News and Prophecy Staff

In a recent article in The Guardian, British columnist Larry Elliot made the following profound statement, “The high levels of violent crime, epidemic of obesity, addiction to pornography and excessive use of energy may be telling us something: the US is in an advanced state of cultural decadence.”  Mr. Elliot’s article, entitled, “Decline and Fall of the American Empire,” suggests that America is experiencing classic symptoms of decline previously witnessed in the fall of both the Roman and British Empires.

The South Asian nation of Nepal decriminalized sodomy in 2007.  This year (2011), census workers recorded not only the male and female genders but also a “third gender.”

Banning circumcision will become a ballot measure in San Francisco’s November elections.  If the bill passes, parents who circumcise their children could face one year in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Proponents of the proposed bill liken male circumcision to female genital mutilation.  They claim the practice is dangerous and extremely painful—despite a lack of research to support their arguments.

In a study of more than 4,500 Mormons in Utah, researchers examined behaviors that were associated with lower risk of coronary artery disease—heart disease.  After accounting for other factors (smoking, alcohol use, coffee, and tea ingestion), researchers discovered that those who fasted routinely (without food or drink) were at lower risk for heart disease than those who did not fast.  Fasting was also associated with lower diabetes risk (The American Journal of Cardiology, October 1, 2008).

According to an Oxfam spokesperson, “All the signs are that the number of people going hungry [worldwide] is going up…  By 2050 demand for food will rise 70 percent yet our capacity to increase food production is declining.”