BIG Questions- Part 2: “Is getting a tattoo a sin?” “Is it a sin to smoke or do drugs?” and “Is it really a big deal if I sin?”
April 19, 2009
There are a few questions that trip up just about everybody. But every question has an answer. I have been asked a number of these, and some I didn’t have the answer to at the time. So, I’ve looked up a few and I want to share those, so that you can have the answers, too, and so you can tell anyone else who asks you. This time, we tackle tattoos, smoking, drugs, and comparing sin- is any of it really so bad?
Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!
1. Is getting a tattoo a sin?
This question grows in popularity as the “art” of self-mutilation grows. It has become easier and more acceptable to get tattooed. Many are even risking infection and disease by having them done with needles and pen ink in their own homes. The danger there goes without saying, but is it a sin? The Bible mentions tattoos specifically one time. That is in the book of Leviticus.
Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:28 NIV)
Now, some people have argued against this statement, despite it being perfectly clear. Among the series of commands that this verse is in, we are also told not to eat bloody meat, not to practice divination or sorcery, not to cut our hair at the sides or trim the edges of our beard, and not to make our daughters prostitute. Out of these, the only one we don’t follow nowadays is the trimming of our hair and beards. This command was for the Jews (some of whom still practice it), and was “overturned,” so to speak, later on. Still, some have said that since we cut our hair, we can cut our bodies and tattoo ourselves. This is not a fair comparison at all. We must look at what a tattoo really is, and what it does to our body.
We need to be extremely careful of what marks we put on our bodies. If, for no other reason at all, then for the following.
He [the Antichrist] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that none could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17 NIV)
That is what we commonly call the “Mark of the beast”. It is something that most people will actually want to get, because they are blinded by the convenience and commonality of the world. Still, we can look even deeper into a tattoo’s function. How do you get a tattoo? You let someone stab you with a needle, and while the wound is fresh, they inject foreign ink into your body. Despite some of the beautifully artistic pieces, my view has always been “Hang it on a wall”. So tattooing is not really more than a clever way to mutilate the flesh with a pleasant-looking after effect. What does the Bible say about that?
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19-20 NIV)
Since your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and you are living for God, and your body in fact belongs to Him, what authority do you have to cut, poke, mutilate, inject ink, etc.? Jesus paid a price for your body, for your very life, and God asks that in return you use your body to honor Him. Paul warns in his letter to the Philippians,
Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. (Philippians 3:2 NIV)
So let us take to heart the words of Scripture that plead with us to offer ourselves wholly to God, body, mind, and everything that we are. Don’t allow an inch of the devil’s work to touch you or taint you. Allow yourself to be put to unadulterated service, in every capacity, to the Lord. Since God is in control, let His glory be your decoration, and supply yourself to Him.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (Romans 6:13 NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)
What about those who already have a tattoo?
Don’t worry if you have one. Many people have gotten tattoos before becoming a Christian, or maybe just didn’t realize the way God felt about it. While the tattoo is difficult to remove, the sin isn’t. Cutting yourself or tattooing is NOT the unforgiveable sin. God will forgive you if you repent sincerely. Many Christians who were previously tattooed use the mark as a part of their testimony of the life they left behind when they accepted Christ. It is never too late.
Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!
2. Is it a sin to smoke or do drugs?
This question has a lot of similarity to tattooing, since it involves harm to the body. However, there are a couple other reasons that smoking and drugs are sinful.
One of the biggest excuses is that God made it, so it’s okay to smoke it. This isn’t further from the truth. Although the Bible does declare that God made everything for good, (Genesis 1:31; Ecclesiastes 3:11a) you must also remember that the earth is not now how God originally made it. Because of the sin of mankind, the earth was changed. God allowed thorns and thistles to grow, plants that were not for our practical use; plants that were not in God’s perfect Garden.
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. (Genesis 3:17-18 NIV underline added for emphasis. See also Hebrews 6:8)
Another reason is that it is illegal to do drugs, and to smoke until a certain age. Ask yourself, “Why would such a law be in place unless it was somehow harmful to smoke?” The truth is, the law allows you smoke at such an age because they believe that at that age, you can decide whether or not you want to harm your own body and health. The Bible demands that we not only obey God, but also our governing authorities, i.e. the police, courts, judges, laws, etc. If it is illegal, and harmful to our bodies, you are really committing two sins at once if you smoke.
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority… (Hebrews 13:17 NIV)
One other thought is this: God has made everything, but for a good purpose. Marijuana plants can be used to make hemp, which is useful and safe. God never said that should smoke the plant. That was sinful man’s idea.
Remember, your body is made in God’s image and is designed for worship. Jesus died to give you life, not so you could slowly destroy yourself. Keep in mind what the Bible teaches about your body:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19-20 NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)
Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below!!
3. I try to be good, but I keep making mistakes. Since everybody sins, is really such a big deal if I do once in a while?
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
To you, it might seem like no big deal. It might even seem that way to the person you sinned against. To God, however, it’s a very big deal; the BIGGEST! Sin is the one factor that separates us from God, even if its what we call a little sin. The Bible tells us that everyone has sinned.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
This is a HUGE problem for us. Even just one little lie; or if we steal a candy bar; or if we misuse God’s Name; all of these make us imperfect. God is absolutely perfect, and so is heaven. If heaven had just one sinner in it, it would no longer be a perfect place. Because of this, we have only two options: Be perfect or go to the only other place we can go- hell. “But,” some would ask, “What about all the good deeds I do?”
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;… (Isaiah 64:6)
All your good deeds are wonderful, and please God, but compared to our sin, every good deed is like a dirty garment. What value is a filthy, robe? Absolutely none. God doesn’t measure your sins in one pile and your good works in another to determine if you make it. You are either perfect, or you aren’t. The problem is, everyone has sinned,, and there is a price to pay for sin:
For the wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23)
Because we sin, we die. The punishment for sin is that death, and if we die with that sin still covering our lives, the death continues in hell. That is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sin. We are instructed in how we can have our sin erased, as though it never happened!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Jesus has paid the price for us, but we can choose to accept or ignore this gift. To accept, all we need to do is confess our sins to Him, and He will faithfully forgive us. That is how we can be made perfect! Once God forgives our sin, we have a new start; a perfect record! Of course, we need to try our best to avoid sin in the future, but should we slip up, God is still faithful to His Word. The apostle John continues to urge us on by saying:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Jesus paid the price for the entire world. That includes you. The prophet Joel records God’s words as He urgently calls us to go back to Him in repentance. God beckons us to Him.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting weeping and mourning;
And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,
And relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13)
When you go to God with your sin, it’s serious, yet He is slow to anger. He loves to be gracious and kind to us; He loves to defeat the evil in us. God would be more than thrilled to forgive you of your sin. He wants to erase the sin and one day welcome you into His Heavenly Kingdom. If you need to, confess your sins to Jesus in prayer.
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13)
What are your thoughts on any of these questions? Do you have questions of your own? Let me know below!
Tagged: "the wise", abounding in kindness, Agur, Amos, Antichrist, Asaph, authors, bodies, body, body is the temple, burning bush, crack, cutting, dangerous, Daniel, Daniel's Prophecies, Daniel's vision, david, deadly, dove, drugs, Earthquakes, Ethan, ezekiel, Ezra, Ezrahite, fasting, flood, forgive, god made it, good deeds, Habakkuk, Haggai, harm, harmful, heart, Heman, hemp, Hosea, How bad is it if I sin?, How does God exist?, How much can I sin?, hurt, I smoking sinful?, If God made everything, illegal, in Christ, Is cutting a sin?, Is doing drugs a sin?, Is getting a tattoo a sin?, Is is a sin to smoke?, Is it a sin to do drugs?, Is it a sin? Is it a sin to get a tattoo?, isaiah, James, Jeremiah, Joel, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jude, kill, Lemuel, Leviticus, limitless, Luke, many, Mark, Mark of the Beast, mark of the devil, mark on the hand or forehead, marks on bodies, mary jane, Matthew, Micah, mistakes, Moses, mourning, murder, Nahum, no one can see God and live, Obadiah, obey authorities, obey god, paid the price, parting of the Red Sea, Paul, perfect, perfection, Peter, plant, plead, pot, prophet Joel, prosper, rainbow, receive a mark, reflection of God, relenting of evil, rend, repent, repentance, Revelation, Scriptures, self mutilation, sign, sin, sinful, sinner, sky, slow to anger, smoke, smoking, Solomon, steal, stopping the sun, symbols of God, tearing the veil, temple of God, The Mark of the New World Order, thorns, trimming hair, weed, weeping, What does God look like?, What is the origin of God?, Where did God come from?, Where did Jesus come from?, Where did the Bible come from, who made God?, Who penned the Scriptures?, Who wrote Psalms?, Who wrote the Bible, why do I exist?, Why do we exist?, Why does God exist?, Why does God hide his face?, Why doesn't God show Himself?, writing on the wall, Zephaniah
Politics. Stand for someting.
October 10, 2008
Politics. So many of us are just sick of it. Neither candidate has been telling the whole truth. Neither of them has a perfect voting record. Both of them love to sling mud. Its part of the job. One has to wonder, though, if being in the position of a presidential candidate requires such, let call it cruelty, and a heartlessness that you can publically attack another in front of millions, what else must that person have done to be in that position? Did they have to lie? Cheat? Break IRS tax codes and commit mass corporate deceptions? I’m sure that they did. You can’t get all the way to the top without stepping on a few toes.
He taxes too much. If you vote for him you’ll be homeless. If you vote for the other one, your children will starve. But if you vote for the first guy, they’ll lose all their education and become stupid rejects, begging for day-old scraps behind the ghetto bakery. But the other guy will take your job. And the other one will tax your new raise so you actually come home with $5 less every week. One of them will date your mom. The other will shut down her nursing home. One will have dinner with terrorists at Arby’s while the other just sends him a check at Christmas, even though they don’t celebrate Christmas.
Here’s what I’m saying: There are bigger issues than whose face is on the front page. Every day 6000 kids are killed by mid-term or later abortion. They refuse to allow Bibles in schools, so Christian parents teach home school, allowing their children to learn math and moral values at the same time. While the schools are taking a massive dump when it comes to value and ethics and crime and teaching self-worth, the state of California just outlawed Christians from their God-given right to teach their own kids. Now they have to send them to the cesspool of a school that will teach anti-creation science, thereby infringing on the rights of students to practice their own religion freely (but don’t worry, they won’t attack Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, pagans, wiccans, Scientologists, etc. Just the Christians.)
Let’s see, what else? Lets talk about gay marriage. I’m all for gays to have the right to choose their lifestyle- its their choice. (Just like my kids schooling used to be.) But I’m not for the whole gay-marriage thing. Sure, they can practice it, but that doesn’t really make it a marriage. I know, I know, they’ve redefined what “marriage” is, but it used to be a union before God between a man and a woman. Since most homosexuals don’t believe in or care for God, they can’t really have a union before Him that He will honor. But, what they hey, they ignored my right to practice my faith (only if it’s from the Christian Bible) by ignoring the 1st amendment, why not ignore the other principals too.
So who is going to do what to help me out? Am I personally going to benefit from either party being elected? Maybe, but probably not. There aren’t a whole lot of things that are going to actually make a difference in the way I daily live my life. I could be wrong, but here’s how I look at it:
If one side is accused of overtaxing and the other of allowing abortions, I will sacrifice a couple bucks, even a couple hundred, per year to vote for the sanctity of life.
If one side is accused of sending jobs overseas and the other of limiting free speech, I’m probably going to have to go for free speech. There will always be a need for jobs on the US. They may not be the best, but we have too many people not to need a ton of jobs. We also have a lot of politicians going after free speech, even though the ones attacked are the churches and the right. Hmm.
If one side wants to build a thousand mile fence at the borders and the other wants to let gays marry, I will go for the fence. Those guys are great climbers and if they can get in through, over or under a military fence, then they deserve to stay. For those that can’t, they can still come here, but have to go through the legal process. Meanwhile, I stand up for what I believe regarding gay marriage. I’m not anti-gay, but I’m not pro-gay. I’m just ok-gay; they can do their thing, but I don’t want tax dollars going toward something I find immoral.
Bottom line, I can’t do anything about the politicians. But, then again, I will probably never have to answer to them. I will, however, have to answer to God. I will stand before Him and be able to say that I voted for the things and the principles that are on His side, His Law, and His eternal purpose. I will say that I stood up for hundreds of thousands of innocent children and supported their right to life. I will say that I voted against the activity that led to His destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, the activities that He calls an abomination. I will be able to say that I stood up for His Word, His teaching, for the right to exhibit by faith, to speak freely the gospel. I will say, “Jesus, I stood up for you.”
What do you stand for?
Tagged: 101, 2000, 2008 Presidential Race, 666, 9-11, 911, abortion, accusation, accused, activities, Acts, address, agnostic, al qaeda, Alaska, ally, ambush, America, Antichrist, anxious, argument, arrested, Assemblies of God, atheist, bar, Barack, Barack Obama, barcode, Beast, behalf, belief, believers, Bible, Bible Hugger, Biblical, Biden, Bilderberg, billboard, Bin Laden, binge, black, blind eye, blood, Bob Fraley, border, Born Again, breaking bread, busted, buzz, calculate, campaign, canada, caskets, chance, Chicago, Christ, Christian, church, churches, claim, clip, code, compassionate, computer, concentration, conference, conspiracy, contact, conviction, Corsi, cousin, coverage, craftiness, cunning, danger, death, debate, December 2007, decide, decision, Democratic Party, democrats, demoncrats, detaining, devil, devoted, disclose, disclosure, displaced, dispute, doctrine, dress, drunk, EC, edification, edify, elect, election, election fraud, Electoral Commission of Kenya, employee, encourage, enemies, enemy, Epheshians, ethnic, evidence, exploitation, faith, false, false imprisonment, family, feeling, fellowship, FEMA, fervent, fighting, foe, foreign, foul, fraud, friend, funds, gay marriage, gay rights, genuine, George, George Laurer, God, godly, Governor, Grand Regency, grocery, grounded, guard bars, health, Health insurance, Healthcare, heathen, heaven, hell, high, Holy, holy roller, Holy Spirit, homosexual rights, honor, Hotel, human, Hussein, identify, image, immigration, immigration officers, imprisoned, infants, information, insight, instruct, international, interpretation, Iran, Iraq, Jahovah, jailed, Jerome, Jerry, Jesus, Joe, Joe Biden, John, John McCain, joy, judge, Justin, Kenya, Kibaki, Kikuyu, killed, kind, Laurer, leaders, left, legitimately, Lessard, liar, lies, lifestyle, lobby, Lord, Lord’s Supper, love, Lying, man, man’s number, Manufacturer, Mark, marks, Maverick, McCain, mexico, money, moral, murder, music, Muslim, Mwai, Mwai Kibaki, Nairobi, name, non-believer, Nuclear, number, number of his name, NWO, Obama, October, Odinga, officers, order, Osama, pagan, Palin, pandemic, part 1, party, peace, perfect, perspective, petition, Philippians, picture, policy, politics, porno, power, prayer, praying, president, president presidential, presidential, press, pride, Prime Minister, problem, product, promotes, proof, prove, providing, provoke, purpose, questions, Raila, Raila Odinga, read, Religious, remorse, reporter, republicans, Revelation, RFID, right, right hand, Romans, rumors, russia, Sara, Sarah, Sarah Palin, Satan, Satanist, screwed, Scripture, selfishness, Senator, Sept 11, servant, sex, Shariah, shed, slip up, slums, snatched, Socialism, standard, statement, steal, strategy, swear, system, taxes, teaching, terror, terrorist, terrorists, Terry Cook, thanksgiving, The Last Days in America, The Mark of the New World Order, theory, torment, transcends, trashed, tribal, tribe, unbeliever, understanding, unit, United States, unity, Universal, UPC, US, USA, victory, video, villain, violence, vote, voter fraud, war, weapons, white, who will be, wiccan, winner, World Net Daily, Yeshua
To the Unbeliever
October 1, 2008
Christians. Bible-Huggers. Born-Agains. Religious Nuts. Holy-Rollers. I’ve been called them all. And, yeah. I’m one of ‘em. I am a Christian. With that statement is usually followed, by non-believers and self-described heathens, with a list of my shortcomings.
“Well, if you’re a Christian, then how come you….?”
How come I what? Smoked? Drank? Fornicated? Had a porno when I was 18? Screwed a girl who’s last name I didn’t know? If I’m a Christian, WHAT??
Since we’re on it, you do the same and claim no moral basis whatsoever. You do it and you’re proud of it. So then, why are you judging me? I’m the one with the, as you put it, impossible standard. I should be judging, shouldn’t I? But then, I never claimed to be perfect, or to have it all together. But the fact is, I’m trying. And when I make a mistake, I have what’s called “remorse” for what I’ve done. I am genuinely sorry when I screw up or have a lapse in judgment. So what do I do? I pick myself up and try again.
Either way, yeah, I’m a Christian and I’m into the whole “God thing”. Yes, I’m reading the Bible, and I sure will quote it to you. Yes, I quit doing a few of the things I used to do, then a few more.
Why is it that you, a non-believer, non-Christian (or atheist, Satanist, pagan, wiccan, agnostic, etc.) are so concerned with my new life?
Is it that you don’t want me to have godly standards? Is it that you like me better when I’m a drunk? Or when I’m high? Do you like when I steal things? Swear? Listen to music about sex, and grinding hot, sweaty body parts against total strangers? The music about “tappin’ hoes” and getting stoned? You like when I’m like that?
Or maybe, JUST MAYBE, you feel that, when I quote the Bible, or display an act of Christianity, could it be that YOU feel convicted? Maybe it is that way. Maybe it should be. Maybe, when I take on a lifestyle of complete peace, feeling the love that no person can ever give, when I decide its not good to get wasted, trashed, high, screwed, or chance being busted- maybe that’s good for ME. I like feeling good. Not “good” like a crack binge, or temporary buzz that goes away leaving me feel like human waste, but good in the sense that there is actually a bigger purpose to life, a God out there who actually loves me as though I was perfect. I like feeling like I’m doing the right thing, not just my thing. And maybe my God, who I know is real, wants you to feel that way too. Whatever your argument is, He already sent me and every other Bible-toting, cross-wearing, Scripture-quoting Christian your way. There’s a Bible in almost every book store, a church on almost every corner. The little flyer you found on the counter in the public bathroom, the billboards, the TV channel that EVERYONE gets with preacher after preacher telling you that Jesus loves you.
You know what I hear? “If God loved me, He’d…”
You know something? He already has. You know how? Everything I’ve just mentioned is getting to you. That’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You will either fight it and become even more embittered, or you will accept it.
If you can say that I, and the millions of others who have GENUINELY felt the very presence and love of God are wrong, then quit here. If you can push past your pride and selfishness, keep going. If you feel that I might be right in some way, carry on.
Jesus lived. That’s a fact. Some 2000 years ago, He walked the earth and taught great things. It didn’t end there.
Tagged: 2000, agnostic, argument, atheist, Bible, Bible Hugger, billboard, binge, Born Again, busted, buzz, Christ, Christian, church, claim, conviction, decide, decision, dispute, drunk, feeling, genuine, godly, heathen, high, Holy, holy roller, Holy Spirit, Jesus, judge, love, moral, music, non-believer, pagan, perfect, porno, pride, purpose, Religious, remorse, Satanist, screwed, Scripture, selfishness, sex, standard, statement, steal, swear, trashed, unbeliever, wiccan
Secret Agendas- Articles that read ‘between the lines’
September 30, 2008
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:
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
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How The times r changin
September 26, 2008
It is nearly unavoidable to see that we live in a quickly changing time. Soon we will look back on today and wonder how we did it. “Remember when…” they’ll say, “Remember when sending an email meant typing with our fingers? Remember when we used gasoline in cars? Remember when the sun wasn’t black, or the moon red? Remember when there was enough food, before 1/3 of all sea life and vegetation died? Remember when there were separate governments for each country?” And so on…
Today, though I look around and see the changes in our youth. Some can’t imagine life without iPods, cell phones, email, internet, etc. Ask a 14 year old to send you a card and likely no pen will touch paper, no postage stamp will be used (remember when you had to lick stamps?), and there won’t be a postal worker giving you a special envelope. Instead you’ll hear your computer ding in a few minutes with the arrival of an e-card. Remember when there was thought put into cards? When there was a little note personally scribbled to you from that friend or relative? And the idea was that they went to the store, stood in the isle and searched for that perfect card. Then they went home and thought, “What should I say?” until they came up with the witty inside joke you share. And finally, they’d sign the card, in ink, by hand, before sending it in the mail as they imagine the joyous look of surprise on your face at the unexpected token of appreciation. Remember when…?
I wonder how the youth will grow up. Will there be such as thing as sentiment, or thoughtfulness, or even the idea that people would go out of there way for someone when there’s an easier, more… electronic way? Will they understand the idea of patience? When I was a kid, I had to wait till I got home before making or receiving a phone call. If someone else tried to call, they got a busy signal. (I can almost hear them ask what that is.) There was one line to a home, two if you were rich or had an office at home. Many didn’t even have a phone. Instead they did this thing called “walking to a pay phone” (remember payphones?). I guess my concern is that we’re spoiling our future by calling it necessary. We ask for a faster way of doing things when a little patience will go a lot further.
I believe it was Pastor John Hagee who said this of patience: “Do you find yourself in front of the microwave oven screaming, ‘Hurry up!’?”. Our kids are in a hurry to grow up. Once they grow up, the only thing they can think of (and I’m sure many of you agree) is being young again. Young ladies go from wearing makeup to look older, to wearing wrinkle cream to look younger. Young boys want to become men, and many will do whatever they perceive as “growing up”. Some steal, fight, anything to look macho. They go after the ladies, who in turn want to grow up, and soon we have children having children. Many youth today more easily and readily take drugs, smoke, drink, steal, lie to parents and those in authority, and engage in all manor of sexual conduct, all of this just to give the image that they’re grown up. But they aren’t, and when they continue in that way, most never grow up. They just grow old.
The saddest part is that parents and teachers and lawmakers and every other kind of adult in far too many cases chalk the behavior up to the changing times. Yes, the times are changing, but that is no excuse to allow any sort of immoral, unethical, illegal, or just plain stupid behavior. Parents need to step up to the plate. Put your foot down early and dish out a punishment for bad behavior. They will live for a week without TV. They can survive standing in a corner. And if it becomes a regular occurrence, so be it. At least you’ve made it abundantly clear that you will not tolerate anything inappropriate in your household.
The times may change, but the Truth remains forever the same. Our God is merciful and gracious, but He is also swift and just. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let us retain our morals in the same fashion.
Justin Lessard