Newsletter April 1020

April 2010 Newsletter



A Note From Ed



Well, I am back up and running again. A trip to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona was the solution. After three Doctors and nine tests/lab workups, it was just more heavy meds that masked my symptoms and turned my mind to jelly.



Carol let that go on just so long and then she was on the phone with Mayo. They had resolved similar issues several years ago and she knew they would get the job done again. The Doctors at the Mayo Clinic, working as a team, had me on the road to recovery within 24 hours and while I am slowly getting back to the old me, I was able to drop all the meds that had me looking like a stoner on holiday.



It amazes me that people go to all kinds of lengths to get those drugs, even stealing and robbery.



We are still working out a number of problems with the new website, but I believe that we are through the major issues and will have it running in inter-active mode in the near future.

For those of you who have emailed me the last few months and received no reply, hang in there. I am so backlogged and I can still only handle the computer for a few hours at a time. I will get to all messages over the next few weeks.

I would like to thank all of you who responded to my son, Josh’s call for special giving last month. Your responses were more than special.


We still need a few heroes. If you can send in a special gift, it would be a great help right now.

Remember, you can give on our secure donation section on the website, or send a PayPal gift to us @ gifts@saintsalive.com or call it in @ 1-800-861-9888 or mail it in to us at our mailing address: P.O. Box 1347, Issaquah WA 98027


Your brother in Christ. Ed Decker





The World seems to be spinning out of control. Some of the news lately is so off center that I have to think we are victims of global insanity. Let me show you what I mean.





Trinity College


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Article by By Casey Curlin:

Texas {Muslim} students see religious bias with 'year of Our Lord'

Students [ Muslim] at a Texas college are demanding that their diplomas not be dated "in the year of Our Lord," prompting school officials to consider removing that phrase while leaving what others consider another obvious reference to Christendom — the school's name, Trinity University… A Presbyterian, Christian College

Senior Sidra Qureshi, a Muslim student and president of Trinity Diversity Connection, started a petition that requested that students have the option of having the words removed from their diplomas.


Isaac Medina, a senior who graduated in December, told the San Antonio Express-News in March that he felt like "a victim of bait and switch" because he had applied to the university under the impression that it maintained only a historical bond to the Presbyterian Church.



Brendan McNamara, president of College Republicans at Trinity, said that the wording should remain on thediploma for traditional and multicultural reasons. "The fact that we have a chapel on campus, a Bible on our seal, a reverend, and a Christian reference in our name makes the argument that students were a victim of 'bait and switch' rather silly

See

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/21/texas-students-see-religious-bias-year-of-our-lord/





Western Wall Not in Israel

Says UK Advertising Standards Authority



The UK's Advertising Standards Authority said implying that the Western Wall is in Israel is misleading. HonestReporting goes on-site to investigate...

Not only have some tourists been stranded by a volcanic ash cloud in recent days but their trauma has been multiplied by the revelation that they weren't even holidaying in Israel, their destination of choice. According to the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, an Israeli tourism ad breached rules on truthfulness due to the misleading implication that sites such as the Western Wall could actually be in Israel.

the ASA, which has, so far, refused to reconsider its ruling. Despite the obvious inversion of reality, the ASA has stated:

Our ruling does not prevent the Israeli Government Tourist Office from depicting the Western Wall or other parts of Jerusalem in future advertisements. The ruling solely seeks to ensure that future ads do not imply that places in the occupied territories are part of the State of Israel.

How can Israel advertise the Western Wall without the implication that the site is in Israel?

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/Video_Is_the_Western_Wall_in_Israel_-_HR_Interviews_Confused_Tourists.asp





LDS [illegal] immigrants

Public Forum Letter

Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 04/21/2010 03:09:33 PM MDT


I was appalled after recently reading this 2008 statement by Elder Marlin K. Jensen, a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass." Jensen related it "to coming onto someone's property uninvited" and said, "There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status."

Really? If I had an outstanding warrant for a trespassing ticket that I hadn't paid, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify for an LDS temple recommend until it was taken care of. I also see a giant difference between crossing a fence posted "No trespassing" and sneaking into a country, buying stolen Social Security numbers and not paying taxes.

In a meeting of LDS Church stake presidents in May 2006, church authorities instructed local leaders that the church was no longer going to acknowledge the country borders that man has set, and that no church leader should deny an undocumented individual church privileges based solely on that illegal activity. I'm sad and confused by the LDS Church's quiet stance on this serious issue. I pray our church leaders will support our U.S. government.





Army Disinvites Graham to Pentagon Prayer Day

Thursday, 22 Apr 2010 07:06 PM

Evangelist Franklin Graham's invitation to speak at a Pentagon prayer service has been rescinded because his comments about Islam were inappropriate, the Army said Thursday.

Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, in 2001 described Islam as evil. More recently, he has said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins.

Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins said Graham's remarks were "not appropriate."

"We're an all-inclusive military," Collins said. "We honor all faiths. ... Our message to our service and civilian work force is about the need for diversity and appreciation of all faiths."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation had raised the objection to Graham's appearance, citing his past remarks about Islam.

Collins said earlier this week that the invitation to attend the National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon wasn't from the military but from the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force, which works with the Pentagon chaplain's office on the prayer event.

As co-honorary chair of the task force, Graham was expected to be the lead speaker at the May 6 Pentagon service. Country singer Ricky Skaggs was expected to perform.

Since Graham's invitation was rescinded, the task force has decided not to participate in the military prayer service, Collins said.

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/US-Day-of-Prayer/2010/04/22/id/356609?s=al&promo_code=9CC6-1

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Pentagon Widens Christian Ban;

Graham Says It’s Anti-Religion

Monday, 26 Apr 2010 11:39 PM

By: David A. Patten

The entire National Day of Prayer task force, including the Rev. Franklin Graham, has been "disinvited" to the National Day of Prayer observance to be held at the Pentagon, sources tell Newsmax.

And evangelist Franklin Graham believes the military’s effort to ban him and other Christian leaders is nothing short of an effort to stamp out Christianity from the military.

The Pentagon's decision to disinvite not only Graham, but also the National Day of Prayer task force led by author Shirley Dobson, the wife of influential Focus on the Family founder Dr. James C. Dobson, suggests the Pentagon's rejection of Christian leaders is much broader than previously recognized.

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/graham-islam-pentagon-prayer/2010/04/26/id/356950



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Comedy Central Allows Mockery of Christianity on South Park but Bleeps the Name 'Prophet Muhammad' from a Recent Episode

WASHINGTON, April 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- Network "censors" South Park after radical Islamic group makes threats about the portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad.


It is bigotry and discrimination at its worst to protect one faith tradition, Islam, and allow others to be mocked and ridiculed.


South Park has a long history of mocking Christianity and its values which Comedy Central has repeatedly aired.


By bowing to the pressure of radical Islamic extremists, Comedy Central shows their utter contempt for free speech, their cowardice and their distain for religious tolerance and equality.


Sadly, this double standard by Comedy Central toward Christianity reflects the prevailing attitude in pop culture toward the Christian faith and their values. http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/9449413700.html





FOX NEWS NOW CONDEMNS ALL CRITICS OF ISLAM

NETWORK FORSAKES FAIRNESS AND BALANCE

thelastcrusade.org

http://thelastcrusade.org/2010/03/10/fox-news-now-condemns-all-critics-of-islam/



On Fox News last night as Glenn Beck, Charles Krauthammer, A.B. Stoddard, and Bill Kristol condemned Dutch activist Geert Wilders as a “demagogue” and a “fascist.”

Mr. Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom in The Netherlands, produced a controversial documentary on Islam in Holland called “Fitna.” In the short film, Mr. Wilders argued that “there is no such thing as ‘moderate Islam’” and that the Prophet Muhammad would “. . .in these days be hunted down as a terrorist.”

In the past, the former member of the Dutch National Parliament was a frequent guest on Fox News. Last February, Bill O’Reilly welcomed Mr. Wilders to America, while condemning a scared Britain for banning him entrance to the country.

While Mr. Beck labeled Mr. Wilders as a “fascist,” Mr. Krauthammer said that the popular Dutch politician, who is a leading candidate for Prime Minister, doesn’t know the difference between Islam and Islamism.

Ms. Stoddard expressed her agreement with Krauthammer and added that “if people like this (Mr. Wilders)) are elected to lead Holland it will suffer the consequences.

The well-orchestrated attacks on Mr. Wilders came in the wake of news that Rupert Murdoch, the CEO and principal stockholder of News Corps, the parent company of Fox News, will make Abu Dhabi, the headquarters of his global media operations in the Middle East.

Mr. Murdock has established strong links with the Arab Muslims, last month agreeing to invest 70 million dollars in the Rotana Group, an enterprise is controlled by Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Prince Talal, in turn, now owns 7% of News Corps. He is #22 on the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people.

The change in Fox News and its stance on Islam has been noted by Walid Shoebat, a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, who converted to Christianity.

Mr. Shoebat says that Fox New now prohibits critics of Islam and Islamic terror from appearing on its broadcasts.

He contends that the prohibition stems from the fact that Prince Talal is now the second-largest shareholder in News Corporation, the parent company of the Fox News Channel.

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Saints Alive Ministries

P.O. Box 1347

Issaquah, WA 98027

www.saintsalive.com



Let me hear back on your thoughts about this issue!



ed@saintsalive.com

I do answer my emails