On August 4, 2014, I saw this shocking story on the rise of Anti-semitism in Europe. As an evangelical Christian I am appalled at this turn of events in Europe. Sadly we know in the end times Satan will attack Israel with every weapon he has according to Revelation chapter 12, but Israel will survive. I wonder if Hitler was demon possessed since he had such hatred of God’s chosen people. I have written about Israel a lot in the past and the attitudes the people of the world have toward Israel (this includes President Obama’s, Europeans, Christians, and even their enemies such as Hamas).

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Steve Bucci on the Rise of Antisemitism in Europe

Published on Aug 5, 2014

The rise of anti-Semitism

Published August 04, 2014 | O’Reilly Factor | Bill O’Reilly

With: Steve Bucci

This is a RUSH transcript from “The O’Reilly Factor,” August 4, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch “The O’Reilly Factor” weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

O’REILLY: “Unresolved Problems Segment” tonight, the rise of anti- Semitism. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has galvanized people all over the world to take sides. In Miami Beach worshipers at a synagogue recently found their cars vandalized. Also in a northeast state county a swastika painted on a synagogue. And all over the world there are anti- Jewish demonstrations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON DERMER, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: There was hope that in the wake of the Holocaust, that anti-Semitism would end and that the establishment of Israel would bring it to an end. And really what happened with historic perspective is that the brief period after the Holocaust made it politically incorrect to be anti-Semitic. And now you have anti- Semitism really coming to the surface again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O’REILLY: Joining us now from Washington Steve Bucci from the Heritage Foundation. So how bad is this current anti-Semitism? Is it a dangerous situation or just an annoyance?

STEVE BUCCI, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Well, I have to say, Bill, it’s way more than an annoyance. As you mentioned in your examples, we have problems with it here. Europe is far worse. They have had major riots that have not just been anti-Israeli policy, but are blatantly anti-Jewish.

O’REILLY: What is driving those demonstrations? Is it all jihadist sympathizers?

BUCCI: No, I mean they are predominantly the immigrant Muslim populations in Germany and France, for instance. But there are significant numbers of German citizens, native German citizens and native French citizens either from the far right or the far left who blame Israel and are turning it into an anti-Jewish campaign.

O’REILLY: Is there a theme? I mean when you say blame Israel it’s fairly rational clear-minded people understand that Hamas is a terror group and it is committed to killing Jews and wiping Israel off the face of the earth. That’s not debatable. That’s a fact.

And then when Hamas starts to attack and throw rockets into civilian areas in Israel, Israel of course has to defend itself. So there is not a rationality there or a moral equivalency. So then when people take the sides of Hamas, this is my question. Is it just they hate Jews like they would hate Irish or hate blacks? Is that what drives it?

BUCCI: You and I would agree there’s no rational defense for what Hamas does. But some of their supporters are not rational and they have translated this into an attack on all Jews. That anti-Semitism has been below the surface but not much below and this conflict has now allowed it to come to the surface.

O’REILLY: Now, historically speaking there was an anti-Semitism in Europe because many of the people who controlled the land and the banks were Jewish and that had resentment among the people who didn’t have money and didn’t have land. But now it’s not that way. Now, it’s a pluralistic society. So I’m not understanding why a German or French person non jihadist — I understand that crazy philosophy — why they would hate Jews. Jews have a very small minority. They are not around very much. In America is like four million Jews, that’s all. Why do they hate these people? For what reason?

BUCCI: It’s a very visceral thing. It goes back in some cases the far right an alignment with Nazism. The far left with strong Communism — both of whom hated Jews and persecuted them. So the connection is still there.

O’REILLY: But why? Why did the Nazis and the Communists select the Jews? Because I think our audience in America needs to know the historical perspective. Why were they singled out?

BUCCI: In the case of the Nazis, it was Hitler’s irrational view that Jews were somehow subhuman, were less than the pure Germans of which he wasn’t one either. On the left side, the Communists, a lot of them were Jews which started out but they turned it around particularly with Stalin where he saw them as competitor and a group that needed to be crushed and destroyed so he could have full power.

O’REILLY: So isn’t it though that the Jewish people are very close knit and that was — I don’t know — that was a red flag to some people. I never really understood the anti-Semitism. I never really got it. I think it was economically based back in the Middle Ages. But I will give you the last word.

BUCCI: Well, it’s — they have a closeness other groups have a closeness. The Jews mostly were forced to have a closeness just to survive.

O’REILLY: Just to survive, absolutely.

BUCCI: It is irrational.

O’REILLY: Now, do you think it’s on a rise in America or you think these are just selected nuts doing this kind of stuff?

BUCCI: I hope to be optimistic and say it’s not on a rise across the board. But there are enough people that feel the release to do this because of what’s going on in Israel. And hopefully we can keep it down in our country and eliminate it.

O’REILLY: Well, we don’t tolerate it. We find it, we’ll expose it.

Mr. Bucci, thanks very much. We appreciate it.

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Christian Rock Pioneer Larry Norman’s Songs Part 1

I posted a lot in the past about my favorite Christian musicians such as Keith Green (I enjoyed reading Green’s monthly publications too), and 2nd Chapter of Acts and others. Today I wanted to talk about one of Larry Norman’s songs. David Rogers introduced me to Larry Norman’s music in the 1970’s and his album IN ANOTHER LAND came out in 1976 and sold an enormous amount of copies for a Christian record back then.

Larry Norman – The Great American Novel ~ [Lyrics]

Remembering Larry Norman

Calling Larry Norman a “Christian rock pioneer” is easy, and true enough. But before becoming the personification of the Jesus Movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s, he got his start in the mainstream pop world.In 1966, he joined San Jose area band People and signed to Capitol Records. They scored a pop hit with their cover of The Zombies’ “I Love You (But the Words Won’t Come),” before disbanding over internal spiritual conflicts and Norman’s frustration with the label’s re-naming of the band’s debut album. Norman stayed with Capitol for the release of his solo debut, Upon This Rock, a wildly eclectic folk/rock record often referred to as the first Christian rock record of any consequence.

He moved to MGM Records for two critically-acclaimed albums, including Only Visiting This Planet (called “The Best Christian Album of All Time” by the editors of CCM Magazine). But sales were few, and by 1972, Norman went underground, starting Solid Rock Records in the U.S. and Europe, beginning a 35-year run of independence that brought about not only more great music of his own, but also introduced other artful, progressive artists including Randy Stonehill, Daniel Amos, Steve Scott, Tom Howard, Mark Heard, Chris Eaton (Lyrix) and others.

Unlike the safe, southern gospel influenced Christian records of the mid-’70s, Norman’s albums were richly layered in the best tradition of acts like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Crosby, Stills and Nash, with a dark, apocalyptic streak. His message engaged the culture with authenticity and conviction, and his imagination articulated the disconnectedness felt by so many people in the aftermath of the ’60s.

Odd and controversial business practices and broken personal relationships would bring about the end of his Solid Rock Records imprint and cause friction between Norman and some of his closest friends. As Christian music came into its own, he sent himself into a sort of exile. He emerged occasionally, often with surprising stories of personal injuries and even conspiracies. But for the most part, he spent the last two decades of his life communicating directly with his die-hard fans and performing solo acoustic concerts around the world in small venues.

He released a few new projects and re-assembled his classics for release through his website, larrynorman.com. Occasional festival appearances were rare treats for the faithful fans, but he was so far outside the mainstream that most of today’s Christian music fans have absolutely no idea who Larry Norman is.

The fire he fanned continues to burn to this day. Much of the current faith-fueled music scene can trace its existence all the way back to this lanky San Jose kid with the quizzical face, the ripped blue jeans and the simple message that Jesus loves us. His reach extends well into the mainstream where he was admired by artists like U2, John Mellancamp, Bob Dylan and alternative/punk legend Frank Black of Pixies fame. Black, with his ’90s band The Catholics, covered Norman’s song “Six Sixty Six” and frequently went out of his way to laud his impact. In a statement issued the day after Norman’s death, Black called the singer “The most Christ-like man I ever knew.”

In 2002, when U2’s Bono visited Nashville to speak with Christian artists about his DATA campaign, the only artist he specifically asked about was Larry Norman. Norman couldn’t make that trip, so Bono visited him on the road later that year.

His flaws were many, and unfortunately, often kept him at more than arm’s length from the industry he inadvertently helped create. But in time, most of his harshest critics accepted that despite his faults, maybe because of them, he was an amazing person who had given the Church an incredible gift. One-time protégée and best friend Randy Stonehill had distanced himself from Norman for over 20 years following deep personal conflict between the two. In 2001, they reconciled, reuniting onstage at Cornerstone.

Norman struggled with heart disease for most of the last decade. On Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 his struggle ended. He died peacefully. He was 60. It is certainly no overstatement to say Larry Norman is to Christian music what John Lennon is to rock & roll or Bob Dylan is to folk music. His contributions deserve to be discovered by future generations, and his enduring legacy includes the fantastic truth that despite his personal weakness and frailty, God used him to accomplish amazing things.

 

_{John J. Thompson is an artist, author, pastor, music journalist and industry veteran. He founded True Tunes and Gyroscope Arts and currently resides in Nashville. JohnJThompson.com}

– See more at: http://www.ccmmagazine.com/article/remembering-larry-norman/#sthash.dNOPNZrq.dpuf

GRACE UNPLUGGED Add To My Top 10

Prodigal Daughter

Content:

Summary:

Review:

By Ben Kayser, Managing Editor of MOVIEGUIDE®

1. It’s an enjoyable, heartfelt and entertaining movie. The quality storytelling and moving performances meet and even exceed industry standards. GRACE UNPLUGGED is loads of fun for the whole family.

2. It proclaims the name of Jesus. It’s not everyday we get to see movies in theaters that magnify the name of Jesus. By seeing GRACE UNPLUGGED, you are making a statement about the importance of your faith.

3. It has an important message for everyone. Whether you’re a father, mother, daughter or even a son, GRACE UNPLUGGED has important messages about the importance of family, and following God’s calling rather than one’s own.

4. It’s a great evangelism tool. Bring a friend who needs Jesus or just an encouraging word. GRACE UNPLUGGED is a great conversation starter about the important things of life.

5.  Did we mention how fun this movie is?

“Grace Unplugged is tremendous … one of the best, most entertaining Christian movies ever made.” – Dr. Ted Baehr, Movieguide

*            Grace Unplugged is the #1 viewer rated film on Fandango

*         90% viewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes (same as Gravity)

*         Cinemascore (exit survey) of A- (same as Gravity)

*         $1 million box office opening weekend

Read our review here.
Watch our interview with the cast here:

Exclusive Grace Unplugged Interviews

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