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Global distrust of political leaders
Citizens of the world fear for their safety and security, perhaps primarily because they don't put much confidence in their political leaders. The Gallup International polling organization carried out a survey of some 50,000 people in 60 countries last year. This poll revealed that most nations distrust their politicians in a major way.
Worldwide, a disturbing 63 percent believe their politicians are dishonest. Regionally, Latin America tops the poll with a whopping 87 percent holding that view, followed closely by West Asia and Africa with 84 percent and 82 percent respectively. Germany is not far behind with a surprising figure of 76 percent, considerably above the average statistic in Western Europe at 46 percent.
In the United States and Canada the figure is 50 percent. On the positive side, the mistrust figure is very low in the Netherlands at 12 percent, which means that well over 80 percent of the Dutch trust their politicians to be honest. An incredible 97 percent of Singapore's citizens believe in the honesty of their leaders.
Particularly in the West, there are reasons for the belief that politicians are not only dishonest, but behave unethically. The absence of authority and the erosion of privacy in our e-mail age are two specific reasons.
A Sunday Times writer stated: "We live in an age in which authority is absent . . . In America the decline of authority has been particularly swift. The erosion of privacy means that every public figure has soiled his laundry on the Internet—affidavits and all. Only recently [during the previous administration] the presidency was reduced to evidence about oral sex" (Dec. 5, 2004, emphasis added throughout feature).
One of the great lessons of the Bible is that although we need to deeply respect our leaders, we should not put our ultimate trust in them. The Scriptures teach us that we should trust God. (Sources: Reuters, The Sunday Times [London].)
Pope reiterates religious stance on Europe
Rocco Buttiglione, a Roman Catholic and friend of Pope John Paul II, was unable to become European justice minister in the European Commission after the EU parliament objected to his conservative views on homosexuality and single mothers.
According to The Guardian (Nov. 8, 2004) he afterwards "began a public campaign to form a European 'Theocon' movement for those who believe that traditional values should be part of public life." Mr. Buttiglione stated that he has been the recipient of thousands of letters of support.
Further measures have been taken by others of like mind. An article in the online Telegraph reported that "more than a million people are going to deliver a petition to Tony Blair and fellow EU leaders calling for changes to the constitution recognising Europe's Christian heritage. Refusing to accept a secular 'fait accompli' from Brussels, a Christian coalition is demanding that each EU state publish its version of the constitution preamble with references to God if desired" (Nov. 29, 2004).
Perhaps more importantly, "the move has the backing of Pope John Paul II, who has repeatedly condemned the 'moral drift' of Brussels. 'One does not cut the roots of one's birthright,' he told pilgrims this summer [2004]" (ibid.).
The Vatican has not been happy with the fact that the proposed European Union constitution does not specifically mention Christianity. According to the Vatican-based ZENIT News Agency, during a recent meeting with Romano Prodi, outgoing president of the European Commission, the pope reminded him of the symbolic value of Rome as the site of the signing of the original Treaty of Rome in 1957 as well as the new constitution in 2004.
The pope clearly stated: "Whoever speaks of Rome, speaks of the radiation of universal juridical and spiritual values. The Holy See favored the formation of the EU before it was juridically structured, and has followed the successive stages with active interest. It has always felt the need to express openly the just expectations of a great number of Christian citizens of Europe, who have so requested it.
"This is why the Holy See has reminded all that Christianity . . . has contributed to the formation of a common conscience of European peoples and has helped enormously in shaping the civilizations. Whether or not it is recognized in official documents, it is an undeniable fact that no historian will be able to forget" (Oct. 28, 2004).
Whatever the outcome of the current campaign, religion eventually is going to have the last word in Europe—notwithstanding the secular EU. If you would like to understand why, please request or download our free booklets You Can Understand Bible Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled. (Sources: ZENIT News Agency [Vatican], The Telegraph, The Guardian [London].)
China's growing world influence
News that the Chinese and the Iranians have been in the process of forming a major alliance is just one more indication that China is increasingly at the fulcrum of much that is happening in the world.
NewsMax reported "a major growing alliance between 'axis of evil' member Iran and communist China. The relationship which has been nurtured by both countries for decades, is growing exponentially now, primarily out of China's insatiable energy needs and Iran's increasing hunger for consumer goods, as the economies of both countries continue to expand . . . What it could mean for the long haul is a stronger, more menacing Iran and China, each buoyed by needs being met by the other . . ." (November 18, 2004)
"Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the growing Iran-China alliance is the Islamic republic's access to the improving technology being developed, deployed and utilized by the People's Liberation Army. Nowhere are U.S. concerns greater than in the area of ballistic missile technology" (ibid.).
At the same time, German Chancellor Schroeder is now making a strong bid to broaden Germany's trade with China. The Financial Times recently reported that "China's weight in global trade is so great that even a hiccup could shake some markets" (Dec. 7, 2004).
China's increasing global influence is even reflected by the supposition that "rising tensions with China may add impetus to Japan's gradual shift to a more assertive military" (Newsweek, Nov. 29, 2004). Add to that EU readiness to end the ban on weapons sales to China, threatening to cause a transatlantic rift with the United States.
It would be wise to watch events in China and Southeast Asia in general. (Sources: NewsMax, International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, The Financial Times [London].)
Increasing middle-aged promiscuity
Disturbing trends in the moral behavior of those over 50 are increasingly coming to light. The Sunday Times reported that in Britain, "the divorce rate among couples in their fifties and sixties is rising sharply" (Dec. 5, 2004). Not surprisingly, this trend has been accompanied by growing promiscuity among seniors.
According to the Daily Mail, "The incidence of some diseases in the age group has almost doubled in five years as more adopt a free-and-easy attitude to sex. The result has been an outbreak of sexual health problems" (Dec. 6, 2004).
The Health Protection Agency in Britain reported substantial increases in most types of STDs in women over 50. Also, cohabitation among those over 50 has reached 425,000.
The Daily Mail article continued: "The rise of divorce and decline of marriage is said to have played its part in changing attitudes to sex in an age group usually settled with a partner and family responsibilities."(Sources: The Sunday Times, Daily Mail [both London].)
The continuing tragedy of unsafe abortions
Unsafe abortions are a problem of global proportions, most particularly in Asia. Thousands of women have experienced serious long-term effects with debilitating physical injuries, not to mention long-lasting psychological problems.
A report given at Countdown 2015, a London conference sponsored by the UN reviewing methods of improving reproductive health around the world, estimated that "almost 200 women die each day after having a botched abortion"—amounting to some 70,000 deaths a year.
Up to 10 million Asian women have unsafe abortions annually, accounting for half of all pregnancy-related deaths. The figures stand at about five million such abortions for both African and Latin American women each year, with a 44 percent death rate in Africa and surprisingly only 6 percent in Latin America. Elizabeth Maguire, president of the American organization Ipas, stated that "forty women every minute undergo an unsafe abortion." She added that these are preventable.
Ms. Maguire also said: "Changing the laws and effectively implementing those changes is the only way to ensure that women can fully exercise their right to decide whether and when to have children." However, a trustee of a U.K. charity in this field, Nuala Scarisbrick, countered with this thought: "What women need is help and encouragement to continue with their pregnancy. We should not impose our rotten [Western] values on the developing world."
In the United Kingdom, "Britain's largest provider of abortions stands accused of advising women to circumvent British regulations on late terminations by flying to a clinic in Barcelona [Spain] where the operation is provided— illegally." Daily Telegraph reporter Charlotte Edwardes went to witness this "chamber of horrors" where doctors are allegedly aborting unborn babies at a stage when there is every chance of a reasonable and healthy life.
Too many women, in a state of desperate confusion, view abortions as "a morally viable option" even in the late stages of pregnancy. Abortion denies a child's right to life. In God's way of thinking, it is a clear violation of the Sixth Commandment—"You shall not murder." (Sources: The Daily Telegraph, BBC Web Site [both London].)
Ten Commandments or ten suggestions?
What did Moses bring down from Mt. Sinai: the Ten Commandments or ten suggestions? Do people still believe in the Ten Commandments, or are they outmoded? When is it right to murder your fellow man? When is it right to lie about your neighbor or steal from him?
God gave humankind the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) so we can learn to honor Him, to let Him guide our lives. Jesus Christ summarized the Ten Commandments in the Gospels: First, love God with all of your heart and mind. Second, love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). These two great commandments sum up the first four commandments and the last six respectively.
Although these laws rankles human nature (Romans 8:7), God is not a God of suggestion but of commandment. If you'd like to learn more, request your free copy of our booklet The Ten Commandments.
Some good news on the sexual front
According to Sunday Times reporter John Harlow in America: "The U.S. government's statistical watchdogs have noticed a confluence of social and sexual trends that will warm the hearts of the American right." Among reports emanating from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System are indications that an increasing number of American teenagers are taking their religion seriously, along with "the largest number of young women getting married since the dawn of the permissive age" (Dec. 5, 2004).
Further, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that the number of teenage pregnancies is down for the 12th consecutive year. A CDC spokesperson said, "American women are behaving more responsibly than previous generations."
Let us hope that these statistics are accurate and that they mark a trend that will long continue. (Source: The Sunday Times [London].)
Where are women's magazines headed?
What kind of magazines are men reading nowadays? For that matter, what are women reading? Look at any well-stocked magazine rack and you'll see seemingly endless glossy, slick magazines for both men and women.
Consider the December 2004 issue of Cosmopolitan, a highly regarded and popular woman's magazine. The word cosmopolitan means "so sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world" (The American Heritage Dictionary).
The titles on the cover advertise the main stories in the issue. They include "Sex He'll Go Wild For," "Feel Hot Naked," "The Sex Article You Must Read With Your Boyfriend" and "Caught With Their Pants Off." The titles are highly suggestive. Need we ask what message they're selling?
The article titles assume that such language fits well with the moral standards of their intended audience. One would only hope the magazine's readers would pay close attention to another article title offered on the cover: "Five Ways to Make Smarter Choices in Life." Apparently the magazine staff missed the irony.
With content like this, no wonder the apostle Paul foretold that in the end time, men and women would be "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:4).
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Keywords: politicians religion in Europe pope and Europe China Britain, behavior in abortion teen sex
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