essentialsaltes said:

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday that the House of Representative will "soon pass a resolution honoring the life and legacy of our friend Charlie Kirk, and condemning the political violence that led to his untimely passing."

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I suppose that's a little more than the customary "thoughts and prayers" and just accept it.

Servus said:

So now it's finally being confirmed that Tyler Robinson is a member of the left-wing.

That's a really good quote - it should go viral.

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I don't think that is correct? Please let me know if you've found other information?

Tyler Robinson does not seem to be a registered voter. He has a trans-partner - which may be part of the motivation. Indeed - his family are conservatives - and much of his online behaviour and troll-calling comes from the far-right online culture, including dressing up as Pepe the frog and the "Bella Ciao" chant! This is from the Groyper's playlist for followers of Nick Fuentes - a white nationalist who himself got famous trolling Charlie Kirk.

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Elsewhere in the episode they unpack the CATO institute's political violence study. The "radical left" (Democrats) are 5 TIMES LESS LIKELY to commit political assassinations and killings than the right! The CATO institute analyse 3599 political killings across the last 50 years (most of which were 9/11) - and they found that right wingers committed 11% of the killings - and left wingers only 2%.

essentialsaltes said:

The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution marking Oct. 14, 2025 -- the influencer's birthday -- a "National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk."

In the approved resolution, the Senate "recognizes Charlie Kirk for his contributions to civic education and public service" and "encourages educational institutions, civic organizations and citizens across the United States to observe this day."

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday that the House of Representative will "soon pass a resolution honoring the life and legacy of our friend Charlie Kirk, and condemning the political violence that led to his untimely passing."

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I think they should add the names to all political violence to this resolution.

ralliann said:

And this video is as well. It really is nothing different than has been going on for the last ten years.

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I don't know what that sentence means. I don't know what you mean. I don't know that you understand what I have said. I'm not going to bother explaining it to you - even though this video seems to be unpacking the cultural forces surrounding you - and that you appear (from my vantage point at least) to have inhaled without analysing.

I know that the original post is over a year old, but I feel it is important to mention that I don't think there is such a thing as transgender underclothes for children.

There is clothing intended for male or female, and there is gender neutral clothing like athletic wear and T-shirts, non-gender specific work clothes.

If you were thinking about LGBTQ clothing for pride month, they have done that in the past, but some places have stopped or reduced that.

But Target only sells regular underclothes, especially for kids. I don't know of any place that sells transgender specific underclothes for children. Im not sure if it even exists.

Parents can shop for and allow their kids to wear whatever they choose to unless it is illegal. No one controls what another adult buys for their children or how it is used. If a parent wanted to buy opposite gendered clothing, no one can stop them. It would be wrong to boycott a business because of other people's shopping behaviors.

I'm all for boycotting or patronizing specific businesses to vote with my dollars, but if you are going to do that, you need to know that you are doing it for a reason that is true because it does have a real effect on other people's lives, like employees who are just trying to survive.

No business is perfect. The whole world is sinful, and you aren't going to find a business with completely clean hands. You do need to have what you have to have. I don't believe God is going to hold you accountable for other people's sins because you bought some socks from them.

What is more effective over the long run, sustainable, and realistic for yourself is to only buy what you need to buy, try to get it used first, then on sale or least expensive options that will meet your need. This way you are not paying them more than you have to, but you aren't hurting yourself in the process. I think if more people did this long term, it would make a bigger impact than short term boycotts meant to send a message.

Tell the retailers why, answer surveys, and send emails. If they don't know, then they don't know what issues to address. To them you're just another person who didn't buy something and it could be for any number of reasons, including ones that have nothing to do with them.

FireDragon76 said:

Kirk was more of a presence in chronically online Zoomers' feeds on their phones.

In order to understand the hype around Kirk's "martyrdom", you have to understand the role of martyrdom in all authoritarian political cults. Dying for the cause is what sanctifies it and makes it beyond rational debate or skeptical analysis.

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And the good thing with martyrs is that they are always someone else.

Sunday, September 21 2025

25th OT



Am 8:4-7

People's wrongdoings against others harm themselves and harms others. When someone harms someone, they harm themselves twice over.



Let us spread peace and joy. Others will learn to smile from the heart.



1 Tim 2:1-8

"There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus."

That's great.



Lk 16:1-13

Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon."



There, that says it all. We cannot go to the east of the city and to the west at the same time. It will be one direction or the other.



Blessed are those who turn to the Heart of God, allow themselves to be in awe by His Love, and enter into it to receive Him fully.



Biblical texts: NAB-RE

Normand Thomas.

Nithavela said:

That's right. Change the topic to one where you are more comfortable instead of answering the question. Just the right way to honor Kirk's memory.

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Interesting that you come down on me and not NxNW for doing the same thing.

Strong in Him said:

My solution of never again setting foot in a Catholic church? Agreed.

So much for unity.

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This reminds me of a Machine-shop teacher I had from 1974-77. This gentleman was in his mid-50's, had to retire early from the Ford Motor Company due to severe degenerative arthritis. Despite the debilitating illness, he had the reputation of being about the best Machine Shop Teacher in Ontario; and he had so many connections that being in his class, you were a shoe-in for an apprenticeship anywhere you wanted, or an introduction to any Engineering school you wanted. He was one of the most memorable and best teachers of my high school years.

So, what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

This: On the very first day, in his class-room, in his very first words to us, he stated "we are each here for different reasons, I am here to teach, you are here to learn; if you are not in agreement with this arrangement, there is the door, get out, we don't want you".

Everyone knew where they stood, even though some of us were destined to go into industry, some taking another direction. In his classroom, we accepted his rules; I was one who did not follow into the tool and die, but fell back into engineering later in life. Regardless, we shared a friendship and mutual respect that lasted until his passing.

This is like Christian unity, ultimately, we may not agree, but we do respect an honor the house rules. Not always do we have clergy that spell it out as clearly as Morris Smith did in that class room so many years ago, but non of us are that naive that we should not know enough to find out ahead of time and either behave in a respectful and edifying manner in the houses of others.

When you are welcomed by someone, as a guest and are shown hospitality, it does not mean that you are welcome to sleep with the wife of the person who invited you into their home.

Hans Blaster said:

If that's all it was the assimilationists wouldn't have their knickers in such a twist.

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It's also possible you haven't observed what some of us have observed.. Would your German ancestor who had to show he'd renounced allegiance to the Kaiser have flown a German flag? Did he make no effort to learn English? Did he consider himself an American or a German who was in America?

In the 1980s, I went through a Hispanic area with Mexican flags. We happen serve one such area that doesn't fly flags but was pretty much separate. Not a bad place, but almost insular. We also serve another area that isn't insular and where the residents have made an effort to assimilate, and it's a noticeable difference. Before my children were born, I happened to be in a bank when a bus with immigrants came up. As I waited, I noticed they were depositing their checks into accounts instead of cashing them and thought "That's the next middle class." And that turned out to be pretty much correct. Those I saw that day were making an effort to assimilate.

Strong in Him said:

How sad that churches are less charitable than Jesus.

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I don't actually know what's wrong with closed communion. I support closed communion.

Where the Bible says "don't eat with such a one" in reference to unregenerate, unrepentant, hypocritical sinners it's not talking about refusing to attend a dinner party where said person might also be invited (though we can also inference be wary of the company you keep as well) it's talking about the Lord's Supper hence why excommunication was also spoken of during the same exchange.

We don't need a false unity, but a rightly expressed brotherhood that's something perhaps beyond church particulars. We all get on as neighbors and friends.

Last week, the IPC declared that the criteria for famine had been met in the Gaza district, which includes Gaza City. The UN claims for humanitarian aid in Gaza



Israel, however, describes the portrayal of the situation as “falsified” and demands that the report be withdrawn. The Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Eden Bar Tal, called it “falsified.” He accused the IPC of using methodological violations to produce a politically motivated result. If no new report is presented within two weeks, Israel intends to present its alleged evidence of the report's inaccuracy to the IPC's donors and ask them to withdraw their financial support for the initiative.

The IPC report is methodologically fabricated: it relies on fabricated and cherry-picked data, inflated mortality figures, and invented thresholds to fit a political agenda. The IPC excluded Israel from the review process, broke its own standards and rules to validate terrorist claims of famine, concealed contradicting data, and ignored Israel’s extensive efforts to facilitate the entry of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid.

Over 1.9 million tons of aid have been delivered since the start of the Swords of Iron war; nearly 100,000 large trucks. Just this week, Israel has overseen 23,000 tons of aid, and 1,200 trucks have entered Gaza.

Israel has not only been supplying aid, but has also restored infrastructure in Gaza. In coordination with the Israel Electric Corporation, a power line now supplies energy to a desalination plant serving 900,000 Gazans.

The IPC document is a disgrace. Instead of showing neutrality, the IPC has chosen to repeat the lies of a terrorist organisation directly responsible for the bloodshed and suffering in Gaza and for the massacre of Oct 7.

The UN's obsession with Israel is shameful. Israel has already done its part in providing humanitarian aid.



Basically, it is not obliged to potential Hamas voters. The notion that Israel owes water, electricity and food to an entity that seeks its destruction is both absurd and suicidal. Respect does not belong to the humane, but to the one who relentlessly atones every aggression. Israel must take tough action, not out of cruelty, but out of clarity. Not to match the barbarism of its enemies, but to defeat them.

Servus said:

For a second there I thought you were replying to yourself.

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Me too.

MarkRohfrietsch said:

Well, now you know, and your solution above is likely best for all concerned.

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My solution of never again setting foot in a Catholic church? Agreed.

So much for unity.

The change came quietly, but with great effect: the IPC Hunger Index, the internationally recognized tool for measuring famine, has adjusted its criteria so that Gaza is now considered “affected by hunger”, even though previous standards would not have allowed this. The result: a global narrative that blames Israel.

At the end of Jul, the IPC, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, supported by the UN and 29 Western countries, published its new report. It states that Gaza is experiencing “widespread, extremely severe hunger.” This term, known in technical jargon as “famine,” is the strongest international classification for famine. Those classified as such are considered victims of an acute, life-threatening disaster.

The message of this report quickly became clear in international headlines: Israel is responsible for a hunger crisis in Gaza. Within hours, major media outlets around the world picked up on the wording – and thus conveyed an image to the public that carries heavy political and moral weight.

But now the US newspaper The Washington Free Beacon has revealed that the IPC changed the rules shortly before publication, without any public debate. The key change: previously, a famine was only declared when at least 30% of children in an area were suffering from severe malnutrition. This threshold has been lowered to 15%, in other words, halved.

At the same time, the measurement method was changed: instead of recording the weight of children, as was previously standard practice, the circumference of the upper arm is now sufficient. This may sound like a technical detail, but it is a significant change that leads to completely different results.

In Gaza City itself, the proportion of severely malnourished children is 16.5% according to the new IPC report. Under the old rules, this would not have been enough to qualify as “famine.” Under the new rules, however, it certainly does. Without this change, there would have been no international declaration of famine in Gaza and thus no global wave of headlines incriminating Israel.

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, responded sharply:

“Technically, it sounds complicated, but the message is clear: the rules have been changed so that Israel can be indicted.”

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Richard Goldberg, former member of the National Security Council under President Donald Trump, put it even more bluntly:

“The UN is changing the rules of the game to get the result it wants.”

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A long-time humanitarian aid worker confirmed to the newspaper:

“In all previous cases of famine, the 30 percent threshold based on weight measurements applied. Now that threshold is simply being lowered.”

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Israel does not deny that the supply situation in parts of Gaza is difficult. But the issue here is not whether there is hardship, but how that hardship is classified in official reports. The new definition transforms a serious but regional supply problem into a global scandal with maximum political explosiveness.

This is precisely where the problem lies: international institutions enjoy a trust bonus among many people. When they change their criteria in the middle of an ongoing conflict, it does not come across as neutral assistance – but rather as political action under the guise of scientific objectivity. This not only weakens the credibility of the IPC, but also fuels suspicions that one side of the conflict is being deliberately subjected to political pressure.

The fact that such reports are exploited by Israel's political opponents is not speculation, but has been a reality for years. They are quoted in diplomatic forums, presented at UN votes, and shared millions of times on social media, often without context, but with clear blame assigned to Jerusalem. Regardless of how nuanced the original reports may be, only one message sticks in the public perception: Israel is starving people.

This makes it clear that this lowering of standards does not occur in isolation, but is part of an international communications landscape in which Israel is regularly portrayed as the main culprit, even when the facts are much more complex.

Lowering the bar in such an environment does not contribute to a solution, but rather adds fuel to the fire of political polarization. This has consequences, for the credibility of the UN, for the value of international standards, and for the possibility of still being heard in genuine humanitarian crises.

If you go through statistics long enough, you'll find a data point that will support your opinion.

keras said:

The Apostles did think so:
Paul confirmed that the new Temple will be dedicated to God. 2 Thess 2:4

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Sorry, but do you read, or even consider, the things that you post?
i) This verse does not say that there will be a new temple which is dedicated to God; it says that the man of lawlessness will set himself in God's temple and be worshipped as God.
ii) Paul wrote the letters to the Thessalonians. Paul died in around 64 AD - the temple was still standing at that point as it was not destroyed until 70 AD.
Put simply, this verse does not speak of a 3rd temple, nor does it say what you said that it says.

keras said:

The Jews won't build it; they will be gone; Amos 2:4-5,

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And where do those verses say that this is still to come - i.e why do they apply to the situation now, in the 21st century?

keras said:

The Revelation of Jesus says how His peoples will be together and on earth. Rev 7:9

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No it doesn't.
It says that John saw a vision of all people, from all over the world, standing before the throne of God, clothed in white and worshipping him.
That is not the same as saying that all people will be together on earth.

keras said:

This has to be in a new Temple, which he then sits in and declares himself to be god.

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Why does it have to be in a new temple?
Where does it say that Christians will build that new temple - I thought you just posted a verse which says that the beast will be given power to conquer Christians?

keras said:

Try to believe what the Prophesies actually say, rather than what you have been taught.

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Try reading verses before you post them, look at them in context and what was happening at the time, rather than assuming that various OT prophecies apply to today and will be fulfilled in the future.

Whenever an OT prophecy was fulfilled in the NT, the writers told us; i.e. "this was to fulfil what was said ....", "Jesus did this to fulfil .....".
Jesus did not say that certain OT prophesies applied to a time in the 21st century and we have no authority to assume that they do. Jesus spoke of a time when God's temple would be destroyed. He did not say that future generations would rebuild it, nor that sacrifices would be offered there.
Why would that happen? God is our temple, and we are temples of God. Jesus fulfilled the law, which meant that he fulfilled sacrifices.

mark46 said:

You would think that so many couldn't have come over Trump's partially completed wall. But they did. Of course, many have been overestimating the numbers, but almost surely the number was over 5 million, compared to less than a million under Obama or Trump.

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They changed how they count encounters. It's a combination of two stats that were separate before. I think the numbers were still higher under Biden, but this made Biden's numbers appear much larger than they were.

We don't have open borders and didn't have it under Obama or Biden. Obama was known as the Deporter-in-Chief for a reason, but dems cant crow about it because their base doesnt like it. Biden was way more effective than Trump's 1st term, and he didn't have to try to disappear kids at 2 am to get the numbers or terrorize whole communities to do so. In fact, their numbers being so low is why they were raiding home depots, churches, schools, stalking court houses and lying to people to get them to come in for immigration meetings.


I'll quote myself on how they count boarder crossings.

camille70 said:

The border is generally only an emergency during an election year. The rates were much higher in the 1990's. Border states get money to deal with immigrants. If they are going to bus the problem elsewhere, they need to send the money along with them.

Current numbers look much worse than they are because they changed how they count apprehensions and expulsions. They used to be separate but now they are counted together as "encounters". The majority of illegal immigrants are not crossing the border anyway. They are overstaying visas.

Border crossing encounters U.S. 1990-2023| Statista

The number of illegal border crossings reached an all-time high in 2022, with over 2.2 million migrant encounters registered by the U.S. Border Patrol.

www.statista.com

Border crossings are up, but Hudson misrepresents situation

A North Carolina congressman says the number of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border has doubled and that President Biden

www.politifact.com

https://www.cato.org/blog/cato-report-zero-chance-being-killed-terrorist-attack-illegal-immigrant-1975-2022

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Between 1990 and February 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol counted "apprehensions" and "expulsions" separately. As of March 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol changed its methodology to include both apprehensions and expulsions as "encounters."

JulieB67 said:

Then why is Christ telling people to repent when they fall? So much that if they don't overcome they could have their names blotted out of the book of life?

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When we repent we "turn from darkness and the power of Satan."

How does that work? We recognize Satan is the perp pawning our minds and even acts.

IF you think it's only you you haven't repented.

And guess what? Satan doesn't stop sinning, ever.

JulieB67 said:

And if you read below one verse-

II Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

Only those reconciled to God will have their sins blotted out.

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Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

JulieB67 said:

There's a condition there. If it was a done deal as you suggest Paul would not be praying for anyone to "be ye reconciled" That's on the person and in said in a present state. So you once again are taking things out of context.

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I'd only suggest the tempter has stolen a LOT from your mind AND this happens with everyone one way or another, because of this theft/thief. Nothing personal. We all see as through a glass, darkly

Servus said:

Yeah, I do too. You're just not following what I've been saying even though we're both on the same page.

The term "so to speak" is used to highlight the fact that one is describing something in an unusual or metaphorical way.

But I'll reword it:

Mary did not in any way whatsoever interceed, reather she said "Do whatever He tells you to do". Which is not intercession.

Better?

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I must apologise, in that case. I clearly misunderstood, and thought we were disagreeing. Thanks for taking the trouble to explain.

JulieB67 said:

There's a difference between evil spirits roaming around and the actual angels that will be here in the future.

As Isaiah 14 states, after Lucifer/Satan's downfall, people will look down at him and state "Is this the man....? They look like we do. They can even consume our food and we can consume theirs, etc.

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They look like "we" do because they occupy people. There is the person and there is the tempter or his own. This is not some external phenomena, but internal and unseen.

Any believer experiencing internal temptations should know this is not from them. IF they think it's only from themselves they are far less equipped to fight. The warrior gear of Eph. is also internal and unseen.

JulieB67 said:

That verse has nothing to do with Satan. Of course they know who Christ is. It's not about them, it's about those who believe and not believe in the son of God. Both sides do not apply to everyone. That verse is pure common sense.

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Every Word of God is for everyone. Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4, Deut. 8:3

IF you're still reading this scripture:

Matthew 7:17
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

and you think to yourself that "I never bring forth evil," that is the devil stealing from you because evil does come from within. It's not optional. Paul tells us outright we're planted in corruption. 1 Cor. 15:42-46

Stopped_lurking said:

Haven't they managed to have a quite successful careers. Doesn't sound like a person lacking in brain processing power to me.

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So does the woman who slept her way to the top.

She was smart enough to use all the cheats, but not smart enough to have legitimately earned her place.

Is the highschool jock cheating his way through math class smart? Or is he just smart enough to cheat?

Let's live in a land where there's actual equality under the law, and people are judged by the content of their character, and not the color of their skin.

Freth said:

I don't think you can read her writings and come away with the idea that she wasn't divinely inspired, unless you have preconceived notions that you insert into the mix. Keep in mind that there is a sifting going on.

“‘God is sifting his people. He will have a clean and holy church. We cannot read the heart of man. But the Lord has provided means to keep the church pure. A corrupt people has arisen who could not live with the people of God. They despised reproof, and would not be corrected. They had an opportunity to know that their warfare was an unrighteous one. They had time to repent of their wrongs; but self was too dear to die. They nourished it, and it grew strong, and they separated from the trusting people of God, that he was purifying unto himself. We all have reason to thank God that a way has been opened to save the church; for the wrath of God must have come upon us, if these corrupt individuals had remained with us. { LS80 316.1 }​

​

“‘Every honest one that may be deceived by these disaffected ones, will have the true light in regard to them, if every angel from Heaven has to visit them, and enlighten their minds. We have nothing to fear in this matter. As we near the Judgment all will manifest their true character, and it will be made plain to what company they belong. The sieve is moving. Let us not say, Stay thy hand, O God. The church must be purged, and will be. God reigns; let the people praise him. I have not the most distant thought of sinking down. I mean to be right and do right. The Judgment is to set and the books be opened, and we are to be judged according to our deeds. All the falsehoods that may be framed against me will not make me any worse, nor any better, unless they have a tendency to drive me nearer my Redeemer.’ { LS80 316.2 }​

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Yes, the prophesized shaking, but to see so many leaving still is heart wrenching. But soon many will fill their places with much joy and gladness filling their hearts...