1. Only professionals or investors can immigrate to the country. No unskilled laborers will be allowed in. Investors must be able to invest at least 40,000 times the daily average wage. If they can't, they are not allowed in.
2. Immigrants may purchase property, but locations and availability will be limited. Ocean front property cannot be purchased by immigrants. It is exclusively for citizens born in the country.
3. Immigrants cannot vote nor can they be elected to any public office.
4. Immigrants cannot collect any type of government assistance.
5. Immigrants cannot protest the countries government, policies or president.
6. Immigrants cannot display a flag of a foreign country.
7. Immigrants who have illegally entered the country will be found and imprisoned.
Sound kind of harsh?
Well, these are laws that are currently part of the Immigration Laws of, you guessed it, MEXICO!!!
Be Fruitful and Multiply Christians and the 'Birth Dearth'
April 18, 2006
Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.
There are many so-called strategies for redeeming the culture. For instance, there's electing pro-family representatives at the state and federal levels, nominating and confirming the right kind of judges, and, of course, there's evangelism and the ability to articulate a Christian worldview in a way that our non-Christian neighbors can understand.
And while all of these are important, there's something else that is more likely to succeed than any of these: frequenting your local maternity ward.
Regular "BreakPoint" listeners and readers have heard about the "birth dearth" in Europe and Japan. Low birthrates have put the future of both of these societies in doubt. Europe faces the prospect of cultural extinction by an increasingly unassimilated Muslim population. Japan, which has not only rejected large-scale immigration, but also having children, has a shrinking and aging population whose "national future" is very much in doubt.
These aren't the only significant effects of falling birthrates. There are political and cultural consequences as well.
Phillip Longman of the New American Foundation described these effects in an USA Today op-ed titled "The Liberal Baby Bust." In it, Longman argued that demographic trends predict "a far more conservative future." That's because fertility "correlates strongly with a wide range of political, cultural, and religious attitudes."
While nearly half of Americans who attend church weekly say that they want three or more children, barely a quarter of those who seldom attend church say the same. As Longman put it, among liberals and "progressive secularists," "childlessness and small families are increasingly the norm." Thus, in Seattle there's nearly 45 percent more dogs than children.
The result of these attitudes toward kids and culture is that "an increasing share of all children born in the world are descended from a share of the population whose conservative values have led them to raise large families."
The result will be a "dramatic, demographically driven transformation" of American culture. "Traditional values" will "make a comeback," if for no other reason than the alternatives are self-annihilating. The "secularists and counter-culturalists" of the future will have never been born.
And that says a lot about the sterility of the secular worldview. But while it's gratifying to see one's beliefs vindicated in unexpected ways, we do need to keep a few things in mind.
First, family size isn't all that matters. After all, many of the people in prison come from larger-than-average families. The key is to replace one generation of faithful Christians with another generation of faithful Christians. Helping you do that is the very mission of "BreakPoint."
The other thing is that our children are not a cultural strategy. Christians, on average, have bigger families because we believe that children are gifts from God—good things in themselves—and because we believe that God intended our good when He said, "Be fruitful and multiply." That's certainly what this father of six believes.
Still, the fact that large families have unexpected, but positive, consequences for our values and culture is a reminder that, in all of life, obeying God's commands is always the best strategy.
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As we look back at human history we learn that man can be terribly cruel to his own kind. In recorded history there isn’t a single century where you can’t find terrible atrocities, genocides, wars and rumors of wars. But the world has never seen anything like we are witnessing in today’s events that lines up with the prophetic Word of God.
We are seeing a religion (Islam) or at least the extreme elements of it, that has declared war on the “People Of The Book” at least that is how the Koran describes it. Meaning of course the Jews and the Christians, stating in no uncertain terms that they must either be converted or killed, with the emphasis put on the killing rather than the converting. Never before in the history of this world has there been so many signs in the skies, or pestilence (diseases) of all kinds killing many by the millions. Or such drastic weather changes around the world with Tornados in New York in the winter, or tornados in Israel and many being reported in places never seen before. South Eastern Europe is flooding and millions are now homeless. Russia had the coldest winter ever. Artic ice melting at an alarming rate. And we are seeing the world turn against Israel blaming us Jews once again for all the world’s ills, wishing we would just disappear.
What we find even more interesting is the center of attraction is “Jerusalem” and the “Jew”. There is also a very clear parallel between the goals of Islam and the Devil, they both hate and want to destroy Israel and the Jews, and of course the Christians as well. But it is far more important for them to try to destroy the Jews and Israel than to kill the Christians, the reason being that if they are successful in destroying Israel and killing the Jews, it also would destroy the foundation of the Christian belief. For if there is no Israel and no Jews how then will the Messiah (the real Messiah) plant His feet on the Mount of Olives. They (Islam) of course have their own messiah called the 12th Imam or the Mahdi. But it’s also interesting that the Moslem messiah has many of the same goals line up perfectly with that of the anti-Christ.
But I am here to inform you that Israel will not go away, the Jews who brought you the Word of God will also be here to show you the Jewish Messiah again. It was by the mighty hand of God that we are back on the land God promised our Forefathers and by His hand we will stay here. You can also be sure that God’s Word is true and will come about in His timing. That God has also promised to destroy all those who come against Jerusalem and the God I serve cannot lie.
I will admit that the near future of Israel doesn’t look so rosy with Hamas now threatening us with hundreds of suicide bombers. With the Iranian backed Hizbullah on our northern borders pointing over 13,000 rockets at us many with chemical warheads. Iran threatening us with nuclear annihilation but don’t be deceived, Iran and the Islamic Global Jihad have plans to destroy a few major cities in the US killing millions with nuclear bombs as well. In fact, I am amazed they haven’t done it already. In the meantime the world sits still hoping that Israel will attack Iran so they can solve two problems at the same time, stop or hinder Iran’s nuclear capabilities and have the reason to call for the destruction of Israel at the same time.
House arrest for attack cat Fairfield neighbors terrorized by Lewis
A ferocious feline terrorized a quiet Fairfield [Connecticut] neighborhood, to the point that residents are seeking help from the law to stop the so-called "Terrorist of Sunset Circle."
Lewis, a 5-year-old, black-and-white longhaired cat, attacked at least a half-dozen people on the cul-de-sac and even took on the local Avon lady, neighbors say.
"He looks like Felix the Cat and has six toes on each foot each with a long claw," Sunset Circle resident Janet Kettman said. "They are formidable weapons."
Kettman said Lewis attacked her twice.
"I was walking along the sidewalk when he sprang at me. I never saw it coming, but that's how it often is. He comes at you from behind, springs and wraps himself around your legs, biting and scratching," she said. "The last time I had three bites and eight scratches and I ended up at the walk-in clinic.
Kettman called the Fairfield Police Department's animal control officer.
"I don't feel the cat could kill anybody, but it could latch onto people's legs and arms and bite and scratch to the point where they could be hospitalized," said Animal Control Officer Rachel Solveira.
Solveira also arrested the cat's owner, Ruth Cisero, of High Street, first for failing to comply with the restraining order and then for reckless endangerment.
At first, the restraining order allowed the cat limited freedom if Cisero gave him Prozac. But the cat refused to take the drug, Cisero said. And it got out of the house and attacked another neighbor, Maureen Bachtig, according to police.
A tearful Cisero said the neighbors have spun the situation out of control.
"I've tried to tell them to just stay away from Lewis and he will stay away from you; this has caused complete havoc for me," said Cisero, who has applied to the court for accelerated rehabilitation -- for the cat.
"There's no way you can impose western culture and democracy and Judeo-Christian ethics on a Muslim community to start with. The best that you can hope for is that they've got somebody in there that's not a radical nut like the president of Iran, or Saddam Hussein, or something like that." - Bruce Tefft, Former CIA official and Middle East expert
What's going on with the government of Iraq? Will the effort toward democracy work, or is it doomed by the religion of the majority of Iraq's people?
Iraqi parliament members believe it may take another month to form a unity government so that the new and improved government of Iraq can get going. The delay in forming a stable government means a lack of leadership, of popular confidence. It means the insurgency has the psychological advantage of political instablility. In other words, the terrorists can rejoice while the government of Iraq is still uncertain. Parliament members have been discussing and debating since elections in December, and there are still internal disagreements about leadership. Ultimately, the specific form that Islam will take in the government of Iraq is still to be seen.
Parliament member Iyad Jamal Al-Din made clear last week he believes that Iraq should remain a secular democracy. He believes that with much Islam in the mix, democracy just won't work. This has been a great concern to Middle East policy analysts - whether an Islamic nation can also be a truly democratic nation.
The people of Iraq have certainly demonstrated an interest in democracy. They have risked their lives to pile up in lines and vote, to go to the polls and proudly brandish their purple-inked fingers afterwards. They have shown what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the "desire for the human dignity that comes with liberty, with democracy, with the ability to say what you think and worship as you please and to educate your boys and your girls." Despite - and even because of - years of fear and abuse under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqis retain that basic human love for freedom and the ability to have some control over their government.
Yet, Iraq remains a predominantly Muslim nation. Its people are a Muslim people. Al-Din, who supports the US military presence in Iraq, has problems with the new Iraqi Constitution because it relies on Islamic principles. He believes the only way for Iraq to truly be a free democratic nation is for the government of Iraq to form a secular democracy. Mixing Islam and democracy, he said, "is like mixing Marxists and capitalists."
The reason, he says, is because Islamic sharia law has "nothing to do with democracy or human rights." There is little religious freedom and Muslims are not permitted to change from Islam to another religion. There are strict dictates by which all citizens must abide, and the control is taken from the hands of the people and placed in the arms of the religious leaders. Religious leaders determine how sharia law applies to specific issues, and the people are required to abide by those interpretations or face severe penalties.
An Islamic people may be able to exist in a democracy, as long as the government stays out of religious affairs. There's a problem, though. It's difficult for a secular government to be created in a nation of Islamic people. The government cannot risk being considered godless, nor can it risk being seen as a Western creation - any government seen as being a puppet of the West will face fierce opposition.
What do you think? Can Islam and Democracy co-exist?
Some call the book of Zechariah, "The Apocalypse of the Old Testament." Many feel that Zechariah is the most Messianic book of the Old Testament. Among its many precious passages we find the Messiah presented as the Branch who will remove iniquity; the Shepherd; the Stone; the Coming King; the Triumphal Entry on a donkey; One betrayed for 30 pieces of silver; His Crucifixion, and His Second Coming, "looking upon me whom they pierced."
This most challenging little book is second only to Isaiah in its distinctiveness and importance as a Messianic prophet. Zechariah contains more Messianic prophecies than all of the other "Minor" prophets put together.
The book focuses on the Day of YHWH, the return of Israel in unbelief, their passing through the Great Tribulation, and their deliverance by King Messiah. It also may hold the key to resolving the enigma of "Mystery Babylon" and its relation to literal Babylon in prophecy.
The Prophet Zechariah was a Levite born in a priestly family in Babylon who returned to Jerusalem with almost 50,000 other Jewish exiles. He was probably a relatively young man at the beginning of his prophetic ministry. Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai the prophet, Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest.
Historical Background
The fall of Jerusalem to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC marked the finale of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, much as the earlier defeat at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 BC brought to an end the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Most of Jerusalem's inhabitants were deported to Babylon for a period of 70 years, as prophesied by the Prophet Jeremiah.
During this exile, the Prophet Daniel received the revelation that Gentile kingdoms would be dominant over Judah and Israel until God set up His kingdom on the earth under the rule of the Messiah. This period was referred to by Jesus Christ as "the times of the Gentiles."
When the Babylonian Empire fell to the Persian Empire (539 BC), Cyrus the Great decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple. However, only a small minority of about 50,000 Jews (including Haggai and Zechariah) returned under the leadership of Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest.
Levitical sacrifices were soon reinstituted on a rebuilt altar of burnt offering, and in the second year of their return the foundation of the Temple was laid. However, external oppression and internal depression halted the rebuilding of the Temple for about 16 more years of spiritual apathy until the rule of Persian King Darius Hystaspis (522-486 BC).
In the second regnal year of Darius (520 BC), God raised up Haggai the prophet to encourage the Jews in rebuilding. Haggai preached four sermons in four months and then disappeared from the scene. Two months after Haggai delivered his first sermon, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry, encouraging the people to spiritual renewal and motivating them to rebuild the Temple by revealing to them God's plans for Israel's future. With this prophetic encouragement the people completed the Temple reconstruction in 515 BC.
The dated portions of Zechariah's prophecy fall within the period of the rebuilding of the Temple. The undated prophecies of Zechariah 9-14 were probably written much later in his ministry. According to Jewish tradition, Zechariah was a member of the Great Synagogue, a council originated by Nehemiah and composed of 120 members. Ezra is said to have been the president of this council, which was later succeeded by the Sanhedrin.
An Enriching Adventure
Zechariah, in a sense, closes the Old Testament. Luke opens with the account of another priest named Zechariah ("Yahweh Remembers") and his wife Elisabeth ("His Oath"). An angelic visit ends 400 years of silence with the announcement of the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist. This astonishing book is full of surprises - both Messianic and many apparently on our near horizon!
The 2006 National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 4th is the perfect time for all of us to pray with hundreds of thousands of Americans that God will bless and protect the United States. We need to pray for our troops, our nation, and our President, as I Timothy 2:1-2 says.