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California Lutheran Church Is Having "High Priestess of Isis"

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California Lutheran Church Is Having "High Priestess of Isis"



Theologian Paul Begley of Indiana "blood is boiling" as a California Lutheran Church holds a Conference with a "High Priestess" of the Goddess Isis......Whaaaat? are You Serious?


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California Lutheran Church Is Having "High Priestess of Isis"

Atheist group caught lying about Thomas Jefferson

NEW WORLD ORDER, THE JESUIT CONNECTION

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NEW WORLD ORDER, THE JESUIT CONNECTION

THE REAL NWO REVELAED IN THIS VIDEO ..The Vatican, the Jesuits, and the new world order "Romanism and the ancient Babylonian religion), [[[.Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists
(BLACK POPES / WHITE POPES/ and JESUIT priests); whereby we know that it is the last time1st John 2:18]]]"THE JESUIT GENRAL ADOLFO NICOLAS RULES THE PAPAL NWO FROM HIS JESUIT World Headquarters Rome, Italy.
AT THE CHURCH OFGESU


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NEW WORLD ORDER, THE JESUIT CONNECTION.wmv

Catholic Church Makes A Fortune In The German Porn Business

http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article13679586/Katholische-Kirche-macht-mit-Pornos-ein-Vermoegen.html



"Anwaltshure" or "slut-boarding": Although one of the "world view" publishing the church, he sells porn books.



"Worldview" is the largest German booksellers. What is not visible due to the purchase offer and therefore many do not know: This media company is owned 100 percent of the Catholic Church.





Photo: picture-alliance / dpa / ANSA The bishops gladly look the other way when it comes to the portfolio of the "world view" Publishing House


Preach chastity to sell sex?




http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/01491/purmagazin_koenner_1491789l.jpg

Photo: Knaur Verlag / Knaur The offer of the "world view" publisher: Anne West, "Sex for Experts", 8,99 €, Blue Panther Books



But since October fire is under the roof, after the trade journal "book report", reported the Catholic publishing group is taking part in the business of eroticism. It may, it was then hurry on the part of bishops to stop the "distributor may pornographic content" by the Catholic "worldview" publishing. Presumably, a filter system had failed.



But many committed Catholics who for over ten years their pastors so tirelessly but unsuccessfully to have the scandal "world view" to draw attention, whether such hypocrisy appalled.



The Catholic Church is in the "world view" trap, because it has invested hundreds of millions of euros in the The Augsburg Publishing House, which operates but shops of which says Pope Benedict, they were among the goods of the Church, her real estate darkened.



Bishops are aware of "world picture" scandal



In the spring of 2008 met in a Bavarian bishopric some resolute Catholics and created a 70-page documentation about the questionable range of Catholic "worldview" publishing house. This documentation all German diocesan bishops were sent to their dioceses co-owner of the "world"-Verlag are.



The information kit has been demonstrated as an example that "the world" earned on the spread of Sexbüchern, glorification of violence, esoteric, magic and Satanism a lot of money. The activists called their initiative "Catholic! World" and called on the bishops as responsible owners in an accompanying letter for immediate action on. Shaken, the high clergy hardly.



More than half of all affected bishops did not even acknowledge receipt and did not answer even one letter nachgeschoben later. The response from the Archdiocese of Munich was even cynical.



Complaint letters are ignored



The "PUR" magazine - a magazine, the self, even as a "conservative values" and inscribed "with sympathy for the Pope and Catholic Church" - is of the order of Archbishop Marx on 5 June 2008 at the initiative "Catholic! The world "written response letter written before, the Archbishop's finance director, Dr. Sebastian Anneser.



Mandy Fox: "slut-boarding", 9,90 €, Blue Panther Books




http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/01491/purmagazin_schlamp_1491786l.jpg

Photo: Blue Panther Books sounds after the scandal over the abuse of students in Catholic schools in this very cynical book title



It says: "Allow me but a small personal note. And they called the investment in the initiative, Catholic! World have 'unearthed meritorious manner with a lot of effort all weeds. As a priest, where the credibility of a church organization is very probably a big concern, it is difficult for me to use all the energy exclusively to pluck every last weed, even if I run this risk knowingly, the wheat in a field - to destroy . And for me, and certainly your knowledge of the company I would be grateful if I mightest with as much commitment confirmation and recognition for the many wheat, which is scattered over an unprecedented, world view 'among the people. "



With such arrogant ignorance of even the most battle-hardened warriors for a Catholic "worldview" did not expect. They were therefore probably not the false impression that the bishop's interests "are not really seriously ready to provide immediate corrective action."



And somehow they like the more than three years later, believe hastily spoken words of prominent cardinal Marx did not quite know where he is now calling into the microphones of journalists: "We want our publishers neither pornography nor the glorification of violence. When we hear about it, we go into the matter, and then the suppressed. "



The played the surprise of officials



While being driven to the surprise of many outside the church decision makers that is distributed in its major publishing pornographic is played. Played badly. For years, going from one complaint letters to the bishops of believers who are stereotypically bischöflicherseits answered something like this:



"We acknowledge receipt of your letter, the Bishop ... has taken note. I can assure you that Mr. Bishop ... expressed therein will investigate the issues. "



For 30 years the Catholic Church handled with "world view". For 30 years, a flirtation with money and power. In defiance of ethical and moral theological commitments, the Church has highly pushed up with her own company at a "major player" in the media business. This way up has devoured millions of church tax money.



Group with 20 percent market share



Today the company has 6,400 employees and annual sales of around EUR 1.7 billion. In the online book trade is the Augsburg publishing house number two on Amazon.



The shareholders of the "world picture" group




Die Gesellschafter des "Weltbild"-Konzerns

Photo: PUR magazine this diocese is "world view"



In steady-book trade "world view" about 20 percent market share. This is the group of the leading book seller in Germany.



Pupils who owns a thriving conglomerate, which also deserves a lot of money, thinks the simple Catholic, and because the church probably causes a lot of good with their profits, the whole thing has its positive side. But just the fact the owners have apparently dispensed regularly and reinvested the entire profits to the capitalist goal, billionaire leader, to reach quickly.



"Worldview" Managing




"Weltbild"-Geschäftsführer




Photo: picture-alliance / dpa / dpa Carel Halff





. Nearly three years ago tried the bishops, "the world" to sell the then descended upon financial crisis but I made a sale impossible, it was said was able to "world view" CEO Carel Halff, incidentally, no religion, in April 2009 announced. The sale abandonment of the Church have strengthened the house and he could assume that this decision "stable" is.



As regards the orientation of the range, then let it be known Halff, there is a constant dialogue with the Board. Directives that affect the catholicity of the program, but there are not obvious. What is crucial for "the world" just the taste of over 20 million customers.



The Church in the "world view" trap



Less than 2.5 million letters in 2008, so did Halff, only found 30 critical questions to the offer. Such a vanishingly small number that they can no longer be expressed as a percentage. The Catholic Church is in the "world view" trap.



The market leader among German booksellers can only remain a market leader and continue its billion sales when he still earns his money with the media, with the Catholic faith are incompatible.



A mail order business of this magnitude can not sort out about filtering systems any relevant books, CDs and DVDs without accepting substantial losses in sales. After all, offers "the world" today about 2,500 erotic titles in their online catalog. Among them are books published by Blue Panther Books with his sex-prose of the series "Anwaltshure", "Vögelbar" and "slut-boarding".



The offer is more than questionable




Das Angebot ist mehr als fragwürdig
Photo: Blue Panther Books Kim Shatner: "VögelBar", 9,90 €, Blue Panther Books



Blue Panther's books are indeed in "world view" to buy, but the publisher was not even represented this year at the Frankfurt Book Fair, because the organizer "could not offer a suitable stand" for a publishing company of its kind.



Unsustainable course, not only the pornographic offer the "world view" is-Verlag. Because it also offers almost all the anti-clerical writings as the books of atheist Richard Dawkins. And papst and detecting are kirchengegnerischer literature to date not even a useful filter. Furthermore, esotericism, astrology, and violent and satanic media in the online offering.



The old question of money or morality?



The monthly with a much higher circulation than the three leading German news magazine "Spiegel", "star" and "Focus" together printed 200-page catalog advertising of "world picture" is about four million households. There are indeed advertised openly no porn, the catalog shows but otherwise mediocre and often a frightening touts books that speak each side of the Catholic Catechism scorn.



Erotic Novel




Erotikroman
Photo: Knaur Verlag / Knaur One wonders already, what is conveyed to an image of women in the publishing of books such as hard for Anne: "Tell me bitch", 8,90 €, Blue Panther Books



"Worldview" is the German bishops for something like a bank where you have paid over the years, nearly 182 million euros church tax money now they are faced with the old question:.. Money or morality?



The already difficult situation aggravated the business-minded church people in 1998 dramatically in that "world picture" book publishers merged seven of its own with five publishers of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group Nabu Press, based in Munich.



This action not only sank the church quickly once 25 million, but since she is with her 50-percent stake in Droemer Knaur not only more sellers, but also a producer of pornographic books.



The bishops are thus indirectly to publishers of pornographic articles. One wonders why media Bishop Gebhard Fürst, who stays out of the controversial public debate largely as a shepherd takes no objection, if the Catholic Church "Sinful Games," co-produced the work?



Books such as "Tell me bitch!"



To many there remains the controversy. Why does "world view" board and secretary of the German Bishops Conference, Father Lange villages? "My fiery red stilettos" Must Bishop Mussinghoff know "Why do men come so fast and women do just as if" so. could go on.



Sleazy literature




Schmuddelliteratur
Photo: Blue Panther Books The bishops should have known that as the books are sold by Helen Carter "Anwaltshure" about the "world view" publishing



The nagging question remains why the bishops are not just as co-owners of their personal responsibility and can produce books like: "Take me here and take me now", "Sex for Experts", "Manual for sex goddesses", "dirty stories" "The perfect seducer," "Say bitch to me."



In Droemer Knaur to have the German bishops in addition to its own Catholic Supervisory Carel Halff, director of the Cologne Education Erwin Müller-Ruck sent Witt, it also operates one of the most famous Buddhist publishing houses in Germany, the OW Barth-Verlag. Also, because the bishops have an equal share.



But other companies are problematic investments. The Sun "world picture" group is one third of the Internet portal buecher.de. There are books such as "Count Porno" and advertised "porn for couples."



In the self-representation "Who we are - About, the world '" it says on the website of the Augsburg publishing house: "We reinvent ourselves every day. The taste of our customers is changing almost daily. Therefore, there is no hard and fast rules for us or a fixed strategy. We are constantly inventing new ... Mistakes are allowed - because what counts is success. "



Preach water and drink wine



One would not necessarily assume that this is Catholic corporate philosophy. Therefore remains a concern for many believers, everything could continue as usual once the brief media storm has subsided. "Business as usual" just. The church's credibility is at stake.



Publication




Veröffentlichung
Photo: PUR Magazine This post is also published in the "PUR" magazine 11/2011



Known prejudices against the officials found by the scandal surrounding "world view" is a sad confirmation: Water practicing what you preach.



Translated to the current situation: preaching chastity and sell porn. If a church has given up companies to work for Christian point of view, then it comes into conflict on many fronts.



This shows an example of a small town Wuerttemberg. There opened a local Catholic bookstore has been fighting for its very existence, since "the world" a shop on his street has. From a Lenten pastoral letter from his local bishop, who is also the media bishop, he knows that he is the sanctification of the Lord's day does not participate in the open Sunday to. He holds to it Others do not..





What is the "Generation Sex"?



The first store, which opens and the last of the closes, is the Catholic "world view" business on his street. "Bigott" the bookseller, the bishops called so, since it is not known to have any of them "world view" asked ever to have their book stores closed on Sundays, or to waive the 24-hour order hotline.



Therefore urge the reader not only an Internet platform "unworldliness" kath.net the Church as it has urged the pope, but also a "complete cleansing of the temple." The Catholic Church in Germany is certainly quite get into explanations.

World's most powerful laser to tear apart the vacuum of space

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World's most powerful laser to tear apart the vacuum of space

A laser powerful enough to tear apart the fabric of space could be built in
Britain as part major new scientific project that aims to answer some of the
most fundamental questions about our universe.












 

Image 1 of 2


Due to follow in the footsteps of the Large Hadron Collider, the latest "big
science" experiment being proposed by physicists will see the world's
most powerful laser being constructed.



Capable of producing a beam of light so intense that it would be equivalent to
the power received by the Earth from the sun focused onto a speck smaller
than a tip of a pin, scientists claim it could allow them boil the very
fabric of space – the vacuum.



Contrary to popular belief, a vacuum is not devoid of material but in fact
fizzles with tiny mysterious particles that pop in and out of existence, but
at speeds so fast that no one has been able to prove they exist.



The Extreme Light Infrastructure Ultra-High Field Facility would produce a
laser so intense that scientists say it would allow them to reveal these
particles for the first time by pulling this vacuum "fabric"
apart.



They also believe it could even allow them to prove whether extra-dimensions
exist.


"This laser will be 200 times more powerful than the most powerful lasers
that currently exist," said Professor John Collier, a scientific leader
for the ELI project and director of the Central Laser Facility at the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, Oxfordshire.


"At this kind of intensity we start to get into unexplored territory as
it is an area of physics that we have never been before."


The ELI Ultra-High Field laser is due to be complete by the end of the decade
and will cost an estimated £1 billion. Although the location for the
facility will not be decided until next year, the UK is among several
European countries in the running to host it.


The European Commission has already this year approved plans to build three
other lasers that will form part of the ELI project and will be prototypes
for the Ultra-High Field laser.


Due to sited in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, each laser will coast
around £200 million and are scheduled to become operational in 2015.


The Ultra-High Field laser will be made up of 10 beams, each twice as powerful
as the prototype lasers, allowing it to produce 200 petawatts of power –
more than 100,000 times the power of the world's combined electricity
production – for less than a trillionth of a second.


The huge amounts of energy needed to produce a laser beam of this strength is
stored up over time before it is fired to produce large laser beams several
feet wide that are then combined and focused down onto a tiny spot, much
like sunlight through a magnifying glass.


At the focal point, the intensity of the light will produce conditions that
are so extreme they do not exist even in the centre of our sun.


It will cause the mysterious particles of matter and antimatter thought to
make up a vacuum to be pulled apart, allowing scientists to detect the tiny
electrical charges they produce.


These "ghost particles", as they are known, normally annihilate one
another as soon as they appear, but by using the laser to pull them apart,
physicists believe they will be able to detect them.


It could help to explain the mystery of why the universe contains far more
matter than we have been able to detect by revealing what so called dark
matter really is.


Professor Wolfgang Sandner, coordinator of the Laserlab Europe network and
president of the German Physics Society, said: "We are taught to think
of the vacuum as empty space, but it seems even a true vacuum is filled with
pairs of molecules that come into our universe for an extremely short time.


"An extremely powerful laser should be able to pull these particles apart
and keep them in existence for longer.


"There are many challenges to be over come before we can do that, but it
is mainly a matter of scaling up the technology we have so we can produce
the powers needed."


The Science and Technology Facilities Council, which provides funds for
Britain's involvement in major science facilities including the Large Hadron
Collider at CERN in Geneva, has marked out the ELI as a key area it wants to
focus on.


Scientists at the Centre for Advanced Laser Technology and Applications at
Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Dicot, Oxfordshire, are already
developing technology that will be essential for producing such powerful
lasers.


The Centre is thought to be one of the prime candidates for where the
Ultra-High Field laser could be located, but it faces competition from sites
in Russia, France, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic.


As well as offering new insights in to undiscovered realms of physics,
scientists say the ELI lasers will also produce new laser based treatments
for cancer and medical diagnostics.


Dr Thomas Heinzl, an associate professor of theoretical physics at Plymouth
University, said: "ELI is going to take us into an uncharted regime of
physics. There could well be some surprises along the way."

Read more at www.telegraph.co.uk
 

Occupy Wall St Gets Tax Exempt Status

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IRONY ALERT: Occupy Wall St Gets Tax Exempt Status

Most protesters still can’t define their goals beyond ending capitalism and making life more fair, which means they want other people’s money. Meanwhile, donations of goods and cash pile up, with a reported $500,000 on deposit.

The cash marks an embarrassment for a movement supposedly railing against capitalism and wealth, especially now that a radical group called the Alliance for Global Justice is legally sponsoring the protest. By lending its tax-exempt status — for a 7 percent cut! — the global-justice group allows donors to deduct their contributions from federal taxes and gives its own board control over the money.

The alliance, based in Washington, is a hotbed of far-left causes that range from backing hunger strikes in California prisons to denouncing the CIA and oil companies. Its Web site says the group sponsors operations in the Gaza Strip, with Hamas, and boasts of an alliance with Anarchists Against the Wall, which contests Israel’s security barrier in the West Bank.

The group suggests it has a relationship with Iran, supported the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua and expresses solidarity with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez against the United States.

For the 7 percent fee, it offers its tax-exempt status to “grassroots nonprofits” and provides payroll services, liability insurance and prepares federal tax forms. It also offers “activist training” — which is like job training without an actual job.

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Christian church teams up with high priestess of Isis

Famous denomination welcoming paganism with guided meditations

Amplify’d from www.wnd.com
TESTING THE FAITH

Christian church teams up with high priestess of Isis

Famous denomination welcoming paganism with guided meditations

By Joe Kovacs






High priestess Loreon Vigne of Isis Oasis

A Protestant church in California is coming under fire from some Christians over its upcoming conference featuring "guided meditations" by a high priestess of the pagan fertility goddess Isis.

The fifth annual "Faith and Feminism Conference" taking place Nov. 11–13 is being hosted by the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco, which bills itself as "herchurch."

Among the scheduled participants is Loreon Vigne, high priestess of Isis Oasis – a temple, retreat and animal sanctuary Vigne founded in 1978 in Geyserville, Calif.

"I personally see Isis as Mother Nature," Vigne told WND, "and that she encompasses everything with her wings. She's a winged goddess. She encompasses any other goddess from any culture."

Vigne, who plans to bring several other priestesses to the conference, will conduct prayers, songs and meditation.

"Guided meditation is where the audience closes their eyes and you take them on a little journey," she explained. "I've taken people to their past lives in Egypt, as [that culture] had all the secrets. They're the ones that knew. Their main concept is to know thyself, know thy heart, know thy soul and know thy purpose."







A depiction of the Egyptian goddess Isis and her son Horus

She says the belief system is based on the ancient Egyptian concept of balance, with 42 laws that are actually 42 ideals.

"It's kind of like a Ten Commandments, but all done in a positive concept," she said. "'I shalt not kill,' [is rendered as] 'I honor all lives as sacred.'"

Besides honoring the goddess, the staff of Isis Oasis also provides massage therapy along with tarot and astrology readings, according to its website.

But the San Francisco event blending non-existent, heathen deities with the Christian faith is leaving some outraged.

"You can't make this stuff up!" exclaimed Dan Skogen of Marion, Iowa, who describes himself as a Lutheran fed up with the "constant mockery of God's word" by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA, which boasts some 4.2 million members in 10,000 congregations.

"God tells us in Exodus 20:3 'You shall have no other gods before me.' Yet this ELCA church brings followers of other gods in to speak and teach at their conference!"

Skogen said the ELCA leadership "accepts and promotes the thought that salvation is secured even for people who do not have faith in Christ."

"So bringing worshippers of Isis to this conference to teach is acceptable to them," said. "Of course, this is a distinct departure from the orthodox teaching of the Christian church."

Throughout the Bible, there are many warnings against worshiping false gods.

The Israelites were nearly exterminated by God when they made a golden
calf to worship, but said it was a "festival to the LORD." (Exodus 32:5,
New Living Translation)

And they were later warned: "But
if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn
away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will
certainly be destroyed." (Deuteronomy 30:17-18, NLT)

Skogen said, "Over the years, the ELCA has been drifting farther and farther away from the truth and authority of Scripture. When a church does not trust, adhere to and believe what the Bible clearly states, heresies emerge, resulting in false teachings and blatant disobedience."







Rev. Megan Rohrer, an openly transgender Lutheran pastor

Defending the event is one of its organizers, Rev. Megan Rohrer, the first openly transgender Lutheran minister ordained in the United States.

"I think the world is much more interested in interfaith connection than exclusivity," Rohrer told WND. "It's really not that unusual. Christianity was founded in the time of the beginnings of lots of things."

While acknowledging concern about mixing paganism with Christianity is a "hot-button issue," the pastor said, "Christians that say that probably don't know what paganism is."

"Anything that's not what anyone's church teaches is against God's ways," she added.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "pagan" as "heathen, especially: a follower of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome)." It defines the word "heathen" as "an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible."

This particular Lutheran church in San Francisco is far from what many might consider mainstream.

For instance, it heavily promotes a female identity for God, with a giant banner hanging from its purple exterior declaring "God/dess loves all her children."

"We are a diverse community, standing firmly within the Christian tradition in order to re-image the divine by claiming her feminine persona," the church proclaims.

"Our Christian/Lutheran feminist prayers and liturgy reach back into the storehouse of tradition to bring forth names as Mother, Shaddai, Sophia, Womb, Midwife, Shekinah, She Who Is. They do so out of renewed insights into the nature of the Gospel empowered by the risen Christ-Sophia."







The Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco calls itself "herchurch."

Asked to explain the church's theology, Rev. Rohrer said, "Being Christian and being feminist are not two opposite ends of the spectrum."

She said her church is "creating caring economics and creating a world where every person's identity is held up with its integrity, creating equal playing fields for every human being."

"The U.N. continues to say if we're able to educate women globally, we will probably eliminate poverty," she added.

Other events at the conference include a chanting workshop with another Isis priestess, Katie Kethcum, "inclusive" hymns, sacred walks, sacred drums, sacred dance and Kundalini Yoga mantras, which the church says "are composed of basic phonetic sounds common to all languages and have been used to invoke the presence of the Divine for centuries."

Also speaking at the conference is Mary Streufert, director for Justice for Women at ELCA's headquarters in Chicago. She refused comment when asked about her participation.

Interest in the Egyptian goddess is certainly not new in the U.S. In the mid-1970s, she became a flying superhero on the CBS Saturday-morning TV series "Isis."

The program featured actress JoAnna Cameron playing a science teacher who, after unearthing an ancient amulet on an archaeological dig, transforms herself into a superpower-endowed do-gooder by uttering the incantation, "Oh mighty Isis."

Another catchphrase on the show was, "Oh zephyr winds that blow on high. Lift me now so I can fly."

Vigne says today there are "many thousands" of followers of Isis worldwide.

"The important thing is that it's growing enormously. There is this resurgence of interest," she said.

"I think that people are getting annoyed with the normal churches, the established kind of organized religion. I call mine a disorganized religion, humorously. I say I have catma, not dogma."

If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today's WND Poll.

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Experts: 30 years till Japan can close nuke plant

Amplify’d from old.news.yahoo.com

Experts: 30 years till Japan can close nuke plant


By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Eric Talmadge, Associated Press

TOKYO – A Japanese government panel says it will take at least 30 years to safely close the tsunami-hobbled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, even though the facility is leaking far less radiation than before and is considered relatively stable.

The plant, site of the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, was severely damaged by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami. It suffered power outages, meltdowns and explosions that released radioactive material and forced tens of thousands of people to flee the area.

While officials say the plant, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, is now relatively stable, an expert panel named by Japan's Atomic Energy Commission said it would likely take 30 years or more to safely decommission it. The panel made the estimate in the draft of a report to be completed by the end of the year. The draft was posted on the commission's website over the weekend.

Plant workers are still struggling to contain radiation leaking from the plant, although the amount is far less than before.

The panel noted that it took 10 years to remove nuclear fuel after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States, and suggested that the process at Fukushima would be much more complicated and time-consuming.

It is also expected to be more costly. A report Saturday in the Yomiuri, a major newspaper, said independent experts believe the process will cost more than 1.5 trillion yen ($19 billion).

The massive earthquake and tsunami in March triggered meltdowns at three of the plant's six reactors. Explosions also damaged their buildings, plus Unit 4 next to them.

Officials at Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that runs the plant, say they have largely succeeded in cooling the damaged reactors, meeting a goal of completing what is called a "cold shutdown."

But extensive repairs and safety measures must still be carried out. The panel said removal of the fuel rods at Fukushima would not begin until 2021, after the repair of the plant's containment vessels.

As a stopgap measure, one of the damaged units now has an outer shell made of airtight polyester designed to contain radioactive particles inside the building. Similar covers are also planned for other buildings.

Government officials must also deal with a massive decontamination effort in areas around the plant. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) exclusion zone around the facility remains in effect.

While the worst appears to be over, recent discoveries of radiation "hot spots" in and around Tokyo have caused fears among people there, with many concerned parents routinely checking their neighborhoods for radiation.

In most cases, the readings have been below internationally accepted annual limits, but critics say that the standard exceeds Japan's cap before the accident and that the government should expand the scope of decontamination.

The magnitude-9.0 earthquake was the strongest to hit Japan on record, and left more than 21,000 people dead or missing. The tsunami that followed engulfed the northeast and wiped out entire towns.

Read more at old.news.yahoo.com
 

UN launches first World Interfaith Harmony Week

In league with Babel!

Amplify’d from www.un.org

UN launches first World Interfaith Harmony Week

1 February 2011 –
The United Nations launched the first World Interfaith Harmony Week today with a broad range of activities around the world, including interfaith breakfasts, film screenings and talks featuring the active participation of civil society, UN entities and other intergovernmental organizations.

The UN General Assembly in November resolved that the first week of February be devoted to spreading “the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship... based on love of God and love of one’s neighbour or on love of the good and love of one’s neighbour, each according to their own religious traditions or convictions.”

“The first World Interfaith Harmony Week is an opportunity to focus global attention on the efforts of religious leaders, interfaith movements and individuals around the world to promote mutual respect and understanding between followers of different faiths and beliefs,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. “These partners play an indispensable role in supporting United Nations efforts for peace.

“Respect for diversity and peaceful dialogue are essential if the human family is to cooperate globally to face shared threats and seize common opportunities,” said Mr. Ban.

“That is why efforts by States, civil society and other actors to build trust among communities and individuals lie at the heart of so many United Nations initiatives, from the Alliance of Civilizations to our wide-ranging work to protect human rights, promote social cohesion and build a culture of peace.”

The Alliance of Civilizations is an initiative launched in 2005 by Spain and Turkey under UN auspices to promote better cross-cultural relations worldwide.

From Jerusalem to Malappuram in India, from Amman in Jordan to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, from Sedona in the United States to Newcastle in Australia, and a myriad of other places special events are being held to shine the spotlight on the need for interfaith understanding.


News Tracker: past stories on this issue

Ban speaks out against use of language or actions to divide peoples

Read more at www.un.org