Life in Prison for helping women and babies? Time to get out of New York!

Government oppression has now reached the point that the White Man recommends that his readers move out of New York state as soon as practical. Just as an example of how topsy-turvy their legal system is, note that the same state whose legislators rose to their feet and cheered after passing a law that permits homicide of newly-delivered babies has now charged a midwife with homicide for doing her job of referring an unborn baby to the higher level of care that it apparently required. She's also been charged with the ridiculous charges of fraud and identity theft just for filling out the onerous forms that the government requires in order for her to do her job of assisting mothers with the birth of their babies--no such forms being required of the murderers who kill babies at their mothers' request. To reiterate, according the government of New York State, a doctor who strangles a newborn baby with his own hands is not guilty of homicide if the baby dies; An assailant who stabs a baby in its mother's womb, thus killing it, is not guilty of homicide; but a midwife who refers a pregnant woman to a hospital to finish out her delivery IS guilty of homicide if the baby dies. I'll be posting further updates here.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 8:
Apparently Mrs. Catlin has a sensible judge, who released her on her own recognizance (i.e. without bail) until the trial, which probably won't be for at least a year.

Defecting to Russia? A possibility.

Defecting to Russia--it's the latest way to escape becoming a political prisoner in the USA. Although only a couple per cent of applicants receive refugee status, the risk of long imprisonment back in their home country has led thousands to take on those odds--including some prominent American whistleblowers who faced immanent imprisonment for uncovering deep state corruption.
One person who may be joining them is Lisa Miller, whose daughter Isabella will finally be free from the threat of imprisonment in her wicked stepmother's home in only a few months--but who is still eligible for imprisonment herself for years to come.
The US has a long history of jailing mothers who just want to raise their own daughters, beginning with Elizabeth Morgan, who was jailed for 759 days from 1987 to 1989--not for kidnapping her daughter, as there was no evidence of that, but merely for refusing to tell the authorities where she was (living under an assumed name with her grandparents in New Zealand, as it turned out); and continuing to so refuse under penalty of indefinite imprisonment for contempt. It took two acts of Congress (one of which was later declared unconstitutional) before she and her daughter were able to live together under US jurisdiction. |
In another famous case, Lee Barnett fled the country with her infant daughter Savannah, only to be arrested, extradited, and imprisoned for it two decades later. The problem was that she fled to a country where people generally supported US custody law--Australia--and a suspicious acquaintance turned her in when she carelessly referred to her daughter "Samantha" by her real name. Had Lee and Savannah fled to Russia, I don't envision this having happened.
Both of these cases had in common with the Miller case that the natural mother lost custody of her child following a divorce, a loss of custody that took place despite of charges of sexual abuse against the party who was nevertheless granted sole custody of the child. In in all three cases, it appears that the party who eventually won full custody wasn't even interested in being a parent until after the affected child was born, and the mother tried to take her away.
Lisa Miller faces some serious prison time if she ever returns to the US; I don't think there even is a statute of limitations on her contempt charges. New Zealand is out, and Australia is out, so unless she's content to indefinitely risk continuing to live where she does now, Russia seems a viable option, if she can just reach there--or their nearest consular office--undetected. And as the case of Julian Assange demonstrates, just reaching the consular office isn't always enough.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 25, 2019 Supporters of the Millers are calling for a campaign to ask President Trump to pardon all involved. Should this happen, Lisa and Isabella will be able to return to live openly in the land of their birth. Otherwise, they will be forced to continue their life of crime indefinitely.

UPDATE JANUARY 20, 2020 Lisa and Isabella made the decision to come out of hiding, despite not receiving a presidential pardon. Isabella's only crime to date has been living in Nicaragua without a visa for the past ten years, and--since she was a minor almost the entire time--there's a good chance she won't go to prison for it. 

War Party Headed for Iran?

My abilities to prognosticate the upcoming war with Iran are pretty dismal, as can be ascertained by clicking on the label Iran. But I did top off my fuel tank today, just before the price went up eight per cent. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Iran already started a hot war by downing an unarmed American aircraft operating in international airspace. That's really all the grounds President Trump needed to shoot back, but he was persuaded not to. The Iranians had to know that if they attacked again, they would almost guarantee a military response, as diplomacy clearly hasn't worked.
2. Do something to America's oil supply, and you've poked her in the eye. American of course doesn't any longer depend on foreign oil herself, but her NATO allies sure do (especially with the North Sea fields drying up), and Iran has just poked NATO in the eye. Retaliation is almost certain.
3. It's a little early for a war to help the Republicans politically, so they may stall it off as long as necessary while frantically gearing up for a major action. But Britain could definitely use a distraction right now. France, Germany, and Greece would probably love an excuse to expel their Iranian guests. So I'm thinking that any  united NATO action would probably come sooner than later.

This wasn't the post I was planning for September, by the way.

An opportunity to help one of the defenders of Isabella Miller

I've got another post in the works that I'm holding off on until September, but in the meanwhile here is something that can't wait that long.  Philip Zodhiates is in need of funds to pay his legal fees. You can donate at this link or this address: 419 Fund P.O. Box 4075 Lynchburg, VA 24502 .
This is the message I received:

URGENT NEED:

WANT TO HELP PHILIP ZODHIATES REDUCE HIS OUTSTANDING ATTORNEYS' FEES BY $81,000?

IF WE CAN PAY $42,000 BY SEPTEMBER 1ST, THE ATTORNEYS WILL CUT $39,000 OFF THE REMAINING AMOUNT OWED!

If you have ever thought about donating to Philip's attorneys' fees, now is the time to maximize your donation!

*************

Short version: Philip is in prison for giving a ride to Lisa and Isabella Miller from Lynchburg, Virginia to Buffalo, New York!

Lisa was in a lesbian relationship, got a civil union in Vermont, had Isabella in Virginia, got gloriously saved, dissolved the civil union. Janet Jenkins filed in Vermont for parental rights and visitation. Judge granted both, although a Virginia judge had declared Lisa Isabella's only mother.

Lisa allowed the visitation for a while, but discovered Isabella was being sexually abused. After years in the court system (from 2004 - 2016),

Lisa had no choice but to flee the country to save her daughter from the abuse by Janet Jenkins and the court system.

The sexual abuse was never allowed to be presented in court; thus, Philip was convicted of Aiding International Parental Kidnapping. Mind you, Lisa had full custody of her daughter and their passports, and she was under NO travel restrictions.

NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED!

We are a 501(c)(3) and your donations are tax deductible.
Thank you!
Janet Stasulli
Co-Founder and President, 419 Fund
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19

Letter from Philip on his birthday
July 17, 2019
Wednesday, Day 225
 
    Today is my 64th birthday and I’m not in the least bit discouraged or depressed. The Lord God Almighty has provided me with the best birthday gift imaginable.
    I began my day, as usual, awakening between 7 and 7:30 am, walking downstairs to fill my “whirley” with hot water for my morning instant coffee, and then went to send Kathie my ritual good morning email. I had six emails by 7:30 this morning – two emails from Kathie telling me happy birthday, and an email from my sister Lois, my daughter Victoria, and one from Janet Stasulli of the 419 Fund, all telling me happy birthday. But these emails are not what I’m referring to. “E” got on the terminal next to mine and said good morning, and that he’s trying to “figure out” his girlfriend. I asked him, “What do you mean?” He accepted Christ not long after I arrived, and has been faithful never to miss a Bible study or prayer ever since. I’ve seen a remarkable change in him, thinking back on it.
    “E” replied to me, “She’s become all ‘Christian-y.’ I talk to her on the phone, and she’s different. She doesn’t curse anymore. I’ve changed, and she’s changed. I’ve said I don’t want to be unequally yoked, and so she’s changed. Maybe my daughter will change too. It’s a really good thing.”
    These few words made my heart leap for joy. Because I am beginning to see the multiplying effect I’m praying will happen through the lives of these men I have befriended. Who knows what God might do!
    I got back to my cell, rejoicing in the Lord, and picked up “The Daily Bread” devotional, which I get from the chapel. Today’s Scripture was from II Corinthians 2:1-17, “But thanks to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and MANIFESTS THROUGH US THE SWEET AROMA OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM IN EVERY PLACE. FOR WE ARE A FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST TO GOD AMONG THOSE WHO ARE BEING SAVED AND AMONG THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the Word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak Christ in the sight of God.”
    This has been my prayer since I arrived in prison: that others would want what I have – the peace that surpasses all comprehension (Philippians 4:7).
    The Holy Spirit then instantly reminded me of two other encounters I had yesterday, where God was subtly trying to tell me my time here at FCI Ashland is not for naught. The first was around 1:00 pm when I was walking the track in the rec yard with “Texas,” who’s been “dumping” on me about his significant anger problem and being constantly bothered by the numerous demons flying around this place. He’s angry because he says he doesn’t deserve to be in prison, nor do I, and that we are both here because of political vendettas. I always just listen to him but tell him when one gives his life to Christ, He will remove the anger and make him a new person. At one point he said, “You never get angry about anything, do you? Not even about having to be in this place?” I said, no, I know God has me here for a purpose, and I need to make the most of it. I used to have an anger problem when I was a young boy but realized when I became a teen that my anger was always getting me in trouble, and it was something I could not control. So, I told God it was something I couldn’t deal with and asked Him to take it away. And He did! This morning, “Texas” told me that he indeed asked Christ into his heart. He’s been telling me for weeks that God put us both here in this prison for him, so he can get his life right with God and turn it around.
    Then I also remembered what one of the Christian brothers who is living in “C’s” unit told me at supper yesterday when I asked if “C” found out when he is leaving for the camp in Indiana. He told me it won’t be until August, but then he told me, “You know since ‘C’ moved back to R unit, I’ve seen such a big change in him spiritually!” “C” is another who has told me over and over again that God allowed me to come to prison so I could meet him and be friends with him for the rest of his life. The fact that this brother would tell me how changed “C” is now thrills my soul!
    My current cellmate, “JB,” also just told me this week that God keeps bringing people in his path here in this prison he can learn from. He found out today he is leaving soon for a camp. I had prayed over him for that!
    Today my class was canceled, so I went outside to do my 2 ½ mile fast-paced walk and ended up walking about 3 ½ miles with “J,” my former cellmate. He, too, reminded me today that God brought me here to this prison just for him! I said that’s what “Texas” keeps telling me, too. But he retorted, “Yeah, but I told you that first!” “J” is even fasting now two days a week!
    So, I praise God today that despite the fact I sometimes get discouraged, apparently the sweet aroma of the Lord is manifesting itself through me to others around me and is even beginning to spread to others outside these prison fences. To that, I just praise and rejoice in the Lord. God has given me the greatest gift I could ever imagine – His sweet aroma manifesting itself through me!
 
   To top it off, “C” made me a delicious cheesecake in celebration after chow tonight, and “J” gave me a leather cover he had made for my radio in hobby craft. They and a handful of other men, including “E,” sang happy birthday and we enjoyed the cake and fellowship. I had two pieces!
In His Service,
Philip

Mushrooms and the Medical Manual

As a thought exercise, I decided to do what the anonymous author of "Wine and the Bible" did with wine, to mushrooms. I was only able to find 19th-century citations for the first two categories.

I found that all passages where mushrooms are mentioned, fall under three headings: a) where mushrooms are merely mentioned, b) where they are spoken of as a cause of misery and death, c) where they a blessing and source of ethereal enlightenment.

Examples:
a)"Konstantin was out wandering in the woods looking for mushrooms after the rain." The Small Rain by Diana Raymond, 1955
b) "Probably a single one of these is responsible for a vast majority of the fatal accidents resulting from mushroom poisoning. There are however some species in other genera that are capable of causing nausea vomiting and derangement of the digestive organs." The West American Scientist, 1895
c) "The taste of magic mushrooms are far from the best gourmet meals. However, once you get past the taste, they can open you up to sensations you’ve never had. Those who ate magic shrooms always talk of having an out-of-body experience, a feeling of time slowing down, and an openness to their imagination." www.trufflemagic.com, 2019

Now, how does one ensure that his mushrooms are of the heavenly kind and not the hellish kind? It isn't easy, but one can start by overturning cow patties:

"Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms usually grow on patties that have had a little time to soak themselves into the soil - I would guesstimate that 2 week-old patties would be ideal. The mushrooms may be growing either straight out of the patty or very near it. As for picking, cubensis mushrooms are fully mature when the veil has broken and the caps are relatively flat (depending on the strain). The ideal time to pick is 24-36 hours after a good rain (0.5" or more) in 65-85F weather. Be sure to identify them PROPERLY and THOROUGHLY before consuming any mushroom"  answers.yahoo.com, 2019

But don't just go grabbing fruiting bodies off any pile of dung, either:
"Psilocybe cubensis, commonly called the Golden Top, is a prolific dung-inhabiting mushroom found mostly in the spring to early summer. Its striking appearance, size, and fairly exclusive habitat makes identification relatively easy. This is not true of the Psilocybe genus as a whole, however; Many of the hallucinogenic species closely parallel the appearance of some of the most deadly poisonous mushrooms." www.potent.media/magic-mushroom-guide 2019

So, it looks like it boils down to this: Once you've eaten a mushroom and feel nothing, the mushroom being referred to is obviously from category (a). If, however, you begin to vomit and feel your internal organs shutting down, obviously this reference was to a mushroom of category (b). But if you begin to feel at one with the universe, you've connected with a reference of the last category, (c).

Enjoy your mushrooms! And please, consume them responsibly--unfermented and gluten-free.

Wine and the Bible

So goes the title of an undated and unattributed article I found online. There's not much of the Bible in it, though; it's mostly extracts of centuries-old anecdotes about wine being preserved without the benefit of fermentation. All this is well and good, but there's one problem: we live in the present, and if we are going to enjoy the biblical blessing of unfermented wine, somebody needs to show us how to make it; some of us, like the ancients, don't have refridgerators. There's not a shred of scientific rigour in this article: assertion after assertion is made without any attempts to repeat the experiment and see if it actually works. Here is the article:

Did Jesus turn water into intoxicating wine? Did He serve alcoholic wine at the last supper? What does the evidence tell us? The Bible speaks plainly on this subject. Historical records regarding the preparation, preservation and use of wine are also clear.

Consider this report (1820) by William Patton. The term “alcoholic” is not used. He uses the Bible term, “drunkard.” The Bible does not recognize drunkenness as a sickness, but as sin. The drunkard is listed in scripture with thieves, liars, extortioners, murderers, etc., as being in danger of God’s judgment in hell unless he repents. Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10. God will never consign a person to hell for being sick. Therefore the matter of drunkenness, and that which leads to drunkenness, becomes a very serious matter. Here is his report:

I found that all Bible passages where wine or drinking is mentioned, fall under three headings: a) where wine is merely mentioned, b) where it is spoken of as a cause of misery and the emblem of eternal wrath, c) where it is a blessing along with grain.

I began to wonder if the Bible makes reference to two kinds of wine. Such is indeed the case. I shared my findings with Professor Seixas, an eminent Hebrew teacher. He took my manuscript, and a few days later returned it with the statement, “Your discriminations are just. They denote that there indeed are two kinds of wine.” I have since learned much from others who have come to the same conclusion. I ran into much opposition from those who believe that all mention of wine in the Bible is to intoxicating wine, but here are a few counter-statements:

Dr. Ure, in his Dictionary of Arts, says: “Juice when newly pressed from grapes, and before it has begun to ferment is called must, and in common language new wine.”

Rees’ Cyclopedia: “Sweet wine is that which has not yet worked or fermented.”

Noah Webster: “Wine, the fermented juice of grapes…Must, wine, pressed from the grape, but not fermented.”

Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible “The wine was sometimes preserved in its unfermented state and drunk as must…Very likely new wine was preserved in the state of must by placing it in jars or bottles, and then burying it in the earth.”

These authorities make it clear that there were, indeed, among the ancients, two kinds of wine, the fermented and the unfermented.

Fermentation

The laws of fermentation are fixed laws, always operating in the same way, and always and everywhere requiring the same conditions. Lardner’s Cyclopedia says:

“1. There must be saccharine (sugar) matter and gluten (yeast).

“2. The temperature should not be below 50 degrees nor above 70 or 75 degrees.

“3. The juice must be of a certain consistency. Thick syrup will not undergo vinous fermentation. Too much sugar is not favorable for the process, and on the other hand too little sugar, or, which is the same thing, too much water, will be deficient in the necessary quantity of saccharine matter to produce a liquor that will keep, and for want of more spirit the vinous fermentation will almost surely turn to vinegar.

“4. The quantity of yeast or ferment must also be well regulated. Too much or too little will impede and prevent fermentation.”

Others confirm these statements. The indispensable conditions for vinous fermentation are the right proportions of sugar, of yeast, and of water, with the temperature of the air ranging between 50 and 75 degrees.

We see therefore that the process of fermentation is not a natural one. Chaptal, the eminent French chemist, says, “Nature never forms spirituous liquors; she rots the grape upon the branch; but it is art which converts the juice into (alcoholic) wine.”

Fruits Preserved

[Before there was refrigeration]

As grapes and other fruits were such an important part of the food of the ancients, they would, by necessity, invent methods for preserving them fresh. Josephus, the first century historian, in his Jewish Wars, book VII, ch. VIII, s. 4, makes mention of Herod’s fortress in Israel, called Masada, “For here was laid up grain in large quantities, enough to enable an army to survive for a long time: here was also wine and oil in abundance, with all kinds of herbs, vegetables and dates heaped up together. These products were also fresh and full ripe, and in no way inferior to such fruits newly laid in, although they had been there almost 100 years.”

In a footnote William Whiston, the translator, says: “Pliny (AD 27-79) and others confirm this strange paradox, that provisions laid up against sieges will continue good for 104 years, as Spanheim also notes upon this place.” Such facts regarding long preservation of fruit and other food are confirmed by many other historians.

Swinburn says, “In Spain they also have the secret for preserving grapes sound and juicy from one season to another.”

E. C. Delevon states that when he was in Florence, Italy, “Signor Pippine, one of the largest wine manufacturers, told me that he at that time had in his lofts, for the use of his own table, until the next harvest, a quantity of grapes sufficient to make 100 gallons of wine; that grapes could always be had, at any time of the year, to make any desirable quantity; and that there was nothing in the way of obtaining the fruit of the vine free from fermentation in wine countries at any period. A large basket of grapes was sent to my lodgings, which were as delicious, and looked as fresh, as if recently taken from the vines, though they had been picked for months.”

Fermentation Prevented

Professor Donovan, in his writing on domestic economy, mentions three methods by which all fermentation can be prevented:

“1. Grape juice will not ferment when the air is completely excluded from it.

“2. The juice may be boiled, thereby evaporating the water. The substance thus becomes a syrup, which if very thick will not ferment.

“3. If the juice is filtered and deprived of its gluten; or yeast, the production of alcohol will be impossible.” —Anti-Bacchus, p. 162.

Also, if the juice is kept below 45 degrees (in water or underground) it will not ferment.

Four methods were used by the ancients to keep their new wine from fermenting:

Boiling and Thickening

By this process the water is evaporated, thus leaving so large a portion of sugar that fermentation is prevented. “By boiling, the juice of the richest grape loses all of its aptitude for fermentation, and may afterwards be preserved for years without undergoing any further change.” —Elements of Chemistry, Herman Boerhave.

Liebig says, “The natural law causing organic substances to pass into a state of decay is annihilated in all cases by heating to the boiling point.” The grape juice boils at 212 degrees; but alcohol evaporates at 170 degrees, which is 42 degrees below the boiling point. So then, if any possible portion of alcohol was in the juice, this process would expel it. All yeast, which would cause fermentation, is also destroyed by boiling. The obvious object of boiling the juice was to preserve it sweet and fit for use during the year. The boiling continued for several hours until ¼ to ½ of the water had boiled away. Water was later added to the syrup when the host desired to serve new wine.

Some of the celebrated Opimian wine, mentioned by Pliny had, two centuries after its production, the consistency of honey. Professor Donovan says, “In order to preserve their wines to these ages, the Romans concentrated the must or grape juice, of which they were made, by evaporation, either spontaneous in the air or over a fire, and so much so as to render them thick and syrupy.”

Horace, born 65 BC, says, “There is no wine sweeter to drink than Lesopian. It is like nectar, and resembles ambrosia more than wine. It is perfectly harmless, and will not produce intoxication.” —Anti-Bacchus p. 220.

“The Mishna states that the Jews were in the habit of using boiled wine.” —Kitto, Volume II, p. 477.

W. C. Brown, who traveled extensively in Africa, Egypt, and Syria from AD 1792 to 1798, states, “Most of the wines of Syria are prepared by boiling immediately after they are pressed from the grape, until they are considerably reduced in quantity, when they are put into jars or large bottles and preserved for use.” He adds, “There is reason to believe that this mode of boiling was a general practice among the ancients.”

“It is observable that when sweet juices are boiled down to a thick consistency, they not only do not ferment in that state, but are not easily brought into fermentation even when diluted with as much water as they had lost in the evaporation.” —Caspar Neuman, MD, professor of chemistry.

Filtration

By filtration, the gluten or yeast is separated from the juice of the grape. While the juice will pass through the filtering implements, the gluten will not, and, being thus separated, the necessary conditions of fermentation are destroyed. The ancient writers, when speaking of the removal of the vim, vi, vires, that is, the potency or fermentable power of the wine, use the following strong words: eunuchrum, castratum, effaeminatum–thus expressing the thoroughness of the process by which all fermentation was destroyed. Plutarch, born AD 60, in his Symposium, says: “Wine is rendered old or feeble in strength when it is frequently filtered. The strength or spirit being thus excluded, the wine neither inflames the brain nor infests the mind and the passions, and is much more pleasant to drink.”

Again, Pliny said, “Wines were rendered old and castrated or deprived of all their vigor by filtering.”

Captain Treat, in 1845, wrote, “When on the south coast of Italy, I inquired particularly about the wines in common use, and found that those esteemed the best were sweet and unintoxicating. The boiled juice of the grape is in common use in Sicily. The Calabrians keep their intoxicating and unintoxicating wines in separate compartments. From inquiries, I found that unfermented wines were esteemed the most. These wines were drunk mixed with water. Great pains were taken in the vintage season to have a good stock of them laid by. The grape juice was filtered two or three times, and then bottled, and some put in casks and buried in the earth–some kept in water (to prevent fermentation).” Dr. Lees’ Works, Vol. II, p. 144.

Subsidence

[Meaning, to sink or fall to the bottom; settle]

The gluten may be so effectually separated from the juice by subsidence as to prevent fermentation. The gluten, being heavier than the juice, will settle to the bottom by its own weight if the must can be kept from fermentation for a limited period. If the juice is kept at a temperature below 45 degrees, it will not ferment. The juice being kept cool, the gluten will settle to the bottom, and the juice when siphoned off, and thus deprived of the gluten, cannot ferment.

“They plunge the casks, immediately after they are filled from the vat, into water, until winter has passed away and the wine has acquired the habit of being cold.” Kitto, II, 955; A.-B. 217; Smith’s Antiquities. Being kept below 45 degrees, the gluten settled to the bottom, and thus fermentation was prevented.

Columella gives a recipe: “That your must may always be as sweet as when it is new, proceed in this way: Before you apply the press to the fruit, take the must that has already flowed from the grapes, put into a new amphora [jar], bung it up, and cover it very carefully with pitch, lest any water should enter; then immerse it in a cistern or pond of pure cold water, and allow no part of the amphora to remain above the surface. After 40 days, take it out, and it will remain sweet for a year.” He no doubt inferred that the pure wine was to be poured off from the gluten that had settled to the bottom. This wine would again be sealed airtight and kept cool in the ground or water until used. These ancients had underground cellars where their wines and other foods were preserved.

Fumigation

Dr. Ure states that fermentation may be stopped by the application or admixture of substances containing sulphur. Adams, in his Roman Antiquities, on the authority of Pliny and others, says, “The Romans fumigated their wines with the fumes of sulphur; they also mixed with the mustum (the newly pressed juice) yokes of eggs and other articles containing sulphur.”

In all these extracts, the writers call the grape juice wine, whether boiled, filtered, subsided or fumigated.

Wine With Water

There is abundance of evidence that the ancients mixed their wines with water. Not because they were so strong with alcohol as to require dilution, but because, being rich syrups, they needed water to prepare them for drinking.

According to Lightfoot, the Passover was celebrated with nonalcoholic wine mixed with water. Each person, man, woman and child drank four cups. After celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Christ took the bread and wine that remained and instituted the Lord’s supper. The wine was, we believe, the rich syrup diluted with water. This kind of wine met all the requirements of the law concerning leaven. The true rendering of matsah, according to Dr. F.R. Lees, means unfermented things. It therefore refers not only to bread.

Classification Of Wines

The careful reader of the Bible will notice that in a number of cases wine is simply mentioned without anything in the context to determine its character. He will notice another class, which unmistakably denotes the bad character of the beverage. There is also a third class, whose character is clearly designated as good.

Bad Wine

This class of texts refers to wine:

1. As the cause of intoxication. This is not disputed.

2. As the cause of violence and woe. Prov. 4:17; 23:29-30.

3. As the cause of self-security and irreligion. Isa. 28:7; 56:12; Hab. 2:5.

4. As poisonous and destructive. Prov. 23:31.

5. As condemning those who are devoted to drink. Isa. 5:22; 1 Cor. 6:10.

6. As the emblem of punishment and of eternal ruin. Psa. 60:3; 75:8; Is 51:17; Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:10; 16:19.

Good Wine

I turn now to another class of texts which speak with approval of a wine whose character is good, and which is commended as a blessing.

1. To be presented at the altar as an offering to God. Num. 18:12; Neh. 10:37, 39; 13:5, 12.

2. Is classed among the blessings, the comforts, the necessities of life. Gen. 27:28; Deut. 7:13; 11:14; Isa. 65:8; Joel 3:18.

3. Is the emblem of spiritual blessings. Isa. 55:1; Psa. 104:15.

4. Is the emblem of the blood of the atonement, by which we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal blessedness. Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:16.

In all the passages where good wine is named, there is no indication of warning, nor intimation of danger, no hint of disapproval, but always of decided approval.

How bold and strong is the contrast: The one the cause of intoxication, of violence, and of woes. The other the occasion of comfort and peace. The one the cause of irreligion and of self-destruction. The other the devout offering of piety on the altar of God. The one the symbol of the divine wrath. The other the symbol of spiritual blessings. The one the emblem of eternal damnation. The other the emblem of eternal salvation.

“The distinction in quality between the good and the bad wine is as clear as between good and bad men, or good and bad spirits; for one is the constant subject of warning, designated poison, both literally and figuratively, while the other is commended as refreshing and innocent, which no alcoholic wine is.” Lees’ Appendix, p. 232.

Can it be that these blessings and curses refer to the same beverage, and that an intoxicating liquor? Dr. Nott says: “Can the same thing, in the same state, be both good and bad; a symbol of wrath, and a symbol of mercy; a thing to be sought after, and a thing to be avoided? Certainly not. And is the Bible, then, inconsistent with itself? Again, certainly not!”

Professor M. Stuart says: “My final conclusion is this: Whenever the scriptures speak of wine as a comfort, a blessing, or a libation to God, and rank it with such articles as grain and oil, they mean, and they can only mean the wines that contained no alcohol that could have a harmful effect; that wherever they denounce it, and connect it with drunkenness and revelling, they can mean only alcoholic or intoxicating wine.”

What is medicine's 5 sigma? by Richard Horton, Published in "The Lancet" 11 April 2015

The following excerpt is taken from a magazine we've covered before, written by the editor himself. I'd link to the page, but I don't expect it to stay up for long.

 “A lot of what is published is incorrect.” I’m not allowed to say who made this remark because we were asked to observe Chatham House rules. We were also asked not to take photographs of slides. Those who worked for government agencies pleaded that their comments especially remain unquoted, since the forthcoming UK election meant they were living in “purdah”—a chilling state where severe restrictions on freedom of speech are placed on anyone on the government’s payroll. Why the paranoid concern for secrecy and non-attribution? Because this symposium—on the reproducibility and reliability of biomedical research, held at the Wellcome Trust in London last week—touched on one of the most sensitive issues in science today: the idea that something has gone fundamentally wrong with one of our greatest human creations. * The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness. As one participant put it, “poor methods get results”. The Academy of Medical Sciences, Medical Research Council, and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have now put their reputational weight behind an investigation into these questionable research practices. The apparent endemicity of bad research behaviour is alarming. In their quest for telling a compelling story, scientists too often sculpt data to fi t their preferred theory of the world. Or they retrofi t hypotheses to fi t their data. Journal editors deserve their fair share of criticism too. We aid and abet the worst behaviours. Our acquiescence to the impact factor fuels an unhealthy competition to win a place in a select few journals. Our love of “significance” pollutes the literature with many a statistical fairy-tale. We reject important confirmations. Journals are not the only miscreants. Universities are in a perpetual struggle for money and talent, endpoints that foster reductive metrics, such as high-impact publication. National assessment procedures, such as the Research Excellence Framework, incentivise bad practices. And individual scientists, including their most senior leaders, do little to alter a research culture that occasionally veers close to misconduct. * Can bad scientific practices be fixed? Part of the problem is that no-one is incentivised to be right. Instead, scientists are incentivised to be productive and innovative. Would a Hippocratic Oath for science help? Certainly don’t add more layers of research red tape. Instead of changing incentives, perhaps one could remove incentives altogether. Or insist on replicability statements in grant applications and research papers. Or emphasise collaboration, not competition. Or insist on preregistration of protocols. Or reward better pre and post publication peer review. Or improve research training and mentorship. Or implement the recommendations from our Series on increasing research value, published last year. One of the most convincing proposals came from outside the biomedical community. Tony Weidberg is a Professor of Particle Physics at Oxford. Following several high-profi le errors, the particle physics community now invests great eff ort into intensive checking and rechecking of data prior to publication. By fi ltering results through independent working groups, physicists are encouraged to criticise. Good criticism is rewarded. The goal is a reliable result, and the incentives for scientists are aligned around this goal. Weidberg worried we set the bar for results in biomedicine far too low. In particle physics, significance is set at 5 sigma—a p value of 3 × 10–7 or 1 in 3·5 million (if the result is not true, this is the probability that the data would have been as extreme as they are). The conclusion of the symposium was that something must be done. Indeed, all seemed to agree that it was within our power to do that something. But as to precisely what to do or how to do it, there were no firm answers. Those who have the power to act seem to think somebody else should act first. And every positive action (eg, funding well-powered replications) has a counterargument (science will become less creative). The good news is that science is beginning to take some of its worst failings very seriously. The bad news is that nobody is ready to take the first step to clean up the system. Richard Horton richard.h orton@lancet.com

An exciting update from Philip Z.

  Earlier in June, as a result of the recently enacted First Step Act, I sent a motion to my sentencing judge pro se to request him to vacate or re-sentence me based on two reasons:

    First, there was an “affirmative defense” included in the law under which I was prosecuted which allowed for a parent to remove a child when there was an incidence of abuse. This means I should never have been convicted based on the merits of the law.

    Secondly, affidavits verifying evidence of such abuse had come into my hands within several months of coming to prison, which I have subsequently forwarded to Judge Arcara.

    This past week, Judge Arcara requested a response to my motion to vacate or re-sentence based on my motion to the U.S. government. The prosecution has until August 3 to respond.

    Keep in mind that the alleged abuse of Isabella Miller was never brought out in my nearly two-week trial. The jury only heard it alluded to in passing perhaps one time, but it would have been easily missed. Many of the hundreds of people who wrote Judge Arcara prior to my sentencing alluded to it, however, as did I at the day of my sentencing. This judge, from what I was told, has never allowed anyone convicted in his courtroom, in approximately 30 years, to go free on bail pending appeal. The probation officer was asking for an eight-year prison sentence and a $50,000 fine.

    But on the day of the sentencing, it was very evident God had moved on his heart. My sentence was three years (the minimum), and the fine a mere $200. He several times mentioned the hundreds of letters and the fact that he had read many, if not most of them, twice. Then, on the next day, he allowed Timo Miller, my co-defendant who had already served eight months in prison, to go free at his sentencing, rather than making him serve more time. He then explained to Buffalo News in an interview something to the effect that we were good people who got caught up in something we shouldn’t have.

    In light of my motion, and these two issues I’ve brought to his attention, please pray with our family diligently that God will indeed speak to his heart once again, and send me home in August. I will be in my eighth month of incarceration.

    Pray that he will recognize the injustice of my case, which would have never happened had it not been for the political nature of it. I am asking God to speak to his heart and that he will heed God’s nudge to say, enough is enough.

    I do not regret this opportunity to spend these months in prison. I believe God has used it in my life and others. Has it been easy? No. Was it as bad as I expected? No. Am I glad for the experience? Yes. Did I learn a lot from the experience? Yes. Would I have chosen to go through it in hindsight? Ask me in a year or two or three. Has God used it to His glory? I believe so, particularly if it encourages others to stand firm for Christ and not cower in the face of persecution.

    Please pray with me and believe in faith, that God will once again touch the heart of Judge Arcara, and not just vacate my sentence, but also dismiss the criminal charges against Lisa Miller, who certainly does not deserve to be a fugitive.

    Thank you so much for your many prayers and support up until this point. God has been moving. Two weeks ago, a judge in the western district of Virginia threw out the lawsuit against us filed by Janet Jenkins. Judge Arcara’s favorable ruling at this time would definitely assist in aiding us in winning the civil lawsuit filed against us by Janet Jenkins in Vermont.

    I know that my God is mightier than all the lawyers of the Southern Poverty Law Center combined. In Him alone there is victory!

    Please pray with us diligently over the course of the next month for Judge Arcara to allow me to go home in August.

In His Service,
Philip

To my nineteen followers, and the thousands of others who read this blog

Well, the handwriting is on the wall. Google had already taken over this platform when I started this blog in 2004, but it took a few years for the new paradigm to take effect. Then, overnight, I dropped from 25 hits a day to 12, and from second or third hit on a search to second or third page.
I always use Bing for searches now, and I've recently noticed that a lot of my lost hits from Google are being replaced by Bing; for one recent search, my website was the fifth one down the page.
So for now, I'll limp along, and maybe even see a brief resurgence; but sooner or later the powers that be will see fit to shut me down. By then I hope to have transferred these hundreds of pages of content back down to my computer, so they won't be lost forever. I may even end up making a book out of some of them; fat chance, though, of Amazon letting me use them to sell it.

Or maybe, just maybe, this may turn out to be another one of my famous failed prophecies. We hope.

A Life Sentence for Flying a Plane

I have written earlier of the odd sentencing practices in the United States, but this one takes the cake: at an age when most people who committed murder in their youth have long since been released from prison, Cuban-American Antonio Bascaro has just been released 20 years early from a 60-year sentence that he couldn't have possibly outlived. His crime? Conspiracy to violate US drug laws that are on the verge of being repealed. He flew the airplane that carried marijuana into the United States. Yes, you heard me right: Sixty years--basically a life sentence for a man in his 40's--for smuggling weed. His real crime, as it turns out, was refusing to rat on his fellow smugglers: the federal prosecutors made sure that, as punishment for refusing to aid in their conviction, he himself was punished for all their crimes. A similar fate befell Timo Miller, who attempted to cooperate but wasn't willing to leave his wife's bedside at a crucial moment and was thus punished as if he had done nothing but resist.

The Brimstone that fell on The Cities of the Plain

As I Bible scholar, I continue to look for groundbreaking research on topics that help us understand the Bible better. YouTube is a great resource in this area, and recently I spent a lot of time watching videos about the destruction of the Cities of the Plain (b`iri hakikar). The problem is, no one can agree just what the Plain was, or where the cities were, other than that they were all in the vicinity of the Dead Sea: either to the north, the south, the east, or the west. This website makes a strong case for Tel el Hammam, north of the Sea. Strong, that is, until you actually examine the biblical record. The ONLY correlation between the ruins of this unidentified city and those of the Cities of the Plain, is summed up in the closing paragraph of the website:

That the most productive agricultural land in the region, which had supported flourishing civilizations continuously for at least 3,000 years, should suddenly relinquish, then resist, human habitation for such a long period of time has begged investigation. Research results concerning the "3.7KYrBP Kikkar Event" are presently being compiled for publication and presentation.

There are many things to keep in mind here. Perhaps we could list some of them.
1. The destruction of the Cities (basically Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar) was complete. The word used (mahpekah) refers to utter desolation. The Cities were never conquered by enemies, or even destroyed by natural disasters; their unique obliteration was accomplished directly by the Hand of God: burning sulphur from the sky. The ruins of Tel el Hammam simply don't fit this description.
But other ruins do. Beginning with Ron Hyatt, amateur archaeologists have identified at least four discrete sites along the west shore of the Dead Sea by three or four unique characteristics they all share: the outline of the city is a distinct ashy colour; all that is left are layers of ash, interspersed with carbonized wood and underlaid by layers of calcium sulphate, scattered throughout with colourless balls of sulphur that is purer than any naturally occurring deposits anywhere in the world.

2. The destruction was accomplished by intense heat accompanied by sulphur, which reacted chemically to destroy stone structures, replacing them with layers of sulphate ash. Even crops were wiped out in this way. Sulphur residue rendered the soil toxic to plant life. The area of the Dead Sea is proverbial for nothing being able to grow there. So, not only were the cities destroyed, but the entire area, which had a population density comparable to the Nile Delta, became uninhabitable--as it is to this day; no cities have ever been built there, and the main industry is mining the harsh chemicals that render it so hostile to life.

3. The cities, and their surrounding lush farm and pasture land, were so utterly desolated that no one would ever live in them again. It is no wonder that even now, 4000 years later, one can walk through the region picking up balls of brimstone from off the ground; no one has ever even attempted to mine it, despite its amazing purity. The very desolation that resulted from God's judgement has protected these ruins from exploitation to this very day.