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DELIVER US FROM EVIL Here, yet again, we come to a segment of the Lord's Prayer that is so simple and concise and yet is so wrought with meaning it would take a lifetime to truly plumb the depths of this verse. The theme of deliverance is synonymous with salvation, and the realm of evil is vast. This verse runs deep. The concept of salvation is contained in these four words, and it is a recurring theme throughout the entire Bible and in the life of every believer. "Deliver us from evil" is the climax of the personal petition part of this prayer of prayers. Not only do we require a leader and a guide because of all the snares and traps of temptation, but we are still in need of deliverance from evil. Every Christian who speaks this prayer has already experienced the salvation of the Lord in the day when we first cried out to Jesus with a broken and contrite heart. In that moment we were born again, a new creature, washed clean, and utterly forgiven. Col 1:4 He has delivered us from the power of the darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. All that was required of us was to cry out to Him, God parted the Red Sea and provided the Way. In the Old Testament, Moses, Joshua, the many judges of Israel, in fact all the heroes of the OT whom God raised up every time His chosen people cried out, were merely types and shadows of the One who got the final victory for all at Calvary. And yet here we find Jesus teaching His disciples to pray for deliverance from evil. We have already been delivered from the house of bondage, set free from slavery to sin and Satan (Romans 6:6), but we apparently need to continue to cry out for deliverance. The journey was not over once Israel passed through the Red Sea, but rather had just begun. They had a continuous need for God's presence and leading as they wandered the great wilderness. Even after they entered the promised land to claim their inheritance, their need for a deliverer was constant, as they had enemies on every side, including and especially, their own wicked hearts. And so it is for us. The Old Testament stories are much like 'A Pilgrim's Progress', types and allegories of the spiritual struggles each of us are faced with, all the evil that must be overcome in order to find rest for our souls. This, dear saints, is spiritual warfare. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray "Deliver us from evil" because when we got born again, we didn't magically get translated into the glorious city of New Jerusalem. On the contrary, we are still in the world, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). In John 17:15 Jesus prayed on behalf of all 'those who will believe in Me' (17:20) saying "I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." We are no longer of the world, we are of the kingdom of heaven, yet we are still in the world. Therefore we still have daily need for our Deliverer. Therefore we must continually remember to cry out, "Deliver us from evil!!" To be continued......

This will be my last post on this board, other than completing my Lord's Prayer Bible Study. I have decided to move on as my presence here appears to be offensive to some, and our dialog is no longer bearing righteous fruit. May the Spirit of God in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of All reign in each of your hearts forevermore. :il: Yep, that's me alright. A universalist, I am believing that Jesus Christ won a total and absolute victory on the cross. A New-ager, kingdom age, that is, new earth, new heaven, you know what I mean? An environmental whacko. I am madly and passionately in love with God's beautiful creation and can't stand to see the pollution, deforestation, oil spills, plundering and raping of the earth, etc. Guess that makes me a whacko, amen. PETA? Don't know what that is, sorry. As for abortion rights, these are hands shedding innocnet blood, one of the seven abominations in the eyes of the Lord. However, I do believe that when these ladies come to Jesus Christ, they will be absolutely forgiven. And the babies are in heaven, too, by the way. Sportster I could give you scriptures all day long to support my beliefs, but I am always told that I am twisting them, taking them out of context, or whatever. So what's the point? Fodder for the mill. Shiloh I have never called your Christianity to account as much as we have debated all these months. I don't doubt that you love Jesus very much. As for me, I guess I'm not a REAL Christian, so I guess I'll just pack up and go home. As far as I'm concerned, you have crossed the line with comments like this one, and I will no longer dialog with you. You'll just have to find someone else to trash and slander. By the way, according to Matthew 5:11 you have blessed me, thank you. Dear Russell, Your post was very gentle, and I see a searching heart in you in this and other posts I have seen from you. May you always have a soft heart and an inquiring mind, and don't be afraid to ask questions and stand for what you believe. May His love be shed abroad in your heart and abound and flow like fountain unto all those He sends to you. He needs more warriors like you. Nebula The verse about turning the other cheek goes like this: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:38 I consider Matthew 5&6 (the Sermon on the Mount) to be the most profound, beautiful and powerful message in the universe, I try to live my life accordingly, renew my mind accordingly, and use it as a lens for understanding the heart and will of God. I am so sorry Nebula that these conversations tend to upset you, I can assure you I am not the only Christian who has ever taken a strong and pasionate stand against war, many unto bloodshed and their final victory in Christ Jesus. My prayer for you is that you keep your heart and condemn not your brother or sister. ted: You are truly a son of God, may His sun shine upon you brighter and brighter unto that perfect day. THE JEWISH VIEW OF THE KINGDOM The children of Israel, especially when they suffered the captivity and bondage of Babylon, longed and prayed to be restored unto the Promised Land. They prayed and yearned for the coming of Messiah and the Kingdom of God. Again, when the gall and heaviness of the Roman yoke fell upon them, the Pharisees and scribes looked and longed for the coming of Messiah. Whenever the Kingdom of God would come the Roman eagles would no more scream in triumph over their land, and the hated heels of the soldiers would forever be silenced from their streets. Jerusalem would then be the capital of this glorious Kingdom, and every nation under the sun would do homage and pay tribute. On the throne of David in Jerusalem would the King of kings sit and sway His scepter of righteousness, love and mercy over His chosen people throughout eternity. Thus the Jews hoped and believed. Thus many of my Anglo-Israel friends still believe. The Jews conceived of a visible material Kingdom, like that of David; righteousness was to characterize it, but it was to be enforced by military might, ruled by external laws, and administrated by political and economic institutions, attended with great prosperity and extended over all the earth. Most of the views of the church systems today respecting the second coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom in person on the earth CORRESPOND EXACTLY WITH THE JEWISH EXPECTATION. But this is not the view of King Jesus! THE KINGDOM WITHIN I do not hesitate to tell you that the sphere of the Kingdom is the individual heart. This is the end for which man was made, the final cause of his creation, that he might be a province and principality of God: the King eternal septering him throughout his whole nature, spirit, soul and body. The Kingdom is, first and foremost, the reign of God in the hearts and lives of men. Less than this it cannot be; more than this it will not be. There is no department of human life where the Kingdom can rule unless first God rules the heart. God cannot rule nations until first He rules in the hearts of the citizens of those nations from the king, president or prime minister all the way down to the garbage collector and the shoeshine boy. God cannot rule over things or institutions until first He rules the hearts of those who form, own and control those things and institutions. Imagine God trying to rule over an army without first winning the allegiance of the general who commands that army and the soldiers who fight in it! Is it not a right thing and a possible thing, that all men should in their hearts yield allegiance to God? And were this allegiance yielded, would it not necessarily result that all our relations with one another would be transformed and hallowed by the law of His life within? Would it not necessarily result that the whole constitution of the world, in all its domestic, political, social and economic arrangements, would be guided by the Spirit of God and would show in every situation and circumstance that God was ruling? You see, to bring the Kingdom of God to pass in the earth does not require that all forms of government and all institutions be changed

It sure does! We have a huge homeless veteran population, there was an alarming suicide rate among veterans from the Vietnam War, also mysterious diseases from chemical warfare that get passed on to suceeding generations. Most suffer from varying degrees of post-traumatic stress-syndrome, and there's also a high rate of alcohol and drug abuse among vets.

God did a mighty deliverance on the children of Israel without any of them having to pick up a weapon in the book of Expdus. You bet He's capable of deliverance. "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord".

Nah, they'll railroad him until the election is over.

Apparently if they agree with you, they are credible, that seems to be your citeria for determining your sources. I, for one, tend to disagree with you on most points regarding the world stage and therefore I think your sources are not credible. So therefore credibility seems to be relative as is the truth, which is the first casualty in war.

This war will not bring peace, it will bring more war, don't kid yourself. Shiloh Do you not trust the Lord to be Your shield when you are obedient to His commandments, including 'Love thy enemy'? Or must you trust in chariots? Perfect love casteth out fear.

The courage it takes to be a conscientious objector is anything but fearful.. It takes great courage and fortitude to stand up to the system for moral convictions. It is not an act of cowardice as some construe it to be.

And you are an expert on credibility?

As for me, I'm believing that Jesus Christ won an absolute and total victory upon the cross at Calvary. As in Adam ALL have died, so in Christ ALL shall live. I don't believe that Adam's sin was more powerful than Jesus Christ's salvation. His mercy endures forever, amen. And that's the Good News.

I think rather than dismissing the 'anti-war crowd' as a bunch of lunatics, you might do well to actually listen to what they have to say. And also to remember that there are a good number of Christians standing with them, more than you probably realize.

What part of "Love your enemies" don't you understand???? :il:

Hey, how come nobody metnions Nader? I like his stand for the most part.

It is quite possible for this woman to be totally and completely forgiven, and that's the good news.

Update: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._war_soldier_12

The Christian version of the prayer for world peace would have to be "Thy Kingdom Come". Still and all, I don't see anything wrong with praying for and desiring world peace. One heart at a time. :il:

The last person to get the death penalty was in 1945 by firing squad for deserting. The fact that it is voluntary conscription rather than a draft makes it a little different these days. I think the press might just quietly bury the story because he will bring up a lot of misconduct charges and they plan on using Bush's military record as an exhibit, which wouldn't be too pretty during an election year. Or they might just let the guy sit in prison until after the election before hearing his case. Or they might just make a public spectacle out of him to warn others not to try the same thing. Deuteronomy 20:8 The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, "What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart."

GI to test morality of war Chicago Tribune By Michael Martinez Tribune national correspondent In Iraq (news - web sites) last April, freshly promoted Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia led squads of Florida National Guard soldiers in the fight against insurgents in the deadly Sunni triangle. But Mejia became increasingly pained by his war experiences, and when he went on leave in the autumn, he decided not to come back. The staff sergeant--one of about 600 soldiers counted as AWOL by the Army during home leaves from Iraq--eventually was labeled a deserter. Now, after five months in hiding, Mejia plans to surrender Monday in Boston on the eve of the war's first anniversary, and he aims to become the first Iraq war veteran to publicly challenge the morality and conduct of the conflict. At a time when polls indicate that Americans' support for the war is slipping, Mejia intends to seek conscientious-objector status to avoid a court-martial. In an interview with the Tribune, Mejia, 28, of Miami, said he found the war and many of his combat orders morally questionable and ultimately unacceptable. He has been living in New York and other Eastern cities, traveling by bus instead of by plane or car to escape the attention of the police and military. He has avoided using his credit cards and cell phone. Mejia accuses commanders of using GIs as "bait" to lure out Iraqi fighters so that U.S. soldiers could win combat decorations. He also says operations were conducted in ways that sometimes risked injuring civilians. He has accused his battalion and company commanders of incompetence and has reiterated other guardsmen's complaints about being poorly equipped. Those commanders, however, defended their conduct. His immediate commander described Mejia as a poorly performing soldier who "lost his nerve" as bloodshed intensified in one of Iraq's more violent cities, Ramadi. Perhaps the turning point for Mejia was the day in Iraq when he was ordered to shoot at Iraqis protesting and hurling grenades toward his position from about 75 yards away, which he considered too far of a distance to be a real threat. Mejia and his men opened fire on one, and he fell, his blood pooling around him. "It was the first time I had fired at a human being," Mejia recalled. "I guess you could say it was my initiation at killing a human being. . . . One thing I ask myself a lot, `Did I hit him?' "It was part of a general feeling that we had no right to be there, and every killing, whether provoked or not provoked, was unjustified because we had no right to be there." His commanders, however, said the orders to shoot were justified to protect American personnel. The 457 soldiers of the Florida National Guard's 1st Battalion of the 124th Infantry Regiment, activated in January 2003, entered Iraq late in April expecting to do security detail, as they had done in two prior months in Jordan at Patriot anti-missile batteries. But facing an insurgency armed with roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, the battalion became primary combat troops trying to stabilize a hot spot along the Euphrates River, 70 miles west of Baghdad. The battalion was led by Lt. Col. Hector Mirabile, 46, who was being deployed for the first time in his 24 years in the National Guard and whose civilian job the past 23 years was in the Miami Police Department, where he had risen through the ranks to become chief financial officer. After 200 missions between last April and February, mostly in Ramadi, the battalion received 39 Purple Hearts, a combat decoration for wounded soldiers, Mirabile said. Eleven more are expected, he said. No one was killed. More than half of those Purple Hearts were awarded to Charlie Company, where Mejia was a squad leader of seven to nine soldiers. Of the 127 men in C Company, 98 participated in welcome-home ceremonies at Ft. Stewart, Ga., earlier this month. The remainder were "28 casualties and one deserter," said its commander, Capt. Tad Warfel, 39, a full-time Florida Guardsman. In seeking conscientious-objector status, Mejia is taking a route used frequently during the Vietnam era by draft resisters and one that's still offered to today's all-volunteer soldiers. A handful of soldiers left the Army with that status last year. Mejia wants an honorable discharge, with full benefits. Warfel, a former aide to the Florida National Guard's top commander, wants Mejia court-martialed and punished severely, including a dishonorable discharge. Mirabile said he is investigating Mejia's case and hasn't made a decision on court-martial. "I'm sorry that he felt that way," Mirabile said of Mejia's accusations. "That's his ability [to exercise free speech] for his living in the United States." Punishment uncertain Desertion during wartime can be punishable by death, but that is unlikely, said Mejia's attorney, Louis Font, noting that there was never an official act of war declared by Congress, though the use of force was authorized in a resolution. Since the Civil War, only one American soldier has been executed for desertion: Pvt. Eddie Slovik, who was shot by a firing squad in 1945. Mejia, a soft-spoken young man with Jesuit schooling who comes from upper-middle-class households in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, arrived in the United States in the 1990s to attend college. He joined the Army for three years and then the National Guard for five more. He recounted several experiences in Iraq that he said rendered him a prisoner of his own conscience. One week, his commanders ordered overnight blocking positions on major roads leading into Ramadi because insurgents were believed to be transporting weapons under cover of darkness. Mejia said the checkpoints were stationed in the same place on the same schedule during a five-day period. Troops even used the same movement techniques each day, he said. On the third or fourth day, a checkpoint platoon of 30 soldiers in Humvees was ambushed by Iraqi fighters, he said. Four soldiers, including a friend of Mejia, were severely injured--the worst single incident of casualties incurred by Charlie Company during its yearlong tour. Iraqi motorist killed In the aftermath of the attack, a passing Iraqi motorist, who apparently was confused and didn't heed orders to halt, was decapitated by U.S. machine gun fire, Mejia said. "You make yourself incredibly and stupidly vulnerable by doing [the same maneuver] over and over four, five times," Mejia said. "We were basically being used as bait. "All this could have been avoided by doing what we were simply taught to do and follow the procedures, but it wasn't done that way so soldiers could win combat badges ... Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts. It was a problem of ambition," he said. Warfel described the action, Operation Shutdown, as a "sound" mission. "It was just a bad situation when they got ambushed," Warfel said in an interview at Ft. Stewart "I had three roads to shut down, and the only way to do it is to go to the same point. We didn't have a choice where we could go and when we could go. The platoons did the same spot three or four nights in a row so they could become familiar with the intersection" and set up defensive positions, he said. Surviving ambush On another occasion, Mejia and his squad in two Humvees narrowly survived an ambush by a half-dozen Iraqi riflemen atop buildings on both sides of the street. Mejia earlier was ordered to maintain a roadblock for 2 1/2 hours, which was two hours too long, he said, giving insurgents a chance to prepare the ambush. What especially disturbed him, he said, was that after his squad celebrated its survival back at a post, a platoon sergeant relayed a message from a commander stating the squad should have stayed in the firefight and called for reinforcements. "They were doing everything to put soldiers in harm's way and against military doctrine and practice in order to instigate a fight," he said. Warfel disagreed and said an infantryman's job is to "look for contact." "So, if he thought it was not a good order, that's too bad. As a commander, I don't question orders ... and I don't expect anybody below me to question my orders. "It's not the infantryman's job to hightail it out of the area. I would berate anyone who didn't close in and kill the enemy," he said. Mejia went AWOL on Oct. 16 after he was allowed to return to the U.S. to renew his permanent resident card, he said. Born in Nicaragua, Mejia arrived in the United States with his mother, now a U.S. citizen. While home, he called the Army several times seeking a discharge based on a regulation limiting non-citizens' service in the U.S. military to eight years--a period that Mejia reached last May while in Iraq, he said. His calls were ignored, cementing his dismay and his decision not to return to Iraq, he said. Mirabile said such time limits have been suspended during the Iraq campaign. `I expect you to be back' When Mejia told Warfel he had to return home, Warfel suspected Mejia of planning to go AWOL. Infantrymen complained of Mejia's reluctance to conduct patrols, which damaged morale, Warfel said. "I looked him dead in the eye. I said, `Staff Sgt. Mejia, I expect you to be back,' and he said, `I'll be back.' "But I told him I knew he wasn't coming back," Warfel said. "I think he's a mommy's boy and his mom greatly influences him." Warfel said Mejia told him that his mother opposed the war and wouldn't assist with his paperwork and financial issues for renewing his permanent resident status. "So there were indications that he wasn't in the fight. He just basically pressed out. He just lost his nerve," Warfel said. Though obtaining conscientious-objector status has been problematic for soldiers, the Army recently approved all five applications received between September and January, all relating to the Iraq war, Army spokesmen said. In February, at least six more applications were received and are under review, spokesmen said. Last year, the Army approved five of 11 applications from objectors and rejected two, officials said. The others are pending. In 2002, the service approved 17 of 23 applications; the others were rejected, officials said. Andrea Takash, an Army spokeswoman in the Pentagon (news - web sites), explained why conscientious objection is sometimes allowed even for those who have volunteered. "We understand that after soldiers join, they may have a change of mind or transformation," she said. AWOL rate low At most, 600 soldiers in the Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard have gone AWOL or deserted since two-week leaves began for 60,000 GIs in Iraq last year--a 1 percent rate, the Army said. Being AWOL more than 30 days classifies a soldier as a deserter, but by surrendering, Mejia will show a willingness to return, disputing desertion, his attorney argued. The Army says its desertions have declined in recent years: 2,731 in the fiscal year ended last Sept. 30; 4,013 desertions in the 2002 fiscal year; 4,598 in 2001; and 3,949 in 2000, officials said. With several GI advocates and peace activists planning to support his surrender, Mejia seeks to become the first test case weighing the moral impact of the Iraq conflict as tens of thousands of guardsmen, reservists and Army regulars are returning to the U.S. after yearlong tours and as their replacements are being rotated into Iraq, said Tod Ensign, director of Citizen Soldier, a GI advocacy rights group working with Mejia. One soldier recently convicted of deserting just before the Iraq deployment was Pfc. Kenneth Carter, 20, court-martialed at Ft. Benning, Ga. He received a six-month sentence in a Ft. Knox prison, his mother said. Mejia's lawyer, Font, is a civilian who has practiced military law for 26 years. Based in Brookline, Mass., Font is a 1968 West Point graduate who became a conscientious objector and did not go to Vietnam. He received an honorable discharge in 1971, he said. Font plans to compare the Iraq conflict to Vietnam and even refer to political accusations about President Bush (news - web sites)'s military service during the Vietnam War. "We are asking the military to treat [Mejia] the same way that the military treated President George Bush when he was in the Texas National Guard. That is, his alleged AWOL or desertion and failure to report to Alabama was treated through administrative channels rather than acted upon judicially," he said. The White House has disputed such characterizations of Bush's service, insisting that he fulfilled his military duties when the Texas Air National Guard allowed him to transfer to Alabama so he could help with a political campaign. Not much support for him Mejia's resistance has divided Charlie Company. A few comrades support him. Many don't. Sgt. Richard Ritz, 38, of Titusville, Fla., a team leader in Iraq and a 1991 gulf war veteran, said he, too, found some of his battlefield commanders' orders and conduct disturbing but didn't say anything. Ritz backed Mejia's complaints about soldiers being used as bait. Ritz said Mirabile "made too many errors in judgment and put a lot of people at risk." Mirabile has denied those accusations. "We were put in awkward positions in which you felt you were a target of opportunity," said Ritz, who was being treated this month for depression at Ft. Stewart because his wife left him in January. Sgt. Joshua Madsen, 25, of Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., said he was upset to see Mejia, a friend, abandon his post. "To claim to be a conscientious objector would neglect what your [military] oath is about," Madsen said. "For him, if he wants to do that, that's why I fought the war--so that people could have that freedom."

Lots of them! God bless the French!!! Turn the other cheek, love thy enemies, bless those who persecute you....the world could sure use a few more pacifists!! Yes, please remember that the Socialist party was democratically elected! We're all for democracy, don't you know! Or is it selective democracy? I think the people already had some misgivings about Spains alliance with the US in the war on terrorism. This wasn't some overnight fluke. Learn what? To act like America? Gee, I wonder why most of the world is not on our side? Have you ever seriously considered the perspective of the other side? Oh, that's right, we're supposed to turn the other cheek, or wait, was it we're supposed to be taking the log out of our own eye? Yay, rah rah! :oww: Speak for yourself!!! :il: I thought we were supposed to be saving people??????? I'm a little confused.

I wouldn't worry about Spain too much. The US has a history of ousting socialist regimes, I'm sure they won't let it go on too long......

Josephstrks again!! If Im not mistaken, I read in the roll call of the Masons A mister John Adams. Who proffesed to be a christian, yet had a hidden agenda as a 33 level Mason??? He and a number of our founding fathers??? Back in the old days of Worthy boards, there was a thread about the Masons, and it was quite interesting. One of the things it had was a link to the masons, and their roll call of famous Masons! You should look it up! Oh well in our hunger for knowledge we have a habit of believing what feels right, but sometimes the contrary??? I like a good debate, as long as we dont start calling each other or others names. That just starts a fire, that ignites a huge blaze of miriad BS..Ha! Ha! Im open to discuss, with much love from our Lord Josephstrks: As for me and my family we serve the Lord

Canada seems to have undergone a regime change recently. I guess we don't hear much about Canadian politics here in the US. I confess to be woefully ignorant on this matter. This Haitian coup is an interesting story to pay attention to because it is so high-profile. Usually our press doesn't report these coups as headliners, especially in Central and South America, as with Hugo Chavez' situation. Lots of changes going on globally, Spain will be a good one to keep an eye on too as the Socialist Party won the election today, we'll see how long they last! Also South Korea is experiencing a regime change right now as well. Interesting times!!

Condescending. You get upset with "name calling" and "self righteous attitudes", yet you condescendingly say you are prayin for everyone.........who doesn't see it your way. Well, the others are already "examples of the Spirit" in thier opinion and believe that they are Scriptural. Josephstrks again!! I thought I prayed we ALL, and US, as Examples. Im not trying to say Im better, or you are worse, I believe we as Christians, are examples. I know no true Christian who puts their country before their God. Love it or leave it??? If that isnt putting country before God I dont know what is.. I really dont want to argue, cause I used to be a verry active foreign policy protester, and native American issues, and have vast amounts of information which would probably make you sick at what our countrys true agenda really is???? Its nice to live in the belly of the beast, yes we still have religious freedoms, almost to the extent of too much! As my walk with the Lord has grown, and I have re-evaluated my past life, Ive had a beautiful relization of the LOVE of OUR LORD.He was a pacifist, yes he called the religious zealots, and the pharisies snakes, but what did he say on his way to Jerusalem when the disciples returned and said , they do not want us to stay, should we call hell fire down on them Lord?? What was the Lords response? I rebuke the evil spirit in you NO? I came to save the lost. I personally have experianced what hate can do to a person, when you see with your own eyes what our Gov. does to all the other countrys, who dont do what our investors want them to do. As I said before, the Anti-Christ spirit will decieve even the elect. For if you want to live a truly Godly life in Christ Jesus you will suffer persecution. But evil people and imposters will flourish 2 Tim. 3:12-13 AS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY WE WILL SERVE THE LORD, Amen

It seems that the US government is in the business of toppling governments all over the world. Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and South Korea to name the more current ones.......... Published on Saturday, March 13, 2004 by the lndependent/UK US Revealed to be Secretly Funding Opponents of Chavez by Andrew Buncombe in Washington Washington has been channeling hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the political opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - including those who briefly overthrew the democratically elected leader in a coup two years ago. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that, in 2002, America paid more than a million dollars to those political groups in what it claims is an ongoing effort to build democracy and "strengthen political parties". Mr Chavez has seized on the information, telling Washington to "get its hands off Venezuela". The revelation about America's funding of Mr Chavez's opponents comes as the president is facing a possible recall referendum and has been rocked by a series of violent street demonstrations in which at least eight people have died. His opponents, who include politicians, some labor leaders, media executives and former managers at the state oil company, are trying to collect sufficient signatures to force a national vote. The documents reveal that one of the group's organizing the collection of signatures - Sumate - received $53,400 (