Introduction:

“It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.”
-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

The Best of Times?

By many reckonings, it appears to be the best of times in America: We enjoy a robust economy, reinforced by continually advancing technologies. At least one computer in every home, and a personal telephone on almost everyone’s belt. People are buying their 3rd and 4th cars. Our military is the most feared throughout the world. Indeed, in many ways, it seems like the best of times.

Judgment on the Horizon?

However, let’s assess the State of the Union in the mirror of God’s Word. Homosexuality is accepted as simply “an alternative lifestyle.” We murder babies that are socially inconvenient. We change marriage partners like a fashion statement. We have abandoned the sanctity of commitments in our families and in our businesses. Immorality and deceit have come to characterize the highest offices in our land; our politics have condoned and covered up more murders than we dare list. Our public enterprises have been prostituted to the convenience of the elite. Our mainline media takes pride in forming public opinion rather than informing it, which had been its sacred role in a representative republic. Our culture has disconnected character from destiny. Our entertainments celebrate adultery, fornication, violence, aberrant sexual practices and every imaginable form of evil. We have become the primary exporters of everything that God abhors.

One of the major theological mysteries is why hasn’t God judged America? The parallels in Bible (Cf. Hosea 4-14; Isaiah 5; et al) would suggest that it is long overdue. The only ostensible answer is God’s commitment in Genesis 12:2-3, in which He promises Abraham that He “will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee.” It may well be that America has been spared-so far-due to its support of the nation of Israel. But that, too, may be short lived...

Conspicuous by Its Absence?

One of the mysteries in the Biblical prophetic scenario, is where does America appear?

The final battle-the Battle of Armageddon-is a four-power conflict: triggered by the “Kings of the South” (Egypt?), responded to by the “Kings of the North” (Syria? Russia? ...various opinions), and dominated by a Western Confederacy (The Antichrist, et al) until the “Kings of the East” are drawn in.

Where is the United States? There are many conjectures among scholars. Some assume that we will ultimately be somehow associated with the Western Confederacy. The continuing erosion of our constitutional republic, plus the increasing move toward a police state to “fight terrorism,” seems consistent with the growing tide toward a global government.

Others assume that America simply will not be a major player at that time. As variations of this second view, some suggest that America will have become economically and militarily less relevant by then. Others (disturbed by the hint in Ezekiel 39:6), fear that we may have been the subject of a major nuclear exchange over the growing tensions in the Middle East.

Life Cycle of Nations

As we study the rise and fall of nations, there is a disturbing sequence throughout history. The sequence of nations, as observed by Alexander Tyler, 1750, follows a predictable pattern “from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependence back again into bondage." It is hard to deny that we may well be at the zenith of that sequence. If you ask the average American what is the biggest problem facing our nation, Is it ignorance or apathy? He will likely answer, “I don’t know and I don’t care!”

It remains to be seen whether the wake-up call of September 11, 2001, will prove to be more effective than simply a brief spasm of patriotism, or whether it may lead to a more serious revival and return to our heritage. In any case, we each need to prepare and to rise to the opportunities that present themselves for a spiritual revival and we must begin with ourselves. God has declared an immutable principle:

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

Notice that this isn’t addressed to the Congress, or the Administration, or to the pagan left. It is addressed to His people, who are called by His name. It is the members of the Body of Christ that are standing in the way of what God would prefer to do in our land. A revival needs to begin with us.

NEW! Life Triumphs Over Abortion November 03, 2009

Harvey Milk And Jim Jones Kool-Aid October 13, 2009

God Protect President Obama September 29, 2009

Signs From The DC Tea Party September 15, 2009

ACORN Crippled by Scandal September 15, 2009

Texas Schools Will Teach The Bible August 25, 2009

Religious Freedom And Public Schools August 18, 2009

To Pray Or Not To Pray In Public Places August 11, 2009

The NEA Giant and A Slingshot July 21, 2009

Freedom Ain't Free June 30, 2009

Christians and Cohabitation June 16, 2009

Religious Freedom: Alive And Well In America June 09, 2009

Who Is Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor? May 26, 2009

Abortion and Abstinence: Where the Funds Go May 12, 2009

National Day of Prayer is May 7 May 05, 2009

Souter Retiring; Supreme Court Choice Time For Obama May 05, 2009

Teaching the Bible in Schools: The Legal Issues April 21, 2009

Same-Sex Marriage States Double In Number April 07, 2009

Domestic Terrorism In The Name Of Animal Rights March 24, 2009

Religious Freedoms Protected By Lawyers? March 17, 2009

Pro-Abortion Sebelius New HHS Nominee March 03, 2009

Education Choices: We Don't Need No Thought Control February 24, 2009

On Liberty: Happy Birthday President Lincoln February 10, 2009

Is Marriage Unnecessary? February 10, 2009

Mr. Daschle Steps Down, But The Tarnish Remains February 03, 2009

Healing From Roe January 20, 2009

Intelligent Design v. Metaphysical Naturalism in LA January 13, 2009

Offending the Little Ones - The Blight of Human Trafficking December 23, 2008

Patterns of Illegal Activity in Abortion Industry December 16, 2008

Assisted Suicide Spreading in Northwest December 09, 2008

Newsweek: The Bible and Gay Marriage December 09, 2008

'Freedom of Choice' Act Promotes Extreme Abortion Agenda December 02, 2008

The Bailout Bait and Switch November 18, 2008

Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Update: The Fleecing of America by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute

Our Continuing “Vortex” Series: The Impending Storm by Chuck Missler

A Forecast for 2008: The Turbulence Ahead by Chuck Missler

The Vortex Strategy: Part 3 Guarding Your Liquidity by Chuck Missler

Updated Briefing: The Vortex Strategy: Part 2 by Chuck Missler

Updated Briefing The Vortex Strategy: Part 1 by Chuck Missler

Excerpt from Prophecy 20/20 The American Challenge by Chuck Missler

For the Fourth Understanding the Worth of our Nation by Frank Salvato

In Memoriam The Passing of the Constitution by Chuck Missler

An Alternate Scenario: The Twilight’s Last Gleaming? by voicefromzion.org

A New Threat on the Horizon: The Quiet Game by Chuck Missler

An Interesting Perspective: The Denial of Guilt by Bruce Malone

An Additional Perspective: Katrina's Geopolitical Legacy by Chuck Missler

A Respite for America? An Election Mandate by Chuck Missler

Hosea, Can You See?: Hosea's Challenge to America by Chuck Missler

Twilight's Last Gleaming: Clinton's War on Hate Bans Christian Values by John Loeffler and Berit Kjos

None Dare Call It Fascism: Reflections on Our Republic by Chuck Missler

A Personal Challenge: Our Desperate Warfare by Chuck Missler

Freedom of the Press? Media Madness by Chuck Missler

Twilight's Last Gleaming? Judgment on the Horizon by Chuck Missler

The Federal Reserve: The Engine of Power by Chuck Missler

News Sources

NEW! Health Care Bill Would Create 111 New 'Federal Bureaucracies' - House Republicans claimed Monday that the health care reform bill pushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi would create a whopping 111 new "federal bureaucracies." The House Republican Conference circulated what it called a list of "new boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs" created in the House health care bill. Among some off the new agencies, the list cites a Health Insurance Exchange; the Public Health Investment Fund; the Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health; and about 100 other government-sponsored creations.

NEW! Americans To Protest Health Care Bill at Capitol Thursday - Lawmakers are calling on Americans to storm the Capitol on Thursday in an "Emergency House Call on Congress" to stop the House from passing the Democrats' health-care bill THIS WEEK. A group of legislators will be holding an emergency town-hall meeting outside the Capitol at noon to protest the health-care bill set to hit the House floor. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that a vote on the bill could take place as soon as Thursday.

NEW! Present Obama Signs Hate Crimes Legislation - President Barack Obama has signed into law a measure that adds to the list of federal hate crimes attacks on people based on their sexual orientation. Congress approved the legislation last week as part of the $680-billion FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill. Appended to the hate crimes amendment was a statement ensuring that a religious leader or any other person cannot be prosecuted on the bases if his or her speech, beliefs, or association.

NEW! President Doesn't Like School Choice Ad - President Obama isn't taking kindly to a television ad that criticizes his opposition to a popular scholarship program for poor children, and his administration wants the ad pulled. The 30-second ad, which has been airing on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, and News Channel 8 to viewers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, urges the president to reauthorize the federally-funded DC Opportunity Scholarship Program that provides vouchers of up to $7,500 for DC students to attend private schools. The ad features a young boy - one of 216 students whose scholarships were rescinded by the Department of Education earlier this year when the agency announced no new students would be allowed into the program.

NEW! Over Fifty Kids Rescued In Prostitution Sting - The FBI said it has rescued more than 50 children who were being victimized through prostitution in a national sting. The operation, part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, took place in 36 cities over the past 72 hours. The FBI said 631 others, including 60 pimps, were arrested on local and state charges. "Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country, as evidenced by the number of children rescued through the continued efforts of our crimes against children task forces," Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement on Monday.

Same Sex Marriage Bill Introduced In DC - DC Council member David A. Catania on Tuesday introduced a long-awaited bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the District. If the legislation is passed, the city would join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa in performing the unions. New Hampshire is scheduled to begin performing same-sex marriages in 2010, while Maine voters will consider the issue in a ballot initiative in November.

Other Currencies Breathing On Dollar's Lead Position - "The United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar's place as the world's predominant reserve currency," World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick warned Monday. "Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar."

'See You At The Pole' to Mark 20th Year - Around two million students across the nation and overseas are expected to gather at their schools' flag poles Wednesday to ask God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campuses and countries. This year's "See You At The Pole" event will mark 20 years since the student-initiated and student-led movement started in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990.

Senate Votes to Cut Off ACORN Housing Funding - The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases. ACORN has received $53 million in taxpayer funds since 1994.

Bible Ban Case May Go to Supreme Court - The Supreme Court has been asked to hear a case in which a Bible reading was banned from school. The controversy began when a kindergarten class in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania was asked to read from their favorite books.

Hundreds of Thousands Rally in DC for Tea Party - Saturday, September 12th, a crowd estimated from 450,000 people to 1.2 million people marched on Washington to protest government tax and spending policies. The Tax Payers' March on Washington was the culmination of the tea party movement.

President Obama's Remarks To School Children September 8 - Before President Obama spoke to America's school children on Tuesday, speculations about the content of his speech caused controversy. The White House has posted a transcript of the speech encouraging children to take school seriously on its site so that the US people can judge the speech for themselves.

Replacing God With The Universe - "Universal" is the "it" word, as in universal health care or "The Universe will guide me," or "Leave it to the Universe." There was a different word for it back in the day, more imposing but less confusing: God. But God is not a trendy word anymore. God is not popular, just like the Republicans. You are guilty by association with both...

Lofgren Aknowledges that Obamacare Will Fund Abortions - The New York Times and FactCheck.org both claim that Obamacare will not allow taxpayer funding of abortion. According to a townhall video, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) disagrees.

Homeschoolers Rank Higher On ACT - Compared with other students, homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on this year's ACT, a national standardized test used to gauge educational development and college readiness. The national average for 2009 graduating high schoolers reported by ACT (American College Testing) officials is 21.1 on a scale from 1 to 36. Homeschoolers scored a national average of 22.5.

Evil Conservatives And Wrong Liberals - Marcia Segelstein writes about the tendency of liberals to promote tolerance for everybody except conservatives. "I have long thought that one of the striking differences between liberals and conservatives is this: liberals believe conservatives are evil, while conservatives believe liberals are wrong...It's important to keep in mind that the label 'conservative' (or Republican) brands us, in the minds of many liberals, as just plain bad people."

Obama Files To Repeal Defense Of Marriage Act - In its nine-page brief, the Justice Department stated that the Obama administration opposes the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act as discriminatory and supports its repeal. Yet the motion also calls for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a gay California couple seeking to overturn the federal marriage law. Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, accused the president of breaking a campaign promise... "In a high-profile interview with Rick Warren, Barack Obama convinced millions of Americans he opposed gay marriage," he said. "We are calling on the president to live up to his campaign commitment."

Poll Shows National Shift Against Abortion - A new national Harris poll finds a strong shift towards the pro-life position on abortion and reveals the shift is seen among members of both political parties. The poll also finds a majority of African-Americans and Hispanics oppose the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions.

Teach Our Children: In Favor of Abstinence - If the truth is ever accepted, abstinence is really the only way to prevent pregnancy, teen or otherwise. Sex education, whatever it is deemed to be, might slow the pace, but not kill the root. And the root cause is not lack of information...

ObamaCare Requires 'End-Of-Life' Counseling For Elderly - The version of President Obama's universal health care plan pending in the US House would require 'end-of-life' counseling for senior citizens, and the former lieutenant governor for the state of New York is warning people to "protect their parents" from the measure. Betsy McCaughey, the former New York state officer, told former president candidate Fred Thompson during an interview on his radio program the "consultation" is no more or less than an attempt to convince seniors to die.

Teachers Leaving NEA For Christian Alternative - The Christian Educators Association International says it has seen an increase in enrollment. About one month ago, the National Education Association (NEA) voted to throw its full support behind homosexual "marriage," and members voted down a resolution calling for the NEA to take a "no-position" stance on abortion. Furthermore, NEA top lawyer Bob Chanin recently berated those within the NEA who hold to traditional conservative values.

Liddick: California Is In Trouble - [T]he Golden State's lessons for all of us: that public programs are not free, but must be paid for with public money; ...that vote-buying with promises of favor is an addiction harder to break than heroin; that legislators tend to ignore the public will until forced to pay attention; that taxation and regulation have their limits; and that the habit of borrowing money to give benefits to individuals is poisonous to the very concept of "good government." May we learn those lessons soon. As California circles the drain, it looks more and more as though the rest of the nation is rushing to follow its example. But if that happens, where will there be to move?

Senate Commitee Votes Down 4 Pro-Life Health Amendments - A Senate committee on Monday defeated four new amendments by pro-life advocates determined to stop a health care restructuring bill from paying for and promoting abortions. The committee also rejected an amendment from Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to protect state laws limiting abortions and abortion funding from being nullified by federal law under the health care bill and a second that would protect the conscience rights of health care workers. Johnson told LifeNews.com that more battles are coming up this week on abortion and health care.

Conservative Teachers To Confront NEA On Abortion - Conservative teachers within the NEA will call for the union to drop its support of abortion. The National Education Association will convene for their national meeting in San Diego July 1-6. Jeralee Smith, one of the co-founders of the NEA Conservative Educators Caucus, says one of the items her group has placed on the agenda is abortion.

Supreme Court Won't Hear Challenge To Don't Ask Don't Tell - The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a case challenging the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy for gays in the military. Prior to 1993, when "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was implemented, homosexuals were completely banned from the military. Since 1993, gays and lesbians can only be dismissed if they are open about their same-sex attraction. Homosexual activist groups are waiting for President Obama to fulfill campaign promises to promote even more openness for gays in the military, but the White House has put that agenda on the back burner for now.

New Hampshire Passes Gay Marriage Bill - New Hampshire's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives endorsed gay marriage in a 198-176 vote, hours after the state Senate approved the legislation 14-10 along party lines, making the state the fourth this year to back gay marriage in the United States. Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, signed the bill, which goes into effect on January 1.

Pravda Opinion Piece Mourns Demise of US Capitalism - A commentary published in the once-official newspaper of the Soviet Union heralded America's "descent into Marxism" citing the United States' takeover of General Motors, poor education standards, and the election of Barack Obama as president. The opinion piece in Pravda, one of the Soviet-era newspapers still published in Russia, carried the headline, "American Capitalism Gone with a Whimper," and was written by Stanislav Mishin, who runs the blog "Mat Rodina."

Dow Jumps 221 Points Despite GM Bankruptcy - Inspired by fresh signs the US economy is slowly healing, the Dow climbed more than 200 points on Monday even as General Motors became the largest industrial bankruptcy in American history. "Obviously people knew [the GM filing] would happen. Now that it's out of the way, there's almost some relief. Everyone can stop focusing on it," said Ryan Detrick, equity analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Court Rules No Reading Bible To Kindergarten Class - A kindergartner's mother cannot read Scripture during show and tell, even if the Bible is the boy's favorite book, a US appeals court said Monday in the latest challenge over religion in public schools. Schools can more tightly control speech presented to younger students, who may not distinguish a parent from their teacher, the ruling said. Busch argued that the class heard stories related to Passover, Christmas and other religious holidays, but the court concluded there was a "significant difference" between identifying such holidays and reading from Scripture.

CA's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Will Stand - The state Supreme Court has upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, but also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed. The decision Tuesday rejected an argument from gay rights activists that the ban revised the California constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

Majority of Americans Now Pro-Life - Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago. The Gallup poll released Friday also marks a massive shift from one year ago, when 50 percent of Americans called themselves pro-choice, and just 44 percent said they were pro-life. Today 42 percent say they are pro-choice, by far the lowest level of support for abortion ever measured by the Gallup poll.

US Gov't To Borrow Nearly Half What It Spends - The government will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year, exploding the record federal deficit past $1.8 trillion under new White House estimates. Budget office figures released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink — increasing it to more than four times last year's all-time high as the government hands out billions more than expected for people who have lost jobs and takes in less tax revenue from people and companies making less money.

'Hate' Back In Congress - The House Judiciary Committee has already approved Barney Frank's bill, H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The full House is expected to vote on the bill April 29. The bill would make it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury to someone (or to attempt to do so with firearms or explosives) because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The bill also violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by codifying the notion that certain groups of citizens, such as homosexuals, are entitled to greater legal protection than others, such as, say, older ladies.

Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Official In Iowa - Same-sex couples can marry legally in Iowa starting on Monday, April 27, but out-of-state couples will not be able to take any of the legal rights back across to the border to their home states. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, and permits states to ignore them if they choose. Legal experts expect the issue to hit the US Supreme Court in the not-so-distant future.

Adam, Eve, and The Iowa Supreme Court - The Iowa Supreme Court recently declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and devoted several pages of its decision to attacking the "religious opposition to same-sex marriage" -which was not even on Polk County's list of reasons to support the ban...

Evolutionists Inject Religion Into Texas Debate - Evolution was back in the headlines recently as the Texas State Board of Education voted 13-2 to require students to "analyze and evaluate" major evolutionary concepts such as common ancestry, natural selection, and mutations, as well as adopting a critical thinking standard calling on students to "critique" and examine "all sides of scientific evidence." Evolutionists typically cast themselves as the champions of secular reason against superstition, but in Texas they tried to inject religion into the debate at every turn.

Morning After Pill Available to 17-Year-Olds OTC - A New York federal court ruled on Monday that the morning-after pill could be given to 17-year-old girls over-the-counter. The ruling gives girls access to the pill without requiring that they first talk to parents or a doctor. Those who oppose over-the-counter status for Plan B argue that raped women or sexually abused minors might be coerced into using the pill. They also argue it encourages sexually irresponsible behavior, and allows young women to bypass medical screenings that could detect diseases and other health problems.

California Supreme Court Hears Same-Sex Marriage Arguments - The state Supreme Court heard Thursday oral arguments challenging the legality of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that state voters approved last November banning same-sex marriage. A central question the court faces is whether Proposition 8 amounts to a violation of human rights or falls within the limits of people's power to change the state's Constitution. And if the ballot measure stands, what would be the status of some 18,000 same-sex marriages already performed?

Late-Term Abortionist George Tiller Goes To Trial - Jury selection for the trial of infamous abortionist George Tiller started on Monday. Tiller is charged with 19 counts of performing late-term abortions without getting the independent 2nd opinion required by Kansas law. Oral arguments and testimony are scheduled to start March 23. If convicted, Tiller faces one year in jail or a $2500 fine for each count.

Vermont Begins Hearings on Same-Sex Marriage Bill - Nine years after it played host to a bitter fight over civil unions, Vermont's Statehouse is again a gay rights battleground. More than 200 same-sex marriage opponents, cheering and wearing buttons that read "Marriage -- A Mother & Father for Every Child," converged Monday on Montpelier as lawmakers began a week's worth of hearings on a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. If approved, Vermont would join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gay marriage.

Stephen Baldwin Slams Hollywood's Vulgarity - The violence, vulgarity, and anti-family fare produced in excess in Hollywood contributes to social decay and the higher rates of youth suicide and teen pregnancy, actor and media personality Stephen Baldwin told CNSNews.com. He added that pro-family films sell well and more conservatives should move into the industry to control the content and produce the types of films that many American families desire.

Obama to Rescind Freedom of Conscience Protection - President Barack Obama wants to rescind a Bush administration rule that strengthened job protections for doctors and nurses who refuse for moral reasons to perform abortions. Federal law has long forbidden discrimination against health care professionals who refuse to perform abortions or provide referrals for them on religious or moral grounds. The Bush administration's rule adds a requirement that institutions that get federal money certify their compliance with laws protecting the rights of moral objectors.

Sex Trafficking Busts Rescue 48 Teen Prostitutes - The FBI has rescued 48 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps. Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 571 suspects on a variety of federal and state prostitution-related charges, the bureau said.

Alliance Defense Fund To Defend Wisconsin Public Prayer - Americans United for Separation of Church and State has threatened legal action against La Crosse, along with Dodge and Vernon counties, unless they stop permitting invocations at the beginning of public meetings. ADF has offered to help all three groups.

Irate Professor Censors and Threatens Christian Student - Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jonathan Lopez, a student whose class presentation was cut short by an irate professor who berated and threatened to get him expelled for giving a pro-marriage speech as a class assignment. "Public institutions of higher learning cannot selectively censor Christian speech," said ADF Senior Counsel David French. "This student was speaking well within the confines of his professor's assignment when he was censored and ultimately threatened with expulsion."

The Dow Takes A Cliff Dive - The Dow plunged nearly 300 points and barely avoided making a new six-year low Tuesday as the markets continue to worry the government's rescue efforts won't stop the nation's economic bleeding any time soon. "We are concerned that the three-pronged approach - stimulus package, financial rescue and foreclosure initiatives - is just going to take a whole lot longer than we thought a month ago. That should've been something we wrapped our arms around a while ago," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co.

Is America Rolling Over Into Socialism? - Government spending within the majority of European Union nations averages 47.1 percent of the GDP, meaning the US is roughly seven points behind -- closer than ever before. But whether that equates to socialism here depends on whom you ask.

Australia Now Alone In Restricting Abortion Aid - President Obama's decision to rescind the 'Mexico City Policy' – which denies aid funds to non-governmental organizations that promote or perform abortions – is providing new impetus for activists in Australia who want their government to remove similar regulations in place there. The US policy shift will reportedly leave Australia alone among donor nations to implement abortion-related restrictions on overseas development aid.

Bush Rated Most Pro-Life President in History - On Thursday, President Bush declared Jan. 18 "National Sanctity of Human Life Day." Bush's declaration was the culmination of eight years of pro-life policies that included sustained opposition to embryonic stem cell research; the appointment of two pro-life Supreme Court Justices; an executive order barring federal funds to be used for abortion-related projects abroad; and a rule protecting federally funded health employees from taking part in abortion-related activities or other practices that conflicted with their religious views.

Newdow Fails To Keep 'So Help Me God' Out of Obama's Oath - US District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton refused to stop Barack Obama from repeating the words 'so help me God' at his inauguration Tuesday. He also refused to block prayers at the inaugural – leaving the Reverends Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery free to give the invocation and benediction at Obama's swearing-in. Newdow had sued to prevent the addition of "so help me God" to the oath and the prayers claiming they were unconstitutional and violated the "separation of church and state."

Gideons No Longer Allowed to Evangelize To Soldiers - Americans entering the military often receive Bibles, courtesy of the Gideons International. But the Gideons have been told that while they can leave complimentary Bibles at most military induction stations, they cannot stay there to proselytize or preach to the recruits. The policy was recently established after concerns were raised by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Bush to Defend His Record in Prime-Time Address Thursday Night - White House press secretary Dana Perino said Monday that Bush will "uphold the tradition of presidents using farewell addresses to look forward - by sharing his thoughts on greatest challenges facing the country, and on what it will take to meet them." The president also will defend his record, Perino said.

40-day Right to Life Campaign Starts Soon - "As America approaches the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade US Supreme Court ruling that imposed abortion on our nation, pro-life advocates are launching the next wave of a unique pro-life campaign, 40 Days for Life," said David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life. "From February 25 until April 5, people will join together for 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion..."

Texas Legislature Starts Session With Pro-Life Push - The Texas state legislature is already looking at two proposed bills on abortion. The first proposed bill aims at making a specialty "choose life" license plate available to Texas drivers. The other bill, if passed, would make ultrasounds mandatory before a woman could have an abortion.

VIDEO: The End of Wall Street - How It Happened - Journal reporters explain how easy money led to the collapse of Wall Street's biggest firms.

Mom Sues School District Over 'Back to the Book' Classes - While a 1952 US Supreme Court ruling permits 'released time' religious instruction, the ACLU is alleging that since Huntington County's programs are housed in trailers on school property, they violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

How a Public Health Plan Will Erode Private Care - Obama has proposed (1) the creation of a new national health plan, run by the federal government and financed by the taxpayers; (2) an employer mandate enforced by a payroll tax; and 3) a congressionally created national health insurance exchange in which the public health plan, subsidized by taxpayers and armed with special advantages, would compete unfairly with private health insurance.

Pacific Justice Protects Those Intimidated Over Prop 8 - Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is vowing to support anyone intimidated for their support of Proposition 8, California's recently approved constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage. According to a PJI attorney, "tactics of fear and intimidation" have been employed against individuals, businesses, and churches that supported the ballot measure.

Students Lie, Cheat, Steal, But Say They're Good - In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards. "What we need to learn from these survey results is that our moral infrastructure is unsound and in serious need of repair. This is not a time to lament and whine but to take thoughtful, positive actions."

The Original Meaning of the Constitution - Decades of jurists' calling the US Constitution a 'living document' (which means they can shoehorn into it whatever they want) has weakened the very law on which America was built. The original view of the Constitution - as a sturdy code of law with specific purpose and meaning - is regaining popularity according to Justice Scalia.

PBS to Air 'Bible's Buried Secrets' - A two-hour program set to air Tuesday night claims to have "new discoveries that shake the foundation of biblical archaeology," echoing claims by other contested documentaries such as "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which aired last year on The Discovery Channel.

Hosea, Can You See? - Chuck Missler Chuck Missler sheds some light on the startling and humbling parallels between our society and that of the prophet Hosea. These are warning we would be wise not to ignore. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Abandonment Theology - John W. Chalfant The Clergy and the Decline of American Christianity. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Thanksgiving: America's Challenge - Chuck Missler How did the Thanksgiving holiday first begin? Click for more information - Audio Cassette