Epoch Times--According to a high-level source in Beijing, key leaders in the
Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Politburo have reached four points of
consensus that will be announced on or around the 18th Party Congress.
The tenor of the decision is that China will take the path of democracy.
The news has been circulated hurriedly in Beijing.
According to the source, the four points of consensus are:
1. People from all walks of life, political parties,
and social organizations should send representatives to form a
preparatory committee for a new constitution. They will draft a new
constitution that protects the rights of citizens to freely form
associations and political parties.
2. It will be announced that the Chinese Communist
Party has finished its historical mission as the ruling party. Party
membership will need to be re-registered, with the free choice to
re-enter the Party or leave it.
3. “June 4,” Falun Gong,
and all groups who have been wrongly persecuted in the process of
devoting themselves to China’s realization of democracy will be
redressed and receive compensation.
4. The military will be nationalized.
The claim from the source cannot be verified, but it is said to be a
matter of discussion among high-level leaders. The source also said that
a democratic party has already been formed in the Beijing Academy of
Sciences, and that over 30 scholars in the Academy have gotten involved
in the movement, forming a “Chinese Scientists’ Liberal Democratic
Party.”
The four points of consensus are supposed to be announced on or
around the 18th Party Congress, according to the source. The congress is
supposed to be held this fall, in October or November, though there
have been rumors that it will be postponed amidst the current political
uncertainty associated with Bo Xilai’s downfall.
Shi Cangshan, an independent China analyst in Washington responded to
the news: “The domino effect set off by the Wang Lijun incident is
still going on, and the Party’s behind-the-scenes operations are being
exposed.”
Shi said that the reason Party leaders would want to announce four
consensuses such as the above is to take the initiative on its
inevitable decline. “The group that has engaged in these massive
persecutions of the Chinese people, including the persecution of Falun Gong,
is being exposed, and this is deeply implicated with the demise of the
CCP. Better that they take the initiative, which will benefit themselves
and the world.”
Read More From Epoch Times
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Pet Parakeet Returned Home After Telling Police It's Home Address
SAGAMIHARA, Japan -- A pet parakeet was returned to its Japanese owner
Wednesday after the brainy bird told police its home address near Tokyo.
The male bird, called Piko-chan, escaped early Sunday morning from his home in the city of Sagamihara and remained at large before being coaxed into perching on the shoulder of a guest at a nearby hotel.
He was handed over to local police, but Piko-chan did not speak until Tuesday evening, when he blurted out the names of the city and district where his owner's home is located, a police spokesman said.
The stunned cops then listened as the parakeet produced the home's block and street number.
His owner, a 64-year-old woman, once lost another parakeet after it flew away and was determined not to make the same mistake.
"So the owner decided to teach the address to this parakeet after she bought it at a pet store two years ago," a police spokesman said. "The bird's name was found to be Piko-chan as it said, 'You're pretty, Piko-chan."
Read More From My Fox NY
The male bird, called Piko-chan, escaped early Sunday morning from his home in the city of Sagamihara and remained at large before being coaxed into perching on the shoulder of a guest at a nearby hotel.
He was handed over to local police, but Piko-chan did not speak until Tuesday evening, when he blurted out the names of the city and district where his owner's home is located, a police spokesman said.
The stunned cops then listened as the parakeet produced the home's block and street number.
His owner, a 64-year-old woman, once lost another parakeet after it flew away and was determined not to make the same mistake.
"So the owner decided to teach the address to this parakeet after she bought it at a pet store two years ago," a police spokesman said. "The bird's name was found to be Piko-chan as it said, 'You're pretty, Piko-chan."
Read More From My Fox NY
National Day Of Prayer Events Increase Substantially
CBN News--Groups will gather throughout the day at churches,
city halls, community buildings and even on street corners in
recognition of the 61st annual National Day of Prayer.
The day was set aside by Congress in 1952 to
encourage personal thoughts and prayers for the United States and its
leaders. President Reagan later designated the first Thursday of May as
the annual observance.
"I invite all citizens of our nation, as their own
faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings
we enjoy," President Barack Obama said in his proclamation for the
National Day of Prayer.
"And I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray
for guidance, grace, and protection for our great nation as we address
the challenges of our time," he added.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force says 35 percent more events were planned for the holiday this year. To find a prayer gathering near you, visit the National Day of Prayer website.
"At a time when our nation is facing a host of
troubling problems, we simply cannot rely on our own strength. We must
not forget the God of our fathers," Turning Point Radio founder and National Day of Prayer Task Force chairman David Jeremiah said in a video message.
"Our hope as individuals and a nation can only be found in Almighty God," he continued.
The 2012 National Day of Prayer carries the theme "One Nation Under God."
The government-sponsored holiday is usually met with
protest. To counter prayer events, atheist groups have designated
Thursday a National Day of Reason.
In 2010, a federal judge in Washington deemed the
day of prayer unconstitutional. The Obama administration then appealed
the ruling, and a higher court reversed the decision.
Ironically, this year's National Day of Prayer also
falls on the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court ban on public school
prayer.
Groups will gather throughout the day at churches,
city halls, community buildings and even on street corners in
recognition of the 61st annual National Day of Prayer.
The day was set aside by Congress in 1952 to
encourage personal thoughts and prayers for the United States and its
leaders. President Reagan later designated the first Thursday of May as
the annual observance.
"I invite all citizens of our nation, as their own
faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings
we enjoy," President Barack Obama said in his proclamation for the
National Day of Prayer.
"And I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray
for guidance, grace, and protection for our great nation as we address
the challenges of our time," he added.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force says 35 percent more events were planned for the holiday this year. To find a prayer gathering near you, visit the National Day of Prayer website.
"At a time when our nation is facing a host of
troubling problems, we simply cannot rely on our own strength. We must
not forget the God of our fathers," Turning Point Radio founder and National Day of Prayer Task Force chairman David Jeremiah said in a video message.
"Our hope as individuals and a nation can only be found in Almighty God," he continued.
The 2012 National Day of Prayer carries the theme "One Nation Under God."
The government-sponsored holiday is usually met with
protest. To counter prayer events, atheist groups have designated
Thursday a National Day of Reason.
In 2010, a federal judge in Washington deemed the
day of prayer unconstitutional. The Obama administration then appealed
the ruling, and a higher court reversed the decision.
Ironically, this year's National Day of Prayer also
falls on the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court ban on public school
prayer.
What Does A Christian's Faith Say About The Fantasy Movies They Like?
Chron.com--Evangelicals’ favorite fantasy land is Narnia, while atheists prefer
Middle Earth, according to recent survey results confirming some
stereotypes about religious Americans pop-culture preferences.
Narnia is the land dreamed up by Christian author C.S. Lewis that many see as a theological allegory, while the latter location is the setting for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, which reminds readers “Not all who wander are lost.”
The survey, originally conducted by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, has been written up by the Religion News Service and Catholic researchers at Georgetown University.
“Two of the most popular book series in history sprung from Catholic author J. R. R. Tolkien and Anglican author C. S. Lewis while both were at Oxford. This literary friendship (and rivalry) later spilled over to the
Christian masses. With recent film adaptations of their work, most Americans presumably now have awareness of their stories,” noted Mark Gray at Georgetown.
Read More From Chron.com
Narnia is the land dreamed up by Christian author C.S. Lewis that many see as a theological allegory, while the latter location is the setting for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, which reminds readers “Not all who wander are lost.”
The survey, originally conducted by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, has been written up by the Religion News Service and Catholic researchers at Georgetown University.
“Two of the most popular book series in history sprung from Catholic author J. R. R. Tolkien and Anglican author C. S. Lewis while both were at Oxford. This literary friendship (and rivalry) later spilled over to the
Christian masses. With recent film adaptations of their work, most Americans presumably now have awareness of their stories,” noted Mark Gray at Georgetown.
Read More From Chron.com
One In Seven People Believe The End Of The World Is Coming
(Reuters) - - Nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify it will happen in 2012, according to a new poll.
The end of the Mayan calendar, which spans about 5,125 years, on December 21, 2012 has sparked interpretations and suggestions that it marks the end of the world.
"Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming," said Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Global Public Affairs which conducted the poll for Reuters.
"Perhaps it is because of the media attention coming from one interpretation of the Mayan prophecy that states the world 'ends' in our calendar year 2012," Gottfried said, adding that some Mayan scholars have disputed the interpretation.
Responses to the international poll of 16,262 people in more than 20 countries varied widely with only six percent of French residents believing in an impending Armageddon in their lifetime, compared to 22 percent in Turkey and the United States and slightly less in South Africa and Argentina.
But only seven percent in Belgium and eight percent in Great Britain feared an end to the world during their lives.
About one in 10 people globally also said they were experiencing fear or anxiety about the impending end of the world in 2012. The greatest numbers were in Russia and Poland, the fewest in Great Britain.
Gottfried also said that people with lower education or household income levels, as well as those under 35 years old, were more likely to believe in an apocalypse during their lifetime or in 2012, or have anxiety over the prospect.
Read More From Reuters
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