I met a pastor on the street who was introducing himself and inviting me to his church. I explained I was Catholic and was outside praying the rosary. This led to a discussion about my Catholics beliefs, the rosary and Mary.

He simply said that you can't pray to Mary, shes dead.

I tried to respond, but could not as he suddenly had to leave and tend to his little kids playing outside.

So I came home and thought that I would ask you what you would say in such a circumstance, as a non denominational pastor inviting you to his new church, right there on the street?

Would you have been able to summon up a proper response, and say it in love?

Dead people apparently are in heaven where they cannot hear us.

This cant be true, but how to argue that they CAN hear us and that its not wrong to pray to Mary and the Saints?

Traditionalist Catholic websites and media began discussing last week what they describe as “persistent rumors” of a planned Vatican document, which is supposedly meant to suppress entirely the celebration of the extraordinary form of the liturgy, often called the “Traditional Latin Mass.”



Credit: Thoom / Shutterstock.
The current round of speculation began in earnest when Rorate Caeli, a traditionalist website, carried a post last week citing “the most credible sources” to say that a “Vatican document with a stringent, radical, and final solution banning the Traditional Latin Mass” exists and was being pushed for papal approval.

The post did not include details about the alleged document’s provisions, who had drafted it, or on whose instructions, but did claim that “the same ideologues who imposed [the 2021 motu proprio] Traditionis Custodes and its implementation… are still frustrated with its apparently slow results” and were pressing for news restrictions by Pope Francis.

The Pillar has not been able to confirm the existence of such a document. But curial officials in Rome hear many of the same rumors, and pay attention to American Catholic media of all kinds, so many of them are now discussing whether the Vatican will really impose new restrictions on the more ancient forms of the liturgy — and if so, what any new policies might hope to achieve.

And some officials said that in their view, any new policies will have to be weighed carefully against the pushback they provoke, both from those committed to the TLM, and those concerned with the reach of papal authority.

Continued below.

Then-President Trump arrived at that first matchup in Cleveland seemingly determined to steamroll Biden at every turn, leaving the Democratic candidate exasperated and moderator Chris Wallace scrambling to regain control.

Now, in 2024, many of the rules insisted on this time by Biden’s team — and agreed to by the Trump campaign — are designed to minimize the potential of a chaotic rerun. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted, except when it’s his turn to speak. There will be no studio audience to chime in with hoots and jeers.


While I like the "Muting of the mic" approach (due to Trump's non-stop interruptions the last time...and duct taping his mouth shut when it's not his turn isn't an option)

Not sure how I feel about the "no audience" provision this go-around...

I feel like the combination of that "no audience" rule, combined with the the fact that it's being hosted by CNN (and moderated by two of their anchors), lends itself to the perception (and possibly the reality) of "running cover for Biden".

A) I'm assuming there were some concerns about some pro-Palestinian protestors showing up and "making a scene" (in ways that are unflattering to Biden)
B) Whether or not they'd actually do it, the perception will be that due to CNN controlling the feed (and the delay), they'll selectively cut Biden moments that contain mumbling or awkward pauses. An audience being there would at least give the perception that there's people there who could keep them honest after the fact and provide details about whether or not there were certain moments that didn't make it to TV.

If Jesus is the cornerstone as written in the book of Isaiah, then why did Jesus then turn around and tell Peter that he was the stone on which the church would be built?

A non-denominational pastor just told me that the rock was Jesus himself and not Peter.

I was left perplexed as to what to say.

Why would the rock tell someone else that they are the rock?

I want to be able to answer these tough questions when put upon me as to why I believe in the one true church.

Matthew 16:18

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,* and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
19l I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.* Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, A precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; whoever puts faith in it will not waver.

So i was watching a random video on youtube featuring a guy named Jeff Durbin, who I eventually researched and found out he is a sidekick to James White's (i think he is at least). Anyway, i found him to be the typical arrogant protestant who just dictates, accuses, and insists what Catholics believe him no matter what is being told to him. I was listening closely as to what he thinks about the whole faith by works, and how he eventually tries to brag and praise himself about how he is the one truly saved because being a christian. So he speaks about the 7 sacraments, purgatory, and just how faith alone is just biblically true and tries to bully random catholics about it.

Here is the video for your reference:
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So my question is this. If protestants believe that strongly about faith alone, then why do they care so much to the point that they feel the need to throw out condemnation, judgment, and demonizing at us for how we practice and worship God? Us doing the wrong thing like the sacraments, praying to saints, and whatever wouldn't mean much anyway since it's all about faith alone, right?

Is it just and fair that Myra is likely in heaven, but some of her victims may not be?

Social Media is proving to be an effective tool for human smugglers to move people across the border.

Hello,



I would like to share a bit about my testimony - I came to acknowledge Jesus Christ as My Lord and Saviour in April of 2022. I had a porn addiction for many years, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, and depression (and others..). A vision of an angel came to me and directed me to accept Jesus Christ as My Lord and Saviour. Around this time, I believe I had already been seeking guidance from spirits (though I do not know if they were of God or The enemy..)

The following day I had a peace I cannot really begin to describe.. I have been trying to hold onto (or 'chase after') that peace ever since.

My walk with Christ thus far, however, has been all over the place.. I have considered renouncing my faith a number of times (in words - though my actions may have already shown it..) I did not know how disobedient, prejudice, narrow minded, and foolish (and many others..) I was..

They sound like a crazy bunch... but they seem sincere in their beliefs, even if they are extreme.... And they believe Jesus died for their sins...

So will they go to heaven, despite their other obnoxious beliefs?

Bloomberg: SCOTUS opinion mistakenly posted shows 6-3 vote to allow emergency abortions in Idaho​

From CNN’s John Fritze
The copy of the document inadvertently posted on the Supreme Court court’s website and reviewed by Bloomberg showed the justices voting 6-3 to allow the emergency abortions to take place in Idaho on a temporary basis while the case continues.
The Supreme Court’s decision “will prevent Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harms to a woman’s health,” Justice Elena Kagan said in a concurring opinion, according to Bloomberg.

1 Cor 11:

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had given thanks,

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Strong's Greek: 2168. εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteó) — 38 Occurrences

The English term *Eucharist" comes from G2168.

he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is forf you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

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Are Protestants allowed to receive the Catholic Eucharist?

Catholics believe in transubstantiation. If you don't, you are not a member of the Catholic Church. Officially, you are not allowed to participate in the Catholic Eucharist. Canon Law 844 §1:

Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone.

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New International Version, Matthew 25:

46 Then they will go away to eternal [G166] punishment, but the righteous to eternal [G166] life.

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Did these two uses of "eternal" carry the same meaning? If yes, what did it mean?

They were the same Greek word in the same sentence and carried the same meaning. See αἰώνιος.

G166-Eternal life is immortal life.

The question is this: What is G166-eternal punishment?

The term eternal punishment is the opposite of eternal life. The punishment is eternal death, i.e., annihilation or the absence of life, Revelation 20:

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

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Conscious punishment or suffering over an infinite period of existence makes little physical sense. To be conscious, you need a life or a breadth from God (Genesis 2:7). In other words, conscious torment over an infinite time is a form of eternal 'life'.

My paraphrase:

Then they will go away to permanent punishment/death, but the righteous to permanent life.

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Paul expressed a similar concept in 2 Thessalonians 1:

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

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Strong's Greek: 3639. ὄλεθρος (olethros) — 4 Occurrences

BDAG:
① a state of destruction, destruction, ruin, death in our lit. always w. some kind of transcendent coloring, … ὄλ. αἰώνιος eternal death (TestReub 6:3) 2 Th 1:9

There is some justification that eternal punishment is permanent death or annihilation of the soul.

See also

• Does the Bible teach conscious torment over an infinite period?.

Matthew 22:

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,

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i.e., Christ marrying the church, signifying the heavenly celebration ceremony of eternal life.

3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

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Matthew Henry: "The guests first invited were the Jews." The first invitation did not work out.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

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There was a second invitation, an on-the-spot spontaneous one. Some of them were not worthy either.

10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered [G4863] all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

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Many sorts of people were called and invited to the wedding.

Were they gathered forcibly?

I don't think they were forced. On the contrary, the context says that they were invited. Furthermore, the dictionary meaning of G4863 also bears this out.

4863 sunagó συνάγω

The first part σύν means identified with, joined close-together in tight identification; σύν gives a nice connotation of cooperating together. The second part ἄγω means to bring. So συνάγω means to bring together (nicely).

Thayer's:

1. to gather together
2. to bring together, assemble, collect
3. to lead with oneself namely, unto one's home, i. e. to receive hospitably, to entertain

Now about the wedding clothes:

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.

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Ellicott explains:

The framework of the parable probably pre-supposes the Oriental custom of providing garments for the guests who were invited to a royal feast. Wardrobes filled with many thousand garments formed part of the wealth of every Eastern prince.

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The king provided wedding clothes free of charge. This bad man was invited but he did not have the proper covering. He did not have the free gift of the imputed righteousness of Christ.

12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

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He had no excuse for rejecting the free gift (Romans 6:23) of Christ.

13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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chosen.
ἐκλεκτοί (eklektoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1588: From eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite.

Note that the Greek word for chosen is not a verb. It describes the chosen state of a chosen person.

The invitation is an open call. Many are called, but not everyone invited is chosen. There is an additional condition. The chosen ones wear the righteousness of Christ on their bodies. The parable is a warning to those pretending to be Christians. They have answered the call, but they do not have chosen status, i.e., the imputed righteousness on their bodies.

Does being 'chosen' come down to good fortune?

No, not at all. You are called to join the wedding banquet. You can reject the call. If you accept, you are provided with a free wedding garment. It is up to you to put it on your body. If you do, you belong to the chosen.

Can anyone be chosen?

Yes, if you accept the call and put on the free wedding garment provided by Jesus.

Do some have a better chance of being chosen than others?

Again, if you accept the call and put on the free wedding garment, you have a better chance than those who refuse the call and refuse to put on the wedding garment.

Just the News previously reported that former CIA Director Michael Morell testified a phone call from then-Biden campaign official Antony Blinken triggered the effort to draft the letter, raising even more concerns about political motivations for the letter.
Now, the subcommittee has found through its investigation that Morell and one other official were on “active contract” with the CIA at the time the group statement was published, adding a new dimension of direct agency involvement in the letter’s release.
The head of the CIA at the time needs to be held accountable.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
hear me and speedily rescue me.

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Hi about 2 years ago I wanted to end my life but my mom stopped that and called the police.What I had were horrible experiences with life drugs,smoking and I felt no divine presence in my life.The question is why did this happen to me? What have I done to divinity?What's the point of divinity if it doesn't involve in your life?
If you insult the holy spirit like I did will you end up in hell? I mean if you cut your eyes with a knife in the sea will someone search for your body?

Former President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters that he intended to reject a prominent evangelist’s request that he refrain from cursing during speeches, although he suggested he was making an effort to take his advice.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States, addressed a crowd of supporters at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A clip of the speech shared on X shows the former president praising Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the charitable organization Samaritan’s Purse, as “a man I like,” adding that he admired him “so much” before recalling how “he wrote me a letter.”

“He said, ‘President, I love your speaking. Your ability to speak is incredible. Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didn’t use foul language,’” Trump said as he reflected on the content of the letter. Trump responded to the plea by declaring, “he’s wrong.”

Continued below.

The network of telehealth physicians is pro-life, pro-family and pro-eternal life.


My Catholic Doctor logo with patron saints St. Gianna Molla, Venerable Catherine McCauley, and Venerable Jérôme Lejeune. (photo: MCD)

Patty Knap FeaturesJune 25, 2024
Bringing up the “My Catholic Doctor” website, users see the mission statement from Luke 10:9 on the main page, along with photos of patrons Venerable Jérôme Lejeune, St. Gianna Molla and Venerable Catherine McCauley.

My Catholic Doctor (MCD) was intentionally created to be a distinct experience for both patient and physician.

Telehealth sessions in numerous medical fields are offered across the country, providing person-focused telemedicine that incorporates Catholic teaching.
Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann, founder and president of My Catholic Doctor, was a faculty pediatrician for a decade at Washington University in St. Louis. Over time, she felt a need to be more intentional about the healing ministry, wanting to treat the whole person and combine her Catholic faith with her practice of medicine.

“People think of Catholic health care as against abortion, contraception, euthanasia, but it’s so much more than that,” she told the Register. “First, we have far better alternatives to all of those: abortion-pill reversal (APR); end-of-life care; natural family planning (NFP).”

She added: “Don’t you want to be treated as a whole person? Don’t you want your provider to ask about your health background in general, rather than rushing through an allocated six minutes that covers the bare minimum?”

“Secular medicine says that everyone is included, but we’re not — practicing Catholics are not,” Berchelmann told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly. “Catholic health-care providers are expected to leave their Catholic values at the door. That’s impossible to do if you follow Jesus Christ.”
As she explained to the Register, “In Luke 10:9, Jesus said, ‘Cure the sick who are there. Say to them, the kingdom of God has come to you!’ That’s two commands in one sentence. We are to cure the sick and proclaim the Kingdom. We are called to do more than just cure the sick; as physicians, we are also called to help people grow in holiness through the universal human experience of suffering through illness.”

Doctors work independently with My Catholic Doctor, spending as much time as they want with each patient. A minimum of documentation stems from believing that the only third party in a doctor-patient relationship should be the Holy Spirit. Most insurance and health-share plans are accepted. The database of doctors now includes a wide range of primary care, urgent care, rheumatology, dermatology, endocrinology, physical therapy, speech therapy, gerontology and other medical areas.

The commitment to care from conception to natural death is emphasized, as is prayer.
Every afternoon at 3 o’clock in the office chapel in Stamford, Connecticut, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed for all patients. Anyone unable to join in person is invited to join with their prayer intentions from afar. (To join the prayer team, contact prayerteam@mycatholicdoctor.com.)

My Catholic Doctor clinicians unequivocally follow all of the “Ethical and Religious Directives” of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the ethical policy statements of the Catholic Medical Association.

“Our clinicians seek to bring the loving presence of Jesus Christ to their patients, to heal the whole person: body, mind, and spirit,” emphasized Berchelmann to the Register. “It involves the whole person and the unique dignity of each person made in the image and likeness of God.”

“We don’t specifically advertise APR,” said Berchelmann of their pro-life care, “but [women] still call us because they see ‘Catholic’ in our name. These are women who’ve taken all the steps to get the abortion pills — they’re pro-choice … they still call us, and that’s the natural law written on their heart. I have no other explanation. That’s the good news. God is still in the hearts of all these people, made in the image and likeness of God.”

Continued below.

Assuming it is the Protestant Bible, 39+27 = 66 Books.
Do I need to read them all? To do in dept Bible study on every book?
The OT books, most of them are the history of the Jews, why do I need to read them? They are irrelevant to my daily life.

What is Christian worship?

About sin
If I am saint I sanctify myself even more
And let them not find the way

George Latimer, 70, entered the race at the urging of local Jewish leaders who were angry with Mr Bowman over his vocal criticism of Israel.
The former school principal has accused Israel of genocide, which it denies, and repeatedly questioned the Biden administration's support of Israel's government.
He did it to himself.

Hello folks. What are your thoughts on this timeline? It is supposed to satisfy both Preterists and Futurists, as the End Times may have began with the fall of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, but we may be approaching the tribulation. In other words, we have been in the end times for nearly 2000 years, but the closer we get to the tribulation period, the more we know that the tribulation is near. The year 20XX represents some future year, which could happen today, or hundreds of years from now. Also, the blooming fig tree could represent Israel becoming a new nation in 1948, or getting new borders according to the UN in 1967, and a generation will not die after the fig tree blooms. So, if people born in 1967 live 80 years (or a max of 120 years), could we be close to the end times? Jesus says we will not know the hour. Do you guys think that the end is close, say sometime in this century?