The Federal Observer

Images can be powerful. We have all seen films of the Nuremburg rallies. The torchlight processions, the banners, the chanting crowds: all purposely staged to elevate one man to a status as something more than human, a benevolent leader who promised fairness and payback against the evil enemies of the people. All things were possible through him. The trains would run on time, the capitalists and bankers would pay for taking advantage of the people. Social justice would finally be achieved if only the people would pledge themselves to him.

Juxtapose those images with a 2008 party rally in a Denver stadium. The Greek columns, the giant television screens, the laser light show: all dedicated to elevate a man who promised the wars would end, the earth would heal, and the oceans would halt their rise. Peace and justice at last. He was the one we were waiting for. Goebbels would have been proud. 

The Jewish people were, more than once, enjoined by our prophet Isaiah to be Ohr LaGoyim, to set an example for the nations of the world, to enlighten them with examples of goodness, morality, and peace:

I the LORD have called unto you in righteousness, and have taken hold of your hand, and submitted you as the people’s covenant, as a light unto the nations[.] – Book of Isaiah, 42:6

Yea, He saith, ‘It is too light a thing for you to be My servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the scions of Israel, and I shall submit you as a light unto the nations, to be My salvation until the end of the earth[.]‘ – Book of Isaiah, 49:6

It is certainly not working out that way in some quarters, where the behavior of fanatic misogynists in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh is bringing disgrace and embarrassment to the entire worldwide Jewish community. It embarrasses me for them — and, if you are Jewish, I suggest that you ought to be embarrassed, too.

Go back far enough in history and one can find that at one time all races, ethnic groups, etc. were barbarians. Due to circumstances that often had more to do with where an ethnic group was located than anything else, some groups of people advanced toward civility much more quickly than others.

Thus, the following observations are not based upon race or ethnic superiority. We all have skeletons in the closet whether we be white, black, brown, or whether we be Christian, Jew, or Muslim.

By now, there are few people who are not familiar with talk of the “War on Christmas.” The hyperbolic nature of this nomenclature aside, it springs from the observation of two undeniable facts: first, there is a sustained, concerted effort to marginalize, if not eradicate, the religious significance of this most celebrated of Christian — and American — holidays; second, this assault on Christmas belongs to a larger campaign to undermine the influence of Christianity over our popular culture.

There are over 300,000 evangelical Christian churches in America. That equates to tens of millions of professing Christians and hundreds of thousands of Christian ministers. Think of the church sanctuaries, educational facilities, schools, camps, radio broadcasts, television programs, colleges, seminaries, preschools, youth retreats, etc., that grace America. In some communities there is a church building on just about every corner. In spite of this massive exposure to the modern Church, however, the nation has been left virtually unaffected, uninfluenced, and unimpressed.

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. – Matthew, 2: 9-10

With so much darkness in the world in these times, we find it heartwarming to find, and present  a story, which is so significant of the meaning of the season. It matters not, whether one is a Christian, a Jew,  a Buddhist or a Muslim, good is good, and I hope that this story touches your heart. It’s a true story, or so we are told. (Ed.)

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy.

I would love to give the Pastor of this predominantly black church in Virginia a hug and a high five. This guy is obviously a leader. Perhaps we should each decide who our real leader is. It is amazing to see that very little has changed in 4,000 years…

This sermon, delivered by Rabbi Lewis a couple of weeks ago has been referred to as the “sermon of the century” If you haven’t already seen or heard it it’s well worth reading. First Day of Rosh Hashanah 2010 Sermon delivered by Rabbi Schlomo Lewis of Atlanta.

Can a Christian be an anarchist?
Before that question is investigated is it fair to ask if a Christian should support a government and political system that violates the laws that have been written to contain it?

After all, the U.S. Constitution places very strict limits on the powers of the federal government and empowers the legislatures of its member states to keep the federal government within that constitutional framework.

The Devil didn’t make me do it.

The facts did.

Father Gabriele Amorth, the chief exorcist for the Holy See, said in Rome that The Times’s coverage of Pope Benedict, which cast doubt on his rigor in dealing with pedophile priests, was “prompted by the Devil.”

“There is no doubt about it,” the 85-year-old priest said, according to the Catholic News Agency. “Because he is a marvelous pope and worthy successor to John Paul II, it is clear that the Devil wants to grab hold of him.”

Have you ever wondered why we humans never seem to learn from our past mistakes? Throughout recorded human history, one war is followed by another war, which is followed by yet another war. The people cry, “we want an end to war!” But the wars never end. Throughout recorded human history humankind have found themselves under one form of bondage or another with only brief periods of escape from tyranny, even though they cry out, “we want to be free.” Have you ever wondered just why these things are? Why do we keep finding ourselves repeating the same mistake over and over again, with no end in sight? The simple answer is that it’s just the nature of things. Is there away out of this seeming dilemma? Is there a way to escape this nature of things? The simple answer is yes, but it takes a tiny bit of effort on our part … but it can be done. The question that will be asked at the end of this article is, “are you willing to make that little effort now to break out of this endless chain of never ending cycles of war and strife for yourself and all those who will follow you?”

“Every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.” – George Washington, Letter, United Baptist Chamber of Virginia May 1789

The role of the Church in 21st century America has hit rock bottom. As a political influence, organized religion is treated as if it is irrelevant. By contrast, the historic influence of religion in the settling of the New World is undeniable. European mercantile motivations to explore, claim and develop the natural wealth of a rich continent, required more than daring adventurers. The repression in the mother counties played a pivotal part for the down trodden and oppressed to flee from the chains of persecution. Religious freedom was as important, if not paramount, for many of the brave souls seeking a new life.

Many read the Revelation and some accept it as prophetic. Others look at it and classify it as a bunch of bunk. Let’s look at it again. Specifically, let us look at Revelation chapter eighteen and rather than viewing it as a dream by some mystic, let’s look at it in light of history. Prophets, fortune tellers, and seers into the future understand and believe the axiom that history repeats its self. Perhaps, just perhaps the demise of Babylon in Revelation chapter eighteen is not speaking about historic Babylon but a modern day Babylon who is in the process of repeating the fate of the historic Babylon thousands of years ago. Further if there is indeed a modern day Babylon, America fits that profile to the tee. Join with me as we go through this chapter in Revelation and see how America could very well be the modern Babylon spoken of in the book of Revelation thousands of years ago.

Auguste Comte’s Religion of Humanity finds a 21st-century savior.

Barack Obama has now been center stage for two years—one as a presidential candidate (and president elect) and one as president. Americans have begun to take their measure of the man, judging him to have been a remarkable success in his first role and struggling in his second. Obama recently awarded himself the grade of “a good, solid B plus” for his performance in office, but the public is not as lenient. The gap in the assessment between Obama the candidate and Obama the president is enormous. Having entered office with a public approval of 70 percent, he has fallen today below 50 percent, the steepest such decline at this point of any first-term president in the postwar period. Obama also has the lowest approval rating at the end of a president’s first year.

Excerpt: He destroyed them, he vented his rage upon them, he annihilated them for daring to question the annihilation that is coming to us all. He ground them to dust, the dust of the universe.On the surface, it seems a great mystery. Why would the leftist liberals who embrace abortion, homosexual rights, pornography, free love, sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll find Islam so endearing?

The early 21st century stands as a period of profound moral confusion. On the one hand, mothers and doctors are permitted to crack open the skulls and suck out the brains of nearly-born babies with government sanction under the banner of partial birth abortion. Should these very same people hike into the woods and crack open a bald eagle egg, they could face serious prison time.

It would therefore seem that contemporary society is marked by two seemingly contradictory extremes — that of extreme license and that of excessive control. However, upon closer inspection it could be concluded that these conditions are not as contradictory as the situation might originally appear.

Let’s face it: most Americans live in a world of false security. This is somewhat understandable, given the fact that the majority of the U.S. population was born after 1945. Few remember the dangers and hardships of World War II; fewer still remember the Great Depression. Few Americans know what it’s like to not have some sort of “supercenter” nearby with shelves stocked with every kind of food imaginable, twenty-four hours a day. Few know what life was like before there were restaurants of all sizes and types on virtually every street corner in America. And only a handful remembers when most roads were unpaved, or when sports were truly a pastime and not a megabuck obsession.

Modern living within the world’s only “superpower” has created a giant unsuspecting, soft, lackadaisical, and lethargic society.

Ex-soldiers don’t need to be told they’re a burden to society.

AUGUST 18, 2009 – If President Obama wants to better understand why America’s discomfort with end-of-life discussions threatens to derail his health-care reform, he might begin with his own Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He will quickly discover how government bureaucrats are greasing the slippery slope that can start with cost containment but quickly become a systematic denial of care.

Last year, bureaucrats at the VA’s National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, “Your Life, Your Choices.” It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA’s preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes.