Jordan Battles to Regain 'Priceless' Christian Relics

From BBC News

By Robert Pigott

They could be the earliest Christian writing in existence, surviving almost 2,000 years in a Jordanian cave. They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born.

A group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007.

A flash flood had exposed two niches inside the cave, one of them marked with a menorah or candlestick, the ancient Jewish religious symbol.

A Jordanian Bedouin opened these plugs, and what he found inside might constitute extremely rare relics of early Christianity.

That is certainly the view of the Jordanian government, which claims they were smuggled into Israel by another Bedouin.

As soon as I saw that, I was dumbstruck” End Quote Philip Davies Sheffield University.

Republicans Are Winning the Budget Fight

The incremental approach is working and embarrassing Democrats. Why should the GOP risk a government shutdown?

From The Wall Street Journal

By Fred Barnes

Some of the most disgruntled folks in Washington these days are conservative Republicans in Congress. They believe their party has abandoned the cause of deep spending cuts that spurred the Republican landslide in the 2010 midterm election. They say their leaders are needlessly settling for small, incremental cuts.

Moreover, this demand for bigger cuts and defunding of liberal programs—immediately—comes from prominent members of the House, not just excitable freshmen. "This is our mice or men moment," according to Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Allowing Democrats more time to negotiate "will only delay a confrontation that must come," said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the House Study Committee, added: "We've made some solid first downs. Now it's time to look to the end zone."

The end zone is far away, however, and impatience won't get Republicans there. Impatience is not a strategy. It may lead to a government shutdown with unknown results. To enact the sweeping cuts they desire, Republicans must hold the House and capture the Senate and White House in the 2012 election. Then they'll control Washington. Now they don't.

In the meantime, the incremental strategy is working. Republicans have passed two short-term measures to keep the government in operation since early March while slashing $10 billion in spending. At this rate, they would achieve the target of GOP congressional leaders of lopping off $61 billion from President Obama's proposed budget in the final seven months of the 2011 fiscal year.

How Killing Libyans Became a Moral Imperative

By Patrick J. Buchanan

“Who would be free themselves must strike the blow.”

So wrote the poet Byron, who would himself die just days after landing in Greece to join the war for independence from the Turks.

But in that time, Americans followed the dictum of Washington, Adams and Jefferson: Stay out of foreign wars.

America “goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own,” said John Quincy Adams in his oration of July 4, 1821.

When Greek patriots sought America’s assistance, Daniel Webster took up their cause but was admonished by John Randolph. Intervention would breach every “bulwark and barrier of the Constitution.”

“Let us say to those 7 million of Greeks: We defended ourselves when we were but 3 million, against a power in comparison to which the Turk is but as a lamb. Go and do thou likewise.”

Vice President's Staff Lock Journalist in a Closet for Hours During a Fundraiser to Stop Him Talking to Guests

If this is how Obama's gangster government treats the fawning liberal media, imagine what they are prepared to do to ordinary Americans.

From the Daily Mail
By Simon Neville

Vice President Biden

The White House website proudly says ‘President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history.’

But try telling Vice President Joe Biden’s staff that, after they held a local reporter in a closet for hours after he was invited to cover a Florida political fundraiser because they did not want him talking with the guests.

Scott Powers

As the unaware $500-a-head invitees dined on caprese crostini with oven-dried mozzarella and basil, rosemary flatbread with grapes honey and gorgonzola cheese, grilled chicken Caesar and garden vegetable wraps, veteran reporter Scott Powers was locked away.

The Orlando Sentinel reporter was ushered into the closet inside wealthy property developer Alan Ginsburg’s Winter Falls mansion, after being told that Joe Biden and Senator Bill Nelson had not yet arrived.

They were due to speak to the audience to raise money for the 2012 elections.

He was told he could only come out when the politicians were ready to give their speeches.

Powers told The Drudge Report: ‘When I'd stick my head out, they'd say, “Not yet. We'll let you know when you can come out.”’

Party was held for Senator Bill Nelson

After 90 minutes he was allowed out to hear Biden and Nelson speak for 35 minutes, before being taken back to the closet for the remainder of the event.

From inside his temporary prison Powers emailed his office from his cell phone: ‘Sounds like a nice party.’

When Ginsburg – who has supported both Democrat and Republican candidates in the past – learnt of the treatment that took place in his house, he called the reporter.

Powers said: ‘[Ginsburg] said he had no idea they'd put me in a closet and was very sorry.

‘He said he was just following their lead and was extremely embarrassed by the whole thing.’

But some guests were shocked by the Vice President’s staff.

One emailed the paper saying: ‘I was in attendance at the Fundraiser and enjoyed a nice lunch.

‘If I had known there was a reporter stuffed in the closet, I would have been compelled to stand up and demand answers.

‘I would also like to know if this is actually legal to treat people like caged animals. I’m disgusted by these actions.’

Florida state law says kidnapping entails ‘forcibly, secretly or by threat confining, abducting or imprisoning another person against her or his will and without lawful authority.’

Alan Ginsburg's home was awash with 150 guests - none of whom seemed to know Scott Power was being held guard in the closet

Powers said of his treatment: ‘It was frustrating and annoying that I was not given a chance to do my job fully and properly.

‘This was an extreme, and extremely inappropriate way of handling the press… it was essentially a rude and uncomfortable way to treat a reporter.’

He attempted to play down his treatment calling it ‘hardly unusual or shocking’ and confirmed that he received an apology from Ginsburg.

But the Vice President’s staff emailed him an apology which he said ‘I found far less satisfying than Ginsburg’s.’

The incident is especially embarrassing for the administration because it comes at a time when the White House has been condemning the treatment of journalists trying to report in Libya.

Just ten days ago, President Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney told reporters: ‘journalists should be protected and allowed to do their work.’ 

The Vice President’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Kathleen Battle - 'Agnus Dei' - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Herbert von Karajan conducts The Vienna Philarmonic and The Vienna Singverein in Saint Peter's Basilica at The Vatican.

From the Pastor - 'Living Water'

A weekly column by Father George Rutler

Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun (1840-1915), bore the name of his great grandfather who founded the brewery. The pious philanthropist raised a few eyebrows when he donated a stained-glass window to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin inscribed: “I was thirsty and ye gave me drink” (Matthew 25:35). The window depicts Rebecca at the well. Abraham had sent his servant Eliezer to Mesopotamia to find a wife for his son Isaac, and Eliezer chose Rebecca when she offered water to him and his camels. This was an early type of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus.

Saint Augustine saw the Samaritan woman as a symbol of the Church “not yet made righteous but about to be made righteous.” Just as the Samaritans were a foreign people, the Church was to come from the Gentiles. The woman had come to draw water. When Jesus asked her for water, He in fact was asking for her faith. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ perhaps you might have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). That living water is the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Matthew 11:28).

With her limited perception, the woman figured that Jesus was “a prophet” (John 4:19). But the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well makes no sense if Jesus is only a prophet and not the Son of God. In a well known passage, C.S. Lewis wrote: 

“If you had gone to Buddha and asked him: ‘Are you the son of Brahma?’ he would have said, ‘My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.’ If you had gone to Socrates and asked, ‘Are you Zeus?’ he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, ‘Are you Allah?’ he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, ‘Are you Heaven?’ I think he would have probably replied, ‘Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.’ The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man. . . . He produced mainly three effects — Hatred — Terror — Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.”  (From: God in the Dock, What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ? C.S. Lewis, 1950).

 “If you knew,” said Jesus to the Samaritan woman, and the evidence is that she began to adore Him. We know she brought others to Jesus, setting the stage for Philip’s preaching later on (Acts 8). Everything hangs on that “If.”

Father George W. Rutler is the pastor of the Church of our Saviour in New York City. His latest book, Cloud of Witnesses: Dead People I Knew When They Were Alive, is available from Crossroads Publishing.

The Virginia International Tattoo

A beloved tradition of the Old Dominion, the Virginia International Tattoo will thrill crowds at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, April 29 to May 1, 2011.  Additional information and tickets are available at www.vafest.org.