So powerful is the light of unity ...

“The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man—they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men. Consider what the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’án: No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision, and He is the Subtile, the All-Informed!”
That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion.
These principles and laws, these firmly- established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.
Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Bahá, that haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely obliterated. For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction. Consider the war that hath involved the two Nations, how both sides have renounced their possessions and their lives. How many the villages that were completely wiped out! 

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.

 Bahá'u'lláh.

Justice and equity are twin Guardians ....

Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself with the waters of detachment that have flowed out from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the sake of God, those things which, time and again, have been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as much as lieth in thee, to quench, through the power of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of enmity and hatred which smouldereth in the hearts of the peoples of the world. The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men. But now behold, how they have made the Law of God a cause and pretext for perversity and hatred. How pitiful, how regrettable, that most men are cleaving fast to, and have busied themselves with, the things they possess, and are unaware of, and shut out as by a veil from, the things God possesseth!


Say: “O God, my God! Attire mine head with the crown of justice, and my temple with the ornament of equity. Thou, verily, art the Possessor of all gifts and bounties.”
Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch over men. From them are revealed such blessed and perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being of the world and the protection of the nations.

A Tribute to the Yaran

A musical tribute honoring the 7 Baha'i Leaders known as the "Yaran" and all those who have been wrongfully imprisoned and suffered human rights violations in Iran.

The Elite

Cha Grande, Brazil (trekearth.com)



A family friend, the same family friend from thekingpin68 post 'The Battle of Ricky's: Dr. Kingpin and The Demon Chaser' wanted my professional opinion as a theologian and philosopher of religion on this topic, which by the way is not a particular interest for me. But, I suppose it may be important.

I was given the DVD series to copy to my hard drive within two days and then it was to be returned.

It is produced by the The Prophecy Club and The Prophecy Club.com

The DVD is Lindsey Williams 'The Elite Speak'

The CD is Lindsey Williams 'Plans of the Elite'.

I have since found the DVD series on You Tube and posted.

Mr.Williams states he worked on Alaskan pipeline in the 1970s as a chaplain. He knew two in-charge persons which he calls members of the elite. He claims the elite economically run the world.

He states today there is a new agreement between Russia and China with Russia supplying China with energy in an exclusive manner. He therefore reasons Russia and China are basically most important in the world scene for America.

Mr. Williams then launches into a patriotic presentation on how many American companies now manufacture their products in other countries. He states that the elitists are responsible for this and the resulting US job losses. He reasons this has been a betrayal by the US political elected officials of the American people.

He claims China's economy will be 40% larger than the US economy by 2040. He explains the US has more debt than rest of the world combined.

Mr. Williams reasons by 2012 the US dollar will be dead. The elitists have the Devil's Messiah and he ties this into the future antichrist of the Bible. The only way the elitists could make future slaves of the American people was to bring evolution into school, take prayer out of school and to get rid of the Christian God. He states that several counties in the US have ordinances that if there is a single complaint against a church that a church can be shut down. Eventually every single church not in compliance with the Devil's Messiah in the United States will be shut down.

He suggests that one invest in gold and silver, the currency of the elite.

Mr. Williams states that one should pay close attention to the price of oil as the higher that becomes the worse things could be for Americans.

The major mortgage crisis will become worse. He suggests that Americans should stay out of debt. With the government bailout the elite will end up owning all commercial and domestic/residential mortgages in the USA.

He urges his listeners to trust in Jesus Christ.

He appears to be a King James Version only Bible supporter.

He explains that the elite are not of any ethnic group as some would expect.

My comments:

1.Thank you to my friend for providing me with this information. In a sense, knowledge is power.

2. I believe that billionaires that run corporations have very strong influences on economies, governments, and the markets. Is that a world-wide elitist conspiracy? Not sure. Not convinced.

3. A Russia-China pact and a weakening United States is a potential threat to Western democracy in my opinion.

4. With all due respect to my much loved American readers, links, followers and friends, the United States in not the only democratic country in the world here that matters but Mr. Williams acts like it is. He offends me a little as a Canadian/British intellectual. But, I do think the United States should protect its jobs and economy and its freedom, but I think other Western countries should as well!

5. Whether the antichrist is a system only (my pastor's view for example) or a system and a person, which seems quite possible as the man of lawlessness of 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it would seem many of the world's wealthy and powerful would be enlisted by the antichrist. So, in the future the elite, so to speak, of all sorts will follow the antichrist, but so will many of the masses.

6. Good to see that he is not stating a 'Jewish elite' for example, exists. The elite are not an ethnic group.

7. Concerning the King James Version. There were English versions before it. There are later versions based on possible earlier manuscripts. It is 'a' version.

8. Good to see the gospel preached.

Majority Text

NT Manuscripts


Sorate, Bolivia (trekearth.com)


Andes, Bolivia (trekearth.com)

From What's My Blog Rated?


satire and theology


thekingpin68

February 19, 2011

Yesterday I was trying to clean up a mess from the day before as I had received a near mint book shoved and bent in my mail box by Canada Post, so now only a Fine. Canada Post does not want to take responsibility...we shall see! They want me to go after the sender. I see this as morally unethical and immoral. As I was leaving their parking lot in my vehicle I was rear-ended and now the bumper needs replacing. I was angry for about thirty seconds and then as the red truck approached I greeted the man with a 'Good Afternoon'. He admitted fault. My bumper is destroyed…for the fourth time. Each time I have not been at fault officially. I filed a claim online yesterday. We shall see. My poor ol’ Mom was jolted up a bit, as I was taking her shopping.;)

No, the man in the red truck had nothing to do with the elite.


PMH sent me this, thank you.

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind…

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.
Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

 
O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s”, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.

A true seeker

O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error. 

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century. 

 Bahá'u'lláh -- Writings on the Spiritual Life

Building a Spiritual Civilization

Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. .... The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words 'The Kingdom shall be God's' may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The One true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him.

The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: 'All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake'. If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure. Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: 'Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising hills.'

The Onslaught of All Peoples and Kindreds

We have only to refer to the warnings uttered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in order to realize the extent and character of the forces that are destined to contest with God’s holy Faith. In the darkest moments of His life, under ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd’s régime, when He stood ready to be deported to the most inhospitable regions of Northern Africa, and at a time when the auspicious light of the Bahá’í Revelation had only begun to break upon the West, He, in His parting message to the cousin of the Báb, uttered these prophetic and ominous words: “How great, how very great is the Cause! How very fierce the onslaught of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Ere long shall the clamor of the multitude throughout Africa, throughout America, the cry of the European and of the Turk, the groaning of India and China, be heard from far and near. One and all, they shall arise with all their power to resist His Cause. Then shall the knights of the Lord, assisted by His grace from on high, strengthened by faith, aided by the power of understanding, and reinforced by the legions of the Covenant, arise and make manifest the truth of the verse: ‘Behold the confusion that hath befallen the tribes of the defeated!’”

Stupendous as is the struggle which His words foreshadow, they also testify to the complete victory which the upholders of the Greatest Name are destined eventually to achieve. Peoples, nations, adherents of divers faiths, will jointly and successively arise to shatter its unity, to sap its force, and to degrade its holy name. They will assail not only the spirit which it inculcates, but the administration which is the channel, the instrument, the embodiment of that spirit. For as the authority with which Bahá’u’lláh has invested the future Bahá’í Commonwealth becomes more and more apparent, the fiercer shall be the challenge which from every quarter will be thrown at the verities it enshrines.

The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh

A Time of Testing: A Time for Clinging to the Covenant

As lawlessness spreads in the world, as governments rise and fall, as rival groups and feuding peoples struggle, each for its own advantage, the plight of the oppressed and the deprived wrings the heart of every true Baha'i, tempting him to cry out in protest or to arise in wrath at the perpetrators of injustice. For this is a time of testing which calls to mind Baha'u'llah's words, "O concourse of the heedless! I swear by God! The promised day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: 'Taste ye what your hands have wrought!'"



Now is the time when every follower of Baha'u'llah must cling fast to the Covenant of God, resist every temptation to become embroiled in the conflicts of the world, and remember that he is the holder of a precious trust, the Message of God which, alone, can banish injustice from the world and cure the ills afflicting the body and spirit of man. We are the bearers of the Word of God in this day and, however dark the immediate horizons, we must go forward rejoicing in the knowledge that the work we are privileged to perform is God's work and will bring to birth a world whose splendor will outshine our brightest visions and surpass our highest hopes.

The Universal House of Justice
Riḍván 136

Manifestations of God

........ assigned two stations unto each of the Luminaries arising from the Daysprings of eternal holiness. One of these stations, the station of essential unity, We have already explained. “No distinction do We make between any of them.” The other is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.”
It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well-springs of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. 

Thus, viewed from the standpoint of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been and are applicable to those Essences of being, inasmuch as they all abide on the throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine Concealment. Viewed in the light of their second station—the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards,—they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: “I am the servant of God.  I am but a man like you.”

Bahá'u'lláh The Kitáb-i-Íqán

"Together" by Junior Youth Group for the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition.

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"Together" by Junior Youth Group for the Racism. Stop It! National Video Competition.
"Together" de Junior Youth Group pour le Concours national de vidéo Mettons fin au racisme!

Islam and estimated world population growth

Austin, Texas (trekearth.com)

January 30, 2011

I came across this article in The Economist from January 27, 2011. I present segments of it in quotations and comment.

the economist


From The Economist

'"The Future of the Global Muslim Population”, produced by the Pew Research Centre, a non-profit outfit based in Washington, DC, reckons Muslim numbers will soar from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030. In other words, from 23.4% to 26.4% of the global total.

At the heart of its analysis is the ongoing effect of a “youth bulge” which peaked in 2000. In 1990 Islam’s share of the world’s youth was 20%; in 2010, 26%. In 2030 it will be 29% (of 15-to-29-year-olds). But the Muslim world is slowly heading towards paunchiness: the median age in Muslim-majority countries was 19 in 1990. It is 24 now, and will be 30 by 2030. (For French, Germans and Japanese the figure is 40 or over.) This suggests Muslim numbers will ultimately stop climbing, but later than the rest of the world population."

The article concerning Europe and North America

'The total Muslim share of Europe’s population is predicted to grow from 6% now to 8% in 2030: hardly the stuff of nightmares. But amid that are some sharp rises. The report assumes Britain has 2.9m Muslims now (far higher than the usual estimates, which suggest 2.4m at most), rising to 5.6m by 2030. As poor migrants start families in Spain and Italy, numbers there will rocket; in France and Germany, where some Muslims are middle-class, rises will be more modest—though from a higher base. Russia’s Muslims will increase to 14.4% or 18.6m, up from 11.7% now (partly because non-Muslims are declining). The report takes a cautious baseline of 2.6m American Muslims in 2010, but predicts the number will surge by 2030 to 6.2m, or 1.7% of the population—about the same size as Jews or Episcopalians. In Canada the Muslim share will surge from 2.8% to 6.6%."

Based on the Pew Research Centre research and forecast in 19 years there will be 2.2. billion Muslims instead of the present (2010) estimated 1.6 billion. The % will go from 23.4 % to 26.4% in their estimation.

However, in the next 19 years that will still have the world at basically/approximately the 25% mark with Muslims. This is just one study, but it seems things will be much the same over the next twenty years in regard to Muslim world numbers.

Therefore, from this study I cannot deduce that the increase in numbers will have Islam substantially cause cultural change in the West within the next twenty years.

Concerning Europe and North America

'The total Muslim share of Europe’s population is predicted to grow from 6% now to 8% in 2030: hardly the stuff of nightmares.'

If this is accurate, I would tend to agree. With over 5.5 million Muslims in the UK estimated by 2030, those are high numbers. The study claims numbers will rise in Spain and Italy and interestingly the rises are predicted to be modest in France and Germany, although 10% Muslims in France by 2030 would be quite substantial but still nowhere near a majority of the population. There would be over 7+% forecast for Germany, a significant minority. Russia is still a non-Western country and is mostly in Asia and so in a sense a different issue. With less than 2% of Americans being Muslim in 2030 that is obviously a small minority. In Canada the rise from 2.8% to 6.6% seems fairly substantial. Back to Europe and the graphic...Sweden? Interesting, those are large numbers predicted.

The question is asked at the end of the article how liberal democracies will respond to the challenge.

It states that the USA has its constitution which may protect it better than many European countries.

I ponder on which trend is more likely in certain European countries with no specific timeline.

1. The Muslim minority tend to become Westernized, and support the Western democratic system, and radical political and religious persons within Islam are not able to cause significant movements toward Islamic (Shari'a) law that are a threat to democracy.

2. The Muslim minority tend to become Westernized, and many support the Western democratic system, but radical political and religious persons within Islam cause significant movements toward Islamic (Shari'a) law that are a threat to democracy.




Aberystwyth, Wales

End

Admittedly I am a moderate conservative and I for example, do not generally think tattoos look good on women. No moral judgment, but a strong preference, especially against large ones. But this Facebook ad showed up today (January 30, 2011) on the right side of my Facebook page as a young lady was trying to message me. She (not the woman in the ad) is a Facebook friend that I may have met online during my former Facebook dating application days.

Now why does this 'Christian Girl' have dyed orange hair and piercings of the nose and lip? The typical single Christian male is probably going to look for someone a bit more conservative looking. But no moral judgment of the young lady. There are sincere true Christians with tattoos and piercings. But that is not the main point of this second section of my post.

This ad was not a work of a marketing genius.

Perhaps the next ad should feature a 'Christian Goth Girl'.

I am not trying to provide any links.

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