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Divine intervention via a microbe
Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com
Divine intervention via a microbe
By James Byrne
The best science stories I hear about generally involve going back and reconciling or correcting observations from the past to unlock some new level of understanding. There are many such examples which exist only because time provides us with the tools to arrive at a correct answer where our ancestors could not. The best thing about these stories is that even though the exact answer might be wrong the clues provided by the old observations allow modern researchers to play detective to find new solutions to old questions.
One of my favourite stories concerns "angel glow". Reports of this particular phenomenon can be found from as far back as the U.S. Civil War and World War I, with reports of a mysterious blue glow in the open wounds of some injured soldiers. Why Angel Glow? Because these soldiers were less likely to suffer from infections often leading to sepsis and death, hence the "angel," and at night their wounds glowed an angelic luminescent blue, accounting for the ‘glow’. In a time before the easy identification of microbial life it was much easier to label the blue healing glow divine intervention but of course there was more to the story.
So what could be causing a blue glow? There are many organisms that glow a wide variety of colours from glow-worms to krill to the jack-o'-lantern mushroom but these organisms have never been observed to induce the healing properties of the recorded angel glow (in fact jack-o'-lanterns are poisonous) so there had to be something else, perhaps something microbial.
Bioluminescent bacteria are perhaps more common than you would expect with many Dinoflagellates, Vibrionaceae and Enterobacteriaceae members exhibiting some bioluminescence. Still, the vast majority of bioluminescent species are marine organisms which doesn’t fit the historical record as the glowing soldiers were engaged primarily in trench warfare on inland battle lines. This leaves only terrestrial bioluminescent organisms.
To date only a very small number of bioluminescent organisms are known to live in an entirely terrestrial environment. There are even fewer bioluminescent land loving micro-organisms but two closely related species of bacteria Photorhabdus spp. and Xenorhabdus spp. are known to glow.
These organisms are soil borne nematode symbionts and widely distributed around the world. In terms of our story they seem to tick a lot of boxes but why would they glow? And how are they promoting healing?
Both of these questions are answered by the normal lifecycle of the bacteria.
Both Photorhabdus and the related Xenorhabdus live in the gut of nematode worms as symbionts. The nematodes hunt down insect larvae in soil or on plant surfaces where they will burrow into the larvae and invade the larvae’s blood (more accurately called the hemolymph in insects). Once in the blood the nematode regurgitates the bacteria, which quickly spread throughout the larvae releasing a cocktail of chemicals that quickly overcome the insect larvae.
The chemical cocktail is very important to the story as this cocktail contains toxins like the PirAB toxin, which is larvicidal, and broad spectrum anti-microbials such as the ST molecule and S- and R- type pyocins. In the lifecycle of the bacteria these compounds help to kill the insect larvae and then remove any microbial competition from the carcass. This then allows the nematode and bacteria to feast on what has now become an insect larva shaped sack full of nematodes and bacteria.
This continues until the larva is hollowed out and the nematodes and bacteria have consumed all of their prey. It’s at this point the nematodes start eating the bacteria. By consuming the bacteria and allowing them to re-colonise their gut the nematodes engage in a trade off, they have to carry the bacteria from prey to prey but in return the bacteria kill the insect and kill all other microbes that could potentially harm both the nematode and themselves.
The wounds of the soldiers healed faster and without infection because of this anti-microbial cocktail. The best thing about this unusual interaction is that both Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus spp. are not very infectious to humans. So they keep the wound clean, then are promptly cleared by the immune system. Having said that, infections with these bacteria do occur and generally result in localised ulceration and require prior skin breakage to gain entry.
But we still haven’t covered why they glow. Research seems to indicate that this is a baiting mechanism used to tempt new prey. Individual bacteria do glow but are not terribly luminescent, but, during the hollowing out of the insect larvae the bacteria reach sufficient concentrations to produce a visible glow that is thought to attract nearby larvae making the next meal attracted to the carcass of the last.
It’s easy to see why, in the absence of a better explanation, an ethereal glowing wound that heals faster and cleaner than other soldier’s wounds could only be seen as divine intervention but in my humble opinion a bacteria that co-opts a nematode, kills, cleans and feasts on an insect and then attracts new prey by glowing is a more amazing story. Unfortunately we can never really know for sure, but in the absence of a better explanation I’m going to stick with this one.
References:
Forst, S., Dowds, B., Boemare, N. & Stackebrandt, E. (1997). Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp.: bugs that kill bugs. Annu Rev Microbiol 51, 47-72.
Goodrich-Blair, H. & Clarke, D. J. (2007). Mutualism and pathogenesis in Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus: two roads to the same destination. Mol Microbiol 64, 260-268.
Waterfield, N. R., Ciche, T. & Clarke, D. (2009). Photorhabdus and a host of hosts. Annu Rev Microbiol 63, 557-574.
Figure legends:
Figure 1: Glow worm: A female Common Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) in the grass in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. Author - Timo Newton-Syms via Wikimedia.org. Krill: (Many krill. Source: english Wikipedia, original upload 15 June 2005 by Lupo, Photographer: Jamie Hall. Image source: [PD-USGov-NOAA] Category:Euphausiacea, via Wikimedia.org. Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Photographer - Kent Loeffler.
Figure 2: Insect larvae carcass containing nematodes and the bioluminescent Photorhadus luminescens. Photo courtesy of Prof Richard French-Constant of the University of Exeter, U.K.
About the Author: James Byrne is in his third year as a PhD candidate in the Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Adelaide. His research interest concerns the function of the Polysaccharide Co-Polymerase proteins of S. pneumoniae and their interactions to control the biosynthesis of the capsular polysaccharide that encapsulate this bacterium. Using a combination of mutation screens, protein interaction analysis and in vitro assays James hope to better understand the role of these proteins and in particular the role of CpsC. A better understanding of these systems may allow for the development of novel antimicrobial agents aimed at disrupting the process of exopolysaccharide polymerisation and ligation, a known virulence factor in many organisms. James also writes and maintains the loosely infectious disease themed blog Disease of the Week!
The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.
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Christian lawyers note “growing discrimination and persecutions”
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ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christian lawyers note “growing discrimination and persecutions”
London (Agenzia Fides) – "There is a growing discrimination and persecution against Christians. It 's time the government took the issue of respect for human rights seriously. The UN and EU are placing pressure.” This is what Fides learned in an interview with Nasir Saeed, a Pakistani Christian and coordinator of the Center for Legal Aid, Assistance, and Settlement (CLAAS), a service that provides free legal advice and practical support to persecuted Christians in Pakistan. The Center has its headquarters in London and another base in Pakistan, where many lawyers work to defend Christians accused of blasphemy or in need of legal assistance.
What is the current situation of Christians in Pakistan?
The suffering continues. Recently, there has been a troubling escalation of discrimination and persecution against Christians in the country, especially against Christian women and girls. Abductions, rapes, forced marriages, forced conversions to Islam, accusations of blasphemy are all part of our daily agenda. This prolonged suffering is spreading a sense of injustice and neglect, especially among the youth and the poor. We to raise our voices to offer them a better position in seeking justice.
Could you give some examples and provide details?
The cases are many. We know that three members of one Christian family were forced to leave their home because of false accusations of blasphemy, without any evidence, and in many towns and villages, Christians are living on high alert for fear of mob violence. Many incidents of violence are not even brought to light, due to pressures from influential Muslims or because the injured parties - often poor people living in remote areas - do not have money to take legal action or do not know how to react to abuse. So, it is difficult to estimate the exact number of cases of persecution and violence. But it is much higher than you think, because most cases do not end up in the mass media are not recorded in official reports or complaints.
How do you view the case of Asia Bibi?
Asia Bibi was the first woman to be sentenced to death, but other people have suffered the same fate before her. And many others are suffering in prison. We are alarmed by how the blasphemy law is affecting Christians and especially women. We are doing everything possible to raise awareness in the United Nations and European Union, so that they can place serious pressure on the government. It's time that the government of Pakistan took the issue of human rights and minority rights seriously.
Why do women suffer more?
Women, like Asia Bibi, are paying a heavy price for being a Christian in Islamic society: the proliferation of attacks and accusations has reached an unprecedented level. Christian women are looked down upon and considered inferior. They are treated by Muslim men as objects, as 'mal-e-ganimat', a war prize.
How do you assess the action of the government and institutions?
While religious intolerance is at a very high level, the government of Pakistan, politicians, and Muslim religious leaders do not take it seriously. Police rarely make serious investigations until an NGO, a church, or some influential person comes in to resolve a case. This apathetic attitude is very serious.
What would you ask of the state?
We want our brothers and sisters in Pakistan to be treated equally, to enjoy the same rights of all citizens, as Ali Jinnah, the Father of the Homeland and drafter of the Constitution, wrote and said. We try to help them with legal assistance, and sometimes it is not easy because of their reticence. The messages of hope, encouragement, sympathy, and prayers from faithful around the world are very important. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/11/2010)Read more at www.fides.org
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Peach the Chihuahua: Japan's newest police dog
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Peach the Chihuahua: Japan's newest police dog
A long-haired Chihuahua named ''Momo'' (Japanese for ''Peach'') sits on the grass during an examination to become a police dog in Yamatokoriyama, western Japan November 12, 2010. The brown-and-white Chihuahua, a first for Japan and perhaps the world, was one of 32 successful candidates out of 70 dogs, passing a search and rescue test by finding a person in five minutes after merely sniffing their cap. Picture taken November 12, 2010.
TOKYO
TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Meet Japan's newest police dog -- all 3 kg (6.6 lb) of her.
In what is a first for Japan and perhaps the world, a long-haired Chihuahua named "Momo" -- "Peach" -- passed exams to become a police dog in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara.
The brown-and-white, perky Momo was one of 32 successful candidates out of 70 dogs, passing a search and rescue test by finding a person in five minutes after merely sniffing their cap.
"Any breed of dog can be entered to become a police dog in the search and rescue division," said a Nara police spokesman.
But he admitted that news a Chihuahua had been entered may still come as a surprise to many.
"It's quite unusual," he said.
Television footage showed the 7-year-old Momo bounding across grass or sitting proudly, long hair blowing in the breeze.
Momo will be used for rescue operations in case of disasters such as earthquakes, in the hope that she may be able to squeeze her tiny frame into places too narrow for more usual rescue dogs, which tend to be German Shepherds.
The public response to the news of Momo's selection took police by surprise, the spokesman said, adding: "The phone's been ringing all afternoon."
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; editing by Paul Casciato)
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Undertakers offer coffins for gay market
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two undertakers in the northwestern German city of Cologne are trying to tap into the gay market by selling coffins adorned with images of male nudes.
Amplify’d from www.reuters.com
Undertakers offer coffins for gay market
By Michelle Martin
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two undertakers in the northwestern German city of Cologne are trying to tap into the gay market by selling coffins adorned with images of male nudes.
The prize piece in their display window is a coffin decorated with images of mostly naked, muscular young men in athletic poses inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings.
"We believe you should be able to have a coffin that lets you embark on your last journey in a way that reflects how you lived your life," undertaker Thomas Brandl told Reuters on Thursday.
The unconventional coffin, which costs 1,650 euros ($2,300), has aroused fascination among customers, said Brandl: "People are really interested because it's so unique. Reactions have been very positive so far."
Brandl, 32, and his 34-year-old business partner Michael Koenigsfeld, said they had branched out into the gay market in order to satisfy the increasing number of special requests they received.
"Even though the Lord Mayor of Berlin, the vice-chancellor and many others openly admit to being homosexual nowadays, marginal groups still face prejudices and bureaucratic hurdles," the pair said in a statement.
They said they provided an individual and different service which offered "a warm and fantastical departure for same-sex couples."
The gay couple also sell coffins and urns in rainbow colors -- the international symbol of the gay and lesbian movement -- and offer burials around a tree reserved exclusively for homosexuals.
Given estimates which suggest that around one in ten of Cologne's population is homosexual, Brandl and Koenigsfeld are well placed to serve the gay community.
The pair also cater for the heterosexual market in an unconventional way, giving customers the opportunity to get involved in designing coffins for their loved ones.
"You can choose different colors and designs," Brandl said. "You could go for Cologne's skyline or lots of women on your coffin. A grandmother might like images of her grandchildren on hers -- there are loads of possibilities."
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
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Death penalty on table for couple accused in death of adopted Russian son
Amplify’d from www.ydr.com
Death penalty on table for couple accused in death of adopted Russian son
Daily Record/Sunday News
York, PA -
The York County District Attorney's Office can proceed with its capital prosecution against a Carroll Township couple accused in the death of their 7-year-old adopted Russian son.
This morning in Common Pleas Court, Judge John S. Kennedy denied motions from Michael and Nanette Craver to bar the prosecution from seeking the death penalty on grounds it is unconstitutional and cruel and unusual punishment.
The Cravers, who remain in county prison without bail, are charged with first-degree and third-degree murder for the Aug. 25, 2009, death of Nathan Craver, allegedly by neglect and physical abuse.
Kennedy agreed to instruct the jury that a sentence of life without parole in Pennsylvania means
a convicted defendant must serve the rest of his or her natural life in prison.
Kennedy ordered the parties to file briefs by Jan. 18 on the defense requests for motions to dismiss the charges and removing torture as the aggravating circumstance for the commonwealth to seek the death penalty.
The judge also told the defense they would attempt to seat a local jury before ruling on requests to move the trial out of the county or bring in a jury from another county. The defense contends pretrial publicity will make it impossible for the couple to receive a fair trial from a York County jury.Read more at www.ydr.com
The Cravers are to return to Kennedy's courtroom for a status conference on Feb. 27.
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Police: Man accused of killing brother said he knew it would end violently
He cut off his brother's fingertips with a hedge trimmer and used an ax to cut off his left leg below the knee, police said.
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Police: Man accused of killing brother said he knew it would end violently
A Fawn Township man accused of fatally shooting his brother predicted things would end violently between them, a state police trooper testified.
Justin David Carbaugh, 21, gunned down 23-year-old Brandon Shawn Carbaugh outside their 712 Ridge Road home on Aug. 4, police allege.
Following a preliminary hearing Friday morning, District Judge John Olwert determined enough evidence exists for Justin Carbaugh to stand trial on a charge of homicide.
Trooper Thomas Grothey was the only person to take the stand at the hearing. He was one of two troopers who questioned Justin Carbaugh after his arrest, and Grothey testified as to what the defendant said.
"He said he knew this day was going to come ... one of them was going to kill the
other," Grothey said.
Justin Carbaugh told troopers Brandon Carbaugh "would flip out all the time" and that Justin Carbaugh would be the one to walk away from their arguments, Grothey testified.
"(Justin said) they were always fighting and arguing all the time," Grothey said.
Carried guns: According to Grothey, the defendant said both he and his brother routinely carried handguns.
On the evening of Aug. 4, the brothers argued about Brandon Carbaugh growing marijuana on the property where they lived with their grandmother, according to Grothey.
Justin Carbaugh stated he walked out of their home and toward the woods to get away from his brother, according to Grothey, but Brandon Carbaugh -- who was armed -- followed
him.
The brothers continued yelling, arguing and threatening each other, according to the trooper.
The defendant told investigators Brandon Carbaugh then got in front of him, leaving the two face-to-face and only three or four feet apart, Grothey said.
The defendant related that Brandon Carbaugh put his hand to the gun in his holster and asked, "What the f-- are you going to do about it?" Grothey testified.
'Freaked out': "Then Justin related he just freaked out," Grothey said,
pulled his own .40-caliber handgun and shot Brandon Carbaugh in the chest.
The force of the gunshot spun the victim around, and Justin Carbaugh fired a second shot into the back of his brother's head, according to Grothey.
Brandon Carbaugh ended up lying on the ground, face up, the trooper said.
"Justin Carbaugh told me he knew he had to finish the job at that time," and shot his brother in the forehead, according to Grothey.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Steve Rice confirmed with Grothey that the physical evidence at the scene was consistent with Justin Carbaugh's statements to police. He also got Grothey to confirm that police talked with the defendant about voluntary manslaughter, and how it's an unplanned
killing.
Heat of passion? Grothey also agreed that Justin Carbaugh's statements indicated he might have fired in "the heat of passion."
After the hearing, Rice said he must still talk to witnesses and review the evidence collected by police.
"I will say this: I think there are very real and live issues about whether self-defense is in play or, alternatively, voluntary manslaughter," Rice said.
Homicide is a general charge, and prosecutors will have to announce which type of homicide charge they intend to try the defendant for. The most serious charge is first-degree murder, the least serious is involuntary manslaughter.
In addition to homicide, Justin Carbaugh is also charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with
physical evidence. No testimony was taken for those two charges because the defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing on them.
Partially dismembered: Rice said that was to spare the Carbaugh family -- some of whom were in the courtroom -- the painful details that would have been presented.
State police said that after killing his brother, Justin Carbaugh tried to destroy and conceal the body.
He cut off his brother's fingertips with a hedge trimmer and used an ax to cut off his left leg below the knee, police said.
Justin Carbaugh later told police he "couldn't go any further," so he wrapped his dead brother in a tarp, duct-taped it and left the body where it was, charging documents state.
He remains in York
County Prison without bail.
As Justin Carbaugh was led out of the district judge office Friday, he did not respond to a question from The York Dispatch.
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Obama's Russia 'reset' in peril in nuclear row
Amplify’d from endrtimes.blogspot.com
Obama's Russia 'reset' in peril in nuclear row
by Stephen Collinson Stephen Collinson – 38 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama will meet his Russian counterpart this weekend with his "reset" of ties with Moscow in peril, as he battles Republicans over a landmark nuclear treaty.
Obama, just back from rough G20 meetings in Asia, was traveling to a delicate NATO summit in Portugal Thursday, leaving domestic foes, emboldened by a mid-term election triumph, apparently smelling blood over his foreign policy.
In just a few days, the mood over the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which makes deep cuts in superpower nuclear arsenals, has soured dramatically, prompting a sudden and high-powered White House counter-attack.
Obama warned on Thursday that comments by a key Republican, Jon Kyl, that the treaty may not be ratified this year in a "lame duck" session of the old Senate, posed a grave risk to US national and nuclear security.
"It is a national security imperative that the United States ratify the new START treaty this year," Obama said, after calling in Republican Cold War negotiators Henry Kissinger, James Baker and other luminaries as back-up.
"This is not about politics, this is about national security," he added.
Kyl's comments appeared to have sparked deep alarm in the administration over national security, possible damage to improved Russia-US relations and fears that Obama's already eroded political capital could be further depleted.
In a hastily-plotted counter-attack, Obama dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to her old stomping grounds where she is remembered as a persuasive ex-senator who once charmed Republicans.
On Thursday, Obama deployed a storied line-up of former secretaries of state and defense, alongside Kissinger and Baker, who his spokesman Robert Gibbs said were hardly "wild-eyed liberals."
The words Ronald Reagan meanwhile were never far from the lips of Obama spokesmen, as they deployed memories of a conservative hero to bolster what they say is a deal in an established tradition of arms control orthodoxy.
Obama will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for the second time in as many weekends after the NATO summit in Portugal, which will take place with world leaders seeking to assess the impact of the American leader's domestic woes on his global leverage.
Officials argue that delaying the treaty, which could then slip into a new Congress and face further waits or even see its support crumble, will mean Russian nuclear stocks will fester unwatched by US inspectors.
They say it could also imperil political backing in Russia for the "reset" which has yielded Russian support of tough sanctions on Iran and Medvedev's decision not to supply S-300 air defense missiles to Tehran.
Stephen Flanagan, of the Center of Strategic and International Studies, said that if the treaty was eventually lost, it would "take away one of the most important foreign policy achievements that (Obama) has, so it would be damaging."
"It makes you question whether in fact that is what some of the Republicans are trying to do."
As well as demonstrating the capacity of the Senate to be tied in knots by just a few lawmakers, the row also raises the possibility that triumphant Republicans may be eyeing Obama's powers over foreign policy.
Gibbs declined to be drawn into billing Kyl's tactics as a partisan effort to hurt a weakened president.
"I don't know what their motives are, but delaying bringing this treaty up imperils our national security," Gibbs said, adding that ratification was a "no-brainer."
However, officials have said in private that the only possible motive for the exhaustive scrutiny of the treaty in Senate committees and through administration engagement must be to wound Obama.
Less than a week ago, the fruits of Obama's "reset" policy were on show, as he met Medvedev in a hotel towering over the Japanese port city of Yokohama, on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim summit.
Now the White House is scrambling to get the 67 votes needed to pass the measure in the Senate -- after already offering Kyl a 4.1 billion dollar concession to modernize US nuclear stocks.
The uncertainty will loom over the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council after the Lisbon summit, which is meant to expand the US-Russia reset into better ties between Moscow and the western alliance.
Last week, Obama promised to work with Moscow on its entry into the World Trade Organization next year.
Here again, opposition in Congress could be a problem, as lawmakers would be required to remove a Jackson Vanik waiver, a restriction dating to the Soviet era -- and may decide to make trouble for Obama again..Read more at endrtimes.blogspot.com
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New York Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Fellow Cop
Amplify’d from gawker.com
New York Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Fellow Cop
Yesterday an MTA officer was placing her gun in a weapon's locker and accidentally set it off. The bullet ricocheted and hit another officer in the gut. The cop is alright, but will never enter a locker room again.
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The Coming Sunday Crisis
Why Sunday Laws? As A Call To Repentance And To Secure The Removal Of The Judgments Of God
Human enactment's, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God's holy commandments are despised and trampled underfoot.
Amplify’d from endrtimes.blogspot.com
The Coming Sunday Crisis
Why Sunday Laws? As A Call To Repentance And To Secure The Removal Of The Judgments Of God
The Great Controversy, 587, (1911)
The teachings of religious leaders have opened the door to infidelity, to spiritualism, and to contempt for God's holy law; and upon these leaders rests a fearful responsibility for the iniquity that exists in the Christian world. This very class put forth the claim that the fast-spreading corruption is largely attributable to the desecration of the so-called "Christian sabbath" and that the enforcement of Sunday observance would greatly improve the morals of society. This claim is especially urged in America, where the doctrine of the true Sabbath has been most widely preached.
SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 978, or Review and Herald December 26, 1899
Human enactment's, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God's holy commandments are despised and trampled underfoot.
"Concerning Pope John Paul's July Encyclical "Sunday (Lord's Day)' I too heartily agree with this world's great spiritual leader, "it is time to give Sunday the Day of Worship the recognition it demands. It is time to pass our legislated agenda and stop profaning the Lord's Day. Revelation 1:10. Somebody—some people, who care about the moral crisis of our nation must act to save our nation before it is forever to late." Pat Robertson, President Christian Coalition
Last Day Events, pp. 129, 130
Satan puts his interpretation upon events, and they think, as he would have them, that the calamities which fill the land are a result of Sundaybreaking. Thinking to appease the wrath of God these influential men make laws enforcing Sunday observance.
The Great Controversy, pp. 579, 580, (1911)
With Protestant teachers there is the same claim of divine authority for Sundaykeeping, and the same lack of Scriptural evidence, as with the papal leaders who fabricated miracles to supply the place of a command from God. The assertion that God's judgments are visited upon men for their violation of the Sunday-sabbath, will be repeated; already it is beginning to be urged. And a movement to enforce Sunday observance is fast gaining ground.
James P. Wesberry, Executive Director, Lords Day Alliance. Report p. 6, 1988
I believe that we are engaged in the biggest work in the world and if we can settle the problem of Sabbath observance, of keeping the Lord's Day as it should be kept, we will go a long, long ways toward supplying the remedy for the moral and ethical crisis that blights our nation. I am so grateful to God and to you for the privilege of giving my life and my best to such a great cause and I am deeply grateful that you share this commitment.
Special Alert, Bulletin # 29, 1981
If we as a nation would escape the doldrums of increased trouble as God's hand rests heavily upon His people, opposition to Sunday, Nationally declared the sabbath, must cease. There will be no relief from mounting economic disaster until the seventh day, following six days of labor, is strictly enforced by government decree and action.
Summary:
One of the reasons for the current and future push for Sunday laws is a belief that God's judgments are due to the immorality prevailing in society. Because of mankind's perverseness and iniquity, God is truly giving man up to the sure results of his sin. This is evidenced by the many increasing problems in nature, society, finance etc. However, it is mistakenly believed that the fearful cause of all these judgments is the direct result of the desecration of Sunday. Sadly, men will mistakenly want to break God's law, thinking they are working toward establishing morality and obedience to God's commandments.
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