The Evolutionary Lie: Biblical Reality Proved

From many different sources, I’ve pieced just some of the evidence against the evolutionary process. Bottom line: the earth is created, there is a Creator, and the Bible is true. I won’t add a lot of bantering commentary, but let you jump right into the hard facts. Enjoy. 

 

–Formation of life

        Dead chemicals cannot become alive on their own. The cell is a miniature factory with many active processes, not a simple blob of “protoplasm” as believed in Darwin’s day. Lightening striking a mud puddle or some “warm little pond” will never produce life. This is another view of the core issue of information as the simplest living cell requires a vast amount of information to be present. The “Law of Biogenesis” states that life comes only from prior life. Spontaneous generation has long been shown to be impossible (by Louis Pasteur in 1859). Numerous efforts to bring life from non-life (including the famous Miller-Urey experiment) have not succeeded. The probability of life forming from non-life has been likened to the probability of a tornado going through a junkyard and picking up all the parts of a house, only the parts of a house, and assembling all the pieces to make a complete home with electricity and plumbing, cupboards and shelving, and everything in working order. Reference: Why Abiogenesis is Impossible, Jerry Bergman, CRS Quarterly, Volume 36, March 2000

 

–Design of living things

Design is apparent in the living world. Even Richard Dawkins in his anti-creation book The Blind Watchmaker admits “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” The amazing defense mechanism of the Bombardier Beetle is a classic example of design in nature, seemingly impossible to explain as the result of accumulating small beneficial changes over time, because if the mechanism doesn’t work perfectly, “boom” – no more beetle! This is also another view of the core issue of information, as the design of living things is the result of processing the information in the DNA (following the blueprint) to produce a working organism.

 

–Irreducible Complexity

        The idea that “nothing works until everything works.” The classic example is a mousetrap, which is irreducibly complex in that if one of its several pieces is missing or not in the right place, it will not function as a mousetrap and no mice will be caught. The systems, features, and processes of life are irreducibly complex. What good is a circulatory system without a heart? An eye without a brain to interpret the signals? What good is a half-formed wing? Doesn’t matching male and female reproductive machinery need to exist at the same time, fully-functioning if any reproduction is to take place? Remember, natural selection has no foresight, and works to eliminate anything not providing an immediate benefit. Reference: Darwin’s Black Box

–2^nd Law of Thermodynamics

        The Second Law of Thermodynamics refers to the universal tendency for things, on their own, to “mix” with their surrounding environment over time, becoming less ordered and eventually reaching a steady-state. A glass of hot water becomes room temperature, buildings decay into rubble, and the stars will eventually burn out leading to the “heat death” of the universe. However, the evolutionary scenario proposes that over time, things singlehandedly became more ordered and structured. Somehow the energy of a “Big Bang” structured itself into stars, galaxies, planets, and living things, contrary to the Second Law. It is sometimes said that the energy of the Sun was enough to overcome this tendency and allow for the formation of life on earth. However, application of energy alone is not enough to overcome this tendency; the energy must be channeled by a machine. A human must repair a building to keep it from decaying. Likewise, it is the machinery of photosynthesis which harnesses the energy of the Sun, allowing life to exist, and photosynthesis is itself a complex chemical process. The maturing of an acorn into a tree, or a zygote (the first cell resulting from fertilization) into a mature human being does not violate the Second Law as these processes are guided by the information already present in the acorn or zygote.

 

–Existence of the Universe

        By definition, something must be eternal (as we have “something” today and something cannot come from “nothing”, so there was never a time when there was “nothing”). Either the universe itself is eternal, or something/someone outside of and greater than the universe is eternal. We know that the universe is not eternal, it had a beginning (as evidenced by its expansion, see ‘Expansion of Space Fabric’, below). Therefore, God (the something/someone outside of the universe) must exist and must have created the universe. Einstein showed that space and time are related. If there is no space there is no time. Before the universe was created there was no space and therefore no concept of time. This is hard for us to understand as we are space-time creatures, but it allows for God to be an eternal being, completely consistent with scientific laws. The question “who created God” is therefore an improper/invalid question, as it is a time-based question (concerning the point in time at which God “came into existence”) but God exists outside of time as the un-caused first cause. Reference: The Second Law of Thermodynamics (www.answersingenesis.org)

 

–Fine-Tuning of Earth for Life

        Countless parameters are “just right” for life to exist on this planet. For example, if the Earth were just a little closer to the Sun it would be too hot and the ocean’s water would boil away, much further and it would be covered continually in ice, and we’d freeze. Earth’s circular orbit (to maintain a roughly constant temperature year-round), its rotation speed (to provide days and nights not too long or short), its tilt (to provide seasons), and the presence of the moon (to provide tides to cleanse the oceans) are just some of many other examples.
The presence of large amounts of water, with its amazing special properties, is also required. Water is a rare compound in that it is lighter in a solid state than in a liquid state. This allows ponds to freeze with the ice on the surface allowing the life beneath to survive. Otherwise bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up and become solid ice. Water is also the most universal “solvent” known, allowing for dissolving/mixing with the many different chemicals of life. In fact, our bodies are 75-85% comprised of water.

 

–Fine-Tuning of our Physics

        The fine-tuning of the physical constants that control the physics of the universe – the settings of the basic forces (strong nuclear force constant, weak nuclear force constant, gravitational force constant, and electromagnetic force constant) are on a knife’s edge. A minor change in these or any of dozens of other universal parameters would make life impossible.

The “multiverse” idea that there may be many universes and ours “just happened” to have these proper values is outside of science and could never be proven. Even then we would have to ask “what was the cause of all these universes?”

 

–Abrupt Appearance in the Fossil Record

        The oldest fossils for any creature are already fully-formed and don’t change much over time (“stasis”). The “Cambrian Explosion” in the “primordial strata” documents the geologically rapid appearance of most major groups of complex animals. There is no evidence of evolution from simpler forms. Birds are said to have evolved from reptiles but no fossil has ever been found having a “half-scale/half-wing”. A reptile breathes using an “in and out” lung (like humans have), but a bird has a “flow-through” lung suitable for moving through the air. Can you even imagine how such a transition of the lung could have taken place? Abrupt appearance and stasis are consistent with the biblical concept of creation “according to its kind”, and a world-wide flood that scoured the earth down to its basement rocks, depositing the “geologic column” and giving the appearance of a “Cambrian Explosion”. Smarter, more mobile creatures would escape the flood waters longer, becoming buried in higher-level strata, leading to a burial order progressing from “simpler” forms to more complex/higher-level forms, which people now wrongly interpret as an evolutionary progression. Reference: Fossils Q&A (www.answersingenesis.org)

 

–Human Consciousness

        A person is a unity of body + mind/soul, the mind/soul being the immaterial part of you that is the real inner you. Chemicals alone cannot explain self-awareness, creativity, reasoning, emotions of love and hate, sensations of pleasure and pain, possessing and remembering experiences, and free will. Reason itself cannot be relied upon if it is based only on blind neurological events.

 

–Human Language

        Language is one of the main things that separates mankind from animals. No animal is capable of achieving anything like human speech, and all attempts to teach chimpanzees to talk have failed. Evolutionists have no explanation for the origin of human language. However, the Bible does. It says that the first man, Adam, was created able to speak. The Bible also explains why we have different human languages, as God had to “confuse” the common language being used in Babel after the flood, in order to force people to spread out around the world as He wanted. This was only a “surface” confusion though, as all languages express the same underlying basic ideas and concepts, enabling other languages to be learned and understood.

 

–Sexual Reproduction

        Many creatures reproduce asexually. Why would animals abandon simpler asexual reproduction in favor of more costly and inefficient sexual reproduction? Sexual reproduction is a very complex process that is only useful if fully in place. For sexual reproduction to have evolved complimentary male and female sex organs, sperm and eggs, and all the associated machinery in tandem defies the imagination.

 

–The Biblical Witness

        The Bible is true. The history of the Bible is true. The words of the Bible concerning our origins were given to men to write down, by God, who was the only living being present. We were not there! God said He created the universe. God said He created all living things. We know that life is much more than chemicals. God put His life into Adam and that life has been transferred from generation to generation all the way down to us! Reference: The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict(McDowell, and a book I highly recommend)

 

–Decay of Magnetic Field times in sync with Biblical Creation

        Dr. Thomas Barnes, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at El Paso, has published the definitive work in this field.⁴ Scientific observations since 1829 have shown that the earth’s magnetic field has been measurably decaying at an exponential rate, demonstrating its half-life to be approximately 1,400 years. In practical application its strength 20,000 years ago would approximate that of a magnetic star. Under those conditions many of the atoms necessary for life processes could not form. These data demonstrate that earth’s entire history is young, within a few thousand of years

 

–Global Flood

        The Biblical record clearly describes a global Flood during Noah’s day. Additionally, there are hundreds of Flood traditions handed down through cultures all over the world. ⁵ M.E. Clark and Henry Voss have demonstrated the scientific validity of such a Flood providing the sedimentary layering we see on every continent. ⁶ Secular scholars report very rapid sedimentation and periods of great carbonate deposition in earth’s sedimentary layers.⁷ It is now possible to prove the historical reality of the Biblical Flood.⁸

–Population Stats

        World population growth rate in recent times is about 2% per year. Practicable application of growth rate throughout human history would be about half that number. Wars, disease, famine, etc. have wiped out approximately one third of the population on average every 82 years. Starting with eight people, and applying these growth rates since the Flood of Noah’s day (about 4500 years ago) would give a total human population at just under six billion people. However, application on an evolutionary time scale runs into major difficulties. Starting with one “couple” just 41,000 years ago would give us a total population of 2 x 10⁸⁹. ⁹The universe does not have space to hold so many bodies.

 

–Radio Halos

            Physicist Robert Gentry has reported isolated radio halos of polonuim-214 in crystalline granite. The half-life of this element is 0.000164 seconds! To record the existence of this element in such short time span, the granite must be in crystalline state instantaneously.¹⁰ This runs counter to evolutionary estimates of 300 million years for granite to form.

Recently there have been evolutionists online in newsgroups and on blogs that have claimed Polonium 214 doesn’t exist. Main reason being is because they declare the Granite in the earth’s crust took many millions of years to form and finally cool and Polonium 214 takes less then a second to expend all its half-lives. In order to save face, some evolutionists have decided to lie and say Polonium 214 simply doesn’t exist. HOWEVER, if you go to http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=15735%2d67%2d8,you will see one of many online scientific websites that list the element Pulonium 214 to be found on Planet earth. On that page they share evidence that Polonium 214 is in fact a chemical profile that can and has been recorded by many scientists. Praise the Lord we have yet another factoid to prove evolution is a lie of Satan. For a look at how radio halos work, visit http://www.ichthus.info/Creation-Evidence/Polonium-Halos/intro.html

 

–Atmospheric Helium Content

        Physicist Melvin Cook, Nobel Prize medalist found that helium-4 enters our atmosphere from solar wind and radioactive decay of uranium. At present rates our atmosphere would accumulate current helium-4 amounts in less than 10,000 years.¹²

–Expansion of Space Fabric

            Astronomical estimates of the distance to various galaxies give conflicting data. ¹³The Biblical Record refers to the expansion of space by the Creator¹⁴. Astrophysicist Russell Humphries demonstrates that such space expansion would dilate time in distant space.¹⁵ This could explain a recent creation with great distances to the stars.

 

–Design of Living Systems

            A living cell is so awesomely complex that its interdependent components stagger the imagination and defy evolutionary explanations. A minimal cell contains over 60,000 proteins of 100 different configurations.¹⁶ The chance of this assemblage occurring by chance is 1 in 10 ^4,478,296 .¹⁷

–Design of Human Brain & Body 

           The human brain is the most complicated structure in the known universe.¹⁸ It contains over 100 billion cells, each with over 50,000 neuron connections to other brain cells.¹⁹ This structure receives over 100 million separate signals from the total human body every second. If we learned something new every second of our lives, it would take three million years to exhaust the capacity of the human brain. ²⁰ In addition to conscious thought, people can actually reason, anticipate consequences, and devise plans – all without knowing they are doing so.²¹ Without giving a single thought to it, we breathe, digest, blink, and our heart beats. We’re made to have and be a completely functional operating system without reflection.

 

–Biblical Archeology

Here are just a few examples of how archeological discoveries have verified the authenticity of Biblical accuracy:

Ø        Egyptian armor, chariots and human and horse bones found at the bottom of the Red Sea, proving Moses’ exodus from Egypt to Israel. In the image, you see a gold chariot wheel. Since coral doen’t grow on gold, that part remains clear to see. Unfortunately, the wood beneath the gold has deteriorated to the point that the wheel cannot be moved. Visit the web site below for more photos and info.

o       Source: http://users.netconnect.com.au/~leedas/redsea.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ø        The discovery of the Ebla archive in northern Syria in the 1970s has shown the Biblical writings concerningthe Patriarchs to be viable. Documents written on clay tablets from around 2300 B.C. demonstrate that personal and place names in the Patriarchal accounts are genuine. The name “Canaan” was in use in Ebla, a name critics once said was not used at that time and was used incorrectly in the early chapters of the Bible. The word tehom (“the deep”) in Genesis 1:2 was said to be a late word demonstrating the late writing of the creation story. “Tehom” was part of the vocabulary at Ebla, in use some 800 years before Moses. Ancient customs reflected in the stories of the Patriarchs have also been found in clay tablets from Nuzi and Mari.

Ø        The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and records were discovered at Bogazkoy, Turkey.

Ø        Many thought the Biblical references to Solomon’s wealth were greatly exaggerated. Recovered records from the past show that wealth in antiquity was concentrated with the king and Solomon’s prosperity was entirely feasible.

Ø        It was once claimed there was no Assyrian king named Sargon as recorded in Isaiah 20:1, because this name was not known in any other record. Then, Sargon’s palace was discovered in Khorsabad, Iraq. The very event mentioned in Isaiah 20, his capture of Ashdod, was recorded on the palace walls. What is more, fragments of a stela memorializing the victory were found at Ashdod itself.

Ø        Another king who was in doubt was Belshazzar, king of Babylon, named in Daniel 5. The last king of Babylon was Nabonidus according to recorded history. Tablets were found showing that Belshazzar was Nabonidus’ son who served as coregent in Babylon. Thus, Belshazzar could offer to make Daniel “third highest ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:16) for reading the handwriting on the wall, the highest available position. Here we see the “eye-witness” nature of the Biblical record, as is so often brought out by the discoveries of archaeology.

o       Source: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a008.html

 

–T-Rex: A Vegetarian?

1. The roots of T-Rex teeth were only 2 inches deep. Had he bit into the hide of another dinosaur he would have lost teeth. Hides were thick and animals would struggle for their lives. A two inch root would pull out with little force.
2. They cut a tooth in half of an unearthed T-Rex and found it deeply impureated with CHLOROPHYLL! That’s right, Chlorophyll is the main substance found in PLANTS not meat!

By the way, this discovery validates the Bible once again! How so? See this passage…

Genesis 1:29-30, “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.”

Now before proclaiming you MUST eat meat because the proteins in meat will help you to gain weight, look around on planet earth for a moment. Look at all the HUGE animals like cows… horses… Hippos… Elephants… Rhinos… etc. What do THEY eat? That’s right. PLANTS!

 

–Giants of Biblical Proportion

            According to the Bible, there were once giants on the earth. Goliath, the most famous of the giants, was said to be over nine feet tall (1 Samuel 17:4).  Bones and skeletons have been found of these colossal humans. Some were called the Nephilim, Anakites, Emites, and Amorites. Goliath was a Philistine. (Numbers 13:28-33; Deuteronomy 1:28; 2:10; 9:2) Below is a photo of a man next to a 47 inch human femur. Similar finds have included entire skeletons, most too far decomposed to move. There are a number of skeletons, skulls, and footprints of giants as tall as 30 feet. They appear in almost every culture’s folklore and legend, most of them the “big bully” variety, and a hero dispatches almost all. Theories about the builders of pyramids, stone circles, and other monolithic examples of ancient construction find giants as a possible answer. Big blocks mean big builders.

 A few other minor points to ponder: If we evolved,…

• Why do still get so easily sunburned?
• Why can’t I go outside without a coat on in the middle of winter?
• Were did the gills go? I really could’ve used them when I almost drowned!
• Why lose the tail? I could really use it right now.
• Why can’t we stand being in extreme heat, extreme cold or underwater? If we evolved into a better life-form, we should’ve overcome these huge inconveniences to our everyday existence. To be truly above everything else and focussed on the survival of our species, we’d become a flying, asexual rock.

 ¹Woodmorappe, John, “The Essential Non-Existence of the Evolutionary Uniformitarian Geologic Column: A Quantitative Assessment,” Creation Research Society Quarterly, vol. 18, no.1 (Terre Haute, Indiana, June 1981),pp. 46-71
²Nilsson, N. Heribert, as quoted in Arthur C. Custance, The Earth Before Man, Part II, Doorway Papers, no. 20 (Ontario, Canada: Doorway Publications), p. 51
³Corner, E.J.H., Contemporary Botanical Thought, ed. A.M. MacLeod and L.S. Cobley (Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1961), p. 97
⁴Barnes, Thomas, ICR Technical Monograph #4, Origin and Destiny of the Earth’s Magnetic Field (2^nd edition, 1983)
⁵Blick, Edward, A Scientific Analysis of Genesis (Oklahoma City: Hearthstone, 1991) p. 103
⁶Clark, M.E. and Voss, H.D., “Fluid Mechanic Examination of the Tial Mechanism for Producing Mega-Sedimantary Layering” (Third International Conference on Creation, Pittsburg, July 1994)
⁷Ager, Derek, The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record (New York: John Wiley and Sons) p. 43 and p. 86
⁸West, John Anthony, Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt (New York: Julian Press, 1987) pp. 13-14
⁹ See Morris, Henry, Scientific Creationism(El Cajon, CA: Master Books)
¹⁰Gentry, Robert, Creation’s Tiny Mystery (Knoxville, Tenn.: Earth Science Assoc.,1988 )
¹¹Baugh, Carl, Why Do Men Believe Evolution AGAINST ALL ODDS? (Oklahoma City: Hearthstone, 1999)
¹²Cook, Melvin, “Where is The Earth’s Radiogenic Helium?” Nature, Vol. 179, p. 213
¹³Cowan, R., “Further Evidence of a Youthful Universe,” Science News, Vol. 148, p. 166
¹⁴Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 40:22
¹⁵Humphries, Russell, Starlight and Time (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1994)
¹⁶Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Bethesda, Maryland: Adler & Adler, 1986) p. 263
¹⁷Mastropaolo, Joseph, “Evolution Is Biologically Impossible,” Impact # 317(El Cajon, CA: Institute For Creation Research,1999) p. 4
¹⁸Restak, Richard, The Brain: The Last Frontier, 1979, p. 390
¹⁹The Brain, Our Universe Within, PBS Video
²⁰Wonders of God’s Creation, Moody Video Series
²¹Weiss, Joseph, “Unconscious Mental Functioning,” Scientific American, March 1990, p. 103

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ‘Hot Topic’ Issue- ABORTION

Its one of the hottest and most frequently fought about issue surrounding our politics. Millions of people, and almost every “Eveangelical” votes pro-life. While some argue that a woman has the right not to be pregnant, most agree that a baby shouldn’t die for her comfort. (Try saying ‘no’ next time.) The information I have gathered here comes mostly from the web site http://abort73.com, which I highly recommend. They have very little commentary and a lot of fact. The facts are brutal, cold and honest. This is purely statistical, so there is really no room for argument here. Still, feel free to comment, whether you support life or not.

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WHAT IS PERSONHOOD?

(From http://abort73.com )

There are essentially two issues which must be resolved concerning unborn embryos and fetuses. The first is, “Are they human beings?” The second is, “Should they be recognized as persons under the law?” We’ve already established that there is no debate on the first question. It is a matter of plain, objective science. Embryos and fetuses are fully and individually human from the moment of fertilization on. If this were not true, if unborn children were not demonstrably human, there would be no need to even talk about rights of personhood. “Removing a fetus” would be the moral equivalent of pulling a tooth. This, however, is not the case, and so the debate must now enter the political arena.

There is a very real sense in which the need to answer this second question is, in itself, an absurdity. If you look up the word “person” in your average dictionary (we’ll use Webster’s), you’ll find something like this:

Person n. A human being.

A person, simply put, is a human being. This fact should be enough. The intrinsic humanity of unborn children, by definition, makes them persons and should, therefore, guarantee their protection under the law. For more than thirty years, however, this has not been the case. The situation we are left with is this. In America today, there is a huge and singular group of living human beings who have no protection under the law and are being killed en masse every day. Is that not astounding?! It is astounding, but not wholly unprecedented.

There have been at least two other instances in American history in which specific groups of human beings were stripped of their rights of personhood as a means of justifying their horrible mistreatment. African-Americans and Native-Americans both felt the brunt of a system which denied their humanity, stripped their personhood and subjected them to horrors beyond measure. While the legal framework that made such injustice possible has now been removed, it remains firmly in place for unborn Americans.

There remains one, and only one, group of human beings in the U.S. today for which being human is not enough. The inconvenience of their existence has resulted in a legal loophole of shameful proportions. What is a person? A person is a human being (unless, of course, you haven’t been born yet, in which case we’ll define personhood in any way possible so as to exclude you, kill you and forget you).

Welcome to America.

 

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

Since abortion advocates must concede that abortion kills a living human being, many try arguing that embryos and early fetuses aren’t developed enough to be morally significant. The following timeline will help put such claims in better perspective.

FERTILIZATION

At the moment of fertilization, a new and unique human being comes into existence with its own distinct genetic code. Twenty-three chromosomes from the mother and twenty-three chromosomes from the father combine to result in a brand-new and totally unique genetic combination. Whereas the heart, lungs, and hair of a woman all share the same genetic code, her unborn child, from the moment of fertilization, has a separate genetic code that is all its own. There is enough information in this tiny zygote to control human growth and development for the rest of its life.

EIGHT DAYS (from fertilization)

At about eight days after conception, the fertilized ovum (called a blastocyst) implants in the lining of the uterus. It emits chemical substances which weaken the woman’s immune system within the uterus so that this tiny “foreign” body is not rejected by the woman’s body.

THREE WEEKS (from fertilization)

By the third week of pregnancy (approximately 21 days after fertilization), the heart begins to beat, pumping blood throughout the body, and the brain begins dividing into three primary sections (forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain).

 

FOUR WEEKS (from fertilization)

Arms and legs begin taking shape at four weeks, and the embryo is now surrounded and protected by the amniotic sac.

FIVE WEEKS (from fertilization)

Permanent kidneys appear during the fifth week, and the external portions of the ear begin to differentiate. Hands and wrists are also beginning to take shape.

SIX WEEKS (from fertilization)

By the sixth week, the brain emits waves which register on an EEG (electroencephalogram). This is the legal standard for determining if someone is alive after birth. The heartbeat can be heard with an ultrasonic stethoscope, the embryo responds reflexively to stimulus and may be able to feel pain. Bone ossification begins at this point as well.

SEVEN WEEKS (from fertilization)

Startle responses can be observed after 7 weeks, and female ovaries are now identifiable. Fingers and toes are now distinctly separated, and knee joints are present.

EIGHT WEEKS (from fertilization)

By the eighth week of pregnancy, every organ is present and in place. Ninety percent of the structures found in an adult human being can now be found in this tiny embryo which is only about an inch and a half long. The brain, at this point, makes up almost half of the embryo’s total body weight, and 75% of 8-week embryos demonstrate right-hand dominance. Intermittent breathing motions (though there is no air present in the uterus) occur, the kidneys begin producing urine, and male testes are releasing testosterone. As the skin thickens, it loses much of its transparency.

 

NINE WEEKS (from fertilization)

The eyelids close at this point, and fetuses are now capable of sucking their thumb, swallowing amniotic fluid, grasping objects and responding to touch. The uterus can be recognized in female fetuses and external genitalia become more recognizable.

TEN WEEKS (from fertilization)

Fingernails, toenails and unique fingerprints all appear .

TWENTY-ONE WEEKS (from fertilization)

Viability generally begins at 21-weeks (barely 1/2 of full gestation) when a baby has a 15% chance of survival outside the womb.

BIRTH

The fetus initiates labor by stimulating the adrenal cortex to secrete a hormone that induces the mother’s uterus to begin contracting. It is the fetus who determines when it’s time for birth.

 

 

ABORTION TECHNIQUES

Abortion is not a benign procedure. It is the violent and unnatural destruction of a living human being. Listed below you will find information on the various methods used to “terminate a pregnancy”.

Suction Aspiration or Vacuum Aspiration Abortion (See images A-C below):

Suction Aspiration abortion (also called Vacuum Aspiration) is the most common abortion procedure in practice today. About 90% of all abortions happen in the first trimester, and this method accounts for the vast majority of those first trimester abortions. For the procedure to begin, the woman’s cervix must be manually dilated with a series of rods to allow for the insertion of a hollow plastic tube with a sharp cutting-tip. This tube is connected to a suction machine that is able to pull the tiny embryo or fetus apart (killing him or her in the process). The remains are sucked out of the mother and deposited into a collection canister. The placenta must then be cut away from the inner wall of the woman’s uterus before it, too, can be sucked into a collection bottle. Suction Aspiration Abortions are not generally performed before the 7th week or after the 15th.

This is how the procedure is described by a typical abortion provider.

Medical Abortion (like Mifepristone / RU-486):

Recently, non-surgical abortion techniques have increased in frequency, but have not taken hold like many predicted. Medical abortions are a two-step procedure, generally requiring three trips to an abortion facility, and can be performed on embryos in the first six or seven weeks of pregnancy. Patients that smoke, have asthma, high blood pressure or are obese cannot take the necessary drugs for a medical abortion. Those that do qualify begin the process by taking the first pill (RU-486 or mifepristone) to block the hormone (progesterone) that maintains the uterus‘ nutrient lining during pregnancy. Once the uterus is compromised, the embryo starves and dies. Two days later, the woman returns to the abortion facility for a dose of misoprostol to initiate uterine contractions. Most women will expel the dead embryo within four hours of taking the second drug. The final visit must take place two weeks later to ensure that the abortion has taken place. If it hasn’t, which is true in 5-10% of all cases*, a surgical abortion will then be required.

This is how the procedure is described by a typical abortion provider.

This is one abortion provider’s comparison between medical abortion and suction abortion.

* Élisabeth Aubeny and É.É.Baulieu, “Contragestion with Ru 486 and an orally active prostaglandin,” C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris (III), Vol. 312 (1991), pp. 539-545, obtained a 95% completion rate with women 49 days amenorrhea or less. Carolyn McKinley, et al, “The effect of dose of mifepristone and gestation on the efficacy of medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol,” Hum. Reproduc., Vol. 8 (1993), pp. 1502-1503, obtained a completion rate of 89.1% for women 50-63 days amenorrhea.

Dilation & Curettage (D&C) or Sharp Curettage Abortion:

In a Dilation & Curettage abortion, a sharp curette is used to dismember and remove the embryo or fetus from the mother’s uterus (instead of the suction cannula used in the above procedure). The curette is inserted directly into the mother’s uterus and used to scrape, first, the baby and then the placenta out of the uterus and through the cervix. Bleeding is generally profuse. Dilation & Curettage may also be used in non-abortive circumstances to treat abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, etc.

 

Dilation and Evacuation (D and E) Abortion (see A-D images below):

 Dilation and Evacuation is a 2nd trimester abortion procedure. For the procedure to take place, the woman’s cervix must first be dilated, usually with laminaria, over a two or three day period prior to the abortion. Laminaria sticks are made of sterilized and compressed seaweed that can be inserted into a woman’s cervix. Here, they begin expanding from moisture absorption, resulting in an enlarged cervix. When the woman returns for the actual abortion to take place, forceps are inserted through the enlarged cervix into the uterus. The abortion provider then uses the forceps instrument to dismember the fetus by seizing a leg or arm and twisting it until it tears off and can be pulled out of the uterus. This will continue until only the head remains. Finally the skull is crushed and also pulled out. The body parts must then be reassembled to ensure that the entire baby has been removed.

This is how the procedure is described by a typical abortion provider.

Saline Injection Abortion:

Dilation & Evacuation abortions have largely replaced the saline variety). Their extreme risk to the mother has removed them from common practice today. In saline abortions, done after the 16th week, a large needle is inserted through the woman’s abdominal wall and into the baby’s amniotic sac. A concentrated salt solution is injected into the amniotic fluid resulting in acute hypernatremia or acute salt poisoning. The baby breathes in and swallows the solution and is usually dead within a couple hours. Dehydration, hemorrhaging of the brain, organ failure, and burned skin also contribute to the fetus’ demise. The mother generally goes into labor the next day and delivers a dead baby.

Dilation and Extraction (D and X) / Partial Birth Abortion:

Dilation and Extraction (often called partial birth abortion) is used during the 2nd or 3rd trimester and is usually performed on a viable baby. The Ultrasound-guided procedure is essentially the breach delivery of a live baby. Forceps, inserted through the cervical canal, are used to position the fetus so that it can be delivered feet first and face down. The child’s body is then pulled through the birth canal, but the head (too large to pass through the cervix) is left inside. With arms and legs exposed (and likely flailing), the abortion provider then inserts blunt surgical scissors into the base of the fetal skull and spreads the tips apart. A suction catheter is inserted into the skull and the brain is sucked out. The skull collapses until the baby’s head can pass through the cervix.

Degree of Dependency:

One of the favorite rationales abortion advocates have for stripping embryos and fetuses of their rights of personhood is this issue of dependency. “Since a fetus can’t survive on its own,” they argue, “it has no inherent right to life”. What’s the problem with this argument? It could just as easily be extended to cover the whole of humanity. There isn’t a person alive anywhere who is radically independent from this biosphere in which we live. We are all dependent beings. Some of us are less dependent than others, but we are all dependent. The differences in dependencies that separate fetuses from the rest of us are differences of degree, not of kind.
We must never forget that newborn babies, too, are utterly dependent upon their parents for survival. They are helpless and will die if left to themselves. Such dependency doesn’t make them non-persons, and it shouldn’t make unborn children non-persons either. Human beings outside the womb who must rely on kidney machines or pace-makers or insulin shots for their survival do not lose their rights of personhood for such dependency. Neither should human beings inside the womb lose their rights of personhood for being dependent upon an umbilical cord for their survival.
What is most absurd about this whole line of thinking is the fact that dependency should merit more protection under the law, not less! This kind of reasoning is an utter perversion of the natural parental instinct. The younger and more dependent a child is, the more care and compassion we have for them. The U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention expresses it well when they say, “Homicides are always tragic, but our sympathies are heightened when the victim is a young child or adolescent. Thus, the deaths of juveniles raise understandable public concerns.” The nation is far more outraged at violence directed towards children than at violence directed towards other adults. The reason is simple. Children are more helpless, and less capable of defending themselves. And the younger the child is the truer this becomes. How we ever got to the place of using dependency against children rather than for children is a tragedy of staggering proportions.

ABORTION STATISTICS:

Abortion statistics in the U.S. is only available from two sources, privately from The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) and federally from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Since Alaska, California and New Hampshire do not provide abortion data to the federal government, and since California accounts for more abortions than any other state in the U.S, the CDC numbers are not complete. AGI, on the other hand, is the research arm of Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion provider. While their data is helpful, they certainly have a position and agenda in regard to abortion. The following information has been gleaned from both sources and should give you a better idea of the frequency and distribution of abortion statistics.

ANNUAL ABORTION STATISTICS

• In 2005 (the most recent year for which there is reliable data), approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the U.S., down from an estimated 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 2000 and 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S. (AGI).
• In 2004, the highest number of reported legal induced abortions occurred in Florida (91,710), NYC (91,673), and Texas (74,801); the fewest occurred in Wyoming (12), South Dakota (814), and Idaho (963) (CDC).
• There are 43 abortions per 1,000 live births in Idaho and 770 abortions for every 1,000 live births in NYC (CDC).
• Overall, the annual number of legal induced abortions in the United States increased gradually from 1973 until it peaked in 1990, and it generally declined thereafter (CDC).
• In 1998, the last year for which estimates were made, more than 23% of legal induced abortions were performed in California (CDC).
• The abortion rate in the United States was higher than recent rates reported for Canada and Western European countries and lower than rates reported for China, Cuba, the majority of Eastern European countries, and certain Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union (CDC).
• The national legal induced abortion ratio increased from 196 abortions per 1,000 live births in 1973 to 358 abortions per 1,000 in 1979 and remained nearly stable through 1981. The ratio peaked at 364 abortions per 1,000 live births in 1984 and since then has demonstrated a generally steady decline. In 2001, the abortion ratio was 246 abortions per 1,000 live births (for the states that reported, a 0.4% increase from 2000 (CDC).
• Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended; about 4 in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion. (AGI).

WHO HAS ABORTIONS?

• 82% of all abortions are performed on unmarried women (CDC).
• The abortion ratio for unmarried women is 572 abortions for every 1,000 live births. For married women it is 65 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC).
• Women between the ages of 20-24 obtained 33% of all abortions (CDC).
• 50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25; women aged 20-24 obtain 33% of all U.S. abortions and teenagers obtain 17% (AGI).
• Adolescents under 15 years obtained less than 1% of all abortions, but have the highest abortion ratio, 744 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC).
• 47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion (AGI).
• Black women are more than 4.8 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.7 times as likely (AGI).
• 43% of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% identify themselves as Catholic (AGI).

WHY ARE ABORTIONS PERFORMED?

• On average, women give at least 3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 3/4 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner (AGI).

WHEN DO ABORTIONS OCCUR?

• 87% of all abortions happen during the first trimester, prior to the at 13th week (AGI/CDC).

HOW ARE ABORTIONS PERFORMED?

• 95% of abortions were known to have been performed by curettage (which includes dilatation and evacuation [D&E]). Most curettage abortions are suction procedures(CDC).
• Hysterectomy and hysterotomy were used in less than 1% of all abortions (CDC).
• Medical abortions make up approximately 3% of all abortions reported (CDC).

WHO IS PERFORMING ABORTIONS?

• The number of abortion providers declined by 11% between 1996 and 2000 (from 2,042 to 1,819). It declined another 2% between 2000 and 2005 (from 1,819 to 1,787) (AGI).
• Forty percent of providers offer very early abortions (during the first four weeks’ gestation) and 96% offer abortion at eight weeks. Sixty-seven percent of providers offer at least some second-trimester abortion services (13 weeks or later), and 20% offer abortion after 20 weeks. Only 8% of all abortion providers offer abortions at 24 weeks (AGI).

ABORTION FATALITY

• In 2000 (the most recent year for which data are available), 11 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion (CDC).
• The number of deaths attributable to legal induced abortion was highest before the 1980s (CDC).
• In 1972 (the year before abortion was federally legalized), a total of 24 women died from causes known to be associated with legal abortions, and 39 died as a result of known illegal abortions (CDC).

THE COST OF ABORTION

• In 2005, the cost of a nonhospital abortion with local anesthesia at 10 weeks of gestation ranged from $90 to $1,800, and the average amount paid was $413 (AGI).

MEDICAL ABORTION

• In 2005, 57% of abortion providers, or 1,026 facilities, provided one or more types of medical abortions, a 70% increase from the first half of 2001. At least 10% of nonhospital abortion providers offer only medication abortion services (AGI).
• In 2005, an estimated 161,100 early medication abortions were performed in nonhospital facilities (AGI).
• Medication abortion accounted for 13% of all abortions, and 22% of abortions before nine weeks’ gestation, in 2005 (AGI).

ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTION

• Induced abortions usually result from unintended pregnancies, which often occur despite the use of contraception (CDC).
• 54% of women having abortions used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Amont those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users reported using the methods inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users reported correct use (AGI).
• 8% of women having abortions have never used a method of birth control (AGI).
• 9 in 10 women at risk of unintended pregnancy are using a contraceptive method (AGI).

ABORTION AND MINORS

• 40% of minors having an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion (AGI).
• 35 states currently enforce parental consent or notification laws for minors seeking an abortion: AL, AR, AZ, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA,WI, WV, and WY. The Supreme Court ruled that minors must have the alternative of seeking a court order authorizing the procedure (AGI).

ABORTION AND PUBLIC FUNDS

• The U.S. Congress has barred the use of federal Medicaid funds to pay for abortions, except when the woman’s life would be endangered by a full-term pregnancy or in cases of rape or incest (AGI).

·         17 states (AK, AZ, CA, CT, HI, IL, MA, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA and WV) do use public funds to pay for abortions for some poor women. About 14% of all abortions in the United States are paid for with public funds (virtually all from the state) (AGI).

 

WHY DOES HUMAN LIFE MATTER?

You can only get so far in the abortion debate before you eventually run up against the bigger and overarching question of human existence. This is a good thing. We would do well to think more deeply about what it means to be human and why human life is significant. Virtually every pro-life argument hangs on the notion that the humanity of unborn children qualifies them for recognition and protection. Pro-lifers can argue this way because our country, both in law and practice, places a unique value upon human life, giving us rights that transcend those of all other life forms.

Nevertheless, while our society clearly operates on the premise that there is something special, unique and noble in being human, the philosophical basis for such a conclusion grows increasingly vague. Almost everyone lives on the assumption that human life does matter, but if you press them, very few are able to tell you why. Even the earth-worshippers who decry the destructive environmental influence of the human species rarely put their rhetoric into action and actually kill themselves. People can say (as some have) that human beings are no more valuable than slugs, but nobody really lives like that. We are all born with the innate conviction that our life does matter. It is only the rationale for such persuasion that we need work on.

Ultimately, human life matters because God matters, and God is the author of human life (Genesis 2:7). The unique significance of human existence does not stop here, though. Not only did God create human beings, but Genesis 1:26-27 and James 3:9 tell us that God created us in His own image. This is huge. It is an honor and responsibility bestowed upon no other creature in all the universe. Even the angels, while bearing a moral responsibility similar to human beings (though without the opportunity for redemption) are never said to have been made in the image of God.

Those who argue against the transcendent value of human life often do so on a genetic basis, pointing out that humans, in terms of our physical make up, are roughly 95% identical to Chimpanzees. This misses the point entirely. Humans are not physically or genetically superior to the rest of the planet, we are “spiritually” superior, for the simple fact that God made us in His image. It is not an external likeness (God is Spirit and has no body), but rather an internal, moral, spiritual and relational likeness. The very ability to ponder the essence of existence is itself a manifestation of this reality.

It is not the raw genetic material which gives human beings significance, it is the unique attention given to us by our Creator. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is not valued for the pigment that makes it up but rather for the form given it by a master craftsman. Human value, in the same way, is a combination of the supreme worth of Him who created us and the place we hold in the body of His creative work. We can be assured that any painting Michelangelo ever produced, no matter what the aesthetic merit, would be extremely valuable today for the mere fact that Michelangelo painted it. Likewise, everything that God creates has value simply because God is God, but humans, like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, stand out as the pinnacle of God’s creation. As such, human beings have a value which goes well beyond the rest of God’s creative work.

For those who refuse to believe that God is the author and creator of human life, they have no basis for assigning to human beings any special significance. The secular, humanist worldview has no answer for why human life matters. The only answer it can give us is that life doesn’t matter. We are all just random accidents whose life is not a result of thought or design, but rather of blind chance. Human existence could have just as easily never happened as happened. This has been taught in most public schools for the last few decades, but despite the massive endorsement it receives from the academic community, evolution is a worldview that people can accept in theory but not in practice. Evolutionists the world over still manage to live their lives on the assumption that life matters, that life is good, and there is a reason for their being. Even animal rights advocates expect of humanity what they do not expect from the animal kingdom at large. When they urge their fellow humans to refrain from eating meat and to refrain from hunting or killing animals, they demand a type of behavior which certainly isn’t kept among the carnivorous “lower” animals. Such expectation reveals something. It reveals that for all their talk of animal equality, they know that humans are qualitatively different.

The reason that so many people reject the plain biblical explanation of human origins and human significance is because of the moral requirement inherent in such acceptance. Anyone who yields to the authority of the Bible must concede that every human being to ever live is morally accountable to a Holy and perfect Judge. Moral culpability, in fact, is one of the major dividing lines between man and beast. Unlike the rest of the world’s creations, humans were created with the freedom to rebel against their Creator, and Genesis tells us that this rebellion began at the very outset of human history. Deep-down, underneath all of the baggage and all of the humanist ideology, all of us, atheists and agnostics alike, know there is a God. Scripture makes it clear.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Romans 1:18-25

The natural man, man left to his own devices, will always suppress the truth about God, so as to pursue his own selfish appetites. Those whom God does not rescue from such pursuits are eventually given over completely to them. They suppress the truth about God until they cease to believe in Him altogether. Ironically, it is not the hedonistic drive, itself, that has led so many souls to damnation. Souls are condemned not for seeking pleasure, but for pursuing it in the sinful wastelands that have no capacity to satisfy the human soul. Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis notes that:

If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the reward promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.¹

In the end, the value of one human soul transcends the value of the whole of the material universe. One human soul is more valuable than the Sistine chapel and all of Michelango’s other work put together. One human soul is more valuable than all the art and the architecture and jewels and precious metals the world has ever known. This is true not because humans are further along the evolutionary chain, but because we were created in the very image of God and will exist for the rest of eternity either in heaven or hell. If you reject this premise, it is unlikely that you will ever be able to find a sufficient basis for condemning the killing of unborn human children. Of course, such rejection also makes it impossible to condemn the killing of human beings in general. Without an absolute moral standard, even the most heinous “evil” in the universe, by definition, ceases to exist. We can’t have it both ways. Either God made us and assigned to us a special value, or God didn’t make us, and human life is utterly meaningless.

Referances:

http://www.wrtl.org/ Wisconsin Right to Life

http://abort73.com Abort73

http://www.abortionthefacts.com/ The facts of abortion are explained at this helpful site. You’ll find photos of fetal development, resources and links all compiled by O’Meara Life Resources.

http://www.aspi.wisc.edu/ The Alliance of State Pain Initiatives (ASPI) is a network of state-based Pain Initiative organizations that work to remove the barriers that impede pain relief through education, advocacy and institutional improvement. Dedicated to improving the care of persons experiencing pain, the ASPI website has several helpful brochures available including, Eight Facts about Cancer Pain and Cancer Pain Can Be Relieved.

http://www.123givelife.com/ Afraid you might be pregnant? 123GiveLife can help you find a pregnancy help center in a Wisconsin city near you.

http://www.christianliferesources.com/ Maintained by Christian Life Resources this helpful website is affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

http://www.lifenews.com/ Pro-life news and headlines collected and displayed daily on their home page and available via free email subscription.

http://www.nursesforlife.org/ NAPN is a not-for-profit organization uniting nurses who seek excellence in nurturing and caring for all, including the unborn, newborn, disabled, mentally and/or physically ill, the aged and the dying.

http://www.nrlc.org/ National Right to Life State Affiliates – To find links to each of the state affiliates of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC)

http://www.standupgirl.com/ features Becky, who tells how she dealt with her unexpected pregnancy. The site also features an “Inside Scene,” which gives the visitor a beautiful in utero tour of the developing baby.

http://www.teenbreaks.com/ Teen abortion experiences, facts, stats, complications, survivors. Think you might be pregnant? Dating, hooking up? There’s a special section just for guys! Do you have questions about pregnancy, abortion, adoption or cutting? You owe it to yourself to check out TeenBreaks.com!

http://sites.google.com/a/wrtl.org/wisconsin-teens-for-life/ The home page for Wisconsin Teens for Life. Find info, a newsletter, leadership training events, cool stuff and fun for Wisconsin teens.

 

Secret Agendas- Articles that read ‘between the lines’

Source: http://www.infowars.com/?p=4771

 

Army Awards Contract for “High Speed Portable Portal Iris Capture Solution”

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

September 23, 2008

Sarnoff Corporation today announced it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to develop and demonstrate a high speed biometric capture technology solution for iris-based identification. The system will be designed to be ruggedized for field use and quickly deployable.

The new iris recognition system will leverage Sarnoff’s patent-pending Iris on the Move(R) (IOM) technology for fast and reliable identification. IOM is a proven biometric identification system that quickly captures the iris image of a person in motion. The technology is ideally suited for force protection, civil-military operations, and combat situations.

Other iris scanning technologies require users to stop, line up their eye properly, and stare directly into a scanner for a period of time. IOM technology verifies identities at speeds of up to thirty people per minute, allowing subjects to walk through the system at a standard pace, without stopping. In addition, Sarnoff’s design will automatically adjust for subjects’ height without slowing throughput.

“Current biometric ID systems take too long to identify people in high traffic areas and cause long lines to form at checkpoints,” said Dr. Don Newsome, President and CEO of Sarnoff Corporation. “This is inconvenient and poses a security risk. The IOM technology makes it easy to set up iris scanning checkpoints that are as reliable as other biometric-based options but quick enough to keep lines moving rapidly.”

The IOM system delivers accurate identification regardless of whether the subject is wearing prescription glasses, most sunglasses, or contact lenses. In addition, IOM technology can capture iris images from farther distances than any other commercial iris scanning technology.

Sarnoff has delivered IOM technology to several secure government facilities and private corporations. The technology can be used for a broader range of applications including banking ID verification, border crossing initiatives, event security, payment systems, and employee access.

Video clip example of iris scan in ‘Minority Reeport’. Gov’t embedded idea into movies to “get people ready”.

Article URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6607757.stm

   

 

 

US and EU agree ‘single market’

The United States and the European Union have signed up to a new transatlantic economic partnership at a summit in Washington.

The pact is designed to boost trade and investment by harmonizing regulatory standards, laying the basis for a US-EU single market.

The two sides also signed an Open Skies deal, designed to reduce fares and boost traffic on transatlantic flights.

But little of substance was agreed on climate change.

However, EU leaders were pleased that the US acknowledged human activity was a major cause.

Richest regions

Economics rather than the environment or politics was the focus of the summit, says the BBC’s Europe correspondent, Jonny Dymond, from Washington.

The two sides agreed to set up an “economic council” to push ahead with regulatory convergence in nearly 40 areas, including intellectual property, financial services, business takeovers and the motor industry.

            Without the US there can’t be any success in coping with a globalised world

European diplomat

 

The aim is to increase trade and lower costs.

Some reports suggest that incompatible regulations in the world’s two richest regions add 10% to the cost of developing and producing new cars.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said last month that if the US and EU could set business norms today, they would “secure the markets of tomorrow”.

Since she came to office 18 months ago, she has made repairing damaged relations with the US a top priority.

Emission cuts

The Europeans said they were pleased that the US now officially acknowledged that climate change was happening and that human activity was a major cause of it.

“We agree there’s a threat, there’s a very serious global threat,” said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

“We agree that there is a need to reduce emissions. We agree that we should work together.”

But behind the scenes, says our Europe correspondent, officials were saying that not much had changed.

Ms Merkel will try to nudge the US towards a global approach to climate change before a G8 summit Germany is chairing in six weeks’ time, says our correspondent.

But the US has consistently rejected the European approach of imposing national limits on greenhouse gas emissions, saying they would harm the international economy.

Visa hope

The Open Skies agreement will take effect on 30 March 2008 and will allow EU carriers to fly to anywhere in the US and vice versa.

The deal promises to lower airfares and widen choice for passengers on both sides of the Atlantic.

The EU hopes to go further and create an “Open Aviation Area” between the two sides “in which investment can flow freely and in which European and US airlines can provide air services without any restriction,” said a EU statement.

The EU is also hoping that the US will agree to withdraw its visa requirement for travellers from a number of EU states.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6607757.stm

Published: 2007/04/30 23:21:16 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

 

Secret Bilderberg Agenda To Microchip Americans Leaked

Elitists want to microchip Americans in name of fighting terrorism, Europeans universally opposed to attack on Iran, Globalists fear oil prices rising too quickly

Paul Joseph Watson

Prison Planet

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Sources from inside the 2008 Bilderberg meeting have leaked the details of what elitists were discussing in Chantilly Virginia last week and the talking points were ominous – a plan to microchip Americans under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups which will be identified as blonde haired, blue eyed westerners.

Veteran Bilderberg sleuth Jim Tucker relies on sources who regularly attend Bilderberg as aides and assistants but who are not Bilderberg members themselves. The information they provided this year is bone-chilling for those who have tracked the development of the plan to make the general public consider implanted microchips as a convenience as routine as credit cards.

“Under the heading of resisting terrorism there were points made about how the terrorist organizations are recruiting people who do not look like terrorists – blonde, blue eyed boys – they’re searching hard for those types to become the new mad bombers,” said Tucker.

As we have documented, the blue eyed blonde haired Al-Qaeda line is a familiar talking point that has been pushed on Fox News and within other Neo-Con circles in an attempt to turn the anti-terror apparatus around to target dissidents, protesters and the American people in general.

Ominously, Tucker’s source also told him that Bilderberg were discussing the microchipping of humans on a mass scale, which would be introduced under the pretext of fighting terrorism whereby the “good guys” would be allowed to travel freely from airports so long as their microchip could be scanned and the information stored in a database.

Tucker said the idea was also sold on the basis that it would help hospital staff treat a patient in an emergency situation because a scan of the chip would provide instantaneous access to health details.

Tucker underscored that Bilderberg were talking about subdermally implanted chips and not merely RFID chips contained in clothing. The discussion took place in a main conference hall and was part of the agenda, not an off-hand remark in the hotel bar.

Such a bizarre concept may seem unbelievable to some, but over the last ten years there have been dozens of examples of people accepting implanted chips for a variety of different reasons.

In 2004, Mexico’s attorney general and 160 of his office staff were implanted with tracker chips to control access to secure areas of their headquarters.

The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona and other nightclubs around the world are already offering implantable chips to customers who want to pay for drinks with the wave of a hand and also get access to VIP areas of the club lounge.

Bilderberg skeptical of attack on Iran

Tucker’s source told him that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates did attend Bilderberg despite him not appearing on the official list.

Tucker said that his sources told him Gates was in attendance to present his case for war with Iran, but that the majority of Bilderberg members were against an attack at this time.

“The Europeans were generally opposed to an invasion of Iran – Gates made the regular war propaganda drill about how Iran is a nuclear threat to everybody,” said Tucker, adding that European Bilderbergers made snide comments about where such nuclear weapons actually were being kept and at one point joking that they were possibly “in Saddam Hussein’s tomb”.

Despite Bilderberg opposition, Tucker said that the administration was still considering an attack before Bush leaves office in January.

“At least 90 per cent of the Europeans oppose a war, probably closer to 100 per cent,” said Tucker, adding, “most of the Americans were passive and deferential to the Secretary of Defense and Condoleezza Rice’s pitch in so far as Iran is concerned”.

Tucker said that most Americans present at the meeting were opposed to attacking Iran but dare not be as visible and loud in their opposition as the Europeans.

Energy and oil prices

“One of the Bilderberg boys raised this question – should we put a lid on the rise in oil prices, are we reaching the point of diminishing returns,” said Tucker, adding that Bilderberg noted how Americans were trading in their SUV’s in record numbers for small and more fuel efficient cars and using more public transport to combat high gas prices.

Tucker’s source said that Bilderberg were predicting $5 for a gallon of gas by the end of this summer and oil over $150 dollars a barrel, but that this was a ceiling and oil prices would probably begin to decline thereafter because they thought the acceleration had happened too quickly.

As we previously reported, Bilderberg called for oil prices to soar in 2005 when oil was a mere $40 a barrel.

During the conference in Germany, Henry Kissinger told his fellow attendees that the elite had resolved to ensure that oil prices would double over the course of the next 12-24 months, which is exactly what happened.

During their 2006 meeting in Ottawa Canada, Bilderberg agreed to push for $105 a barrel before the end of 2008. With that target having been smashed months ago, the acceleration towards $150 is outstripping even Bilderberg’s goal, which is why the elitists expressed a desire to cool prices at least in the short term.

Just two days after he left Bilderberg, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, George W. Bush and others expressed support for a strong dollar and Bernanke hinted that interest rates could rise, which immediately caused oil prices to drop in line with Bilderberg’s consensus.

 

Masons are chipping their kids at a local fair!!!! They do a retinal scan, voice recording and they put an RFID chip in the kids as a carnival attraction.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7octwsoi4HM

 Videos:

Concentration Camps in US:

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqi123hBw2A

Concentration Camps in Texas

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxYxTly-yo8

Apparently, there are a number of buildings throughout the US that are supposedly “abandoned” warehouses and large factory-style businesses. These buildings have unique additions, such as military personnel, US Army & Air force vehicles, wind socks and other markers for helicopters,  the addition of barbed wire- pointing inwards (to keep people in, not out) and added heating systems (for buildings deemed “not in use”).  This is one piece of the puzzle.

 

Bill Clinton was asked about these and basically said, “We need to get along with other agencies and cooperate in our inter-dependant world” He DID say, “We’re better off with NATO. We’re better off with the United Nations.” Hand over our control? Live under the dictatorship of a one world government?

Here’s that link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFPsHPKY0y8

 

The world’s government is planning on mass world depopulation. Many cases of witnesses have seen and taped the piles and piles of caskets. This is for those who die in the depopulation and those who disobey the martial law. Hundreds of thousands of caskets in scarcely populated rural areas. About 1 ½ min into this video is a close-up. Second video even better.

  URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYp85QMJd1Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGa_sdyRS7Q

 

 

FEMA has already built underground caves and tunnels and is ready for a nuclear attack or “plague” to strike. We already know that the governments are working together (google “Builerberg” for more) and that they will more than likely intentionally release the pestilence and/ or weapons to annialate up to 80% of the world’s population. In this video, the FEMA agent becomes suddenly quiet when asked about the underground facilities, even though it is supposedly for “security in the event of an attack”.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S2J3i34XW8

 

A massive conspiracy to create a new one world order?

Watch these, and see the evidence. Then make your decision. (2nd half of this video is of the concentration camp, above)

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXlEfUGEzl4

 

 

This last video is VERY LONG. Its over 2 hours, so watch it as you have time. This is an exclusive documentary about the secret Bilderberg meetings and the plans that the governments have for martial law, with piles of proof and evidence. Here’s the video, followed by Wikipedia’s definition and explanation of the Bilderberg group, and a list of attendees:

 

 URL: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261&ei=kPPWSOX1NqXGrQK_iOnZAg&q=alex+jones+endgame&hl=en

 

Origin and purpose

 Hotel de Bilderberg

The original Bilderberg conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem in The Netherlands, from May 29 to May 31, 1954. The meeting was initiated by several people, including Joseph Retinger, concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, who proposed an international conference at which leaders from European countries and the United States would be brought together with the aim of promoting understanding between the cultures of United States of America and Western Europe.[5]

Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who agreed to promote the idea, together with Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland, and the head of Unilever at that time, the Dutchman Paul Rijkens. Bernhard in turn contacted Walter Bedell Smith, then head of the CIA, who asked Eisenhower adviser C. D. Jackson to deal with the suggestion.[6] The guest list was to be drawn up by inviting two attendees from each nation, one each to represent conservative and liberal (both terms used in the American sense) points of view.[5]

The success of the meeting led the organizers to arrange an annual conference. A permanent Steering Committee was established, with Retinger appointed as permanent secretary. As well as organizing the conference, the steering committee also maintained a register of attendee names and contact details, with the aim of creating an informal network of individuals who could call upon one another in a private capacity. Conferences were held in France, Germany, and Denmark over the following three years. In 1957, the first U.S. conference was held in St. Simons, Georgia, with $30,000 from the Ford Foundation. The foundation supplied additional funding of $48,000 in 1959, and $60,000 in 1963.[6]

Dutch economist Ernst van der Beugel took over as permanent secretary in 1960, upon the death of Retinger. Prince Bernhard continued to serve as the meeting’s chairman until 1976, the year of his involvement in the Lockheed affair. There was no conference that year, but meetings resumed in 1977 under Alec Douglas-Home, the former British Prime Minister. He was followed in turn by Walter Scheel, ex-President of West Germany, Eric Roll, former head of SG Warburg and Lord Carrington, former Secretary-General of NATO.[7]

Attendees

Main article: List of Bilderberg attendees

Attendees of Bilderberg include central bankers, defense experts, mass media press barons, government ministers, prime ministers, royalty, international financiers and political leaders from Europe and North America.

Some of the Western world’s leading financiers and foreign policy strategists attend Bilderberg. Donald Rumsfeld is an active Bilderberger, as is Peter Sutherland from Ireland, a former European Union commissioner and chairman of Goldman Sachs and of British Petroleum. Rumsfeld and Sutherland served together in 2000 on the board of the Swedish/Swiss engineering company ABB. Former U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary and former World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz is also a member. The group’s current chairman is Etienne Davignon, the Belgian businessman and politician.

Mainstream criticism

Critics claim the Bilderberg Group promotes the careers of politicians whose views are representative of the interests of multinational corporations, at the expense of democracy.[8] Journalists who have been invited to attend the Bilderberg Conference as observers have discounted these claims, calling the conference “not much different from a seminar or a conference organized by an upscale NGO”[9] with “nothing different except for the influence of the participants.”[10]

 Conspiracy theories

The group’s secrecy and its connections to power elites encourages speculation and mistrust by such groups or individuals who believe that the group is part of a conspiracy to create a New World Order. This is further encouraged by the frequent use of the term ‘New World Order’ by its members when referring to their ultimate goal of world integration. The group is frequently accused of secretive and nefarious world plots by groups such as the John Birch Society.[11] This thinking has progressively found acceptance within both elements of the populist movement and fringe politics. [12] According to investigative journalist Chip Berlet, the prominent origins of Bilderberger conspiracy theories can be traced to activist Phyllis Schlafly. [13]

Radio host Alex Jones claims the group intends to dissolve the sovereignty of the United States and other countries into a supra-national structure similar to the European Union. This accusation is also linked with others claiming plans for a merger of Canada with United States, hoping Canadian influence will be calming to American society and foreign policy.

From “The Hunt for Red Menace:” “The views on intractable godless communism expressed by [Fred] Schwarz were central themes in three other bestselling books which were used to mobilize support for the 1964 Goldwater campaign. The best known was Phyllis Schlafly’s A Choice, Not an Echo which suggested a conspiracy theory in which the Republican Party was secretly controlled by elitist intellectuals dominated by members of the Bilderberger group, whose policies would pave the way for global communist conquest. Schlafly’s husband Fred had been a lecturer at Schwartz’s local Christian anti-communism Crusade conferences.” [14]

Jonathan Duffy, writing in BBC News Online Magazine states “In the void created by such aloofness, an extraordinary conspiracy theory has grown up around the group that alleges the fate of the world is largely decided by Bilderberg.”[15]

Denis Healey, a Bilderberg founder and former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, decries such theories. He was quoted by BBC News as saying “There’s absolutely nothing in it. We never sought to reach a consensus on the big issues at Bilderberg. It’s simply a place for discussion.”[15]

Some popular media references to the group are in Fredrick Forsyth’s novel “The Icon” where the group decides to undermine a nationalist Russian leader loosely modeled on Vladimir Putin (among others).

 

LIST OF ATTENDEES:

Royalty

•               Prince Philip (1965, 1966, 1967), Duke of Edinburgh

•               Prince Charles (1986), Prince of Wales

•               Prince Bernhard (Chairman of Bilderberg Meetings 1954-1976), father of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

•               Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands[3]

•               Claus von Amsberg (1967, 1968, 1971, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986-1989), husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

•               Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange (1990, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2008), Crown Prince of the Netherlands

•               Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1989)

•               Queen Sofia of Spain, wife of Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996)

•               Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, younger daughter of Juan Carlos I, King of Spain

•               Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant (1992, 1993, 1996, 2008), Crown Prince of Belgium

•               Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King of Sweden (1995)

•               Harald V of Norway, King of Norway (1984)

•               Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1985, 1986, 1987)

•               Prince Axel of Denmark (1955, 1957)

Politics

United States

•               David L. Aaron (1977), former Deputy National Security Advisor

•               Dean Acheson (1957, 1958, 1964, 1966), former United States Secretary of State

•               Keith B. Alexander (2008), current Director, National Security Agency

•               Roger Altman (2008), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               John B. Anderson (1977), former US Congressman

•               Michael Armacost (1997), President, Brookings Institution

•               Nancy Kassebaum Baker (1988), former US Senator

•               George W. Ball (1954-1992),[4] former U.S. diplomat

•               Evan Bayh (1999), current US Senator, former Democratic Leadership Council Chairman, also attended the Renaissance Weekend. Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Member of the Alfalfa Club

•               Lloyd Bentsen (1989, 1992, 1995 – 1997), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Sandy Berger (1997), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               James H. Billington (1992), former Librarian of Congress

•               Eugene R. Black, Sr. (1957, 1966), former President of the World Bank

•               John Bolton (2003)

•               John Brademas (1966), former US Congressman

•               Bill Bradley (1985), former US Senator

•               Nicholas F. Brady (1984, 1986, 1988, 1991), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Edward Brooke (1968), former US Senator

•               Zbigniew Brzezinski (Guest, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1985), President Carter’s National Security Advisor

•               McGeorge Bundy (1956, 1957, 1964, 1966, 1980), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               William Bundy (1977)

•               Clifford P. Case (1958), former US Senator

•               John Chafee (1979, 1986, 1991, 1992), former US Senator

•               Frank Church, former US Senator

•               Hillary Clinton (1997), current US Senator, also attended the World Economic Forum, the Munich Conference on Security Policy, the Salzburg Global Seminar and the Renaissance Weekend. Member of the Democratic Leadership Council

•               Bill Clinton (1991),[5] former US President, 1993 – 2001

•               Carlos M. Collazo (2003)

•               Barber Conable, former President of the World Bank

•               Richard Cooper (1975, 1977), former United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs

•               Jon Corzine (1995 – 1997[3], 1999, 2003, 2004), current Governor of New Jersey

•               Kenneth W. Dam (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989-1997), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Richard Darman (1987), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Thomas A. Daschle (2008), former US Senator

•               Lynn Davis (1995)

•               John M. Deutch (1998), former CIA Director, former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

•               Thomas E. Dewey (1956, 1957, 1966), former Governor of New York

•               C. Douglas Dillon (1968), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Christopher Dodd (1999 – 2001), current US Senator

•               John Edwards (2004), former US Senator

•               Stuart Eizenstat (2002), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Mike Espy (1994), former United States Secretary of Agriculture

•               Daniel J. Evans (1986, 1988), former US Senator, former Governor of Washington

•               Dianne Feinstein (1991), current US Senator

•               Douglas Feith (2004)

•               James Florio (1994), former Governor of New Jersey

•               Tom Foley (1988, 1990, 1995, 2002), former Speaker of the US House of Representatives

•               Gerald R. Ford (1964, 1966), former US President, 1974 – 1977

•               Harold Ford, Jr. (2008), current Chairman, Democratic Leadership Council, former US Congressman, Vice Chairman, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

•               Donald M. Fraser (1971), former US Congressman

•               Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen, Jr. (1964, 1966, 1971), former US Congressman

•               J. William Fulbright (1956, 1957, 1964), former US Senator

•               Cornelius Edward Gallagher (1963, 1966), former US Congressman

•               Melinda Gates (2004), wife of Bill Gates

•               David Gergen (1992, 1995), political consultant and presidential adviser during the Republican administrations of Nixon, Ford, and Reagan, campaign staffer for George H.W. Bush and adviser to Democratic President Bill Clinton

•               Dan Glickman (2001), former US Congressman

•               Andrew Goodpaster (1968, 1974), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Donald Gregg (1985), former United States Ambassador

•               Marc Grossman (2007), former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

•               Alfred Gruenther (1955, 1957, 1966), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Richard N. Haass (1991, 2003, 2004)[6], president, Council on Foreign Relations

•               Philip C. Habib (1992)

•               Chuck Hagel (1999 – 2001), current US Senator

•               Alexander Haig (1978), former United States Secretary of State

•               Lee H. Hamilton (1997)[3], former US Congressman

•               Fred R. Harris (1966), former US Senator

•               H. John Heinz III (1978), former US Senator

•               Christian Herter (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966),[7] former Secretary of State

•               Carla Anderson Hills (2002), former United States Trade Representative

•               Richard Holbrooke (1995 – 1999, 2004 – 2006, 2008), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Kay Bailey Hutchison (2000, 2002), current US Senator

•               Henry M. Jackson (1964, 1966-1968), former US Senator

•               Jacob Javits (1964, 1966), former US Senator

•               Joseph E. Johnson (1954)[8], former President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

•               Bennett Johnston Jr. (1991), former US Senator

•               James Robert Jones (1985), former US Congressman

•               Vernon Jordan (1979-1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2005, 2006, 2008 )

•               Robert Kagan (2004)

•               Thomas Kean (1989), former Governor of New Jersey

•               Robert M. Kimmitt (1995), current United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Lane Kirkland (1977), former President, AFL-CIO

•               Jeane Kirkpatrick (1981), former United States Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Henry Kissinger (1957, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977-2003, 2004,[6] 2005-2008), Secretary of State, 1973 – 1977

•               John LaFalce (2002), former US Congressman

•               Michael Ledeen (2005)

•               Lyman L. Lemnitzer (1957, 1963, 1966), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

•               Winston Lord (1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1996), former United States Ambassador to China

•               William J. Luti (2004), Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy for the National Security Council

•               Terry McAuliffe (2002), former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

•               John J. McCloy (1958, 1964, 1966), former President of the World Bank

•               Donald F. McHenry (1986, 1996), former United States Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Robert S. McNamara (1968, 1975), former US Secretary of Defense, former President of the World Bank

•               Charles Mathias, Jr. (1967, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1984-1993), former US Senator

•               Ken Mehlman (2005), former Chairman of the Republican National Committee

•               Cord Meyer (1957), CIA official

•               George J. Mitchell, former US Senator

•               Walter F. Mondale (1974, 1981), former US Vice President, 1977 – 1981

•               Lauris Norstad (1967), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Sam Nunn (1996, 1997[3]), former US Senator

•               William Odom (1993), former National Security Agency Director

•               Dan Quayle (1990, 1991), former US Vice President, 1989 – 1993

•               George Pataki (2006), former Governor of New York

•               Henry M. Paulson, Jr. (2008), current United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Claiborne Pell (1992), former US Senator

•               Richard Perle (1983, 1985, 2003, 2006, 2008), assistant Secretary of Defense, 1981 – 1987

•               Rick Perry (2007), current Governor of Texas

•               William J. Perry (1996), former United States Secretary of Defense

•               Peter George Peterson (1978), former United States Secretary of Commerce

•               Colin L. Powell (1997), former United States Secretary of State

•               Larry Pressler (1993), former US Senator

•               Lewis Thompson Preston, former President of the World Bank

•               Joel Pritchard (1975), former US Congressman

•               Marc Racicot (2002), former Chairman, Republican National Committee

•               Ralph E. Reed, Jr. (2004), former first executive director of the Christian Coalition

•               William K. Reilly (1989), former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

•               Condoleezza Rice (2008), current United States Secretary of State

•               Bill Richardson (1999, 2000), current Governor of New Mexico

•               Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (1971), former US Senator

•               Alice Rivlin (1984)

•               David Rockefeller, original U.S. founding member, life member, and member of the Steering Committee (1954-

•               David Rockefeller, Jr. (1989)

•               Jay Rockefeller (1971), current US Senator

•               Nelson A. Rockefeller (1957, 1974), former US Vice President, 1974 – 1977, former Governor of New York, 1959 – 1973

•               Dennis Ross (2004, 2006, 2008 )

•               Walt Whitman Rostow, former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               Donald Rumsfeld (1975, 2002), Secretary of Defense, 2001 – 2006

•               Dean Rusk (1955, 1957, 1966), former United States Secretary of State

•               Mark Sanford (2008), current Governor of South Carolina, also attended the Renaissance Weekend

•               Hugh Scott (1961, 1966), former US Senator

•               Brent Scowcroft (1985, 1988, 1994), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               Kathleen Sebelius (2007, 2008), current Governor of Kansas

•               George P. Shultz (2008), former United States Secretary of State, former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Kristen Silverberg (2007), Bureau of International Organization Affairs, part of the State Department

•               William E. Simon (1982), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Walter Bedell Smith, former CIA Director

•               Nancy Soderberg (1995)

•               John Sparkman (1955, 1966), former US Senator

•               James Steinberg (1994, 2000), former Deputy National Security Advisor

•               Adlai Stevenson III (1971), former US Senator

•               Robert Schwarz Strauss (1982, 1989, 1990, 1992), former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

•               Lawrence Summers (1998, 2002, 2008), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               John H. Sununu (1990), former Governor of New Hampshire

•               Shirley Temple (1982), former United States Ambassador, former child actress

•               Laura D’Andrea Tyson (1999)

•               Cyrus Vance (1971), former United States Secretary of State

•               Mark Warner (2005), former Governor of Virginia

•               Vin Weber (2007, 2008), former US Congressman

•               John C. Whitehead (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989-1997), former United States Deputy Secretary of State

•               Christine Todd Whitman (1998), former Governor of New Jersey

•               L. Douglas Wilder (1991), former Governor of Virginia, current Mayor of Richmond, Virginia

•               Ross Wilson (ambassador) (2007), current United States Ambassador to Turkey

•               Paul Wolfowitz (1990, 1994-1998, 2008), former President of the World Bank

•               George David Woods (1966), former President of the World Bank

•               Philip D. Zelikow (2007), executive director of the 9/11 Commission and Counselor of the United States Department of State

•               Robert Zoellick (1991, 2003, 2006, 2008), former Deputy Secretary of State and current President of the World Bank

Canada

•               Lester B. Pearson (1964, 1966, 1968), former Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968

•               Pierre Trudeau (1983, 1985), former Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979, 1980 to 1984

•               Jean Chrétien (1982, 1996), Canadian Prime Minister, 1993 – 2003

•               Paul Martin (1996), Canadian Prime Minister, 2003 – 2006

•               Stephen Harper (2003), Canadian Prime Minister, 2006 – Present

•               Bernard Lord (2001), former Premier of New Brunswick

•               Robert L. Stanfield (1968), former Premier of Nova Scotia

•               Jason Kenney (2007), Canadian Member of Parliament

•               Preston Manning (1998), former leader and founder of the Reform Party of Canada

•               Lloyd Axworthy (1996), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)

•               Kevin G. Lynch (2004), Canadian civil servant

•               Frank McKenna (1994, 2006, 2008), former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, former Premier of New Brunswick, current Deputy Chairman of Toronto-Dominion Bank

•               Michael Wilson (politician) (1991), current Canadian Ambassador to the United States, former Minister of Finance (Canada), former Minister of International Trade (Canada)

•               Marc Lalonde (1977), former Minister of Finance (Canada)

•               Jacques Parizeau (1968), former Premier of Quebec

•               Robert Bourassa (1971), former Premier of Quebec

•               Jean Lesage (1966), former Premier of Quebec

•               Mike Harris (1996), former Premier of Ontario

•               David Peterson (1990), former Premier of Ontario

•               Ralph Klein (1995), former Premier of Alberta

•               Peter Lougheed (1973), former Premier of Alberta

•               Gerald Regan (1977), former Premier of Nova Scotia

•               Paul Joseph James Martin (1957, 1966-1968), former Canadian Senator, former Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada), former Minister of National Health and Welfare (Canada), former Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada), father of former Prime Minister of Canada,Paul Martin

•               Jeanne Sauvé (1974, 1986, 1989), former Governor General of Canada

•               Donald S. Macdonald (1971, 1973, 1979-1986, 1988, 1993), former Minister of Finance (Canada), former Minister of National Defence (Canada)

•               Allan MacEachen (1983), former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada

•               Heather Reisman (2006, 2007, 2008), Canadian businesswoman

•               Andre Desmarais, Power Corporation of Canada

United Kingdom

•               Gordon Brown (1991), current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Tony Blair (1993),[5] former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom[9]

•               John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Margaret Thatcher (1975),[10] former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               James Callaghan (1963, 1966), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Edward Heath (1963, 1966, 1967), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Alec Douglas-Home (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Harold Wilson (1966), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Kenneth Clarke (1993, 1998,[11] 2006[12] & 2007[13]), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               George Osborne (2006)[14] Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 2004-Present; member of the opposition 2001-Present

•               Denis Healey, former Secretary of State for Defence 1963-1970, former Chancellor of the Exchequer 1974-1979 (founding member of Bilderberg)

•               Ed Balls (2001-2003), Economic Secretary to the Treasury 2006 – 2007

•               Paddy Ashdown (1989), former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats

•               Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (1978, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989-1998), former Secretary-General of NATO

•               David Owen (1973, 1982, 1993), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Norman Lamont (1995), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               Nigel Lawson (1982, 1990), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               William Hague (1998), former leader of the Conservative Party (UK), current Shadow Foreign Secretary

•               Sir Malcolm Rifkind (1986, 1996), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Douglas Hurd (1980, 1981), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Cecil Parkinson (1989), former Chairman of the Conservative Party

•               Michael Heseltine (1984), former Secretary of State for Defence

•               Roy Jenkins, former President of the European Commission

•               Reginald Maudling (1955, 1957, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1978), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               Hugh Gaitskell (1954, 1955, 1958), former leader of the Labour Party (UK)

•               William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill (1987, 1988, 1990, 1995)

•               John Smith (UK politician) (1986, 1989, 1991), former leader of the British Labour Party

•               William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank (1974)

•               Clement Davies (1954, 1955, 1957), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               Jo Grimond (1958, 1966), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               Jeremy Thorpe, former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               David Steel (1986), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick (1995, 1998 )

•               Geoffrey Rippon (1974)

•               David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech (1958, 1966), former British Ambassador to the United States

•               Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1965, 1966)

•               Christopher Price (UK politician), former Labour Party (UK) Member of Parliament, former member of the European Parliament

•               Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury (1997)

•               Michael Stewart, Baron Stewart of Fulham (1964, 1966)

•               George Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth (1971)

•               Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (1967)

•               George Brown, Baron George-Brown (1966, 1978 )

•               Enoch Powell (1968 )

•               Kenneth Younger (1966)

•               John Horam (1975)

•               John Nott (1977), former Secretary of State for Defence

•               Edmund Dell (1978 )

•               Keith Joseph (1977)

•               Rodric Braithwaite (1993)

•               Frederic Bennett (1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977-1980, 1984)

•               John Keegan (1988), British military historian

•               John Monks (1996) , former General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress

•               Charles Forte, Baron Forte (1977)

•               Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations (1985, 1986, 1993)

•               Giles Radice, Baron Radice (1995)

•               Philip Gould, Baron Gould of Brookwood (2003)

•               Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn (2002, 2003)

•               Pauline Neville-Jones, Baroness Neville-Jones (2004)

•               Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton (1977)

•               Harold Lever, Baron Lever of Manchester (1977, 1985), former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

•               John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton (1980, 1984, 1986), former Chairman of British Petroleum

•               David Young, Baron Young of Graffham (1985, 1986)

•               John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)

•               William Rees-Mogg (1993)

•               George Weidenfeld (1992)

•               Roy Hattersley (1985)

•               Norman Tebbit (1985)

•               Richard Dearlove (2007), former head of MI6

•               Eric Roll (1964, 1966, 1967, 1973-1975, 1977-1999) (Bilderberg Steering Committee),[15] Department of Economic Affairs, 1964, later Bilderberg Group Chairman

•               John Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard (2004, 2008), member of the House of Lords, Deputy Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell

•               Antony Acland (1988), former British Ambassador to the United States

•               Lawrence Freedman (1991), Professor, Oxford University

Ireland

•               Garret FitzGerald (1975, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1987), former Prime Minister of Ireland

•               John Bruton (1998), former Prime Minister of Ireland

•               Michael McDowell (1992, 2007), founding member of the Progressive Democrats of Ireland

•               Paul Gallagher (2008), Attorney General of Ireland

Germany

•               Egon Bahr (1968, 1971, 1982, 1987), German Minister, creator of the Ostpolitik

•               Rainer Barzel (1966), former German opposition leader

•               Kurt Biedenkopf (1992), former Prime Minister of Saxony

•               Max Brauer (1954, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Birgit Breuel (1973, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1994), chairwoman of Treuhandanstalt

•               Andreas von Bülow (1978), former Minister of Research of Germany

•               Karl Carstens (1971), former President of Germany

•               Klaus von Dohnanyi (1975, 1977), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Ursula Engelen-Kefer (1998), former chairwoman of the German Confederation of Trade Unions

•               Björn Engholm (1991), former Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein

•               Ludwig Erhard (1966), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Fritz Erler (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), Socialist Member of Parliament

•               Joschka Fischer (2008), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Germany)

•               Herbert Giersch (1975), Director, Institut fur Weltwirtschaft an der Universitat Kiel

•               Helmut Haussmann (1979, 1980, 1990, 1996), former Minister of Economics of Germany

•               Wolfgang Ischinger (1998, 2002, 2008), former German Ambassador to Washington

•               Helmut Kohl (1980, 1982, 1988), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Walter Leisler Kiep (1974, 1975, 1977, 1980), former Treasurer of the Christian Democratic Union (Germany)

•               Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1955, 1957, 1966), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Hans Klein (1986), Member of German Bundestag

•               Otto Graf Lambsdorff (1980, 1983, 1984), former Minister of Economics of Germany

•               Karl Lamers (1995), Member of the German Bundestag

•               Angela Merkel (2005), current Chancellor of Germany

•               Alois Mertes (1983, 1985)

•               Siegmar Mosdorf (2001), Secretary of State for Economics in Germany

•               Alfred Müller-Armack (1966), Secretary of State for Economics in Germany

•               Volker Perthes (2008), Director, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

•               Friedbert Pflüger (2005, 2006), Member of the German Bundestag

•               Ruprecht Polenz (2002)

•               Volker Rühe (1983, 1991-1994), former Defense Minister of Germany

•               Rudolf Scharping, former Defense Minister of Germany

•               Wolfgang Schäuble (2003), current Minister of Internal Affairs of Germany

•               Walter Scheel (1981-84, 1986), former President of Germany

•               Karl Schiller (1966), former Finance Minister of Germany

•               Otto Schily (2003-2006), former Minister of Internal Affairs of Germany

•               Carlo Schmid (1955, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Vice President of the Federal Parliament

•               Helmut Schmidt (1966, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Gerhard Schröder (CDU) (1971, 1974), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Germany), former Minister of Defence (Germany)

•               Gerhard Stoltenberg (1966, 1968), former Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein

•               Franz Josef Strauß (1963, 1966), former Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Bavaria

•               Lothar Späth (1993), former Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg

•               Erwin Teufel (1991), former Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg

•               Henning Voscherau (1996), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Richard von Weizsäcker (1978), former President of Germany

•               Guido Westerwelle (2007), leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany

•               Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski (1971, 1973, 1974, 1978), former Secretary of State in the Chancellor’s Office of Germany

•               Matthias Wissmann (1998, 2004, 2005), former Minister of Research of Germany

Austria

•               Otto von Habsburg, Archduke and Crown Prince of Austria

•               Alfred Gusenbauer (2002, 2006), current Chancellor of Austria

•               Wolfgang Schussel (1984), former Chancellor of Austria

•               Franz Vranitzky (1975, 1979, 1986-1991, 1993, 1995-1999), former Austrian Chancellor

•               Bruno Kreisky (1979), former Austrian Chancellor

•               Thomas Klestil (1988), former President of Austria

•               Martin Bartenstein (2006), Austrian Minister for Economy and Labour

•               Josef Krainer (1989), former Governor of Styria

Switzerland

•               Flavio Cotti (1994-1997), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Pascal Couchepin (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005), current President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1995), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Max Petitpierre (1963, 1966), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Jacob Kellenberger (1993), former Swiss State Secretary of Foreign Affairs

•               Sigmund Widmer (1975), former Mayor of Zürich

•               Denis de Rougemont (1954, 1955, 1966)

France

•               Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1968, 2003), former President of the French Republic

•               Lionel Jospin (1996), former Prime Minister of France

•               Georges Pompidou (1966), former President of the French Republic

•               Dominique de Villepin (2003), former Prime Minister of France

•               Laurent Fabius (1994), former Prime Minister of France

•               Michel Rocard (1986), former Prime Minister of France

•               Pierre Bérégovoy (1992), former Prime Minister of France

•               Edouard Balladur (1987), former Prime Minister of France

•               Raymond Barre (1983), former Prime Minister of France

•               Edgar Faure (1974), former Prime Minister of France

•               René Pleven (1963, 1966), former Prime Minister of France

•               Pierre Mendes-France (1968), former Prime Minister of France

•               Antoine Pinay (1954, 1955, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Prime Minister of France

•               Jean-Bernard Raimond (1994), former French Foreign Minister

•               Jean Francois-Poncet (1982, 1985, 1988), former French Foreign Minister

•               Michel Barnier (2007), former French Foreign Minister

•               Hubert Védrine (1987, 1992, 2008), former French Foreign Minister

•               Bernard Kouchner (2005), current Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)

•               Manuel Valls (2008), French Member of Parliament

•               Jean-Pierre Jouyet (2008), French Minister of European Affairs

•               Jean-Pierre Chevenement (1984, 1990), former Minister of Defense (France)

•               Jacques Attali (1975), French economist and scholar and former presidential adviser of France’s socialist government

•               Gaston Defferre (1964, 1966), former Mayor of Marseille

•               Maurice Herzog (1974), former Mayor of Chamonix

•               Philippe Seguin (1990), former Mayor of Epinal

•               Jean-Pierre Cot (1977), French politician, former Mayor of Coise

•               Olivier Guichard (1966, 1977), French politician, former French Minister of Justice

•               Guy Mollet (1954, 1955, 1957, 1963, 1966), former Socialist Prime Minister of France

•               Maurice Faure (1955, 1963, 1966)

•               Jacques Rueff (1966)

Belgium

•               Paul Van Zeeland (1955-1958, 1966), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Leo Tindemans (1980), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Wilfried Martens (1989-1991, 1993), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Jean-Luc Dehaene (2004), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Philippe Maystadt (1996), former Belgian Minister of Finance

Netherlands

•               Jan-Peter Balkenende (2008), current Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 2002 – present

•               Ruud Lubbers (1983, 1991, 1992, 1994), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1982 – 1994

•               Wim Kok (1993, 2003), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1994 – 2002

•               Barend Biesheuvel (1968), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1971 – 1973

•               Jelle Zijlstra (1966, 1975), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1966 – 1967

•               Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst (1974, 1981), former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Max van der Stoel (1980), former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1973 – 1977, 1981 – 1982

•               Jozias van Aartsen (2005), former Dutch Minister of Agriculture, 1994 – 1998, former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1998 – 2002

•               Maxime Verhagen (2006, 2008), current Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2007 – present

•               Frank Heemskerk (2007), Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade

•               Frans Timmermans (2008), Dutch Minister of European Affairs

•               Klaas de Vries (2003), Dutch Member of Parliament

•               Ivo Samkalden (1963, 1966), former Mayor of Amsterdam

•               Harold Goddijn (2008), CEO of TomTom

Italy

•               Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1987), former President of the Italian Republic, former Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Francesco Cossiga (1977), former President of the Italian Republic

•               Amintore Fanfani (1955, 1956, 1966), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Alcide de Gasperi (1954), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Claudio Martelli, former Italian Minister of Justice

•               Gianni De Michelis (1991), former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa (1986, 1998, 1999, 2008), former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Romano Prodi (Steering Committee Member of Bilderberg in the 1980s), former Italian Prime Minister and former President of the European Commission

•               Virginio Rognoni (1982, 1991), former Italian Minister of Defense

•               Mariano Rumor (1966), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Domenico Siniscalco (1998), former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Giulio Tremonti (2000), current Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Walter Veltroni (1996), former Mayor of Rome

Spain

•               Esperanza Aguirre Gil de Biedma (1999, 2000), president of Madrid

•               Joaquin Almunia (1998, 2008), European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs

•               Enrique Barón (1988), politician

•               Jaime de Carvajal y Urquijo (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998), CEO, Ford Spain, Ericsson Spain and Banco Urquijo.

•               Juan Luis Cebrián (1988, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), former director of newspaper El País, CEO, Grupo Prisa

•               Guillermo de la Dehesa (1989, 1993), CEO, Banco Pastor

•               Carlos Ferret Salat (1993), banker

•               Manuel Fraga Iribarne (1977), politician, former Secretary General, Alianza Popular

•               Felipe Gonzalez (1989), former Prime Minister of Spain

•               Loyola de Palacio (2005), politician

•               Jesús de Polanco (1989), CEO, media group PRISA

•               Jordi Pujol (1991), politician

•               Rodrigo Rato (1992, 1994), politician and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

•               Matías Rodríguez Inciarte (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001-2008), Deputy CEO, Grupo Santander

•               Miguel Boyer Salvador (1989), former Finance Minister of Spain

•               Miguel Sebastián Gascón (2005), former Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister and Minister of Industry (2008-…)

•               Narcís Serra (1990, 1991, 1992), politician

•               Javier Solana (1985, 1998, 2000), Secretary-General of the Council of the EU, former Secretary-General of NATO

•               Pedro Solbes Mira (1999), Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Federico Trillo-Figueroa Martínez-Conde (1995), politician

•               Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996), Spanish Permanent Representatives to the United Nations

•               Emilio de Ybarra y Clurruca (1988, 1989), former CEO, BBVA

Portugal

•               Francisco Pinto Balsemão (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995-2007) ,[16] former Prime Minister of Portugal, 1981 – 1983 and CEO of Impresa media group

•               António Guterres (1990, 2005), former Prime Minister of Portugal, currently the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

•               Pedro Santana Lopes (2004), former Prime Minister of Portugal

•               José Sócrates (2004), current Prime Minister of Portugal

•               Jorge Sampaio (1989, 1999), former President of Portugal

•               Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues (2003), former Leader of the Socialist Party

•               António Costa (2008), current Mayor of Lisbon

•               Rui Rio (2008), current Mayor of Porto

•               Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco (2006),[16] Member of Parliament (PSD)

•               Augusto Santos Silva (2006),[16] Minister for Parliamentary Affairs

•               Rui Machete (1989), former Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal

•               Joaquim do Amaral (1999), Member of Parliament

•               Manuel Sarmento Rodrigues (1966)

Greece

•               Kostas Karamanlis (1998), current Prime Minister of Greece

•               Constantine Mitsotakis (1993), former Prime Minister of Greece

•               Georgios Alogoskoufis (2008), current Minister for Economy and Finance (Greece)

•               Dora Bakoyannis (2003), current Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), former Mayor of Athens

•               Anna Diamantopoulou (2008), Member of Parliament in Greece and former EU Commissioner

•               George Andreas Papandreou (1998), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), President of the Socialist International

•               Gerasimos Arsenis (1994), former Minister of Defense of Greece

•               Stefanos Manos (1986, 1993, 2001), Greek politician

•               Andreas Andrianopoulos (1988), former Mayor of Piraeus

Turkey

•               Süleyman Demirel (1975), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Bülent Ecevit (1975), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Adnan Menderes (1956), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Mesut Yilmaz (1990), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Selim Sarper (1966), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               İsmail Cem (1989, 1998), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               Hikmet Çetin (1995, 2007), former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)

•               Emre Gönensay (1992, 1996, 2007), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               Ali Babacan (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008), current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

Sweden

•               Fredrik Reinfeldt (2006), Prime Minister of Sweden, 2006 – present

•               Carl Bildt[3] (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006-2008), former Prime Minister of Sweden and current Minister for Foreign Affairs

•               Olof Palme (1962, 1966, 1973, 1975, 1984), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Percy Barnevik (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001), Businessman

•               Mona Sahlin (1996), Chairman of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, (Invited by Percy Barnevik)

•               Thorbjörn Fälldin (1978), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Tage Erlander (1962, 1966), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Leif Pagrotsky (2001), former Swedish Minister for Education, Research and Culture [1];

•               Anders Borg (2007), current Minister for Finance of Sweden

•               Herbert Tingsten (1954, 1955, 1966), former Chief Editor, Dagens Nyheter

•               Martin Waldenström (1955), Industrialist

•               Björn Lundvall (1968, 1975, 1977-1980) (LM Ericsson)

•               Anna Lindh (2003), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Göran Persson (2001), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Gunnar Sträng (1973), former Minister for Finance of Sweden

•               Krister Wickman (1973, 1974, 1975, 1977), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Hans Blix (1989), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Maud Olofsson (2008), Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden

Norway

•               Gro Harlem Brundtland (1982, 1983), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Kåre Willoch (1966, 1968, 1982, 1987), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Trygve Bratteli (1977), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Jens Stoltenberg, (2002), current Prime Minister of Norway

•               Siv Jensen (2006), Chairman Fremskrittspartiet

•               Johann Olav Koss (2006)

•               Halvard Lange (1964), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Norway)

•               Ole Myrvoll (1974), former Minister of Finance (Norway), former Mayor of Bergen

•               Svein Gjedrem (2003), Chairman of Norges Bank 1999 – present

Denmark

•               Anders Fogh Rasmussen (2000), current Prime Minister of Denmark

•               Mogens Lykketoft (1998), former leader of the Social Democrats of Denmark

•               Tøger Seidenfaden (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999), editor-in-chief of Danish newspaper “Politiken”

•               Ritt Bjerregaard (1991, 1995), former Danish Secretary of Education, EU Commissioner and currently Mayor of Copenhagen

•               Anders Eldrup (2001-2007, 2008), CEO, Danish Oil and Gas Corporation (DONG)[citation needed]

•               Flemming Rose (2008), editor, Jyllands-Posten

Finland

•               Jaakko Iloniemi (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990-1997)

•               Ilkka Suominen (1988 )

•               Aatos Erkko (1991)

•               Jarl Köhler (1992-1994)

•               Ulf L. Sundqvist (1992)

•               Johannes Koroma (1993)

•               Jorma Ollila (1994, 1997-2008), former CEO of Nokia

•               Krister Ahlström (1994)

•               Georg Ehrnrooth (1994)

•               Sirkka Hämäläinen (1994)

•               Jaakko Ihamuotila (1994)

•               Max Jakobson (1975, 1994)

•               Gerhard M. H. Wendt (1994)

•               Jukka Harmaja (1995)

•               Björn Mattsson (1995)

•               Pertti Voutilainen (1995)

•               Janne Virkkunen (1998, 2001)

•               Olli-Pekka Heinonen (2001)

•               Christoffer Taxell (2002)

•               Teija H. Tiilikainen (2002-2007)

•               Olli Kivinen (2003)

•               Björn Whalroos (2003)

•               Paula Lehtomäki (2004)

•               Erkki Liikanen (1999, 2005)

•               Matti Vanhala (1999)

•               Pentti Vartia (1999)

•               Mikael Pentikäinen (2005)

•               Eero Heinäluoma (2006)

•               Sixten Korkman (2006)

•               Atte Jääskeläinen (2007)

•               Kalevi Sorsa (1990), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Esko Aho (1994), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Paavo Lipponen (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Matti Vanhanen, current Prime Minister of Finland

•               Martti Ahtisaari (1994, 1995, 1996), former President of Finland

•               Sauli Niinistö (1997)[3], former Minister of Finance (Finland), Speaker of Parliament

•               Jyrki Katainen (2007), current Minister of Finance (Finland)

Iceland

•               Davíð Oddsson (1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999), former Prime Minister of Iceland, 1991-2004

•               Geir Hallgrímsson (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984-1988, 1990), former Prime Minister of Iceland

•               Björn Bjarnason (1977, 1978, 1982-1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995), vice editor of Morgunblaðið (1984 – 1991), Icelandic Minister of Education (1995 – 2002), current Minister for Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs (since 2003)

Russia

•               Anatoly Chubais (1998), Russian politician

•               Grigory Alexeyevich Yavlinsky (2004), Russian politician

Slovakia

•               Ivan Mikloš (2005), former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia

Czech Republic

•               Karel Schwarzenberg (2008), Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Jiří Pehe (2001), Director, New York University in Prague; former advisor to President Václav Havel

•               Michael Žantovský (1999), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, Czech Senate, presently Czech Ambassador in Israel

•               Karel Kovanda (1998), Head of Mission of the Czech Republic to NATO and the WEU, presently Deputy Director General responsible for CFSP, Multilateral Relations and North America, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, EEA, EFTA

Poland

•               Joseph Retinger (1954-1960), founder of Bilderberg Group

•               Hanna Suchocka (1998), first woman Prime Minister of Poland

•               Andrzej Olechowski (1994-1999, 2003), Leader, Civic Platform

•               Aleksander Kwaśniewski (2008), former President of Poland

Hungary

•               János Martonyi (2008), former Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor of International Trade Law, Partner, Baker & McKenzie

•               Gyorgy Suranyi (1996, 1997, 1999), former President, Hungarian National Bank

Israel

•               Natan Sharansky (2005)

Iran

•               Mahmood Sariolghalam (2006)

Iraq

•               Ahmed Chalabi (2006)

New Zealand

•               Thomas Clifton Webb (1955)

EU Commissioners

European Union Commissioners who have attended include:

•               Joaquin Almunia (1998, 2008), European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs

•               José Manuel Barroso (1994, 2003), current President of the European Commission

•               Ritt Bjerregaard (1991, 1995), Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and former European Commissioner for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection[9]

•               Frederik Bolkestein (1996, 2003),[17] former European Commissioner

•               Emma Bonino (1998 )

•               Leon Brittan (1992, 1998 )

•               Hans van den Broek (1986, 1988, 1991, 1995),[9] former European Commissioner

•               David Byrne (politician) (2005), former European Commissioner

•               Henning Christophersen (1979, 1982, 1983)

•               Étienne Davignon (1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994-2008), Bilderberg conference chairman in 2005

•               Jacques Delors (1992), former President of the European Commission

•               Franz Fischler (2001), former European Commissioner

•               Walter Hallstein (1955, 1958, 1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Neelie Kroes (2005 – 2008), present Commissioner for Competition

•               Pascal Lamy (2003)[17]

•               Erkki Liikanen (1999, 2005)

•               Franco Maria Malfatti (1964, 1966, 1974), former President of the European Commission

•               Peter Mandelson (1999[18])

•               Sicco Mansholt (1963, 1964, 1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Robert Marjolin (1966), former European Commissioner

•               Charlie McCreevy (2008), European Commissioner

•               Karel Van Miert (1993), former European Commissioner

•               Mario Monti (1983-1994, 1996, 1999, 2003[17]) ,former and/or present member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee[9]

•               Francois-Xavier Ortoli (1977), former President of the European Commission

•               Filippo Pandolfi (1989)

•               Lord Patten of Barnes (2007)

•               Andris Piebalgs (2006), European Commissioner for Energy

•               Romano Prodi, Steering Committee Member of Bilderberg in the 1980s

•               Olli Rehn (2007), European Commissioner for Enlargement

•               Jean Rey (1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Jacques Santer (1991), former President of the European Commission

•               Henri Simonet (1971, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982), former Vice Chairman of the European Commission

•               Javier Solana (1985, 1998, 2000), High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU)

•               Pedro Solbes (1999)

•               Günter Verheugen (1995)

•               António Vitorino (1996)

UN, WTO, NATO and other International Organizations

•               Josette Sheeran (2007), Executive Director of United Nations World Food Programme

•               Kurt Waldheim, former United Nations Secretary-General

•               Kemal Derviş (2002), current United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator

•               Ad Melkert (1996), current UNDP Associate Administrator

•               Thorvald Stoltenberg (1973, 1982, 1994, 1995), former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

•               Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (1955, 1966), Pakistani politician, diplomat and international jurist

•               Knut Vollebæk (2008), OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

•               Eric Wyndham White (1964, 1966), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Arthur Dunkel (1991), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Mike Moore (2000), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Renato Ruggiero (1986, 1987, 1990-1996), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (2003, 2008), current Secretary General of NATO

•               George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen (1998), former Secretary General of NATO[9]

•               Willy Claes (1994, 1995, 2003), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Manfred Wörner (1982, 1985, 1990-1993), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Joseph Luns (1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977, 1978-1984), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Manlio Brosio (1965-1967), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Dirk Stikker (1964, 1966), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Paul-Henri Spaak (1963, 1966), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay (1955), former Secretary General of NATO

Military

•               Terence Airey (1955, 1966), Military Governor of Trieste

•               Colin Gubbins (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), head of the British SOE[19]

•               Hans Speidel (1964, 1966), former World War II and Cold War general

Corporate

Financial institutions

•               Hermann Josef Abs (1958, 1966), former Chairman of Deutsche Bank

•               Josef Ackermann (2005, 2008), CEO of Deutsche Bank

•               Ben S. Bernanke (2008), current Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Michel Camdessus, former IMF Managing Director

•               Guido Carli (1958, 1965, 1966, 1975, 1977, 1987), former Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Tim Collins (financier) (2003, 2008), founder, Chief Executive Officer of Ripplewood Holdings LLC

•               E. Gerald Corrigan (1994), former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, current Goldman Sachs Managing Director

•               Mario Draghi (1994, 1995, 2004, 2008), current Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Wim Duisenberg (1977, 1978-1983, 1986), former President of the European Central Bank

•               Otmar Emminger (1966), former President of the Deutsche Bundesbank

•               Timothy F. Geithner (2004, 2008), current President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

•               Dermot Gleeson (1995, 2008), Chairman of Allied Irish Banks

•               Alan Greenspan (2002), former Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Alfred Herrhausen (1978-1985, 1987, 1988), German banker, former Chairman of Deutsche Bank

•               Kenneth Jacobs (2007, 2008), Deputy Chairman, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC

•               Per Jacobsson (1957), former IMF Managing Director

•               James A. Johnson (businessman) (1998, 2008), Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC

•               Mervyn A. King (2003), current Governor of the Bank Of England

•               Hilmar Kopper (1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998-2003, 2005), former CEO of Deutsche Bank

•               Alexandre Lamfalussy (1983, 1986, 1988, 1992), former General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements

•               Thomas S. Lamont (1957), former Vice Chairman, Morgan Guaranty Trust

•               Jacques de Larosière (1982), former Governor of the Banque de France

•               William J McDonough (1997)[3], former President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

•               Tom McKillop (2008), Chairman, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

•               Karl Otto Pöhl (1982, 1991), former President of the Deutsche Bundesbank

•               Jürgen Ponto (1975), German banker, former Chairman of Dresdner Bank

•               John Francis Prideaux (1974), former Chairman, National Westminster Bank

•               Louis Rasminsky (1968), former Governor of the Bank of Canada

•               Rodrigo Rato (1992, 1994), former IMF Managing Director

•               Gordon Richardson (1966, 1975),[20] former Governor of the Bank of England

•               David Rockefeller, CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank

•               Emma Rothschild (1995)

•               Sir Evelyn de Rothschild (1983, 1998 )

•               Guy de Rothschild (1974)

•               Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild

•               Lynn Forester de Rothschild (1998 )

•               Rudolf Scholten (1992, 1999-2001, 2003-2008), CEO of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank

•               Pierre-Paul Schweitzer (1964, 1966), former IMF Managing Director

•               George Soros (1990, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002)

•               Dominique Strauss-Kahn (2000), Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and member of the social-democrat Socialist Party of France

•               Jean-Claude Trichet (1995, 1999, 2008), current President of the European Central Bank

•               Anthony Tuke (1974), former President, Barclays Bank

•               Alfons Verplaetse (1990), former Governor of the National Bank of Belgium

•               Paul Volcker (1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1997)[3], former Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Marcus Wallenberg (1996, 1997), current Chairman of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, former CEO of Investor AB

•               Jacob Wallenberg (1998, 2008), current Chairman of Investor AB, former Chairman of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken

•               Siegmund Warburg (1966, 1977), founder of S. G. Warburg & Co.

•               Eric Warburg (1957), founder of Warburg Pincus

•               James Wolfensohn (1985, 1987, 1988, 1989-1999, 2004, 2008), former President of the World Bank Group

Major corporations

•               Giovanni Agnelli (1958, 1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1973-1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987-1998, 2000), former CEO of Fiat

•               Otto Wolff von Amerongen (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977-1980, 1982-2001), CEO of Otto Wolff Group (today: Part of ThyssenKrupp)

•               Dwayne Andreas (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987-1996), Chairman and CEO of Archer Daniels Midland

•               Percy Barnevik (1992-1996, 1997,[3] 2001), former CEO of ASEA

•               Anders Björgerd (1973, 1982), former deputy CEO of Sydkraft AB

•               Lloyd Blankfein (2007), CEO of Goldman Sachs

•               Ian Bremmer (2007), President of Eurasia Group

•               Lord Browne of Madingley (1995, 1997,[3] 2004), Chief Executive BP

•               Gerhard Cromme (2000), former CEO and Chairman of ThyssenKrupp

•               Paul Desmarais (1982)

•               Paul Desmarais, Jr. (2006, 2008), Chairman and co-CEO of Power Corporation of Canada

•               John Elkann (2008), vice chairman of Fiat and the Agnelli Group investment company IFIL

•               Louis V. Gerstner (1994, 1997), former Chairman of IBM, current Chairman of The Carlyle Group

•               Maurice R. Greenberg (1989-1991), former Chairman and CEO of American International Group

•               H. J. Heinz II (1954)[8], CEO of H. J. Heinz Company

•               Paul Hermelin (2007), CEO of Capgemini

•               Daniel Janssen (1971, 1973-1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1995), former Chairman of the Executive Committee, Solvay (company), former vice president of the board, Union Chimique Belge, member of the European Round Table of Industrialists, member of Trilateral Commission executive committee

•               James Kimsey (2006), co-founder, CEO, and first chairman of America Online (AOL)

•               Andrew Knight (1978, 1980-1985, 1987-1996), Director of News Corporation, 1991-present, CEO of News International, 1900-1994, CEO and Editor-in-Chief The Daily Telegraph Group, Editor of The Economist, 1974-1984

•               Klaus Kleinfeld (2008), CEO of Siemens AG

•               Rahmi Koç (1994), Turkish business tycoon

•               Idar Kreutzer (2007), CEO of Storebrand

•               Craig Mundie (2008), chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft

•               Egil Myklebust (1997, 2006, 2008), Chairman of the Board of SAS Group

•               Stavros Niarchos (1967, 1968), Greek shipping tycoon

•               Harald Norvik (2006), former CEO of Statoil

•               Jorma Ollila (1997,[3] 2005, 2008), Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell and Nokia Corporation

•               Eivind Reiten (2000), former CEO of Norsk Hydro

•               Eric E. Schmidt (2007, 2008), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Google

•               Jürgen E. Schrempp (1994-1996, 1997,[3] 1998, 1999, 2001-2005, 2006, 2007), former CEO of DaimlerChrysler

•               Ekkehard Schulz (2002, 2005, 2006), CEO of ThyssenKrupp

•               Peter Sutherland (1989-1996, 1997,[3] 2005), former Chairman of BP

•               Sidney Taurel (2007), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eli Lilly

•               Martin Taylor (1993-1996, 1997),[3] former CEO, Barclays

•               Peter A. Thiel (2007, 2008), Co-Founder, PayPal

•               Daniel Vasella (1998, 1999, 2005, 2008), Chairman and CEO of Novartis

•               Jürgen Weber (2004), Chairman of Lufthansa Airline

•               Klaus Zumwinkel (2002-2006), former CEO of Deutsche Post AG

University, institute and other academic

•               Heather Munroe-Blum (1997), Principal and Vice-Chancellor, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

•               Marie-Josée Kravis (1998, 1999, 2008), Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

•               C. Fred Bergsten (1971, 1974, 1984, 1997)[3], President, Peterson Institute

•               Walter Isaacson (2004), President, Aspen Institute

•               Bruce MacLaury (1977), former President, Brookings Institution

•               Victor Halberstadt (1975, 1977, 1978-1999, 2008), Professor of Economics, Leiden University, Former Honorary Secretary General of Bilderberg Meetings, Netherlands

•               Klaus Schwab (1995-1997), founder of the World Economic Forum

•               Laurence Parisot (2007), Head of French MEDEF

•               Marshall McLuhan, Canadian Professor of English literature, literary critic, and communications theorist

•               Michael Boskin (1991), Professor of Economics and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution

•               William Kristol (1995), co-founder of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), member of the American Enterprise Institute, the Manhattan Institute and the Ethics and Public Policy Center

•               Graham Allison (1970, 1971, 1974, 2007), Harvard political scientist and leading analyst of U.S. national security and defense policy with a special interest in nuclear weapons and terrorism

•               Eberhard Sandschneider (2004), political scientist, Director of the Research Institute of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für auswärtige Politik, expert on China

•               Fouad Ajami (2006, 2008), Director, Middle East Studies Program, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

•               Barnett Rubin (2008), Director of Studies and Senior Fellow, Center for International Cooperation, New York University

•               Chester A. Crocker (2008), James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies

•               Martha Farah (2008), Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience; Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

•               Roger Martin (2008), Dean, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

•               Jeffrey Sachs (1990), Professor, Harvard University

•               John Polanyi (1991), Professor of Chemistry, University of Toronto

•               Gerald L. Curtis (1990), Professor of Political Science, Columbia University

•               Aurelio Peccei (1963, 1964, 1966-1968), founder of the Club of Rome

•               Lester Thurow (1977), Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School, former Dean, MIT Sloan School of Management

•               Paul Samuelson (1966, 1970), American Economist, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

•               Andrew W. Cordier (1966, 1970), former President of Columbia University

•               Theodore M. Hesburgh (1975), former President, Notre Dame University

Media

•               Michael Barone (pundit) (2007), journalist

•               John G. Bernander (2002), former head of the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK

•               Lord Black of Crossharbour (1981, 1983, 1985-1996, 1997)[3],Telegraph Chairman

•               Oscar Bronner (2005-2007, 2008), Editor of the Austrian newspaper Der Standard

•               William F. Buckley, Jr. (1975, 1996), founder of National Review and former host of Firing Line

•               Hubert Burda (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005-2007), Owner and CEO of Hubert Burda Media

•               Phillip Crawley (2006), Globe and Mail Publisher

•               Mathias Döpfner (2005-2007), CEO of Axel Springer AG, editing amongst others Die Welt and Bild

•               Esther Dyson (2007), commentator on emerging digital technology

•               Paul Finney (1977), former Managing Editor, Business Week

•               Donald E. Graham (1999, 2008), Chairman of the Board of The Washington Post Company

•               Josef Joffe (1993, 2006), Publisher of Die Zeit

•               Rupert Murdoch (1982, 1988 )

•               Christine Ockrent (1984, 2007, 2008), former first anchor of the 8pm news on the Antenne 2 French TV channel

•               Anthony O’Reilly (1983), Irish media tycoon

•               Norman Podhoretz (1996), Editor, Commentary

•               George Stephanopoulos (1996, 1997[3]), ABC News’s Chief Washington Correspondent, host of ABC’s This Week, senior political adviser to the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign of Bill Clinton and former communications director for Clinton.

•               Arthur Hays Sulzberger (1956, 1957, 1966)

•               Arthur Taylor (1977), former President, CBS

•               Ben J. Wattenberg (1982)

•               Mortimer Zuckerman (1994), publisher/owner of the New York Daily News, current Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News & World Report

Journalists

•               Alexandre Adler (2003), French conservative journalist

•               Paul Gigot (1996, 2008), Editor of the Editorial Page of The Wall Street Journal 2003- present

•               Martin Wolf (1999-2001, 2003-2006), Financial Times columnist

•               Juan Luis Cebrián (1983, 1985, 1987-1990, 1993, 2008), Ex-director of El País Spanish daily newspaper and CEO of PRISA Group

•               Will Hutton (1997)[5]

•               Peter Jennings (1995)

•               George Will (1978, 1981)

•               Charlie Rose (2002, 2008 )

•               Fareed Zakaria (2002, 2005)

•               Andrea Mitchell (2002)

•               Lesley Stahl (1989, 1997)

•               Thomas L. Friedman (1995, 2003)

•               Bill D. Moyers (1967, 1968, 1971, 1973)

•               Jim Hoagland (1993, 1998, 1999, 2002)

•               Vendeline A. H. von Bredow (2006-2008), Business Correspondent for The Economist

•               Adrian D. Wooldridge (2004-2008), Foreign Correspondent for The Economist

Where Did I Come From?

“Where did I come from?” This is a common question, especially among children and the deep-thinking. With that come many other inquiries. “What am I here for?” “Where do I belong?” “How will I end up?” All valid questions, yet none are easily answered.

 

For as long as history is recorded, men have tried to grasp the concept of our origin. Some believe we were born from a sun. Some believe we are the product of an extra-terrestrial race that left us here. Some believe that we don’t actually exist, we just think we do. Yet others believe that there was nothing, and then nothing exploded and formed the galaxy, which produced on our rock called earth these: water, slime, and plants. Of those three we supposedly grew and changed into fish, then eventually monkeys, and finally humans.

 

Of course there is one more belief. One so well written that it cannot be disputed. I’m speaking of course of the belief in Creation, the author- God. Why can no man dispute it? If nothing else, because it relies on the faith that Creator God made everything all in six days. Since we cannot, as simple, sinful, mortal men, directly ask or even demand that He show us proof, we continue on the basis of faith that the Word He has already given us is true. That, and also that we have no concrete evidence to the contrary, only theory and speculation.

 

Of these, the most fought about are the theories of Creation by a single Creator, and the theory of a Big Bang leading to evolution. No matter which side you are on, neither can be perfectly proven. For each, there is evidence, speculation, theory and faith. No one can measure the timeline because we have nothing to measure it by. No one was around to record the beginning for us, so we have to rely on some speculation.

 

It seems that for every piece of potential evidence, there is discovered that we know so much less. Every question that is answered provides the need for a hundred new questions. Will we ever truly know the whole story? Not while we’re here.

 

The major differences, if I may generalize, are as follows:

Creation: Origin of earth as roughly 6,000 years ago.

Evolution: Origin of earth is several million years ago.

 

Creation: God made it all

Evolution: There is no god. All of life is by chance.

 

Creation: We have a divine purpose on this earth.

Evolution: There is no specific reason we exist.

 

Creation: Man is made unique from the animals.

Evolution: Man is a type of animal.

 

Creation: God the Creator makes the rules and we must formulate law around that for a peaceful society.

Evolution: Man formulates his own laws based on majority vote, authoritative say-so, and/ or survival of the fittest.

 

Creation: Man must decide whether or not to follow God, through His Son, Jesus to see heaven after they die.

Evolution: Man lives to gain the most he can while here, because once you die you cease to exist.

 

We could go on and on and on. The differences are as many as the stars in the sky, whether they are remnants of a cosmic explosion, or they are put there specifically by God as a testimony to His greatness.

 

Now it gets interesting: What do YOU think? Post a comment below.