CHRISTIANITY UNDER ATTACK OF FREEDOM

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

September 22, 2011
Erdogan Urges Pressure on Israel

IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF THIS QUAKE OCCURRED BECAUSE TURKEY IS PUTTING ON HATE PRESSURE AGAINST ISRAEL.IT WOULD NOT ALSO SURPRISE ME IF AT LEAST 1,027 WOULD BE DEAD IN THIS QUAKE AS A RESULT OF THAT MANY ARAB-MUSLIM MURDERERS SET FREE LAST WEEK.

7.2 quake causes damage, casualties in Turkey
By SELCAN HACAOGLU and SUZAN FRASER - Associated Press | AP – OCT 23,11

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The deputy prime minister says the earthquake in eastern Turkey has collapsed around 45 buildings.Besir Atalay says the quake collapsed some 25-30 buildings as well as a dormitory in the eastern town of Ercis in Van province. He says 10 buildings fell in the city of Van.The magnitude-7.2 quake struck Van province on Sunday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish Red Crescent says 25 apartment buildings and one dormitory in the eastern town of Ercis have collapsed following a large earthquake.The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck eastern Turkey Sunday, collapsing buildings and causing a number of deaths, officials said. At least 50 people were injured.The temblor collapsed several buildings in the city of Van as well, authorities said.The Red Crescent says its rescuers have pulled out several injured people out of the collapsed dormitory in Ercis.No overall casualty figure was available.

Earthquake hits southeastern Turkey with many reported dead ReutersBy Jonathon Burch | Reuters – OCT 23,11

HAKKARI, Turkey (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 shook southeastern Turkey on Sunday, Turkey's Kandilli Observatory said, triggering the collapse of buildings and killing many people, according to a local mayor.State-run media reported 50 people had been injured, while the prime minister's office said the earthquake had caused a loss of life and damage. No figures were available on the death toll.A lot of buildings collapsed, many people killed, but we don't know the number. We are waiting for emergency help, its very urgent,Zulfukar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis district, which was hit badly, told the news broadcaster NTV.We need tents urgently and rescue teams. We don't have any ambulances, and we only have one hospital. We have many killed and injured, he said.Emergency teams were trying to rescue people believed to be trapped in a building in Van, near the Iranian border, state-run news agency Anatolian said. It said 50 injured people had been taken to hospital in Van, but did not give details on how serious their injuries were.The Kandilli Observatory said the earthquake struck at 1041 GMT and was 5 km (3 miles) deep. The U.S. Geological Survey earlier reported that the magnitude was 7.6.

Television pictures showed damaged buildings and vehicles, crushed under falling masonry, and panicked residents wandering in the streets.Turkish media said phone lines and electricity had been cut off. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was heading to Van to see the damage, media reported.Aftershocks continued after the initial quake, whose epicenter was at the village of Tabanli, north of Van city, the agency said.In Hakkari, a town around 100 km (60 miles) south of the city of Van in southeastern Turkey, a building could be felt swaying for around 10 seconds during the quake.
There was no immediate sign of any casualties or damage in Hakkari, around two and half hours drive through the mountains from Van, around 20 km from the epicenter.
Major geological faultlines cross Turkey and small earthquakes are a near daily occurrence. Two large quakes in 1999 killed more than 20,000 people in northwest Turkey.Two people were killed and 79 injured in May when an earthquake shook Simav in northwest Turkey.(Additional reporting by Seda Sezer and Daren Butler; Editing by Alison Williams)

PERSECUSSION,BEHEADINGS

JESUS PERSECUTED BIGTIME

PSALMS 14:1
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

ISAIAH 53:4
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

MATTHEW 9:34
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

JOHN 8:41
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

JOHN 10:20
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11(JESUS GETS REVENGE)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND FOR SINNERS, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE FINAL JUDGEMENT).

WE ARE CHRISTIANS WE WILL BE TREATED THE SAME.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 (WHY WE ARE PERSECUTED BY THE WORLD)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

MATTHEW 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain(BEHEADED) for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

News: Breaking News-Religious identity comes head to head with university’s desire to prevent discrimination By Kyle Blaine Published Oct. 20, 2011.

Second year law student Justin Gunter stands with his eyes closed and head bowed before a handful of his peers in a lecture hall at Vanderbilt University's law school.Lord God, I thank you for bringing us here together on this day, Gunter says, opening the weekly prayer group meeting for the Christian Legal Society.Gunter is president of CLS, and as a leader in the organization, required to lead prayer groups like these, as well as Bible studies. That requirement came under scrutiny from the university earlier this year. The administration contends the group's leadership requirements might violate the university's nondiscrimination policy, which does not allow discrimination based on religious beliefs.The disagreement between the university and CLS received national attention, from Fox News Channel and now members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, who sent a letter to Chancellor Zeppos earlier this month urging him to allow religious organizations to freely choose their leaders.A closed meeting took place yesterday between the university and members of the religious community at Vanderbilt. According to Gunter, a representative from CLS was not invited, but said he is happy the university is making an effort to meet with leaders of religious groups to ease the current tension.This tension can all be traced back to November 2010, when a former member of the campus Christian fraternity alleged that he had been asked to leave the organization because he was openly gay.

Christian Fraternity ousts openly gay member

In article published in the Hustler on Nov. 5, 2010, a former member of Beta Upsilon Chi, a christian fraternity on campus, alleged that fraternity leaders encouraged him to leave the group after he came out as gay in the summer of 2010.The former member, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed he was given the option by then fraternity president Greg Wigger to leave the fraternity or face expulsion after having a discussion with Wigger about his sexual orientation.Wigger and the national organization’s Executive Director declined to comment at the time the story was published.The former member filed a complaint with the Office of the Dean of Students after the story was published, and Beta Upsilon Chi underwent an investigation by the Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Disability Services. The findings of that investigation have not yet been made public.Beta Upsilon Chi is a registered religious/spiritual student organization on campus. The fraternity's Code of Conduct states that Beta Upsilon Chi does not condone homosexuality. A former member of the fraternity gave the Hustler a copy of the Code of Conduct, which is only released to Beta Upsilon Chi members and pledges.The Code of Conduct states its beliefs regarding sexuality in the second clause of the document: We believe that sex is a gift of God to be enjoyed only inside the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Therefore, we will not condone such activity as homosexuality, fornication, or adultery. (I Corinthians 6:15-20; Hebrew 13:4).

The Code of Conduct appears to conflict with Vanderbilt’s nondiscrimination policy, which requires student organizations that all student organizations must refrain from discriminating in membership selection, officer or adviser appointments, or practices of organizational activities on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or sexual orientation, in compliance with Federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.We expect all student organizations to abide by our non-discrimination policies, Bandas said.As an institution, we value our diverse student body. Each and every member of our community is worthy of respect.

Religious groups under the microscope

The university began reviewing the constitutions of all student organizations at the beginning of the year, following the allegations made against Beta Upsilon Chi.
According to a statement updated by the university on Sept. 27 of this year, 32 out of 36 religious organizations are in compliance with the university's nondiscrimination policy. All other student groups have complied with the university. The four groups still on provisional status are CLS, Graduate Christian Fellowship, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Beta Upsilon Chi.The noncompliance issue is the same for CLS, Graduate Christian Fellowship and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Each group’s constitution contains a clause which restricts leadership positions to individuals who share the group’s core religious beliefs. The university is in the process of determining whether these clauses violate the school’s nondiscrimination policy; until a determination is made, the groups will retain provisional status.Gunter said his organization cannot compromise on the leadership issue.A policy that limits religious groups’ ability to have religious leaders and activities decreases religious diversity, Gunter said. Vanderbilt should ensure its non-discrimination policy does not undermine the university’s religious diversity.Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Assessment Patricia Helland confirmed the university initially told the three religious organizations to remove provisions from their constitutions that restricted leadership positions, but has now backed away from the position following feedback from those organizations.People have come back to us and said what do you mean? This is faith based. This is our values. If we change that, we are not who we are and what we’ve done is we’ve listened, Helland said.We are looking at what all the issues are to make a decision.

The university also removed a clause protecting religious associations from its nondiscrimination policy in December of last year. The change, made on Dec. 8, 2010, removed a sentence that guaranteed freedom of religious association for external organizations that associate with the university.

Critics push back against university action

What began as a stand-off between administrators and a handful of student groups, however, has turned national.The national attention began when Carol M. Swain, professor of law and political science, criticized the university in a column in the Tennessean published on Sept. 14.This hastily conceived policy has the potential to destroy every religious organization on campus by secularizing religion and allowing intolerant conflict, Swain wrote.Carried to its logical extension, it means that no organization can maintain integrity of beliefs.In a phone interview with the Hustler, Swain said the actions taken by the university are part of an effort to secularize religion on campus.From my perspective, (the policy) goes too far, Swain said.I felt this issue does affect alumni and donors and they need to know what the university is doing.Swain and Gunter appeared in a Fox News segment on Sept. 26 on the controversy.Then, earlier this month, 23 members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus wrote to Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, urging him to allow religious groups to freely choose their leaders. Among the signatures were Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Diane Black (R-TN).Religious student groups form around specific beliefs, and provide an opportunity for like-minded individuals to assemble to study the tenets of their faith and engage in activities that enrich their religious experiences,the letter reads. It follows, then, that religious groups must be allowed to select leaders that share the group’s core religious beliefs in order to maintain their religious identities and carry out their primary functions. Selecting leaders that best represent a student organization’s mission is not discrimination; it is common sense.The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a free speech group, has weighed on the university's actions, as well. In a Sept. 21 letter to the Chancellor, the group wrote that the decision to not approve CLS's constitution pits Vanderbilt against the American tradition of religious pluralism and impairs the freedoms of religion and association of its students.

A national debate

Vanderbilt is not the only university struggling to balance the conflicting interests of religious plurality and nondiscrimination.Just last week, the University of North Carolina ruled that a Christian a cappella group did not violate the university's nondiscrimination policy when the group unanimously decided to remove a gay member in August, over what the group said was a difference of beliefs. UNC Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp told the Daily Tarheel the group could expel a member for not sharing a set of specific beliefs.An officer of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at Marquette University in Wisconsin was dismissed after coming out as gay and admitting to an affair with another male. The organization was initially suspended but then given a lesser sentence of probation.
Marquette expects all student organizations to adhere to the university’s Statement on Human Dignity which recognizes and cherishes the dignity of each individual regardless of age, culture, faith, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, language, disability or social class,University spokeswoman Kate Venne told Life Site News.According to the Sept. 27 statement by Vanderbilt University, no decisions have been made regarding the religious groups on provisional status.Student groups that wish to practice their faith are welcome at Vanderbilt; however, it is incumbent upon them to decide whether they wish to become registered student organizations at the university,the statement reads.

News: Breaking News
Change to university policy alters protection for religious groups By Kyle Blaine Published Sep. 26, 2011. 1759 views

Campus religious organizations may be less secure than they were a year ago following changes made to the student handbook, the Hustler today learned.Vanderbilt University last year removed a clause protecting religious associations from its nondiscrimination policy following allegations that a Christian fraternity on campus asked an openly gay member to resign because of his sexual orientation.The change, made on Dec. 8, 2010, removed a sentence that guaranteed freedom of religious association for external organizations that associate with the university. The change was made after the Hustler reported the allegations on Nov. 5, 2010.

MORE ON INSIDEVANDY
Former Beta Upsilon Chi members allege unfair treatment based on sexual orientation
Two former members of Vanderbilt’s Beta Upsilon Chi chapter say they we
Four religious groups face uncertainty after university review.Four student religious organizations at Vanderbilt University may be in jeopardy following a review by the school’s administration that takes issue with the groups requiring their leaders sha-The text read,Vanderbilt University is committed to the principle of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or the perception of one’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. In affirming its commitment to this principle, the University does not limit freedom of religious association, does not require adherence to this principle by government agencies or external organizations that associate with, but are not controlled by, the University, and does not extend benefits beyond those provided under other policies of the University.The Hustler reached out to university officials for comment this afternoon but has not yet received a response.The change can been seen in the student handbook by comparing the Dec. 8, 2010, version with the March 29, 2011, version.The news of this change comes amid scrutiny and national media attention of the university for placing four religious groups on provisional status due to noncompliance with the nondiscimination policy.Today, the university is repeatedly tweeting a statement released on Sept. 15 that reads, We made the decision to give the organizations not yet in compliance provisional status, allowing us to continue to work with them to achieve compliance while allowing them to continue to have the same full access to the Vanderbilt campus as they have had in the past.