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ThoughtExperament
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http://www.arpa.mil/dso/thrust/biosci/brainmi.htm
Click this cool link
The Brain Machine Interfaces Program represents a major DSO thrust area that will comprise
a multidisciplinary,  multipronged approach with far reaching  impact. The program will create
new technologies for augmenting human performance through the ability to noninvasively
access "codes" in the brain in  real time and integrate them into peripheral device or system
operations.
Thanks Chris
Real Time Brain Wave and "Connected World"
This thing really works!
Click this to see my current Collages July 24 03 ED

     

 For immediate release Public Art Fund presents…  Mariko Mori's  Wave UFO

 590 Madison Avenue at 56th Street Sponsored by Bloomberg  On view May 10 - July 31, 2003

 New York, New York - Beginning May 10, the glass atrium of 590 Madison Avenue will take on an otherworldly
 atmosphere when the Public Art Fund presents Mariko Mori's Wave UFO, a stunning sculptural object and
 viewer participatory installation which epitomizes Mori's ongoing exploration of the relationship between
the individual and an interconnected cosmos. This ambitious presentation of Wave UFO in New York is made
possible by Bloomberg.

 Wave UFO - an all-encompassing project that comes after three years of research - fuses real-time computer
 graphics, brainwave technology, sound, and state-of-the-art architectural engineering to create a dynamic
 interactive experience. The connection between technology and spirituality, increasingly important in Mori's work,
 is effected here through the use of specially designed computer programs and scientific equipment that
monitor and visually interpret the participants' brainwaves.

 Drawing upon the Buddhist principle that all forms of life in the universe are interconnected, Wave UFO
seamlessly unites actual individual physical experience with Mori's singular vision of a cosmic dream world.
 Within the tranquil interior of the work, Mori sends participants, three at a time, on an aesthetic voyage that
seeks to connect three individuals to each other and to the world at large.

 Wave UFO: The Structure
 From the outside, Wave UFO is an immense shimmering sculpture, shaped like a drop of water and
 appearing to hover a few feet above the ground. It measures 34 feet long x 17 feet wide x 14 feet tall.
This fiberglass shell houses an interior capsule, which viewers enter via a series of resin lily pad shaped steps.
Inside Wave UFO, three viewers at a time recline on a Technogel chair - a spongy, comfortable surface -
to watch a 7-minute projection on the domed ceiling above.

 Wave UFO:  Real Time Brain Wave and "Connected World"
 The video projection that takes place inside consists of two parts, which flow
seamlessly together. Each viewer is outfitted with a set of electrodes, which gather
brainwave data. This information is instantly transformed into visual imagery, in real-time
correspondence with the actual activity of the brain, and projected onto the screen: Six
undulating bio-amorphous cells represent the left and right lobes of each of the three
participants' brains, and a waving line moves in correspondence with blinks and other
facial movements. This instant biofeedback thus incorporates the experience of
watching the projection, and the interaction between the three viewers.

The forms change shape and color in response to three types of brainwaves,
showing which type is most dominant. Alpha (blue) waves indicate wakeful relaxation,
 Beta (pink)
 waves indicate alertness or agitation, and Theta (yellow) waves indicate a dreamlike
state. When the two cells come together, that demonstrates "coherence" between the
two lobes of the brain. Mental functions such as thinking in other languages or doing
math problems immediately transform the characteristics of the graphics.


 The second part of the projection, "Connected World," links the individual experience to the universal
through a graphic animation sequence, based on a series of paintings made by Mori. Colorful abstract
forms slowly expand and evolve into shapes like single cells and molecular structures, creating a dream
world that is at once primordial and ethereal. With this sequence, Mori brings the viewer from the live
biofeedback stage into what she describes as "a deeper consciousness in which the self and the
universe become interconnected."

 With Wave UFO, her most technically ambitious project to date, Mariko Mori adds to an accomplished body of
 recent work that has revolved around the universal themes of spiritual journey, beauty, emptiness, and
 enlightenment. In 1999 she created the Dream Temple, a high-tech installation based upon the ancient Buddhist
 Yumedono Temple in Nara, Japan (739 A.D.), a work that could be experienced by only one person at a time.
Mori first became known in the 1990s for her engaging, highly stylized photographic and multimedia works that
blended animation and pop culture with Japanese ritual and cultural tradition. These works - which often starred
Mori herself as shaman, cyber-chic girl, goddess, or another mythical character- were typically set in otherworldly
landscapes and made using up-to-the-minute technologies.

 Mariko Mori's Wave UFO in the atrium of 590 Madison Avenue (at 56th Street) will be on view May 10 - July
 31, 2003. Hours are Tuesday 10am - 8pm; Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 7pm; and Sunday 11am - 5pm.
 This exhibition is free.

 A special press preview will be held on Friday, May 9 from 11am - 5pm; please call the Public Art Fund for
 reservations at 212-980-4575.

 This exhibition of Mariko Mori's Wave UFO is sponsored by Bloomberg. Additional support was provided by
Melissa  and Robert Soros. Special thanks to Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Deitch
 Projects, and Marco  Della Torre. Additional project support provided by Shiseido Co., LTD, Technogel,
Lechler, and Zumtobel Staff, The Light.

 About Mariko Mori
 Mariko Mori, born in Tokyo, was educated at the Chelsea College of Art, London (1989-92) and participated
 in the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program. She has had recent solo exhibitions and
 installations at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Centre Georges Ponpidou,
Paris;  Prada Foundation, Milan; The Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago,
The Serpentine Gallery, London; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Deitch Projects, New York.

 About the Public Art Fund
 The Public Art Fund is New York's leading presenter of artists' projects, new commissions, installations and
 exhibitions in public spaces. With twenty-five years of experience and an international reputation, the Public Art
 Fund identifies, coordinates, and realizes a diversity of major projects by both established and emerging artists
 throughout New York City. By bringing artworks outside the traditional context of museums and galleries, the
 Public Art Fund provides a unique platform for an unparalleled public encounter with the art of our time.

 The Public Art Fund is a non-profit arts organization supported by generous gifts from individuals, foundations,
and corporations, and with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the
 New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

 # # #

 Contact:
 Public Art Fund
 tel: (212) 980-4575
 e-mail: info@publicartfund.org




Germ line Genetic Engineering
http://www.google.com/search?q=Genetic+Engineering+News&btnG=Google+Search
There are curtain thing that aught to be beyond market forces.
Gated communities: Not all men are going to be created equal...
The power Eliet...
The issue of growing population of unfortunate: Francis Fukuyama
Genetic Engineering News 1914-834-3100
Taking human beings and making people into products.
Bill Mc Kibben "Enough"  Against Designer Babies.

News:  Author Bill McKibben: Genetic Engineering at a Crossroad -
Voice of America - Aug 9, 2003 Try Google News: Search news
for  Genetic Engineering News or browse the latest headlines
GenEngNews.com

Genetic Engineering News: The Leading Publication in the Field of ...
Biotechnologies first publication in the field is now the leading publication
in the field, Genetic Engineering News. ... GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS. ...
Description: Source for news on biotechnology, bioregulation, bioprocess,
 bioresearch and technology transfer . www.genwire.com/  


Genetic Engineering News
... Genetic Engineering News ... Indexed in EMBASE,
 Excerpta Medicia Managing Editor: John Sterling Visit
 our Genetic Engineering News web site for more information. ...
www.liebertpub.com/GEN/default.asp

Genetic Engineering News: On the Web by Kevin Ahern, Ph.D.
GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS. On the Web... Kevin Ahern, Ph.D.
 2002 Year-End Special Edition: The Top 100 Sites. At the end of each year ...
www.genengnews.com/top100.asp

     Genetic Engineering News: On the Web by Kevin Ahern, Ph.D.
     GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS. On the Web... Kevin Ahern, Ph.D. Surfing
     for the Best Biotech Information. NatureWatch www.naturewatch.ca ...
     www.genengnews.com/ontheweb.asp
     [ More results from www.genengnews.com ]

GEENOR: Genetic Engineering Organization
genetic engineering with humans is going to occur whether we like it or not
Stephen Hawking ... A non-technical explanation; What is Genetic Engineering? ...
Description: Geenor attempts to increase public awareness about genetic
 engineering through online articles and software.
www.geneticengineering.org/

Yahoo! Directory Biotechnology > Genetic Engineering
... concerns. Genetic Engineering News - news on biotechnology, bioregulation,
bioprocess, bioresearch and technology transfer. Genetic ...
dir.yahoo.com/Science/Biology/Biotechnology/ Genetic_Engineering/

Agricultural genetic engineering
Leap year for transgenic crops. How to move genes. Natural born bug killer.
Will insects win? Posted 23 Apr 1998, Is it wise? . The Why Files More! ...
whyfiles.org/062ag_gene_eng/

GreenpeaceUSA - Genetic Engineering
... Publications. Volunteer. News. Rainbow Warrior Freed! ...
 Genetic Engineering. FAQs. Site published by Greenpeace, Inc. ...
www.greenpeaceusa.org/ge/

BBC News | Sci/Tech | Genetic engineering boosts intelligence
Wednesday, September 1, 1999 Published at 21:11 GMT 22:11
 UK Sci/Tech Genetic engineering boosts intelligence Doogie
 remembered objects for longer US ...
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/ tech/newsid_435000/435816.stm -

Ifgene -- International Forum For Genetic Engineering, Index page
... of May 2001 workshop on the Intrinsic Value and Integrity of Plants
in the Context of Genetic Engineering. ... Contact. Books. Book Reviews.
 Announcements. News. ... Description: Ifgene encourages a deeper
dialogue about genetic engineering by giving special attention to: the...
www.anth.org/ifgene/  

The Center 4 Genetics and Society

What is the source of the money that suports the biotech community.

DOD : Adult stem cells.

The power elite
The ultimate gated society
The ultimate gated community
"Why because we can"

"There is always a third right answer..."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ROME/CAREMMAP.HTM

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-
1&safe=off&q=African+city+of+Carthage&btnG=Google+Search

NELSON MANDELA'S ADDRESS TO OAU MEETING OF HEADS
OF STATE, TUNIS... And yet we can say this, that all human civilisation
 rests on foundations such as the ruins of the African city of Carthage.
These ...
www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/ mandela/1994/sp940613.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&q=punic+war&btnG=Google+Search
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ROME/PUNICWAR.HTM
http://www4.artnet.com/library/08/0880/T088074.asp
      Ancient Greek Pottery  
  http://www.noteaccess.com/MATERIALS/Ceramics/AncGr.htm
Neck Amphora
/08/0880/T088074.asp                                 (Achilles killing Penthesilea)
the Amazon)
This greek amphora was handmade and hand painted after the original bottle found in Athens around 530
 BC.  It depicts Achilles killing Penthesilea and Dionysos offering
his kantharos and ivy branches to his son Oinopion on the other side.
Black Figure Vases Gallery

The lips, handles and footings were usually painted black and the
figures served both for design and story telling. The stories were drawn
 from myths, the Trojan wars, the adventures of Odysseus, the other great heroes of mythology, the capering satyrs and maenads in the retinue of Dionysos. Since many of the vases were used for wine it seemed appropriate
to depict Dionysos, the god of wine.
 Two individuals are identified with the best painting of this period.

One was called Amasis the painter. His paintings were amusing rather than heroic, sometimes even comical in their depiction of revelry.
The other  painter, Exekias signed his name to eleven vases which have come down to us. He was one of the greatest artists of history and we are fortunate in being able to offer a reproduction of his black figured  vases.
Eleganza's guarantee is straight forward. If we in anyway disappoint
our customers expectations, we want them to return the famous bust for a refund of the price.
Eleganza is in the process of creating this new website to display all of our sculptures and discontinue our glossy catalog. This will assure our clients that all sculptures are currently available. However, with over four hundred sculptures this may take awhile, therefore be sure to
bookmark us and check in occasionally for new additions.
 We hope you find the black figure vase you want.
            Call us now toll free - 866-783-4867  
This beautiful ancient greek amphora vase is a reproduction of an neck amphora. This greek amphora was made to hold provisions, however,  they make a wonderful flower vase.
 Each vase has it's own story depicted in the painting. It's an excellent conversation piece.
amphora-neck-provisions
            http://www.murrayco.com/eleganza/408Greek.html

      +++++++++++++++++++
http://www.irinasworld.com/crafts5.html
http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1994/sp940613.html

STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, NELSON MANDELA, AT THE OAU MEETING OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT Tunis, 13-15 June 1994
The Punic Wars  Carthage was just about the same size as Itily


   The Punic Wars were a series of conflicts many years ago between the eventually all-conquering Romans
   and the Carthaginians, a people from the great North African city of Carthage, descended from the
   Phoenicians. For many years the two powers had enjoyed a good relationship. After all, although both
   were very potent, they were markedly different – the Romans were essentially an agricultural orientated
   people, while the Carthaginians were seafarers.

   The First Punic War started in 264 BC, and was in some ways inevitable. Carthage had answered the call
   for assistance from a city in Sicily, and as a result taken control of the island. Rome had taken note of
   this, and because its territory stretched to the southern tip of Italy, thus the great power from North
   Africa had become a little too close for comfort. The city of Messana in Sicily was discontented with
   Carthaginian rule and called to the Romans for help. Eager for an excuse to drive their rivals back and
   claim Sicily as an important outpost of their own, the Romans attacked, laying siege to the Carthaginian
   held cities on the island. Carthage countered this move by deploying its navy to break the siege.
   However, it was destroyed by a set of newly built Roman boats that were surprisingly effective. As a
   consequence Carthage was forced to retreat from Sicily, handing it to Rome.

   Rather worrying for the Carthaginians, their foreign mercenaries began to rebel, so their attention focused
   on curtailing these mini uprisings. Rome sensed that the enemy was in a state of disarray, and in 238 BC
   seized the Carthaginian held Corsica.

   Some in Rome thought this a cunning and daring move, but there were others who disapproved of such an
   act of bravado against a power of the strength of Carthage. Indeed, Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian
   General had retreated to the stronghold of Spain and was building up a huge army with the idea of
   exacting revenge on the Romans. Although Spain was a Carthaginian dominated area, one city,
   Saguntum, became allied with Rome. But the Carthaginians were unwilling to show their annoyance at  this
   for fear of Roman reprisals, so the city was left to get on with its business. As the years passed though,
   Saguntum attempted to persuade other Spanish cities to pledge allegiance to Rome. The son of Hamilcar,
   Hannibal, had become leader, and upon hearing this, attacked and crushed the city. He had been warned
   by Rome not to do so, but hadn’t listened. The Second Punic War had begun.

   Subsequently, Hannibal formulated a highly ambitious plan to attack Rome from over land. If it worked
   they would have the element of surprise because Carthage was renowned for being a sea power, so it
   was assumed any attack would come from there. The Carthaginian leader set off with a vast but poorly
   equipped army across the Pyrenees and then the Alps. He crushed several Roman armies on his way
   across Europe and was considered by all to be a tactical genius when it came to warfare.

   Hannibal quickly made progress across Northern Italy, destroying all in his wake. The problem was that his
   army wasn’t big enough to lay siege to one of the bigger cities such as Rome, and the men were poorly
   equipped. Any reinforcements had to travel the arduous journey across two unforgiving mountain ranges.
   As a result, the Romans adopted the tactic of shadowing Hannibal’s army, rather than all out attack.
   Eventually though, the masses became tired of this cat and mouse game and demanded firmer action. A
   huge army of 80,000 men was then deployed to fight Hannibal, but was swiftly destroyed by superior
   tactics on the battlefield.

   Regions such as Sicily on the outskirts of the Roman Empire quickly pledged themselves to Hannibal and
   Carthage. Those nearer to the Italian capital were reluctant to do so, fearful of reprisals from the mighty
   Rome, should Carthage fail to be victorious. Ultimately, this meant Hannibal was unable to recruit enough
   men to conquer Rome.

   The Romans had become quite tired of Hannibal rampaging through their country at will, pillaging the land.
   They appointed a man, Publius Cornelius Scipio, whose mission it was to conquer Spain, which he
   promptly did. This effectively cut off Hannibal’s supply chain, and he was marooned on mainland Italy.
   Sensing a possible victory, the Romans attacked Carthage itself, which soon fell. Part of the new treaty
   drawn up as a consequence of the Roman victory stated that Hannibal must withdraw from the Italian
   Peninsula. He did, returning to Carthage, where he encouraged the inhabitants to rise up against the
   Roman army. However, the Romans subsequently vanquished Hannibal’s army, the first time it had
   happened, and Carthage came under Roman rule.

   The Third Punic War (149 146 BC) was in reality a final crushing of Carthage by the Romans. Carthage
   had never recovered to anything like its former power, but the spiteful Romans still remembered all the
   pain and suffering Hannibal had inflicted on them. The North African city was being regularly attacked by
   its neighbour, Numidia, and ultimately they retaliated. This was enough of an excuse for the Romans to
   once more declare war on Carthage. The Carthaginians surrendered immediately knowing that resistance
   would be futile. However, when the Romans insisted the inhabitants of the city should leave, and move
   further inland, they refused. As a consequence, the Romans destroyed Carthage, killing many women and
   children. They then sowed salt into the surrounding land to make it unworkable, and sold off the many
   prisoners into slavery.

   Following on from the Punic Wars, Rome was to dominate much of the world with its empire. How different
   that might have been if Hannibal had been given the manpower and equipment he required.
  Written by Simon Heseltine

   Title: The Punic Wars   Description: Learn of the conflicts between the mighty Rome and powerful Carthage, known as The Punic Wars, which featured the great leader Hannibal.

                                                                      Copyright 2002 by PageWise, Inc.
African city of Carthage
http://abacus.bates.edu/~eklose/Timeline.html

http://www.m-ww.de/info/mittsommernacht.html

http://members.aol.com/aafri/king.html
[Note: likely the first instance of (Race Based) genocide]
    http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-frame.pl?http://i-cias.com/e.o/carthage.htm
Ancient state of North Africa, and at times also the southwestern part of the Mediterranean basin, lasting from
about 9th century BCE to 146 BCE. From the 8th century till the 3rd century BCE, Carthage was the dominating
 power of the western half of the Mediterranean.

The state had its name from the city of Carthage, out on the coast, 10 km from today's Tunis, Tunisia. Carthage
 had been founded in the 9th century by Phoenician traders of Tyre. Carthage had two first class harbours, and
 therefore an advantage with the most efficient means of communications of those days, the sea. The Carthaginians
 soon developed high skills in the building of ships and used this to dominate the seas for centuries. The most
important merchandise was silver, lead, ivory and gold, beds and bedding, simple, cheap pottery, jewellery,
glassware, wild animals from African, fruit, nuts.  Carthage was fighting the Greeks and the Romans for control over territories.

The fighting against the Greeks lasted over a period of more than 200 years, ending with success for Carthage. The wars against Rome are called the Punic Wars, and involve three periods of wartime,
from 264 to 146 BCE.
Every one of these three ended with defeats for the Carthaginians, but following the two first, Carthage soon returned
to old glory and importance. In the third war, vindictive Romans wrecked Carthage forever.


We have few sources to everyday life of the Carthaginians. Their religion had Baal and Tanit as central gods, but
 there were also elements from Greek religion, with the goddesses of Demeter and Persephone. The religion of the Carthaginians involved rituals with human sacrifice. [No les than the Roman's ED.]

  HISTORY 814 BCE: According to one theory the year of Carthage by Phoenician traders of Tyre in today's Lebanon. Legends tell that it was founded by Queen Dido, who fled her homeland. The exactness of the year 814 might be
 legendary as well.  7th century: With the establishment of Greek trading colonies on Sicily, the position of Carthage
 is put into jeopardy, and a conflict is inevitable.  6th century: Carthage has conquered the territory of Libyan tribes
and old Phoenician colonies and has control over the North African coast, stretching from today's Morocco to the
borders of today's Egypt, plus Sardinia, Malta, the Balearic Islands, and the western half of Sardinia.

  480: Battle against the Greeks on Sicily, which results in Carthaginian defeat.
  450: Hamilco reaches the British Isles.
   425: Hanno sails down the West African coast.
   396: A new defeat for Carthage by the Greeks of Sicily. Domestic
   upheavals follow.
   310: Attack on Carthage mainland from the Greek king of Syracuse.
   Three years of plundering followed.
   264: First Punic War against Rome starts and is located around Sicily.
   241: End of first Punic War. The war results in losses in the east and
   the surrender of the Carthaginian fleet. However Carthage retained
   large areas in southern Spain, even if Spain now was divided into
   spheres of interest.
   218: Second Punic War starts, after Hannibal moves into Roman
   sphere of interest in Spain. This war involved the famous campaign of
   elephants crossing the Alps by Hannibal.
   201: After many early victories, fatigue destroys the Carthaginians,
   the peace with Rome this year is a humiliating one for the
   Carthaginians, and involves strong reductions in territory and
   elimination of the military fleet.
   149: The third Punic War comes in the shape of a Roman campaign
   against Carthage, motivated by fear and jealousy more than real
   military evaluations.
[Note  likley the first instance of genoside]
   146: With great horror thousands of Carthaginians are killed,
   Carthage is burnt almost totally to the ground, and strict regulations
   on further settlements are imposed on the remaining population.
   29 CE: Roman emperor Augustus founds Colonia Julia Carthago, a city
   that once again proved the skills and the power of the people of this
   region. Within few years it prospered, and soon came only second to
   Rome in spendor and wealth.
   439: The Vandal king Genseric occupies Carthage, and makes it his
   capital.
   637: Carthage is captured by the Arabs, and destroyed, and has
   since then never regained its importance, much due to the
   concentration of power in nearby Tunis.




            "A call to create a United States of Africa"

STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA,
  NELSON MANDELA, AT THE OAU MEETING OF HEADS OF STATE AND
                                        GOVERNMENT

Tunis, 13-15 June 1994

    Mr Chairman,
    Distinguished Heads of State and Government,   Heads of Delegations, Your Excellencies, Ministers,
    Ambassadors and High Commissioner,  Comrades,  Ladies and Gentlemen.

    In the distant days of antiquity, a Roman sentenced this African city to death: "Carthage must be destroyed
(Carthago delenda est)".

    And Carthage was destroyed. Today we wander among its ruins, only our imagination and historical records enable us to
    experience its magnificence. Only our African being makes it possible for us to hear the piteous cries of the victims of the
    vengeance of the Roman Empire.

    And yet we can say this, that all human civilisation rests on foundations such as the ruins of the African city of Carthage.
    These architectural remains, like the pyramids of Egypt, the sculptures of the ancients kingdoms of Ghana and Mali and
    Benin, like the temples of Ethiopia, the Zimbabwe ruins and the rock paintings of the Kgalagadi and Namib deserts, all
    speak of Africa's contribution to the formation of the condition of civilisation.

    But in the end, Carthage was destroyed. During the long interregnum, the children of Africa were carted away as slaves.
    Our lands became the property of other nations, our resources a source of enrichment for other peoples and our kings and
    queens mere servants of foreign powers.

    In the end, we were held out as the outstanding example of the beneficiaries of charity, because we became the permanent
    victims of famine, of destructive conflicts and of the pestilence of the natural world. On our knees because history, society
    and nature had defeated us, we could be nothing but beggars. What the Romans had sought with the destruction of
    Carthage, had been achieved.

    But the ancient pride of the peoples of our continent asserted itself and gave us hope in the form of giants such as Queen
    Regent Labotsibeni of Swaziland, Mohammed V of Morocco, Abdul Gamal Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana,
    Murtala Mohammed of Nigeria, Patrice Lumumba of Zaire, Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau, Aghostino Neto of Angola,
    Eduardo Mondlane and Samora Machel of Mozambique, Seretse Khama of Botswana, WEB Du Bois and Martin Luther
    king of America, Marcus Garvey of Jamaica, Albert Luthuli and Oliver Thambo of South Africa.

    By their deeds, by the struggles they led, these and many other patriots said to us that neither Carthage nor Africa had
    been destroyed. They conveyed the message that the long interregnum of humiliation was over. It is in their honour that we
    stand here today. It is a tribute to their heroism that, today, we are able to address this august gathering.

    The titanic effort that has brought liberation to South Africa, and ensured the total liberation of Africa, constitutes an act of
    redemption for the black people of the world. It is a gift of emancipation also to those who, because they were white,
    imposed on themselves the heavy burden of assuming the mantle of rulers of all humanity. It says to all who will listen and
    understand that, by ending the apartheid barbarity that was the offspring of European colonisation, Africa has, once more,
    contributed to the advance of human civilisation and further expanded the frontiers of liberty everywhere.

    We are here today not to thank you, dear brothers and sisters, because such thanks would be misplaced among
    fellow-combatants - we are here to salute and congratulate you for a most magnificent and historical victory over an
    inhuman system whose very name was tyranny, injustice and bigotry.

    When the history of our struggle is written, it will tell a glorious tale of African solidarity, of African's adherence to principles.
    It will tell a moving story of the sacrifices that the peoples of our continent made, to ensure that that intolerable insult to
    human dignity, the apartheid crime against humanity, became a thing of the past. It will speak of the contributions of
    freedom - whose value is as measureless as the gold beneath the soil of our country - the contribution which all of Africa
    made, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the north, to the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans in the
    north.

    Africa shed her blood and surrendered the lives of her children so that all her children could be free. She gave of her limited
    wealth and resources so that all of Africa should be liberated. She opened heart of hospitality and her head so full of wise
    counsel, so that we should emerge victorious. A million times, she put her hand to the plough that has now dug up the
    encrusted burden of oppression accumulated for centuries.

    The total liberation of Africa from foreign and white minority rule has now been
 achieved. Our colleagues who have served with distinction on the OAU liberation
committee have already carried out the historical task of winding up this institution,
which we shall always remember as a frontline fighter for the emancipation of the
 people of our continent.

    Finally, at this summit meeting in Tunis, we shall remove from our agenda the consideration of the question
of Apartheid South Africa.

    Where South Africa appears on the agenda again, let it be because we
 want to discuss what its contribution shall be to the making of the new
African renaissance. Let it be because we want to discuss what materials
it will supply for the rebuilding of the African city of Carthage.

    One epoch with its historic tasks has come to an end. Surely, another
 must commence with its own challenges. Africa cries out for a new birth,
Carthage awaits the restoration of its glory.

    If freedom was the crown which the fighters of liberation sought to place on the head of mother Africa, let the upliftment
, the happiness, prosperity and comfort of her children be the jewel of the crown.

    There can be no dispute among us that we must bend every effort to rebuild the African economies. You, your excellencies,
    have discussed this matter many times and elaborated the ideas whose implementation would lead us to success.

    The fundamentals of what needs to be done are known to all of us. Not least among these are the need to address the
    reality that Africa continues to be a net exporter of capital and suffers from deteriorating terms of trade. Our capacity to be
    self-reliant, to find the internal resources to generate sustained development, remains very limited.

    Quite correctly, we have also spent time discussing the equally complex questions that bear on the nature and quality of
    governance. These, too, are central to our capacity to produce the better life which our people demand and deserve. In this
    regard, we surely must face the matter squarely that where there is something wrong in the manner in which we govern
    ourselves, it must be said that the fault is not in our starts, but in ourselves that we are ill-governed.

    Tribute is due to the great thinkers of our continent who have been and are trying to move all of us to understand the
    intimate inter-connection between the great issues of our day of peace, stability, democracy, human rights, co-operation
    and development.

    Even as we speak, Rwanda stands out as a stern and severe rebuke to all of us for having failed to address these
    interrelated matters. As a result of that, a terrible slaughter of the innocent is taking place in front of our very eyes.

    Thus do we give reason to the peoples of the world to say of Africa that she will never know stability and peace, that she
    will never experience development and growth, that her children will forever be condemned to poverty and dehumanisation
    and that we shall for ever be knocking on somebody's door pleading for a slice of bread.

    We know it is a matter of fact that we have it in ourselves as Africans to change all this. We must, in action, assert our will
    to do so. We must, in action, say that there is no obstacle big enough to stop us from bringing about a new African
    renaissance.

    We are happy, Mr Chairman, to commit South Africa to the achievement of these goals. We have entered this eminent
    African organisation and rejoined the African community of nations inspired by the desire to join hands with all the countries
    of our continent as equal partners.

    It will never happen again that our country should seek to dominate another through force of arms, economic might or
    subversion. We are determined to remain true to the vision which you held out for South Africa as you joined the offensive to
    destroy the system of apartheid.

    The vision you shared with us was one of a non-racial society, whose very being would assert the ancient African values of
    respect for every person and commitment to the elevation of human dignity, regardless of colour or race.

    What we all aimed for was a South Africa which would succeed in banishing the ethnic and national conflicts which
    continue to plague our continent. What we, together, hoped to see, was a new South Africa freed of conflict among its
    people and the violence that has taken such a heavy toll, freed of the threat of the civil strife that has turned millions of
    people into refugees both inside and outside our countries.

    We all prayed and sacrificed to bring about a South Africa that we could hold out as a true example of the democracy,
    equality and justice for all, which the apartheid system was constructed and intended to deny.

    The vision you shared with us was one in which we would use the resources of our country to create a society in which all
    our people would be emancipated from the scourges of poverty, disease, ignorance and backwardness.

    The objectives we will pursued was the creation of a South Africa that would be a good neighbour and an equal partner with
    all the countries of our continent, one which would use its abilities and potentialities to help advance the common struggle
    to secure Africa's rightful place within the world economic and political system.

    Thus must we build on the common victory of the total emancipation
of Africa to obtain new successes for our continent as a whole.

    Mr Chairman:

    We are ready to contribute what we can to help end the genocide that is taking place in Rwanda and bring
 peace to that troubled sister country.

    We also join the distinguished Heads of State and Government and Leaders of Delegations in urging a speedy
    implementation of the OAU and UN decisions aimed at resolving the question of Western Sahara.

    We extend our best wishes to the leaders and people of Angola in the fervent hope that the process of negotiations
 in which they are engaged will, as a matter of urgency, bring about the permanent and just peace which the people
of that country so richly deserve.

    Equally, we would like to express our deep-felt wish that the necessary measures will be taken by all concerned to
    guarantee the success of the peace processes in Mozambique and Liberia, to end the war in the Sudan and protect
    democracy and stability in Lesotho.

    We also appeal to the world community to respond in a sensitive and generous manner to the famine that threatens the
    peoples of East Africa.

    Mr Chairman, our delegation is also happy to announce that we have had the honour to pay the subscription that the OAU
    has levied for South Africa. In addition, and as a token of the commitment of the people of our country to support Africa's
    peace efforts, we are glad to inform the Assembly that we have also made an additional contribution of R1 million to the
    OAU fund for peace.

    We congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on you election as the current chairman of the OAU and thank you, your government
    and people for the extraordinary welcome you have extended to us. We are indeed glad to be here because Tunisia was
    among the first countries on our continent to respond to our appeal for help, when we were obliged to take up arms to fight
    for our liberation.

    We thank our brother, President Hosni Mubarak, for the outstanding work he did during his chairpersonship, including the
    direction of the efforts of the OAU as it helped us to deal with political violence in our country and ensure the holding of free
    and fair elections.

    We salute too, our Secretary-General, HE Salim Ahmed Salim, the OAU Secretariat, the OAU Head of Mission to South
    Africa, Ambassador Joe Legwaila, the Heads of State and Government and the people of our continent who helped us
    successfully to walk our last mile of the difficult road to freedom.

    To you all, we would like to say that your sacrifices and your efforts have not been in vain. Freedom for Africa is your
    reward. Your actions entitled you to be saluted as the heroes and heroines of our time. On your shoulders rests the
    responsibility to restore to our continent its dignity.

    We are certain that you will prevail over the currents that originate from the past, and ensure that the interregnum of
    humiliation symbolised by, among others, the destruction of Charthage, is indeed consigned to the past, never to return.

    God bless Africa.

    Thank you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Probe Ministries Living in the New Dark Ages Lou Whitworth
            Is the Sun Setting On the West?

                 It was 146 B.C.In the waning hours of the day a Roman general, Scipio
                 Africanus, climbed a hill overlooking the north African city of Carthage.
                 For three years he had led his troops in a fierce siege against the city and
                 its 700,000 inhabitants. He had lost legions to their cunning and endurance.
                 With the Carthaginian army reduced to a handful of soldiers huddled inside
                 the temple of their god Eshmun, the city was conquered. And with the enemy
                 defeated, Scipio ordered his men to burn the city.(1)

                 Now, as the final day of his campaign drew to a close, Scipio Africanus
                 stood on a hillside watching Carthage burn. His face, streaked with the
                 sweat and dirt of battle, glowed with the fire of the setting sun and the
                 flames of the city, but no smile of triumph crossed his lips. No gleam of
                 victory shone from his eyes. Instead, as the Greek historian Polybius would
                 later record, the Roman general "burst into tears, and stood long reflecting
                 on the inevitable change which awaits cities, nations, and dynasties, one
                 and all, as it does every one of us men."

                 In the fading light of that dying city, Scipio saw the end of Rome itself. Just
                 as Rome had destroyed others, so it would one day be destroyed. Scipio
                 Africanus, the great conqueror and extender of empires, saw the inexorable
                 truth: no matter how mighty it may be, no nation, no empire, no culture is
                 immortal.

                 Thus begins Chuck Colson's book, Against the Night: Living in the New Dark
                 Ages, a sober yet inspirational book on facing the future as involved Christians.
                 He returns to this scene frequently in the book as a reminder of the transitory
                 nature of nations and cultures. The author, chairman of Prison Fellowship and
                 ex-Watergate figure turned Christian evangelist, sets forth a warning for the
                 church and for individual believers.

                 Just as the Roman general Scipio Africanus saw in the flames of the city of
                 Carthage the future fall of Rome and its empire, Colson believes that we are
                 likely witnessing in the crumbling of our society the demise of the American
                 experiment and perhaps even the dissolution of Western civilization.

                 And just as the fall of Rome led into the Dark Ages, the United States and the
                 West are staggering and reeling from powerful destructive forces and trends that
                 may lead us into a New Dark Ages. The imminent slide of the West is not
                 inevitable, but likely unless current, destructive trends are corrected. The
                 step-by-step dismantling of our Judeo-Christian heritage has led us to a slippery
                 slope situation in which destructive tendencies unchecked lead to other
                 unhealthy tendencies. For example, as expectations of common concern for
                 others evaporates, even those who wish to retain that value become more
                 cautious, reserved, and secretive out of self-defense, further unraveling the
                 social fabric. Thus rampant individualism crushes to earth our more generous
                 impulses and promotes more of the same. Other examples could be
                 enumerated, but this illustrates the way one destructive, negative impulse can
                 father a host of others. Soon the social fabric is in tatters, and impossible to
                 mend peaceably. At this point the society is vulnerable both from within and
                 from without.

                 The New Barbarism and Its Roots

                 We face a crisis in Western culture, and it presents the greatest threat to
                 civilization since the barbarians invaded Rome. Today in the West, and
                 particularly in America, a new type of barbarian is present among us. They are
                 not hairy Goths and Vandals, swilling fermented brew and ravishing maidens;
                 they are not Huns and Visigoths storming our borders or scaling our city walls.
                 No, this time the invaders have come from within.

                 We have bred them in our families and trained them in our classrooms. They
                 inhabit our legislatures, our courts, our film studios, and our churches. Most of
                 them are attractive and pleasant; their ideas are persuasive and subtle. Yet these
                 men and women threaten our most cherished institutions and our very character
                 as a people. They are the new barbarians.

                 How did this situation come to pass? The seeds of our possible destruction
                 began in a seemingly harmless way. It began not in sinister conspiracies in dark
                 rooms but in the paneled libraries of philosophers, the study alcoves of the
                 British museums, and the cafés of the world's universities. Powerful movements
                 and turning points are rooted in the realm of ideas.

                 One such turning point occurred when Rene Descartes, looking for the one
                 thing he could not doubt, came up with the statement Cogito ergo sum, "I think,
                 therefore I am." This postulate eventually led to a new premise for philosophical
                 thought: man, rather than God, became the fixed point around which everything
                 else revolved. Human reason became the foundation upon which a structure of
                 knowledge could be built; and doubt became the highest intellectual virtue.

                 Two other men, John Stuart Mill (1806-73) and Jean Jacques Rousseau
                 (1712-78) contributed to this trend of man-based philosophy. Mill created a
                 code of morality based on self-interest. He believed that only individuals and
                 their particular interests were important, and those interests could be determined
                 by whatever maximized their pleasure and minimized their pain. Thus the moral
                 judgments are based on calculating what will multiply pleasure and minimize pain
                 for the greatest number. This philosophy is called utilitarianism, one form of
                 extreme individualism.

                 Another form of individualism was expressed by Rousseau who argued that the
                 problems of the world were not caused by human nature but by civilization. If
                 humanity could only be free, he believed, our natural virtues would be cultivated
                 by nature. Human passions superseded the dictates of reason or God's
                 commands. This philosophy could be called experimental individualism.

                 Mill and Rousseau were very different. Mill championed reason, success, and
                 material gain; and Rousseau passion, experiences, and feelings. Yet their
                 philosophies have self as a common denominator, and they have now melded
                 together into radical individualism, the dominant philosophy of the new
                 barbarians.

 According to sociologist Robert Bellah, pervasive individualism is
destroying the subtle ties that bind people together. This, in turn, is
threatening the very stability of our social order as it strips away any
 sense of individual responsibility for the common good. When people
care only for themselves, they are not easily motivated to care about
their neighbors, community life devolves into the survival of the fittest,
and the weak become prey for the strong.

The Darkness Increases and the New Barbarians Grow Stronger

"That phrase reaks with the smugness of the ages as in Barbarians
Grow Stronger as if we we the civilised didnt steal every thing from
 them..."  
 Are you un hypnotized
http://www.organicsemiconductors.com/
"Here is a more curious case:
white cats, if they have blue
 eyes, are almost always deaf."  
 Charles Darwin

FYI Advances in Organic Semiconductors, Organic Metals,
 and Conductive Polymers "Nice to have a reasonable
explanation of the blonde blue-eyed inability to listen."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2944922.stm  'Black Afrikaner' story to become film
.
[The notion that any behavior is "DARK" is clearly the impotent Low Birth Rate "White" construct, deflecting the responsibility to the other rather than taking responsibility for there action's mostly that of omission & obfuscations. Thus our society is basically so race based it will never be free of this "Black White" Dichotomy until "Whites"& Blacks" both realize they have constructed a False History by "Whites" erasing the "Black" history and then claming it as there own. IE: Whites clamed to be Egyptian (depicting the boy king Tutankhamen as European) a notion as ridiculous as
the Indo Arian clam yet it persist as the big lie.

Rebellion is an art best defended by its final assimilation of & by the tyrants that cause it resulting in an integration of  almost all aspects of  "the other " into "main" stream behavior. For Americans this was a long term process begun at
the end of World War 2 and culminating in almost total absorption of the "Black Culture" with its origins in the
schematics of behavior projected by "Whites" onto the "Blacks and Poor.

An ever descending spiral of "less than white" manifestations in almost every social category with the exception
of the "public Image" Whites have not &  can't relinquish the total control of the Beauty Queans & TV Que !  Or the central concept of  what is Good or exultant otherwise in there words they will cease to exist.

This now includes Cloning attempts to produce a Super Man or superior White (Arian?) just like Adolph Hitler
wanted to only now its driven as it should be by individual choice and ability to pay so the Chinese will still win
The rule of  the So called "white" man is over ... Try joining the HUMAN RACE.

 In the face of the Multitude of physically superior "Black Americans" can it be far behind the sudden discovery of superior intellectual "Black" achievers finding support in the paranoiac dominating society determined to destroy
them at all costs , yet some how finding a way to exploit even that as was done in the 60's with a proliferation of
"Big arts by "Blacks" as so called Jazz Rebels the proto type of today's "Cool "...

Indifferent to  the Italian Renaissance computation of the totality of public image via controlling the notion of god
by portraying them selves in the first advertisements. Imperialism personified as Godhead and overlord where
all esthetics are filtered via that lenses that withers all it circumscribes.

Devaluing it for a false notion of what is so called Classical Esthetics forging a fraudulent vision that corrupts the
souls of all of it's supposed subjects.
 No one will dispute the historical fact that the war making general from Africa, from the state of Carthage  that
 fought the Empire of Rome  for over 15 years and was ultimately defeated  was an African an intelligent foe of
the Roman conquest of the known world. Why then are any of the depictions of him only as if he were White
a non African a Roman in mediations and busts of  the General Hannibal as a portrait by persons that may have
actually seen him what is the purpose of such an extreme  distortion of his features and Identifying traits
of his Afro-genesis ask why the roman kings also generated a series of such lies as to the specifics of the race
of Christ in their temples such as the Syteen Chapel and the Vatican City is this obfuscation harmfully and
intentional You betcha! Interdiction & dispensation of souls sold to Spain & Portugal to validate the Slave
 trade in Africa in fact provides proof of the lack of holiness in the roman empire and so-called classic beauty
is nothing more than an advertising trick a form of mantra and hypnosis snap out of it all are beautiful and
if not beauty is as beauty does esthetics is ethics...

That is precisely the nature of cultural Genocide practiced from that time to now nothing African can be
shown as High and Strong and Smart and superior and all high things must be whitewashed and naturalizes
in front of the public much like the Vikings would dethrone a defeated king by whacking out his heart and
lungs in one fell swipe of a sharp blade and with bear hands rip out the still beating heart and lungs to be
displayed on the bare earth before the eyes of thus slain former monarch as if this were not enough the wife
and kiddies would be part of the raping and plundering most often this to was part of the defeating army's way
 of saying to all this will be an end of the line for any and all who clamed this land.

Now that is a real Booty Call Ms Anne the Fannie Coulter the Vikings called it "The Blood Eagle" we called them Barbaric they would call us lunch they were real Cannibalistic. So when you speak of Classical culture remember
that all of the peoples on this earth have at one time ruled it with an iron fist and had slaves and human sacrifices
and made some good contributions to human race while doing it we are all part of  so start sharing quit being
so stingy you aren't all that smart or good or kool that you don't need  allies...
What THEY are counting on is the fact that YOU  were borne yesterday...]
  ED


                 Today the prevailing attitude is one of relativism, i.e., the belief that there is no
                 morally binding objective source of authority or truth above the individual. The
                 fact that this view tosses aside 2,500 years of accumulated moral wisdom in the
                 West, a rationally defensible natural law, and the moral law revealed by God in
                 the Judeo-Christian Scriptures seems to bother very few.

                 Relativism and individualism need each other to survive. Rampant individualism
                 promotes a competitive society in which conflicting claims rather than consensus
                 is the norm because everyone is his or her own standard of "right" and "wrong"
                 and of "rights" and "obligations." The marriage of extreme individualism and
                 relativism, however, has produced a new conception of "tolerance."

                 The word tolerance sounds great, but this is really tolerance with a twist; it
                 demands that everyone has a right to express his or her own views as long as
                 those views do not contain any suggestion of absolutes that would compete with
                 the prevailing standard of relativism.

                 Usually those who promote tolerance the loudest also proclaim that the motives
                 of religious people are suspect and that, therefore, their views on any matter
                 must be disqualified. Strangely, socialists, Nazis, sadomasochists, pedophiles,
                 spiritualists, or worshipers of Mother earth would not be excluded. Their right
                 to free expression would be vigorously defended by the same cultural elite who
                 are so easily offended when Christians or other religious people express their
                 views.

                 But this paradoxical intolerance produces an even deeper consequence than
                 silencing an unpopular point of view, for it completely transforms the nature of
                 debate, public discussion, and consensus in society. Without root in some
                 transcendent standard, ethical judgments become merely expressions of feelings
                 or preference. "Murder is wrong" must be translated "I hate murder" or "I prefer
                 that you not murder." Thus, moral claims are reduced to the level of opinion.

                 Opponents grow further and further apart, differing on a level so fundamental
                 that they are unable even to communicate. When moral judgments are based on
                 feelings alone, compromise becomes impossible. Politics can no longer be
                 based on consensus, for consensus presupposes that competing moral claims
                 can be evaluated according to some common standard. Politics is transformed
                 into civil war, further evidence that the barbarians are winning.

                 Proponents of a public square sanitized of moral judgments purport that it
                 assures neutrality among contending moral factions and guarantees certain basic
                 civil rights. This sounds enlightened and eminently fair. In reality, however, it
                 assures victory for one side of the debate and assures defeat of those with a
                 moral structure based on a transcendent standard.

                 Historically, moral restraints deeply ingrained in the public consciousness
                 provided the protective shield for individual rights and liberties. But in today's
                 relativistic environment that shield can be easily penetrated. Whenever some
                 previously unthinkable innovation is both technically possible and desirable to
                 some segment of the population, it can be, and usually will be, adopted. The
                 process is simple. First some practice so offensive it can hardly be discussed is
                 advocated by some expert. Shock gives way to outrage, then to debate, and
                 when what was once a crime becomes a debate, that debate usually ushers the
                 act into common practice. Thus decadence becomes accepted. History has
                 proven it over and over.

                 Where Do We Go From Here?

                 Questions arise in our minds: How bad is the situation? Is it too late to stop or
                 reverse the downward trend? If it's too late, do we wait, preserve, and endure
                 until the winds of history and God's purpose are at our backs?

                 When a culture is beset by both a loss of public and private values, the overall
                 decline undermines society's primary institutional supports. God has ordained
                 three institutions for the ordering of society: the family for the propagation of life,
                 the state for the preservation of life, and the church for the proclamation of the
                 gospel. These are not just voluntary associations that people can join or not as
                 they see fit; they are organic sources of authority for restraining evil and
                 humanizing society. They, and the closely related institution of education, have
                 all been assaulted and penetrated by the new barbarians. The consequences are
                 frightening.

                 The Family

                 The family is under massive assault from many directions, and its devastation is
                 obvious. Yet the family and the church are the only two institutions that can
                 cultivate moral virtue, and of these the family is primary and foremost because
                 "our very nature is acquired within families."(2) Unfortunately when radical
                 individualism enters the family, it disrupts the transmission of manners and
                 morals from one generation to the next. Once this happens it is nearly
                 impossible to catch up later, and the result is generation after generation of rude,
                 lawless, culturally retarded children.

                 The Church

                 The new barbarians have penetrated our churches and tried to turn them into
                 everything except what God intended them to be. Even strong biblical churches
                 have not been immune to their influence. Yet only as the church maintains its
                 distinctiveness from the culture is it able to affect culture. The church dare not
                 look for "success" as portrayed in our culture; instead its watchword must be
                 "faithfulness"; only then will the church be successful. The survival of the
                 Western culture is inextricably linked to the dynamic of reform arising from the
                 independent and pure exercise of religion from the moral impulse. That impulse
                 can only come from our families and from our churches. The church must be
                 free to be the church.

                 The Classroom

                 The classroom has also been invaded by radical individualism and the secular
                 ideas of the new barbarians. We must resist putting our young people under
                 unbridled secularistic teaching, especially if it isn't balanced by adequate
                 exposure to Christian principles and a Christian world view.

                 The State/Politics

                 Government has a worthy task to do, i.e., to protect life and to keep the peace,
                 but it cannot develop character. To believe that it can do so is to invite tyranny.
                 First, most people's needs and problems are far beyond the reach of
                 government. Second, it is impossible to effect genuine political reform, much
                 less moral reform, solely by legislation. Government, by its very nature, is limited
                 in what it can accomplish. We need to be involved in politics, but we must do
                 so with realistic expectations and without illusions.

                 Our culture is indeed threatened, but the situation
          is not irreversible if we model the family before the
          world and let the church be the church.

[What church ? The Clergy that allowed the
one social critic minister to be crushed by the press
and the Co-Intel-pro activities  of the Government
 without a word of support for him when Bishop
said "Considering the injustice America is heaping
apron the country of Viet Nam for all intent and
purposes God is dead!"

 Which Church the god is a white man do what I say
not as I do Strom Thuman the bastard maker racist.
Prayer in School hypocrite church.
Or the Arabs and Muslims is worshiping the devil
 only the white god is real...
Israel... Don't get me started....ED]

"My god is not a landloard or a pimp"
 R@wman

                 A Flame in the Night

                 This is an important work, one that every Christian would benefit from reading.
                 Though Colson's subject--the ethical, moral, and spiritual decline that many
                 observers forecast for our immediate future--is bleak, the work isn't morose or
                 gloomy. His focus is on opportunities and possibilities before us regardless of
                 what the future holds. In the book's last section, he calls for the church and for
                 individual Christians to be lights in the darkness by cultivating the moral
                 imagination and presenting to the world a compelling vision of the good. He
                 outlines three steps in that process.

                 First, we must reassert a sense of shared destiny as an antidote to radical
                 individualism. We are born, live, and die in the context of communities. Rich,
                 meaningful life is found in communities of worship, self-government, and shared
                 values. We are not ennobled by relentless competition, endless self-promotion,
                 and maximum autonomy, nor are these tendencies ultimately rewarding. On the
                 other hand, commitment, friendship, and civic cooperation are both personally
                 and corporately satisfying.

                 Second, we must adopt a strong, balanced view of the inherent dignity of human
                 life. All the traditional restraints on inhumanity seem to be crumbling at once in
                 our courts, in our laboratories, in our operating rooms, in our legislatures. The
                 very idea of an essential dignity of human life seems a quaint anachronism today.
                 As Christians we must be unequivocally and unapologetically pro- life. We
                 cannot disdain the unborn, the young, the infirm, the handicapped, or the
                 elderly. We cannot concede any ground here.

                 Third, we must recover respect for tradition and history. We must reject the
                 faddish movements of the moment and look to the established lessons from the
                 past. The moral imagination (our power to perceive ethical truth[3]) values
                 reason and recognizes truth. It asserts that the world can be both understood
                 and transformed through the carefully constructed restraints of civilized behavior
                 and institutions. It assumes that to approach the world without consideration of
                 the ideas of earlier times is an act of hubris in essence, claiming the ability to
                 create the world anew, dependent on nothing but our own pitiful intelligence.

                 In contrast to such an attitude, the moral imagination begins with awe,
                 reverence, and appreciation for order within creation. It sees the value of
                 tradition, revelation, family, and community and responds with duty,
                 commitment, and obligation. But the moral imagination is more than rational. It is
                 poetic, stirring long atrophied faculties for nobility, compassion, and virtue.

                 Imagination is expressed through symbols, allegories, fables, and literary
                 illustrations. Winston Churchill revived the moral imagination of the dispirited
                 British people in his speeches when he depicted the threat from Hitler not as just
                 another war, but as a sacrificial, moral campaign against a force so evil that
                 compromise or defeat would bring about a New Dark Ages. British backbones
                 were stiffened and British hearts were ennobled because Churchill was able to
                 unite rational, emotional, and artistic ideas into a common vision.

                 Western civilization and the church are currently engaged in a war of ideas with
                 new barbarians. Whether we have the will to be victorious will depend in large
                 measure on the strength and power of our moral imagination. Charles Colson's
                 book, Against the Night: Living in the New Dark Ages, can give us guidance
                 in this crucial task.

                 © 1996 Probe Ministries



                 Notes

                 1. This essay is in large measure a condensation of several chapters of the
                 author's work; consequently, quotations and paraphrase may exist side by side
                 unmarked. Therefore, for accuracy in quoting, please consult the book: Charles
                 Colson, with Ellen Santilli Vaughn, Against the Night: Living in the New Dark
                 Ages (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Servant, 1989).

                 2. Russell Kirk, The Wise Men Know What Wicked Things Are Written on the
                 Sky (Washington:Regnery Gateway, 1987), 24.

                 3.For fuller discussion see Russell Kirk, Enemies of the Permanent Things:
                 Observations of Abnormity in Literature and Politics (New Rochelle, N.Y.:
                 Arlington House, 1969), 119.

                 For Further Reading

                 Kirk, Russell. The Wise Men Know What Wicked Things Are Written on the
                 Sky. Washington:Regnery Gateway, 1987.

                 Muggeridge, Malcolm. The End of Christendom.

                 Henry, Carl F. H. Twilight of a Great Civilization. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1988.

                 Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr. A World Split Apart. New York: Harper and Row,1978.
                 Bellah, Robert. Habits of the Heart. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California,1985.
                 Johnson, Paul. Modern Times. Lewis, C. S. Abolition of Man. New York: Macmillan, 1947.
                Bloom, Allan. The Closing of the American Mind. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987.
                 MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame,1981.
                 About the Author

                 Louis D. Whitworth is the former senior editor at Probe Ministries, and is currently
                 affiliated with Christian Information Ministries. He is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana
                 University (B.A., Sociology and English, and M.A., English) and Dallas Theological
                 Seminary (Th.M., Pastoral Theology). Prior to joining Probe, Lou taught English literature
                 and composition at the college level and served with Campus Crusade for Christ in the
                 Military Ministry as well as the Singles Ministry. He is the author of the Probe booklet,
                 Literature Under the Microscope: A Christian Look at Reading.


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