World News and Trends: Europe and Britain
What is the current state of Europe and Britain as we enter 2008?
Major trends in Europe include the ongoing drive for greater integration and unity within the European Union—leading the EU to desire political and even military clout to match its economic power with the goal of rivaling and eventually surpassing the United States (see "The Coming European Superpower").
Ongoing conflict between Muslim minorities and Western governments is exemplified in French riots by young Muslims of North African descent. A British teacher in Sudan was threatened with 40 lashes, a prison sentence and a fine for apparently innocently naming (in concert with her students) a teddy bear "Muhammad."
This name is common among Muslim males, but misusing it is deemed an insult to the prophet Muhammad—in this case supposedly by assigning it to an animal (though a teddy bear is not really an animal of course). Some Sudanese called for her execution for insulting Islam. After 15 days in a Sudanese jail, she was pardoned and has since returned to England.
Columnist Melanie Phillips concluded her article in response by saying: "This country [Britain] in turn has to get real and see the plight of Mrs. Gibbons [the teacher] as yet another symptom of the great onslaught being mounted against our civilization —and towards which not one inch of ground must be given if that civilization is to survive" (Daily Mail, Dec. 3, 2007).
Unlike many peers in her generation, she has the eyes to see the road ahead—where these extremist Islamic outbursts are taking us.
And Kosovo is back in the news, stating its intention to declare independence from Serbia. The headline in The Independent reads, "Serbs prepare to flee from Kosovo as another conflict in the Balkans looms" (Dec. 7, 2007).
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 2008
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
