RDKirk said:

Charitably speaking, a military lawyer's job is to explain to the commander how the commander can get his mission done legally. The lawyer doesn't say, "You can't do it," the lawyer says, "This is how to do it legally."

Without speaking charitably, that job does not necessarily involve invoking any kind of personal moral views. The morality of the matter is encoded within the applicable laws.

For instance, the Law of Armed Conflict (which includes applicable portions of the Geneva Conventions) states that US forces are prohibited from attacking a school or hospital--unless enemy forces are already using that school or hospital as an operational location. In that case, US forces may attack that school or hospital. The Law of Armed Conflict (in concert with the Geneva Conventions) places the moral fault on the forces that first began using those buildings for miltary purposes.

That particular lawyer may personally feel different. He may feel that the US should not under any circumstances attack a school or hospital. But it's not his job to transmit his own personal morality, but the morality encapsulated in the LOAC.



Depends on how they interpret the current Congressional resolutions. The president has presented his interpretation...it's up to Congress to dispute it.

Which Congress hasn't done yet.

What we think about in the peanut gallery is for us to make clear on election day.

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Correct. It is the Chaplain's job to advise commanders on morality. The JAG advises on how to accomplish the commanders objective legally.

Today is the feast of St. John Chrysostom, who like the other members of the Three Holy Hierarchs, has his own feast in addition to the combined feast in January (by the way, i have often wondered why we do not group St. Athanasius with the Three Holy Hierarchs given his extreme importance; it is because of the three Holy Hierarchs, two of them were alive during the Second Ecumenical Synod and the end of Arian persecution of Christians, and St. Basil despite reposing several years before his best friend St. Gregory the Theologian, was a contemporary of St. Gregory)? Perhaps because they picked up the torch of St. Athanasius after his repose and ensured that Arianism would not prevail?

That question aside, this is a feast with lovely hymns worthy of St. John the Golden-mouthed. Vespers begins with a bang:

In abstinence thou didst emulate well * thy namesake the Baptist, O father, * and didst imitate the great Elijah in purity and fasting. * Wounded by the zeal of both, O Chrysostom, * as a pastor of the Church of Christ ** thou didst speak boldly even against the imperial majesty. (Twice)
The sound of thy dogmas, * passing throughout all the world, as it is written, * hath illumined the world with the divine inspiration of the Word; * and thou hast thrown open to us the door of repentance, * embodying the Gospel of Christ ** in thy care for the poor.
The pure and undefiled light of thy soul * shineth upon the world * with sun-like beams of the dogmas of piety, * O wise father John Chrysostom, * dispelling the darkness ** and illumining the universe with piety.

Like with all hierarchs, we have quotes from the Wisdom of Solomon, the most frequently quoted book among those the Catholics call “deuterocanon”, at Vespers, but we also have a proper Matins Gospel instead of the cycle of 11 Resurrection Gospels read on Sundays. The Matins Gospel and Gospels during the liturgy are part of the common service for Holy Hierarchs from the General Menaion, however, the Old Testament prophecies differ slightly, with two quotes from the Wisdom of Solomon rather than one. Those interested might enjoy the text here: https://st-sergius.org/services/Emenaion/11-13.pdf


From the Canon at Matins, Ode IV is my favorite:

Irmos: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and Thou art my power, * Thou art my God and Thou art my joy, * Thou Who, while never leaving the bosom of Thy Father, * hast visited our poverty. * Therefore with the Prophet Habbakuk I
cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind!’
Christ Who, in that He is good, exerciseth forethought for all in His providence, hath given thee to us, O all-blessed John Chrysostom, as another peer of the apostles, a proclaimer of the heavenly liturgy, and a divine expounder of celestial mysteries.

Let us honor the golden John Chrysostom of golden eloquence, who hath rendered all things golden through the golden luster of his teachings, and hath illumined the world with his tongue, which shineth brighter than gold, is full of light and poureth forth divine grace.
Thou wast wholly the habitation of God; thou wast shown to be wholly the instrument of the Spirit, sounding forth a divinely inspired hymn of every virtue and the cause of salvation, and revealing the beauty of the kingdom of heaven, O all- blessed John Chrysostom.
Thou didst proclaim the compassion of God, setting forth examples of repentance, and most excellently instructing us how to avoid evils, O most blessed, most perfect and most honored father Chrysostom, pouring forth excellent teachings on good works.
Theotokion: After God, we have acquired thee as our intercessor; for thou wast the Mother of God, the Creator and Fashioner, Who took upon Himself our guise, saving it from corruption and death, and glorifying it with divine glory, O all- immaculate one.

But Vespers really shines for this feast, for in addition to the stichera I quoted earlier, after the Litya we are treated to these exquisite hymns; this is in contrast to many Orthodox feasts where much of the exciting material is in Matins.

The composition of Anatolius, in Tone I:
O luminary John, mouth of golden luster, ornament of divinely wrought virtues, receptacle of mystic writings: thou wast the most pure and incorrupt treasury of the all-holy Spirit, from whence thou hast brought gladness to the whole Church by thy salvific discourse; wherefore, having found boldness before God, amid the enjoyment of heavenly delight, pray thou for us, O most holy father.

Grace was poured forth through thy lips, O venerable father John Chrysostom, for
which cause God anointed thee a high priest for His people, to shepherd His flock in holiness and righteousness. Wherefore, girded about with the armor of the Mighty One, thou didst cut down the blasphemies of heresy. And now, cease thou never to pray, that peace be granted to the world, and that our souls be saved.

The composition of the Studite, in Tone II:
Praising thee with love, the great high priest and pastor, innocent and venerable, the preacher of repentance, the golden mouth of grace, we pray: grant us thy supplications, O father, unto the salvation of our souls.
The composition of George of Nicomedia, in Tone II: Having been adorned with thy golden words as with golden ornaments, O John Chrysostom, the Church crieth out to thee: “I have drunk my fill of thy flowing golden waters, adorned with thy drink of golden honey mingled with gold; for I am brought from works to vision because of thy teachings, and am united to Christ, the noetic Bridegroom, reigning with Him.” Wherefore, assembling to honor thy memory, we also cry aloud: Cease thou never to pray to the Lord for us, that our souls be saved.

Thou didst receive the most elevated philosophy, O hierarch, and didst transcend the world, living above visible things; and in godly manner didst show thyself to be an undefiled reflection of God. And ever united with the Light, thou didst receive the Light and a most clearly blessed end. Pray thou, O Chrysostom, on behalf of our souls.

In Tone IV: Thou didst manifestly water the earth with words of golden luster, possessed of a body and soul flowing with gold, O all-blessed one; and having by thy discourses on thy dogmas rendered all things golden, O maker of gold, and written books of golden letters, thou didst fly up to the heavens. Wherefore, we cry out to thee: O river and mouth of gold, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.

Glory ..., the composition of Germanus, in Tone II:
It was fitting for the queen of cities to have John as its hierarch, as a certain royal adornment and a golden trumpet instructing all the ends of the earth with the dogmas of salvation, and moving all to zeal in chanting divinely splendid hymns. To him do we now cry aloud: O thou of golden discourse and golden mouth, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.

Both now ..., Theotokion, in Tone II:
Thee have we obtained as a rampart, * O most pure Theotokos, * a favorably calm harbor and confirmation. * Wherefore, we who are tempest-tossed in this life beseech thee: ** do thou guide us and save us!

On the Aposticha, these Stichera, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “Rejoice ...”:
Rejoice, divinely inspired instrument of the Church, beauteous and of golden luster, O tongue which lovingly describes to us images of repentance; mind of golden sheen, golden-mouthed swallow, dove who with golden wings shineth like gold, chanting hymns amid the verdure of the virtues, golden stream pouring forth waters and serving as the surety of God's love for mankind! Entreat Christ God, that He send down upon our souls great mercy.

Pepperdoodle said:

I'm not referring to Trump as I already mentioned. I'm referring to Mamdani.
Please ask who a person is referring to next time instead of assuming it's Trump.

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From the description I thought you were clearly describing Mt Trump who fits the description very well.

another_lost_guy said:

You may have read this thread title and thought "of course atheism exists, my coworker is an atheist" or something like that.

No, your coworker just calls himself an atheist, but in reality he just worships lower gods than Christ (such as video games, anime, porn, money, etc

Here is the scripture I see as backing this up:

“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” - Philippians 3:19

In my opinion, as someone who is neither a priest or a theologian, this shows that all atheists worship their own god(s), which dismantles many pretentious atheist arguments such as "I just worship one less god than you do" and "religion is inherited", etc;

Scripture does not really define what atheism is aside from it being foolish so I wanted to make this thread to ask if we as Christians should even believe in such a thing as atheism

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According to Romans 1, God does not believe in atheists

Hvizsgyak said:

I have to say, I actually support MTG over Trump. Hope she has a great life away from Congress.

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We have flat earthers on this forum too. Its not a sin to be crazy. Its what you do with it

You're merging so many concepts that shouldn't be merged because the context of the topic doesn't fit, even if you're applying the same term. Being a lost sheep and being spiritually dead = not saved. You aren't going to be resurrected in life, if you aren't saved. Now, unsaved will be resurrected at the very end and be judged and then thrown into the lake of fire, but that's a completely different concept and not the same as being symbolically alive vs dead.

Ephesians 2:1 - "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins."

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Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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Luke 15:24,32 - (The Parable of the Prodigal Son) "...for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

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Notice in like it says alive "again". So being a lost sheep is being spiritually dead, but being found again is being alive again.

This is why Jesus said not everyone who calls him Lord will enter his kingdom because if people are being led away from him via false doctrine or false prophets, they will be apart of that crowd that might call him Lord, but will not enter his kingdom (Matthew 7). You're essentially saying that all people who are led astray (lost sheep) are still saved and that contradicts Jesus's statement of calling him Lord and not entering his kingdom, along with other parables and teachings. Your interpretation goes against scripture teachings, so either you are correct, and scripture has errors, or you're misunderstanding since the two can't be true at the same time.

DaisyDay said:

Just bring your scuba gear!

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I used to live in Virginia and there were many times when we were thinking of visiting Tangier Island. It is supposed to be really pretty place (and unique) place to visit. Unfortunately, we never got a chance. Hopefully, it will be a millennia before it gets covered by water.

I just did a check on the place and the Army Corps of Engineers are only giving it another 50 years or so before the whole place is a swamp. Not good. It sounds like they got alot of the residence off the island already (by the government stealing their land, oh I mean eminent domain).

Yes, bring the scuba gear. You never know what secrets and shipwrecks, in the depths of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, may be there - pirate booty!

BryanJohnMaloney said:

Has anyone ever dealt with a spouse that suddenly felt the need to set up surveillance? It's a bit of a head-scratcher. My response was a cheery "Okay!" when the subject of setting up cameras outside and within the home was broached. The easiest way to keep secrets is to have none. Is this a matter of concern?

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If this is sudden, it should provoke a discussion. As long as you both know where all the cameras are, I don't see the problem, especially outside.

If you discover a hidden camera, yikes!

Nithavela said:

One of the main reasons those governments are so inefficient.

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But Mussolini got the trains to run on time....

CLEEB said:

Rather than attempt to psychoanalyze Adam and Eve just read the scripture and believe what it says.

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Oh if it was only that easy.

CLEEB said:

There could be a situation you are involved in that you do something that at the time you didn’t know was wrong but later discovered is wrong. It’s new to you but you still know it’s wrong none the less.

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The opposite is also true. A child might feel shame for having to go to school dressed in hand-me-downs because their family is poor, only to later realize that they had nothing to be ashamed of. If we were to follow your reasoning then wearing hand-me-downs is wrong.

In this case I believe that we have to take Genesis 3:7 in context to truly understand what it's saying, and it's not that being naked is wrong. Then again who am I to think that I, an agnostic, know anything about scripture.

I will remember you...in my heart, forever.

Now Jesus Christ was not born with a sin nature as we are, because he was conceived of the Spirit of God and not of man. And while he lived on the earth he never sinned. But Jesus strived against sin to the point of shedding his blood on a cross to put our sins to death with him, so that, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him we will now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness. And sin doesn’t have to be some major moral failure. Sin can be doubt, fear, lack of faith, and retreat, which disable our work for God.

So we need to be those who follow the example of Christ, who resist the devil, who flee temptation, and who draw near to God in full assurance of faith, regardless of our circumstances. For the devil likes to “put us through the wringer” (to subject us to very stressful experiences) in hopes that we will fail, and that we will give up the fight, and that we will retreat out of sadness, fear, and physical and mental and emotional exhaustion. But the Lord allows us to go through difficult times of suffering for his purposes.

Just like he allowed the devil to inflict God’s servant Job, to murder his children and his servants and his livestock, and to give Job painful sores all over his body, to test Job’s faith, God will allow difficulties to come into our lives to test our faith, too. This is the discipline of the Lord in our lives to keep us humble, to purify our hearts, to purge us of any known sins in our lives, to keep us focused on God’s purpose for our lives, and to teach us endurance, patience, love, and compassion, that we might grow in Christ.

But when I look at the world around me, in our present day and age, and I see so many signs of the last days, and of times of tribulation, and of the nearness of our Lord’s return, I can’t help but feel that God is allowing some of us to suffer in painful ways because he is getting us ready for greater sufferings yet to come. And/or he is getting us ready for his soon return, so he is purifying our hearts to make us ready for when we will meet our Lord face to face. For the Scriptures talk about that, I think in Revelation.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Be Still, My Soul

Hymn lyrics by Katharina von Schlegel, pub.1752
tr. by Jane L. Borthwick, pub.1855
Music by Jean Sibelius, 1899

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well-pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

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Do Not Grow Weary or Lose Heart
An Original Work / November 26, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Beth77 said:

Were members of the Biden Administration selling pardons?

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No, but Trump was.

That it doesn't matter all the warnings and "alarms" about the end of the world.
You know people have experienced the end of the world since 2000 years ago.
If you die or Christ comes, the result is the same. So the end of the world for people alive today is 1 day or 100 years from now.

Trump sends National Guard to Portland over 'Antifa violence, federal property threats'

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The White House shared a press release on Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump sending the National Guard to Portland.

"The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now, with President Donald J. Trump mobilizing federal resources to stop Antifa-led hellfire in its tracks," the press release said.

I can accept that this kind of thing happens in churches as we are all fallen people.

But I cannot accept the organization allowing the perpetrator to stay as part of that congregation. Let him find a new spiritual home. And the idea that it happenned to multiple kids?

IT COULD be up to the victim to forgive, but it is the DUTY of adults to protect. And they did not protect the children of their congregation.

essentialsaltes said:

Fani Willis’ Georgia election interference case against Trump will carry on for now with new prosecutor​

Peter Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia, a bipartisan collaboration of six district attorneys and three solicitors general from across the state, has assigned the case to himself after he was unable to find another prosecutor willing to take it on.

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Georgia prosecutor urges judge to dismiss Trump election case​

A state prosecutor on Wednesday urged the Fulton County judge overseeing the 2020 election interference case against President Donald Trump and more than a dozen others to kill the probe, arguing the alleged criminal conduct amounted to more of a federal, not state, case.

I'm sure the DOJ will hop right on that!

I apologize if this is not the right forum for this kind of topic (thread).

I am new to this website.

Please, feel free to move this thread to a more appropriate forum.

Thank You

What in the world was this pastor thinking?!

Michie said:

A New Jersey spa must allow male customers who identify as the opposite sex to access female-only areas where women are required to be nude, regardless of whether they've undergone a sex-change surgery, a judge has ruled.

In a consent order signed by Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Sarlo, the King Spa in Bergen County agreed to implement policies based on "sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."

“It is unlawful and violates company policy to discriminate in any way against a client because of the client's actual or perceived gender identity," the consent order states, according to NJ Advance Media. "[E]ach person has a gender identity, which may or may not correspond to the sex that person was assigned at birth."

According to the order, which was signed in August but has only recently garnered media attention, the company policy's definition of gender identity refers to "a person's internal sense of being male, female or any other gender, regardless of physical characteristics or appearance."

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New Jersey spa must allow trans-identifying males into women-only nude spaces: judge

A New Jersey spa must allow male customers who identify as the opposite sex to access female-only areas where women are required to be nude, regardless of whether they ve undergone a sex-change

www.christianpost.com

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Our world is really being turned upside down. I don't think there is anyone (except God) who can stop this madness. There was a lady who encountered a trans female in the lady's gym locker room and made a very big public stink about it. What did the gym do? I believe they band the lady who complained about the situation. My chin hit the floor at that point. I'm thinking of going "Amish". I may have to start my own Catholic "Amish" community and just separate from this sick world.

Clare73 said:

They violated the law.

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Never happened.

I apologize if this is not the right forum for this kind of topic (thread).

I am new to this website.

Please, feel free to move this thread to a more appropriate forum.

Thank You

Lock her up! Lock her up!

The room feels stuffy, the music is a bit too loud, and the atmosphere is anxiety-provoking. Dressed in your most uncomfortable formal attire, you are at your company’s regional corporate holiday party. You didn’t particularly want to attend, but networking is essential, your boss reminded you. The RSVP specified that children aren’t welcome, so your spouse is home with the kids. Standing alone, holding a glass of mystery wine in one hand and a rubbery stuffed mushroom in the other, you look around anxiously, trying to see someone who looks important, and to whom, therefore, you should introduce yourself.

Clearly others are thinking the same — someone from another branch you haven’t met comes up to you. In between the awkward small talk, you reveal your lowly position in the firm. Promptly your conversationalist needs a drink refill and disappears. You know he will not be coming back. Others in the room are similarly anxious, and their discomfort manifests in different ways. Several people are glued to their phones. One has been stationed at the bar the entire time, drinking excessively. In one corner of the room, an argument seems to be brewing. Based on snippets of the conversation, whose volume has been rising, you know it’s a political argument. You’re staying clear.

At last, you glance at your own cell phone, realize that you’ve been here for more than an hour, and decide that you’ve made enough of an appearance to be able to politely disappear. You breathe a sigh of relief as you start your car and drive home. But straightaway sadness sets in. Parties are supposed to be fun, or so we’ve been conditioned to believe from a young age. So why aren’t they?

Continued below.