It's massive new assault on Christmas across U.S.

HOLIDAY BLUES

If you thought attacks easing up, think again

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By Chelsea Schilling

© 2011 WND

The National Christmas Tree is illuminated on the Ellipse in Washington D.C., Dec. 9, 2010. The White House is visible in the background. (Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Christmas carolers are thrown out of a U.S. Post Office.

The U.S. military apologizes for promoting a Christian-based charity and relief program providing holiday gifts to poor children.

Across the country, Christmas lights, Christmas trees and menorahs are banned in public areas.

Atheists and "free-thinkers" sue cities into submission, forcing removal of all things "Christ" on public property during the Christian holiday.

Is the nation that puts "In God We Trust" on its currency at war with Christmas?

"I think people mistake tolerance for muzzling," Andrew Walther, vice president of communications for Knights of Columbus, a group that has been at the forefront of the campaign to "Keep Christ in Christmas" for more than five decades, told WND. "The entire point of the First Amendment, to have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, is that we can practice our faith and we can speak publicly about things that matter to us."

Your very own Christmas store, presented by WND's Superstore book shop.

According to a new survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans agree and want to "keep Christ in Christmas." A Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll of 1,026 adults found 64 percent of Americans favor a greeting of "Merry Christmas" – an increase of three percent over last year – while 31 percent prefer "Happy Holidays" and four percent are unsure.

"I don't really understand where the anti-Christmas fervor comes from, and I don't think it's a nod in the direction of tolerance to be quiet in the face of people who are calling for the banning of something most Americans celebrate," Walther said. "Tolerance demands that we get to celebrate our holy day and talk about it and we don't have to take that out of the public square or be quiet about it because it's our constitutional right to do that."

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Walther said the "Keep Christ in Christmas" campaign does not try to "force Christ into a non-Christian holiday."

"We are just reminding people about the first six letters in the word 'Christmas,'" he said. "It's a Christian holy day, and we're just reminding people about the origin." Meanwhile, while some argue the "war on Christmas" doesn't exist, there are numerous examples of anti-Christmas battles this holiday season:

'Keep Christ in Christmas'

Unnamed residents in Pittman, N.J., contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundation – a group that boasts of dozens of legal "successes" in blocking school prayer and other Christian-oriented events and traditions – and complained about a Knights of Columbus banner hanging over a street that reads, "Keep Christ in Christmas," claiming it violates the U.S. Constitution. The foundation said it has asked the town to remove the sign. "It's a group endorsing religion over a public right of way," Andrew Seidel, the group's constitutional consultant, told CBS.

Mayor Michael Batten said, "I think it's a sad state of affairs that our country, we kowtow to the minority and not the majority of people who like that sort of thing to stay."

Members of St. Lawrence Council 10281 in South Amboy, N.J., and Father Jay Toborowsky (far left) stand with the council's "Keep Christ in Christmas" banner at the St. Lawrence Church parish hall (photo: Knights of Columbus)

'Reason for the Season'

Because of the Christian implication, a flashing sign with the words "Remember the Reason for the Season" was removed from an electronic marquee outside Lincoln Southeast High School in Nebraska, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, contacted Principal Patrick Hunter-Pirtle, who instructed staff to remove the message.

"What 'reason for the season' leaps to your mind?" ACLU-Nebraska Executive Director Laurel Marsh asked a World-Herald reporter. "It would be very difficult to read that and not take it as a reference to Christianity. It's a kind reference, a gentle reference, but nonetheless a reference."

Atheists attack nativity

In Santa Monica, Calif., atheists complained about a 58-year tradition of displaying life-size paintings of the Nativity story at Palisades Park, the Los Angeles Times reported. They argued that the scene was a religious display in a public park, so they applied for space to share their anti-religion message.

Of the 21 park plots for displays, the atheists won 18 in a lottery overseen by the Santa Monica city attorney. The Nativity story typically spreads across 14 displays, but it had to be shortened to only three and crammed into two plots this year.

Patrick Elliott, a lawyer for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, told the Times a 58-year tradition is no justification for violating the limitations between church and state.

"Just because they're long-standing doesn't mean they're right," he said

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the foundation, called the Nativity scene a "territorial attempt by Christians to impose their beliefs in this season."

Santa Monica Nativity scene by First United Methodist Church (photo: SantaMonicaNativityScenes.org)

A bleak Christmas without trees, menorahs or lights

Christmas lights, trees and menorahs that adorned the St. George Staten Island Ferry Terminal for decades have been banned this year. The New York City Department of Transportation said the removal of all-things-Christmas is for safety, but commuters told CBS News they are saddened by the decision.

"It sure does stink," one woman said.

A man added, "For a while now, Christmas has been put on the downside and I think it's ridiculous."

Another commuter explained, "I would tell the city, you know what, just take one corner, display it, and wish everybody Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, happy Kwanzaa, Happy Chanukah, the whole bit."

Several people told CBS News they believe the decision is most likely due to debate concerning Christmas and so-called separation of church and state.

'Christmas' card ban at U.S. House of Representatives

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have been banned from wishing constituents a "Merry Christmas" in official mailings paid for by tax dollars, according to a Dec. 12 memo. One Hill staffer told the Washington Examiner, "I called the commission to ask for clarification and was told no 'Merry Christmas.'"

According to the Daily Caller, Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., and Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., have written a letter asking both Republican and Democrat members to insist that the rule be overturned.

"We are not celebrating winter this December," the letter reads in part. "We are celebrating significant moments in two religions that have fundamentally shaped our nation – and as Members of Congress who represent thousands of constituents celebrating these holidays, we ask you to reconsider these outdated and restrictive rules." Walsh told the paper the rule is an example of "political correctness run amok": "It is outrageous that members can't wish our constituents Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah."

Atheists crash Christmas at Virginia courthouse

At the Loudoun County Virginia Court House lawn in Leesburg, Va., a skeleton in a red Santa suit hangs from a cross.

Next to a Christmas tree and crèche, a banner posted by the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters features a nativity scene in which baby Jesus has been swapped for a plate of spaghetti with bulging eyes.

Yet another display reads, "Greetings From Your Friendly Local Atheists." "People are just horrified by this. It's just created a lot of division, a lot of angst and a lot of people are upset," Kenneth Reid, Loudoun County supervisor-elect for the Leesburg district, told ABCNews.com.

Reid is Jewish, and he said he is open to other religions. However, he believes the atheists are forcing their beliefs on the community.

"Nobody is out there preaching like these guys. They're out there in a blatant attempt to try to stamp out religion and ruin people's Christmas," Reid said. "The atheist groups over the past two years have used it as an opportunity to try to ban everything. It's no longer sufficient to be an atheist, they have to go out there and proactively try to deny and make sure other people don't believe in God."

According to the report, the atheists had originally objected to the Christmas tree and Nativity scene on the courthouse lawn, so the county allowed them to create their own displays. The Loudoun County board of supervisors attempted to ban all decorations except the Christmas tree, but it didn't get a sufficient number of votes.

"The whole thing is a separation of church and state issue," Rick Wingrove, Virginia state director for American Atheists told ABCNews.com. "We've been accused of trying to destroy Christmas, and that could not be further from the truth. There's no war on Christmas. If there were a war on Christmas, I would have gotten a memo."

Lawsuit threats kill Christmas

Two years of media attention and threatening lawsuits have resulted in a complete ban on all holiday symbols in all Boca Raton, Fla., public buildings, the Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

"We do still conduct business on a daily basis. The disruption was frankly just too much," said Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel, who garnished her golf cart with Christmas decorations for the city's holiday parade.

Boca Raton resident Brenda Scott called the decision "disappointing."

"It's a freedom that you should be able to display your beliefs, whether it's public or private," she told the paper. "It just brings joy to people."

The city is allowing one public "free speech area," Sanborn Square, for groups to host displays.

'Secret Santa' expelled from elementary school

(photo: Petr Kratochvil, PublicDomainPictures.net)

An elementary school principal in Newburyport, Mass., has banned schoolchildren from participating in a traditional Secret Santa gift exchange out of deference to students who don't celebrate the Christian holiday, the Newburyport Daily News reported.

"I think it is punishing the majority to possibly help a very few," said David Logan, a parent of a child at Molin Upper Elementary School. "I was raised by a Jewish mom, and I see no reason to ban the practice. Why hurt the majority for a few? Don't you think they'll understand?"

In a Dec. 15 letter to parents, teacher Kathleen Petrie attempted to explain Principal Lorene Marx's Secret Santa ban:

"I am soooo sorry to report that we are not allowed to have a Secret Santa in the classroom this year. Mrs. Marx, the principal, asked that we not participate due to the students in the school who do not celebrate Christmas. I completely understand and appreciate the work she is doing to keep all 5th-grade classrooms consistent and on the same page. Sorry for any trouble or disappointment this may have caused."

Marx told the paper the ban is only for her school, but the entire district should consider adopting the rule. According to the report, there have been no parent complaints about the gift exchange.

Only snowmen, snowflakes 'safe' for school

Teachers at a Stockton, Calif., elementary school have been told they are prohibited from displaying Santas, Christmas trees or poinsettias due to religious concerns, according to Sacramento's KXTV News 10.

Claudia Landeen School, a K-8 school in the Lincoln Unified School District, is prohibiting those items as a proactive step. According to the report, the school has received no complaints about the Christmas decorations.

Superintendent Tom Uslan told the TV station there are a "myriad of religious affiliations (at the school). We don't want a pervasive theme of a class to represent one religious affiliation."

A memo to teachers said they are still allowed to decorate with snowflakes and snowmen, which, according to the message, is "safe."

'Silent Night' under attack

Unnamed lawyers sent an anonymous request to GW Trenholm Primary School in Tuscumbia, Ala., asking that the school remove "Silent Night" from its annual Christmas program because of its reference to Jesus. According to WAFF-TV, parents said they heard about a possible ban on the Christmas carol from their children's teachers.

However, school attorney Jimmy Hughston assured outraged parents and members of the community that students will perform the Christmas program as rehearsed.

No more 'Merry Christmas'

In upstate New York, the Batavia City School District has declared that "Christmas and Hanukkah will no longer be celebrated in classrooms."

According to WROC-TV, the district refused to allow holiday to be displayed in classrooms and teachers are discouraged from writing or saying "Merry Christmas."

Military apology for Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child

In November this year, the Air Force Academy apologized for an email promoting Operation Christmas Child – a Christian-based charity and relief program providing more than 8 million holiday gifts to impoverished children in 100 countries around the world – after it was accused of religious intolerance. According to Fox News radio, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said military commanders went too far when they supported the gift program, sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, a group run by Franklin Graham.

"This is a proselytizing entity of Franklin Graham," said Military Religious Freedom Foundation President Mikey Weinstein.

According to the report, Weinstein filed a grievance on behalf of 132 Academy personnel, including two sets of Muslim-American parents.

Air Force chooses Nativity, menorah over atheist

A Nativity scene and menorah displayed along with numerous secular Santas and holiday signs at Travis Air Force Base were considered unacceptable by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that demanded the Christian symbols be moved. The Nativity and menorah displays had been part of a 17-year Travis tradition and had never been the subject of complaint until this year.

"We've made the clear demand, which is: take them down, put them over at the chapel which is the place that is legally allowable under the constitution," Military Religious Freedom Foundation founder Mikey Weinstein told the Associated Press, claiming the displays amounted to military endorsement of religion.

Weinstein added: "Everyone in the military takes an oath to preserve, protect, support and defend not somebody's particular perspective of the New Testament, or the Torah, or the Koran, or the great spaghetti monster, but the U.S. Constitution and that's why we're asking the religious aspect of the display be moved to the chapel."

Only days later, the office of the Air Force judge advocate general decided that the displays, "as part of a broader, secular holiday seasonal display," do not violate the First Amendment's freedom of religion clause and will stay.

5,000 rally to support Christmas scene

On Dec. 17, as many as 5,000 people rallied to support a Nativity scene on a courthouse lawn in Athens, Texas, that had been the target of complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The atheist group had said the scene should be removed, according to London's Daily Mail.

Nathan Lorick, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Malakoff and one of the organizers of the massive rally, told Fox News: "We believe that God led us to do this and so we knew he was up to something great."

According to the report, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott sent out a "Don't mess with Texas" message and said he would defend the county if the atheists sued. The following is a video of the crowd singing at the rally:

City backs down on lawsuit threat

A 50-year tradition of displaying a Nativity scene in Elwood City, Pa., will end – because the city wanted to avoid a lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The city council agreed to leave the holiday display up this year, but they voted to move it to private property in 2012.

According to the Beaver County Times, Councilman Glenn Jones also said he didn't approve of the decision but didn't want to battle a lawsuit that could be costly for the city even if it won.

Stephen Hirtle, a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Pittsburgh, told the Times he is satisfied with the city's decision.

"I'm pleased with the outcome," he said, "and I'm glad that the two sides could come together."

U.S. Post Office tosses Christmas carolers

According to FoxNews.com, "A group of Christmas carolers was thrown out of a U.S. Post Office in Silver Spring, MD, after the post office manager told them they were not allowed to sing Christmas carols on government property."

"They were only a few notes into their carol when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a scowling postal manager rushing to confront the carolers," JP Duffy, who was standing in a line with his wife and two-year-old daughter, told Fox News.

According to the report, the customers standing in line began to boo the postal worker as he ordered the carolers to leave.

In other parts of the world …

• In Australia, three-year-old children at the Inner Sydney Montessori School in Sydney have been banned from singing about Jesus at their end-of-year sing-along. All references to the birth of Jesus Christ have been removed from their song sheets, according to London's Daily Telegraph.
  
  
• A London resident claims an inspector ordered him to remove Christmas decorations outside his family's home, then demanded his birth certificate and photographed him. According to the London Evening Standard, the inspector said the lighted Christmas wreath on the front door was a fire hazard.
  
  
• In a case of ultimate "war on Christmas" irony, the mayor of the Israeli town of Nazareth Illit has banned Christmas trees. At Christmas time last year, Mayor Shimon Gapso dubbed public display of the Christian symbol provocative and banned the trees from public areas. "Nazareth Illit is a Jewish city and it will not happen – not this year and not next year, so long as I am a mayor," he told the AFP.
  
  
• In Canada, a Kingston, Ontario, a school-bus driver and his little passengers were banned from decorating their school bus for Christmas and dressing in Christmas-oriented costumes.

Read more: It's massive new assault on Christmas across U.S. http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=380317#ixzz1hMnP3w1V

How to Lose to Obama

It's easy if you try.

by John Hayward

Some observers think that President Obama’s awful record should make it easy for any of the GOP candidates to beat him. That’s a dangerous delusion. No incumbent should ever be underestimated, especially one the media loves. Also, each of the Republican candidates has proven highly adept at techniques for losing the 2012 election. Here are a few of their favorites.

1. Engaging in academic discussions on the campaign trail: Newt Gingrich​ and Ron Paul​ are especially prone to doing this. Phrases like “hypothetically speaking” should be absolutely shunned by a presidential candidate. The voters are not eager to participate in a dorm-room bull session about the theoretical limits of American government, nor do they wish to be used in a laboratory experiment. Likewise, they’ll respect a command of history, but be turned off by long lectures about prior centuries. Dwelling at length upon the past is a good way to seem out of touch.

2. Forgetting about your own platform: The big thing Herman Cain​ did really well was talking up his own platform (although sometimes he was much better at delivering enthusiasm than details.) He brought everything back to the 999 Plan, and conveyed the sense he passionately believed in it. In fact, he’s still working on promoting it, even after suspending his campaign.

On the other hand, Rick Perry​ and even idea factory Newt Gingrich often neglect to bring up their own core proposals, some of which are quite dramatic. Both of them favor a flat tax, for example. That’s a huge change to our system. The 999 Plan is essentially a flat tax fused to a consumption tax, and Cain always knew it would rattle a lot of cages. Perry and Gingrich act like their flat tax plans are minor curiosities that can be looked up on their Web sites, should voters feel suitably motivated.

Worse, Perry has actually forgotten about important details of his own plan. Appearing in Iowa with Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal on Tuesday, he forgot that his plan included a standard deduction. Jindal had to remind him about it. Coupled with the infamous moment in which Perry couldn’t remember the third department he wanted to eliminate during a debate, it’s an unsettling tendency.

Treating a major policy change with this kind of neglect turns voters off. It makes them think the candidate hasn’t thought his plan all the way through, isn’t serious about implementing it, or hasn’t considered all of its ramifications. The candidate ends up taking the heat for proposing a bold idea, without reaping any of the rewards.

3. Picking fights with the Republican base. Some pundits wonder why Jon Huntsman has never managed more than an asterisk in the polls. Simple: he launched his campaign by aggressively insulting the conservative base, and declaring himself the moderate alternative to those Tea Party extremists. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Huntsman’s first impression was awful. His relatively conservative campaign has never been able to overcome this.

In a similar vein, one of the reasons Mitt Romney​ has such a persistent ceiling on his appeal is that he’s either alienated various elements of the conservative movement in the past, or he’s patronizing them now. Ron Paul’s casual assertions that those who disagree with his foreign policy views are bloodthirsty warmongers alienates both Republican and general election voters. He actually said of Michele Bachmann​, on national television, “She hates Muslims. Yeah, she wants to go get ‘em.”

There’s always a tendency for candidates to “tack to the middle” during the general election, at the expense of their base. Hopefully none of the Republican candidates are under any illusions about the willingness of significant portions of their base to endure outright insults and betrayals. No matter how much they want Obama out of office, some of them can be persuaded to stay home on Election Night, arms folded in disgust.

4. Opposing Obama’s policies without understanding why they’re wrong: This is one of Mitt Romney’s big problems, courtesy of RomneyCare. Republican voters have spent years worrying that he would be an unreliable or ineffective opponent of ObamaCare… and in all those years, he still hasn’t found a way to reassure them. This is not merely peevish behavior on their part. They know moderate and independent voters need to hear an argument against ObamaCare that is not just convincing, but devastating. After all, they will be frequently reminded that repealing it will be a huge political and bureaucratic struggle.

Newt Gingrich will also face challenges in this area, because as sharp as he has been in debates, a little bit of his political soul will always be glued to that couch, next to Nancy Pelosi​.

5. Getting carried away: Michele Bachmann’s consistent mistake has been going too far with initially valid criticisms, and leaving herself open to chiding that she “doesn’t have her facts straight,” as Newt Gingrich put it during the last Republican debate. Imagine what that will be like when it’s not a grumpy Gingrich, but a school of “fact-checking” media piranha, ready to pounce on her.

A running theme of the Obama 2012 campaign will be that criticism of the President is morally illegitimate – in other words, the Republican candidate hates him because he’s black, or because they’re servants of the Evil Rich, et cetera. Sloppy criticism will play right into that storyline.

6. Losing control of the narrative: The great danger of media bias is not so much outright obfuscation or propaganda, although we’ll probably have some of that, too. The real danger is narrative control. To put it simply, the media decides on a plot line for the election, and it guides their coverage. This plot line will not be friendly to the GOP nominee.

The candidate should not underestimate his or her power to change the narrative. In 2008, John McCain​ was particularly horrible at this. He couldn’t put together a winning storyline of “How President McCain Won the White House.” He couldn’t even cobble together a good reason for voters to vote against his opponent, apparently terrified that strong criticism of Obama would blow up in his face.

Excessive timidity against Obama will result in a loss of narrative control, as media-influenced moderate voters begin wondering why the mousy GOP candidate wasted everyone’s time and money with an election. At some point, criticism of policy inevitably becomes "personal" criticism of the incumbent - who must, by definition, have been either malicious or foolish to insist on such disastrous policy for years.

A big part of narrative control is understanding how to engage the media, draw them along a desired path, and give them something positive they can’t help talking about. Rick Santorum​ and Jon Huntsman seem to have a lot of trouble grabbing the spotlight and doing this. It’s hard to suddenly become exciting.

7. Freezing up: By this I don’t just mean brain freezes on the debate stage, although those are plenty bad enough. Unexpected events will occur during the campaign. Some of these candidates have long histories, elements of which will be popping up at carefully timed moments. The campaigns must be ready to adapt. Herman Cain’s campaign gave us a couple of sharp lessons in how not to do it. Confusion and disarray among campaign operatives can be disastrous. Responses must be swift and coordinated.

As for the debate stage itself, there’s no doubt that mumbling and verbal lockups are bad news. Obama is a fairly smooth speaker, particularly in formal settings. He can say some remarkably weird things, but the way he says them conveys poise. He’s good at deploying stock phrases like “As I have always said” and “Let me be clear” when he needs to buy a little time. Both style and substance will be part of this campaign, and the Republican’s style will inevitably be judged more harshly.

President Obama is very beatable, but losing is easy too. Far too many post-mortems for failed campaigns begin with the observation that the candidate never really understood the forces aligned against him. The result of the 2012 campaign needs to be something better than a best-selling 2013 book by a defeated candidate, reviewing all the ways he or she was treated unfairly. Write that book in your heads right now, GOP contenders… and then run a campaign that tears it to shreds.

John Hayward is a staff writer for HUMAN EVENTS, and author of the recently published Doctor Zero: Year One. Follow him on Twitter: Doc_0. Contact him by email at jhayward@eaglepub.com.

Old Testament prophecy fulfilled before our eyes?

Americans scrambling to Bible to see previously untold parallels with today

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By Joe Kovacs

© 2011 WND

What do sycamore and cedar trees have to do with biblical prophecy, the tragic events of 9/11 and the imminent future of the United States?

The roots of a sycamore tree at Ground Zero felled on Sept. 11, 2001, have been preserved as a memorial to the event in New York City. A local messianic rabbi believes it's a visible fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy about God's current judgment on America.

Everything, according to a new book which says an obscure text from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah is an urgent wake-up call for all Americans in light of what happened on that fateful day in 2001.

"The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn, a messianic rabbi from the Jerusalem Center-Beth Israel Congregation in Wayne, N.J., deciphers stunning connections between what some may think is a cryptic biblical prophecy to the news events happening right now, in our current time.

Read "The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future" for yourself!

The key verse in question is Isaiah 9:10, which states: "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." (King James Version)

These words were first uttered by leaders in ancient Israel and in response to a limited strike by Assyria on the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali – an attack the prophet makes clear is actually part of a limited judgment by God against apostasy. It wasn't meant to destroy the nation, but to awaken it, according to most commentaries.

Historically speaking, the northern kingdom of Israel did not repent of its rebellion against God's commandments, and were eventually conquered and deported from their property by the ancient Assyrians. Eventually, the southern kingdom of Judah was also overcome by the Babylonians after the Jews refused to repent as well.

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But in "The Harbinger," Cahn shows uncanny similarities between what's stated in Isaiah 9:10 to the 21st century events of 9/11 and the years afterward, suggesting America is currently under a time of focused judgment by Almighty God.

Cahn claims the part of the prophecy noting "The bricks are fallen down" refers directly to the crumbling of the World Trade Center in New York City, with the verse connoting on an attitude of defiance, a desire to rebuild with stronger materials instead of acknowledging the hand of God and moving toward national repentance.

The verse mentions sycamore and cedar trees, and it's here that things start to get eerie with the terrorist attack involving planes that smashed into the Twin Towers, leading to their eventual crumbling.

"After the cloud of dust began to clear, police officers, rescue workers and onlookers gazed at the little plot of land at the edge of Ground Zero," Cahn writes in "The Harbinger."

"There in the middle of the ash and debris that covered the ground was a fallen tree. It would soon become a symbol of 9/11 and of Ground Zero. And it was a symbol ... but one much more ancient than anyone there could have realized, and one carrying a message no one could have fathomed."

"The tree at Ground Zero that was struck down on September 11 was a sycamore tree."

Cahn notes that in Old Testament times, the Assyrians who attacked the ancient Israelites intended to cut down the sycamore trees belonging to God's people. But the intention was not present with the hijackers of 2001.

"The terrorists had no idea of Isaiah 9:10, no idea of the Harbingers, no idea of the sycamore tree growing at the corner of Ground Zero, and no idea that their attack would cause it to fall or that its fall was connected to an ancient prophecy. They had no idea ... but it still happened."

Not only was a sycamore tree struck on 9/11, but it was replaced in the exact same location by another tree of the type mentioned in the original Hebrew, an "erez" tree, which is the same genus as the cedar.

The uprooted sycamore tree from Ground Zero was replaced by the "Tree of Hope," a conifer tree which Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 9:10.

"The most natural thing to have done would have been to replace one sycamore with another," Cahn writes. "But the prophecy required that the fallen sycamore be replaced with a tree of an entirely different nature. So the tree that replaced the sycamore of Ground Zero was likewise not a sycamore. According to the prophecy, the sycamore must be replaced by the biblical erez. So it must be replaced by a conifer tree."

And that's what took place in 2003, as a conifer tree, the "Tree of Hope" as it was called, was planted in the spot where the sycamore was slammed on 9/11.

"Think about it," says Cahn. "Who could have put it all together? The tower fell because of the terrorists. It happened to fall exactly as it did in order to strike down that one particular tree. The tree just happened to be a sycamore, which just happened to be growing at the corner of Ground Zero.

"The tree that would replace it just happened to be given as a gift from outsiders who had nothing to do with anything else, but who just happened to feel led to give it. Their gift just happened to be the fulfillment of the biblical Erez Tree, which just happened to be the same tree spoken of in the ancient vow – the tree that must replace the Sycamore.

"They just happened to lower it into the same soil in that the fallen Sycamore had once stood – exactly as in the Hebrew of the ancient vow. And the man who led the ceremony around the tree just happened to bring it all together without knowing that he was bringing anything together. No one knew what they were doing. It wasn't a matter of intent. It was a manifestation of the Harbingers."

"The parallels are truly stunning," says Joseph Farah, founder of WND, who is producing a video documentary about Cahn's findings. "They are too numerous and too powerful to relate in news story form. In fact, they are overwhelming in their number and their exactitude. I am persuaded God is trying to tell America something and Rabbi Cahn has found the key to unlocking the message."

As WND previously reported, two major American political figures actually voiced the Isaiah 9:10 prophecy in public in the immediate wake of the 9/11 onslaught.

"In the aftermath of the attack, the nation was stunned," said Cahn, "Everyone was trying to make sense of what had happened – this unprecedented attack on America. The very next day, September 12, then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle presented America's response to the world. And what did he say?"

Daschle said: "America will emerge from this tragedy as we have emerged from all adversity – united and strong. Nothing … nothing can replace the losses of those who have suffered. I know there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be taken from this devastation. But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that speaks to all of us at times like this."

He then went on to read Isaiah 9:10:

"Daschle has no idea what he is doing here," explains Cahn. "He thinks he's offering comforting words to a grief-stricken people, but he is actually embracing the spiritually defiant and arrogant words of the children of Israel, proclaiming the ancient and ominous vow of the leaders of that nation. He doesn't realize it, but he is actually inviting more judgment on the nation."

It might be of some significance that Daschle, one of the most powerful men in the nation when he spoke those words, later fell into disgrace – to the point where he couldn't even serve in Barack Obama's Cabinet.

That might have been the end of the story – if no other top leader in the nation uttered those strange and obscure words after 9/11. But that's not the case.

On the third anniversary of the attack, Sept. 11, 2004, another powerful U.S. senator running for vice president that year and who would famously run for the presidency four years later, gave a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus.

This time, John Edwards' entire speech was built on a foundation of Isaiah 9:10: "Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord's Word to get us through," he said. He then read Isaiah 9:10. He went on to talk about how America was doing just that – rebuilding with hewn stone and planting cedars:

"Like Daschle, Edwards thinks he's invoking inspirational and comforting words from the Bible, but he's actually inviting judgment on America," says Cahn. "He's repeating the vow that provoked God to bring calamity on ancient Israel."

Get Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's "The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future."

Read more: Old Testament prophecy fulfilled before our eyes? http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=379829#ixzz1hJhN0lXN

Salvation Army at war with itself

MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

Official: 'When I saw position, there was smoke coming out both my ears'

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By Drew Zahn

© 2011 WND

After WND reported that the Salvation Army's International Social Justice Commission published a position paper accepting abortion in the cases of rape, incest or fatal deformity of the child, many members of the group scrambled to re-examine their denomination's position.

The re-examination, in turn, revealed the American branch of the Salvation Army in sharp disagreement with their international brethren.

"That statement is not the Salvation Army USA's position on abortion," said Jeff Stanger, development director of the Salvation Army, Indiana Division.

Stanger said the commission's website is connected with the Army's international headquarters and directed WND to the Salvation Army USA's position statement instead, which, indeed, makes no exceptions in asserting the sanctity of life.

Get "180," the DVD that shows how when confronted with the facts of abortion, people do a "180" turn to oppose the procedure.

"When I read [the international group's position] I was stunned," confirmed Major George Hood, chief communications officer for Salvation Army USA. "It appears that the International Social Justice Commission worked on a position statement through the London office that does not reflect the position we've taken in the U.S. on abortion.

"When I saw the language," Hood continued, "there was smoke coming out of both my ears."

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As WND reported, the international commission's statement asserts, "The Salvation Army believes that [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal [sic] abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

It continues, "In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of [abortion] as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy."

The Salvation Army USA's position statement, however, is very different.

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of all human life and considers each person to be of infinite value and each life a gift from God," the American branch's statement asserts. "Therefore, when an unwanted pregnancy occurs, The Salvation Army advises that the situation be accepted and that the pregnancy be carried to term, and offers supportive help and assistance with planning."

The only reference to rape or incest could be inferred from a following statement that nonetheless does not affirm abortion as an acceptable option: "The Salvation Army recognizes tragic and perplexing circumstances that require difficult decisions regarding a pregnancy. Such decisions should be made only after prayerful and thoughtful consideration, with appropriate involvement of the woman's family and pastoral, medical and other counsel. A woman in these circumstances needs acceptance, love and compassion."

What's The Salvation Army going to do about it?

Officials from The Salvation Army told WND that steps are already being taken to clear up the discrepancy in the statements.

"In a way, you may have done us a favor by calling attention to it," Stanger told WND. "We were a bit caught off guard."

Hood told WND that though Salvation Army members in the USA were "blindsided" by the position statement, a mechanism has already been put into place to make sure the Army's position statement is "even more tight, more anti-abortion."

"The Salvation Army is structured around multiple territorial organizations that meet in a commissioner's conference three times a year to coordinate policy," Hood explained. "With operations in 122 countries, position policies tend to lean toward the culture of the area, but through the commissioner's conference, we come to consensus on policy issues and statements.

"That body has already been contacted," Hood said. "There will be correspondence sent objecting to this statement being released in the U.S., because it has no bearing in the U.S."

Hood explained the next meeting is scheduled for February and the current position statement on abortion is already on the agenda.

Read more: Salvation Army at war with itself http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=379581#ixzz1hBMypsVK

Salvation Army marching toward abortion support?

MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

Exceptions already approved in international position statement

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By Anita Crane

© 2011 WND

This is the season of the year when Salvation Army volunteers are on the streets and outside stores ringing their bells to encourage donors to fill their red kettles with money for the poor. The longtime Christian organization provides food, shelter, elderly services, disaster relief, prisoner rehabilitation and many other forms of aid.

But it also has adopted a position statement that is a step toward abortion, and pro-life leaders are expressing alarm at what they see developing.

In its statement on abortion, the Salvation Army says: "A number of biblical and theological principles underpin The Salvation Army's position on abortion. …

Get "180," the DVD that shows how when confronted with the facts of abortion, people do a "180" turn to oppose the procedure.

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."

But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."

Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

And it continues, "In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy."

Christian human rights activist Rebecca Kiessling, an attorney, speaker and author who defends rape victims and was conceived during the rape of her mother, was surprised.

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"This [abortion] statement is one of the most disheartening things I’ve seen," she told WND.

She donates to Salvation Army and, as a mother of five, frequently shops at Salvation Army Thrift Stores.

"They are clearly trying to set forth a biblical standard. They say that God defends the weak and those who are marginalized and that He is a God of justice, but the Salvation Army has now marginalized children like me who were conceived in rape. In other words, they support the death penalty for innocents like me who were conceived out of violence. Yet the Bible says that a child should not be punished for the crimes of [his or her] father," said Kiessling.

"The Salvation Army is all about rescuing treasures and trading beauty for ashes with the used clothes and household items people donate to them, but they can't seem to do the same for rape victims and their children," Kiessling said.

Salvation Army Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan was contacted by WND and asked to respond to three questions: (1) Does the Salvation Army fund abortions in any way? (2) Does it lead women to abortionists in any way? (3) Why does it cite and link to the Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with the abortion chain Planned Parenthood?

She declined to answer, saying instead she might call back. She didn't.

Leticia Velasquez, a mother of three, including one child with Down syndrome, is an author and founder of Keep Infants with Down Syndrome or KIDS. She said, "The Salvation Army should re-consider their position on this critical issue, as it is not consistent with a pro-life stance.

"An abnormal prenatal diagnosis does not lower the God-given dignity of a baby. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception until natural death. If a baby is destined to live only within her mother's womb for a few brief moments or days afterward, then we must give that child the full span of life and not end her life by abortion."

Likewise, Stephen Phelan of Human Life International told WND, "The 'International Position Statement on Abortion' from the Salvation Army is seriously problematic, both for its interior contradictions and for the fact that it explicitly links itself with the Guttmacher Institute, which openly promotes unrestricted access to abortion around the world. Indeed, the organization is named after Alan Guttmacher, the abortionist who was a transformational president of Planned Parenthood and who was a tireless advocate for abortion."

Alveda King, director of African American Outreach at Priests for Life, expressed similar suspicion.

"Good organizations become 'infiltrated' by forces that promote abortion, the breakdown of marriage, sexual immorality, etc. They come as wolves in sheep's clothing and appear to be harmless and even helpful. Then they begin to reveal their true or basically untrue colors. This is sadly maybe what is happening to the Salvation Army. Not for sure, but maybe."

"So much of the Salvation Army statement is commendable, but parts of it read like it was written by the Guttmacher PR department to ease the conscience of those who are not yet in support of unrestricted abortion. These contradictions are irreconcilable," added Phelan, HLI's communications director. "The mere appearance of support from Salvation Army can be used by the huge international abortion cartels to justify their work."

"My first pastor was a Salvation Army officer. The Army has long been an uncompromisingly strong witness of Christian truth, but they have got it terribly wrong here," said Rev. Rob Schenck, a minister on Capitol Hill and chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance.

Schenck and his twin brother, Paul, now a Catholic priest, were targeted by the state of New York and the Clinton administration for defending unborn babies and their mothers outside abortion clinics and other public places, including places where President Clinton appeared. In 1996, the twin brothers and all pro-life demonstrators were vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court when eight out of nine justices ruled in favor of Schenck v. the Pro-Choice Network of Western New York.

Wendy Wright, interim executive director of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, agreed with Schenck and HLI about the Salvation Army.

She said, "The Salvation Army has an admirable history of reaching the most outcast and shunned in society, the broken and destitute, the hardest of cases. This policy treats the most shunned and broken of unborn babies, the hard cases, and shuts them outside humanity's house. Simply put, it violates God’s commandment that 'thou shalt not murder.'"

"Not only is their position weak and unbiblical, but it's contrary to historic Christian moral instruction and to the good work of the Christian Holiness movement that is their heritage. This is an aberration that must be corrected immediately if the Army is to maintain its Christian integrity," said Schenck.

Wright said the Salvation Army's stance on abortion "denies the humanity of a child to say she can be killed because of the crime of her father. Or that deliberately taking a child's life is somehow better than allowing God room to work, to do a miracle, and to shower that child with love for as long as possible. Following the Salvation Army's counsel would mean that the only touch that some severely disabled babies would ever feel is not the loving arms of her mother, but the sharp blade of an abortionist."

In the United States, the Salvation Army has been airing this Christmas appeal on national TV networks:

Considering the Salvation Army ad and its good works in urban minority neighborhoods, Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union, said, "I'm very disturbed if they support abortion in any way, especially because I always give money to the bell ringers I see outside stores before Christmas. I find the whole thing rather disturbing because they are doing this in the name of Jesus Christ, Who came into the world under very difficult circumstances – as a poor and homeless baby.

"I have been working with a mom, a young black woman in Chicago, who had conjoined twin boys that shared a heart. People told her she should let them die because they wouldn't live long. Their mom is very strong in Christ, the boys lived 18 months and she said she would not have traded her time with them for anything."

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