News and Prophecy Staff

The day after North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Barack Obama became the first U.S. President to publically endorse homosexual marriage (YahooNews.com, May 9, 2012).  His comments stirred controversy around the globe.

At a recent Jewish Global Forum meeting in Washington, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stated, “the international community will block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon… The current Iranian nuclear program represents an enormous danger, not only to Israel but to the region as a whole.”  Germany, as a northern European nation, has recently become more outspoken in regard to Iran. Although Mr. Westerwelle advocates more negotiations with Iran, he has clearly stated that there is a limit to Germany’s patience if Iran continues to threaten Israel.

This sobering headline appeared recently in a British paper, The Daily Express, as more details emerged from a covert meeting of the Berlin Group.  This elite group of nations aims to create a super-president that opponents believe will be “a modern-day equivalent of the European emperor envisaged by Napoleon Bonaparte or a return to the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne that [once] dominated Europe.”

On May 6, 2012 France elected François Hollande as the new president, ousting Nicolas Sarkozy.  Mr. Hollande, a socialist, has pledged to reverse the course set by Mr. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (BBC News, May 7, 2012).   France is a leading nation in Europe, but its fluctuating governmental policies may force Germany to assume a more dominant role in Europe.

Today, it is popular to believe that living together before marriage increases the likelihood of success in a future marriage.  In the USA, “the majority of young adults in their 20’s will live with a romantic partner at least once, and more than half of all marriages will be preceded by cohabitation.”  However scientific research points to just the opposite!  Studies show, “Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be less satisfied with their marriage—and more