officer immediately jumped on the two and forcibly removed them from the area ... A senior IDF officer said that the incident shows that the security precautions in the IDF have collapsed." (Ibid.)

"Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz toured the Machpelah Cave in Hevron yesterday, and was greeted unpleasantly by right-wing activists. They yelled out at him, "Dictator! Why do you shut our mouths? Where is freedom of expression?" (ibid.)

"Earlier this week, expulsion opponents padlocked 170 schools in central Israel, causing thousands of teachers and students to wait outside while police and fire department personnel broke the locks and allowed them in ...." (Ibid.)

"A letter of support for those engaged in civil disobedience has garnered 100 signatures within a few hours in Gush Katif." (Ibid.)

These actions came immediately following incendiary remarks by Prime Minister Sharon.

NEWS BRIEF: "PM Sharon Sharply Criticized for 'Civil War' Threats", Israel National News, April 12, 2005

"Knesset Members from both left and right said that PM Sharon's remarks on NBC television about a 'civil war' atmosphere and his need for protection from Jews are incendiary and provocative ... The interview promoted the perception that 'Jewish settlers' are the main threat to stability in the Middle East. 'Israelis are bracing for a violent summer', the narrator opened, 'but it's not the Palestinians they are worried about — it’s the Jewish settlers'."

"Asked if he expects violence during the withdrawal from Gaza, Sharon said,'I expect [it] before and during... One should not underestimate the tension here, the atmosphere here. It looks like on the eve of a civil war... All my life I was defending [the lives] of Jews. Now, for [the] first time, security steps are taken to protect me from Jews'."

For many months now, Cutting Edge has repeatedly warned that this unilateral disengagement plan may provide the secular, Illuminist government of Ariel Sharon with the opportunity to discredit religiously observant Jewish citizens and permanently remove them from any meaningful participation in the life of Israel. (Read NEWS1941 for full details)

If Sharon is assassinated, or nearly assassinated, he could stoke public opinion -- which is largely secular and mildly against religiously observant Jews already -- to a fever pitch, allowing him the opportunity to dictatorially crack down. We posted an article nearly one year ago, warning of this possibility -- NEWS1961. Unfortunately, this next article warns that Sharon may be beginning just such a dictatorial drive against settlers opposing his withdrawal policies.

NEWS BRIEF: "Who does not know how to ask?", Ha'aretz News, April 15, 2005

"Something is happening to Israeli democracy on the way to disengagement. Almost every week more and more fine lines are being crossed between a regime that is totalitarian and one that is tolerant and pluralistic. "The spirit of the commander," that strong-arm spirit behind the firing of ministers, the misleading of voters, the denying of the platform and decisions of party mechanisms, and finally the refusal to face up to a national referendum over an unequalled historical process, is now seeping down into the field. Under the aegis of disengagement, non-violent demonstrators are beaten at crossroads and along the highways ... Even passersby, like Y. from the Jerusalem region, fall victim to unbearable and unnecessary police brutality ... Another demonstrator, Dr. Shai Gross, also fell victim to police beatings after daring to remark to them that they should not swear."

"The large number of cases seems to indicate that this is not mere stumbling on the part of individuals but rather a trend ... In Eilat, all those wearing skullcaps and dressed in orange - the color of protest against disengagement - were pushed aside from the crowd celebrating Eilat Day when Ariel Sharon addressed them ... It is not only in Eilat that wearers of orange who wish to protest against the expulsion of 10,000 people from their homes have become an object of harassment."

"The media that rush to document every infringement of human rights and freedom of expression when Palestinians or leftists are involved shun their role when it comes to other forms of protest. Over the past few months they have simply acted like "the son who does not know how to ask questions."

We have noticed this kind of treatment of President Bush and his Administration officials, have we not? "Puff pieces" of journalism are constantly pouring forth, showing President Bush in family situations designed to tug at the heart strings. This same kind of controlled media journalism is now supporting Israeli Prime Minister Sharon in his disengagement policy.

This article from the normally Liberal Ha'aretz News, is even more remarkable, for their editors have routinely supported Unilateral Disengagement, and have regularly poked fun at the concept that these lands being given up are Biblical lands, promised to Israel by God in perpetuity. In front of their Liberal eyes, they can see a dictatorial government forming, and suddenly, they protest! Suddenly, they act afraid?

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IV. With this idea of an encroaching dictatorship in mind, let us now review another troubling news story regarding how the government is planning to squelch opposition to unilateral withdrawal.

NEWS BRIEF: "IDF to disarm four West Bank settlements set for evacuation", Ha'aretz News, April 11, 2005

"Jewish settlers in four West Bank settlements will be disarmed about two weeks before they are to be removed from their homes this summer, military officials said Monday, reflecting growing concern that settler resistance to a West Bank pullback will be particularly intense. Settlers, however, said they would not give up their weapons.

"Israel plans to dismantle all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank in July and August, removing about 9,000 Israelis from their homes. While the Gaza operation will be much larger, Israeli officials have grown increasingly worried about violence in the West Bank ... The West Bank also holds special significance for religious Jews, raising the likelihood that Jewish ultranationalists might pour into the West Bank settlements to resist the evacuations."

"Military officials, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said troops will collect all military-issue weapons from residents of the four settlements slated for evacuation about two weeks before the pullout ... 'We are worried more about settlers coming from the outside, not necessarily the residents', said a military official ... The Yedioth Ahronoth daily quoted a senior military officer as saying "violent cells" have already been established in two of the West Bank settlements slated for evacuation ..."

As you can see, tensions seem to be rising on both sides of this issue. However, religiously observant Jews have historically also loved the land of Israel, and have historically been reluctant to attack other Jews and their government. The situation seems ripe for a "government provocateur" operation, where government agents posing as disgruntled settlers might create violence to give Sharon the opportunity to crack down.

And, if the provocateur assassinates a government official -- or is seen attempting to do so -- the Prime Minister would have the excuse and the popular public backing, to finally vanquish an enemy the Illuminati has long despised and feared.

Once the Israeli Defense Force disarms these settlers, they can, at some future date, disarm all Israeli citizens. Then, as this video, above, so clearly illustrates, Jewish citizens will have everything to fear from their government. Once a government disarms its people, it usually turns upon them with ferocity. That is the sorry lesson of history.

 


VHS or DVD V. After publicly admitting that Saddam possessed no WMD and had no links to terrorist organizations, Mass Media is now breaking the story that the threatened terrorist attacks using Ricin against British targets was completely made up -- totally fabricated!
How can anyone take our government's warnings about terrorist threats seriously anymore?

NEWS BRIEF: "London and Washington used plot to strengthen Iraq war push", The Guardian, April 14, 2005

"Claims that a terrorist cell was planning a lethal ricin attack in Britain were used by the British and American governments in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq ... To further press the case for war, politicians implied there was a clear link between Saddam Hussein, al-Qaida, and terrorists planning chemical or biological attacks on targets in the west, including London.

"The ricin claims were seized on most strikingly by Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, in his dramatic but now discredited speech on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction programme to the UN security council on February 5 2003, five weeks before the invasion. Insisting 'every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources', Mr Powell spoke of a 'sinister nexus between Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorist network'."

On March 30, Colin Powell -- by now a former Secretary of State -- was quoted as saying that he was "furious and angry" about being misinformed over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. That is quite the admission, so let us review the story.

NEWS BRIEF: "Colin Powell Reports He Was Furious That He Was Misled About WMDs", The Washington Note, by Steven C. Clemens, March 30, 2005

"Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has reported to Stern Magazine in Germany that he was furious that he was misled about Iraq's WMD programs before his February 2003 address to the U.N. Security Council."

Mr. Powell never did indicate who "misled" him, and we will probably never know. However, Cutting Edge was warning in late, 2002, that Iraq possessed no Weapons of Mass Destruction, nor did secular Saddam have any links to the religiously crazed Osama bin Laden. When Powell gave his impassioned speech to the United Nations in February, 2003, we called his "facts" the exaggerations and outright falsehoods they turned out to be. If Cutting Edge can reach those conclusions based upon facts we uncovered in the news, and upon our understanding of the Illuminati Plan, then you know that Colin Powell was clearly aware that the information he was giving out was patently false.

Furthermore, President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld are clearly the culprits here, as we demonstrated in our two articles reporting how these two leaders conspired to create a completely bogus "intelligence department" which would publish false but scary news stories about Saddam's capabilities prior to the invasion, in order to justify the invasion (Read NEWS1890 and NEWS1890b for full details)

However, as we return to our featured story, we are now presented with an even more unsavory realization: the many "terrorist threats" publicized by British and American governments are suspect. In fact, this very frightening warning that terrorists were likely to use the poison, "Ricin", is now proven to not only be "wrong", but deliberately created -- out of thin air -- to simply scare a trusting public.

Cutting Edge posted a 77-page report over one year ago which detailed many of the false "terrorist alerts" which had been issued by our government since 9/11. This article is NEWS1888, and it demonstrates that a number of news headlines have been repeated over the years since 9/11, demonstrating the probability that these headlines were planned ahead of time, and just repeated whenever authorities wanted another terrorist scare. After all, repeated terrorist scares have allowed our government to systematically pass laws such as the Patriots Acts, which have taken away most of our freedoms, rights, and liberties -- once they are enforced.

Can anyone take our government's word on anything anymore? Remember the word of advice given above, concerning our satellite capability to sense the location of every nuclear warhead on earth, at all times, for it applies here as well.

"If an internal nuclear attack ever occurs in this country without a major failure of our satellite assets...perhaps we should rethink just who the enemy really is..."

VI. After two weeks of repeated news reports from American officials stating that the war in Iraq was going wonderfully, and that a "corner had been turned" in the conflict, an editor from The Guardian just had to step in to set the record.

NEWS BRIEF: "Don't be fooled by the spin on Iraq: The US is failing - and hatred of the occupation greater than ever, by Jonathan Steele, The Guardian (London), April 13, 2005

"Saddam Hussein's effigy was pulled down again in Baghdad's Firdos Square at the weekend ... Instead of being done by US marines with a few dozen Iraqi bystanders, 300,000 Iraqis were on hand. They threw down effigies of Bush and Blair as well as the old dictator, at a rally that did not celebrate liberation but called for the immediate departure of foreign troops. For most Iraqis, with the exception of the Kurds, Washington's 'liberation' never was ... Iraqis were soon angered by the failure to get power and water supplies repaired, the brutality of US army tactics, and the disappearance of their country's precious oil revenues into inadequately supervised accounts..."

"From last autumn's disastrous attack on Falluja to the huge increase in detention without trial, the casualties go on rising. After an amnesty last summer, the numbers of 'security detainees' have gone up again and reached a record 17,000. The weekend's vast protest shows that opposition is still growing, in spite of US and British government claims to have Iraqis' best interests at heart ... Equally significantly, the marchers were mainly Shias, who poured in from the impoverished eastern suburb known as Sadr City. The Bush-Blair spin likes to suggest that protest is confined to Sunnis ... The key issue, now as it has been since 2003, is for the occupation to end quickly."

"Most of western Iraq is out of US control. The city of Mosul could explode at any moment. Ramadi is practically a no-go area ... The US argues that a complete withdrawal has to be 'conditions-related, not calendar-related' ... By that, they mean Iraq's security forces have to be strong enough to replace the Americans and British, a totally elastic marker ... Whenever there is an alleged transfer of power to Iraqis, this time to a 'government' elected in a flawed poll, Rumsfeld comes with instructions ... Behind the scenes, he is probably telling them not to ask for a withdrawal timetable, and sounding them out on the opposite. The US has indicated that it wants permanent bases in Iraq, just as it does in Afghanistan - which is why the joint Sadr-National Foundation Congress statement says the government 'will have no right to ratify any agreement or treaty that might affect Iraq's sovereignty, the unity of its territory and the preservation of its resources'."

Once again, the reality, the truth, of the matter lies in the completely opposite direction of the public rhetoric -- Read our original treatise on this propaganda reality, posted in early November, 2001 -- NEWS1558.


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VII. Another heart-breaking story appeared this week, letting us know that not all is as well with Iraq as our leaders would have us think. We have alluded to this subject several times, especially in the instance of soldiers suffering Depleted Uranium poisoning.

NEWS BRIEF: "Pentagon accused of concealing casualties", New Zealand Herald, April 11, 2005

"The Pentagon has been accused of smuggling wounded soldiers into the US under cover of darkness to avoid bad publicity about the number of troops being injured and maimed in Iraq. The media have also been prevented from photographing wounded soldiers when they arrive at hospital."

"Records show that flights from military bases in Germany arrive in the US only at night ... 'The American public has very limited information about the real impact of this war', said Ellen Taylor, a spokeswoman for Code Pink, a peace group that has been protesting outside the Walter Reed military hospital in Washington The Pentagon says about 12,000 troops have been evacuated from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq but the actual total of injured and wounded is believed to be closer to 25,000."

Remember the furor created when we learned that President Bush ordered that no journalists be allowed to either view the caskets returning from Iraq or photograph them? This article tells us the real reason the President issued his order. He did not want the American people to hear any news other than the candy-coated news that he and the Pentagon would issue.

Remember those first 2 weeks of fighting? Because Cutting Edge daily listed foreign news outlets on our Daily News Updates rather than just American sources, we were reporting a much different story. We were reporting that our troops were not doing that well fighting Saddam's troops, that they were pinned down and that they were repulsed on a number of occasions. Months later, American sources began to concede the truth, admitting that those first two weeks were very rough. Former Marine Corps Lt. Colonel David Hackworth weighed in with reports that our troops were not that well trained, and were lacking critical equipment.

Further, we have reported that soldiers sick with the "mysterious ailments" which suggest Depleted Uranium poisoning were being secretly flown in under the cover of darkness. So, this news is not really new.

But, it is disturbing, as it tells us that the Administration is hiding some facts they do not want us to know. The most obvious probable answer is that our forces are suffering far more casualties than Bush officials want to admit. Col. Hackworth reported that we have suffered 14,000 casualties in Iraq and 11,000 more in Afghanistan. (Newsletter of January 3, 2004, Paragraph IV). This means that, according to Hackworth, 25,000 soldiers have been evacuated from the two battlefield regions, matching the above New Zealand Herald story exactly.

Listen to Hackworth's exact words: "Even I – and I deal with that beleaguered land seven days a week – was staggered when a Pentagon source gave me a copy of a Nov. 30 dispatch showing that since George W. Bush unleashed the dogs of war, our armed forces have taken 14,000 casualties in Iraq – about the number of warriors in a line tank division. We have the equivalent of five combat divisions plus support for a total of about 135,000 troops deployed in the Iraqi theater of operations, which means we've lost the equivalent of a fighting division since March. At least 10 percent of the total number of Joes and Jills available to the theater commander to fight or support the occupation effort has been evacuated back to the USA!"

"Lt. Col. Scott D. Ross of the U.S. military's Transportation Command told me that as of Dec. 23, his outfit had evacuated 3,255 battle-injured casualties and 18,717 non-battle injuries ... Ross cautioned that his total of 21,972 evacuees could be higher than other reports ... I think it's safe to say that, so far, somewhere between 14,000 and 22,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been medically evacuated from Iraq to the USA."

Now, we read this April 10, 2005, news story from the Independent Telegraph, that American wounded are being secretly flown to America "under the cover of darkness"! No, matters are not going wonderfully, despite the propaganda you hear to the contrary.


Behold A Pale Horse

VIII. Violence exploded across Iraq last week, even as we were being treated to news stories about how well the newly elected government was performing in Iraq.

NEWS BRIEF: "Double car bombing rocks Baghdad", BBC News, 14 April, 2005

"A double suicide car bombing in central Baghdad has killed at least 15 people ... The cars blew up nearly simultaneously amid heavy traffic in a street near a fortified interior ministry office. Police officers and several children were among the dead, witnesses said. More than 30 people were wounded."

NEWS BRIEF: "Gunmen Kill Four in Kirkuk", AP Breaking News, April 14, 2005

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - ... Near the northern city of Kirkuk, seven gunmen riding in two vehicles fired on a police station shortly after dawn Thursday, killing three police officers and one civilian, police Brig. Sarhat Qadir said.

In Tikrit, Saddam's hometown 80 miles north of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded outside a U.S. military installation, injuring nine civilians and setting nearby houses ablaze, police Lt. Col. Amer Ahmed said ... On Wednesday, an American was shown at gunpoint on a videotape aired by Al-Jazeera television two days after he was kidnapped from a water treatment plant near Baghdad. The station said he pleaded for his life and urged U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq.

In LaPorte, Ind., a yellow ribbon was tied around a tree outside Jeffrey Ake's one-story brick house. The U.S. Embassy said the man on the video appeared to be Ake, a contract worker who was kidnapped around noon Monday."

NEWS BRIEF: "Nine killed in Kirkuk bomb attack", BBC News, 13 April, 2005

"Attackers used a live bomb to kill at least nine Iraqi security force members dismantling an apparent decoy device near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The casualties, including at least three wounded, worked for the Northern Oil Company guard service. Anti-US insurgents also launched a string of attacks in Baghdad, as the second high-level American official visited Baghdad in as many days. At least four roadside blasts have been reported in the Iraqi capital."

NOTE: This story was updated to report that the death toll had risen to 12 security force members.

NEWS BRIEF: "Insurgents Hit U.S. Fuel-Supply Convoy in Iraq's Capital", AP Breaking News, April 13, 2005

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Insurgents hit an American fuel-supply convoy Wednesday in the Iraqi capital, witnesses said, leaving a tanker truck engulfed in flames that sent smoke rising high over the city ... Twin blasts targeted the convoy of two U.S. Humvees and a fuel tanker as it made its way through an eastern Baghdad neighborhood, witnesses at the scene said, as the truck burned violently and sent up a large plume of black smoke visible across Baghdad. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any casualties. The U.S. military had no immediate comment."

NEWS BRIEF: "Record number of prisoners", The Australian, 11 April 2005

"UNITED States and Iraqi forces are holding a record 17,000 men and women - most without being formally charged - and with those in Iraqi-controlled jails living often in deplorable conditions ... About two-thirds are locked up as “security detainees” without any formal charges in US-run facilities ... The rest are incarcerated in Iraqi-run jails in conditions that fall well below any international standard and are in dire need of reform ... None of the Iraqi detention centres meet international standards for cleanliness, food and the treatment of prisoners ... Not even the International Committee of the Red Cross has visited the Iraqi facilities because they are considered such a high security risk."

This kind of behavior does not lend itself to "winning the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people. We are even holding women in prison in order to force their husbands to turn themselves in to Coalition Forces! Just as in Vietnam, we speak lots about winning the affections of the local people, but actually do nothing to accomplish this fact.

NEWS BRIEF: "Al Qaeda kills Najaf police chief", Dawn International, 11 April 2005

"DUBAI, April 10: Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq said on Sunday it had kidnapped and killed a senior Iraqi police officer in the capital Baghdad ... The group, led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, posted a picture of an identification card bearing the name Brigadier General Basem Mohammed Kadem and designating him as head of police in the holy city of Najaf ... "The death brigades ... kidnapped the head of Najaf police while he was walking in al-Dora and after he confessed, God's law was implemented against him," the group said in a statement posted on a Website used by Islamist militants.

"The punishment of those who abandon their religion is death..."

Insurgents continue to attack those national leaders who cooperate with American and British authorities. In fact, insurgents have so strongly adopted this tactic that their attacks against American soldiers has actually declined.

NEWS BRIEF: "Kidnappings continue in Baghdad", The Denver Post, April 11, 2005

"Baghdad, Iraq - The family of a Pakistani embassy employee kidnapped in Baghdad appealed Sunday for his captors to release him, and al-Qaeda's ally in Iraq claimed to have kidnapped and killed a senior police official. The kidnappings came as Iraq's most feared terrorist organization issued an Internet statement rejecting any efforts by the new government to make peace."

NEWS BRIEF: "Insurgents kill 15 Iraqi soldiers", BBC News, 9 April 2005

"Insurgents have killed 15 Iraqi soldiers traveling in a convoy south of Baghdad ... The attack happened near the town of Latifiya, in a lawless area known as the 'triangle of death'."

NEWS BRIEF: "US forces shoot CBS cameraman in Iraq", ABC News Online, 9 April 2005

"A television cameraman working for CBS News has been detained for alleged insurgent activity after being shot and wounded this week by US troops in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul ... The incident comes as two US media trade unions called on the Bush administration for an independent inquiry into "record number of deaths" of journalists covering the Iraq war ... The individual, who was not identified, was carrying CBS press credentials, the military said. CBS on Tuesday said the man was an Iraqi freelance reporter and cameraman employed by CBS News ... The IFJ is calling for a full and independent investigation by the United States into 14 media deaths in Iraq."

Once again, American forces have taken deadly action against an Arab journalist working for a major American news company. Not too long after American forces had taken Baghdad, US soldiers shot and killed an Arab journalist working for an American news outlet; reports initially indicated that the soldiers had deliberately taken aim at the journalist, a charge vehemently denied by Coalition Command.

 

IX. As President Bush and Congress line up to receive credit for the passage of the new Bankruptcy Law, the reality is far different than the rhetoric. Rather than acting to prevent real abuses by deadbeat consumers, this bill is really a Christmas Wish List for credit card companies! Once again, Republicans live up to their reputation of caring nothing for the little guy, and only caring for large corporations.

NEWS BRIEF: "Congress Passes Bankruptcy Bill: Measure Rewards Financial Industry at Consumers' Expense", by Brian H. Bosworth , Consumer Affairs, April 14, 2005

"Putting aside their supposed differences for a few moments, Republicans and Democrats from the reddest and bluest states alike lined up to support S.256, the "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act," approved by the House of Representatives today on a 302-126 vote. It passed the Senate last month by 74-25. The bill now goes to President George W. Bush, who wants to sign it into law as part of his legal reform agenda."

Regular news outlets are touting this bill as one of the major pieces of legislation to be signed into law in a very long time. Public rhetoric shouts loudly and strongly that too many consumers were abusing the system too badly, and costing credit card companies and the economy untold millions of dollars. The stated purpose of this legislation is to enact tougher restrictions on declaring bankruptcy, preventing criminals and deadbeats from escaping their obligations by filing for Chapter 7 or 13, and starting over again.

However, as is the case so often in Washington, D.C., the truth lies in the opposite direction of public rhetoric.

"... S.256 actually leaves vulnerable groups -- the poor, the elderly, military personnel and their families -- more vulnerable to credit card companies looking to make money off late fees and less capable of seeking protection in bankruptcy court when things go bad. In the words of Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law professor and an expert on bankruptcy law and its effects, "This bill was designed to point a thousand daggers squarely at consumers in trouble ... it's like narrowing the doors to a hospital and expecting everyone to squeeze their way in ... what about (this bill) that has compelled noted Independent Jim Jeffords (I-Vermont) to partner with his former Republican allies across the aisle, while groups as disparate as Consumers' Union and the Federalist Society have openly declared the bill to be a cure that is worse than the disease?"

"... a majority of those who declare bankruptcy in America do so because of real crises -- long-term unemployment, ballooning health care costs and the ruthless tactics of credit-card companies."

Consumer Affairs lists the following very troublesome details with this bill.

* Means Test -- "A small, but vitally important, part of the 500-page bill is the six-page section dealing with a 'means test'. The "means test" is the system by which the IRS determines who can legitimately file for bankruptcy, and who cannot.

* "The test is a rigorous process involving examination of the debtor's income and expenses, calculations as to whether or not their expenses meet the standards of their area, and judgments relating to whether or not they genuinely qualify for a Chapter 7 filing ... the 'means test' would be applied to any debtor filing under Chapter 7, regardless of their circumstances, status, or reasons for declaring. There would be no discretion if a claimant filed due to inability to pay health care costs, or if they maxed out all of their credit cards and wasted their savings on trips to Vegas."

* "... the inflexible standard is designed to leave no leeway for debtors to abuse the system, but in the process it is bound to penalize a great many people who have fallen into bad circumstances through no fault of their own."

* "... the means test fails to account for dramatic changes in income over the six-month means test period, including loss of a job and obtaining a new one with a much lower salary."

In other words, this system sets up faceless, heartless bureaucrats who care nothing for the human being behind the problem! These officials will not listen to extenuating circumstances of any sort. This kind of system simply acts like a meat grinder, grinding the helpless and defenseless into ruin.

Once again, the little guy, the defenseless and poor who can least afford it, are going to be the most hurt. Meanwhile, credit card companies are going to be the real benefactors -- once again.


---------Conclusion----------------"Doth Job fear God for nought?" Job 1:9

This was the wicked question of Satan concerning that upright man of old, but there are many in the present day concerning whom it might be asked with justice, for they love God after a fashion because He prospers them; but if things went ill with them, they would give up all their boasted faith in God. If they can clearly see that since the time of their supposed conversion the world has gone prosperously with them, then they will love God in their poor carnal way; but if they endure adversity, they rebel against the Lord. Their love is the love of the table, not of the host; a love to the cupboard, not to the master of the house.

As for the true Christian, he expects to have his reward in the next life, and to endure hardness in this. The promise of the old covenant is adversity. Remember Christ's words--"Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit"-- What? "He purgeth it, that it may bring forth fruit." If you bring forth fruit, you will have to endure affliction. "Alas!" you say, "that is a terrible prospect." But this affliction works out such precious results, that the Christian who is the subject of it must learn to rejoice in tribulations, because as his tribulations abound, so his consolations abound by Christ Jesus. Rest assured, if you are a child of God, you will be no stranger to the rod. Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass through the fire. Fear not, but rather rejoice that such fruitful times are in store for you, for in them you will be weaned from earth and made meet for heaven; you will be delivered from clinging to the present, and made to long for those eternal things which are so soon to be revealed to you. When you feel that as regards the present you do serve God for nought, you will then rejoice in the infinite reward of the future. [C.H. Spurgeon, "Morning and Evening Devotions"]

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May Jesus Richly Bless You,

David Bay, Director

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