News and Prophecy Staff

Hurricane Irene plowed a destructive path up the east coast of the United States and into Canada last weekend, causing billions of dollars in damage and leaving millions without power.  Although the storm was a “low” category hurricane, it was large and moved through some of the most densely populated areas of the nation—potentially impacting more than 65 million people.

“As its sovereign-debt crisis nears a third year and rescue efforts fail to stop the rot in financial markets, economists from Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Mohamed El-Erian to Harvard’s Martin Feldstein say ensuring the euro’s existence may require members to leave the 17-nation currency region.  The result would be what El-Erian, Pimco’s Newport Beach, California-based chief executive officer, calls a ‘smaller, much better integrated, fiscally strong euro zone.’”

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg recently banned religious observance and prayer at the tenth-anniversary memorial ceremony of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.  The decision has drawn some harsh comments.

Recent archaeological findings near the ancient Philistine city of Gath have unearthed evidence of fighting around this town known in the Bible as the home of Goliath.  “Diggers at Gath have also uncovered traces of a destruction of the city in the 9th century B.C., including a ditch and embankment built around the city by a besieging army—still visible as a dark line running across the surrounding hills.  The razing of Gath at that time appears to have been the work of the Aramean king Hazael in 830 B.C., an incident mentioned in the Book of Kings” (see 2 Kings 12:17).

Vanderbilt University in Tennessee has added Wiccan and pagan holidays to its annual academic calendar.  The university calendar informs faculty and students what days qualify for excused absences.  This calendar recognizes Christian holidays, Jewish holidays, Muslim holidays—and now Wiccan/pagan holidays.  Wicca is an officially recognized “religion” in the United States and many other nations.  So now, witches can request days off to observe the Feast of the Dead and worship the sacred marriage goddess (USA Today, August 17, 2011).