Thursday, May 3, 2012

Beijing China Leaders Considering End To Communism In China

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.”
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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."

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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.
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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.
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