Church of England still homophobic, says bishop

Bishop of Buckingham Alan Wilson praises ‘courage and determination’ shown by gay members of clergy

The Guardian, Nicholas Watt Chief political correspondent, Wednesday 24 December 2014

In his Christmas sermon, Alan Evans complains that churches have a 'funny way' of showing Christian love towards gay people. Photograph: bishopalan.blogspot.com

The Church of England is still guilty of “serious institutional homophobia” and has yet to overcome “inertia and ignorance” towards same-sex couples, an Anglican bishop has claimed.

Alan Wilson, the bishop of Buckingham, praised gay members of the clergy for showing “considerable courage and determination” as they fight deeply ingrained prejudices to marry.

“In very few years people will wonder what the fuss was all about,” the bishop says in a Christmas sermon for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community recorded for Pink News. He adds: “But for now it’s a path that calls for considerable courage and determination. So please spare a thought this Christmas for them.”

Wilson’s intervention comes days after Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, said he was seeking to heal divisions between opponents and supporters of gay marriage.

In an appearance on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4, the archbishop declined to say whether he had dropped his own opposition to gay marriage as he said of the two sides in the debate: “If you love them you have to listen to them very, very carefully.”

Richard Chartres, the traditionally minded bishop of London who is close to the Prince of Wales, is an opponent of same sex marriage. But Chartres, who led the funeral service for Lady Thatcher, praised Welby on BBC London 94.9 for authorising “properly disciplined conversations” to allow the church to deal with its differences on the issue.

In his Christmas sermon, the bishop of Buckingham complains that the Church of England and other churches have a “funny way” of showing Christian love towards gay people.

“Christians believe God is love and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them,” he says. ”But, you may say, churches have a funny way of showing that sometimes. We still have a legacy of serious institutional homophobia, inertia and ignorance to overcome. The fact is, however, where people dare to think things could be different, think things through without prejudice, there is hope.”

The bishop said there was hope, but also danger in some parts of the world, for gay people. He said: “There is hope – I notice a new generation of evangelical Christians rethinking the implications of their faith in a far more truthful, just and generous way. At the same time, around the world, there are many places that are anything but safe for gay people.

“A Ugandan member of parliament is promising to bring back the notorious ant-gay bill that fell over this autumn. He calls it his Christmas gift to Ugandans – very much the sort of present you can do without. Wouldn’t peace on earth and goodwill to everybody be far more appropriate? But Christmas is Christmas. Love came down at Christmas, and the nativity story takes us back to the heart of everything. The miracle. The beauty of every human life is a gift of God deserving total respect full of hope. Happy Christmas.”

The bishop earlier this year criticised the Church of England for preaching a 1950s “Janet and John” view of human relationships even though many bishops have been and are gay.

In a blog about his book on same sex marriage in September, he wrote: “In the book I articulated the drearily obvious and well-known fact that a fair number of bishops in the past and present have been, in fact, gay … What matters to me is the fact that bishops have a range of sexual orientations including gay, not which bishops have what. Which particular bishops are Saggitarian, left-handed or red-haired? I know not in detail, neither do I care. I can, however, understand that curiosity about this is greater than it would be for a group of people who did not set themselves up as professionally straight while behaving in discriminatory ways towards gay people.”

Libby Lane's interests include learning to play the saxophone,
supporting Manchester United and doing cryptic crosswords.
Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Related Articles:

Church of England’s first female bishop named as Libby Lane

First in East Asia, Taiwan reviews marriage equality bill
China court raps clinic over 'gay conversion' therapy

Kryon Q&A

Question: Dear Kryon: Regarding homosexuality or transsexuals. WHY are they the way they are and WHY are they not accepted in mainstream society?

Answer: [From the Kryon Office]

There is often a tremendous amount of information on subjects that are not necessarily part of the on-line magazine Q&A database. Kryon has been channelling for fourteen years, with 9 books covering many, many topics. Homosexuality was one of them from the very beginning. Please see our "Books index page" for subjects contained in the Kryon books: [http://www.kryon.com/direct.html]

An excerpt from Kryon Book 6, page 306

Question from the book: Dear Kryon, I am gay, and an enlightened man. I live in an American society that barely tolerates me, and actually has some laws against my way of life. The church I used to belong to cast me out as being evil and anti-God. I don't feel that I am violating some Human ethic. My love is as true as any heterosexual, and I am a light worker. Tell me what I should know.

Answer from the book: Dear one, less than two generations from now, there will be those who find this book and laugh at the quaintness of this very question. Before I answer, let me ask you and those reading this to examine a phenomenon about Human society and "God."

Thirty years ago, interracial marriage was considered to be wrong by the laws of God. Now your society finds it common. The spiritual objections around it were either dropped or "rewritten" by those divinely inspired and authorized to do so. Therefore, your actual interpretations of the instructions from God changed with your society's tolerance level--an interesting thing, indeed, how the interpretations of God seem to change regularly to match a changing culture!

The truth, of course, is that you find yourself in a situation that is known to create a test for you. Right now, in this time, you have agreed to come into your culture with an attribute that may alienate you from friends and religious followers. You have faced fear of rejection and have had to "swim upstream," so to speak, just as an everyday life occurrence. Your contract, therefore, has been set up well, and you are in the middle of it. Additionally, like so many like you, you have a divine interest in yourselves! You feel part of the spiritual family. What a dichotomy indeed, to be judged as evil by those who are the high spiritual leaders--interpreting God for today's culture.

Now I say this: What is your intent? Is it to walk with love for all those around you and become an enlightened Human Being in this New Age? Is it to forgive those who see you as a spiritual blight on society? Can you have the kind of tolerance for them that they seem not to have for you? Can you overlook the fact that they freely quote their scriptures in order to condemn you, yet they don't seem to have the love tolerance that is the cornerstone of their own message?

If the answer is yes, then there is nothing else you must do. Your INTENT is everything, and your life will be honored with peace over those who would cause unrest, and tolerance for the intolerable. Your sexual attributes are simply chemistry and setups within your DNA. They are given by agreement as gifts for you to experience in this life. Look on them in this fashion, and be comfortable with that fact that you are a perfect spiritual creation under God--loved beyond measure--just like all humans. But then you know that, don't you?

"The Akashic Circle" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, The Humanization of God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)  - (Text version)

“… Gender Switching

Old souls, let me tell you something. If you are old enough, and many of you are, you have been everything. Do you hear me? All of you. You have been both genders. All of you have been what I will call between genders, and that means that all of you have had gender switches. Do you know what happens when it's time for you to switch a gender? We have discussed it before. You'll have dozens of lifetimes as the same gender. You're used to it. It's comfortable. You cannot conceive of being anything else, yet now it's time to change. It takes approximately three lifetimes for you to get used to it, and in those three lifetimes, you will have what I call "gender confusion."

It isn't confusion at all. It's absolutely normal, yet society often will see it as abnormal. I'm sitting here telling you you've all been through it. All of you. That's what old souls do. It's part of the system. …”

UN Security Council debates North Korea rights abuse

Yahoo – AFP, Carole Landry, 23 Dec 2014

US envoy to the United Nations Samantha Power talks during a Security Council

 meeting regarding human rights violations in North Korea on December 22, 2014

in New York (AFP Photo/Don Emmert)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United States on Monday slammed North Korea as a "living nightmare" for its citizens at the first-ever UN Security Council meeting on Pyongyang's dismal rights record, held despite opposition from China.

The unprecedented talks at the 15-member council opened after China, Pyongyang's ally, failed to block the meeting, which convened even as North Korea faces US accusations of staging a cyber attack on a Hollywood Studio.

US envoy Samantha Power said a UN commission of inquiry that compiled testimonies from North Korean exiles exposed the Pyongyang regime's brutality.

"They show North Korea for what it is: a living nightmare," she said.

Power recalled testimony from a starving prison camp survivor who picked kernels of corn from cattle dung to eat and of a former guard who said prison wardens routinely raped prisoners.

The UN General Assembly put the international spotlight on North Korea when it adopted a landmark resolution last week urging the Security Council to consider referring Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court.

Approved by a resounding majority, the resolution drew heavily from the UN inquiry report released in February that detailed a vast network of prison camps holding up to 120,000 people, along with cases of torture, summary executions and rape.

The inquiry concluded that North Korea was committing human rights violations "without parallel in the contemporary world," and that these were ordered by the highest level of the state.

North Korea 'charge sheet'

"Rarely has such an extensive charge sheet of international crimes been brought to the council's attention," UN assistant secretary-general for human rights Ivan Simonovic told the council.

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant called the report a "wake-up call" to the world about the appalling situation in North Korea and said Pyongyang should "listen and engage" to address rights concerns.

No decision was taken on Monday on the call to refer North Korea to the ICC for crimes against humanity, but the United States, Britain, Australia, France among others said the council should consider taking action.

"By placing North Korea's appalling human rights record on its agenda, the Council can now at any point take the next step of referring these crimes against humanity to the ICC," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

The meeting opened with China raising objections, triggering a procedural raised-hand vote in which 11 of the 15 council members supported putting North Korea on the agenda.

China and Russia voted against while Chad and Nigeria abstained.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi said de-nuclearization, encouraging dialogue and maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula were the shared priorities of the global community.

"Getting involved in the human rights situation will go against the above goals and can only bring harm instead of benefits," said Liu.

Delegates gather during a Security Council meeting regarding human rights

 violations in North Korea on December 22, 2014 at the United Nations in New York

(AFP Photo/Don Emmert)

Until now, the top UN body has focused on North Korea's nuclear program as a security threat, and has imposed sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic tests.

Under UN procedures, North Korea had the right to attend the council meeting and voice its views, but it decided to stay away.

South Korea's Ambassador Oh Joon made an emotional address, telling council members that North Koreans were not "just anybody" for his countrymen and that accounts of rights abuses were "breaking our hearts."

Seoul's envoy said referring North Korea to the ICC was one option on the table, but that council should also seek to promote dialogue with Pyongyang to address rights concerns.

Power accused North Korea of carrying out a cyber attack on Sony Pictures that exposed embarrassing emails and scuttled the release of "The Interview," a movie about a fictional plot to kill leader Kim Jong-Un.

North Korea's offer to conduct a joint investigation of the hack attack with the United States was "absurd", she said.

Related Articles:

Obama hails Sony decision to release North Korea movie - New
Obama on Sony pulling The Interview: 'They made a mistake'

"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version)  

“…  I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore." Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you. …”

A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“….. Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. ….”

First in East Asia, Taiwan reviews marriage equality bill

Want China Times, CNA 2014-12-23

Activists for and against same-sex marriage outside Taiwan's Legislative
Yuan, Dec. 22. (Photo/Chen Hsin-han)

A proposed amendment to Taiwan's Civil Code that aims to legalize same-sex marriage became a hot topic of debate at a committee in Taiwan's Legislature Monday, marking the first time that such a bill has ever been reviewed at the parliamentary level in East Asia.

Opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Cheng Li-chiun, one of the lawmakers who proposed the draft bill, said in the session of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee that it is the Legislature's responsibility to make changes to discriminatory or unfair laws.

"No one deserves to be deprived of their rights at birth to be on an equal footing with others just because of their psychological or biological differences," Cheng said of the current system in Taiwan, which like many other countries only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman.

"If we cannot break the cycle of discrimination, then everyone could become a victim of discrimination because of their respective differences," she asserted.

During the session, DPP lawmakers exchanged fire with Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang, who said his ministry favors a more gradual process beginning with discussions on same-sex couples' medical, taxation and other rights, instead of a one-step revision of the Civil Code.

Several ruling Kuomintang lawmakers also opposed amending the Civil Code. In a press release, the KMT caucus said there is still a lack of social consensus on the issue and both the ruling and opposing parties should actively encourage social dialogue on the topic.

Under the proposed amendment, the terms "man and woman," "husband and wife" and "father and mother" in the Civil Code would be changed to the gender-neutral "two parties," "spouses" and "parents," respectively.

Monday's review was only an interpellation between lawmakers and government officials, as the bill has not yet progressed to an article-by-article review.

The proposed amendment, which would legalize same-sex marriage and allow married gay couples to adopt children, cleared a first reading in the Legislative Yuan last year, which means only that it was announced and then sent to the relevant committee for discussion. Up until Monday, it had been shelved largely due to opposition from religious groups.

Bills must pass three readings in the Legislature before being sent to the president to be signed into law.

Members of the Taiwan Religious Groups Alliance for the Family held a press conference in front of the Legislature earlier in the day to oppose the amendment.

"Human rights and marriage rights are not the same thing. People are born with human rights, but marriage rights are acquired," the group said in a statement.

The group said it does not deny the existence of homosexual people, but "marriage rights are given by the state and the society, and not something that people are born with. The state and the society have a complete say and the power to make decisions on marriage."

On Monday, gay rights groups voiced support for the bill.

Chen Chia-chun, spokesperson for the Lobby Alliance for LGBT Human Rights, said the right to get married is a basic human right and all young people, gay and lesbian families, and gay and lesbian youngsters in Taiwan are closely following the legislative session.

She said the gay and lesbian community has only one request, and that is to be able to "stand like a human being" in front of the law.

Related Article:

China court raps clinic over 'gay conversion' therapy

Hong Kong billionaire sentenced to five years jail

BBC News, 23 December 2014

Hong Kong billionaire Thomas Kwok is sentenced to five years jail in the
high profile graft case

Related Stories

• HK tycoon found guilty of corruption
• HK tycoons in major corruption trial
• Who are the Kwok brothers?

A Hong Kong property tycoon, Thomas Kwok, has been sentenced to five years in jail for corruption.

The former co-chairman of the city's largest developer, Sun Kung Kai Properties, was fined $64,440 (£41,327) in a highly publicised graft case.

He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, while his younger brother Raymond was cleared of charges.

The firm had said on Friday that Kwok would appeal against the conviction.

Kwok, 63, resigned as chairman and managing director of the company after the verdicts were delivered last week.

Government ties

He was convicted of giving bribes totalling $1.1m to former government official Rafael Hui in exchange for information on land sales between 2005 and 2007.

Hui, 66, is also facing a jail sentence after being found guilty on five of the eight charges against him.

The seven-month trial shocked the city and saw the valuable developer's shares tumble, erasing billions in market value since the brothers were arrested over two years ago.

The Kwok brothers are estimated to be worth more than $14bn, ranking them among Asia's richest people.

Pope Francis deplores Vatican 'ills' in speech to Curia

BBC News, 22 December 2014

The Pope delivered his tough message in the Vatican's Clementine Hall

Related Stories

• What type of pontiff is Pope Francis?
• Pope Francis: A gentle revolution
• Profile: Pope Francis

Pope Francis has sharply criticised the Vatican bureaucracy in a pre-Christmas address to cardinals, complaining of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and "the terrorism of gossip".

He said the Curia - the administrative pinnacle of the Roman Catholic Church - was suffering from 15 "ailments", which he wanted cured in the New Year.

Pope Francis - the first Latin American pontiff - also criticised "those who look obsessively at their own image".

He has demanded reform of the Curia.

Pope Francis said some power-hungry clerics were guilty of "cold-bloodedly killing the reputation of their own colleagues and brothers".

He compared the performance of the church's civil servants to that of an orchestra playing out of tune because they fail to collaborate and have no team spirit, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.

Before his election in March 2013, the pontiff had never worked in Rome, and he is clearly upset at the internal opposition he has encountered to some of the reforms he wants to carry out, our correspondent adds.

The Pope says the Church elite must reach out to poor and vulnerable worshippers

Since his election last year, Pope Francis has launched a clean-up of the Vatican Bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR). The IOR has long had a poor reputation, after a succession of scandals.

He has appointed a team of advisers to tackle corruption and poor administration in the Vatican.

He has also suggested that the Curia's power - concentrated in Rome for centuries - could be diluted to some extent by giving Catholic bishops around the world a bigger say in Church doctrine.

Related Articles:

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“ … Spirituality (Religions)

Number one: Spirituality. The systems of spiritual design on your planet are starting to change. This is not telling you that certain ones are going to go away. They're simply going to change. Some of the largest spiritual systems, which you would call organized religion on the planet, are shifting. They're going to shift away from that which is authority on the outside to authority on the inside. It will eventually be a different way of worship, slowly changing the rules while keeping the basic doctrine the same.

The doctrine of the Christ has always been to find the God inside. The teachings were clear. The examples of the miracles were given as an example of what humans could do, not to set a man up for worship as a God. So when that has been absorbed, the teaching of the Christ can remain the teaching of the Christ. It simply changes the interpretation. 

The teachings of the great prophets of the Middle East (all related to each other) are about unity and love. So once the holy words are redefined with new wisdom, the Human changes, not the words of the prophets. In fact, the prophets become even more divinely inspired and their wisdom becomes even more profound.

You're going to lose a pope soon. I have no clock. Soon to us can mean anything to you. The one who replaces him may surprise you, for his particular organization will be in survival mode at that point in time. That is to say that fewer and fewer are interested in starting the priesthood. Fewer and fewer young people are interested in the organization, and the new pope must make changes to keep his church alive. That means that his organization will remain, but with a more modern look at what truly is before all of you in a new energy. It is not the fall of the church. It is instead the recalibration of the divinity inside that would match the worship that goes on. It's a win-win situation. The new pope will have a difficult time, since the old guard will still be there. There could even be an assassination attempt, such is the way the old energy dies hard. That is number one. Watch for it. It's a change in the way spiritual systems work. It's a realignment of spiritual systems that resound to a stronger truth that is Human driven, rather than prophet driven.…”

"Current" Events –  Apr 10, 2005 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

“… The Last and Next Pope

[Note that this was channelled right after the death of John Paul II, and before the conclave of Catholic Cardinals had selected the next pope.]

"Kryon, we just lost what appears to be a great religious leader, Pope John Paul II. What are the ramifications of this?" My partner eluded earlier to the man called Karol who became the pope [spoken of earlier within the seminar]. He discussed what his goals were and what he did on this planet that really had nothing to do with his religion. Oh, perhaps the hat he wore did, and the places he walked did, and the ceremony around him did. But this was only given to facilitate what he could do.

But you see, like you, we knew Karol. He leaned into the wind of birth, too - just as you did. He was no different. And Spirit said to him, "You're going to have a chance to change the earth because the energy of this planet has the potential of being very different. There are potentials when you get to be a certain age where there'll be something called the Harmonic Convergence on the planet, and things will begin to change. You can fit into this as a world leader. Are you ready for that?" And he said yes.

No angel asked Karol if he wanted to be a Catholic, as he leaned into the wind of birth. That was simply the vehicle that got him into the position where he could change the planet the way he did. You couldn't have had the absence of the Armageddon that you've experienced without Karol. Did you know that [speaking of his direct involvement in the influence of the fall of communism]? So his belief system not only served him well, but it propelled him to a special place that was his alone to be in, and one that allowed him to touch billions all at once. And so it was that this great religious leader, who also knew intuitively what he was doing, had a love of humanity. His favorite thing was to be among common people - and he was, every time he could be. When he got to the position where he could make a difference, he did.

Now, there's something you don't know about Karol. The last decade of his life, he was very frustrated. Go look at the pictures. Go look at the pictures of the first 16 years. Then look at those from the last ten. The last ten, he was suffering - not just with his health - he was anguishing over a situation that none of you truly know about. For in his last ten years this man wanted to make some more changes while the time was ripe, but he knew he was too old.

Karol didn't have the energy to make the changes he really wanted to make, and those around him fought him to keep things the way they were. It was all very political, and someday this information may come out into the open, and you'll hear about those who influenced him in the last ten years and helped to keep things on an even keel. He was too old to make a difference and he knew it.

Karol was not of a consciousness to make some of the changes that many cried out for - about poverty and the role of women in his organization (that will come later). But Karol cried out in his heart for the children that were abused by the priests, and he wanted to do something about this and make a difference. He believed that his Savior wanted him to make a difference, but he couldn't do it. So what might look to you like inaction was instead the pope suffering, for he was not allowed to do what he wanted - due to his lack of energy and those around him who made certain he didn't.

"Kryon, here we sit with conclave of cardinals about to meet and select a new pope. What's the potential based upon the energy right now of the selection? What's going to happen?" I'll give you two potentials of what might take place in the next few days, because your future is always about free choice. There is no entity who can tell you about the future, since it's totally in the hands of the free-choice of humanity. However, based on the energy of the moment, here's what we see: (1) You're either going to have an interim, temporary pope for only a short amount of time (relative to the last one), who will lead to a radical pope; or (2) You're going to go right to the radical pope. Either way, you're going to eventually end up with a man who's going to do things to shake up the establishment.

Let me give you some of the potentials of what the radical pope may be involved in: This religion he leads on earth has doctrines that no longer "square up" with what humanity is seeing around itself. He absolutely has to address this issue, for the sophisticated Humans will leave the church otherwise. There will be those who may even call him "the evil pope" because he's going to go against tradition when he slowly starts a process that honors the Virgin Mary more than any pope ever has - therefore honoring women within the church, elevating them to higher positions... even to priests.

He will speak about family planning, and start processes that will slowly justify it in the eyes of God [this will take awhile], but it must come from the man who "sits in the chair" [ex cathedra] to change the doctrine of the whole organization. Because of this, he will also be in danger and will have to have constant protection.

Then he'll talk about what to do with priests who abuse children. Watch for this. Even if you receive the interim pope, he'll set the stage for the radical pope in this area. For this is in the energy aura of what we would call the potential future around this grand event. The earth is filled with free choice and it can go any direction, but I've just given you the potentials of what is here and now. ..."

Former Chinese presidential adviser Ling Jihua 'under investigation'

A probe has been launched into a former Chinese presidential adviser, according to state media. It's the latest case in a government crackdown on corruption.

Deutsche Welle, 22 Dec 2014

The official Xinhua News Agency said on Monday former top aide Ling Jihua (pictured above) "has been placed under investigation for unspecified disciplinary violations."

The announcement via Chinese state media came two years after Ling fell out of political favor over a scandal involving an alleged cover-up of his son's death.

Ling came to the public's attention once again this year when his two brothers - one a politician in the coal-rich northern province of Shanxi and the other a businessman - were also placed under investigation.

The move sparked speculation that Ling could also be implicated under current President Xi Jinping's widening anti-corruption campaign.

The sweeping crackdown on so-called "graft" is seen as a move toward restoring public confidence in the ruling Communist Party and uncovering threats to Xi's political dominance.

Xi has already removed former Politburo member Bo Xilai after imprisoning him for life on corruption charges.

Hu Jintao (left) congratulates Xi Jinping
 on his election as China's president in
March 2013

In early December, authorities also arrested Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Politburo's powerful Standing Committee, on charges ranging from adultery and bribery to leaking state secrets. Both Bo and Zhou were seen as challengers to Xi's political dominance.

End of a glittering career?

While it remains unclear whether the 58-year-old former presidential adviser will face trial, the investigation could mark the end of his political career.

The Reuters news agency quoted an anonymous source with ties to the Chinese leadership: "He is under investigation, but it does not necessarily mean he will be prosecuted."

Ling was demoted in September 2012 after sources alleged his son was involved in a fatal crash involving a luxury sports car, believed to be a Ferrari, in Beijing in March 2012.

Reuters said sources told the news agency that the incident was seen as an embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party because of the perception that the children of top party officials enjoy privileged lifestyles.

lw/glb (AP, Reuters)

Indonesian Air Carriers Nose Up, Engines Idle, in Effort to Stall Asean Open Sky

Jakarta Globe, Muhamad Al Azhari, Dec 22, 2014

Residents look at an airplane near Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International
Airport, in this Aug. 3, 2014, file photo. (JG Photo/Boy T. Harjanto)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s aviation industry is not ready to face the Asean Economic Community’s plans for a single market by the end of 2015 unless the government helps reduce airlines’ costs by simplifying tax codes, curbing airport inefficiencies and reducing the cost of jet fuel, executives from airlines operating in the country said.

Under the AEC framework, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) aims to create a single aviation market by end of 2015 through an “open sky policy” that would see conciliation of its 10 member states’ varying trade regulations.

Asean’s member states of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are collectively home to more 600 million people.

Domestic carriers have resisted fully joining a truly unified regional aviation market by actively lobbying the government to protect or mitigate perceived threats posed by competitors in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

While Indonesia could potentially offer foreign carriers plenty of access points, only five airports have been opened to the open sky policy that the bloc’s members states agreed to schedule for takeoff by the end of 2015.

Those airports are Banten’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and airports in Surabaya, Medan, Makassar and Bali.

Airlines have taken recently to remind the government that they are not ready for such liberalization.

Sunu Widyatmoko, the president director of Indonesia AirAsia, the local affiliate of Malaysia-based AirAsia Group, said airlines operating in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, feel over-burdened by many inefficiencies that have weakened their competitiveness and ability to offer cheaper ticket prices compared to regional rivals, especially those from Singapore.

“We are not operating on a level playing field,” said Suno, who has been the chief of IAA since July 1.

“From the cost side, we lose. We are being burdened many factors, including taxes, airport inefficiencies and most importantly higher fuel prices,” he said.

Sunu’s remarks came during a recent informal meeting with the Jakarta Globe at which he was accompanied by Dharmadi, who sits on IAA’s board of commissioners.

Dharmadi, who served as IAA’s president director from Dec. 2007 until handing over duties to Suno in July, highlighted the problem of dangerous ambiguities in Indonesia’s tax system.

He said tax officers in Indonesia often lack understanding about the nature of the aviation business.

Dharmadi pointed to a Ministry of Finance regulation that states airlines can enjoy zero import duties and zero value added tax for imported spare parts.

In practice, however, to secure this benefit, airlines must submit their request to the government beforehand. It then takes the tax office five working days to approve the request.

“Can you imagine if we are forced to do that? We will have our planes not flying for five days. That will hurt our business,” said Dharmadi, who prior to joining AirAsia, had more than 32 years of experience at national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Another issue is that Indonesia still charges airlines an operational lease tax — an excise no longer charged elsewhere in the world.

Dharmadi said the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) met with the finance minister and coordinating minister for the economy to discuss these issues. According to Dharmadi, the two ministers promised a quick solution.

“If we can resolve this, it can reduce some burdens,” he said. Others, however, still remain.

According to Dharmadi, the cost of jet fuel in Indonesia is 12 percent higher than that paid by elsewhere by regional rivals such as Singapore.

Airlines operating in the country thus have no other choices but to “squeeze” Pertamina, which holds a monopoly on the country’s jet fuel distribution, on its terms, service conditions, and high fuel prices. “That is not healthy,” said Dharmadi.

Some inefficiencies that may contribute to higher jet fuel prices, including refinery capacity limitations; the cross subsidy system that covers high distribution costs in remote areas and fees the energy company has to pay to regulators, he said.

Dharmadi also called on airport operators — principally the domestically dominant state firms Angkasa Pura I and II — to invite the airline industry’s input whenever they plan to expand some airports.

Indonesia’s airports suffer from capacity problems, both in terms of passenger terminal throughput and aircraft slots.

Indonesia’s busiest airport, Soekarno-Hatta, now handles 62 million passengers per year — almost three times its original design capacity.

The airport is currently expanding its third terminal to serve up to 20 million more passengers annually.

Still, Dharmadi criticized the ongoing development for the third terminal.

“You can build a lavish airport with big terminals, but if you don’t add runways, it will not boost traffic,” he said.

Furthermore, he called on regulators and airport operators to not charge high airport taxes for low-cost carriers, as it deters passengers from flying with them.

Meanwhile, government officials are proceeding to with plans for Indonesia to accept the AEC’s Asean Open Sky.

Hemi Pramuraharjo, a spokesperson with the aviation directorate general at the transport ministry, said the government plans to open more takeoff and landing slots to foreign airlines as part of the country’s commitment to implement the open sky policy under the AEC framework.

“We want to have balanced proportions. If foreign airlines cannot enter Indonesia, then the impact will be that our airlines cannot come to their countries. There is reciprocity issue,” Hemi said on Dec. 18.

He said currently 72 percent of flight slots in the Soekarno-Hatta are filled by domestic flights and the remainder for international flights. Indonesia wants to boost international flight slots to 30 percent and reduce the domestic flight slots to 70 percent, he added.

“The ideal figure should be 35 percent, 65 percent for international flights and domestic [flights, respectively]. We will be pushing there, not only for Soekarno-Hatta, but also for five airports that will be open during the Open Sky,” Hemi said.

However, an INACA executive was furious to hear about the plan.

Bayu Sutanto, who heads the chartered flights division at INACA said the plan to add slots for international flights is a “careless” plan, considering the nation’s airport infrastructure is not supportive.

He also questioned the ability of the government to negotiate with other countries to open their markets.

Bayu, an executive from Trans Nusa, a carrier that offers specialized flight services in Indonesia’s eastern areas, such as East and West Nusa Tenggara, Bali and Makassar, said the transport ministry should involve the local industry whenever they plan to take any major decision.

“We are the ones who know when Garuda Indonesia is blocked from opening flights in other countries, but government turns a blind eye,” he said.

Bayu pointed to Malaysia as an example of a country that, he says, always consults with the aviation industry before opening their airports up to foreign players.

However, former Garuda chief Emirsyah Satar rebutted the accusation that the local airline industry is seeking the government’s protection from the open sky policy.

“We want to have an equal, level playing field with foreign carriers. We just want to be competitive, no more,” Emirsyah said.

With additional reporting from Investor Daily

Kurd fighters bring aid to Mt. Sinjar amid new offensive

Kurdish peshmerga forces have brought aid to civilians and fighters taking refuge from jihadist militants on Mt. Sinjar in Iraq's northwest. The peshmerga broke a months-old siege by the militants earlier this week.

Deutsche Welle, 20 Dec 2014

Iraqi Kurd forces on Saturday delivered food and other aid to civilians and fighters who have been trapped on Mt. Sinjar since September, many of them after fleeing from jihadist militants belonging to the "Islamic State" (IS) group.

Iraq's Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) said in a statement that 32 trucks carrying food and water along with other aid supplies traveled to Mt. Sinjar from the northern city of Erbil through the "corridor established by the courageous peshmerga forces."

The aid delivery got through three days after the Kurdish peshmerga forces launched a major operation against the IS group in the region, backed by heavy airstrikes carried out by a US-led coalition. A number of villages were recaptured from the IS militants, forcing the jihadists to flee west to Syria or east to Mosul, Iraq's second largest city.

The KRSC said the peshmerga launched a new offensive toward Mt. Sinjar on Saturday, capturing the nearby area of Mushrefa. It said the Kurdish forces were now closing in on the town of Sinjar to the south of the mountain and Tal Afar to its east.

The report has not been independently verified.

Dramatic siege

In August, tens of thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority were trapped on Mt. Sinjar for days in searing temperatures after IS overran the Iraqi towns of Sinjar and Zumar. Many were eventually evacuated through a corridor through Syria back into Iraq that had been opened by a Kurdish coalition of forces.

That coalition is now trying to reopen the same corridor, which would make it possible to evacuate more of the civilians on Sinjar to Iraqi Kurdistan via Syria.

The IS group captured almost a third of Iraq and Syria earlier this year in a campaign characterized by extreme violence and brutality.

The siege on Mt. Sinjar was a major factor in prompting US President Barack Obama to approve airstrikes by US-led forces in both countries.

tj/mg (AFP, AP)

Related Articles:

Alleged Fixer Arrested in Cibubur After Group Stopped at Airport From Travelling to Syria - New
Police Source: Syria-Bound Indonesians Financed by Terror Convict
IS is executing foreign fighters trying to quit: report

Pope urges Muslim leaders to condemn Islamist terror

"Revelations of Darkness" - Oct 1, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ .. Do Not Despair

There's too much information to give you in one channelling, in one sitting, so I refer to past messages for you to better understand and reference the information in order to get the bigger picture. So I wish to remind you of something I also told you in a recent channelling called Do Not Despair. You're winning! It's because you're winning that the dark consciousness on this planet is feeling it, and the humanity that represents darkness is pulling out everything it has to survive.

It Has Always Been There

Let's look at it, because it's all over the news. Are you shocked at the sudden existence of the organization that will remain unnamed [for this channelling]? Where did it come from? How could it be so organized? How could it be so well funded? This organization could have its own country soon! They might as well name it, “The Old Energy Dark Country”, for that's what it will represent.

The barbaric past of humanity comes forward to show its face. It has always been there, hiding under the rocks and between the cracks of civilized humanity. It couldn't show itself until now, but now it has to. It's ugly and it's not for the faint at heart, is it, dear ones? Seeing evil personified in Human action is abhorrent. It is so ugly and so dark that you cannot look upon it with a gentle heart. God is not a part of it and this is obvious.

You're winning! Light is winning! The uprising of dark consciousness would not have shown itself with this strength, or this quickly, if this were not so. This is exactly what I told you to look for, and it is proof that those representing this dark consciousness are in trouble. Dear ones, dark consciousness has always had a tried-and-true system. It lurks in the shadows and influences all the power places of the planet - government, commerce, finance. Suddenly, it can't hide there as well anymore and it's out in the open.

Where is the funding coming from? It is coming from a storehouse that has always been there, dear ones. It uses income that has been generated from low consciousness acts, collected for a very long time. Funding didn't just appear. It has been stored, waiting to be used in order to spread fear and darkness to save what they believe is their way.

Who Will Win?

Dear ones, they haven't got a chance! But it looks like they do, doesn't it? Everything that they are doing is calculated to scare you into submission. Are they winning? Now, that's a question I want you to take from here and examine every day.

Fear is black. If you're in fear, there is no light. You can be the grandest Lightworker, or even be the channeller, but if you're in fear, it doesn't matter how many years you've done light work, or how much light you've accumulated personally. It all goes away with fear, and then they've won the battle for your mind. Do you understand this?

The Strength of the Old Soul - YOU

Old souls, Lightworkers reading this, the experiences you have had over lifetimes and lifetimes are incredible! The old soul knows fear. I don't want to be too graphic, but I want you to understand! What was it like when you put your head in the guillotine because you talked about God in a way that was inappropriate? What was it like to be bound hand and foot when they lit the match at your feet? Old soul, that's fear! You carry those experiences in your Akash.

I want to tell you they haven't got a chance to scare you! You absolutely know what fear is, and they haven't got a chance as long as you cling to that part of you that is the strength of God. You've been through it all. That means you've got the weapons of truth, wisdom and light. Don't forget it. Don't forget who you are!

Do you see how fast they assembled? It seemed like only yesterday that there was no organization at all. Where did they come from? Have you noticed a certain hesitancy to fight them? Why is it that the citizens of the lands that they are invading are hesitant to fight them? Instead, these leaders are calling on others to help. Why is it that the others are also hesitant? I want to show you that there are some anomalies of logic that are not making sense, because this is a battle you have never seen before on this planet. We've expected it, but you haven't. It's about consciousness, not land or resources.

How to Win?

We gave you the secret before of how to defeat them without taking even one life: Simply take away their funding. They cannot exist without their funding. The funding has to be organized, stored, and distributed. It has to be generated in such a way that it must also go through institutions. Did you hear that? All you have to do is stop the system. Winning won't be done with bombing. It's going to be done with intelligence, clever thinking and financial forensics. It's time to get smart on some of these things and not to be afraid to look at this puzzle differently than you have before. Do not apply the energy they are using in order to fight them, because you won't win. Figure it out. It's the last bastion of organized darkness and evil thinking on this planet coming together to try to survive the assault of your light. Don't be afraid to look at the funding trail, no matter where it takes you.

Fear is Their Weapon

I want you to know something as you look at your news. It may appear that you are unable to stop them. In many places, they will gain strength as they create fear. The fear is easily created in those who are not old souls and who don't know fear like you do and who don't have the armor of your spiritual experiences. This puts you in the front line, dear one. Did you realize that? But you don't have to go fight them on their terms. All you have to do is broadcast light. High consciousness will beat fear any day.. .”