Tina Turner, the "Queen of Rock n Roll" died yesterday.


While I was not particularly a fan (although "Nutbush City Limits" was certainly catchy) I mention it here instead of the news section as she had strong links with Australia.

The story is an unusual one and she became the pin-up performer for the sport of Rugby League in Australia. It started with an Australian show biz manager, moved onto a major part in a Mad Max movie, and then into the unexpected world of Rugby League Football.

to everyone !

I have been going on dates with someone recently. I don't really feel like this person is the one but then again I don't really know them still. This person wants to talk about something this week. I'm kinda scared I might have to let them down. Ive been on the receiving end years ago and I don't want to hurt them the same way I was hurt. I'm usually the one who gets rejected but Im scared to be honest

Hello everyone!!
I'm currently wondering if there are any K-pop groups that make songs/dances that I could listen to/dance to in good conscience.

Before I followed Christ, I loved K-pop very, very much. I did spend an inordinate amount of time watching K-pop related content back then, but as I became a Christian, I began to watch less and less, and certain things began to bother me more and more.

There are extremely evil things about the K-pop industry that everyone knows about, everyone who's a fan will talk about how utterly corrupt and terrible it is... but do little to nothing about it, and keep funding the efforts of the companies.
Performers are objectified, sexualized, and demeaned by their own companies. The fans are insane... they foster unhealthy and idolatrous obsessions for these K-pop performers. I mean, they're called "k-pop idols" after all, and that's what many people treat them as: idols to worship. It's modern idolatry at its finest. It's honestly sickening, but money-hungry companies encourage this for more and more profit. Several K-pop performers and others involved in this industry have hurt themselves and even committed suicide because of the horrible treatment they receive.

With the way that a lot of women in this industry are stripped of their dignity and humanity and treated as objects, I'm unsurprised that I often viewed myself in a very negative light during the period when I was consuming this content the very most.

These are obviously NOT what I liked K-pop for. But before I became a Christian, the other horrible things did not bother me. The excessive use of the Lord's name in vain, the suggestive dance moves and lyrics, the crude language, and the immodest and skimpy clothing characterize many groups. So many of these performers are looked at as sexual objects to pick apart. It's revolting.

There are many singers in the industry who are nominally Christian, but their fruit indicates otherwise. One singer, in particular, is playfully nicknamed a "church girl" by fans for her supposed Christian faith, but sings about having sex with whoever she pleases and thinking little of it.

Anyway.. while I despise these things, I do really enjoy certain aspects of K-pop! I love the genre and how the music sounds. If you're familiar with the genre, I'll give you a sense of my taste: I love songs like Secret by WJSN, The Fifth Season by Oh My Girl, Impurities by Le Sserafim, and Bad Boy by Red Velvet. These songs are just.. so good.. their smooth composition, magical sound, and fusion of different genres is so lovely!
I also absolutely love K-pop dances!! I love learning sharp, complex routines. Dance is really the only type of exercise I truly enjoy!!! I learn songs like "Guerrilla" by Ateez and "Antifragile" by Le Sserafim.

Those aspects of K-pop are truly great.
It's totally fine if you guys don't have any suggestions, I haven't been listening to K-pop or learning choreographies for a few months now just from disillusionment and a desire to glorify God with my free time. However, if you all know of any groups that perform modestly and do not dishonor God with their music or dance, that would be MUCH appreciated!! It would be great if a few members are Christian, too. Also, I don't want to listen to any group under a company that mistreats its employees. No way am I funding that or giving any of those videos any views.

The group Gfriend fits most of these criteria, but I don't love the suggestive themes in some of their songs, such as Apple. But, 5 out of 6 members of that group are Christian!
I could just listen to them, but if you guys have any other ideas (or general opinions), that would be awesome!
I don't mind if they're merely K-pop adjacent, either. But I would love to learn new dance routines.

Thank you all very much for reading!

Assuming motivations are aligned to the gospel, it is good to help a disabled widow by cutting her grass?

if we call this good, is it not also good on the Sabbath as Christ tells us "it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Mat 12:12)

it's a simple question but please stick to answering it and not other sabbath digressions. Be careful in your reply, because declaring something is restricted on the sabbath also eliminates it from being called good.

The prospect of facing another June can be uncomfortable for Catholics. Everywhere we turn, rainbows and other symbols of today’s LGBTQ movement will be emblazoned. Stores, restaurants, civic buildings, and even ATMs will be branded with the flag and other symbols of “pride” month.

Google Doodles celebrate “pride” activists. Stores like Target have released “pride” clothing collections for adults and children. Increasingly, even workplaces are hosting “pride” month events.

It is an unpleasant and difficult time for Catholics. Family members, work colleagues, perhaps even friends from church will evaluate the status of relationships based on whether or not we embrace the symbols of “pride” month. Displaying — or not displaying — a flag or sticker becomes an easy way to size a person up. Liking a social media post, writing a comment or resharing a video are ways of demonstrating that you are an “ally.” Attendance at prominent civic events is expected of public officials.

Adopting a symbol of the pride movement puts a person squarely in conformity with current trends. Wearing the symbol announces to all an affiliation strong enough to secure social status and workplace advancement. But at what cost?

Unwilling or unable to speak out against events or branding that does not accord with a well-formed Catholic conscience leaves many of the faithful frustrated and trapped. Some people don’t have the spirit or mindset (or even formation) to speak out against what they know in their hearts is wrong.

Continued below.

A teenager is accused of setting a fire that killed 19 fellow students in Guyana, officials said.
She was angry that her phone was taken away as punishment for seeing an older man, police said. Doors had been locked overnight to prevent girls from sneaking out, according to the fire service.

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Wow!

We have had cross dressers and drag queens almost for as long as we have been a country. They have been in movies, in vaudeville, shows (Remember Rue Paul?) televisions shows etc. But in the last 18 months they have been attracted to children (I am NOT speaking sexually) (repeat, I AM NOT SPEAKING SEXUALLLY) (REPEAT, I AM NOT SPEAKING SEXUALLY).

My curiosity asks why? I'm not asking if it is right or wrong - I am asking what is their motivation to read books to children?

It's just so antithetical to their purposes and audiences of the past. Their mission has always been entertaining and titillating mostly a male dominated adult audience.

What is their purpose?

How do I fear God? Honestly? How do I get the fear of God when I’m not a believer? I remember deliberately cursing God’s spirit 6 years ago. Oh what a fool I was. How can I fear God? Make myself fear Him? any advice? How can I fear Him when my conscience is seared beyond recovery? How? Any advice?

A registered Republican illegally voted in two presidential elections prior to becoming a U.S. citizen, the feds allege.

Yalemis Onasch, a 28-year-old Cuban national [at the time], cast fraudulent ballots in the past two presidential elections before finally becoming an American citizen in 2022, according to a criminal complaint first obtained by The Daily Beast.

Further digging into historical voter data, the FBI discovered Onasch had voted in the 2014 midterms, as well as the 2020 primary and general elections [in addition to 2016], the complaint alleges.

Onasch’s troubles were compounded by “den[ying] under oath having registered to vote or voting as part of her naturalization application and interview,” says the complaint.

This thread is a restart to a previous one on the Sabbath and Law board that opened up with these words
"Christians who come from one of the ancient Churches will recognize the two sacred days of the week that have been set apart for rest and for worship, namely that of Saturday / the Jewish Sabbath and Sunday, the Lord's Day. These days have been set apart for Christians for almost two millennia and are the basis of the thing that we know of today as "the weekend".
Unlike the topic of this thread (The Law) Christians do not honor the Sabbath because of the Law but rather for Sacramental reasons that I will explain in my next post."


My intention on that thread was to do what the thread title and that previous original post was about, to give the Early Church mindset around worship. As I remarked 2 years ago on a Facebook Blog type entry (complaining about the mind sets of some Protestants who are very anti-religion,). "The entire concept of Holiness in the Bible is a sacramental one. It comes from things "set apart for God's service". Like the offerings used for sacrifice in Genesis onward, as well as the various tools, materials, furniture, clothing, etc. used in the worship of the Tabernacle and later the temple. Those things used for that, could not be used for anything other than the ministry of the tabernacle and temple." (Basically, no mundane, personal use. especially when it came to the profane, and not koshur end of things).


This kind of notion also applies to the days set apart for worship. In Judaism reverence is shown to God by showing respect to the things connected to his worship. This kind of reminds me how older people can be fussy when it come to some of their nice furniture etc. There is a case in my father's family the Mosko's that really illustrates this. The family really did not like the person my aunt Marie ultimately married and later divorced. But there was this big red flag of the person putting their feet up on the nice new coffee table. That was something they really hated and was a red flag. Being refuges from Czechoslovakia they didn't have much, but the few nice things they had they wanted to keep them nice, and they took that blatant disregard for their stuff personally. And strangely enough the foot on the furniture shibboleth was indeed correct, uncle Don was indeed a really bad guy that aunt Marie probably should have divorced 20 years earlier than she did.


But getting back to Christianity, as I have relayed to my brother Martin who use to send me emails asking about the days we worship in Christianity (It turned out he had been listening to some kind of Adventist radio broadcast out of Sacramento). I told him a number of things I suspect readers of the friend will be familiar with such as: 1) the Sabbath was not officially mandated by the Apostles in Jerusalem Church counsel of acts 15. and 2) Saint Paul also battled people in the epistles who wanted to make the practices of the Mosiac Law mandatory for believers including specific days of worship, but he pushed back against such teaching and thinking and fought it bitterly. But his doing so, however does not mean that we are not informed by such customs and sacramental sentiments because the "weekend" exists out of the Christian context that comes out of Judaism. As I told my brother, if you are Traditional Sacramental Christian, you are doubly blessed compared to the Seven Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Original Jews, because you got two days off rather than just one (The Sabbath and the Lord's Day).


And it should be noted, In Judaism in the temple rules and rubrics, you did not just throw something away when it served its purpose. If there was a way that it could still testify to something or bless somebody you to keep it or use it for that purpose. So, in this way, Christians have retained the Sabbath as a lesser holy day. That is why people historically and traditionally have it off. Because of saint Paul we are not obsessive compulsive about "keeping Sabbath". But it does serve one of its important functions of helping us rest from our work, and it also serves to help prepare us for the Lord's Day.

As I have said before, the Christian identity began to be formed by worship on Sunday. And not for any "Mark of the Beast" reasons as a certain sect falsely asserts. But so much of the growing early Church had it's identity in Christ because they were gentiles and realized they had no share in natural Israel whatsoever. Furthermore, they were successfully evangelized and taught by saint Paul on matters of the Faith and realized this was not part of the Gospel.

Besides this it should be pointed out that the above is even true for the ancient Christians who had a strong Jewish background in their national identity like the Assyrian Church of the East, Syriac Church of Antioch, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Church and Maronite Catholics. These groups that were largely separate from Latin and Greek Churches and believers, nevertheless felt the same way about Sunday! Their identity as believers came from Christ and not their former Jewish identity and enthusiastically embraced Sunday as the day of worshipping and proclaiming the Gospel. And it should be reinforced just how Jewish and ethnic some of these peoples were following strange Jewish folk customs and some of them like the Ethiopians and Maronite Catholics held to the early Koshur food rules too!




But anyway, Christians began to call Sunday "the Lord's Day" and see it as a day of worship for these reasons:

1) The biggest reason is this is the day our Lord rose from the dead and "trampled down Death by his own Death", as saint John Chrysostom is famously quoted.


2) The Church received the "Holy Spirit" on a Pentecost Sunday


3) This is the day saint John the Divine received his vision or visions that became the book of Revelation. (This point is highly funny and ironic if you know about the SDA lifting "The spirit of prophecy" from the vision to describe Ellen White ministry but them anathematizing Sunday worship as a Satanic).


4) We also have it mentioned in Acts 20 as well (Where Paul is preaching, and the guy falls out of a high window and dies and he raises him from the dead).


5A) More importantly than the last example is the Old Testament significance of the 8th day. A number of important rituals, offerings etc. were done on that day. In Judaism itself it was realized that the 8th day was symbolic of being a new creation, new beginnings etc. and this very much foreshadows New Testament themes of "Being Born Again", "being alive in Christ", resurrection from the dead, God restoring all things at the end of the Age, our own receiving new glorified bodies etc.

5B) Much the same thing is true for the number 50, and it's role in Pentecost and the Jubilee. The fact some festivals fall on the 8th day also is a reminder of the first day of Creation as well since things move as a cycle.




OK this is getting long. My next post will be on the importance of Sunday worship in proclaiming the Gospel to the ancient world. This was not just done in words but in deeds!

I also have other points to make on Jewish customs, institutions and practices that also have relevance for the Economy (Philosophy of ministry and the Bible) of classical Christianity on the issue of worship in general including days of the week such as Conciliarism, Binding and Loosening, tradition aka "Paradosis" and probably other stuff too.

I probably also will throw in some of my own testimony as a former Protestant who did not have much knowledge of any of this stuff in spite of attending seminary part time for a few years, as well as correspondence Bible school too, prior to my theological Journey eastward that happened in late spring of 97.


And naturally I hope the various Orthodox, Catholics, and Traditional Protestants will chime in too with their various insights, comments and questions.

Illinois' assault weapon ban is headed to the Supreme Court, and the plaintiffs are asking Justice Barrett to grant an "emergency" block of the law while the case is being decided.

When is an emergency not an emergency? The assault weapons ban is a tempered, sensible response to the very real emergency of too many murders, particularly in Chicago.

Just tell the plaintiffs to carry some other gun in their arsenals. I am repulsed that they would be depraved enough to call only having numerous other guns to choose from an "emergency."

I was thinking, people who leaves this planet, have personal problems, we can all admit to that, and can`t live in peace, so they want to see other races on other planets, but here`s the dilemma, if people with problems, could visit other races, wouldn`t they be disturbing them? Let`s say they live as natives, like we used to, in peace and harmony, us visiting them, would be disturbing, hence eventually, all life in the universe would feel bad from our problems, do you think the speed of light, is actually, final, so we can never disturb them, there`s talk about warping black matter and stuff, but they can`t actually prove it`s there, do you think it`s impossible to break the barrier of light, back to the dilemma again, wouldn`t it mean that the universe is a bad place if we can break it and reach other races? Planets are also moving away from us, faster and faster, so maybe the universe is a good place that wants us to be on our own planet?

The final report from Hernando County says, “The investigation was completed regarding the parent complaint. You had the PG(-rated movies) approval forms for all of the students and had connected the movie to the curriculum being taught.” The school system maintained Barbee violated the staff handbook, saying, “You are reminded … that you must seek and receive administrative approval before showing a film or video.”

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The teacher, Jenna Barbee, who was in just her first year of teaching, stated:

“If there was such a policy or procedure in place, I am unaware of it ever being followed by my fellow teachers. This is not an excuse but I am a first year teacher and learn something new every day.”

Indeed, the policy had previously been limited to kindergarten third grade and had only been extended to grade 12 only a month previously by recent Florida law.

The conclusion of the investigation ended with an admonition to Barbee to get permission for all films in the future. Barbee had, however, already submitted her resignation a week before the incident due to “politics and the fear of not being able to be who you are” in the public school system.

Amanda Gorman's inauguration poem moved by school after parent's complaint

The Hill We Climb gets moved feom elementary to Middle School.


heres my new take.

If a parent wants a book banned or removed, or moved they are required to write a full opinion paper with proper citations. Let's say 1500 word minimum.

I'm getting tired of the tyranny of the scared and foolish.

Some people need to find a way to inject their racism in the meaning of a poem to their child. And if they can't they'll ban it.

In Gal 4 - Paul speaks to former pagans , newly converted to Christianity - and proceeds to condemn a "return again" to the observance of pagan holy days.
Paul is not allowing even one observance of a pagan holy day in Gal 4 - for the former pagans newly turned to Christianity.

However in Rom 14 - Paul condemns anyone who would condemn a Christian for keeping anyone of the Bible approved annual holy days of Lev 23. He who observes the say observes it for the Lord

Rom 14

Vs 10 condemns anyone who would judge someone for observing one of those annual holy days in Lev 23 - but does not go so far as to condone observance of pagan holy days as we see in Gal 4.

I still don’t know for sure whether baptism is required for salvation or not. I’ve read a lot on this forum and internet. One says it’s required, the other one says not. Who is right?? I don’t know what to believe anymore and my backstory is a bit complex. I’ve already posted my story last year and you have to read it to understand my problem. Here’s the link:


What am I supposed to do? I tend to believe the side who says it’s not required, but I’m not really sure.

And what if someone just cannot be baptise because of different reasons. Like if there is war in your country, be in jail/live in a country where Christianity is forbidden, people on their deathbed, stuck alone on an island, live in the desert, have a phobia for water, or in my case, have anxiety. If I think about al these reasons, it makes sense that, the side who says baptism isn’t required, is right. Or else it wouldn’t be fair for the people who don’t have the possibility to baptise.

I've grown up in a christian family but me and my friend want to get baptised. Im not sure if its worth it because others have asked me whats the point of getting baptised. It doesnt really mean that you are automatically a christian but i really want to dedicate my life to god and grow my faith in him. I need some opinions on this???

I still don’t know for sure whether baptism is required for salvation or not. I’ve read a lot on this forum and internet. One says it’s required, the other one says not. Who is right?? I don’t know what to believe anymore and my backstory is a bit complex. I’ve already posted my story last year and you have to read it to understand my problem. Here’s the link:


What am I supposed to do? I tend to believe the side who says it’s not required, but I’m not really sure.

And what if someone just cannot be baptise because of different reasons. Like if there is war in your country, be in jail/live in a country where Christianity is forbidden, people on their deathbed, stuck alone on an island, live in the desert, have a phobia for water, or in my case, have anxiety. If I think about al these reasons, it makes sense that, the side who says baptism isn’t required, is right. Or else it wouldn’t be fair for the people who don’t have the possibility to baptise.

Video Talk

I am reading today in Acts 9. Saul, who later became Paul, was a persecutor of Christians and a Pharisee of all Pharisees who thought what he was doing was the right thing to do. And one day he was on his way to Damascus to persecute even more Christians when the Lord Jesus visited him in what appears to me to be a vision of sorts. But Jesus spoke to him audibly.


What is standing out to me right now from this passage of Scripture is how Jesus told him that he was persecuting the Lord when he persecuted the Lord’s servants. And I believe that is a profound message which is indicated in other passages, as well, such as in Matthew 25:31-46. For there Jesus said, via a parable, that however we treat the Lord’s servants, it is as though that is how we are treating him, whether for good or for evil. So, we need to give much thought and care to how we treat those who believe in Jesus and who serve him with their lives, for that is how we are treating Jesus.

Matthew 25:35-40 ESV


Now, this is the ideal of how we should be treating our fellow Christians. And although we should treat all people with kindness, this is specifically referring to the Lord’s brothers and sisters in Christ who are also his servants and his friends who are living righteously and who are following him in obedience in doing as he commands (New Covenant). And the reference to those in prison, thus, is speaking of those who are in prison for their walks of faith in Jesus Christ and for their testimonies for the Lord.

Matthew 25:41-46 ESV


Sadly, this is more often than not the way many professing Christians, even pastors, are treating those who are the Lord’s servants, i.e. those who are following the Lord in obedience, and who are saying and doing the kinds of things that Jesus and his NT apostles did and said. At least that is what I see happening in America. For many pastors and congregations of gatherings of what is called “church” are honestly being taught that those who are still teaching the truth of the gospel are to be ignored and opposed.

For what is largely being taught and accepted is a diluted half-truth gospel created in the minds of men in their deceitful scheming, and people are believing the lies by the hordes. But it isn’t just that they are believing and accepting the lies as truth, but they are rejecting the truth as though it is a lie, and so they are rejecting those who are teaching the truth as though they are liars and as people who are to be ignored and/or opposed. And so many true servants of the Lord are being rejected for doing what is right.

So, this story of Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion, in addition to this passage in Matthew 25, should serve as good reminders to us of how we are to treat our fellow Christians. For how we treat the beloved of God who are serving him with their lives is how we are treating Jesus Christ. And we should particularly be compassionate towards those who are being hated and persecuted for their walks of faith and obedience to the Lord, and who are being cast aside and unwanted because they are still speaking the truth.

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Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Isaiah 42:8 I am Jehovah, this is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols.

What is one to make of this verse. We're given a name, Jehovah, and two statements "my glory I give to no other" and "nor my praise to idols".

Why does God give himself a name, what does that name signify, do you use it and when do you use it?

What is this "glory" that God will not give to another and why are idols brought up?

The US dollar is collapsing – what started as a trickle of online and financial bodies espousing this, has now started to become more like a river. Why?

• The USA used to have the largest GDP – not anymore. That title now belongs to China and countries like India are rapidly catching up.
• The US dollar used to be the Linga Franca of world economics. Not any more. The establishment of BRICS with two of the top three world GDP nations opposing the US dollar and, regions like Europe are buying oil from Iran in Euros and not US dollars, which means that the strength of the dollar is fading and the capacity of the USA to impose sanctions fading along with it. Some twenty three other countries are applying to join BRICS. That will seriously undermine the strength of the US dollar.
• The US ceiling debt is rising unabated with a current debt ceiling crisis looming in just days. If the US defaults on their astronomical debt their economy could theoretically crash.

Books are being written on the topic as we speak with numerous economists espousing how to profit from the collapse of the US dollar and the calamity of the US economy.

Have we heard it all before - or is this way way way different as many pundits espouse?

What are your favorite devotions for the faithful departed?

My wife wants to carry heavy bins into the cellar. I am disabled and the bins are heavy and I am concerned about an accident. Please pray about this.