In nearly all instances of attacks on churches, authorities and media obfuscate the identity of the vandals, German news site PI-News reported.

The Church of St. Sulpice in Paris (photo by David Iliff / Wikimedia Commons) was torched (video grab at right) on March 17.

Fox News hosts Shep Smith and Neil Cavuto reportedly cut off commentators’ speculation about the cause of yesterday’s Notre Dame cathedral fire.

According to PI-News, 1,063 attacks on Christian churches or symbols (crucifixes, icons, statues) were registered in France in 2018. In France, two churches are desecrated every day on average.

The following took place in France in February and March of this year:

• Vandals plundered Notre-Dame des Enfants Church in Nîmes and used human excrement to draw a cross there; consecrated bread was found thrown outside among garbage.
• The Saint-Nicolas Church in Houilles was vandalized on three separate occasions in February; a 19th century statue of the Virgin Mary, regarded as “irreparable,” was “completely pulverized,” said a clergyman; and a hanging cross was thrown to the floor.
• Vandals desecrated and smashed crosses and statues at Saint-Alain Cathedral in Lavaur, and mangled the arms of a statue of a crucified Christ in a mocking manner. In addition, an altar cloth was burned.
• Arsonists torched the Church of St. Sulpice in Paris soon after midday mass on Sunday, March 17.

In Germany, four separate churches were vandalized and/or torched in March alone, the report said.

Meanwhile, the Al-Muntasir media group – an ISIS affiliated propaganda wing – posted an image of the burning Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15 and called the catastrophe “retribution and punishment.”

The ISIS-posted image was accompanied by the words “Have a good day.” It added that Notre Dame’s “construction began in the year 1163 and ended in 1345. It’s time to say goodbye to your oratory polytheism.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was treating the fire as an accident, ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives, at least for now.

In Germany, according to PI-News, “there is a creeping war against everything that symbolizes Christianity: attacks on mountain-summit crosses, on sacred statues by the wayside, on churches… and recently also on cemeteries. Crosses are broken, altars smashed, Bibles set on fire, baptismal fonts overturned, and the church doors smeared with Islamic expressions like ‘Allahu Akbar.’ ”

“Hardly anyone writes and speaks about the increasing attacks on Christian symbols. There is an eloquent silence in both France and Germany about the scandal of the desecrations and the origin of the perpetrators…. Not a word, not even the slightest hint that could in anyway lead to the suspicion of migrants… It is not the perpetrators who are in danger of being ostracized, but those who dare to associate the desecration of Christian symbols with immigrant imports. They are accused of hatred, hate speech and racism.”

L’Observatoire de la Christianophobie, a group which documents attacks on Christians and churches in France, noted that the most notorious anti-Christian attack had to be the one against Father Jacques Hamel, who was killed in the middle of mass at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church on July 26, 2016 by two young Islamists.

Hamel reportedly shouted “Be gone, Satan!” as the men slit his throat.

A nun named Sister Helene, who witnessed the attack, said Hamel shouted at ISIS fanatics Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean, both 19, to stop what they were doing. But they refused to listen, according to the Mirror. “It was then that one of them struck the first blow to his throat,” she said. “Thinking I was going to die, I offered my life to God.”

Sister Helene survived the attack, although one nun sustained some injuries because of the attack. The police later gunned down the fleeing suspects outside the church.

During Fox News’s coverage of the Notre Dame fire, host Shepard Smith cut off a French government official who suggested that the blaze may not have been accidental.

“I would tell you something, even if nobody died, it’s like a 9/11, the French 9/11,” French official Philippe Karsenty told Smith. “And it’s a big shock. I mean, this church was there for more than 850 years, even the Nazis didn’t dare to destroy it.”

Karsenty said: “And you need to know that for the past year we’ve had churches desecrated each and every week in France. All over France. Of course you will hear the stories about the political correctness which will tell you that it’s probably an accident — ”

Smith then cut in, saying: “Sir? Sir. Sir. We’re not going to speculate here of the cause of something which we don’t know.”

“I’m just telling you something, we need to be ready — ” Karsenty said.

Smith replied: “No sir. We’re not doing that here. Not now, not on my watch.”

Fox New host Neil Cavuto also reportedly abruptly cut off Catholic League president Bill Donahue for insinuating the fire was intentionally caused.

Source: https://www.worldtribune.com/unreported-christianophobic-attacks-on-the-rise-in-france-and-germany/

The post Unreported: ‘Christianophobic’ attacks on the rise in France and Germany first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

We observed the Lord’s Supper in the auditorium here in Tyler last evening, conducted by Mr. Stan Roberts and Mr. Tony Brazil. Several visitors have already arrived for the Holy Day weekend and many more are arriving today. To see a calendar of planned events, look at page 23 in the latest edition of the TCW magazine.

Right up front, we’d like to ask for urgent prayers on behalf of Mr. Lee Cline of Montana. After conducting a Passover service he collapsed with what has been diagnosed as a leaking aorta. Doctors give him no more than a couple of days at most, and Mr. Cline has declined a major invasive surgery that comes with no guarantees. Mr. and Mrs. Cline are members of longstanding, and both have been enthusiastically helpful every year at the Feast of Tabernacles at Lake Tahoe.

Only a couple of days ago we learned of the sudden and shocking death of Mr. Trevor Smith of Scotland. He’s been a primary organizer and Minister for our English feast site in Kendal, Cumbria, along with Mr. Anthony Miles. Mr. Miles tells us that there is sufficient help for the feast to go on as planned in Kendal, Cumbria. But Mr. Smith’s unexpected passing has left his family in a state of shock and grief, and we hope they’ll be remembered in your prayers.

While the flames still raged, we saw the burning Notre Dame Cathedral used to illustrate what is happening in France and across Europe. Cathedrals are frequented by tourists, but not so much by parishioners. Christianity, or what passed for it, has been rendered all but illegal and replaced by socialist dogma, and not only in France. What really takes the cake is that the pope has been the one pushing open borders, making refugees a religious sacrament and trying to meld Catholicism with Islam. The video of him kissing the feet of the Sudanese delegation in Rome was, shall we say, a breach of traditional protocol, and it’s not the first time.

Parisians were traumatized by the vision of the burning steeple of Notre Dame leaning, then crumbling through the gutted roof. Almost immediately French President Macron pledged that the landmark would be rebuilt, regardless of cost. French billionaires went public to pledge millions to the cause. But there has been a smoldering anger over EU policies and official indifference to economic concerns in France. The “yellow vest” protests and riots have shut down Paris’ popular boulevards and lucrative tourist hot spots every weekend for months over a “social emergency,” officially acknowledged by Macron last December. Now the yellow vest crew is outraged about the quick response to spend whatever is necessary to restore the Cathedral while their concerns are ignored. The protests/riots are expected to grow in size and intensity. What happens this weekend will be a clue. But that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to economic and social trouble brewing all across the European Union. If and when Britain succeeds in its long awaited exit from the EU, things will get even worse.

Here at home the dishonest news media is writhing around the clock over the release of the long-awaited Mueller Report. Anchors and their panels of experts, up to nine at a time, nod at each other like a bunch of rear window bobble heads over the OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE direction they’ve all taken. They don’t even seem to notice that the RUSSIAN COLLUSION charge they’ve been stoking since President Trump’s inauguration was completely fabricated, not to mention the thousands of network hours dedicated to non-existent “evidence.” Even the legal team of Trump-haters and forty FBI agents could establish nothing of the sort after issuing 2,800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants, and interviews with some 500 witnesses. Over a half million articles have been published alleging Trump/Russia collusion. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were expended while the whole nation and the rest of the world waited expectantly for the hammer to fall on the President.

The fraudulent media assured their audiences that President Trump would be forced to resign in disgrace, a theme that has not relented to this day. They don’t even seem to notice that the whole premise of the weighty investigation has been knocked out from under them. And that by a corrupt team of lawyers who wanted nothing more than to end the Trump presidency. No, they haven’t missed a beat. Now they’ve got a “pattern of behavior” they want to use for impeachment.

So let’s get this straight. The original accusation has been proven totally false. The falsely accused Trump saw the country and his presidency hobbled by fake news and a non-stop drumbeat for his ouster. He lashed out, threatening to use his Constitutionally legitimate power to put an end to the whole charade. It would have been a perfectly reasonable response, and probably should have been done. But his aids and advisors, ever cautious about repercussions and ramifications, talked him out of it. The fact that he talked seriously (probably ranted and raved, as did many of us) about putting an end to the nonsense means that he should be impeached for obstruction of justice. If he had fired everybody in sight it would in fact have been obstruction of an INJUSTICE. But here we are, nearly three years into this made-up story and it dominates all other concerns on earth, as far as the fraudulent media is concerned. As the Bible predicted, “Truth has fallen in the streets.”

Maybe this wouldn’t be such a big deal if President Trump wasn’t the only bulwark standing between us and socialist rule, and the United States the only nation in all of Western civilization that has not (yet) completely sold its soul to global warming, open borders, big government mandates and anti-God claptrap. If the American Constitution should get revoked and the U. S. follows in the path of the other emasculated nations descended from Abraham, it will be an enduring curse that will contribute to lawlessness, squalor, wars, dare we say tribulation, worldwide.

Mark

Source: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/fridayupdates.php

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 19 April 2019 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral following a devastating fire that destroyed the Paris landmark’s spire and roof on Monday. Overnight, donations have been flooding in in the hundreds of millions.

As of Wednesday morning, nearly €800 million ($995 million) had been raised for what is sure to be a massive rebuilding project, Presidential cultural heritage envoy Stephane Bern told broadcaster France-Info.

Much of that money is coming from some wealthy French citizens, including Salma Hayek’s husband François-Henri Pinault, who heads Kering SA, the fashion company behind Gucci and Alexander McQueen among other luxury designers. Pinault pledged a donation of €100 million ($113 million).

However, the city is also getting creative in the way they’re asking for funds. The French version of Google Maps is offering information on how to donate to the fund when you click on Notre Dame Cathedral, and many of the larger shops have an automatic question on their keypad at check out that asks customers if they want to round up their charged amount with the difference going toward the rebuild.

RELATED: ‘Hero’ Priest Helped Human Chain Save Artifacts from Notre Dame: ‘He Showed No Fear’ Amid Blaze

Bernard Arnault, who heads Kering’s rival company LVMH, which is the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Moët and Hennessy pledged that he and his company would donate €200 million ($226 million) to the reconstruction.

“In the wake of this national tragedy, the Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their support for #NotreDame,” LVMH posted on Twitter. “They will donate a total of 200 million euros to the fund for reconstruction of this architectural work, which is an integral part of the history of France.”

Along with their monetary donation, the company offered to help in the rebuilding process with services from “all of its teams — including creative, architectural and financial specialists.”

Total SA, an energy company based in France, also stepped in with a €100 million ($113 million) donation.

The heir of Lilliane Bettencourt, who headed L’Oreal and was considered the wealthiest woman in the world until she passed away two years ago at the age of 94, also announced a donation of €200 million euros ($226 million), according to Reuters. The gift will be made through the Bettencourt Foundation in the name of Liliane’s daughter Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also announced a €50 million ($56 million) donation from the City of Paris, while the regional government agreed to provide €10 million ($11 million), the Washington Post reports.

“In 2024, Paris will host the world for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We need to do everything we can so that the Notre Dame cathedral is returned to all its splendor for this occasion,” Hidalgo said.

RELATED VIDEO: Salma Hayek’s Husband François-Henri Pinault Pledges $113 Million to Rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral

Martin Bouygues who runs a French telecoms construction group and has helped renovate the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, said that he and his brother Olivier would be offering €10 million ($11 million) along with their construction services to rebuild, CNBC reports. Vinci construction group also said they would be willing to help repair the landmark and called on other building firms to donate their services.

Technology consulting firm Capgemini pledged €1 million ($1.1 million), advertising group JCDecaux is donating €20 million ($22.5 million), and financial firm Societe Generale offered €10 million ($11 million) in support.

Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere, the CEO of investment group Fimalac, pledged €10 million ($11 million), Reuters reports.

According to CNBC, Air France and KLM issued a joint statement that their “teams around the world have been deeply affected and saddened since yesterday,” and said they would be providing free transportation for all of the official partners who are involved with rebuilding Notre Dame. The airlines are also setting up a donation fund for the cathedral.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also announced his support of the rebuilding efforts on Twitter on Tuesday, writing “We are heartbroken for the French people and those around the world for whom Notre Dame is a symbol of hope. Relieved that everyone is safe. Apple will be donating to the rebuilding efforts to help restore Notre Dame’s precious heritage for future generations.”

Cook did not elaborate on a monetary value of his donation.

Many groups are also asking for donations from the public, including The French Heritage Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving historic buildings. It has raised over €3.7 million ($4.1 million) overnight.

RELATED: Crowds in Paris Began Singing ‘Ave Maria’ While Watching Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral

According to a tweet from the AFP on Monday night, a fire official confirmed that the main structure of the historic building had been “saved and preserved,” despite the spire and roof being consumed by flames and collapsing earlier in the evening.

“The worst has been avoided, but the battle isn’t fully won yet,” French President Emmanuel Macron told crowds in a speech given outside of the church Monday night.

He promised that the cathedral will be rebuilt. “It is with pride I tell you tonight we will rebuild this cathedral,” he said. “We will rebuild Notre Dame because it is what the French expect of us, it is what our history deserves, it is, in the deepest sense, our destiny.”

Source: https://people.com/travel/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-donations-raised/

The post $1 Billion Raised in Two Days to Rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral After Massive Fire first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

A Yellow Vest amid tear gas in Toulouse on April 13th.  Photographer: Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The French government is mobilizing 60,000 police nationwide after this week’s fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral doesn’t seem to have deterred “Yellow Vests” from protesting for the 23rd straight Saturday.

Several key members of the disparate and eclectic movement have posted that they intend to demonstrate Saturday, saying that contesting President Emmanuel Macron’s policies isn’t incompatible with grieving over the damage to the iconic Gothic monument. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has said there are indications that “Black Bloc” anarchists, who’ve been blamed for the worst of the violent acts in past weeks, are expected to join them.

“Violent extremists once again plan to gather in certain towns such as Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux and above all Paris,” Castaner said at a press conference Friday in Paris. “Their objective is clear: to do another March 16,” when there was widespread destruction on the Champs Elysees avenue in the capital.

The Paris police say they won’t allow protests Saturday near the Champs Elysees and Notre Dame.

Although Monday’s fire at Notre Dame initially united France in its grief, the huge sums of money being pledged for its reconstruction has become a new source of anger for some.

Macron’s Speech

“Yesterday a historic building burned and it’s very serious, but money has flowed in and this monument will be rebuilt,” Nicolle Maxime, a truck driver from Brittany who goes by the online name “Fly Rider” and has a wide following, said in a video he posted Tuesday. “The Earth still turns, we have people who can’t make it to the end of the month, we have people who sleep on the streets, and that’s what our fight is about.”

The Notre Dame fire broke out an hour before Macron was due to address the country on television to outline tax and other measures he’s proposing as a result of the “Great Debate,” a two-month series of town-hall meetings he organized to let the French vent grievances raised by five months of Yellow Vests protests. That speech was canceled, and Macron next week is likely to make the announcement, perhaps in a different format.

It was in response to Macron’s planned speech that many groups of Yellow Vests and other protesters had called for large turn outs this Saturday. The leaderless Yellow Vests movement is notoriously unpredictable so it’s not known how many will change their plans as a result of the fire. The risk for them is a public backlash in the event of violence and destruction this weekend, with little tolerance for such behavior so soon after the tragedy.

Read more on Macron’s plan to placate Yellow Vests

According to people briefed on his planned speech, Macron was due to announce tax cuts for middle-class households, inflation indexation of small pensions and no more closings of schools and hospitals until the end of his first term in 2022 — moves that all have popular support according to an Odoxa poll published today in Le Figaro newspaper.

Still, most Yellow Vests who were interviewed said the measures were too little too late to greatly improve their purchasing power. Many want to continue their weekly protests.

Recent demonstrations by the Yellow Vests have seen turnout in the tens of thousands, well below the hundreds of thousands at the end of last year, and have been largely peaceful. But three Saturdays ago there was widespread looting and vandalism on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, reminiscent of the Dec. 1 ransacking of the Arc of Triumph. Much of the worst outbursts of violence has been blamed on Black Blocs, who often accompany protests across Europe.

Donations Denounced

The last polls gauging public support for the Yellow Vests were held in late March and showed that about half the French have sympathy for the movement, well below the roughly 80 percent who expressed such views last year. The movement began as a protest against rising gasoline taxes and morphed into general unhappiness about the cost of living and Macron’s supposed out-of-touch governing style.

The Yellow Vests have no central leadership. Protests are organized by various local leaders via social media. The widespread damage to Notre Dame seems to have done little to dim their fervor.

Many have, in fact, criticized the huge sums of money being pledged for the rebuilding of the cathedral as well as the tax breaks that encourage donations. French billionaires — including Francois Pinault and Bernard Arnault — and many of the country’s largest companies have collectively promised almost 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) for the reconstruction.

That has been something of a red flag for the Yellow Vests.

In an interview on BFM television Wednesday, Ingrid Levavasseur, one of the early leaders of the movement, denounced the “inertia of big groups when it comes to poverty and who then show off their ability to assemble crazy sums of money in one night for Notre Dame.”

Benjamin Cauchy, another early Yellow Vests leader, said on Twitter that it’s “good that the oligarchy is giving. But exemplary tax behavior would be better. Good conscience doesn’t cover up for poverty and austerity.”

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-19/notre-dame-fire-not-deterring-yellow-vest-protests-in-france

The post France Braces for Yellow Vest Protests With Thousands of Police first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.