News and Prophecy Staff

Since 2005, Americans calling themselves “religious” dropped by almost 18 percent, while those claiming to be “atheist” rose from 1 percent to 5 percent (BBC Magazine, August 21, 2012).  Why?

The European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality recently submitted a report calling for a ban on “Books which portray ‘traditional’ images of mothers caring for their children or fathers going out to work” (Mail Online, November 7, 2012).

Consumer Reports magazine recently tested pork from U.S. markets and farmers. In the study, “pork-chop and ground-pork samples from around the U.S. found that yersinia enterocolitica, a bacterium that can cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, was widespread. Some samples harbored other potentially harmful bacteria, including salmonella… Some of the bacteria we found in 198 samples proved to be resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat people.

When the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced that the United Nations had upgraded the Palestinians to non-member observer status he asserted, “One day, a young Palestinian will raise the Palestinian flag over Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the state of Palestine” (iThe Jerusalem Post, December 2, 2012).

Many were stunned when the highly respected U.S. General David Petraeus abruptly resigned as CIA Director, due to an extramarital affair.  The general was considered an exceptional battlefield tactician during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan where his leadership was praised both on and off the field.  His decision to commit adultery after 37 years of marriage did not reflect the type of leadership one would expect from a dedicated four-star general of the United States.