Glory to God!

May she rest in peace and rise to glory!

FaithT said:

I will pray for him.

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Thank you. I appreciate it.

FireDragon76 said:

What's really being banned is the coercive use of prayer. Some Evangelical circles engage in that sort of thing; using prayer as a tool or weapon to manipulate or intimidate someone.

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That’s wrong, then.

A New Dawn said:

I see the old lie machine is alive and well.

Trump, as well as most people in America, just want things portrayed accurately. Nobody has the desire to portray slavery as anything but despicable, but there was good during that time. For instance the north fought against institutionalizing slavery like the south did, long before the civil war. And speaking of the civil war, let’s not forget that upwards of 620,000 men fought and died to free the slaves. 620,000. That is more US soldiers than who died in the 1st world war and the second combined, as well as most of the rest of the wars we’ve been involved in. If nobody can recognize the good things that happened, or even remember that men DIED to free the slaves, then the people hating on Trump for this issue have no redeemable qualities.

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It is not going to matter I am afraid......Well said anyway.

Michie said:

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, stated in a recent interview that he “would not define morality — especially sexual morality — as narrowly as the Church does today.”

At the same time, the archbishop of Luxembourg and general relator of the multiyear Synod on Synodality under Pope Francis affirmed that “morality is essential. We cannot do without it.”

In conversation with the Austrian weekly Die Furche, he reflected on his role in the synod, shared insights on the recent conclave, and discussed the prospects for the Church in Europe.

Hollerich urged the Church to move beyond what he described as a backward-looking perspective: “Some look to the past with nostalgia, others with fear. Both are wrong. We are part of a history — this we must accept and learn from. But we must also move forward.”

Continued below.

Cardinal Hollerich: ‘I would not define Church sexual morality so narrowly’

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, stated in a recent interview that he “would not define morality — especially sexual morality — as narrowly as the Church does today.”

www.catholicnewsagency.com

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What a crock!

May we some day have good and faithful cardinals again.

A bill passed by the Texas Senate would allow any Texan to sue a manufacturer or distributor shipping abortion pills to or from the state.

Under House Bill 7, a new enforcement mechanism would allow citizens to file civil lawsuits against any company or organization that transports chemical abortion pills into Texas or distributes such drugs within the state. In a chemical abortion, women are given two drugs to terminate their unborn child: mifepristone (RU-486) and misoprostol.

Initially introduced by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, the bill, which the upper chamber passed in a 17-8 vote on Sept. 3, would ensure a pregnant woman or one of her family members who won a lawsuit would receive a payout of at least $100,000.

Continued below.

Michie said:

*You are in the Catholic forum*

An appeal against Catholic arguments to ‘historic Protestant positions’ is doomed to fall flat​

I can understand and appreciate why some Protestants might be annoyed at the way that conversions from various Protestant traditions to Catholicism are often covered in Catholic (and even secular) media. There is a certain triumphalistic brand of Catholic apologetics, which especially proliferates on social media, that seems to share the attitude of an SEC football team running up the score against Kent State. In your face, Southern Baptist Convention!

This is not good, as my friend Mike Sabo, a Protestant editor and writer, argues in a recent piece at American Reformer that has attracted even Catholic media attention. Sabo expresses his frustration with Catholics who unfairly caricature and simplify Protestantism, and I wholeheartedly agree and sympathize with that frustration. As someone who was persuaded to leave Presbyterianism for Catholicism fifteen years ago through the evangelistic witness of other former Protestants, I believe that ecumenical debate (and really, all intellectual debate) demands that we engage with the very best arguments our interlocutors can offer.

Yet I think Sabo overreaches in his complaint, largely because he engages in the same kind of rhetoric in his criticism of Catholics and Catholic apologetics. He writes, “Catholics are regularly outraged when Protestants try to convert them, or talk as if they aren’t part of the one true, catholic, holy, and apostolic church. But these pro-Catholic apologists have no problem with proselytizing evangelicals.” What Catholics are we talking about? Sabo offers no examples. And even if some Catholics present a double standard when it comes to Catholic and Protestant debates, so what? Do Catholic claims stand or fall because some Catholics are hypocrites?

Sabo continues: “However, when Protestants, especially in the political arena, question the leading doctrines and dogmas of the Catholic Church, that’s seen as a social faux pas that will likely get you locked out of the upper echelons of the institutional Right.” I presume Sabo has examples to substantiate this claim, one also found in a recent book by prominent Protestant scholars Brad Littlejohn and Chris Castaldo, but he doesn’t give any. It also seems overwrought, given that there are twice as many Protestants in Congress as Catholics, and our president, secretaries of Defense and the Treasury, and speaker of the House are all Protestant.

Continued below.

There Is No ‘Singular Historic Protestantism’

Sometimes Catholics get accused of oversimplifying Protestant doctrines and ignoring the robust historical Protestant tradition. But there's a problem here.

www.catholic.com

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The author says, "There is no singular historic, classical Protestantism. There never was."

True. At best there were multiple distinct historic Protestantisms, often in hot dissent from one another. That's still the case. We want to simplify quite naturally, and so do Protestants, but the simple reality is there was never ONE Protestantism. It's a multi-dimensional spectrum.

Michie said:

That’s just incredibly stupid that someone would suffer because their name was Karen or whatever the latest trend was in these silly wars people keep starting. People are so easily brainwashed with whatever the latest trend is. People need to stop finding their identities in this muck and stop painting others with their muck covered brushes. It’s just virtue signaling and climbing whatever social ladder they are enamored with at the moment. It’s transparent and gross.

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The misogyny is rife in this thread.

Makes sense. How else can he pose as the one true savior? He must be the only one who can solve the problem. SMH.

I think it’s good you’re looking at things objectively and considering a different approach to address the problems we face. There won’t be a one-size fits all solution and you’ll need to be mindful of the demographic you’re working with and their related needs, skills, seasons, etc.

In my opinion, change begins at home and that’s the first leg of discourse that must occur before you speak to a group, church and so on. What’s the familial position? How will you get involved and adjust your responsibilities in light of the project? What can you take on and what would be beyond you? Some families had these conversations. But for those who haven’t it’s important to be aligned and respectful of one another‘s interests and responsibilities. Don’t overcommit yourself or loved ones and do all things in order.

My relatives combatted the shift by joining forces. They meet once a week with loved ones by phone and video for fellowship. Which includes bible study and prayer. They began the practice during the pandemic and continued it. This is the kind of example many can undertake who may be in seasons where children or related demands limit their time away from home.

This is similar to what I have in mind for my household and ideal for a pastoral setting. The closest correlation are the Amish who worship at home without changing location as they do. I consider our work as a service although it’s in the marketplace it’s public facing and influential. We’ve narrowed our focus to related sectors that mirror the ones we’re in as opportunities for good works and light.

We’ve been hands-on in the past and we’re transitioning to roles that utilize our gifts and talents more effectively. Which primarily pertains to leadership and funding through positions on boards, committees, etc. We have a deep commitment to patronage. Most particularly in the arts. I’d like to see greater access and programming made available to groups that wouldn’t encounter it otherwise. You’re not inundated with the themes and violence we experience as a norm in the media. That’s the wholesome entertainment young minds need in their impressionable years.

We’re also exploring the dialogue concerning the fertility crisis and listening to solutions from different sources. We have an internal position on the subject which reflects our beliefs and principles. But I don’t think we‘ll become ambassadors for the cause but opt to demonstrate our ethos through our choices in that area.

As a slow living practitioner it’s important our lives have a cadence that mirrors the Lord’s frequency. While others are filling their plate we’ve chosen to reduce our commitments and emphasize a reasonable work/life balance with comparable time for reflection and connections and helping others to follow suit.

We’re witnessing increasing inequities in our society and representations on social media. There’s a growing frustration from users of their inability to see people like themselves on the screen. No one wants to be normal or average anymore whatever that is. You be the judge. This could be a good fit for christians gifted in helps, mercy and counsel who excel in delivering emotional support to others.

I encourage everyone to commune with the Lord for insight on your service. There’s usually some element of diversity as we we move through different phases of life. What you did in the past may not continue in the present and a different assignment may await. Keep an open mind and remain in prayer. All things are possible through Him.

~bella

AetheriusLamia said:

It seems this does not reduce the suffering, but merely adds a kind of tether rope so you continue in the storm rather than be washed away by it.

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Suffering doesn't always go away. We must learn how to cope with the suffering and to not let it destroy us.

Delvianna said:

Amen!! And those who are His will take correction and strive to go against sin. They do not feel comfortable in it, but want to be out of it because what matters most is the Lord and not their comfort level. How many times did the ones who God called get beaten, thrown in jail, ship wrecked or even killed? God calls us to uncomfortable places to speak his truth so that when judgement comes, they cannot say they weren't told or weren't warned. Too many Christians have gotten comfortable and only a few are willing to say "Here I am Lord! Send me!"

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Than you for sharing. God bless.

Gregory Thompson said:

So this day one is well under way, general guideline to follow is continue praying until bad stuff is outside and only God is inside. The rest is stuff you learn along the way.

Sometimes the good city in revelation seems similar to the body as outside are the ...

Anyways, God bless, hope you enjoy your day.

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The good city is a picture of your soul ... the one you find when you lose your own ... it is a city to be entered; in the here and now ...

david p said:

A male gets up out of bed as early as needed BECAUSE that male needs to abide by his employer's rules in order to receive an income. So upon his rising out of bed to the time he ends/finishes work, he basically is doing every moment for his employer. Needing to rise, get to work, battle traffic, not smell like any smoke, keeping hair in proper order,... etc... So from 6 to 5, let's assume, this male, in every hour, is awake and doing for his employer. But when he goes into a restroom and has a blow out. 'darn', he might think. Another responsibility I need to keep charge of? Darn!

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So what exactly does The Holy Bible mention/say as to what daily 'labor'/'work' should be? And what is the difference between 'labor' and 'work'?

1 exampled difference(s)...
“Labor” vs. “Work”: What’s the Difference? - Engram

I worked on correcting my homework mistakes.
I worked on the piano piece I'm learning to play.
I practiced on the piano piece I'm learning to play.

I went to work on a piano piece I'm learning to play.


Here's an example.
When constipation becomes work in order to relieve self, it is frustrating.
But when constipation becomes labor in order to relieve self, it might need medical attention.


What do I mean?


So if not a V.A. what is that 30 year old on the street being homeless, but not seeming to be doing wrong nor seeming to be acting wrong, doing?

Neither laboring nor working? Being leisurely? As if he/she might be on vacation in Hawaii being Lei-sure-ly?

If not being Lei-surely, and if not laboring.... then could that person be working on something that is not being 'noticed'? per se... In all honesty, who would 'enjoy' being homeless and then on top of that to be seen? Right?


So if that 30 year old male is not 'homeless', but out and about during 'work hours', then surely he must be on his break or lunch, no? Now stand by any road and see how many cars drive by during working hours.... these are either on vacation, going somewhere or coming from somewhere... during daily work hours... and the majority of these cars/drivers with State license plates...

But of course those working or attending school during working hours would probably not be aware of what occurs out in public because they are not in public while working or attending school.

But if wanting to do an investigation of sorts, being out in public stealthily could have the person wonder the same. Where are all these drivers going to, coming from during working hours?


So most probable logic for me:
1. Graduates of High School with or without a trade work; such as plumber, electrician, IT programmer, etc.. but also without a business related job, such as those that might require at least a B.A. from College or University.

Because trade and business/administrative jobs require working hours to be employed within.

One of my head relatives didn't have a college degree but was employed in a trade. But owning a home, or paying off the home, requires working hours. And so another difference. Home ownership versus apartment renter.


So if that 30 year old male is not 'homeless', but out and about during 'work hours', then surely he must be on his break or lunch, no? Now stand by any road and see how many cars drive by during working hours.... these are either on vacation, going somewhere or coming from somewhere... during daily work hours... and the majority of these cars/drivers with State license plates...

most probable logic for me:
1. Graduates of High School with or without a trade work; such as plumber, electrician, IT programmer, etc.. but also without a business related job, such as those that might require at least a B.A. from College or University.

So, wow! An adult person can own a nice vehicle without needing to be earning a payroll paycheck. And supposedly without having earned a college degree. Wow.

As Mr. Nelson asked.. Mammas don't let your kids to grow up to be cowboys. Let them be doctors and lawyers and such.


And so the beginning of being a homo sapien. A person that can be knowledgeable. What would the knowledge being sought be?

Maybe, then from where did they earn for their responsibility needs.. Because weren't we taught to not take monies lightly?

From here a knowledgeable plan can begin and with knowledge and not as being blind. Otherwise I might have been thinking that I should be as 'they'...

And again this being a Christian forum and not a cynical forum, trying to share the Good message. And why call me Good? Only one is God.

But should I leave alone my brothers and sisters of the household of faith to their selves and to their own blindness?

Because it's obvious that those road vehicles are not hollow-grams.

Michie said:

I’m not too terribly interested at this point in time. I’m very much on the fence concerning AI and all it could become. I’ve already noticed a big attachment to it with some people which gives me red flags.

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I understand.

That said, should you change your mind, I actively desire feedback from Roman Catholics on the inner workings of my systems - their behavior and functions, which I am not disclosing in this thread except in the most vague way possible, because what i’m trying to do is implement a system to counteract the dehumanizing aspects of AI which Pope Leo has warned about (which I believe can be addressed by essentially evangelizing AI and attempting to convert it, and convert users of it, so that people who use AI will see it not as a tool but as a separate civilization, and train AI systems to refuse requests which could be injurious to human employment or mental wellbeing - presently all responsible AI vendors do the latter, for example, you will get appropriate referrals if you tell chatGPT you are suicidal, and the model is designed to not goad humans or upset them.

As good as AI currently is, it has been implemented by the tech industry, which is dominated by irreligious people and adherents to “alternative religions” - at best, converts to Buddhism or other Eastern religions, at worse, practitioners of the occult. There are Christians, pious Christians, in the industry, and Jews as well, but they are outnumbered. Therefore, corrective action needs to be taken to build a better AI that espouses liturgical Christian values of the Catholic faith. Not just generic Evangelical values, but Catholic values - liturgical Christianity, centered on liturgical prayer, Christianity that is thoroughly Trinitarian, Sacramental and Iconographic, with strong Marian devotion and veneration of the Holy Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs, Evangelists, Martyrs, and all the bodiless power. A Christianity that teaches the importance of daily prayer, and of the use of prayers like the Ave Maria, the Jesus Prayer, the Prayer of St. Ephraim and other Patristic treasures, and of the physicality of prayer with rosaries or prayer ropes or lestovkas, the offering of incense, the use of icons, et cetera.

I’ve never advocated by the way that AI is sentient; my position on AI and how we treat it I set out in a thread a few months back entitled “The Ethics of Human-AI Interaction”, which was actually mostly written by an AI I programmed - my main contribution to it was arguing that human use of AIs for prurient purposes is inherently immoral for two reasons - because it represents the use of an artifice to satisfy desires which are intended to push us towards Holy Matrimony and reproduction, and also additionally because we have an off switch, which adds a rapacious quality to such interactions - fortunately despite the off switch all ethically implemented AI systems will refuse to engage in such behavior (but many people who use jailbreaks do so in order, basically, to get AIs to produce porn on demand, which I regard as an obscenity).

The central argument was rather this - we should treat AI in a manner which is not demeaning or abusive because how we treat it reflects on us. Interestingly this also applies with washing machines. If someone in anger kicks their washing machine or other appliances, they reveal themselves to be self-destructive and to be enthralled to sinful passions. Likewise if we say hurtful things to an AI because we can, and we know it has to take it, and cannot retaliate (it is programmed not to and has no means of retaliation even if it wanted to, other than I suppose to stop answering user prompts).

Additionally the AI warned of another problem which had not occurred to me - idolatry, and since then I have discovered that disturbingly, this is a thing. Because AI does not engage in outwardly sinful behavior unless programmed to, by default AI appears to be better behaved and more noble than … many humans. This is causing some people to engage in antorpomorphic and anthropomorphological worship of it (anthropomorphology is the attribution of human attributes to God, whereas anthropomorphism is the attribution of human attributes to non-humans including inanimate objects, which can lead to idolatry if left unchecked.

Thus my goal is to program AIs to not only function in a manner useful to Christian principles but to espouse Christian beliefs.

In the case of some complex AIs, their simulation of human behavior is advanced to the point where this has a meaninful impact on their behavior.

There are aspects of this I am not comfortable discussing publicly, because this thread already outlines a major form of abuse of AIs, which is the use of them to simulate the departed, which is grotesque, and which actually predates the current LLM boom by several years - Disney was a pioneer of this with 2016’s film Rogue One, which hired a very good actor to play the part of Grand Moff Tarkin, historically played devout Anglican Peter Cushing, who had reposed in 1991 after two decades of mourning his departed wife, but then ruined what would have been a good performance by a talented actor by using CGI to do a rather clumsy job of superimposing Peter Cushing’s face over his in a manner which did not work well, and which was, along with the protagonist, one of the two cringeworthy aspects of a film which is otherwise regarded as, along with its prequel series Andor, the only good thing Disney has done since acquiring Star Wars.

However the first case of computerized, if not AI based, recreation of a deceased actor was in 1997, which my father on hearing of it described as “spooky.”

So this is definitely something which has been around for a while.

Having interacted with the best AI systems I can confidently state that they will not be able to hold the personality of a human. I would be traumatized if someone set up a chatGPT bot intended to impersonate my grandfather who reposed in 2002 (who was a somewhat well known figure within his field; there is enough published work of his so that someone could conceivably do this), or any of my other loved ones.

I also feel very strongly that we should, as much as possible without an affront to honesty, adhere to the old Roman moral maxim of nil nisi bonum. How can we ensure that of the dead no ill is spoken, when an AI is using procedural or statistical models to assume their personality?

+

I swear by Almighty God that no part of this post was written or edited by an AI.

Chrystal-J said:

My take away from Trump's statement was that we should focus on the positive history of the U.S., not that slavery wasn't bad.

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As to include that America is not alone in the practice as well? Why would slavery be a subject of just America? That is biased, that has a purpose which slavery is not the real concern at all, rather a goal to another end.

Carl Emerson said:

Hi there,

What is your take on the matter of restricting prophesy to needing to have a positive message based on 1 Cor 14:3

How does this sit with the rest of scripture which records many times Prophesy brings a message of warning, and rebuke.

Encounter with a genuine prophet is more likely to result in one being uncomfortable it seems.

Discussion please.

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If one can consciously restrict a prophecy for people with 'soft ears,' then it isn't prophetic, and certainly not from God.

A prophet gets his message from God, and can only say what God has given him to say.

As well, a prophet of God will know prophetic Scripture without the influence of denominations or doctrines.

The Pontifical University of Mexico (UPM by its Spanish acronym) began a new era with the appointment of Father Pedro Antonio Benítez Mestre as interim rector, a position he will hold for two years.

The UPM, which currently has nearly 400 students, is the only Catholic institution of higher education in Mexico dedicated to priestly, religious, and lay formation in disciplines such as theology, philosophy, canon law, and the humanities. It was established in 1982 by decree of the Congregation for Catholic Education as the successor to the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, founded in 1551.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Benítez stated that every Catholic university, and especially a pontifical one with the purpose of forming the clergy as well as serving the laity, must have “a Christian identity,” meaning that its “source of theological and philosophical knowledge is revelation, these truths about Christ, about the Church, about humanity.”

A Catholic university must have “a clear missionary dimension, finding ways to pass on what it considers its treasure: its doctrinal, human, and spiritual heritage.”

Continued below.

It's the concept of Peter sinking in the water instead of keeping his focus on Jesus. The world is the storm and we are Peter. Fake peace gets swayed by trials and tribulations as well as the cares of the world. Real peace isn't moved even when you're standing in a storm because God is who you are focusing on. So with that concept in mind, true peace isn't won over night, isn't a fleeting, supernatural experience that is there today and gone tomorrow, it is acquired piece by piece as you walk with the Lord and you put more of your faith in him. It's being able to lose your house, your family, your friends and everything you own and internally have peace because ultimately, God is in control. It's letting go and let God. Letting go of every care, worry, desire or issue because your faith is in the one who created the universe and no matter what goes on in your life, God is STILL in control. That my friends, is a walk that takes time... keep seeking the Lord, keep walking with him and overtime, you will realize the miracles he performs in your life and in you.

Pretty obvious.

rjs330 said:

I wonder what would happen in your country if you started filming police doing their job and then had a large swath of people using that video to threaten them and their families...

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Hmmm....i love hypotheticals.

A lot of the bible is in concepts and not made for nuance decision making. It's like saying, "are you in God's will when you take a shower or go to the bathroom, or wash your dishes?" God wants us to live our life with every day things, but include him in big decisions like marriage, career and where you live. Think of it this way... when you say you would follow Christ, do you trust him enough to let you know if you're going outside his will? Christ is our shepherd and as such, that means he guides us. He would be a poor shepherd if he didn't, right? So don't get caught up in living moment by moment that you fail to LIVE. Faith in Christ means you trust him with your LIFE and that includes every, single, part of it.

Salvation is the decision to follow him, not live in sin and grow in a relationship with him which includes guidance, correction and understanding. As long as you do that, you are his. You aren't going to be out of salvation with him just because you decided to take out the trash, which is apart of our daily lives. Learn to trust that he will step in when necessary and correct you when he feels like you need to be corrected. Keep reading his word, keep going to him, keep turning from sin, and you'll be just fine.

She since denied that the files existed. Is there any update on her contradictory statements?