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tampasteve · Sep 19, 2025

All of this is kind of moot unless you live in a small town or go to a small church. The only denomination that did any "policing" of the Eucharist to me was a LCMS church that is fairly small, I was visiting the parish and they knew that and asked that I not partake. No Catholic Church has asked to see my Catholic Card....one could attend a Mass and simply partake forever if you wanted to. It wouldn't be "right" but people could, and Catholics that are in a state of Mortal Sin do so all the time.

Freth · Sep 19, 2025

Hazelelponi said:
Honestly, unless she had said enough or done enough to be legally ousted as an enemy of the United States (which is what I personally consider her) only the voting public can have her removed.

While it's frustrating to no end to see our foreign enemies have voice in any aspect of our governance or any aspect of our national policy and policy objectives, there are laws and rules and I'm not all for railroading people.

It shouldn't be as concerning that our nations enemies do what they do and say what they say (that's predictable) what's actually concerning is the amount of voters in America who think voting for an enemy of our nation and our people is the rational thing to do.

So from a public pulpit she will spit on our nation, our people, our way of life and our faith and she will act against us with every breath.

I'm thinking if so many voting Americans think it's awesome to do that, we have much bigger problems than just one individual.

One would think that at some point a person voted in as a United States Representative should be held to a standard. For the United States, not against it. If all she wants to do is tear down our institutions, then she isn't being productive, but working against progress.

Maria Billingsley · Sep 19, 2025

rebornfree said:
I'm in the UK where we have several political parties, the one with most votes forming a Government (currently the Labour Party) and the rest in opposition. The leader of the largest opposition party (currently Conservative) is the main spokesperson for the opposition and forms a Shadow Cabinet.

Although many issues are debated on party lines, moral issues, such as abortion, gay rights and assisted dying are not on party political lines. Our MPs have free votes. I think this prevents too much of a left/right divide and is a great blessing. I'm curious to know if this is the same in other Western democracies so would love to hear from those in other countries. Comments from fellow Brits are welcome too, of course! Thank you in advance for any replies.

Well here in the USA the current administration is using some Christians and their unwavering commitment to Christian Nationalism, its Seven Mountain Mandate along with Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation, to reshape our Democracy into an Authoritarian Theocracy. This forces a deep divide by poisoning the harvest and deceiving, even the Elect.

I believe some will understand what I am talking about.

Blessings

tampasteve · Sep 19, 2025

The Liturgist said:
That said I don’t think Christians who believe in the real presence should partake of the Eucharist in churches that deny it - the closest I would be prepared to get is in the case of churches like the Anglicans that lean towards a believe in the Real Presence without in most cases dogmatizing it.

Honestly, I see it the opposite. Partaking at a denomination/church that believes it to only be a symbol or "spiritual communion" is simply showing that you can agree with the basics that they believe and partake of a symbolic event. Contrarily, partaking at a church that believes that their Eucharist has the Real Presence....but I don't believe that it does, that's a step towards legitimizing their beliefs, which I don't agree with, so there isn't unity in their ideas.

bbbbbbb · Sep 19, 2025

Quirinius

sfs · Sep 19, 2025

o_mlly said:
As am I.

So why didn't you do so? You've now posted links to multiple bad arguments. When I point out the massive flaw in the argument, you don't engage with that -- you complain some and then leave the thread.

o_mlly said:
Did not like the message so attack the competence of the messengers? Not smart or educated enough to comment on Neo-Darwinism?

Try "point out that the study is utterly wrong and note parenthetically that the authors lack any background in the subject." The calculation in the paper is simply wrong. Try dealing with that.

FireDragon76 · Sep 19, 2025

MrMoe said:
A recent comment of his on Piers Morgan: “You need conservatives to be afraid of getting killed when they go to events…” Stochastic terrorism.

Not necessarily. It's a similar argument to what Ezra Klein recently made talking to Russ Douthat, that violence and extremism can be mimetic, going beyond left-right political boundaries. If one side deals in demonization and dehumanizing rhetoric, as conservatives have been, that has wider, systemic and cultural effects.

FireDragon76 · Sep 19, 2025

RileyG said:
That’s true. I can think of plenty of people who lived a celibate life with no issue. Including Fr. Henri Nouwen, Fr. Seraphim Rose, Fr. Mychal Judge, Eve Tushnet, Beckett Cook.

Some argue that St. John Henry Neumann might have been gay, but there is no evidence he broke his vow of celibacy, he lived with Ambrose St. John, another English Catholic priest for 28+ years, and they were buried together.

When St. John Henry Neumann was exhumed, his body and casket were found entirely decomposed with some metal and tassels from his hat left. Everything else was gone.

I wouldn't say they had "no issues". Nouwen seemed to suffer from lifelong depression. And Seraphim Rose's take on Orthodoxy wa dark, sometimes bordering on the inhuman, which suggests he had some deep-seated psychological problems, possibly related to his sexuality.

Fr. Mychal Judge is a bit of an outlier, in that he represents somebody that was psychologically integrated, but it might be explained by the fact he was honest with himself about his sexuality, and didn't weaponize his celibacy: he lived a celibate life himself, but he also dissented from official Catholic teaching and tone at the time. He was outspoken about this in fact, although he did so in a manner that was as respectful rather than contemptuous.

wing2000 · Sep 19, 2025

Sample question:

Which branch of the federal government allocates government revenue?
a. Judicial
b. Legislative
c. Executive

wing2000 · Sep 19, 2025

(staff edit)

I doubt 70% of US citizens could pass a basic civics test.

FireDragon76 · Sep 19, 2025

Years

Freth said:
I gave two examples in post #33 of this very thread.

Destiny's Twitch ban doesn't seem to be related to anything in this discussion.

I researched this, and Destiny didn't urge political violence. He refused to express sufficient outrage at Charlie Kirk's death. Frankly, that's understandable. Refusing to participate in a heavily partisan-loaded liturgy of mourning meant to turn an assassinated figure into a martyr isn't the same as celebrating somebody's death. It's a distinction that requires appreciation of nuance.

Gene2memE · Sep 19, 2025

What a clown he is.

Freth · Sep 19, 2025

Hazelelponi said:
I cry over things people say and do, I actually cry a lot actually - more than anyone realizes.

But the words hurt not because of the words themselves, but because of personal expectations or desires surrounding them.

To give an example I had desperately wanted to find others with my same religious beliefs online, waited 10 years to find them, but when I actually did I found they don't like me or particularly accept me / want me around them - I certainly cried, utterly heartbroken but it wasn't because the words themselves had any power.

A word doesn't spill my blood or do anything physically to me and taking my leave from where I'm not wanted isn't anything but a thing - life goes on.

The only pain there is, is in the pain of losing the hope, the hope of finding my brother's and sisters, the hope of having people to speak about my faith with who won't hate me the second I do, the hope of actually fitting in with people I share a faith with.

It was all stupidity as I'm absolutely and utterly alone, I feel like Elijah, wasn't it? when he lamented of being the last one and the people sought even his life.

People often seem to only love you if you give them fealty and agree with every thought, if you don't, they simply hate you.

But none of that actually matters at all. It's just personal expectations gone wrong. They were unrealistic, and it's the disappointment from unrealistic expectations that makes us cry and breaks our heart.

Wanting a faith peer group online that I can participate in? Unrealistic.

Finding brothers and sisters in the faith who might love me more than most other people - very stupid and unrealistic.

The second I open my mouth I will be rejected and hated by someone, or even by everyone, whether they share my faith or not I am just a hated thing by every one.

But that's okay because it's just words, and we can choose what we do with those words. If I cry it's because I allowed it to hurt me, and I don't have to allow it.

I can realize that my friends don't have to share my faith or even that maybe they do if they are even remotely willing to be friends with someone like myself, even if I can't talk to them about my faith and rejoice with them in my God.

We are all just alone, we live alone, even in a crowded room, and we will die just as alone and the only thing that even can hurt us in a word is what we allow it to do.

In the last three weeks I have lost a dear friend, remembered the anniversary of my daughter's birthday, remembered the anniversary of 9/11 and the anniversary of someone else's death and watched Charlie Kirk's assassination.

I have been absolutely crushed with grief on top of grief on top of more grief and have few friends in life. There was so much grief this year, packed into such a short space of time it's unreal.

But in life my positive is a husband who will hold me when I fall apart if I need him to, friends who, while they don't share my beliefs, do seem to like me when I'm not talking about them well enough.

That's more than most people have in life, so it's all good.

Sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me isn't about the emotional pain or unrealistic expectations that we allowed in, it's saying someone calling you names, asking you to shut up because they don't care what you think and they certainly won't suffer 5 seconds worth of actial dialogue with you - it's saying that word or those words aren't going to severe your carotid artery and have you bleed out in front of your babies so there's more important things to be concerned about.

People do that, not words.

And people like myself, if we ever don't want to feel alone, know we aren't really alone if we have Jesus. He just occasionally allows us to feel that way, and it's to us to learn and grow from it.

Jesus says we won't be loved by the world, apparently it seems to mean anything that has flesh will hate us. So okay, I will be the hated last one, and give them a reason to hate. I don't suppose to go be a hermit then is what Jesus wanted.

I bet there's a lot of hated last one's,, and words make us cry where you can't see, but we know the difference between them and a bullet ripping through our carotid artery, and words don't stop us anymore.

It is heartbreaking to read of your experiences in Christian circles. I would hope that you would think of some of us as friends. I think you and I have shared pleasantries a few times on the forums, in the form of likes and responses. We may have even disagreed, but I think we have more in common in belief than not. I consider the people I interact with here as friends. That includes you, of course. We may have disagreements, but they are just disagreements.

The Charlie Kirk incident was heart-wrenching for me too. I had watched some of his debates over the years, but that was about it. Still it had a profound effect on me. And then to see how it impacted so many others the same way. We aren't alone in those feelings.

I grew up with kids saying "sticks and stones", and I'm sure I said it myself a few times. If someone bullies you, you take it to heart and it has lasting impact. If someone demeans you, it knocks you down a notch or two in your mind. If someone laughs at you, you can feel shame and inadequacy. Your environment shapes you, and so words do matter.

I do believe we're living in the time of the end. The things we are seeing in society, even in the church, are prophesied to happen. I don't think it will get so bad that the people of God will shun each other and choose to be alone. There is a place for us to belong.

JulieB67 · Sep 19, 2025

BelieveItOarKnot said:
f devils inhabit people, (they do) then who's body is it? The person or the devil's?

I'd suggest the person owns the temple body and God owns the people, as the person can not be driven out. Devils can be driven out. At least in part. Some forms of devils are mandatory for life in the flesh, like what science calls "survival of the fittest." It's actually a demonic inner force in many cases. I know because I have experienced it, in fighting to survive for example.

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.

BelieveItOarKnot said:
You still don't realize that BOTH sides of the statement of John 3:18 applies to everyone. Sad, after all this discussion.
You can't even pick up on a simple premise:

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.

BelieveItOarKnot said:
F a liar says "I believe" are they telling the truth?

God know who believes or doesn't believe.

BelieveItOarKnot said:
Your position is just another typical one sided view of scripture

Says the person that constantly takes things out of context.

BelieveItOarKnot said:
John 3:18 "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: (this is for people) but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed (this is for devils in people)

And thanks for adding your own words to God's Word.

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

That verse speaks for it's self and makes the distinction between both.

Dan1988 · Sep 19, 2025

fhansen said:
This part, about God working on our hearts first is true and consistent with the way the Church has understood from the beginning. But it's also understood that this grace is available to all, that some will take it and run with it, others will receive it for a while and then fall back away, while others will refuse the gift altogether: differing grades of soil. Those who hear and understand the word, put it into practice and continue to do so throughout their lives, producing good fruit in the process, are His. As far as our opinions on the matter are concerned, there will be those who didn’t know they were among the elect who’ll find out the end that they are, and others who thought they were, who were not.

The Bible does confirm that Gods sends the rain (and many other good things) to bless believers and unbelievers alike. I think that's called common grace, but only Gods elect receive the gift of saving faith. Those who were not chosen for salvation, before the world was created will never receive saving faith so they will never be saved.

The parable of the soils, confirms that only Gods elect are the good soil. None of the other soils bare any fruit, so they are as good as condemned from the start.
Each of those unbelievers (soils) respond differently to the gospel message, but they all have the same end.
The parable describes those who attempt to receive the blessings that come with conversion, by their good works and their will. But they are doomed to fall away, because they are relying on their own ability, wisdom and strength. They merely add Jesus to their lifestyle and pay Him some lip service and offer the same kind of fruit which Cain offered God.

You suggest that those who hear and understand the word, put it into practice and remain faithful throughout their lives are the good soil. But may I remind you that Gods Word confirms that no such people exist, so if God confirms that they don't exist why do you believe they do.

Romans 3:11-12
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”

If you believe that mankind fell with Adam, and we are born with a fallen carnal nature, then how is a carnal man supposed to respond to spiritual things, while they are foolishness to him. The Bible confirms that we are born dead in sin, so unless God regenerates us, we rema8in dead in sin forever.

Maria Billingsley · Sep 19, 2025

rocknanchor said:
As many as will be perfect, AND?? You are really pulling out of the Apostle's fuller account on the matter. One, Paul had every reason to rest on perfection in Christ as second to none, in which he considered all past tense qualifications ''dung'' and willingly forgot all to press on for the mark of the high calling. Its all there. The babe, the full-age. The carnal element, the spiritual. The Apostle's inclusion of self-admitted faults, the glories of the cross. Its all there and really not that rigorous of a study!

But rest assured of my part, that all may gather at the cross is not some stylistic scheme in which all who hold Him as precious are now deliberately omitted. Again, the truth does not bear this out. And that truth isn't well supportive of confidence in the flesh against under-acheivers.

Who are you to judge another’s servant?
To his own master he stands or falls.
Indeed, he will be made to stand,
for God is able to make him stand.
(Romans 14:4)

Even Paul knew he had to stay the course.
He uses the metaphor of "finishing the race" or "finishing the course" in several passages, most notably in 2 Timothy 4:7, which states: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

johnnypapa · Sep 19, 2025

Christworshiper said:
Hi,

I just recently started my renewal in Christianity and the Catholic faith.

Welcome back! You might be interested in the Rosary in a Year podcast. You can start from the beginning, of course, but days 8 thru 28 are about the prayers of the Rosary with day 22 specifically about the Fatima prayer.

The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Christianity Podcast · Updated Daily · In Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, guides listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray – no matter where you are in your spiritual life. By star…

podcasts.apple.com

Sif · Sep 19, 2025

JulieB67 · Sep 19, 2025

BelieveItOarKnot said:
It's also why sins are not counted against people,

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?

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. 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.

BelieveItOarKnot · Sep 19, 2025

JulieB67 said:
I didn't say he had a flesh body. I said he had a body.

If devils inhabit people, (they do) then who's body is it? The person or the devil's?

I'd suggest the person owns the temple body and God owns the people, as the person can not be driven out. Devils can be driven out. At least in part. Some forms of devils are mandatory for life in the flesh, like what science calls "survival of the fittest." It's actually a demonic inner force in many cases. I know because I have experienced it, in fighting to survive for example.

JulieB67 said:
Is this verse utter nonsense?

John 3:18 "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

He does the saving, he is the way to atonement. But it doesn't mean we don't have to accept him and sin the rest of our lives without a care in the world and expect to be saved. That's nonsense. And not biblical.

You still don't realize that BOTH sides of the statement of John 3:18 applies to everyone. Sad, after all this discussion.
You can't even pick up on a simple premise:

IF mankind and tempter occupy the same body (I know, inner temptation via the tempter is hard for you to come to grips with because it offends you), then the PERSON will be saved and the TEMPTER (or his own) will not be saved.

IF a liar says "I believe" are they telling the truth? It's a famous conundrum and that's what devils do. They LIE. All those voices that say LORD LORD in Jesus famous quote, are devils in those people, speaking.

JulieB67 said:
Who's said anything about devils being reconciled? That's why it's hard to converse with you at times. You continue to make claims that no one has stated, etc. Satan and his are bound for the Lake of Fire period. That's a fact.

The fact that you can not be reconciled to IS the fact is that you still don't seem to get that temptations of the tempter transpire INTERNALLY, in MIND. Where then is the tempter? In people. Jesus gave us literally thousands of examples of this, and most of us have seen it in public every day. We just don't realize how pervasive it is.

Your position is just another typical one sided view of scripture that only hacks out the good stuff and throws the things you don't like or don't want to hear or accept at other people when the reality is, from Jesus Own Words, every Word of God applies to all of us. Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4, Deut. 8:3

So, using John 3:8 as an example:

John 3:18 "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: (this is for people) but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed (this is for devils in people)

in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

It can be funny at times how much denial is involved by believers in this regard. We should all know we think evil lawless thoughts, at least from time to time, and therefore evil does come from within.

Yet many believers will deny to their dying breath that it's not a fact and especially that such thoughts are actually from the tempter. Once you admit that it's TRUE however then both sides of this statement are true for everyone:

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

You see, honest people will eventually come to the conclusion that evil does come from within and therefore that whole statement above applies to THEM.

.

Stopped_lurking · Sep 19, 2025

stevevw said:
No because the provendence is not verified one way or the other. If your talking about the vase that was tested then it certainly has not been shown to be a fake. Its provedence goes back to the 1980s at least.

So its still up in the air. Because it looks and measures so much like the genuine such as those in the Petrie museum which show similar precision it may well be genuine. Here is the vase tested.

View attachment 370269

heres the vases tested from the Petrie museum.

View attachment 370270

There is no doubt that precision vases were found under Djosers pyramid and others in predynatic tombs.

But isn't it just the exact vase that was so painstakingly measured that the writer of unsigned.io now believes to be modern or changed in modern times?

Do we have the measurements for any of the other vases? By eye, they don't seem to contain the same ratios.

Freth · Sep 19, 2025

FireDragon76 said:
I've followed Destiny and never heard him advocate for political violence against conservative people.

Despite the blunt tone Destiny used, I think it's generally true that having Trump in office has indirectly promoted the kinds of political violence we have seen in the past decade. Trump promotes extremist ideas and extremist individuals around him, so it's not surprising that more people feel the symbolic weight of that, a kind of changing of norms that doesn't just change the overton window, it erodes faith in the dependability of institutions.

I gave two examples in post #33 of this very thread.

LoricaLady · Sep 19, 2025

I pray you get that job, or something better and due time.

iluvatar5150 · Sep 19, 2025

Lukaris said:
If the jobs number revisions are an example of statistic issues in other agencies, then there might be reasons for doubt.

That isn’t true. The jobs report gets revised a few times because it’s based on surveys and a lot of the answers come in too late to make it into the first version of the report. The report in the op isn’t based on self-reporting that has to meet a quarterly deadline.

Dan1988 · Sep 19, 2025

NewLifeInChristJesus said:
Wow. I had no idea this is what you meant when you said you judged people.

I only judge professing Christians, as that's what Christians are supposed to do. I have nothing to do with unbelievers, so I never judge them at all. Jesus said the unbelievers are condemned already, so there's no point in me judging them. But believers are supposed to judge each other, by their fruits.

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