e are very excited to providethe ministry, membership and

interested persons, with commentary andanalysis of selected world news topics.Our purpose is to help readers discern thetimes and increase their awareness andunderstanding of the answers Christ gaveto his disciplesÕ questions: ÒTell us, whenwill these things be? And what will be thesign of Your coming, and of the end of theage?Ó (Luke 12:54Ð56; Matthew 24:3).

ChristÕs first response to the discipleswas: ÒTake heed that no one deceivesyou. For many will come in My name,saying, ÔI am the Christ,Õ and will deceivemanyÓ (Matthew 24:4Ð5). Since Christspoke those words, thousands of booksand articles have been written on Bible

prophecy and especially about the endtimes. Some of these proclaim that Christhas already returned and is hiding in asecret place ready to be revealed at a cer-tain time or at the juncture of certainevents.

The words of the New Testament arepresented with a great sense of urgency.Such expressions as: ÒThe time is at hand;the end of the world; behold I comequicklyÓ made a deep impression onChristians of the first century. To a largedegree, first century Christians viewedthe Bible in eschatological terms. In otherwords, they thought that they were livingin the end times and that the return ofJesus Christ was imminent.

The Apostle Paul wrote his second

epistle to the Thessalonians to clarify mis-understandings that some of them werepromoting concerning the second comingof Christ. Paul wrote: ÒNow, brethren,concerning the coming of our Lord JesusChrist and our gathering together to Him,we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mindor troubled, either by spirit or by word orby letter, as if from us, as though the dayof Christ had come. Let no one deceiveyou by any means; for that Day will notcome unless the falling away comes first,and the man of sin is revealed, the son ofperditionÓ (2 Thessalonians 2:1Ð3).

Just as Christ warned His disciplesabout deception, so did Paul. Both Pauland Christ gave some definite signs and

In This Issue...MaMay Thy They Rey Rest In Pest In Peace — Kids Killing Kids — Global Banking — eace — Kids Killing Kids — Global Banking —

India and PIndia and Pakistan — Fakistan — Fascism Rascism Returns to Europeeturns to Europe

August 1998 Vol. 1, No. 1

Why World News and Prophecy?

When the sense of urgency diminishes from the message of the church, the zeal of the people fades accordingly.

by Donald Ward

WW

(See ÒWHY?,Ó page 3)

The United Church of God provides World News andProphecy (WNP) as an educational service for interestedpersons. The purpose of WNP is to help readers discernthe times and increase their awareness and understandingof current events in the light of Bible prophecy. Althoughthe staff strives for truth and accuracy in its reporting,analysis, and Bible commentary, WNP is not a doctrinalpublication. Articles do undergo both an editorial and areview process.

World News and Prophecy is published monthlyby the United Church of God, an InternationalAssociation. Printed in the U.S.A.

The mission of World News and Prophecy (WNP)is to provide our membership and interested personswith commentary and analysis of selected world newstopics in the light of Bible prophecy.

Its purpose is to help readers discern the times andincrease their awareness and understanding of theanswers Christ gave to His disciplesÕ questions: ÒTell us,when will these things be? And what will be the sign ofYour coming, and of the end of the age?Ó (Matthew 24:3).

Editor: Don WardManaging editor: Darris McNeely

Senior editor: Melvin RhodesContributing editor: John Ross Schroeder

Copy editor: Cecil E. MaranvilleLayout/design: Peter W. Eddington

Scriptural references are from the New KingJames Version (© 1988 Thomas Nelson, Inc.,Publishers) unless otherwise noted.

Subscriptions: World News and Prophecy is sentfree to the membership of the United Church of God,and all who request it. There is no subscription price.To request a subscription, write to World News andProphecy, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027, or download a copy off our Web site athttp://www.ucg.org

Address changes: POSTMASTERÑSend addresschanges to World News and Prophecy, P.O. Box 541027,Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027.

International addresses:

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Internet access on your computer:

The United Church of God, an International Association,has a home page on the InternetÕs World Wide Web. Theaddress http://www.ucg.org gives you access to generalinformation and news about the Church, issues of TheGood News and United News, as well as our booklets.The address http://www.ucg.ca accesses the ChurchÕsCanadian Web site, http://www.ucg-aus.org.au theChurchÕs Australian Web site, http://www.labuonan-otizia.org the ChurchÕs Italian Web site, andhttp://www.ucg.org.za the ChurchÕs Southern AfricaWeb site.

2 World News and Prophecy

August 1998 Vol. 1, No. 1 ContentsWhy World News and Prophecy?

by Donald Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1

The Achilles’ Heel of Global Banking by Mario Seiglie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4

The India/Pakistan Weapons Conundrumby John Ross Schroeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

Fascism Returns to Europeby Melvin Rhodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

May They Rest in Peaceby Darris McNeely. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10

Kids Killing Kidsby Cecil E. Maranville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12

In Brief... World News Reviewby John Ross Schroeder

and Darris McNeely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14

details of events that must transpire, before the return of Christ.The eschatological fervor of Christians has waxed hot and

cold through the centuries. The writings and teachings of theChurch of God in the twentieth century reflect a strong eschato-logical orientation. But in recent years, the eschatological fervorof the churchÕs teaching and preaching has diminished. Is there arelationship between spiritual zeal and a sense of urgency in achurchÕs preaching and teaching? There is no scientific way thatI know of to objectively answer that question. But from a prag-matic, historical point of view, there is some evidence to supportthat claim. The teaching and preaching of the prophets, apostles

and Christ resounds with a great sense of urgency. Through thecenturies God has raised up individuals who began to preach thesoon coming of the kingdom of God and people responded to themessage and the sense of urgency. When the sense of urgencydiminishes from the message of the church, the zeal of the peo-ple fades accordingly.

Perhaps some have become weary of Ògun lapÓ prophecy.Most of us will remember the story of the little boy watchingsheep for his father who gave false cries of Òwolf, wolfÓ and wea-ried the townspeople who ran to his aid. When the real wolfcame, no one responded to the boyÕs cries.

For over fifty years, the church of God has heard the alarmsounded. In some cases dates were set. The dates cameÑtimepassedÑand nothing happened. Moreover, the church has experi-enced many other traumatic events that resulted in a scattering ofthe flock. But the misinterpretation of end timeÑor any set of trag-ic eventsÑdoes not negate end time prophecies. Though falsealarms may weary people, they do not do away with Òthe wolf.Ó

The word of God is true. The Apostle Peter wrote: ÒAnd sowe have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well toheed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns andthe morning star rises in your hearts...for prophecy never cameby the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they weremoved by the Holy SpiritÓ (2 Peter 1:19, 21).

We will do our level best to rightly divide the word of truth.The publication is not a doctrinal treatise. The material is pre-sented to help stimulate your thinking and motivate you to watchand pray.

In times like these, it is easy to fall into the attitude of, ÒMymaster is delaying his comingÓ and Òbegin to beat [our] fellowservantsÓ (Matthew 24:48, 49). The person who falls into thisframe of mind, and action, will not be prepared for the return ofChrist (Matthew 24:51).

ÒThen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ÔNowfive of them were wise, and five were foolishÕÓ (Matthew25:1Ð2). Note the time frame. (There should be no chapter breakbetween Matthew 24 and 25.) When will the kingdom of heavenbe likened unto ten virgins? Answer, Òthen!Ó That is, when peo-ple begin to say in their heart that Christ delays his coming andbegin smiting their fellow servants. That attitude and action is thetime period in which the kingdom of heaven will be likened untoten virginsÑfive wiseÑand five foolish.

Contrast the attitude of Òmy master is delaying His comingÓwith, ÒWatch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lordis coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man iscoming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful andwise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, togive them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom hismaster, when he comes, will find so doingÓ (Matthew 24:42,44Ð46). ÒSo doingÓ refers to watching and praying so you will beready. Obviously, so doing can refer to doing the work of God ingeneral, but in this context, it refers to watching and praying forthe purpose of being ready for the return of Christ.

The book of Revelation pronounces seven beatitudes orblessings. LetÕs focus on three of these beatitudes.

In Revelation 1:3 a blessing is pronounced on those whoread, hear and keep the words of this prophecy. This blessing isin essence repeated in Revelation 22:7, ÒBehold, I am comingquickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy ofthis book.Ó

And in Revelation 16:15, ÒBehold, I am coming as a thief.Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walknaked and they see his shame.Ó It is in the spirit of these verses, andthe admonition in Matthew 24:42, to watch and pray always thatwe were moved to provide GodÕs people with this publication.

As the new millennium draws ever closer, more and moreattention will be focused on Bible prophecy and end time events.More and more material is being distributed on prophecy and endtime events. Even though world news is so readily accessible intodayÕs fast paced, technological society, it seems that many of ushave less and less time for reading newspapers and magazines.Most Americans now depend on television and radio for news.These broadcasts oftentimes give only short snippets of the news.In some cases, the more relevant issues in terms of Bible prophe-cy, are not covered at all.

We hope that this publication will make it easier for you totrack some of the major items that are shaping the future of theworld and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Moreover, we hopethe articles will stimulate you to be sober, vigilant and watchful,so our heavenly Father may say of you, blessed is my servant forhe or she is watching and praying so that day will not come onthem unawares. v

August 1998 3

ÒWHY?Ó (Continued from page 1)

The misinterpretation of end time—orany set of tragic events—does not

negate end time prophecies. Thoughfalse alarms may weary people, they do

not do away with “the wolf.”

The material is presented to help stimulate your thinking and motivate

you to watch and pray.

4 World News and Prophecy

he Asian economic crisis has brought tofore a dangerous new way of making

money which has recently been developed bythe banking systemÑderivatives.

ÒIn just three decades,Ó reports Newsweek,in the May 25, 1998 edition, Òthe volume ofderivative contracts with U.S. commercialbanks exploded, from practically zero in theearly 1970s to more than $25 trillion today, anamount exceeding the size of the U.S.,European and Japanese economies combined.Bankers quickly, and appropriately, point outthat this figure really represents just theÔnotionalÕ amount, or face value of the deriva-tives, and not what they could potentially lose.But the amount due, or at risk, is derived(hence derivative) from those vast notionalamounts. Parse the language and it meansmany banks have a new sideline: gambling.Ó

The article continues: ÒDerivatives are akind of nuclear financial instrument. They arepowerful and highly complicated agreementsdesigned to offset certain financial risks. Understeady conditions they work well. But in deriv-atives, like nuclear mishaps, there are no small

accidents. And as the Asian economic crisisworsensÑand in IndonesiaÕs case near cata-stropheÑthe financial Geiger counters arebeginning to buzz.

ÒÔDerivatives have turned the financialmarkets into a hi-tech, international 24-hourcasino,Õ notes Richard Thomson, a former mer-chant banker. ÔRight now you have a smallnumber of banks sharing a very large risk. Butthis could turn out to be a serious problem ifthese banks are in the wrong place at the wrongtime.Õ Thomson points out that if one or twolarge Asian parties default on their derivativecontracts, computer screens around the world

can be hit within seconds andinstantly threaten other

contracts.

The Achilles’ Heel of Global Banking

One has to wonder what would happen if this “house of cards” based on derivatives finally collapses.

by Mario Seiglie

TT

Parse the language and

it means manybanks have anew sideline:

gambling.

ÔItÕs like a bunch of climbers on amountain all tied by a rope. But if oneclimber slips and falls into a crevasse,he can quickly drag the other climbersto their end with little chance of timefor rescue.ÕÓ

Unfortunately, as the Asian finan-cial crisis worsens, these ÒclimberbanksÓ have to carry more weight andthe possibility of slipping increases.ÒAnd now comes the bad news,Ó saysthe same Newsweek article. ÒSome $10trillion (yes, $10,000,000,000,000) inderivative contracts are set to mature

this year for U.S. bankers, and the U.S.bankers are holding their collectivebreath to see which of their Asianclients will pay up. Many wonÕt....Credit risk is the problem that Americanbanks are facing. Buried deep withinthe arcane bank statements...is evidenceof a potential chain reaction of deriva-tives heading toward an explosion....The 25 American banks with the largestposition have more than $350 billion incredit exposure to derivativesÑthatÕsmore than enough to wipe out the $250billion in equity capital that the samebanks keep on hand as a cushion toabsorb losses.Ó

The article concludes: ÒIn Asia,governments stung by currency specu-lators, who often use derivatives, arebeginning to turn on their foreignbankers. ÔThe bottom line in this wholederivatives issue is if IÕm a trader, IÕlltake the biggest bets that I can becauseif I win, IÕll go home a millionaire,Õsays Charles Peabody, of MitchellSecurities, a brokerage firm in NewYork City. ÔIf I lose, then the centralbanks or the IMF will bail me out. SoyouÕve created a moral hazard.Õ

ÒWith Indonesia aflame, a virtualdepression in Japan and both Malaysiaand Thailand still struggling, the Asianeconomic crisis is far from over. In theworst-case scenario, one or more largederivatives defaults from Asia and sets

off a chain reaction of failures. In themeantime, Howard Greenspan [aninvestor in the Canadian Imperial Bank,which is a big player in the Asian deriv-atives market] still awaits informationto see if his bank will suffer from thefallout. ÔIn the final analysis, this has todo with Asia,Õ says Greenspan. ÔItÕsderivatives themselves. We are into theage of global financial risk.ÕÓ

One has to wonder what would hap-pen if this Òhouse of cardsÓ based onderivatives finally collapses, with theU.S. in the center of the mess. This

could produce enormous resentmentfrom the rest of the world community.Perhaps a new player will have to enterthe economic world scene to avoid suchdamaging speculation, much of it fueledby greed.

In a recent interview with RudigerDornbusch, a world-renown economistfrom MIT, a leading newspaper askedhim, ÒWho do you think will be the eco-

nomic leader in 10 years?Ó Dornbuschanswered, ÒTen years ago, it was Japan:they had money, technology, every-thing. They were going to be the ownersof the world. Today, we Americans arethe leaders, and in 10 to 15 years, Ibelieve it will be Europe.Ó A presentcrisis in a U.S. driven world economycould possibly bring this change inleadership even faster, if events contin-ue to worsen.

To bring this into a balanced per-spective, it is needful to clarify that

much has been learned about avoiding aworld-wide depression since the lastone in the late 1920s. Economic lawsare better understood, and a number ofsafeguards have been built into the sys-tem. Insurance for deposits is available,and governments intervene when neces-sary to keep money in circulation. Noeconomist has said the entire systemcould collapse because of a crisis basedon derivatives, but it could be an impor-tant factor if the present economic sys-tem suffers a considerable loss of pres-tige with the world sinking into a pro-longed and costly recession. Manynations would become impoverishedand inequality would increase betweenthe have and have not nations.

Certainly, the economic systemwhich is described in Revelation 18gives the impression of a world which isrelieved by a more stable and equitablemanner of redistributing the planetÕswealth than the present system. OscarArias, Nobel Peace Prize winner in1997 warned, ÒThis is a world where400 multimillionaires have more wealththan half the worldÕs population. It is anopen invitation to conflictÓ (Newsweek,May 19, 1997, page 58).

All nations have drunk of her wineand the merchants of the earth havebecome rich through the abundance of

her luxury (Revelation 18:3). Yet at thesame time, the disparity between therich and the poor is increasing even inAmerica. Multinational capitalist cor-porations continue to exploit laborersaround the world. Thousands are get-ting wealthier, while millions are strug-gling to make ends meet. The cries ofthese laborers come up into the ears ofthe Lord of Sabaoth. Their cries play animportant role in GodÕs intervention inworld affairs at the end of the age(James 5:1Ð7). v

August 1998 5

“Ten years ago, it was Japan. Today, we Americans are the leaders, and in 10 to 15 years, I believe

it will be Europe.”

All nations have drunk of her wine and the merchantsof the earth have become rich through the abundance

of her luxury. Yet at the same time, the disparity between the rich and the poor

is increasing even in America.

6 World News and Prophecy

ateline: London ÒDespite long-standingintelligence monitoring, IndiaÕs five

nuclear tests on land 13 May, 1998 took the worldby surpriseÓ (Strategic Comments, June, 1998).

So much for stability in an uncertain age. TwoEastern nationsÑIndia and PakistanÑthreatenedthe peace and well-being of the world with theirrecent nuclear tests and mutual saber rattling.

Now there is no real end to the nuclear threatin sight. Clearly, if a larger number of countriesdevelop or gain access to these nightmare weapons,the world will become a much less-safe place. TheWest has every reason for limiting the nuclearspread. Yet Libya, Iran, Iraq and possibly NorthKorea, are seen as nations with the worrying capac-ity to gain nuclear arsenals in the not-too-distantfuture.

A Sobering Press Briefing

This writer recently attended a London pressbriefing at the Foreign Press Association where Dr.Gerald Segal, Director of Studies at theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies, ana-lyzed the recent India/Pakistan developments in thelight of the overall nuclear threat to humanity.

Gerald Segal lamented the harm done to thediscernible progress that had previously been madein limiting the nuclear threat in the world. Hepointed out that drastic cuts in such weaponry hadalready occurred in some very prominent countries(the U.S.A., Russia, Britain) and also said thatSouth Africa and Brazil had apparently pulled outof the atomic race altogether.

Dr. Segal also spoke of these most recent testsin terms of Òa wakeup call to us all,Ó and remindedthe journalists in attendance that Òif we get itwrong,Ó there is an increased threat to human sur-vival on this planet.

The Director of Strategic Studies shockedsome of us when he firmly stated that China wasthe number one reason for India possessing anddeveloping nuclear weaponry. Particularly in thelong term India is far more afraid of China thanPakistan. Many international observers have

“If we get itwrong,”

there is anincreasedthreat to

human sur-vival on this

planet.

The India/PakistanWeapons Conundrum

The more nuclear powers, the more other nations feel it absolutely necessary to develop and add weapons of this nature to their defense arsenals.

by John Ross Schroeder

DD

The India/Pakistani The India/Pakistani WWarar ThrThreateat

ÒDespite Western intelligence servicesÕ uncertainty aboutdetails, both New Delhi and Islamabad have clearly demonstrat-ed the capability to deploy nuclear weapons on attack aircraftand ballistic missiles, and are likely to do this in the near future.Neither countryÕs leadership is aiming at nuclear war, but theirpoor intelligence services, relatively inefficient military com-munications and deeply ingrained mutual paranoia mean thatthe possibility of catastrophic mistakes is very realÓ (StrategicComments, June, 1998).

already labeled China as the next super-power.

National prestige is also a big factor inIndian thinking. According to StrategicComments, ÒIndia wants to be seen to havea hydrogen bomb both because thesedevices are vastly more destructive than fis-sion bombs (as used in Hiroshima in 1945)and for reasons of national prestige.

ÒThe possession of such weaponswould clearly raise India above Pakistan,andÑso Indians thinkÑplace them in theclub of the five recognized nuclear-weaponsstates [The United States, Russia, Britain,France and China]. These countries are alsopermanent members of the UN SecurityCouncil, to which India believes it has aright to belongÓ (op. cit.).

A Growing Number

The number of nuclear powers is grow-ing. Professional experts have already rec-ognized and accepted the existence of fivesuch nations and now, according to Dr.Segal, in reality its Òfive plus two.Ó Somebelieve that there are more, Israel being oneof those countries.

The more nuclear powers, the moreother nations believe it absolutely necessaryto develop and add weapons of this natureto their defense arsenals. ThatÕs just com-mon sense. This factor considerably weak-ens world community control over thenuclear arms race.

Economic pressures in Pakistan areadding to the fear that she will share her

nuclear secretswith nations likeIraq and Iran, for ahefty price ofcourse. Westernsanctions whichcould greatlyincrease Pakistanieconomic hard-ship might driveher into makingsales to dangerousand unstableregimes.

ItÕs a ÒCatch22Ó conundrum.The West believessanctions are animportant deter-rence to furthernuclear activity,but if overlyapplied they could easily backfire. ItÕs a del-icate balancing act. Ideally, we should notbe continually faced with these kinds ofdilemmas. Somewhere we have gonewrong as a species.

The Essential Biblical Perspective

The nuclear threat is not as divorcedfrom the Bible as some people might imag-ine. Though 2,000 years old and more, theScriptures are very much up to date andapplicable to our modern world.

They specifically warn us that anunprecedented time of universal distress

would be coming on planet earth. This peri-od of world-jarring chaos is referred to inseveral biblical books, written at varioustimes by different authors.

For instance, consider the book ofDaniel (ca. 535 B.C.) written by a greatprophet of God. He wrote: ÒAt that timeMichael [an archangel] shall stand up, thegreat prince who stands watch over the sonsof your people; and there shall be a time oftrouble, such as never was since there was anation, even to that timeÓ (Daniel 12:1).

Until mid-20th century, mankind couldnot have really grasped the horrendous por-tent of these words. Yet they are renderedeven more ominous by the later warnings ofJesus Christ Himself. ÒIt will be a time ofgreat distress; there has never been such atime from the beginning of the world untilnow, and will never be again. If that time oftroubles were not cut short, no living thingcould survive; but for the sake of GodÕs cho-sen it will be cut shortÓ (Matthew 24:21-22,New English Bible).

In Summary

Summing up, this is a world filledwith unexpected dangers and new andthreatening trends. Humanity is in jeop-ardy. We all have to make sure we are onour guard. ÒWatch therefore, and prayalways that you may be counted worthy toescape all these things that shall come topass, and to stand before the Son of ManÓ(Luke 21:36). v

August 1998 7

About the About the WWeapons Crisis...eapons Crisis...

ÒIndia: ÒIts surprise tests threaten the global test ban treaty and point outthe gap in monitoring nationsÓ Ð Peter D. Zimmerman, a nuclear physicist (LosAngeles Times).

India & Pakistan: ÒEyeball to eyeball, two proud nations on a race to disas-terÓ Ð Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war studies (The Daily Mail).

ÒHow can we expect India and Pakistan to eschew nuclear weapons if theU.K. and France have them?Ó Ð Edward Mortimer, Financial Times columnist.

ÒFailure to solve the latest nuclear arms row will fuel the nuclear ambitionsof othersÓ Ð Gerald Segal, a director of strategic studies (The Sunday Times).

ÒIndiaÕs surprise nuclear tests shake a sense of security and could spark a newarms raceÓ Ð Johanna McGeary (Time magazine).

India and PakistanÕIndia and PakistanÕs s NuclearNuclear CapabilitiesCapabilities

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

IndiaWeaponsÐgrade plutonium (kg)

330 350 370 390 400 430Number of weapons

66 70 74 78 82 86

PakistanWeapons-grade uranium (kg)

210 210 210 500 610 720Number of weapons

10 10 10 25* 30* 36*

Note: *Assuming enriched uranium products resumes in 1998Source: Institute for Science and International Security, Washington D.C. (repro-duced in Strategic Comments).

8 World News and Prophecy

ver 50 years after the defeat of theEuropean fascist powers, the extremeright-wing political philosophy has

returned to the continent, once again appeal-ing to disillusioned voters.

France, Germany, Austria and Russia allhave to contend with significant fascist par-ties. With support for fascism on the rise, themoderate parties that have governed sinceWorld War II are having to move to the rightto keep up with voters.

ItÕs an understatement to say that fascismgot a bad name during World War II, particu-larly for its militarism and its persecution of

the Jews and other minorities. But, even itssupporters lost heart when it lost to the alliedwestern democracies and the Soviet Union.

Today, no extremist party calls itself fas-cist. Contemporary names range from theNational Front (France), to the GermanPeopleÕs Union (Germany), the FreedomParty (Austria) and National Socialist (a labelsome Russian politicians use to describe theirown ideals). Whatever the name, fascism isstill the game.

Collins Standard Reference Dictionarydefines fascism as Òa system of governmentcharacterized by dictatorship, belligerentnationalism, racism, militarism, etc.Ó, a defi-nition that would accurately describe the suc-cessive ÒbeastsÓ of the books of Daniel and

Revelation. The final rise of the Beast powerwill also likely share these characteristics.

First tried in Italy from 1922, Italian fas-cism seemed at first beneficial. Its leader,Benito Mussolini, famously got the trains torun on time. He didnÕt persecute the Jews, buthis troops did invade some neighboring coun-tries and Abyssinnia (Ethiopia).

HitlerÕs brand of fascism was much moreterrifying, partly because of added Germanefficiency. Hitler came to power by accident,receiving about one third of the votes in the1933 election. His party was, however, thebiggest single political party represented inthe national legislature and so he was asked toform a government by the figurehead presi-dent, von Hindenburg. When the old presidentdied one year later, HitlerÕs supporters hadhim proclaimed the Fuehrer (Leader), withabsolute dictatorial powers. The rest, as theysay, is history.

Other European nations opted for fascismat the same time. An alliance of the centralEuropean fascist powers came very close toworld domination in the early 1940s.

Since World War II, democracy hasseemed ascendent in Europe, first in the west,now also in the east. But economic problemsthroughout the continent have led a new gen-eration to look for simple solutions to com-plex problems, a recipe for extremism.

France first saw the rise of a fascist partyunder Jean Marie LePen. With about 15 per-cent of the vote, it may be impossible for afuture conservative government to holdpower without the support of the extremists.AustriaÕs Freedom Party is the second largestparty in the country and is led by the charis-matic Jorg Haider. (Remember, the charismat-ic Hitler also came from Austria.)

A turning point this year came in the

Fascism Returns toEurope

Today, no extremist party calls itself fascist, but whatever the name, fascism is still the game.

by Melvin Rhodes

OO

Economic problems throughout the continent haveled a new generation to look for simple solutions to

complex problems, a recipe for extremism.

German state of Saxony-Anhalt, formerly a part ofcommunist east Germany. Here Gerhard FreyÕsGerman PeoplesÕ Union received 13 percent of thevoteÑbetter than HitlerÕs Nazi Party did the firsttime round. Cleverly using American election tech-niques and targeting the dispirited young (19Ð29year-olds) and those over 65 (many of whom weremembers of the Hitler Youth), FreyÕs party camefrom nowhere and forced two other political partiesout of the state parliament.

The local leader of German Chancellor HelmutKohlÕs party said of the election result: ÒI wasastonished. We have experienced the whiff ofWeimar here.Ó (The Weimar republic was

GermanyÕs brief and ill-fated experiment withdemocracy between the two world wars.)

The above quote is taken from an article in TheNew Republic (ÒThunder on the RightÓ June 28,1998.) The same article pointed out that Òabout 17percent of the population is ready to contemplatevoting for right-wing parties.... Researchers ques-tioned 6,600 Berlin youths in high school to arriveat the conclusion that the majority would rathervote for an extremist party on the right or left ornone at all.Ó

GermanyÕs political system of proportionalrepresentation means that just five percent of thevote guarantees a political party a place in parlia-ment (the Bundestag). Five percent of the vote can

also mean that a small party can be the kingmaker.German governments are usually coalitions madeup of one or more political parties. Without supportfrom others, no party would have the 50-plus per-cent of seats needed to form a government, sosmaller parties are often involved. Historically, theliberal Free Democrats (with anywhere from 5 per-cent to 12 percent of the national vote) has playeda major role. By switching allegiance from one of

the two big parties to another, it could bring downa government, forming a new one in the processwithout an election.

The Free Democrats failed to get five percentof the vote in Saxony-Anhalt and are no longer rep-resented in the state legislature. But the fascistsare. They are only a minor party right now, butnational elections scheduled for September thisyear could see them becoming a bigger force in thefederal parliament. ÒAs Germany heads into atumultuous election period...the prospects for thefar right look increasingly favorableÓ (ibid. TheNew Republic).

It is in Russia, however, that right-wingextremists could to come to powerfirst. Faced with increasing eco-nomic problems, more and morepeople are blaming western styledemocracy and the free market fortheir woes. Although the commu-nists remain the biggest politicalparty in the Duma (parliament),right-wing former generals com-

mand big followings and seem more likely headedfor power.

BritainÕs Economist magazine had this to say inits July 11th, 1998, issue: ÒIt has become some-thing of a commonplace to say that Russia willnever go back to what it wasÑto orthodox Soviet-style communism. True enough.....

ÒFar more likely...if things continue to go sour,is that Russia will swing the other wayÑnot all theway to fascism but towards something nearly asbad, a kind of extreme nationalism: intenselyprickly and pan-Slavic, anti-semitic, hostile to for-eigners beyond and within its boundaries, eager toabsorb the Slav heartlands of Ukraine and Belaruswithin the Russian fold, eager to make the Baltic

trio of countries as weak and jumpyas possible.

ÒThis quasi-fascism would also, ineconomic terms, be protectionist,corporatist and loth to privatize anymore of RussiaÕs ailing industry orlet people (certainly not foreigners)buy land.... The armed forces andthe successors to the KGB would be

raised again to a position of special eminence with-in the state. The press and television would be cor-ralled. Russia would become an angry placeÑnei-ther democratic, nor prosperous, nor kind to itsneighbors. It is a nightmare scenario.Ó

A nightmare scenario indeed. But not only inRussia. A worse case scenario would be fascistdomination of both Russia and the EuropeanUnion, a scenario now increasingly possible. v

August 1998 9

Faced with increasing economic problems, moreand more people are blaming western style

democracy and the free market for their woes.

“Russia would become an angry place—neitherdemocratic, nor prosperous, nor kind to its

neighbors. It is a nightmare scenario.”

10 World News and Prophecy

ighty years after their brutal murder, themortal remains of the last Czar of the

Russias, Nicholas II, his wife Alexandria, threeof their four children, and four servants werefinally laid to rest on July 17, 1998, at the

Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg,Russia. The burial turned out to be a feebleattempt at closure on one of the most sordidaffairs of the twentieth century. A descendant ofthe last Czar, Prince Nicholas Romanov, desiredthat the burial be a Òsignal of forgivenessÓ and Òamoment of repentance, understanding and mutu-al pardon.Ó

The bones were exhumed in 1991 from aforest near the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.DNA testing verified the remains as those of theRomanovs. Still missing are the remains of onedaughter and the heir, Alexei.

The deep rift within Russia was evident inthat President Boris Yeltsin, who ordered theburial of the remains more than six years ago,waited until the last minute to decide to attend.Because he believes the remains of the familyare not authentic, the Patriarch of the RussianOrthodox Church would not officiate. Somemembers of the Romanov family would notattend because of deep-seated animosity towardthe Bolshevik regime.

TodayÕs Russia is facing critical economicand political problems that threaten to end itsbrief experience with democratic rule. A headlinein the July 10 issue of The Economist readÒRussiaÕs Crisis: Could It Lead To Facism?Ó AsRussia lurches from one crisis to another somespeculate that its current problems could snatchthe fragile seeds of democracy from the mothersoil. The article paints a gloomy picture, ÒEvenby Russian standards, it has been a frighteningand sometimes bizarre few weeks. The ruble ison the edge of a precipice. Short-term interestrates, just 21 percent last autumn, shot up to 150percent last month before coming down to 60percent; they have again climbed back to 80 per-cent. If the ruble crashes, economicÑand quitepossibly politicalÑcatastrophe beckons. Instead

May They Rest in Peace Romanov burial exposes rift in Russia. An attempt to bring closure on one of

the most sordid affairs of the 20th century.

by Darris McNeely

EEThe bones were

exhumed in 1991from a forest

near the Russiancity of

Yekaterinburg.DNA testing verified the

remains as thoseof the Romanovs.

Nicholas II on horseback, 1891 (top). People said Nicholas never looked better thanwhen he was on horseback. He was an accomplished horseman and here he is dressedin a Cossack uniform. The Czar and his wife, Alexandria, at tea in the palace (bottom).

of pottering around their weekend dachasand bathing in muddy pools (their usualsummer pastimes), intelligent Muscovitesare talking seriouslyÑfor the first time infive yearsÑabout a financial and politicalcrisis that may be settled only by force ofarms.Ó

Since the breakup of the Soviet Unionin 1991 the world haswatched and hoped fortrue reforms that wouldbring about prosperityfor the middle class anda political stability for acountry still possessinga vast nuclear arsenal.The intervening yearshave produced con-flicting emotions ofhope, dismay, and cyn-icism. In 1993President Yeltsinturned the ArmyÕs guns on the Parliamentbuilding to deal with dissent. The RussianArmy brutally crushed nationalist desiresin Chechnya. While workers go monthswithout getting paid and whole cities suf-fer energy shortages, a new class ofwealthy elite secrete away money in Swissbank accounts and live a lifestyle of con-spicuous consumption. Today, Russiaawaits word whether another monetarybailout from the International MonetaryFund, $15 billion worth, will come in timeto stave off another revolution.

A comment by communist Partyleader, Gennady Zyuganov, before a recentmeeting of the International Press Institutein Moscow, sums up the current crisis. Hesaid: ÒYou have come here at the height ofour national catastrophe.... Today we havea president with more power than aRussian czar or Egyptian pharaoh...yet theman on the street knows that this roadleads to destruction.Ó

Russia has come to the end of a 1,000year period which began with theChristianization of the country in 988 A.D.From the ancient city of Rostov the ortho-dox faith spread throughout the countryuntil Moscow became known as the ThirdRome. The hierarchical and autocraticfaith eventually was wedded to the politi-cal power of the czars. The Romanov czarscame to be regarded by the peasants asdeities, answerable only to God. InNicholas II this arrogance came to a headas his well intentioned but inept leadership

plunged the empire into a crisis that result-ed in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.Three hundred years of Romanov rulewere replaced by the utopian theory ofcommunism which also failed to bringabout a just society.

Modern Russia has become a proverbamong the nations for what was written

long ago in the Bible:ÒBecause of the trans-gression of a land,many are its princes;but by a man of under-standing and knowl-edge right will be pro-longedÓ (Proverbs28:2). Also in Proverbs29:2: ÒWhen the right-eous are in authority,the people rejoice; butwhen a wicked manrules, the people

groan.Ó There appears today to be no leader in

Russia who has the wisdom or vision tolead the people into a brighter safer time.During her long history, no political or reli-gious leader measured up to the descrip-tion of a just and wise ruler that KingDavid described at the end of his reign.ÒThe God of Israel said, The Rock of Israelspoke to me: He whorules over men must bejust, ruling in the fearof God. And he shall belike the light of themorning when the sunrises, a morning with-out clouds, like the ten-der grass springing outof the earth, by clearshining after rainÓ (2Samuel 23:3Ð4).

A little understoodfactor in the rise andfall of great powers has been the lack oftrue justice and righteous rule within theirborders. Other than Israel of old, no nationhas ever been founded on the just law ofGod. Without such a proper foundation thewords of the second Psalm come to light.Nations rage and the people devise emptypaths (verse 2). Monarchs, presidents, dic-tators, and all rulers plan strategies anddevise theories apart from the foundationof GodÕs Word. Ultimately, God will setHis hand to bring all nations under Hisrule, but not until the lessons of human

experience prove the folly of manÕs gov-ernment (verses 8Ð9). God urges thosewho rule over men to seek godly instruc-tion and to humbly serve their people,knowing they hold office by GodÕs will(verse 10Ð11).

Nicholas II, like so many other auto-cratic monarchs, sought to hold onto hispower at a time in history when the zeit-geist, or spirit of the age, was changing.Freedom, liberty, and self-determinationhad long been denied the Russians. TheCzar could not grasp what was happeningand abdicated the throne. With his murder,the Bolsheviks hoped to kill a part of theirhistory and start anew. During their 74 yearreign they tried to extinguish the Orthodoxfaith throughout the land. Churches wereclosed or left to rot. Priests who sought tominister to the people were persecuted.One autocratic rule was substituted foranother, one form of faith for another.

Columnist Georgie Ann Geyer wroterecently about this cumulative effect ofmisrule: ÒThe greatest truth about Russiatoday is that, after 1,000 years of oneabsolute faith or another, today it has nofaith and no system at all. Oh, a few com-munists still hang around, but their time isclearly at an end. The Orthodox Church isexperiencing a small revival, but it is too

soon to say how deeplyits tenets still bore intoRussiaÕs soul.

ÒAbove all, this is anage here without prin-ciple. This is not a timefor grandeur and a truefaith, but a time dictat-ed by individual seek-ing and the miniatur-ization of dreams. Andhere, in this new periodfor Mother Russia, wecome to the final truth,

one that will haunt and change this coun-try: When the United States and the Westdefeated communism, they did far morethan defeat one period of Russian history.They defeated its entire historyÓ(Universal Press Syndicate, June 2, 1998).

While a burial should be a time ofhealing and looking forward to the future,the burial of RussiaÕs last czar is areminder of past mistakes and human mis-rule. May the Romanov family and theirservants rest in peace until better times. v

August 1998 11

“The greatest truthabout Russia today isthat, after 1,000 years

of one absolute faith oranother, today it has

no faith and no system at all.”

“And here, in this newperiod for Mother

Russia, we come to thefinal truth, one that willhaunt and change this

country.”

12 World News and Prophecy

avage, random shootings repeatedlyterrorized people over the past year.

As shocking as the deeds themselves, wasthe identity of the perpetratorsÑnotmasked madmen, but mere boys, studentsof the public schools of the United States!

The potential for this kind of night-marish violence is disturbingly wide-spread. One surveyÕs findings Òsuggestthat for every classroom of 30 students, inevery school building in America, on aver-age one student has attended school with agun in grades six through 12Ó (GunÒNightmareÓ Gets Better, But Still aReality For Schools, © 1998 MSNBC,Friday, June 19, 1998) (emphasis oursthroughout.).

Overtones of shock, perplexity, fearand desperation spoke through newsreports as the incidents of school shootingsmounted throughout the school year of1997Ð98. Why is this happening? Who isresponsible? What can be done to stop it?

School and community officials, alongwith politicians at all levels,

have banded together withparents in a common senseof urgency to make schoolssafe again. While numerous

solutions or partial solutionshave been suggested with great pas-

sion, none offers an obvious or certain fix.Soberly, circumstances augur more of thesame for the 1998Ð99 school year, withmore kids killing kids.

The Profile of a Gun-Toting Student

What profile does a gun-toting studentfit? ÒStudents who said they carried a gunwere:

¥ Less likely to live with both parentsÉ

¥ More likely to be in trouble with thepoliceÉ

¥ More likely to join gangsÉ¥ Less likely to get good gradesÉÓ

(ibid.).

Not surprisingly, drug usage is alsopart of the profile. ÒAmong the gun-toters,two-thirds said they used illicit drugsÉatleast once a monthÓ (ibid.).

Disquieting trends in the emotionalmaturity level of youth are an evident fac-tor. Ron Stephens, head of the NationalSchool Safety Center, says we are talkingÒabout kids who are Ômore callous, lessremorseful and have a lot of angerinsideÕÓ (ibid.).

Music and entertainment preferencesneed to be added to the profile. ÒThe 13-year-old Arkansas boy accused of gunningdown classmates was influenced by theviolence portrayed in the rap music heplayed repeatedly before the shooting, hisEnglish teacher told [federal] lawmakersTuesday [June 16, 1998].

ÒMitchell Johnson listened to gangsta-rap artists including Tupac Shakur andBone Thugs ÔN Harmony Ôover and overÕin the months leading to the March ram-page in Jonesboro, Ark., said teacherDebbie Pelley. Often, he sang along to thelyrics, like the ones about Ôcoming toschool and killing all the kidsÕÓ (MusicWarning Labels Probed, by Eun-KyungKim, © 1998 Associated Press, June 16,1998).

Increase Police Presence?

Much touted is the addition of morelaw-enforcement officers, either residenton the school property or in increasedpatrols around school perimeters, or both.

Kids Killing KidsThe horror of pistol-packing students—and what to do about them

by Cecil E. Maranville

SS

Overtones ofshock, perplexity,

fear and desperation

spoke throughnews reports asthe incidents of

school shootingsmounted

throughout theschool year of

1997–98.

August 1998 13

President Clinton threw the weight of the WhiteHouse behind this concept Òby ordering his cabi-net to find ways to put more police officers inschools before classes resume after the summerbreakÓ (Clinton Wants More Police In Schools, byRandall Mikkelsen, © 1998 Reuters Limited).

Accepting for the moment that funding forsuch a program can be created, how much hopeshould we realistically place in this idea? WhatÕsto prevent a student from committing a violent actout of the sight of an officer? At least one shoot-ing occurred this past year in a school that had aresident police officer. The officer was on the sec-ond floor when the shooting took place on the firstfloor. Increased police presence is clearly not acomplete solution.

Potentially enhancing the effectiveness of thisplan is a sweeping concept offered byPennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher.Ò[Create] a School Resource Officer Program toplace a law enforcement officer in school full timeto spot and counsel troubled students, to educateothers on violence and to arrest those who commitcrimesÓ (Pennsylvania Attorney General FisherRecommends Actions To Address SchoolViolence, © 1998 PR Newswire, June 22, 1998).

Not to say this is without merit, but such aconcept is, to say the least, ambitious. Is it rea-sonable to expect that such a program could suc-ceed where home and communities have failed?

Look again at the profile of a gun-toting stu-dent. Broken or single-parent homes, criminal his-tory, gang affiliation, low personal achievement,serious defects in emotional maturity and illicitdrug usage are colossal social factors, not to becounteracted by limited interactions with law

enforcement officers on staff at the local school.Even if it could achieve the impossible, this isanother long-term program, not one which offerssecurity guarantees for the immediate future.

Razor Wire and Metal DetectorsÑFor Public Schools!

Some propose that schools need to be madeinto high security, restricted access areas. Prevent

the guns from ever entering the schools. Sensiblethough this is, what is necessary to accomplish itdemands a heavy price. ÒÔWe may soon see kidsbeing locked in, fences placed around school,razor wire and metal detectors, [SchoolSuperintendent Jamon] Kent [of Springfield, Ore.]said. ÔI am not sure our communities, parents orour kids want that to occur.Õ

ÒThe tough issue is: ÔHow do they react with-out overreacting?Õ said Ron Stephens, executive

director of the National School Safety Center.ÔYou donÕt want to ignore a ticking time bomb andyou donÕt want to be too Draconian in what youdoÕÓ (Violent Year Has Schools on Edge, by WillLester, © 1998 Associated Press, Wednesday,June 17, 1998).

It is indeed hard to visualize this in ÒAmerica,the land of the free.Ó

Calls for bringing the full force of the lawdown on gun-toting kids and their parents arebeing heard repeatedly. PennsylvaniaÕs AttorneyGeneral Mike Fisher has made several tough sug-gestions to his state legislature along this line.They include a one-year mandatory minimum sen-tence for any person convicted of bringing a gunonto school property andholding parentsresponsible to thefamilies of victimswhen their minorchild kills or injureswith the parentÕs firearm(ibid., Pennsylvania AttorneyGeneral Mike FisherRecommends Actions To AddressSchool Violence). His ideas echothose of many Americans.

Attendant costs of trying andincarcerating the young criminals, as well asthe civil litigation must be considered if thisis the course America takes. Again, whilethese factors may deter some from their

Some propose that schools need to be made into high security,

restricted access areas. Prevent the guns from ever entering

the schools.

Yes, the children of the UnitedStates are sadly lacking in the ability

to manage their desires and disappointments in an acceptableway. But do the adults have theheart and the sense to set the

example?

(See ÒKIDS,Ó page 16)

14 World News and Prophecy

The Specter of Financial Instability

Ostensibly, both the United States andBritain are in great financial shape, perhapsmore prosperous than ever before. Yet, severaltimes since the advent of the Asian economiccrisis, world finances have been on the brink ofa chaotic comedown. Each time saw a valiantrescue. Yet as noted author and columnist PaulJohnson recently wrote, ÒAsia is the detona-torÑthe Big Bomb is in Wall Street wherespeculative fever recalls 1929Ó (The DailyMail).

Even though there are now far more safe-guards than during the Great Depression of the1930s, the speed at which the stock marketpresently moves is astonishingly frightening,particularly to those less well versed in newmarketing technology. What goes up can comedown very rapidly. The once proud Britishbank, Barings, was driven to its knees in just afew weeks by the activities of one renegadetrader.

Wall Street has been riding high, big time.Yet well-respected financial guru AlanGreenspan, chairman of the U.S. FederalReserve Bank, worries about a crash and hasurged marketeers to effect a slowdown whichhopefully will produce what he terms Òa softlanding.Ó

Summing up the situation across theAtlantic, Paul Johnson writes that ÒIn Europethere are fanatical idealogues, hell-bent on fed-eralism and a common currency for politicalreasons, whatever the economic and financialcost.Ó Meanwhile a massive International MonetaryFund cash injection relieved a Japanese econo-my judged to be in its worst state since WorldWar II.

Prosperity Without MoralityÑthe Moral Maze

America has been shockedand stunned by a spate of

school killings callously perpetratedby young peopleÑusually one student

murdering and wounding other students.This phenomenon was unthinkable in the1940s and 50s.

The U.S.A. is the richest society on thisplanet, but moral values are often given shortshrift by the media and other parts of NorthAmerican culture. Basic concepts of right andwrong have not been sufficiently imbeddedinto young American minds.

The country is booming, but its citizensare busily ingesting more ÒlifestyleÓ pillsÑlike ViagraÑthan ever before. At 60 we seemto want to be 17. Decades ago, in his prophet-ic novel, Brave New World, author AldousHuxley described a society hooked on soma, adrug aptly described as Òthe pill of universalhappiness and enhanced performance.Ó Somepeople neither want to grow old or grow up.They never leave high school. The cult ofyouth tends to be pervasive.

Across the waters in Britain, theArchbishop of Canterbury has called for astrong moral direction. He has rightly warnedthat taking Britain into the 21st century Òwouldbe an immense challenge for the church.ÓFrom time to time he and other astuteobservers lament the coarsening of morals thattends to characterize modern England.

A recent look at official statistics showedthat ÒBritain has the worldÕs highest rate ofunmarried teenage mothers.Ó Of those thathave children before age 20, 87 percent areunwed. Yet sex without real love is constantly

“Asia is thedetonator—theBig Bomb is in

Wall Streetwhere

speculativefever recalls

1929.”

In Brief...World News Review

promoted in movies, pop songs, teenmagazines and television.

Surprisingly, the number of womenwho leave their husband and childrenhas tripled in the last three years.Desertion used to be a dubious male pre-serve, but times are apparently changingfast.

The Failure of Religion

Vulnerable young people have notbeen educated into a right understandingof the true values of living. The TenCommandments are no longer in vogue,not even in the established Anglicanchurch. No wonder one in five Britishgirls apparently tries suicide. No wondera fifth of adults in the Western worldcarry the sexually-transmitted Herpesvirus.

Anglican church attendance hasrecently dropped to all-time recordlowsÑplunging downwards at the rateof more than 600 per week, nationally. Apopular columnist, A. N. Wilson, titledone recent weekly feature article, ÒIs ItTime to Shut Down the Church ofEngland?Ó.

Small wonder then that the govern-ment is planning Òreligion-free bap-tisms.Ó Poetry and music would replaceprayers and holy water. Surely a secularbaptism is a new wrinkle on the earth.We have let our young people down.

Pope Urges Faithful to Keep SundayHoly

ÒSunday is a day which is at thevery heart of the Christian lifeÓ writesPope John Paul II in a recently issuedapostolic letter called ÒDies DomineÓ(the Day of the Lord). ÒFrom the begin-ning of my Pontificate, I have notceased to repeat: Do not be afraid!Open, open wide the doors to Christ! Inthe same way, today I would stronglyurge everyone to rediscover Sunday: donot be afraid to give your time toChrist!Ó

The letter, addressed to ÒtheBishops, Clergy, and Faithful,Ó intendsto boost the dwindling number of regu-lar mass-goers and reiterate the church-

es theological doctrine of the first dayof the week. In several references itadmonishes Christians to Òensure that

civil legislation respects their duty tokeep Sunday holy.Ó

Low church attendance amongCatholics in much of the world hasprompted in part the PopeÕs charge. InVienna last month the Pope toldCatholics: ÒDo whatever you can to pre-serve Sunday. Make it clear that this daymust not be worked [on], since it mustbe celebrated as the day of the ourLord.Ó Only 17 percent of AustrianCatholics attend mass.

The percentage is lower in manyLatin countries where there are majorshortages of priests for the large RomanCatholic populations. Some church lead-ers have urged an end to sporting eventson Sundays. Cardinal John OÕConner ofNew York appealed for a stop to LittleLeague games on Sunday mornings ear-lier this spring.

Citing many ancient references tochurch fathers, the popeÕs letter offers acontemplative, philosophical vision of

the meaning of Sunday. Sunday Òis thesupreme day of faithÓ and Ògiven itsmany meanings and aspects, and its linkto the very foundations of the faith, thecelebration of the Christian Sundayremains, on the threshold of the ThirdMillennium, an indispensable element ofour Christian identity,Ó he said.

The letter is a significant statementto the church about the importance ofvenerating one day above all others. Thefull text of the letter can be downloadedfrom the Vatican web site athttp://www.vatican.va.

AIDS Conference

Scientists, doctors, activists, and jour-nalists meeting at a U.N. sponsored AIDSconference in Geneva last month heardchilling news about the widespread impactof the disease and the rapid rate at which itis spreading. 16,000 new cases arise eachday and currently there are 31 million peo-ple invected with the HIV virus.

The overwhelming majority of the 30million people infected with HIV, the virusthat causes AIDS, are doomed to diebecause they live in countries that cannotprovide adequate health care. Africa isbeing hit so fiercely that it now rivals his-toryÕs greatest and deadliest epidemics-plague in Middle Ages and influenza in1918Ð1919.

The U.N. AIDS program cited fourreasons for the high infection rates inAfrica. One is that more women of child-bearing age are infected with HIV inAfrica than elsewhere. A second is thatAfrican women have more children on

August 1998 15

Some church leaders have urged an end to sportingevents on Sundays. Cardinal John O’Conner of NewYork appealed for a stop to Little League games on

Sunday mornings earlier this spring.

(See ÒBRIEF,Ó page 16)

crimes, deterrence works over timeÑperhaps not in time for the nextschool year.

We havenÕt even touched on the hotly debated gun control issue,which some offer as another piece to the ugly and complex puzzlebefore the parents and communities of the United States in the late1990s. But enough has been said to convey that the puzzle is indeedugly and complex.

Lasting Change or Quick Fix?

No instant or even quick solution presents itself. The circum-stance in which the United States finds itself was determined by mil-lions of choices of millions of individuals over the course of decades:choices to use or to sell drugs, choices to buy or to market violence asÒentertainment,Ó choices to break up a home or to produce childrenwithout marriage, and choices to rear children without instilling asense of personal responsibility [or is it simply the lack of knowinghow to rear children?].

The cost of changing the frightening crisis of kids killing kids farsupercedes any proposal reviewed in this article. Reversing the factorsthat brought on the current predicament is the only way to bring aboutlasting change. Millions of individuals will have to learn what is right,decent and moral. Those same millions will have to choose the rightway and live it, regardless of what those around them do.

Yes, the children of the United States are sadly lacking in the abil-ity to manage their desires and disappointments in an acceptable way.But do the adults have the heart and the sense to set the example?

People of the U.S. are not ÒcomfortableÓ with too narrow a defin-ition of right versus wrong. They would fit quite well in the time ofunstructured leadership in the history of ancient Israel. ÒIn those daysIsrael had no king; everyone did as he saw fitÓ (Judges 21:25, NewInternational Version throughout).

There is a price to be paid for such an approach to life. The coun-try is paying part of it with the current experience with school vio-lence. These young people were conceived and reared by the peoplewho now struggle to control them (not to focus upon parents to theexclusion of non-parents). The youth of the United States are the prod-ucts of the United States, in toto.

In God We Trust

There was a time when it was important to the leaders and citizensalike of the U.S.A. to orient their livesÑhome, school, entertainmentand governmentÑaround a simple belief and practice of the TenCommandments. The American anthem, ÒGod Bless America,Ó pro-claimed the stolid creed of liberty in law. Somewhere along the wayits citizens lost sight of the fact that true liberty is by and through thelaw of God.

Deadly gunfire now echoes across the U.S. landscape. Unless itspeople undergo a profound repentance, more is sure to follow. Sadto say, that will include more kids killing kids. Would that theseWords of God would echo more loudly than the report of anyweapon: ÒOh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keepall my commands always, so that it might go well with them andtheir children forever!Ó (Deuteronomy 5:29.) v

16 World News and Prophecy

ÒKIDSÓ (Continued from page 13)

average than those on other continents.Thus, one infected woman may passthe virus on to a higher number of chil-dren. A third reason is that nearly allchildren in Africa are breast-fed.Breast-feeding is thought to account forbetween a third and a half of all HIVtransmission from mother to child. Afourth reason is that new drugs are lessreadily available in Africa than in theindustrialized world.

At the last such conference heldtwo years ago in Vancouver, delegatesheard promising reports of new vac-cines. Such hoped for vaccines have

failed, producing AIDS in test situa-tions rather than preventing the disease.Other anti-AIDS drugs have alsoproven futile. Participants left the con-ference facing the fact that the bestapproach to fighting the disease wasthe one with which they beganÑpre-vention.

Sadly, two of the most effectivetools of prevention, abstinence andmaintaining a monogamous relation-ship run counter to the prevailingmores of those groups most affected bythe disease.

With a vaccine against HIV adistant hope, AIDS is with us tostay for a long time. (Source:International Herald Tribune andthe Wall Street Journal)

John Ross Schroeder and Darris McNeely

ÒBRIEFÓ (Continued from page 15)

The overwhelmingmajority of the 30

million people infected with HIV, the

virus that causesAIDS, are doomed todie because they live

in countries that cannot provide

adequate health care.