"Euthanasia: Right or Wrong?"

What do Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Holland have in common?

Euthanasia.

But Belgium wants to crank it up a notch--and extend the law to children.

"The principle of euthanasia for children sounds shocking at first, but it's motivated by compassion and protection," said John Harris, a professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester. "It's unfair to provide euthanasia differentially to some citizens and not to others (children) if the need is equal."

Advocates argue that euthanasia for children, with the consent of their parents, is necessary to give families an option in a desperately painful situation.

Belgium legalized the practice for adults (or emancipated minors beginning at age 15) in 2002. The ruling Socialist party has (after 2 years of debate) proposed a bill that would expand the right to children of any age, as long as their parents agree.

The Christian perspective believes in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until natural death. That disqualifies:

• abortion
• assisted-suicide
• euthanasia

The argument that "everyone has a right to do what they want with their own body" doesn't hold water.

When human life is trivialized, there are dire consequences for everybody. It inevitably escalates.

For instance:

Arguments for abortion in the case of "rape, incest, or the mother's health" morphed into"a woman's right to choose", followed by late-term abortion, partial-birth abortion, and finally, infanticide moments after birth.

It takes little imagination to see assisted-suicide and euthanasia taking the same slippery slope to include the:

• elderly
• disabled
• mentally challenged

"Modern medicine," says the National Hospice Organization, "offers sophisticated methods of pain control that enable patients to carry on an alert, pain-free life." They reject the practice of voluntary euthanasia.

As Christians we believe God has a reason for everything under the sun. Even suffering. (Ever hear of a death-bed conversion?)

To take life out of the hands of God and change laws so that doctors, relatives and others can directly and intentionally end another person's life is wrong.

To allow a child to decide? Insanity.

A wise man once said: "One of our major problems as Americans today is that we want only the joy, not the sorrow. Many of us mistakenly believe that life is life only when it is healthy and comfortable. But God knows better. To make us whole, He makes sure that we experience every season--not only the springtime of youth, but also the austerity of winter. As C.S. Lewis remarked,'this fullness of experience is so necessary to our souls that perpetual springtime is not allowed.'" --Chuck Colson

"You shall not murder." --Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17

News:

• Life Site News: Assisted-suicide bill defeated in Hawaii
• C-Span: Vice President Break Senate Ties on Family Planning Funding Rule; allows states to block public health grants to Planned Parenthood
• Reuters: Seeking end to boycott, North Carolina rescinds transgender bathroom law

"Are You Smarter Than A Lamppost?"

Remember back in the day when airport TSA x-ray scanners capable of seeing through your clothes seemed unbelievable?

Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Apparently, street lights are going high-tech and they're not just for lighting anymore.

These new-and-improved street lights are now capable of:

• video surveillance
• emergency alerts
• tracking "RFID-equipped staff"
• data harvesting (huh?)

According to researcher Paul Joseph Watson: 

"The company behind the 'smart' street lighting system which is being rolled out in major cities like Las Vegas admits that the technology has the capability of analyzing voices and tracking people, features that will aid the Department of Homeland Security in protecting its citizens."

(In Europe, where a similar system has been in place for a few years, they actually debated whether or not to use x-ray to detect what people were concealing under their clothes!)

Illuminating Concepts, the inventor of Intellistreets, is working with the government to install the street lighting systems in parts of Chicago, Detroit, Auburn Hills, Asbury Park, New Orleans, and Las Vegas. (Though Vegas denies they are going to use the surveillance functions, you gotta wonder--why have 'em?)

"The ability to record street conversations is merely one special feature of the Intellistreets lighting system, which is linked to a central data hub via an ubiquitous wi-fi connection," says Watson.

What happens if they record something incriminating, you ask?

Can these recorded 'street conversations' be used in a court of law?

Legally, if there's no expectation of privacy, they can.

(sigh)

Remember back in the day when the expectation of privacy seemed believable?

Intellistreets.com

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and loved to think about Him.

""They will be My people," says the Lord Almighty. "On that day when I act, they will be My own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:16-18)

A wise man once said: "This verse explains that every time you talk about the LORD with another, God is paying close attention. In fact, the phrase Malachi uses here means 'to bend down so as not to miss a word'." -- Pastor Greg Laurie

News:

• Heavy news: WikiLeaks Vault 7 Leaks Claim CIA Bugs 'Factory Fresh' iPhones
• Reuters: "Russia may be helping supply Taliban insurgents": U.S. general
• DEBKAfile: Israeli Police cyber unit crack U.S. bomb threat case; suspect arrested

"Fukushima Update"

Think you've heard the last of Fukushima?

Think again.

David Suzuki, an award-winning scientist, warns that in a worst-case-scenario, the entire U.S. West Coast might need to be evacuated if the fuel rods in reactor #4 melt down.

Speaking at the University of Alberta, Suzuki said:

"Fukushima is the most terrifying situation I can imagine. You ask, 'what can we do?' First of all you have a government (Japan?) that is in total collusion with Tepco (Japanese power company), they're lying through their teeth.

"The fourth one (reactor) has been so badly damaged that the fear is if there's another quake of a 7 or above that building will go, and then all hell breaks loose.

"And the probability of a 7 or above quake in the next 3 years is over 95%."

Yikes!

Why aren't we hearing this on the MSM?

Well, Fox News finally did something on it and here's the link. Be sure to watch it.

A wise man once said: "Courage consists in equality to the problem before us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"And there will be great earthquakes in various places...and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and waves roaring, men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."      Luke 21:11, 25-28 

News:

• DEBKAfile: ISIS U-Turns West to Lebanon as Next Target; jihadists fleeing from Mosul and Raqqa ordered to change course to Lebanon.
• Yonhap News Agency: N.Korea blasts U.S. bombing drills in S. Korea
• CBN News: Argentine Abortion Activists Carry Out Mock Abortion on 'Virgin Mary'

"Who's Watching You?"

According to Theresa Payton, former White House Chief Information Officer, the Federal government may have its eye on you.

That's right, Uncle Sam may actually be watching you right now and you'd never even know it.

How?

Apparently, law enforcement, the FBI, and other government officials are able to activate our web cams remotely without the little red light coming on.

Oh, and your speakers? Let's just say don't say anything you don't want broadcast (literally) into the ears of you-know-who.

Ms. Payton says, "...having this access is really a double-edged sword. You want the law enforcement, FBI, and others, to have all the tools in their toolkit to stop an attack. But on the other side, you could be looking at compromising the privacy of Americans."

(ya think?)

To avoid being watched or recorded against your will, Payton advises we:

• turn off our connection
• keep computers and other devices (smart phones!) out of personal spaces (bedrooms and bathrooms!)
• place masking tape over web cam and speakers to block the video and muffle the audio

Marcus Thomas, a former Assistant Director of the FBI, said, 

"The FBI has been able to covertly activate a computer's camera without triggering the indicator light, for several years, and has used that technique mainly in terrorism cases or the most serious criminal investigations."

Mainly?

Anyone remember all those documents leaked by Edward Snowden that revealed the NSA was collecting data on virtually every American? Just sayin'...

A wise man once said: "Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a Peeping Tom to install your window blinds."  John Perry Barlow, lyricist

"A talebearer reveals secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." Proverbs 11:13

News:

• Infowars: CIA Turned Samsung SMART TVs Into Listening Devices, Wikileaks Dump Reveals; "Weeping Angel" malware activates microphone while TV appears off.
• The Sun: KOREA SUICIDE: Donald Trump set to send B-52 NUCLEAR BOMBERS to South Korea after North fires missiles at Japan and warns of 'overwhelming' response.
• Jewish Press.com: Iran Successfully Test-Fires Hormuz-2 Ballistic Missile

"Are Christians Brainwashed?"

When you fall into bed at night, are you out like a light, dead to the world, sleeping like a log?

Nope. None of the above. Turns out we are busy 'taking out the trash' while we sleep.

A new study claims to have discovered the true reason we need to catch those Zzzzz: To clean our brains. Apparently, sleep hoses the garbage out of the brain.

Maiken Nedergaard, who led the study, says this discovery might explain why sleep is crucial for all living organisms.

"The cerebral spinal fluid flushes the brain's waste products into what is called the 'glymphatic system' which carries it down through the body and ultimately to the liver where it is broken down," writes Ian Sample of   S & T Science.

Sort of like a 'biological dishwasher'.

According to Kurzweil News, "This revelation could transform scientists' understanding of the biological purpose of sleep and point to new ways to treat neurological disorders."

Seems the trash in our brains include proteins that cause Alzheimer's and dementia which need to be washed away.

"Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made," as Psalm 139:4 says.

But while all humans may be 'brain-washed' biologically speaking during sleep, the Bible promises those who read it in faith with an entire 'life-style lift', spiritually speaking.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5: 25-27 (emphasis added).

In both the New and Old Testament (see Revelation 19:7-9; Hosea 2:29, 20) God's people are viewed as the Lord's betrothed bride.

Revelation 19:8 says, "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

In other words, the bride of Christ wears a garment that signifies faithful obedience to God; we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only because:

Reading + Doing = a glorious church - spot or wrinkle

In need of a makeover? Read the Bible.

A wise man once said: "While you do not need to change your lifestyle before you come to Christ, once you do come to Christ, your lifestyle should show tangible changes. If it does not, then one could doubt whether Christ has really come into your life. The way you live should reflect what you believe." - Pastor Greg Laurie

News:

• USA Watchdog.com: Former Reagan budget director David Stockman says, 'Giant fiscal bloodbath coming soon;' mathematical certainty.
• The Christian Post: ISIS Radical Claiming to Have Raped 200 Women Explains: 'Young Men Need This, It's Normal'
• The Washington Times: Press coverage of Trump in first month of office: 88% 'hostile', says new study.