Several Items of Interest

Christian Convert From Islam Beheaded in Somalia

Islamic extremists from Somalia's rebel al Shabaab militants killed a Christian in Somalia's coastal city of Barawa on Nov. 16, accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Morning Star News reports.  The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, underground Christians in Somalia said.  Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, which is nearly 83 percent Christian, opposed to Somalia, which is close to 100 percent Muslim.  Mose had converted to Christianity in 2010 while in Kenya.  Sources said a crowd assembled in Barawa to watch the slaughter of Mose. "His body was split into two, then carried away, only to be dumped near the beach of Barawa city," a Christian who witnessed the murder said.  Other Muslim witnesses independently described the same scene, saying the extremists accused Mose of being a spy for foreigners and of embracing the "foreign religion of Christianity."  Al Shabaab rebels have killed dozens of Christian converts from Islam since embarking on a campaign to rid Somalia of Christianity.  The extremists, variously estimated at 3,000 to 7,000 seek to impose a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) on Somalia.


Nigeria: Suspected Islamic Militants Kill 10 Christians in Machete and Gun Attack

Suspected Islamist militants killed 10 Christians in an overnight machete and gun attack in the remote village of Chibok in Nigerian's Borno state on Dec. 2, BBC News reports.  Residents said a group of men went from house to house in a largely Christian area of Chibok, setting people's houses on fire before slitting the throats of 10 people.  Later, gunmen attacked government targets and churches near the border with Cameroon, killing five policemen.  It is still unclear who is behind the attacks, but the army suspects the Islamist sect Boko Haram, which has targeted churches and government establishments in the region in the last few years, killing more than 3,000. The group is fighting to overthrow the government and impose a strict form of sharia or Islamic law.


Washington State to Eliminate "Bride" and "Groom" on Marriage Certificates

The words "bride" and "groom" are about to become archaic language in Washington state as officials prepare to remove the terms, along with "husband" and "wife," from marriage and divorce certificates, Todd Starnes reports.  Tim Church, a spokesman for the Washington health department, told Fox News they will likely be removing those words in favor of more gender-neutral terms in response to the same-sex marriage law that takes effect in the state December 6.  "We've been quickly moving ahead to change our marriage certificate to make sure it fits for everyone who is going to be using it," Church said.  The words "bride" and "groom" could be replaced with "Spouse A" and "Spouse B"  or "Person A" and "Person B."  The department has been taking public input, but the state's secretary of health will ultimately decide which terms are used. "We want our form to work for everyone who is getting married," Church said.  Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council said: "It is one sort of symbolic indication of how radical a change the legalization of same-sex marriage is. Symbolically, they are doing away with the whole concept of bride and groom, husband and wife  -  at least in the eyes of the law."
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, 2012)

     Some scientific facts -
The earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7), affected only by gravity.  While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true  -  "He hangs the earth on nothing."

Creation is made of particles, indiscernible to our eyes (Hebrews 11:3).  Not until the 19th centruy was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.

The Bible specifies the perfect dimensions for a stable water vessel ( Genesis 6:15).  Ship builders today are well aware that the ideal dimension for ship stability is a length six times that of the widtth.  Keep in mind, God told Noah the ideal dimensions for the ark 4,500 years ago.

When dealing with disease, clothes and body should be washed under running water (Leviticus 15:13).  For centuries people naively washed in standing water. Today we recognize the need to wash away germs with fresh water.

Sanitation industry birthed (Deuteronomy 23:12-13).  Some 3,500 years ago God commanded His people to have a place outside the camp where they could relieve themselves.  They were to each carry a shovel so that they could dig a hole (latrine) and cover their waste.  Up until world War I, more soldiers died from disease than war because they did not isolate human waste.

Oceans contain springs (Job 38:16).  The ocean is very deep.  Almost all the ocean floor is in total darkness and the pressure there is enormous.  It would have been impossible for Job to have explored the "springs of the sea."  Until recently, it was thought that oceans were fed only by rivers and rain.  Yet in the 1970s, with the help of deep diving research submarines that were constructed to withstand 6,000 pounds-per-square-inch pressure, oceanographers discovered springs on the ocean floors!
  (101 Scientific Facts and Foreknowledge, www.eternal-productions.org and www.creationmoments.com)