A Good New Years Resolution.

Many people make different resolutions on New Years Eve.  Some vow to quit smoking, or drinking.  Some vow to lose weight or work out more.  Some vow to be a nicer person or stop doing a nasty habit.

Here is my New Years Resolution:

Iranians Decide To Keep Christian Pastor In Prison For Another Year Hoping To Force His Conversion To Islam

Hat tip to Holger Awakens

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was arrested in his home city of Rasht, Iran on October 13, 2009.  He was charged with ‘apostasy’ (renunciation of a religion) and ‘evangelim’. Yousef was tried on Sept. 21–22, 2010 by the 1st Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal and sentenced to death on Nov. 13 for apostasy.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been under the death threat since 2009.  The Iranian government has imprisoned and torture Pastor Nadarkhani for the last 3 years.

An Iranian court is likely to delay its verdict in a case concerning Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who is facing death penalty for converting to Christianity, to allow authorities to further coerce him to convert to Islam as he remains in jail.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

The evangelical pastor’s lawyer has learned that the head of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, has asked the presiding judge over the trial, Ghazi Kashani, to delay the pending judgment and keep him in prison for another year, Present Truth Ministries said in a statement Thursday.

Nadarkhani, a 32-year-old house church leader from the Church of Iran denomination, was convicted of apostasy last year and was sentenced to death by hanging. However, the Supreme Court of Iran asked for the retrial of his case by a lower court in the city of Rasht in northern Gilan Province.

The deliberate delay is meant to let the case “slip away from international attention” even as the authorities continue to “use whatever means necessary to cause him to convert to Islam,” said Jason DeMars, the founder of the ministry that was first to report on the pastor’s arrest two years ago.

It was earlier learnt that the court in Rasht had asked Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the highest ranking political and religious authority in Shi’a-majority Iran, to rule on whether the pastor should be put to death.

The pastor was arrested in October 2009 from Rasht for allegedly protesting Islamic instruction in schools for his children, Daniel, 9, and Yoel, 7, and after he sought to register his church. Authorities, however, later changed the charges to apostasy. He has been lodged in a prison in Lakan, about seven miles south of Rasht, since then.

In June 2010, authorities also arrested pastor’s wife Fatemah Pasindedih to pressure him to convert. During this time their boys went to live with a relative. Yousef and his wife were also threatened that their children would be taken away and given to a Muslim family, but they remained firm. Pasindedih was later released.

The Rasht court convicted the pastor of leaving Islam and sentenced him to death in November 2010.

The pastor appealed against the Rasht court’s ruling at the Supreme Court in December 2010, as apostasy is not a crime as per Iran’s penal code. The court, however, held in June 2011 that apostasy was still punishable under Sharia or Islamic law but asked the lower court to reexamine whether Nadarkhani was a believer in Islam when he adopted Christianity at the age of 19.

During the hearings held in September 2011, Pastor Nadarkhani was told by authorities that he would be given three opportunities to embrace Islam and renounce his faith in Christianity to have the charges removed. But he refused to do so.

On Sept. 26, the court determined that Youcef was a Muslim when he adopted Christianity because he was born in a Muslim family. All witnesses stated that he did not practice Islam, yet the court inexplicably determined he was a national apostate.

While the court is likely to wait for another year before reaching a decision, “there are no assurances that he will not be executed,” warned the ministry. “It could happen at any time. This is the way that the Iranian government operates with executions. They do not give advance notice and it is done in secret.”

Finish reading here.

The Iranians are giving themselves another year of imprisonment and torture to force this good man to renounce the faith he loves and embrace the horror of Islam.  This is how Islam has converted millions over the years.  Not by logical arguments, but by torture and the sword.

As long as Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani refuses to convert, he will stay alive.  The minute he converts, they will kill him for blasphemy.

Pray for the safety of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani.  He is in the lion's den.  May G-d send one of his angels to stand besides him.


By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

In The Beginning...

I originally published this post in 2008 on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission.  I feel that tonight is a good time to repost it.  I do hope you enjoy it.

Three words read by William Anders aboard the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve 1968.

1968 was our Annus horribilis. It was a year of unrest at the Democratic National Convention. It was the year that saw the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. It was a year in which riots and protests were the daily fare on the nightly newscasts. It was a year in which America felt at its lowest point. And America needed a boost.

When the Apollo 8 mission was originally planned the mission was not suppose to go to the moon. It was suppose to be in a low Earth orbit checking out the systems on the Command module and possibly the lunar module if one had been ready by then. Instead the mission was changed and Apollo 8 would be the first manned mission to go to the moon. In itself it would be a very dangerous mission, the first of anything is alway a dangerous mission to accomplish. Because of the nature of the mission and the decision to change it, the true mission was kept a secret from the public until the official announcement on 12 November 1968, less than 40 days before the scheduled launch.

Apollo 8 launched at 7:51:00 a.m. on December 21, 1968. During the flight, three fellow astronauts served on the ground as capsule communicators (usually referred to as "CAPCOMs") on a rotating schedule. The CAPCOMs were the only people who regularly communicated with the crew. Michael Collins was the first CAPCOM on duty and at 2 hours, 27 minutes and 22 seconds after launch radioed, "Apollo 8. You are Go for TLI". This communication signified that Mission Control had given official permission for Apollo 8 to go to the moon. Over the next twelve minutes before the TLI burn, the Apollo 8 crew continued to monitor the spacecraft and the rocket. The S-IVB third stage rocket ignited on time and burned perfectly for 5 minutes and 17 seconds. The burn increased the velocity of Apollo 8 to 35,505 feet per second (10,822 m/s) and the spacecraft's altitude at the end of the burn was 215.4 miles (346.7 km). At this time, the crew also set the record for the highest speed humans had ever traveled.

Five hours after launch, Mission Control sent a command to the S-IVB booster to vent its remaining fuel through its engine bell to change the booster's trajectory. This S-IVB would then pass the Moon and enter into a solar orbit, posing no further hazard to Apollo 8. The S-IVB subsequently went into a 0.99 by 0.92 AU solar orbit with an inclination of 23.47° and a period of 340.80 days.

The Apollo 8 crew were the first humans to pass through the Van Allen radiation belts, which extend up to 15,000 miles (25,000 km) from Earth. Scientists predicted that passing through the belts quickly at the spacecraft's high speed would cause a radiation dosage of no more than a chest X-ray, or 1 milligray (during the course of a year, the average human receives a dose of 2 to 3 mGy). To record the actual radiation dosages, each crew member wore a Personal Radiation Dosimeter that transmitted data to Earth as well as three passive film dosimeters that showed the cumulative radiation experienced by the crew. By the end of the mission, the crew experienced an average radiation dose of 1.6 mGy.

At about 55 hours and 40 minutes into the flight, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to enter the gravitational sphere of influence of another celestial body. At 64 hours into the flight, the crew began to prepare for Lunar Orbit Insertion-1 (LOI-1). This maneuver had to be performed perfectly, and due to orbital mechanics had to be on the far side of the Moon, out of contact with the Earth. After Mission Control was polled for a Go/No Go decision, the crew was told at 68 hours, they were Go and "riding the best bird we can find". At 68 hours and 58 minutes, the spacecraft went behind the Moon and out of radio contact with the Earth.

When the spacecraft came out from behind the Moon for its fourth pass across the front, the crew witnessed an event no one had ever seen — Earthrise. Borman saw the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon and called in excitement to the others, taking a black-and-white photo as he did so: Earthrise, seen for the first time by human eyes. In the ensuing scramble Anders took the more famous color photo, later picked by Life magazine as one of its hundred photos of the century.



As they rounded the Moon for the ninth time, the second television transmission began. Borman introduced the crew, followed by each man giving his impression of the lunar surface and what it was like to be orbiting the Moon. Borman described it as being "a vast, lonely, forbidding expanse of nothing." Then, after talking about what they were flying over, Anders said that the crew had a message for all those on Earth. Each man on board read the story of creation from Book of Genesis. Borman finished the broadcast by wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone on Earth. His message appeared to sum up the feelings that all three crewmen had from their vantage point in lunar orbit. Borman said, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, and a Merry Christmas to all of you, all of you on the good Earth."

After 10 lunar orbit, Apollo 8 returned to Earth on 27 December 1968. A successful and historic mission.

So on this Christmas Eve, we should remember a historic moment in Human history that took place 40 years ago.


William Anders

"We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Jim Lovell

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Frank Borman

"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."

View at YouTube

On this Christmas Eve I wish to again recall the words of Apollo 8 in wishing you a Merry Christmas.

And God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

A Dictator Goes...Another Arises

Sometime within the last 3 days North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il died.  The North Korean government claims that he died today, but it was reported by the state television that he died a few days ago.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is dead, North Korean state TV said Monday.

Kim, 69, died Saturday, state TV said.

South Korean news agency Yonhap -- which based its reporting on its monitoring off North Korean state television -- said that Kim had died of "physical fatigue" during a train ride. North Korean TV did not provide a more specific cause of death.

The son of Kim Il-song, the founder of the communist nation, Kim Jong-il had been in power since 1994 when his father died of a heart attack at age 82.

The enigmatic leader was a frequent thorn in the side of neighboring South Korea, as well as the United States. There have been reports in recent years about his health, as well as that power will be transitioned to his son, Kim Jong-un.

North Korean news reports earlier this fall indicated that Kim Jong Il had been traveling around the country and visiting China, a big change from 2009 when he was thought to be ill with cancer.

Two senior U.S. military officials said then that they believed the pace of North Korea's planned regime change from Kim to his 20-something son appeared to have slowed.

The son, also known as Kim, started his career as a four-star general and in recent years was given more official duties by his father.

Source

It is becoming very clear that Kim Jung-un is a very young man with no actual experience in running anything bigger than is mouth.  Although he has been groomed for the leadership, there is no sure guarantee for Jung-un that he will be the next "Beloved Leader".  In fact, unless he has the military backing his ascent, he will be taking a large fall from power.  Kim Jung-un is the youngest of 3 sons.  He might have to fend off an assault from the oldest son (who had been groomed for the leadership for many years before Jung-un was chosen.) Kim Jung-nam.  And then there is middle son, Kim Jong-chul who might just make a play for power too.

North Korea is a nuclear power and this will be a very turbulent time.  Let us pray that none of the 3 sons of Kim Jong-il don't try to prove their power by using one of their nuclear weapon.

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

In Memory

It has been 2 years since the founder of Radarsite, Roger W. Gardner has passed away.  And there isn't a day that we his friends haven't missed his wit, his wisdom, his advice.  We miss you Roger and pray that the place you are now residing is a far better one than we can imagine.

God Bless You Roger Gardner!

The Obama Prayer

From the Book of Obama

Our Gubmint Mack-Daddy, Hallowed be thy name, please forgive my trespass against Thee.

O, Holiest of Holies named 0-Bama, forgive this poor, benighted sinner, I know not what I say about Your Holiness. Forgive me, Pardon me, grant me atonement for my lack of faith in Your Works on the public dime, Your Holy Ascensions to multiple golf-courses, and Your many Junkets to raise money from Your disciples, all at $35,000 a plate.

Let not Your ATF, FBI, and IRS not hound or audit me to the poor-house, for I am with You.....Yea, thugh I blaspheme against You this day, I will be with You, always.....

I, *Insert your name*, do beseech the Saints, Saint Solyndra, Saint Soros, Saint Reverend Wright, Saint Bill Ayres, and Saint Light-Squared, to protect me and intercede with the Holiest of Holies, The 0bama, on my behalf!

Amen!

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Becoming A Daily Occurance

Almost daily somewhere in the United States there is an anti-Semitic occurrence.  What was once a very rare event is now not even reported by the Main Stream Media.  In fact, the authorities don't even bother to call these occurrences "Hate Crimes".  In fact, to many communities crimes committed upon the Jewish population is just payment for supposed "crimes" they or the State of Israel have committed.  Only this weekend this latest crime was committed.

A raging fire set by anti-Semitic arsonists destroyed $100,000 worth of holy objects in a Florida Jewish bookstore.

A surveillance camera disclosed that just before the fire broke out, several people were seen running away from the South Florida Judaica store, which was stocked with items for sale for Hanukkah. Firefighting officials said they are sure the blaze was the result of arson, and added that the back door of the store apparently had been kicked in,

“It's really a disaster here," a friend of store owner Michael Katz told WSVN television.

Katz himself noted, "There was nothing taken. So you have to ask, 'Why focus on a place like this?'" The fire destroyed tefillin (phylacteries), which contained texts from the Torah, menorahs for Hanukkah and hundreds of holy books.

"It saddens us that at this time of the year something like this is happening," said deputy fire chief Mark Steele.

Anti-Semitism and hate crimes in the United States occur almost daily. Brooklyn was the scene of several swastika vandalism incidents last month, and the same Nazi symbol is often found in other locations, particularly on university campuses.

In the New York City area, three high school students were suspended for scrawling swastikas and sexual drawings on a photograph of the boys’ soccer team.

One by one Jewish communities are being targeted and even members of the Obama Administration are blaming the Jews themselves and Israel for the rise in anti-Semitism.  In other words:  The reason the victims were victimized is because of themselves.

What will it take before the authorities finally tackle this problem?  A death?  A couple of deaths?  A synagogue destroyed?  Those are the next steps. Will the nation just let it happen without a sound?  I pray not so.

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Kristallnacht In Highland Park

Not content to keep the violence to New York City (Brooklyn and Queens), anti-Semites have decided that the Jews of Highland Park, New Jersey must be the next victims on their list.

The central New Jersey community of Highland Park was targeted Tuesday night in a series of anti-Semitic attacks on at least five Jewish-owned establishments.

Vandals hurled bricks through the plate glass windows of a kosher restaurant, a kosher pizza shop, two Judaica stores, and a Jewish-owned hardware store.

At least three other Jewish-owned establishments in nearby New Brunswick were also similarly attacked, including the Rutgers Chabad House, the Rutgers Hillel and an Israeli-owned falafel eatery.

The destruction took place on the anniversary of the 1947 United Nations Partition Vote to create the Jewish State in Palestine.

A report published by the Algemeiner Journal quoted "Facebook rumors" relating two separate incidents in which a local individual made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened to launch a new Kristallnacht -- a reference to the 1938 "night of broken glass" pogrom that launched the Nazi Holocaust in Germany. However, it is not clear whether the two incidents were related, nor is it clear whether all the attacks were perpetrated by the same vandal or vandals.

The newspaper pointed out that Highland Park has recently elected an Orthodox Jewish man as its mayor.

Local police said in a statement detectives were "actively investigating these incidents and are in contact with and coordinating efforts with other law enforcement agencies that may be able to expedite the investigation."

However, police cautioned that it was "too soon to reach a conclusion" as to the nature of the crimes.

"We would also like to briefly address the fear that these are acts motivated by anti-Semitism or that these are bias crimes," the statement said. "The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office has been notified, but it is too soon to reach a conclusion.

“All of our officers are aware of the sensitivity of this situation and we will make every effort with patrols and surveillance to keep everyone safe. We would like to encourage you to communicate with your congregants and urge them to avoid speculation which could lead to unnecessary anxiety."

Source

Where is the Mayor? Governor Christie, President Obama?  Why are they all silent on this?  Why is this not a hate crime.  Only Jewish businesses were targeted as this picture shows:  Hat Tip for the pictures to Elder of Ziyon

As you can notice, only Jewish businesses have been targeted.  Yet they are not considered Hate Crimes.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the only motive in common on these attacks is that they all are owned by Jews.  But then again according the the Obama Regime, Jews are not a protected minority.  It is open season on Jews in fact.

Once again Jews are targeted.  Once again Jews are told that these attacks are not important and just lay down and be kicked.  What will it take for the Jewish community to say enough is enough?  Will it take a death or two?  Or is Obama and his cronies allowing this to happen to appease his Muslim base?

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle