KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
Thousands of pilgrims have flocked into the West Bank
city of Bethlehem to mark Christmas in the "little town" where many
believe Jesus Christ was born.Huge numbers of tourists and
worshippers joined Palestinian residents of the city - Muslim and
Christian alike - in lining a traditional Christmas procession headed by
the Latin Patriarch and Archbishop of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal.The
parade culminated in Manger Square, in front of the Church of the
Nativity, which is built over the site where Christians believe Mary
gave birth to Jesus in a cattle shed.This year's celebration
carries special significance for many Palestinians, coming after 12
months in which their status on the world stage has been significantly
upgraded.Just last month the United Nations granted them the
status of non-member observer state, and earlier this year they won
their first UNESCO World Heritage Site designation - for Bethlehem's
Church of the Nativity.Taghreed Rishmawi, 20, a biology student from Bethlehem, was watching the procession with a friend."It's just a really happy time for us, people are happy and excited," she said."It's particularly special this year because it comes after the UN gave us the state status."That decision gave us hope, and we feel that the world sees us as a state now."Dotted
among Palestinians in Manger Square were hundreds of foreign tourists,
including 58-year-old Joan Cross from Canada, on her first trip to
Bethlehem."It's just magical," she said."I've waited 20
years to come as a Christian pilgrim. My mum and I always wanted to come
together, but she passed away aged 97 last year, unfortunately, so this
trip is really for both of us."Several hours later, Archbishop
Twal, the most senior Roman Catholic bishop in the Middle East, will
deliver the traditional midnight mass to the faithful.The mass is
traditionally attended by top officials from the Palestinian Authority
including president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad.Last
week, in his pre-Christmas press conference, Archbishop Twal praised
the UN decision to upgrade Palestinian status, calling it a "step
towards peace and stability in the region"."Israel can now
negotiate on equal state-to-state terms for the good of all," he said,
saying the Palestinian issue remained "the cause of all conflicts in the
region," and urging US president Barack Obama to take "immediate
action" to push the peace process forward.In the weeks leading up
to Christmas, the Palestinians have seen Israel move forward with
settlement activity, including around Bethlehem.Last week alone,
Israel moved forward with plans for over 5,000 new settler homes, most
of them in annexed east Jerusalem, and more than 2,500 of them in the
Givat HaMatos neighbourhood at the entrance to Bethlehem.The
Palestinians say part of the new settlement activity is intended to
punish them for the UN upgrade bid, which was fiercely opposed by Israel
and Washington.But Xavier Abu Eid, an advisor to the Palestine
Liberation Organisation, said this year's celebration of Christmas would
be particularly meaningful for Palestinians nonetheless."At
Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the prince of hope and the prince
of peace and the Palestinian people have been hoping for 64 years to
achieve a just peace," he said.ABC/AFP
Pilgrims flock to Bethlehem for Christmas
Updated
Pope's Christmas message focuses on Mideast, China
By | Associated Press – 1 hr 53 mins ago DEC 25,12- Enlarge PhotoAssociated Press/Gregorio Borgia - Pope Benedict XVI delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the City and to the World) speech from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012.
Why do cardinals in Vatican City wear red? and bishops wear purple?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — In his Christmas message to the world Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI
called for an end to the slaughter in Syria and for more meaningful
negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, while encouraging more
religious freedom under China's new leaders.Delivering the traditional speech from the central balcony of St.
Peter's Basilica, Benedict also encouraged Arab spring nations,
especially Egypt, to build just and respectful societies.The pope prayed that China's
new leadership may "esteem the contribution of the religions, in
respect for each other" to help build a "fraternal society for the
benefit of that noble people."It was a clear reference to the
Chinese government's often harsh treatment of Catholics loyal to the
pontiff instead of to the state-sanctioned church. Earlier this month,
the Vatican refused to accept the decision by Chinese authorities to
revoke the title of a Shanghai bishop, who had been appointed in a rare
show of consensus between the Holy See and China.As the 85-year-old pontiff, bundled up in an ermine-trimmed red cape,
gingerly stepped foot on the balcony, the pilgrims, tourists and Romans
below backing St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers.Less than 12 hours earlier,
Benedict had led a two-hour long Christmas Eve ceremony in the basilica.
He sounded hoarse and looked weary as he read his Christmas message and then holiday greetings in 65 languages.In his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, which traditionally reviews world
events and global challenges, Benedict prayed that "peace spring up for
the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict that does
not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims."He called for easier access to help refugees and for "dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."
For two millennia, the birth of Christ has been seen as
the greatest event in world history. The moment Jesus was born in a
stable in Bethlehem, God became man, and eternal salvation became
possible.This date has been the separation point of mankind's time on earth,
with B.C. designating the era before Christ, and A.D., anno domino, in
the Year of the Lord, the years after. And how stands Christianity today?"Christianity is in danger off being wiped out in its biblical heartlands," says the British think tank Civitas.In Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Christians face
persecution and pogroms. In Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, conversion is a
capital offense. In a century, two-thirds of all the Christians have
vanished from the Islamic world.
In China, Christianity is seen as a subversive ideology of the West to undermine the regime.In Europe, a century ago, British and German soldiers came out of the trenches to meet in no-man's land to sing Christmas carols and exchange gifts. It did not happen in 1915, or ever again.In the century since, all the Western empires have vanished. All of their armies and navies have melted away. All have lost their Christian faith. All have seen their birthrates plummet. All their nations are aging, shrinking and dying, and all are witnessing invasions from formerly subject peoples and lands.In America, too, the decline of Christianity proceeds.
While conservatives believe that culture determines politics, liberals understand politics can change culture.
The systematic purging of Christian teachings and symbols from our public schools and public square has produced a growing population — 20 percent of the nation, 30 percent of the young — who answer "none" when asked about their religious beliefs and affiliations.In the lead essay in the Book Review of Sunday's New York Times, Paul Elie writes of our "post-Christian" fiction, where writers with "Christian convictions" like Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor are a lost tribe."Where has the novel of belief gone?" he asks.
Americans understand why Mao's atheist heirs who have lost their Marxist-Leninist faith and militants Islamists fear and detest the rival belief system of Christianity. But do they understand the animus that lies behind the assault on their faith here at home? In a recent issue of New Oxford Review, Andrew Seddon ("The New Atheism: All the Rage") describes a "Reason Rally" in Washington, D.C., a "coming out" event sponsored by atheist groups. Among the speakers was Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins, author of "The God Delusion," who claims that "faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument."Christians have been infected by a "God virus," says Dawkins. They are no longer rational beings. Atheists should treat them with derisory contempt. "Mock Them!" Dawkins shouted. "Ridicule them! In public!"In "The End of Faith," atheist Sam Harris wrote that "some propositions are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people.""Since the New Atheists believe that religion is evil," notes Seddon, "that it 'poisons everything,' in (Christopher) Hitchens' words — it doesn't take much effort to see that Harris is referring to religions and the people who follow them."Now since atheists are still badly outnumbered in America and less well-armed than the God-and-Country boys, and atheists believe this is the only life they have, atheist suggestions to "kill people" of Christian belief is probably a threat Christians need not take too seriously.With reference to Dawkins' view that the Christian faith "requires no justification and brooks no argument," Seddon makes a salient point.While undeniable that Christianity entails a belief in the supernatural, the miraculous — God became man that first Christmas, Christ raised people from the dead, rose himself on the first Easter Sunday and ascended into heaven 40 days later — consider what atheists believe.They believe that something came out of nothing, that reason came from irrationality, that a complex universe and natural order came out of randomness and chaos, that consciousness came from non-consciousness and that life emerged from non-life.This is a bridge too far for the Christian for whom faith and reason tell him that for all of this to have been created from nothing is absurd; it presupposes a Creator.Atheists believe, Seddon writes, that "a multiverse (for which there is no experimental or observational evidence) containing an inconceivably large number of universes spontaneously created itself."Yet, Hitchens insists, "our belief is not a belief."Nonsense. Atheism requires a belief in the unbelievable.Christians believe Christ could raise people from the dead because he is God. That is faith. Atheists believe life came out of non-life. That, too, is faith. They believe in what their god, science, cannot demonstrate, replicate or prove. They believe in miracles but cannot identify, produce or describe the miracle worker.At Christmas, pray for Hitchens, Harris, Dawkins and the other lost souls at that Reason Rally.Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?" To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
Benedict prayed that God "grant Israelis and Palestinians courage to
end long years of conflict and division, and to embark resolutely on the
path to negotiation."Israel,
backed by the United States, opposed the Palestinian statehood bid,
saying it was a ploy to bypass negotiations, something the Palestinians
deny. Talks stalled four years ago.Senior Palestinian official Saeb
Erekat said that in a meeting with the pope last week, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas "emphasized our total readiness to resume
negotiations." The Palestinians have not dropped their demand that Israel first stop settlement activities before returning to the negotiating table.Hours earlier, in the ancient Bethlehem church built over the site
where tradition holds Jesus was born, candles illuminated the sacred
site and the joyous sound of prayer filled its overflowing halls.
Overcast skies and a cold wind in the Holy Land didn't dampen the
spirits of worshippers in the biblical West Bank town. Bells pealed and
long lines formed inside the fourth-century Church of the Nativity
complex as Christian faithful waited to see the grotto that is Jesus'
traditional birthplace.Duncan Hardock, 24, a writer from
MacLean, Virginia, traveled to Bethlehem from the republic of Georgia,
where he had been teaching English. After passing through the separation
barrier Israel built to ward off West Bank attackers, he walked to Bethlehem's Manger Square where the church stands."I feel we got to see both sides of Bethlehem in a really short
period of time," Hardock said. "On our walk from the wall, we got to see
the lonesome, closed side of Bethlehem ... But the moment we got into
town, we're suddenly in the middle of the party."Bethlehem lies 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Jerusalem. Entry to
the city is controlled by Israel, which occupied the West Bank in 1967.For those who couldn't fit into the cavernous Bethlehem church, a loudspeaker outside broadcast the Christmas day service to hundreds of faithful in the square.Their Palestinian hosts, who welcome this holiday as the high point
of their city's year, were especially joyous this season, proud of the
United Nations' recognition of an independent state of Palestine just
last month.
"From this holy place, I invite politicians and men of good will to
work with determination for peace and reconciliation that encompasses
Palestine and Israel in the midst of all the suffering in the Middle
East," said the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin
Patriarch Fouad Twal in his annual address.Back at the Vatican, Benedict offered encouragement to countries
after the Arab spring of democracy protests. He had a special word for
Egypt, "blessed by the childhood of Jesus."Without citing the tumultuous politics and clashes in the region, he
urged the North African region to build societies "founded on justice
and respect for the dignity of every person."Benedict prayed for the return of peace in Mali and harmony in
Nigeria, where, he recalled "savage acts of terrorism continue to reap
victims, particularly among Christians."The Vatican for decades has been worried about the well-being of its flock in China,
who are loyal to the pope in defiance of the communist's government
support of an officially sponsored church, and relations between Beijing
and the Holy See are often tense.Speaking about China's
newly installed regime leaders, Benedict expressed hope that "they will
esteem the contribution of the religions, in respect for each other, in
such a way that they can help to build a fraternal society for the
benefit of that noble people and of the whole world.Acknowledging Latin America's predominant Christian population, he
urged government leaders to carry out commitments to development and to
fighting organized crime.In Britain, the royal family was attending Christmas Day church
services at St. Mary Magdelene Church on Queen Elizabeth II's sprawling
Sandringham estate, though there were a few notable absences. Prince
William is spending the holiday with his pregnant wife Kate and his
in-laws in the southern England village of Bucklebury, while Prince
Harry is serving with British troops in Afghanistan.Later Tuesday, the queen delivered her traditional, prerecorded Christmas message, which for the first time was broadcast in 3D.At Canterbury cathedral, Anglican leader Rowan Williams delivered his final Christmas day
sermon as archbishop of Canterbury. He acknowledged how the church's
General Synod's vote against allowing women to become bishops had cost
credibility and said the faithful felt a "real sense of loss" over the
decision.In the U.S., the Rev. Jesse Jackson brought his message of
anti-violence and gun control to a Chicago jail, using his traditional
Christmas Day sermon at the facility to challenge inmates to help get
guns off the streets."We've all been grieving about
the violence in Newtown, Connecticut, the last few days," he told
reporters after addressing inmates, referring to the school shooting
that killed 26 children and adults. "Most of those here today ... have
either shot somebody or been shot. We're recruiting them to help us stop
the flow of guns."___Dalia Nammari in Bethlehem, Cassandra Vinograd in London and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report. Christmas in an Anti-Christian Age
Pat Buchanan's column is released twice a week.
By Pat Buchanan | Pat Buchanan – 13 hrs ago DEC 25,12In China, Christianity is seen as a subversive ideology of the West to undermine the regime.In Europe, a century ago, British and German soldiers came out of the trenches to meet in no-man's land to sing Christmas carols and exchange gifts. It did not happen in 1915, or ever again.In the century since, all the Western empires have vanished. All of their armies and navies have melted away. All have lost their Christian faith. All have seen their birthrates plummet. All their nations are aging, shrinking and dying, and all are witnessing invasions from formerly subject peoples and lands.In America, too, the decline of Christianity proceeds.
While conservatives believe that culture determines politics, liberals understand politics can change culture.
The systematic purging of Christian teachings and symbols from our public schools and public square has produced a growing population — 20 percent of the nation, 30 percent of the young — who answer "none" when asked about their religious beliefs and affiliations.In the lead essay in the Book Review of Sunday's New York Times, Paul Elie writes of our "post-Christian" fiction, where writers with "Christian convictions" like Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor are a lost tribe."Where has the novel of belief gone?" he asks.
Americans understand why Mao's atheist heirs who have lost their Marxist-Leninist faith and militants Islamists fear and detest the rival belief system of Christianity. But do they understand the animus that lies behind the assault on their faith here at home? In a recent issue of New Oxford Review, Andrew Seddon ("The New Atheism: All the Rage") describes a "Reason Rally" in Washington, D.C., a "coming out" event sponsored by atheist groups. Among the speakers was Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins, author of "The God Delusion," who claims that "faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument."Christians have been infected by a "God virus," says Dawkins. They are no longer rational beings. Atheists should treat them with derisory contempt. "Mock Them!" Dawkins shouted. "Ridicule them! In public!"In "The End of Faith," atheist Sam Harris wrote that "some propositions are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people.""Since the New Atheists believe that religion is evil," notes Seddon, "that it 'poisons everything,' in (Christopher) Hitchens' words — it doesn't take much effort to see that Harris is referring to religions and the people who follow them."Now since atheists are still badly outnumbered in America and less well-armed than the God-and-Country boys, and atheists believe this is the only life they have, atheist suggestions to "kill people" of Christian belief is probably a threat Christians need not take too seriously.With reference to Dawkins' view that the Christian faith "requires no justification and brooks no argument," Seddon makes a salient point.While undeniable that Christianity entails a belief in the supernatural, the miraculous — God became man that first Christmas, Christ raised people from the dead, rose himself on the first Easter Sunday and ascended into heaven 40 days later — consider what atheists believe.They believe that something came out of nothing, that reason came from irrationality, that a complex universe and natural order came out of randomness and chaos, that consciousness came from non-consciousness and that life emerged from non-life.This is a bridge too far for the Christian for whom faith and reason tell him that for all of this to have been created from nothing is absurd; it presupposes a Creator.Atheists believe, Seddon writes, that "a multiverse (for which there is no experimental or observational evidence) containing an inconceivably large number of universes spontaneously created itself."Yet, Hitchens insists, "our belief is not a belief."Nonsense. Atheism requires a belief in the unbelievable.Christians believe Christ could raise people from the dead because he is God. That is faith. Atheists believe life came out of non-life. That, too, is faith. They believe in what their god, science, cannot demonstrate, replicate or prove. They believe in miracles but cannot identify, produce or describe the miracle worker.At Christmas, pray for Hitchens, Harris, Dawkins and the other lost souls at that Reason Rally.Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?" To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
