Information Related to "World News and Trends - September/October 2007"
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The Pope: other Christian faiths defective
A midsummer Associated Press report from Italy stated: "For the second time in a week, Pope Benedict XVI has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, reasserting the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church and saying other Christian communities were either defective or not true churches" (July 10, 2007).
Also, according to the International Herald Tribune, "The Vatican document repeated many of the contentious claims of a document issued in 2000 by the Vatican office on orthodoxy, which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed for more than two decades before being elected Pope in 2005" (July 12, 2007).
From the papal point of view, the bottom line as to what constitutes a church is the capacity to trace one's line of bishops all the way back to the original apostles. The AP report quoted the recent Vatican document's assertion that "the other communities [religious denominations] ‘cannot be called churches in the proper sense' because they do not have apostolic succession . . . and therefore their priestly ordinations are not valid."
Naturally leaders in the Protestant world objected to these assertions from the papacy. "It makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the Reformed family and other families of the church," said the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, which represents 75 million believers in 214 churches in 107 countries.
They rightly see it as a putdown and as endangering the ecumenical efforts for Christian unity between Catholics and Protestants during the past century. They generally claim that the Bible itself rather than church tradition is the key determining factor when evaluating ecclesiastical validity.
Sadly, mainstream Christianity in general-including Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy-has drifted far away from the doctrines the early Church believed and practiced as revealed in Scripture. To understand the real truth of this matter, request or download our free booklet . (Sources: Associated Press, International Herald Tribune.)
Russian and Chinese troops in new military exercises
A London Times correspondent reporting from Moscow stated that "thousands of soldiers and 500 combat vehicles will take part in ‘Peace Mission 2007,' organised by the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia . . . Scores of Russian and Chinese aircraft begin joint exercises tomorrow before a week of military manoeuvres . . . At least 6,500 troops are involved in what is described as an anti-terror exercise" (Aug. 6, 2007).
Some observers see these Russo-Chinese military activities as a potential rival to NATO. From the biblical point of view, perhaps it is even a forerunner of what will become a vast end-time army that is prophesied to descend on the Middle East. Not long before the second coming of Christ, the "kings from the east" will play a major prophetic role in the world (Revelation 16:12).
In any event, the Times article concludes with the disturbing thought that "a newly assertive Russia, flush with oil and gas revenues, is moving rapidly to increase its military capability amid tensions with the West over missile defence and NATO expansion. Almost £100 billion [$200 billion] has been set aside for rearmament over the next eight years." (Source: The Times [London].)
Ice Station Putin
The race for Arctic riches in black gold is on. In midsummer Russia planted its flag on the North Pole via a submarine stunt beneath the Arctic ice. Members of the British Parliament's Select Committee on Foreign Affairs fear that "the West could be on a collision course in the struggle for energy resources with ‘an authoritarian bloc opposed to democracy' that was based on an alliance between China and Russia" (The Times, Aug. 6, 2007, emphasis added).
According to The Sunday Times, Canada is spending a large amount of money on military vessels in anticipation of a struggle with Russia. The United States, along with many European nations, shares Canadian anxieties. "At stake . . . [is] access to what geologists believe are a quarter of the globe's oil and gas reserves-in short the solution to the crippling energy shortages that will begin throttling Western economies within the next two decades" (Aug. 5, 2007).
Resisting Russian claims to ownership of Arctic mineral resources will require strong political will from the Western world. " Russia already controls the world's largest reserves of natural gas and is second only to Saudi Arabia in oil production. Both European and American officials are concerned that the West may be forced into politically damaging dependence on Russian energy production if Moscow's claim to 463,000 square miles of [the] Arctic is not challenged."
Clearly Russian President Vladimir Putin has seized the strategic initiative. In an area twice the size of France, it is estimated that possibly 500 billion barrels of Arctic oil and an incalculable amount of natural gas may be at stake. Is the world moving towards the beginning phases of another kind of Cold War? (Sources: The Times, The Sunday Times [both London].)
Modern living causes cancer
Years ago it was sometimes sarcastically said that living causes cancer. While that's not accurate, it is true that many aspects of modern lifestyles do cause cancer. According to London's Evening Standard, "Cancer Research UK . . . said up to half of all deaths from the disease could be avoided by the use of common sense" (Aug. 8, 2007).
The organization notes some dangerous trends:
The most dangerous form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, is up 43 percent over a decade ago as people ignore warnings to stay out of the sun.
Liver cancer, linked to excessive alcohol intake, is up 33 percent.
Cases of mouth cancer, often associated with alcohol consumption and with smoking and chewing tobacco, have increased almost 25 percent.
Uterine cancer, linked to obesity, increased by a fifth. Rates of this form of cancer are double among overweight women compared to those of a healthy weight.
Kidney cancer, much more prevalent in smokers and the obese, is up 14 percent.
The director of Britain's National Obesity Forum, Colin Waine, said: "These figures just go to show the wide-reaching ramifications of obesity, which go way beyond diabetes, heart disease and stroke to several sitespecific cancers. As well as womb cancer, obesity has been linked to postmenopausal breast cancer, colonic cancer, bile duct cancer and pancreatic cancer. These figures can only get worse if we fail to halt the obesity epidemic."
Frank Soodeen, campaigns manager at the British agency Alcohol Concern, said: "The Government estimates that 5,000 people a year die from cancers attributable to alcohol. It's another reminder to stay within safe drinking limits if at all possible to minimise health risks." (Source: Evening Standard [ London].)
Chinese toys could be hazardous to your health
"Mattel Inc. late yesterday identified the Chinese factory involved in the company's big toy recall last week, ending nearly a week in which critics complained that Mattel's unwillingness to do so highlighted a regulatory failure.
"Mattel said the plant is Lee Der Industrial Co., located in Guangdong province. Mattel, of El Segundo, Calif., last week recalled 1.5 million Chinese-made toys believed to contain lead paint. The toys included items involving popular characters like Elmo and Dora the Explorer" (The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 8, 2007).
Other recalled toys contained small magnets that could be loosened and swallowed by children, possibly leading to intestinal blockage or perforation.
The Chinese government, fearful of the impact on its image, quickly banned exports from the company that manufactured the toys.
It's remarkable that Mattel Inc., a highly regarded toy company, would not have better quality control than to allow popular toys coated with lead paint to be sold to unsuspecting parents. Part of the problem appears to be apathy; another appears to be greed. And greed can overlook or overpower the need to show kindness or to live by the golden rule-to treat others as you would like to be treated. (Source: The Wall Street Journal.)
South African update
Much of the population in South Africa is very unhappy with the present government's progress in closing the poverty gap. It's estimated that more than 40% of South Africa's 50 million people live on about a dollar a day, while others make a fortune. More than a third of those of working age are unemployed. Some are saying that "this is what we expected from apartheid-not from our own government" (The Guardian, June 26, 2007).
Although progress has been made in some sectors of economic life, the South African government has conceded that a huge gap between rich and poor remains. Public expectations have run high after the demise of the previous regime, which had ruled South Africa for decades.
Meanwhile crystal meth, considered one of the world's most dangerous drugs, is at the root of a great deal of crime and violence in the sprawling townships. The problem is not confined to any one ethnic group. One recovering woman described the drug's effects: "Before you know, you just can't manage without it. Girls will do anything to get it, and I mean anything. It drives you crazy. You just don't know what you are doing" (The Times, July 30, 2007).
Crystal meth is a synthetic stimulant that can lead to violent behavior, insomnia and psychotic conduct-sometimes for years after the user has quit the drug.
Although no Zimbabwe by any means, South Africa's transition from white rule has not been an easy one. (Sources: The Guardian, The Times [both London].)
Violent crime and robbery up in America and Britain
Time magazine stated, "Driven by a big jump in robberies, violent crime in the U.S. edged up 1.3% last year, according to preliminary FBI data" (June 18, 2007, emphasis added). Violent crime essentially means murder, rape, robbery with violence and aggravated assault.
The piece in Time listed the top 15 violent American cities. All of them are in the Midwest/Eastern area of the United States with the sole exception of Oakland, Calif. In contrast Irvine, California, is regarded as the safest city in the United States. Flint, St. Louis and Detroit head the list of the most violent, in that order. New York City is now ranked 119th, the result of intense crime-reduction efforts over recent years.
Britain has also suffered from a rise in violence. "The British Crime Survey found violent offences were up 5 per cent, and a separate survey of all-night drinking indicated a rise in offences between 3 am and 6 pm" (The London News, July 19, 2007). According to Metropolitan police statistics, 906,442 crimes were reported in London during the past 12 months. The figures include 175 murders, 179,063 crimes of violence, 2,145 rapes, 44,179 robberies and 95,886 burglaries.
These criminal activities are serious and shameful blights on our Western way of life. Too many have abandoned the Judeo-Christian morality under which both nations rose to greatness. And too few have taught their children to live by the Ten Commandments.
For help in successful child rearing, request or download our free booklet . (Sources: Time, The London News.)
The sad state of American morals
"More than 8 in 10 Americans think morality is getting worse," reports the Gallup News Service regarding a recent poll. Among those polled who regard American moral values as very low are senior citizens, women in general and those who attend church regularly.
Only one person in six believes that U.S. moral values could be described as excellent. Younger adults, especially those with no overtly religious commitment, tend to be somewhat less negative in their view of morality in the United States.
One category of morality that deeply concerns some of the country's citizens is marriage and divorce. While the American divorce rate is down slightly, the marriage rate has fallen sharply by 30 percent in the last 30 years. "The number of unmarried couples living together [is] up 10-fold since 1960" (Time, May 28, 2007). Clearly there is a widening "marriage gap," with millions simply opting out of traditional matrimony based on the Bible.
Further, more and more college students indulge in premarital sex, sometimes waking up "garmentless after a hook-up" (as The Economist described it), usually preceded by far too much alcohol consumption. The publishers of The Good News offer help in our free booklet . (Sources: Gallup News Service, Time, The Economist.)
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Keywords: pope Russia and China North Pole oil cancer crime
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