The EU Gains in Popularity

By Andrew Duff, MEP
Published: December 30 2007 18:06 Last updated: December 30 2007 18:06

Cheering news from Brussels. According to the most recent Eurobarometer poll, the European Union is popular again. 58 per cent evince overall support for the EU, the highest level since 1994. (Unsurprisingly, the UK, at 34 per cent, registers lowest.)

The EU is credited with making a positive contribution in the two policy areas that are identified as being top priorities: immigration and fighting crime. When asked which policies should best be dealt with at the European rather than the national level, citizens are increasingly in favour of using the EU.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/85ef4e54-b6f8-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F85ef4e54-b6f8-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsandprophecy.blogspot.com%2F

Vatican official expects new level of dialogue with Muslims in 2008

By Cindy WoodenCatholic News ServiceVATICAN CITY (CNS) --

The Vatican official in charge of interreligious dialogue said he is confident a new level of dialogue with Muslims will take place in 2008.

Read more:http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0707400.htm

'States like Britian could derail' new EU treaty

By Bruno Waterfield in Ljubljana
Last Updated: 2:56am GMT 29/12/2007

The new EU treaty might not be ratified because "sensitive" countries such as Britain will pick over the detail of a text that many consider is too "close" to the rejected Constitution, the man in charge of the process has said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/12/29/weu129.xml

Like the old constitution, the new treaty creates a permanent EU president, a "foreign minister" - known as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs - scraps 55 national vetoes and gives new legal authority for the EU, allowing it to sign international treaties.

Britons lose jobs to EU newcomers

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:55am GMT 29/12/2007

The number of Britons in jobs has fallen by half a million since the UK opened its labour market to eastern European workers, official figures have revealed.

Full report: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/29/weu329.xml

The Dagon Connection

One of the mystery religions absorbed by Rome involved the Philistine idolof the fish-man god called Dagon, which was also referred to as the devil.

The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza (Judges 16:21-30) and Ashdod (1 Samuel 5:3,4; 1 Chronicles 10:10). Dagon was represented with the face and hands of a man and the lower half the body as the tail of a fish (1 Samuel 5:3-4).

The fish-like form was a symbol of fruitfulness, and as such was likely to be adopted by seafaring tribes in the representation of their gods, which is why Rome who ruled the seas easily adopted the mystery religion. Search for pictures of the Dagon or Enki priests and you'll find they wore fish costumes with fish head hats similar to today's miter.

The fish symbol Christians use today is literally one of the many marks of the beast Dagon. Here we see carvings and diagrams of Dagon priests and their fish head hats along side the Pope with his similar fish head hat holding the crooked cross of Mithra. The carving on the left shows the Dagon priests sprinkling holy water. Here we see the drawing of the pagan goddess Cybele with the fish head of dagon on her head and the device used to sprinkle the holy water. Cybele was worshipped in Rome and was called the great queen mother goddess. Some scholars say the Basilica of Saint Peter actually stands upon the former site of Cybele's main temple.

There are some scholars who say the fish head hat of the priests of Enki (a Sumerarian god of the earth and world order) later became the miter of the bishops. Enki was part of the tri gods who was considered the god of 'water' and the one having devised men as slaves to the gods. Just as the Dagon priests sprinkled holy water in ceremony, so too did the priests of Enki- this god of water. He was even commonly represented as a half-fish, half-goat creature. In actuality calling Christians fish, symbolizing them with the fish, and calling the disciples as fishers of men has little or nothing to do with the Jesus of Capernaum.

Dagon's son was Baal the god of harvest. The many analogies of the fish and the mentions of harvests, wheat and tare, the seeds along with shining sunlight and water flowing to watering it, are all lures to converge the mystery cults in with the new compiled religion. In fact the tradition of eating fish on Friday comes from many different pagan cultures. Aphrodite Salacia, the fish Goddess, was worshipped by her followers on her sacred day of Friday. They ate fish and engaging in orgies. Which is how the word "salacious" meaning lustful became used. The Christian church assimilated this tradition by requiring the faithful to eat fish on Friday.

Throughout the Mediterranean, mystery religions used fish, wine and bread for their sacramental meal and ancient Rome called Friday "dies veneris" or Day of Venus, the Pagan goddess. Venus is the one in the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians about the giant egg falling from heaven into the River Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank where the doves having perched upon it, hatched it. What came out of this egg was Venus-also referred to as the morning star. Venus afterwards was called the Assyrian goddess or Astarte, the queen of heaven. In all of these stories we find the tradition of Easter born from these mystery legends as Easter was just another name for Astarte. This festival in ancient Babylonianism of Astarte (known as Istar or Easter), was about her son coming back from the dead which is why the Easter celebration has the symbolic egg as well as the Astarte name for the celebration of the borrowed mythical resurrection of the Bright Morning Star.

From www.fortunecity.com

The priests of Dagon

(NKJV says of Isaiah 14.12: "O, Lucifer, son of the morning."The name for Lucifer in Hebrew literally means "Day Star" or the planet Venus. The poetic language of this verse describes the aspiration of this brightest star to climb to the zenith of the heavens.

A Voice For A Different Europe - An Interview with Susan George

The Reform Treaty

Following the rejection of the treaty by the French and then the Dutch, the European Commission announced a “period of reflection”. Eighteen months later, the Council of Europe agreed the Reform Treaty, containing 96 per cent of the articles of the EU Constitution.

George believes that, during the intervening period:“The European Council and Commission were trying to figure out the best way to mask the fact that they were going to try and shove the same thing down our throats. You can’t just say that the French and the Dutch voted wrong so we’re going to hand them the same text again.

They had to find a way to hide what they were doing.”

That the Reform Treaty is almost identical to the EU Constitution is not in doubt. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, speaking to the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in July 2007, said:“In terms of content, the proposals remain largely unchanged – they are simply presented in a different way.” Giscard d’Estaing, former President of France, was chair of the convention that drew up the Constitution.

Full report:

http://www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?act_id=17744

Former PM Tony Blair Converts to Catholicism

LONDON (AFP) — Former British prime minister Tony Blair has converted to Roman Catholicism, his spokesman told AFP Saturday. Full report on

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZsnXm1t8bV6aBExkFFSS8-G9zmw

Temple Institute Announces: High Priest's Crown is Ready!

by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com)

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announces the completion of the Tzitz, the High Priest's headplate - now ready for use in the Holy Temple.The tzitz is made of pure gold, was fashioned over the course of a more than a year by the craftsmen of the Temple Institute, and is ready to be worn by the High Priest in the rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Read the full report on
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124443

Logo Unveiled for Pope's US Trip

"Christ Our Hope" Chosen as Theme

WASHINGTON, D.C., DEC. 19, 2007 (Zenit.org).-The message "Christ Our Hope" over an image of Benedict XVI before the dome of St. Peter's Basilica is the logo for the Pope's visit to the United States, April 15-20.

The papal visit will be highlighted by a trip to the United Nations, in response to an invitation from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Pope will also visit the Archdioceses of New York and Washington, D.C..

The theme reflects the Holy Father's new encyclical, "Spe Salvi," an invitation for people to personally encounter Jesus Christ. In the encyclical, the Pontiff said that faith in Christ brings well-founded hope in eternal salvation, the "great hope" that can sustain people through the trials of this world.

The logo features a full color photograph of Benedict XVI waving both hands. Behind him is a yellow-screened image of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. In black type running at the top and over the cupola of the dome are three lines of type reading "Pope Benedict XVI/Christ Our Hope/Apostolic Journey to the United States 2008."

Logo designer Donna Hobson, director of publications at the Catholic University of America, explained her goal with this design.

"I wanted to incorporate the papal colors -- yellow and white," she said, "and my vision was to show a welcoming, arms-open, smiling Pope Benedict."(http://www.zenit.org/article-21338?l=english)

THE FIRST SEAL: RELIGIOUS DECEPTION

Matthew 24:4 -5 And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying, 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many.

1John 2.18...and as you have heard that the AntiChrist is coming...

Revelation 13.11-18 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast ... He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast ... He was granted power to give breath tot the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

Earthquakes In Diverse Places

Five earthquakes in 2 days, 19-20 December 2007 plus a big one expected in Israel.

See links :

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317207,00.html (18/12/07 Israel)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Mild_intensity_earthquake_hits_Pakistan/articleshow/2630873.cms (18/12/07 Pakistan 5.1))

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hWKIxBKDUTuvem_Fh6I7pbVPOAXQD8TKFBI00 (18/12/07 Alaska 7.2)

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/NEWS01/71219011/-1/NEWSFRONT (19/12/07 South of Big Bear Lake USA)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2230255,00.html (20.12.07 New Zealand 6.8)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hT7nwyIpsmp7uBiUHZIRsUhT255wD8TL5C481 (20/12/07 Ankara Turkey 5.7)

Referendum Urged for EU Treaty

Published Date: 20 December 2007
Source: Press Association
Location: The Press Association Newsdesk


Europe minister Linda Fabiani has demanded that the UK Government holds a referendum on the recently signed EU Reform Treaty.

Ms Fabiani accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of acting with "contempt" for public opinion for refusing to hold a poll on the Treaty. She claimed the agreement had changed little from an earlier draft which the Labour Party promised to hold a referendum on in its manifesto for the 2005 General Election.

Full details: http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/latest-scottish-news/Referendum-urged-for-EU-treaty.3606846.jp

Britain Can't Vote on EU Borderless Zone

Tuesday December 18, 11:47 am ET
EU Court:

Britain Has No Right to Influence Security Measures in EU's Borderless Travel Zone

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) --

Britain was told Tuesday by the European Union's Court of Justice it could not vote on security issues concerning the union's borderless travel zone -- a system in which Britain does not participate.

The Luxembourg-based court rejected a British case filed two years ago demanding the right to take part in the creation of the EU's new external borders agency, Frontex, and in adopting security features for biometric passports.

The court said EU treaty opt-outs, which Britain demanded in 2000, legally prevent it from having a say over the security measures. Participating EU governments were right to refuse London a vote on the issues, the court ruled.

The ruling was an embarrassment for Britain, which wants to increase cooperation with its 26 European Union partners to combat terrorism, human trafficking and illegal migration. Britain decided years ago not to participate in a borderless EU travel zone, in which citizens can move from one nation to another without showing passports or identity cards.

New measures were adopted in 2004 to improve security in the so-called Schengen borderless zone, which will grow by nine countries Dec. 21 to a total of 24 countries.

To expand the passport-free zone, the EU needs to revamp its border security system, which is run through an EU database that allows participating states to share passport data on non-EU citizens who enter the Schengen zone.

UK PM Brown Rules Out Referendum On EU Reform Treaty

LONDON (AP)--U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown dismissed calls Monday for a referendum on the European Union's new reform treaty, insisting the document does not transfer key powers from London to Brussels.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20071217%5cACQDJON200712171215DOWJONESDJONLINE000464.htm&

Americans Expect Recession

Poll
Wednesday Dec 19 23:47 AEDT

A growing number of Americans expect a US recession in the next year as the housing slump and steep food and energy prices sour sentiment, a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday shows.

Of the likely voters surveyed, 43.4 per cent said they expect a recession, up from 40 per cent a month earlier. The worsening mood was apparent across nearly every age and ethnic group, and both sides of the political spectrum, pollster John Zogby said.

"The recession mentality has settled in. It's in the bloodstream now," he said. "It's an across-the-board funk."

Zogby said the economic mood on Main Street was worse now than in 2001, the most recent US recession, and was unlikely to improve quickly, even if the Federal Reserve continued lowering interest rates and the housing market stabilised.

The Fed has cut its benchmark interest rate three times since mid-September as it tries to insulate the broader economy from the housing slump and tightening credit conditions. It is expected to cut rates further in the coming months.

The housing market mess has been front-page news for the better part of the year, putting a chill on consumer sentiment and spending and threatening to derail US economic growth.

Nearly 31 per cent of those polled expected house prices to rise in their area over the next year, a slight improvement from last month, when that total stood at 27.5 per cent. Some two-thirds thought prices would stay about the same or fall.

Economists and investors widely expect an economic slowdown in the current quarter and into 2008 as the housing problems, tightening credit conditions and steep food and energy prices take their toll.

A Reuters poll of 88 analysts, taken from December 12 to 18, showed that they put the chances of a recession in the next 12 months at 40 per cent, up from 35 per cent in November's poll and 30 per cent in October.

The Reuters/Zogby poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
©AAP 2007

EU In the News! Ignore at Your Peril.

Last Updated: 17/12/2007 21:15
Hungary ratifies EU reform treaty

Hungary became the first of the 27 European Union countries to ratify the bloc's new reform treaty in a parliamentary vote tonight.

Brussels names first 'EU ambassador'

Justin Stares in Brussels
Last Updated: 2:55am GMT 17/12/2007

Brussels has appointed the European Union's first "ambassador" more than a year before the EU Reform Treaty comes into force, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

The powerful dual role will involve Belgium's Koen Vervaeke representing both the European Commission and the EU's 27 member states in Africa.

The position is part of a diplomatic corps created under the treaty signed by Gordon Brown in Lisbon last week amid claims by Eurosceptics of a betrayal of Britain's national interests.

Brussels chiefs have pressed ahead with Mr Vervaeke's appointment before any countries have begun ratifying the treaty, which is scheduled to come into effect in 2009.

Critics have accused the commission of riding roughshod over the ratification process,

Last Updated: Thursday, 13 December 2007, 17:19 GMT

EU leaders sign landmark treaty
The treaty was signed at Lisbon's historic Jeronimos monastery

EU leaders have signed a treaty in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, that is expected to greatly alter the way the 27-nation body operates.

The treaty creates an EU president and a more powerful foreign policy chief.
The document, signed at a ceremony at the city's historic Jeronimos Monastery, also scraps veto powers in many policy areas.

It is a replacement for the EU constitution, which was abandoned following French and Dutch opposition.

EU leaders insist that the two texts are in no way equivalent.
But the Lisbon treaty incorporates some of the draft constitution's key reforms, and several governments face domestic pressure over the document.

KEY LISBON TREATY REFORMS

Creates new European Council president
New foreign policy supremo to increase EU profile
Commissioners reduced from 27 to 18
Removes national vetoes in around 50 policy areas
Voting weights between member states redistributed
No reference to EU symbols such as the flag and anthem

Treaty faces referendum in Ireland and must be ratified by all other EU parliaments
In a speech before the signing, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on European leaders to use the treaty to make freedom, prosperity and solidarity an everyday reality for all European citizens.

"From this old continent, a new Europe is born," he said.
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the treaty would create a more modern, efficient and democratic union.

"The world needs a stronger Europe," he said.
The leaders signed the treaty, translated into the EU's 23 official languages, using specially engraved silver fountain pens as a choir sang Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
UK signing

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown signed the treaty later in the day after missing the ceremony, citing a prior engagement in the British parliament.