Archives

Thursday, February 3, 2011

400-408 – Two big questions loom:  What does the Muslim Brotherhood want?  And, What do the people of Egypt want?  Today, we're going to answer those two questions.

• MEMRI (12/11/2007) Public Debate on the Political Platform of the Planned Muslim Brotherhood Party in Egypt.  This is the political platform of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, i.e., "what they're all about," as posted on islamonline.net on August 25, 2007.  

My Summary:

It would create an Iran-style Islamic Republic of strict sharia law, a theocracy ruled by a Supreme Council of Clerics, who would also rule over all branches of government.  A "democracy" in which no woman nor any non-Muslim would be allowed to run for president or lead the military.  A country that would "reassess" all of their existing international agreements, especially the peace treaty with Israel.  A culture that would even impose sharia on tourists.

413-423 –  •• Pew Research Center (12/2/2010) Global Attitudes Project: Most Embrace a Role for Islam in Politics (pdf).

My Summary on the attitudes of Egyptians taken from the Pew study from June 2010:

Population 80 million.

10% unemployment.

43% in poverty, 20% live on less than a $1.00 a day.

59% back Islamists, only 27% back modernizers.

49% support Hamas, 30% support Hezbollah, 20% support Osama bin Laden & al Qaeda.

95% would welcome a greater Islamic influence in politics.

85% say Islam's influence in politics is a positive thing, just 2% say it is a negative thing.

61% say there is no struggle in Egypt between modernizers and fundamentalists (just 20% saw a struggle in 2009).

59% prefer democracy to any other kind of governance, 22% prefer a non-democratic governance.

54% say suicide bombing is often (8%), sometimes (12%), or rarely (34%) justifiable.  46% say it is never justified.

70% say they are very concerned (30%) or somewhat concerned (40%) about Islamic extremism in the world.

61% say they are very concerned (20%) or somewhat concerned (41%) about Islamic extremism in Egypt.

54% support gender segregation in the workplace.

82% support stoning adulterers. 

77% support whipping and cutting the hands off thieves.

84% support executing any Muslim who changes his religion.

428-437 – • Ilan Berman (Forbes, 2/1/2011) What Egyptians Want: Not Western-Style Democracy.

• Caroline Glick (Jerusalem Post, 2/2/2011) Our World: Clueless in Washington.

443-452 – Calls.  Nadim, from The Truth TV (truthsat.tv) shares her ministry.

458-508 – Andy Bales, CEO of the Union Rescue Mission (urm.org), updates us on both the health of URM and his personal health.  Andy explains why giving money directly to the person at the shopping center or at the off-ramp – even if it's a woman with children – might be creating more harm than good.

• Andy Bales (Christianity Today, 1/13/2011) Give to Street People? Only as a Last Resort.  Christian thinkers weigh in on whether Christians should always give money to people on the street who ask for it.

• TMZ (2/1/2011) Ted Williams -- Back at Rehab, But Not IN Rehab.

512-523 – Andy Bales,

523 – Don Rohde @ Galpin Ford (818) 262-2092.  For the past 38 years, Don has been a sales manager at Galpin, the #1 volume Ford dealer in the world for the past 21 consecutive years.  Galpin has been family-owned and operated for the past 59 years, and 90% of their business is repeat or referral.  Galpin offers Ford, Lincoln-Mercury, Honda, Mazda, Saturn, Volvo, Jaguar, and Aston Martin.  "In the heart of the San Fernando Valley at Roscoe and the 405, it's Galpin Ford"  (galpin.com).

528-539 – Andy Bales,

539 – Robert Micone & Bill O'Connor "The Money Guys" from Applied Financial Planning at 866-SEEK-COUNSEL, (866-733-5268, SeekCounsel.com).

544-554 – Andy Bales,

558-608 – John Stonestreet, Executive Director of Summit Ministries (summit.org) in Colorado Springs, a worldview-apologetics ministry that hosts intensive conference-retreats for teen across the country.  John is also a Fellow with the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. 

• This Saturday morning (Feb 5) from 9am-1pm at Biola University is Chuck Colson's Do The Right Thing! Conference with clips from the DVD series and special speakers Sean McDowell, John Stonestreet, and Scott Rae.  I'll be the moderator.  The cost is $25, but free to students and pastors.

612-623 – • NBC News (2/2/2011) Cops Charge 7-Year-Old for Bringing Toy Gun to Class.

(1:49) Toy Gun full. (Ted Greenberg reporting for NBC News in Hammonton, NJ @ 2/2/2011. Also in the story: Brandy Smith, parent, Dr. Dan Blackford, Superintendent of Schools, and parent Desiree Gherard.)

628-639 – Reprise of first segment

644-656 – Reprise of second segment

• Washington Post (2/3/2011) Obama calls his Christian faith 'a sustaining force' in prayer breakfast speech.

(:51) PO Prayer Breakfast. (President Obama talks about his faith at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC @ 2/3/2011.)  "My Christian faith, then, has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time," he said to a crowd of about 4,000 at the Washington Hilton hotel. "We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we're being true to our conscience and true to our God. 'Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well.' "