Monday, March 10, 2008

Drugs in Drinking Water

A blog writer named Stan Bowman recently commented in this post, Prophecy Continually Being Fulfilled.

I went over to check out his blog and it is filled with posts regarding Bible prophecy fulfillment.

If you were like me this morning, you awoke to the alarming news that prescription (and non-prescription) drugs have been detected in the drinking water of several U.S. states. I saw a brief news clip on Fox this morning, but the person being interviewed tried to pooh-pooh the findings as not very alarming or scary at this point. What planet does that guy live on??

If you go to that link above and scroll down, you will see a detailed report on this discovery.

Here is a copy of that portion of Stan's post:


AP probe finds drugs in drinking water By JEFF DONN, MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press Writers
Sun Mar 9, 5:03 PM ET

A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public doesn't know how to interpret the information and might be unduly alarmed.

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies — which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public — have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.

We recognize it is a growing concern and we're taking it very seriously, said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Members of the AP National Investigative Team reviewed hundreds of scientific reports, analyzed federal drinking water databases, visited environmental study sites and treatment plants and interviewed more than 230 officials, academics and scientists. They also surveyed the nation's 50 largest cities and a dozen other major water providers, as well as smaller community water providers in all 50 states.

Here are some of the key test results obtained by the AP:Officials in Philadelphia said testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts were found in the city's watersheds.Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a portion of the treated drinking water for 18.5 million people in Southern California.Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed a Passaic Valley Water Commission drinking water treatment plant, which serves 850,000 people in Northern New Jersey, and found a metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing carbamazepine in drinking water.

A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water.The drinking water for Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas tested positive for six pharmaceuticals.Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson, Ariz.
The situation is undoubtedly worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented by the AP.
The federal government doesn't require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in water. Of the 62 major water providers contacted, the drinking water for only 28 was tested. Among the 34 that haven't: Houston, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, Phoenix, Boston and New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, which delivers water to 9 million people. Some providers screen only for one or two pharmaceuticals, leaving open the possibility that others are present. The AP's investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural sources of most of the nation's water supply, also are contaminated. Tests were conducted in the watersheds of 35 of the 62 major providers surveyed by the AP, and pharmaceuticals were detected in 28.

Yet officials in six of those 28 metropolitan areas said they did not go on to test their drinking water — Fairfax, Va.; Montgomery County in Maryland; Omaha, Neb.; Oklahoma City; Santa Clara, Calif., and New York City. The New York state health department and the USGS tested the source of the city's water, upstate. They found trace concentrations of heart medicine, infection fighters, estrogen, anti-convulsants, a mood stabilizer and a tranquilizer.

City water officials declined repeated requests for an interview. In a statement, they insisted that New York City's drinking water continues to meet all federal and state regulations regarding drinking water quality in the watershed and the distribution system — regulations that do not address trace pharmaceuticals. In several cases, officials at municipal or regional water providers told the AP that pharmaceuticals had not been detected, but the AP obtained the results of tests conducted by independent researchers that showed otherwise. For example, water department officials in New Orleans said their water had not been tested for pharmaceuticals, but a Tulane University researcher and his students have published a study that found the pain reliever naproxen, the sex hormone estrone and the anti-cholesterol drug byproduct clofibric acid in treated drinking water. Of the 28 major metropolitan areas where tests were performed on drinking water supplies, only Albuquerque; Austin, Texas; and Virginia Beach, Va.; said tests were negative. The drinking water in Dallas has been tested, but officials are awaiting results. Arlington, Texas, acknowledged that traces of a pharmaceutical were detected in its drinking water but cited post-9/11 security concerns in refusing to identify the drug. The AP also contacted 52 small water providers — one in each state, and two each in Missouri and Texas — that serve communities with populations around 25,000. All but one said their drinking water had not been screened for pharmaceuticals; officials in Emporia, Kan., refused to answer AP's questions, also citing post-9/11 issues. Rural consumers who draw water from their own wells aren't in the clear either, experts say. The Stroud Water Research Center, in Avondale, Pa., has measured water samples from New York City's upstate watershed for caffeine, a common contaminant that scientists often look for as a possible signal for the presence of other pharmaceuticals. Though more caffeine was detected at suburban sites, researcher Anthony Aufdenkampe was struck by the relatively high levels even in less populated areas.

He suspects it escapes from failed septic tanks, maybe with other drugs. Septic systems are essentially small treatment plants that are essentially unmanaged and therefore tend to fail, Aufdenkampe said. Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems. Contamination is not confined to the United States. More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world. Studies have detected pharmaceuticals in waters throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and Europe — even in Swiss lakes and the North Sea. For example, in Canada, a study of 20 Ontario drinking water treatment plants by a national research institute found nine different drugs in water samples. Japanese health officials in December called for human health impact studies after detecting prescription drugs in drinking water at seven different sites. In the United States, the problem isn't confined to surface waters. Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, source of 40 percent of the nation's water supply. Federal scientists who drew water in 24 states from aquifers near contaminant sources such as landfills and animal feed lots found minuscule levels of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs. Perhaps it's because Americans have been taking drugs — and flushing them unmetabolized or unused — in growing amounts. Over the past five years, the number of U.S. prescriptions rose 12 percent to a record 3.7 billion, while nonprescription drug purchases held steady around 3.3 billion, according to IMS Health and The Nielsen Co.

People think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that's not the case, said EPA scientist Christian Daughton, one of the first to draw attention to the issue of pharmaceuticals in water in the United States. Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. Plus, the EPA says there are no sewage treatment systems specifically engineered to remove pharmaceuticals. One technology, reverse osmosis, removes virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants but is very expensive for large-scale use and leaves several gallons of polluted water for every one that is made drinkable. Another issue: There's evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic. Human waste isn't the only source of contamination. Cattle, for example, are given ear implants that provide a slow release of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid used by some bodybuilders, which causes cattle to bulk up. But not all the trenbolone circulating in a steer is metabolized. A German study showed 10 percent of the steroid passed right through the animals. Water sampled downstream of a Nebraska feedlot had steroid levels four times as high as the water taken upstream. Male fathead minnows living in that downstream area had low testosterone levels and small heads. Other veterinary drugs also play a role. Pets are now treated for arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, dementia, and even obesity — sometimes with the same drugs as humans. The inflation-adjusted value of veterinary drugs rose by 8 percent, to $5.2 billion, over the past five years, according to an analysis of data from the Animal Health Institute. Ask the pharmaceutical industry whether the contamination of water supplies is a problem, and officials will tell you no. Based on what we now know, I would say we find there's little or no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health, said microbiologist Thomas White, a consultant for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. But at a conference last summer, Mary Buzby — director of environmental technology for drug maker Merck & Co. Inc. — said: There's no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they're at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms.

Recent laboratory research has found that small amounts of medication have affected human embryonic kidney cells, human blood cells and human breast cancer cells. The cancer cells proliferated too quickly; the kidney cells grew too slowly; and the blood cells showed biological activity associated with inflammation. Also, pharmaceuticals in waterways are damaging wildlife across the nation and around the globe, research shows. Notably, male fish are being feminized, creating egg yolk proteins, a process usually restricted to females. Pharmaceuticals also are affecting sentinel species at the foundation of the pyramid of life — such as earth worms in the wild and zooplankton in the laboratory, studies show.

Some scientists stress that the research is extremely limited, and there are too many unknowns. They say, though, that the documented health problems in wildlife are disconcerting. It brings a question to people's minds that if the fish were affected ... might there be a potential problem for humans? EPA research biologist Vickie Wilson told the AP. It could be that the fish are just exquisitely sensitive because of their physiology or something. We haven't gotten far enough along.With limited research funds, said Shane Snyder, research and development project manager at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, a greater emphasis should be put on studying the effects of drugs in water. I think it's a shame that so much money is going into monitoring to figure out if these things are out there, and so little is being spent on human health, said Snyder. They need to just accept that these things are everywhere — every chemical and pharmaceutical could be there. It's time for the EPA to step up to the plate and make a statement about the need to study effects, both human and environmental.To the degree that the EPA is focused on the issue, it appears to be looking at detection. Grumbles acknowledged that just late last year the agency developed three new methods to detect and quantify pharmaceuticals in wastewater. We realize that we have a limited amount of data on the concentrations, he said. We're going to be able to learn a lot more.While Grumbles said the EPA had analyzed 287 pharmaceuticals for possible inclusion on a draft list of candidates for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, he said only one, nitroglycerin, was on the list. Nitroglycerin can be used as a drug for heart problems, but the key reason it's being considered is its widespread use in making explosives. So much is unknown. Many independent scientists are skeptical that trace concentrations will ultimately prove to be harmful to humans. Confidence about human safety is based largely on studies that poison lab animals with much higher amounts. There's growing concern in the scientific community, meanwhile, that certain drugs — or combinations of drugs — may harm humans over decades because water, unlike most specific foods, is consumed in sizable amounts every day. Our bodies may shrug off a relatively big one-time dose, yet suffer from a smaller amount delivered continuously over a half century, perhaps subtly stirring allergies or nerve damage. Pregnant women, the elderly and the very ill might be more sensitive. Many concerns about chronic low-level exposure focus on certain drug classes: chemotherapy that can act as a powerful poison; hormones that can hamper reproduction or development; medicines for depression and epilepsy that can damage the brain or change behavior; antibiotics that can allow human germs to mutate into more dangerous forms; pain relievers and blood-pressure diuretics. For several decades, federal environmental officials and nonprofit watchdog environmental groups have focused on regulated contaminants — pesticides, lead, PCBs — which are present in higher concentrations and clearly pose a health risk.

However, some experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body. These are chemicals that are designed to have very specific effects at very low concentrations. That's what pharmaceuticals do. So when they get out to the environment, it should not be a shock to people that they have effects, says zoologist John Sumpter at Brunel University in London, who has studied trace hormones, heart medicine and other drugs. And while drugs are tested to be safe for humans, the timeframe is usually over a matter of months, not a lifetime. Pharmaceuticals also can produce side effects and interact with other drugs at normal medical doses. That's why — aside from therapeutic doses of fluoride injected into potable water supplies — pharmaceuticals are prescribed to people who need them, not delivered to everyone in their drinking water. We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good, says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany. The AP National Investigative Team can be reached at investigate.


I have several questions.

Does this mean that water filtration efforts do not (or, cannot) remove the traces of these drugs?

Does a reverse osmosis system in the home help remove them or not?

Is all of our bottled water also contaminated? (I would REALLY like the answer to this one!!!)

Forget the water....I'm sticking with rBST-free milk, juice (not from concentrate) and wine! Or...are all of these affected too?

This news is indeed, terrible!

HT: Events in Time - Bible Prophecy blogspot

Eze 12:18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

Eze 31:14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

Eze 31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

Eze 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

2 Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

This is a serious problem and is another consequence of our prescription drug epidemic. Somehow we have become convinced that we no longer have to confront our problems but simply take a pill to not handle the problem but hide the symptoms.

As the director of Novus Medical Detox, I daily see the ravages caused by prescription drug addiction created by doctors prescribing it to their patients and then the patients either continuing to obtain it or purchasing these drugs on the internet or the street. Probably the worst of these drugs is OxyContin--legal heroin.

Pain is real. I have had to deal with it much of my life first from polio and then from two surgeries. However, there are alternatives to painkillers and they must be tried first. Let's not treat the symptoms but the cause.

Prescription drug addiction is an epidemic and we must do everything we can to stop it before it overwhelms us. Education is a must. Detox and rehab are the only solutions for people who are addicted and have decided that they must change their lives.

Steve Hayes
http://novusdetox.com

spud tooley said...

interesting post, interesting comments.

agree that we are an over-prescriptioned society, but do not agree that everybody's just popping pills blindly. i take meds for depression, and my daughter is ADHD - but you don't just decide one day, "hey - let's take some drugs - how 'bout these? they're round - got any water?". let's not let the sound-bite mentality of TV infiltrate (good word, eh?) all of our discussion.

if i were running for president, one of the things i would champion would be a wholesale flushing of the executive branch. from my perspective it seems that "minor matters" like drinking water have taken a back seat to the "war on terr'r" - and you're a gd'd liberal unpatriotic rotten doctor commie rat if you say anything. we need some people to come in and make government work - not just give people jobs. use six sigma. define processes. it just seems that nobody's minding the store anymore, doesn't it? and who do we want minding it - congress? please. bush/cheney? roger clemens?

there's a guy in virginia calling for a second constitutional convention - maybe it's time.

i've been as asleep at the wheel as anybody, i must confess. but i don't see this as a satanic plot to numb us into into a one-world government, if that's where we're going with this...

spud tooley said...

steve - are you the same steve that's at Triablogue?...

you sound more rational here... :)

maybe it's just the medicine...

yours, not mine...

Christinewjc said...

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the informative post and that very important link. If anyone comes along needing help, I'm sure that they will be most grateful that they can find it via Novus Detox.

Mike,

I am sorry to read that you are on depression medicine and that your daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD.

The purpose of the post wasn't to say that no one (who obviously needs them) should quit taking their prescription medication. With that said, there are a lot of instances where people are over-medicated by their doctors. The reasons vary, but many times it has to do with earning extra money on the side. The malpractice insurance has skyrocketed and physicians often enjoy kick-backs from certain drug companies for writing prescriptions.

I think that people should get 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th opinions regarding all things medical.

People who dump their unused meds down the drain or toilet are probably contributing to this problem more so than people who excrete the unused portions of their meds. People need to be educated about how to dispose of them safely and properly...so that they don't contaminate the water supply.

The Bible prophecy section of Stan's post can, of course, be dismissed by people who don't want to pay attention to it. However, Bible prophecy is coming to fruition at an extremely rapid rate these days. I think that it is best to be informed.

Jesus told us to watch for the signs of the end times. Nothing wrong with that..IMO.

spud tooley said...

Bible prophecy is coming to fruition at an extremely rapid rate these days.

you mean the oompah loompah twins? john hagee and newt gingrich? they're probably counting their false profits even as i type...

but, seriously, christine: what prophecies are being fulfilled in our world in 2008? i'm asking with a straight face - as serious as i can (pretend) to be.

Christinewjc said...

Mike,

I guess you didn't bother reading any of the additional posts at Stan's blog...eh?

Use your favorite search engine and do a search on the topic. I'm sure that the web is filled with many examples for you to peruse. Stan's blog has several as well.

You can type in "prophecy" in the Talk Wisdom blog search and find several of my previous posts.

I also have a message board that has several articles in the Bible Prophecy & End Times archive section.

Happy reading!

spud tooley said...

humor me... i'm thirsty, but i don't want to drink from the firehose. select one, clear-cut prophecy coming true in 2008 (and make sure it includes winning lottery numbers) and i'll ... i'll ... i'll ... i'll do something that i probably wouldn't have done if you didn't...maybe.

Christinewjc said...

Mike,

1. Your lottery comedy routine makes me wonder whether or not you are genuinely serious about this topic.

2. I think that you misunderstand my position. Let me see if I can help alleviate your misunderstanding about prophecy fulfillment.

Bible prophecy is continually being fulfilled. Demanding that I show you a specific prophecy being fulfilled "in 2008," as you have asked, is not necessarily an accurate portrayal of how prophecy fulfillment is being revealed.

For instance. Today, the ancient prophecy of David, regarding the fact that Israel would be (and currently is) surrounded by many enemies is an exact prophecy fulfillment. If you read the Scripture at that link, you will see that David names the exact enemies (ancient names and current names listed in that post) that have surrounded Israel and have called for her complete destruction (e.g. Iran leaders want Israel pushed "into the sea.")

Because of biblical ignorance, we see the current U.S. administration attempting to make peace deals between the Palestinians and Israel. They may have the best intentions in mind, but the fact that the so-called "Road map to Peace" requires Israel to give up portions of land (that the Lord gave to her via nations that allowed the formation of the Jewish State after the Holocaust) is a HUGE mistake...IMHO.

I don't want to get too far off topic.

On May 14, 1948 (when the exact date was prophesied for Israel's re-formation as a Jewish State in the Bible) until now, we are witnessing prophecy fulfillment almost every day in that region of the world.

Here is a link that describes, in detail, how amazing it was for that prophecy to be fulfilled.

Other prophecy fulfillment can be seen through the increase of hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, fires, etc. being suffered around the world.

There is also the fact that Jesus himself stated that the signs of the times would be as "in the Days of Noah" (known for it's skepticism and godless paganism, violence, mocking of the faithful etc.) and as in the "Days of Lot" (known for it's sexual immorality and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah).

If you have been following my posts at this blog about the Falling Away of false convert Christians, as it is revealed through the Bible, then you know that such re probation, heresy, and apostasy is growing exponentially today. The book of Jude warns of this exact thing!

There has been discussion that some view Barack Obama as THE Antichrist. Poor Glen Beck.
Just asking the question has placed a barrage of insults and condemnation upon him! I was watching a re-broadcast of his T.V. show last night, and it was mentioned that there were 450,000 google hits about his interview with John Hagee. Today, there are 878,000! Good news travels fast...eh?

There has always been speculation regarding who the Antichrist will be. There are people who exhibit a spirit of Antichrist, but this does not necessary mean that they are, or could become THE Antichrist described in Revelation.

Two more posts that may be of interest on this topic:

Babylon Rising

Ezekiel's Final Puzzle Pieces

Since you (Mike) don't want to get into a "fire hose" of information regarding Bible prophecy fulfillment, then I suggest that you just concentrate on one thing - Israel.

The hatred for Israel by Her many enemy nations is not only a central, continuing theme in Bible prophecy, it is one of the greatest signs of the approaching end times. Those who don't see or notice this would be wise to study it and notice how accurate the Bible has been throughout the centuries in this matter as well as many others! It is so crystal clear that to miss it would truly be tragic for non-believers and their destiny in eternity.

Happy reading!

spud tooley said...

a few thoughts:

when has israel NOT been surrounded by many enemies?

On May 14, 1948 ... when the exact date was prophesied for Israel's re-formation as a Jewish State in the Bible...

where is this?

Other prophecy fulfillment can be seen through the increase of hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, fires, etc.

help me out here so i can look it up: what is the greek word for tsunami? and tornado? and hurricane? i've got fire and brimstone ... i just need those.

There is also the fact that Jesus himself stated that the signs of the times would be as "in the Days of Noah" (known for it's skepticism and godless paganism, violence, mocking of the faithful etc.) and as in the "Days of Lot" (known for it's sexual immorality and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah).

did you know that only 1 out of every 20 people in the world is an American? don't you think you might be looking through rose (garden) colored glasses and impressing our mess onto everyone else? God's TV gets 19 channels of stuff from all over the globe; the 20th is the only American station, and it's blocked by a V-(for Vatican) chip.

stop reading the bible through american eyes. we aren't as important as we thought we were...

Christinewjc said...

There is a detailed explanation in Grant Jeffrey's book, "The Signature of God". I don't have the time right now to type it out, but here is the calculation chart taken from Jeffrey's book:

The Babylonian captivity ended in the Spring of 536 B.C.

The duration of Israel's captivity (from Ezekiel 4:3-6) was 2,483.8 calendar years

To adjust for the fact there was no year zero between 1 B.C. and A.D. 1, we adjust one year. Therefore; the end of Israel's captivity would occur:

The Rebirth of Israel: 1948 - May 15

536.4 B.C.
MINUS

2,483.8 calendar years
_______

1,947.4

1
__________
1948 - May 15

On the afternoon of May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed the independence of the reborn state of Israel. As an old rabbi blew on the traditional shofar, a ram's horn, the Jewish people celebrated the end of their tragic worldwide dispersion and captivity in precise fulfillment of the prophecy made thousands of years earlier by the prophet Ezekiel. At midnight, as May 15, 1948, began, the British Mandate officially ended and Israel became an independent nation. This great day marked the first time since the days of Solomon that a united Israelf took its place as a sovereign, independent state among the nations of the world.

[Source: The Signature of God by Grant R. Jeffrey, July 1996, Frontier Research Publications, Inc. pp. 169 - 170]

Christinewjc said...

David,

I have copied and posted your comment minus the link.

Mocking Christian beliefs isn't something that I want to promote here on my blog...for obvious reasons.

Interestingly, this was posted at the site:

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.


David's comment:

I prefer Homer Simpson's doomsday calculation:

12-333×666=
(a×b²)>2=7
(2+2b²)-144,000
-0=3 15 05 18 (which he interprets as 3:15, 05/18, or 3:15 PM on May 18.)

**where 0 is the number of Filipinos in the Bible.