March 19, 2024

An Open Letter to the 2016 US Conference of Mayors Regarding the Keynote Speaker the XIV Dalai Lama

An Open Letter to the 2016 US Conference of Mayors

Regarding the Keynote address by the XIV Dalai Lama on June 26, 2016

Site: Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: June 24-28, 2016

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

by James C. Stephens

In 1996, the XIV Dalai Lama, recognized at that time as the god-king of Tibet, was awarded the key to the City of Pasadena.  Concerned about the series of events, Dr. Arthur Glasser, Dean Emeritus of Fuller School of Intercultural Studies and I attended the Dalai Lama’s acceptance speech at Pasadena City Hall.

In an interview, aired on CBN, I asked Dr. Glasser how one should address the visit of the Dalai Lama. He replied, “He is a foreign personage of prominence, we should be respectful of him, but to offer him the key to the city, Christians would tend to react. They would say, ‘the key, the authority, what sort of authority is going to be understood by the Dalai Lama?”

Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, and the Dalai Lama being awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal in the US Capitol Rotunda.

Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, and the Dalai Lama being awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal in the US Capitol Rotunda.

As a former Buddhist youth leader and graduate of a Buddhist Study Academy, I had an intimate knowledge of the practice of Buddhism (1970-1984).  In 1981, prior to a Buddhist pilgrimage I had an accident in a train station in Japan.  For the following three years, I investigated other religious paths and practices and made a decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ, believing Him to be my Savior and Messiah.  In the ensuing years, I have studied Christianity as zealously as I had Buddhism, and came to deeply respect the historic Christian faith as originally delivered to the Jewish Apostles.

At the same time, I have continued to watch with concern, the deterioration of Christianity in the West and the funding of various religious traditions in America that have taken root through Government support.  I have closely watched the Dalai Lama and his work in the US and have seriously investigated his worldview, one which he carefully disguises in his public personae as a man of peace.  Formerly a paid agent of the CIA, his work continues to be heavily supported by the US Government as a key speaker at major universities, corporate venues, coliseums, and government halls.  It was also quite disconcerting that he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Second Anniversary of 9-11 at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. He now has become a leading spokesman for climate change.

While I understand that his story is quite engaging, have seen movies about his life, read many of his books, heard him speak,   I find myself questioning the American public’s naiveté in writing him a spiritual blank check and elevating him,  in a sense,  to the position of “the pluralist pope” by providing a public platform to introduce his curriculum of secular ethics to our public school system.

As leaders of your respective cities, I urge you to pursue a candid and intelligent survey of the available external evidence of my concerns, which I believe will satisfy a reasonable mind.  While, I agree with Dr. Glasser that we should treat dignitaries from other countries with respect, our mandate as gatekeepers requires us to carefully weigh any proposal or ideas arising from those who are invited into our house, in this case, the US Council of Mayors.

In the early nineties, while teaching in the UK, I spoke to the Director of the London Buddhist Society who proudly showed me the loophole in the 1988 Religious Reform Act which opened the door in the UK to teach all religions and introduced a new curriculum overriding centuries of public policy wherein Christianity had been taught in their school system for hundreds of years.  Fast forward to 2016, and Sadiq Khan the new Mayor of London is a Muslim and all of Europe is in the throes of great religious turmoil as a result of the refugee crisis. The Dalai Lama recently shocked others when he stated, “There are now too many (refugees),” he said. “Europe, for example Germany, cannot become an Arab land,” he added with a laugh. “Germany is Germany. From a moral point of view too, I think that the refugees should only be admitted temporarily. The goal should be that they return and help rebuild their countries.” (India Times, June 01, 2016 by Kunal Anand).

The stability of a nation depends upon its religious statecraft, but also upon religious freedom and freedom of conscience.  Engraved on the North entrance of Los Angeles City Hall, the words of Israel’s King Solomon, the wisest King in history ring true,

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Samuel P. Huntington, Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University warned in his 1993 essay on The Clash of Civilizations, “What ultimately counts for people is not political ideology or economic interest. Faith and family, blood and belief are what people identify with and what they will fight and die for.”   While it is the duty of Christians in pluralist societies to cooperate with people of other faiths in seeking a just ordering of society, we are also required to hold to our original founding principles that made America a land in which refugees were welcomed to her shores.  It is a very simple question of hospitality, you are welcome to stay in our home, but there are a few rules you must follow. A guest is no longer a guest, when they begin to tell you how to run your own household. A lesson we all must remember as most of us are guests (immigrants) to Turtle Island.  The First Nations know that the land belongs to the Creator and not to any one man and if violated will vomit those out which defile her.

Charles Bridges (1794-1869), one of the leaders of the Evangelical party in the Church in England called its leader’s decisions into question when they began to chase after the traditions of men which had not proven to provide steady counsel to direct the affairs of state.  He stated, “The Bible exhibits a divinely appointed remedy commensurate with man’s infinite distress, and accepted of God in its power and prevalence. Who can doubt the excellency of the things that are written, so rich in counsel and knowledge—‘words fit for a prince to speak, and the best man in the world to hear? Such a minute and practical standard for relative life and social obligation!”

Over the last several years, the Dalai Lama has been developing a secular curriculum of ethics that he desires to be introduced into the curriculum of our nation’s schools.  His talks on “Beyond Religion” that seemingly appeal to the secularist mindset are touted to teach compassion and ethics without religion.  As Mayors, many struggle with the pluralist mix of religious and “none’s” in their cities.  However, embracing an untried curriculum with a questionable agenda designed by scholars from a progressive, Buddhist socialist background albeit supposedly stripped of any religious intent, still presents a major challenge to the prevailing foundations of the United States of America.

“If the foundations be destroyed, how can the righteous stand?”  Who now becomes the interpreter of what is right and what is wrong in a nation that has abandoned the faith of her fathers?  Some may argue, “Oh, but it’s for those who are not religious” and the like.  However, our laws and justice system were founded on Judeo-Christian principles as any astute legal mind will attest.  New curriculum proposals are serious changes of course that pack within them, unforeseen consequences. Making quick friends will bring lasting regrets.  This is not limited to any one foreign guest or leader in our nation, as our internal issues and crisis require more than a new Band-Aid. Our moral crisis is severe and it is not time to switch boats in midstream.  While the Dalai Lama as a foreign personage may provide key insight into our shortcomings providing a valuable outsider’s point of view, it does not mean that the solution he holds out with the other hand is an acceptable alternative.

The prophets of Troy, warned the city fathers not to trust Greeks bearing gifts.  The prophets out rightly said, “Burn the Trojan Horse.”   The City fathers instead accepted the gift and you know the rest of the old story.  Not unlike King Hezekiah that showed his enemy all his treasure stores unwisely, only later to have the City sacked.  It didn’t happen overnight, but set in motion a process whose seeds of destruction were carefully planted over time.

Yes, peace and compassion and mindfulness at first may sound wonderful. Who would reject them?  A wise man however, remembers “caveat emptor,” buyer beware.  The seller of his wares may call into doubt the integrity of the country’s foundation, promoting vain imaginations of how peace can be won by just calling a city a city of compassion. One may clean the outside of the cup, but inside it’s full of dead man’s bones.  As a young Buddhist, I recall marching in a Buddhist Brass Band dressed up in Santa Claus uniforms and playing Christian hymns  for the Los Angeles Mayor’s Christmas party.  Marketing Buddhism as American as Mom and Apple Pie; strategies cooked up by Madison Fifth Avenue Ad executives.

So, when you listen to the Dalai Lama and his fascinating story, one must ask oneself the more difficult questions as a mature leader whose constituency no doubt contains a high portion of Christians, “Why has the Dalai Lama been chosen as the keynote speaker? What is the agenda? Am I about to embrace something I have no understanding of and discard what I have known? Am I willing to implement an ideology that may be divisive to many of the people I shepherd? As the wise King Solomon said, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end leads to destruction.”   Even the wisest king lost his way for a time and embraced many false ideologies, before coming to his senses at the end of his life. Is it not better to question your own judgment upfront and seek what your elders once taught? Why waste present possibilities and needed reformation by embracing what you only perceive to be a better way?

Doubts may arise as distance lends enchantment to the view. Carefully weigh and survey the information you hear for the destiny of your city depends upon the wisdom of its counselors.

“When warnings for instruction are not received, they are tokens of destruction. This is a truth which none almost deny, and none almost believe. Had it been believed, many desolating judgments in former ages had been prevented; nations and cities should have abode in prosperity, which are now sunk into ruin, yea, into hell.”

               -(John Owen to the UK Parliament in a day of reflection on the nation’s spiritual state).

 

Resources:

EpicycleMedia:  The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism playlist.

https://youtu.be/5oAZMn3Vx6E?list=PL6ysZa-S0tJs_l4PCIVlIQseHTebCFiXq

“The Dalai Lama and the Anatomy of Politically Correct Buddhism” by James C. Stephens based on a chapter in InterVarsity Press’s Guide to New Religious Movements edited by Dr. Ronald Enroth, Sociology Professor at Westmont College, Santa Barbara.

http://www.worldviews101.com/?p=2420

Dalai Lama and the Kalachakra: A Wake-Up Call for the West.  Stephens’ Interview of Victor Trimondi on the Dalai Lama and 9-11 (in English and Chinese).

http://www.worldviews101.com/?s=interview.

The Shadow of the Dalai Lama: Sexuality, Magic and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism by Victor and Victoria Trimondi

This study is not for the fainthearted. If you want to live in the world of fantasy, don’t read this expose.

http://www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Contents.htm.

“Our study is divided into two parts. The first contain a depiction and critique of the religious foundations of Tibetan (“Tantric”) Buddhism and is entitled Ritual as Politics. The second part (Politics as Ritual) examines the power politics of the Kundun (Dalai Lama) and its historical preconditions. The relationship between political power and religion is thus central to our book.”

Critical Forum for the Investigation of the Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala Myth.

http://www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Annex.htm.

The Kalachakra-Tantra is anything but pacifist, rather, it prophesies and promotes a bloody religious war for world domination between Buddhists and non-Buddhists (Shambhala myth).

The text explicitly names the “leaders” of the three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) as opponents of Buddhism: “Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, the White-Clad one [Mani], Muhammad and Mathani [the Mahdi]”. The Kalachakra Tantra describes them as “the family of the demonic snakes” (Shri Kalachakra I. 154).

Thus, the Kalachakra Tantra is opposed to all religions of Semitic origin, and for this reason has been pressed into service by right-wing radical and anti-Semitic circles for their racist propaganda.

The Kalachakra Tantra invokes a global war between the Islamic and the non-Islamic world in which the followers of Mohammed are presented as the principal enemies of the Buddhists. The original text refers to Mecca, where the “mighty, merciless idol of the barbarians” lives as a “demonic incarnation” (Shri Kalachakra I. 154).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Open Letter to the US Conference of Mayors re The Dalai Lama in Bulgarian

Анализи

„Вечната бдителност е цената на свободата”[1]

Джеймс С. Стивънс

Отворено писмо до американската Конференция на кметовете – 2016
Относно
Обръщение на XIV Далай Лама от 26 юни 2016 г.
Индианаполис,
щат Индиана
Дата: 24-28
Юни, 2016 г.

През 1996 г. XIV Далай Лама, признат по това време за божеството-цар на Тибет, беше награден с ключа на град Пасадена. Загрижени за поредицата от събития, д-р Артър Гласър, почетен декан на Висши училища „Фулър”, и аз присъствахме на официалната реч на Далай Лама в общинската сграда в Пасадена.

В интервю, излъчено по CBN, попитах д-р Гласър как трябва да се гледа на посещението на Далай Лама. Той отговори: „Той е чуждестранна знаменитост и трябва да се отнасяме с уважение към него, но на това, чему се поднася ключа за града, християните би трябвало да реагират. Те би трябвало да зададат въпроса, „ключ, власт, но за какъв вид власт Далай Лама ще приеме, че става дума?“

520

Нанси Пелоси, Джон Бейнър и Далай Лама, който получава Златния медал
на Конгреса на САЩ в ротондата на сградата на Конгреса на САЩ

Като бивш будистки младежки лидер и възпитаник на Академия по будистки дисциплини,  имах задълбочени знания относно практикуването на будизма (1970-1984 г.). През 1981 г., преди едно будистко поклонение, преживях инцидент на железопътна гара в Япония. През следващите три години изследвах други религиозни учения и практики и взех решение да стана последовател на Исус Христос, като вярвах, че Той е мой Спасител и Месия. През следващите години изучавах християнството така ревностно, както се бях занимавал с будизма, и така започнах дълбоко да уважавам християнска вяра с нейното историческо значение – такава, каквато първоначално е предадена на еврейските апостоли.

В същото време, продължавах да следя със загриженост влошаването на християнството на Запад и финансирането на различни религиозни традиции в Америка, които се бяха установили с одобрението на държавната власт. Наблюдавах внимателно Далай Лама и работата му в САЩ и сериозно изследвах мирогледа му, който той внимателно прикриваше чрез публичния си образ на човек на мира. Като платен в миналото агент на ЦРУ, работата му на основен лектор в големи университети, на корпоративни събития, по стадиони и правителствени зали продължава да бъде сериозно подкрепяна от правителството на САЩ. Беше доста смущаващо също, че той беше поканен за основен говорител на втората годишнина от събитията на 11 септември в Националната катедрала във Вашингтон, окръг Колумбия. Сега вече е водещ говорител по въпросите за промените в климата.

В процеса на осъзнаване, че личната му история е доста привлекателна, на гледане на филми за живота му, четене на много от книгите му и слушане на речите му, си задавам въпроса за наивността на американската общественост, която му пише празен духовен чек и го издига, в известен смисъл, до позицията на „плуралистичния папа“, като му предоставя обществена платформа за въвеждане на неговата учебна програма по светска етика в нашата държавна училищна система. Като лидери на своите градове, ви призовавам да проведете открито и осведомено проучване на наличните външни доказателства за моите опасения, с които вярвам, че всеки здравомислещ човек ще се съгласи. Макар да съм съгласен с д-р Гласър, че трябва да се отнасяме с уважение към сановници от други страни, нашият мандат на пазители изисква от нас внимателно да преценим всяко предложение или идеи, които произтичат от тези, които са поканени в дома ни, в този случай, Съветът на кметовете на САЩ.

В началото на деветдесетте години, когато преподавах в Англия, говорих с директора на лондонското Будистко общество, който с гордост ми показа „вратичка” в Religious Reform Act (Закон за религиозна реформа) от 1988 г., който даде възможността в Обединеното кралство да се преподават всички религии и въведе нова учебна програма, погазвайки векове на държавна политика, в които християнството е било преподавано в тяхната училищна система в продължение на стотици години. Ако насочим погледа си обратно към 2016 г., ще видим, че положението е такова, че Садик Хан – новият кмет на Лондон– е мюсюлманин, а цяла Европа е във вихъра на голямо религиозно сътресение в резултат на кризата с бежанците. Неотдавна Далай Лама шокира със следното свое изявление: „Вече има твърде много (бежанци)“. „Европа, например Германия, не може да стане арабска земя“, добавя той със смях. „Германия е Германия. Също така, от морална гледна точка мисля, че бежанците трябва да бъдат допускани само временно. Целта трябва да бъде те да се върнат и да помогнат за възстановяване на техните страни“ (статия от Кюнал Ананд вIndia Times, 01 юни 2016 г.).

Стабилността на една нация зависи от ролята на религията в държавното управление, но също така и от религиозната свобода и свободата на съвестта. Думите на израелския цар Соломон, най-мъдрият цар в историята, „Правдата възвишава народ, а грехът е позор за племената“, гравирани на северния вход на общинска сграда на Лос Анжелес, звучат много актуално.

Самюъл Хънтингтън, директор на Института за стратегически изследвания в Харвардския университет, предупреждава в своето есе от 1993 г. Сблъсъкът на цивилизациите: „Това, което в крайна сметка има значение за хората, не е политическата идеология или икономическият интерес. Вярата и семейството, кръвните връзки и убежденията са това, с което хората се идентифицират, и това, за което ще се борят и умрат.” Макар че е задължение на християните в плуралистичните общества да си сътрудничат с хора от други религии в търсенето на справедлив ред в обществото, от нас се изисква също да се придържаме към своите първоначални основополагащи принципи, които направиха Америка земя, от чиито брегове бежанци бяха приветствани. Това е прост въпрос на гостоприемство – добре дошли сте да останете у дома, но има някои правила, които трябва да спазвате. Гостът престава да бъде гост, когато започне да ви казва как да управлявате собствения си дом. Това е урок, който всички ние трябва да помним, тъй като повечето от нас са гости (имигранти) на Turtle Island.[2] Първите нации[3] знаят, че земята принадлежи на Твореца, а не на някой човек, и ако бъде изпълнена с насилие, ще избълва тези, които я оскверняват.

Чарлз Бриджис (1794-1869), един от лидерите на Евангелисткото крило в Англиканската църква, постави под въпрос решенията на нейните лидери, когато започнаха да преподават човешки учения, които не бяха в състояние да дадат насока на държавните дела. Той заяви:

„Библията предоставя отреден от Бога лек, съответен на безграничното страдание на човека, и е приет от Бога заради неговата сила и общодостъпност.Кой би се усъмнил в превъзходството на написаното в нея, така богато на съвет и знания – присъщи на князе думи, които да бъдат слушани от най-достойните? Какъв прецизен и практичен стандарт за пълноценен живот и социален  дълг!”

През последните няколко години Далай Лама разработваше светска учебна програма по етика, която желае да бъде въведена в учебната програма на нашите държавни училища. Беседите му на тема „Извън религията“, които на пръв поглед се харесват на светския начин на мислене, сe пормоцират като преподаващи състрадание и етика без религия. Мнозина, в качеството им на кметове, се борят в своите градове с плуралистичния микс между религиозно и безбожно. Въпреки това, възприемането на една неизпробвана учебна програма със съмнителен дневен ред, замислена от учени с прогресивен[4] будистки, социалистически произход, макар, както се смята, те да нямат каквито и да е религиозни намерения, все още представлява голямо предизвикателство за господстващите устои на Съединените американски щати.

„Ако основите бъдат разрушени, какво може да направи праведният?“[5]Кой сега става тълкувател на това кое е правилно и кое не е наред в една нация, която е изоставила вярата на бащите си? Някои може да твърдят: „О, това е за тези, които не са религиозни“ или нещо подобно. Все пак, нашите закони и съдебна система се основават на юдео- християнските принципи, както всеки проницателен правно трениран умможе да потвърди. Новите предложения за учебната програма представляват сериозни промени в посоката с непредвидими последици. Бързите приятелства ще донесат трайни разочарования. Не става дума за някой конкретен чуждестранен гост или лидер в нашата нация, тъй като вътрешните ни проблеми и кризиизискват повече от един пореден лейкопласт. Моралната ни криза е тежка и не е време за промени в движение. Макар Далай Лама като чуждестранна бележита личност да може да вникне в нашите слабости, предоставяйки ценната гледна точка на външен наблюдател, това не означава, че решението, което дава с другата ръка, е приемлива алтернатива.

Пророците на Троя предупредиха старейшините на града да не се доверяват на гърци, носещи подаръци. Пророците правилно казаха: “Изгорете Троянския кон“. Вместо това, старейшините приеха дара и знаете как продължава останалата част от старата история. Подобно на цар Езекия, който неразумно показа на своя враг всичките си съкровища и запаси, което доведе до това градът да бъде плячкосан малко по-късно. Това не се случи за една нощ, но задейства процес, чиито семена на унищожение бяха внимателно засаждани с течение на времето.

Да, мирът, състраданието и загрижеността може да звучат прекрасно в началото. Кой би ги отхвърлил? Мъдрият човек обаче си спомня правилото „рискът е за купувача“ и че купувачът трябва да се пази. Продавачът на стоката може да постави под съмнение почтеността на устоите на страната, подхранвайки фалшиви илюзии как мирът може да победи, като един град бъде просто наречен град на състрадание. Човек може да почисти външността на чашата, но вътре остава пълно с мъртвешки кости.

Като млад последовател на будизма си спомням как марширувах в будистки духов оркестър, облечен в костюм на Дядо Коледа и свирещ християнски химни за коледното парти на кмета на Лос Анжелес. Пласирането на будизма като нещо толкова американско, като „ябълковия пай на мама”, е стратегия, измислена от рекламните мениджъри от Медисън и Пето авеню[6]. Така че, когато слуша Далай Лама и неговата завладяваща история, като зрял лидер, в чиито електорат християните без съмнение съставляват сериозен процент, човек трябва да си зададе по-трудните въпроси, а именно: „Защо Далай Лама е избран за основен говорител? Какво идва на дневен ред? Дали не съм на път да прегърна нещо, за което нямам представа, и да се откажа от това, което ми е познато? Дали искам да приложи една идеология, която може да доведе до разединение много от хората, които пастирувам? Като мъдър цар, Соломон каза: „Има път, който се вижда прав на човека, но краят му води към погибел“. Дори и най-мъдрият цар изгуби посоката за известно време и прие много фалшиви идеологии, преди да се вразуми в края на живота си. Не е ли по-добре предварително да изпитате своята преценка и да се стремите към това, което са ви учили възрастните? Защо да пропилеете настоящите възможности и важните реформи,като приемете някакъв си, според вас, „по-добър подход”?

Съмнения могат да възникнат, тъй като отдалечеността придава очарование на гледката. Внимателната преценка и проучване на информацията, която чувате за съдбата на вашия град, зависи от мъдростта на неговите съветници.

„Когато предупрежденията, в които има напътствия, не са приети, те стават признак на унищожение. Това е истина, която никой не отрича напълно и никой не вярва напълно. Ако беше повярвана, много опустошителни възгледи в миналите векове щяха да бъдат предотвратени; народи и градове трябваше да живеят в благоденствие, но сега са потънали в разруха, да, чак до ада.”[7]

Ползвани източници и бележки:

EpicycleMedia:  The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism playlist.

https://youtu.be/5oAZMn3Vx6E?list=PL6ysZa-S0tJs_l4PCIVlIQseHTebCFiXq

“The Dalai Lama and the Anatomy of Politically Correct Buddhism” by James C. Stephens based on a chapter in InterVarsity Press’s Guide to New Religious Movements edited by Dr. Ronald Enroth, Sociology Professor at Westmont College, Santa Barbara.

http://www.worldviews101.com/?p=2420

Dalai Lama and the Kalachakra: A Wake-Up Call for the West.  Stephens’ Interview of Victor Trimondi on the Dalai Lama and 9-11 (in English and Chinese).

http://www.worldviews101.com/?s=interview.

The Shadow of the Dalai Lama: Sexuality, Magic and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism by Victor and Victoria Trimondi[8]http://www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Contents.htm.[9]

Критичен форум за проучване на Калачакра тантра и мита заШамбала.[10]

http://www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Annex.htm.

На 20 юни, 2016 г. Далай Лама говори пред щатското Законодателносъбрание на Калифорния. Ето линк, който може да даде предварителна представа за това, което той ще каже на Конференцията на кметовете на САЩ – 2016. https://youtu.be/lRw92jng35M.

„(Сакраменто) – Калифорнийският щатски законодателен орган приветства Негово Светейшество, 14-ия Далай Лама, за специално обръщение по въпросите на състраданието, околната среда и етичното лидерство, преддвете камари на законодателния орган в понеделник, 20 юни 2016 г., всградата на Законодателното събраниев Калифорния.“


Публикува се с разрешение © 2016. Всички права върху превода запазени.
Оригиналът на статията на английски можете да видите 
тук.

JamesДжеймс C. Стивънс е възпитаник на Академията по будистки дисциплини и будистки лидер в продължение на четиринадесет години (1970 –1984). През 1978 г. се жени в будистки храм за Елизабет, будистка от еврейски произход. След инцидент по време на будистко поклонение в Япония през 1981 г., последван от интензивно тригодишно духовно търсене чрез различни други религии и практики, Джеймс и Елизабет решават да станат последователи на Исус Христос. През 1999 г. Джеймс завършва магистърска степен по междукултурни науки въвВисши училища „Фулър” и през 2010 г. основава уеб сайта http://www.worldviews101.com/, който предлага дванадесетседмичен курс на тема „Християнската гледна точка за Далай Лама и тибетския будизъм“.

Бележки

[1]Оригинално думите на тази известна мисъл са „Условието, при което Бог е отредил свобода на човека, е вечна бдителност” и са изказани  от ирландския адвокат Джон Филпот Кърън в реч през 1790 г. в Дъблин, бел. ред.

[2]Предишното название на Северна Америка, дадено от местните племена, преди да бъде кръстена на името на мореплавателя и търговец Америго Веспучи, бел. ред.

[3]Политически коректният термин за племената, познати у нас като „индианци”, населявали Северна Америка при пристигане на европейските заселници, бел. ред.

[4]„Прогресивен” в американското публично пространство е термин, който обозначава някого, който е със социалистически, егалитарни, и клонящи към комунистически, политически схващания, бел. ред.

[5]Цитатът е от Библията, Стар Завет, книгата Псалми, 11:3, бел. ред.

[6]Известни търговски центрове и улици в Ню Йорк, САЩ.

[7]Джон Оуен към Парламента на Обединеното кралство в деня за размисъл върху духовно състояние на нацията.

[8] Това изследване не е за хора със слаби сърца. Ако искате да живеете в света на фантазиите, не четете това експозе.

[9]„Нашето изследване е разделено на две части. Първата съдържа описание и критика на религиозните основи на Тибетския („Тантра”) будизъм и е озаглавена „Ритуалът като политика“. Втората част („Политиката като ритуал“) разглежда силовата политика на Kundun (Далай Лама) и нейните исторически предпоставки. Връзката между политическа власт и религия е от централно значение в нашата книга.“

[10] Калачакра тантра е всичко друго, но не и пацифисто учение, което по-скоро предсказва и подкрепя кървава религиозна война между будисти и не-будисти за световно господство (митът за Шамбала).

Текстът посочва изрично името на „лидерите“ на трите монотеистични религии (юдаизъм, християнство, ислям) като противници на на будизма: „Адам, Енох, Авраам, Мойсей, Исус, облеченият в бяло [Мани], Мохамед и Матани [Махди]”.  Калачакра тантра ги описва като „семейството на демоничните змии” (Шри Калачакра I.154).

По този начин, Калачакра тантра е против всички религии от семитски произход и по тази причина се използва от десни радикални и антисемитски кръгове за тяхната расистка пропаганда.

Калачакра тантра призовава за световна война между ислямския и не-ислямския свят, в която последователите на Мохамед са представени като основни врагове на будистите. Оригиналният текст споменава Мека, където „могъщ, безмилостен идол на варварите“ живее като „демоничен въплъщение“ (Шри Калачакра I.154).Обновена на 21 Юни, 2016.

RED ALERT The Blowing of the Shofar

The Shofar

by James C. Stephens

During battle the shofar is blown to announce the approach of an enemy (Jer4:5). It is blown by a watchman to warn the populace (Isa18:3; Jeremiah 6:17). On Tuesday morning, July 12 at 11:41 AM the shofar was sounded by gatekeepers on the West Coast and from the Northern Gate.
In the course of battle it is blown to announce the approach of an enemy.

Watchman Blowing the Shofar to Warn the Populace

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Everyone that has seen the posts has been warned. Read Ezekiel 33. When a watchman sees an enemy approaching, he is constrained to sound the alarm. If he doesn’t, the blood will be on his hands.  We have sounded the warning.  On Wednesday, July 13 the demonic empowerment rituals based on ancient occultic ceremonies called the Kalachakra Tantra begin  in Washington DC at the Verizon center led by the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet. What everyone does with the information we’ve posted or doesn’t do they will be judged accordingly by YHWH. Remembering it is a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of the Living YHWH. Frans Bakker said, “Nothing is more terrible than love turned to wrath.”
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Yesterday, I was reading about the tragedy of Troy.
When the Trojan Horse was rolled up to her gates by her enemies, the prophetess Cassandra and the prophet Laocoon warned the king not to let it in as it was full of soldiers, “Burn it!”
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Tragically, their leaders dismissed the prophetic warnings,  believing it was a “peace offering” to their gods. Our history books inform us that the great fortress of Troy was never the same.  They even went so far as to take down their main gate to make room for the “peace offering.”  They opened the gates. There were watchman, gatekeepers, and whistleblowers.  Were they listened to?  Tragically, no.
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I recall speaking with Gideon, a Christian student leader in Hong Kong in 1995 shortly before the Hong Kong Handover and asked him if he feared increased persecution of his Christian faith. His answer was surprising and yet has instructed me over time as an American. He said, “No. I don’t fear persecution. It is a sign of a healthy church. What I fear more is materialism and its effect on the life of the Body of Christ.”  Greed and pride have an awful pricetag and have exacted heavy tolls on many civilizations and passing empires.

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For a society to survive, hard calls need to be made and warnings are made to be heeded.  You may be thinking,  “Are you talking to me? I’m not in any position to change things. Why should I listen?”
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John Owen warned, “It is a dangerous thing to live in the times of declining churches when they are hastening unto their fatal period in judgments.” We are all vulnerable to the leaven of apostasy. It is tragic as well that the Historic Synagogue in Washington, DC joined together in hosting world reknown teachers on the Kalachakra Tantra ritual being conducted in Washington, DC by the Dalai Lama. Where are the Torah observant Jews? Where is the outcry from Evangelical and Jewish leaders who should be outraged? But, we are on vacation.  Attacks take no vacation. Constant vigilance is necessary to protect our liberties and our loved ones.
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Those signs of desolating judgments in our own nation are now readily apparent to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Environmental crisis from oil spills in the Gulf and rivers of Montana, to devastating tornados in Alabama, to the flooding of the Mississippi and Missouri,  to the fires and droughts in Texas. These crisis, like the impending debt crisis will not be solved by clever manipulation of markets and budgets and raising our debt ceiling. Our problem as a nation is a spiritual one.  While not rejoicing in the tragedies that have befallen our nation for which we mourn,  I for one am grateful we are being forced by our crisis to face the music and pray that the severe chastening that is falling upon our nation will eventually lead to repentance and reformation.
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Dostoyevski in Hours of the Dead wrote of his gratefulness in his severe hours of trial,
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“Sometimes I went so far as to thank destiny for the privilege of such loneliness [in Siberia], for only in solitude could I have scrutinized my past so carefully, or examined so closely my interior and outward life. What strong and strange new germs of hope were born in my soul during those memorable hours! I weighed and decided all sorts of issues, I entered into a compact with myself to avoid errors of former years and the rocks on which I had been wrecked.”
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So, don’t give up hope during these days of despair and shadow. There is a light that beckons, follow Me. His way is perfect, His lamp illumines the path. Take a step each day and don’t look back except to mine the lessons that are fit to shape your glorious destiny ahead. Look upon adversity as opportunity in workclothes.
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And as our Master Yeshua  reminded us. My paraphrase, “Don’t be anxious for what you wear and what you eat. Just rest in My loving arms. Do whatever work you can find today. Don’t fret.  Take time out and look at the lilies of the Valley, the flowers and beauty that surround you.  Look at the birds of the air. Your Father in heaven feeds them daily. And you. Although He loves the birds very much, you are much more important to Him. He’ll take care of you. Cast your cares upon His shoulders. They are broad. He can take care of you. Don’t be anxious about tommorrow. Do you have food for today? Someone who loves you? I do. All we really have is this moment. Do what you can. When the cooling wind comes. Remember, I sent it to give you rest.
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When trials come, I sent them to help you grow.  When tragedy strikes like the little boy’s senseless and brutal murder in New York, I mourn with you. I lost My Son as well. You may weep on My shoulder. I hear your cry and save your tears. I feel your grief. I see the despair. Comfort one another.  Righteousness will triumph over evil. There will be joy in the morning.
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“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart;
wait, I say, on the LORD!”
~Psalm 27:14

RED ALERT_Day Ten_ ‘RAISING THE STANDARD’

FORTY-DAY GATEKEEPERS INITATIVE FOR TURTLE ISLAND_June 10-July 20, 2011

Monday, June 20, 2011_by James C. Stephens

It was said of “the sons of Issachar” that “they were men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.”  I Chronicles 12:32

When I came to know the LORD Yeshua in 1984, the Scripture that weighed most heavily upon my soul was 2 Peter 3:10. “The Day of the LORD will come like a thief in which the heavens and earth will pass away with a roar and all the elements will be consumed with intense heat.”

Knowing this, what type of people are we to be? YHWH’s set apart people, holy people.  And yet, like Isaiah, I feel “woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips among a people of unclean hearts.’  Rarely today have Elizabeth and I found friends who have not suffered from divorce or infidelity or some besetting sin, even in the body of Christ.  It is a difficult day.

During my early walk with Master Yeshua, I recall being deeply distressed when I began to see all of my sin. All of a sudden my despair was replaced with great joy as I realized that I could only see it because of the abiding work of the HOLY SPIRIT in my heart. At times, I grasped realities that I would share with other believers such as, “Can you believe it! Jesus is ALIVE! I mean, REALLY. He is not in the grave! He is ruling at the right Hand of YHWH and will return!” The expressions on their faces betrayed their hearts. “Yeh, so.”  WHAT?! I mean this changes everything! He is raised from the dead! He is our KING.

I began to see back then, that the Church was lukewarm. I didn’t come from a lukewarm Buddhist sect. We were zealots. How could I be any less zealous for my Savior Yeshua Ha’Moshiach, Jesus Christ of Nazareth?

We wrote tracts that spoke of our decision to follow Jesus.  We discovered on short order, that there was a Devil, and he was YHWH’s adversary.

Our first outreach in Santa Monica involved handing out literature to thousands of my former Buddhist friends who were attending a Buddhist parade. The night before our outreach, it seemed that all the forces of hell were unleashed as our son threw up on our bed, I got sick and gang members were attempting to break into an apartment above ours. We were apartment managers at the time as well. We didn’t let it stop us, but went out and shared the Gospel. I got miraculously well while witnessing.  While some of them have come to the LORD, I have recently discovered that many of them have passed away which has grieved me. It has also intensified my resolve to return to my first love, Yeshua and do the deeds I did as a young believer.

After our conversion to Jesus Christ in 1984 which coincided with the Olympics in Los Angeles, we felt compelled to share the Gospel with our Buddhist friends. After taking “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” we discovered there was a gaping hole in the Christian Movement to reach the Buddhist world and were challenged by Ralph Winter to do something about it.  After much prayer and searching for a mission agency who worked among Buddhists we discovered there few doing any serious outreach.

 At about the same time in Pasadena, a terrible murder occurred of  Lois Haro, the daughter of Elsie and Herb Purnell who had been missionaries to Thailand and were working at the US Center for World Mission and William Carey International University. Lois, a newly married bride was abducted from the Pasadena Plaza at gunpoint, taken to the Rose Bowl, raped and shot to death. As a result of her tragic death, a cry for prayer went out in Mission Frontiers entitled, “Make Satan Pay for this one!”  It called for prayer for the establishment of an organization that would focus on reaching unreached Buddhists around the world. Prior to that the LORD Jesus had placed a burden on our heart for the establishment of a work to accomplish the same goal.

In 1996, when the Dalai Lama came to Pasadena, he was given the Key to the City by the Mayor, a sand mandala was built at Pacific Asia Museum, and the Dalai Lama spoke to 3,000 Chinese Buddhist leaders from all over the world. While it was a daunting spiritual task, we knew we were called to share the Gospel and pray against the onslaught of Tantric Buddhism in California.

While some Christians were very supportive, even financing the production of “Mankind Needs a Savior” which included the testimonies of four former Tibetan Buddhists and a Gospel message; some Pastors were resistant and suggested that it was not their responsibility to address since there are four hundred cults that come through here a year.

A small group of former Buddhists recognized our responsibility to engage in covering the city. During our interview of the Tibetan lamas that were building the sand mandala, they told us that they had to conduct prayers to prevent their own demonic possession since they were doing ritual that invited 722 deities to take possession of the territory where the sand mandala was built.

Bernie W. formerly a Buddhist from Sri Lanka taught us how to pray authoritatively over the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the venue where the Dalai Lama was to conduct ancient rituals and give talks to the Buddhist community and at the Distinguished Speakers series to the general public.

It had not been the first time the Dalai Lama had been in the Los Angeles area. The question we wrote in a prayer letter,

“I keep asking the Lord,  “Why is the Dalai Lama coming to Pasadena? From a natural perspective, its timing may have something to do with conducting a visible media event during the Olympics for “Free Tibet.” On a supernatural level, couldn’t it be a continuation of the invisible spiritual war between God and the powers of Darkness? In light of Pasadena’s significance as a Christian center and an increased number of students who are now engaging in serious coursework preparing to do ministry among Buddhists, please pray.”

What we didn’t recognize was just how serious spiritual warfare was in this context. Years later, when I spoke to Chuck Pierce about the proliferation of Tibetan Buddhism in America and showed him the map we had done of all the sand mandalas, he said, “I dealt with Tibetan Buddhism once and will never do it again because of the intensity of the warfare and the backlash.”

After the 1996 outreach and spiritual initiative, all of our teams suffered from serious backlash. That is a very, very long and complex story. Many painful lessons were learned. But, Satan did not stop YHWH’s agenda.

I think the real question that should be asked is, “

Are we doing the work YHWH has purposed for our generation?”

I read John Owen’s “Sermon to the Nation” delivered on April 20, 1649 before the Parliament on a day set aside for extraordinary humiliation that should link our heart to the soul of the historic blood washed covenant community. We must ask ourselves, “Are we fulfilling YHWH’s burden  and purposes for our generation? Will we be ashamed to stand in the presence of our King before such an audience of faithful men and women? Will He say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”  These are questions we must ponder in our generation.

Owens exhorted the Parliament! Yes, the Parliament who set an entire day aside for humiliation! How far we’ve fallen! Grasp that fact alone. Again, Owens, “The kings of the earth have given their power to Antichrist, endeavoring to the utmost to keep the kingdom of Christ out of the world. What, I pray, hath been their main business for seven hundred years (and I’d add, their business today as well?) and upwards,–even almost ever since the man of sin was enthroned? How have they earned the titles, Eldest Son of the Church, The Catholic and Most Christian King, Defender of the Faith, and the like? Hath it not been by the blood of the saints? Art there not, in every one of these kingdoms, the slain and the banished ones of Christ to answer for? In particular,–   

Hath not the blood of the saints of Jesus (eclipsed by Antichrist and his adherents), Wickliffites and Lollards, cried from the ground for vengeance upon the English “heaven and earth” for a long season? Did not their bodies lie in the streets of France, under the names of Waldenses, Albigenses, and the poor men of Lyons? Is not Spain’s inquisition enough to ruin a world, much more a kingdom? Have not all these, and all the kingdoms round about, washed their hands and garments in the blood of thousands of Protestants? And do not the kings of all these nations as yet stand up in the room of their progenitors with the same implacable enmity to the power of the Gospel? Show me seven kings that ever yet labored sincerely to enhance the kingdom of the LORD Jesus Christ, and I dare boldly say, Octavus quis fuerit, nondum constat.”   

I witnessed martyrdom in America when I received a call to a hospital to identify the body of Wally Tope, a Christian brother  who was struck down during the LA Riots in 1992.  We live in a serious age, which calls for men of faith willing to take unpopular stands in the face of evil. Wally was well known for his in-depth counter cult apologetic research on Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses which he produced incredible tracts from that lead many into the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wally was called to preach in the hard places and had been working on a research project on Tibet at the time and had my card on his person.  That day I heard from the LORD that this was the beginning of many martyrs in America.

So where are we TODAY JUNE 20, 2011? Do we see YHWH’s Hand in turning kingdoms upside down? He has promised “His church that he will give unto it holy priests and Levites, Isa. Lxvi.20, 21, which shall serve at the great feast of tabernacles, Zech. Xiv.16.” The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, Revelation 11:15.

Are we walking as His sons and daughters in truth and obedience?

Don Upham, a former Navy pilot who served as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Captain, and Battalion Chief with the Los County Fire Department believes that “The Ancient of Days will pass judgment in favor of the Saints…When the Saints begin to take possession of the kingdom!’ according to Daniel 7:22.

In 2003, I worked with Don while addressing “The Circle of Bliss: an art exhibit on Buddhist meditational art” at the LA County Museum of Art. Years early when I was a Buddhist, I had performed in a Buddhist brass band in the same exact place that the sand mandala was being constructed. I confessed my sin in helping lay the groundwork for these Buddhist events in my young days as a Buddhist radical.    http://www.worldviews101.com for more indepth coverage in our twelve lesson course which focuses on a Christian perspective on the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism).

During the process of our work together on a series of events that were being spawned from the Dalai Lama’s visits including An International Buddhist Film Festival, Sacred Music Festival inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in Los Angeles, etc., Don and I worked through many levels of strategic spiritual warfare. He ended up being instrumental in answering the question I had about the Dalai Lama’s activities in Pasadena back in 1996.

THE CANOPY OVER LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Don recognized that we had to dig deeply to uncover the root iniquities that gave the Dalai Lama permission to conduct his ceremonies in Los Angeles. We learned the power of answered prayer when no one else seemed to want to listen or assist in the battle.   His spiritual model which is thoroughly discussed in his excellent book In Favor of the Saints.

Don openly speaks of the spiritual battle and struggles he had in understanding what the LORD wanted him to do with what he was witnessing in his own life as he grappled what it would look like to walk out the purpose of God in his generation. First of all, YHWH has an agenda and we are involved in an ongoing battle with Satan, the dispossessed god of this world. YHWH wants us to learn to walk in the authority that He’s given us. Don drew on his experiences in Latin America in the Argentina revival and his growing experience of spiritual authority as a Christian working for the LA County Fire Department. The LORD showed him how worship changed the atmosphere over an entire territory as he sang over the territory assigned to him. Fires diminished.

He worked on difficult assignments dealing with toxic chemicals as well and recognized that the nature of the toxic spiritual rituals that the Dalai Lama and his priests were designing. But understanding the meaning and strategy of the enemy was not all. God wanted a canopy of worship established over the County of Los Angeles which would require prayerful teamwork and careful hearing the LORD.

He began to see that there were multiple dimensions of warfare and in this the LORD began unveiling the sins that had opened the doors for Tibetan witchcraft.  The LORD also began revealing how institutions that had fallen had broken original covenants that were honoring Jesus Christ and the faith. Christians began uncovering these at Claremont which was a beginning.  

On one day, I participated in the raising of the Canopy over Los Angeles and with a team of about five people prayerfully asked the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Scriptures that we could write on a tall fence stake which we pounded into the ground as one of the stakes to hold up the spiritual canopy over Los Angeles. It had become the LORD’s answer to Satan wishing to strengthen his dominion over Los Angeles through the Buddhist sand mandala. Shortly afterwards, we discovered that another mandala had been made. While we were in Hacienda Heights praying, one of the prayer warriors who was a son of a Central American President who had been assassinated by a bomb and had escaped afterwards to he United States where he came to faith, came up to me and said the LORD Jesus who saved me showed me your face in a vision. And here we are. There is much work to be done. It is but a beginning.

Shortly afterwards we prayed and also prayed over an area where a Latin American woman evangelist had been martyred by Satanists and dragged behind a truck and dropped off on Hacienda Heights blvd.  An hour later we were praying in the neighborhood over a house that we felt was a nest of evil. We were invited in and the house was full of every conceivable devil mask from around the world. The four of us testified to him about the power of Jesus Christ to set him free from his sin and were allowed to pray for his salvation. It was a powerful moment. He was the radio voice of a program on spiritualism in San Francisco broadcast out of Hacienda Heights!

There is so much more on identifical repentance, the influence of Jack Parsons who worked with L.Ron Hubbard attempting to channel the Spirit of Babylon into Pasadena. The hidden meaning of the Seal of the City of Pasadena. So much material.  Order the book, it provides an excellent experiential model of what was done complete with many biblical references.

Here is the link to In Favor of the Saints website for the book which lists the Table of Contents and other information. Also has links on the website for purchase on line and another link to his publisher for purchase and download of a PDF format of the book.

http://www.infavorofthesaints.com/              http://www.infavorofthesaints.com/

PETITIONS FOR TODAY.

(I could use gatekeepers help on prayer requests on items.  Please go to Facebook and join Facebook Worldviews101 group. We can share requests there. Thanks.

Pray about the floods and nuclear plants on the Missouri and Mississippi.

First the floods starting in Montana. Pray against the Tibetan tantric vases that have been buried in Helena, the State Capitol, in the Missouri, in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone.  Repentance.

Here’s the status of the flood from today:

MONTANA, NEBRASKA

“It’s all just sitting there, sitting there, sitting there. Everyone knows it’s going to come down, it’s just when and how quick that we’re all waiting for,” he said. “The bull is basically sitting in the chute and the gates are already open. He’s just not coming out to play yet, but when he does I anticipate he’s really going to be ticked off and bucking hard.”

…. http://youtu.be/G2zpkayD5k4

IN SACRAMENTO!

Federal officials have determined that Sacramento has the highest flood risk of any U.S. city outside New Orleans, with some neighborhoods under 10 to 20 feet of water after a catastrophic levee failure. Last month, state and federal officials participated in an emergency drill to prepare for just such a disaster.

NORTHWEST

The National Weather Service predicts this will be one of the top five water years in history in the Pacific Northwest, and the biggest since 1997, the last year of significant flooding, said Gina Baltrush said of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

NUCLEAR PLANTS PUT POPULATION AT RISK

 Fire knocks out spent fuel cooling at nuclear plant near Omaha — Operating under heightened alert level because of nearby flooding on Missouri River

June 10th, 2011 at 08:11 AM

  1. Fire knocks out spent fuel cooling at nuclear plant near Omaha — Operating under heightened alert level because of nearby flooding on Missouri River June 10, 2011                                                   
  2. JUST IN: ‘Notification of Unusual Event’ declared at nuclear plant near Omaha — “They don’t expect any radioactive material to be released” June 7, 2011                                                         
  3. Report: Radioactive release from nuke plant less than 150 miles from New Orleans               May 3, 2011Quake, not tsunami, may have caused

 

DENNIS R. NELSON

June 9, 6:37 p.m.

I am the President (and a Board Member) of the Chicago-based NUCLEAR ENERGY INFORMATION SERVICE (NEIS), “Illinois’ Nuclear Power Watchdog Group.” It just so happens that, living in Council Bluffs, Iowa, I went to Dana College in Blair, Nebraska (in the vicinity of the Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun nuclear plant), from 1972-1976, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Biology and Environmental Studies. While at Dana College, I testified at the licensing hearing for the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant—arguing against giving Ft. Calhoun an “operating license.” ( I spoke about the dangers of the ionizing radiation to be released by the plant.) The electrical fire that “knocked out” the cooling for the irradiated (spent) fuel pool there shows us that: NUCLEAR POWER IS A VERY COMPLEX, INHERENTLY DANGEROUS AND ‘DIRTY’ ENERGY TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO A WIDE RANGE OF UNANTICIPATED MISHAPS!!! What we need is a “nuclear construction moratorium,” the immediate removal of ALL direct and indirect federal nuclear subsidies (including loan guarantees and the Price-Anderson Act), and a speedy phase-out of the entire commercial nuclear power industry. We need to aggressively pursue a “‘CARBON-FREE/NUCLEAR-FREE’ ENERGY PATHWAY”—the best technically and economically feasible way for us to get off of all oil without nuclear (or coal) within 30-50 years. What we are talking about is a 100-percent U.S. renewable energy economy by 2040-2050, being based upon these things: (1) Greatly Increased Energy Efficiency; (2) Combined Heat-and-Power; and (3) Appropriate Renewable Energy Technologies.

Bob Nations, Jr., the Director of Shelby County Office of Preparedness, says that since the lack of preparation exposed by Hurricane Katrina, he is “preparing for the catastrophic event” in his six-county jurisdiction.&nbsp

Nations admitted that after a major quake, Tennessee′s infrastructure and response capabilities “would get overwhelmed fairly quickly.” 

There are 15 nuclear power plants in the New Madrid fault zone — three reactors in Alabama — that are of the same or similar design as the site in Japan experiencing problems. 

The USGS report predicts that a major quake would create horrific scenes like something out of a science fiction movie, potentially cutting the Eastern part of the country off from the West in terms of vehicular traffic and road commerce. 

“The older highways and railroad bridges that cross the Mississippi River, as well as older overpasses, would likely be damaged or collapse in the event of a major New Madrid earthquake,” according to USGS. 

In September, FEMA’s associate administrator for Response and Recovery, William Carwile, told a Senate panelthat FEMA has five regional groups planning for possible earthquake responses, but a major quake along the New Madrid fault line could displace 7.2 million people and knock out 15 bridges. The response would require 42,000 first responders from local firefighters to the Pentagon.&nbsp

Another study by the Mid-America Earthquake Center last year estimates that nearly 750,000 buildings would be damaged, 3,000 bridges would potentially collapse, 400,000 breaks and leaks to local pipelines and $300 billion in direct damage and $600 billion in indirect losses would occur. Source