We’re so used to seeing the Vatican Flag in our churches, on the internet, and pretty much any place affiliated with the Catholic Church. But have you ever thought about what the flag means? ​

Just like other national flags, the design of the Vatican flag has rich meaning.

As the national flag for Vatican City, this flag is displayed not only in this part of Italy, but also in many Catholic churches, universities, and other Catholic institutions.

The flag is modeled after the flag of the Papal States from the early nineteenth century, and is also referred to as the flag of the Holy See. Many earlier papal flags were red and gold.

The left side of the flag is a rich yellow. The right side is white and features the coat of arms of Vatican City. At the top of the coat of arms is the papal tiara, which was worn by popes from the eighth century to the mid-twentieth century.

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fide said:

Thank you for posting this, Michie. This is a well-written piece, offering much - including a glimpse at the horror capable of a tyrant. I am reminded, and disturbed, by the proverb "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Today's "cancelation culture" of the Disturbers of the Peace by perversion of the judicial system only continue a story that began with the fall in the Garden, the choice of My Will over and against God's. Justice and Truth will triumph; Come Lord Jesus.

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You are very welcome!

Tropical Wilds said:

There’s a big difference between “I don’t like my job, I can’t quit because I need money” and being a slave.

A slave, who has no rights, legally and socially, who can’t vote, who isn’t paid, who is bought and sold like property, with no standardized working day, hours, vacation, health insurance, not even the ability to have kids, family, marriage on their own terms, no retirement, no social security, no unemployment, no ability to own their own property, bank accounts, credit accounts, no education, no higher education, no ability keep their own culture or faith, or leave if they don’t want to be there…

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Let me cover those points:
1. not all types of slaves can be bought and sold.
2. many types of employees do not have standardized working hours or days.
3. Many simply can not afford to take vacations they are entitled to.
3. Many people working multiple part time jobs have no health insurance. Regarding the ability to have kids, the only people that don't are those that are either sterile, or really, really ugly.
4. Many "free" people do not feel they can have kids or a family because they can't afford it and they are too busy trying to make rent.
5. A LOT of people have no retirement
6. Unemployment and social security are a new thing, and not universally available. They are also government provided. i.e. outside the scope of this discussion.
7. Many poor people have no bank account. In fact, it can be harder today than it was 20 years ago. Same for credit accounts.
8. Regarding education, I return to number one above. Not all slaves live under the same conditions - just like employees.
9. Regarding faith, I will give you that one, but with a caveat: When I worked in Seattle, mere mention of my Christian faith could have gotten me fired. Yet when I moved to Kentucky, we had a pizza day at my new job and before we cracked the boxes open, the boss prayed over the meal.
10. I addressed that one in my post before. Employees "technically" can leave, but often times don't "think" they can. And it can be for a myriad of reasons. In my job they called it "golden handcuffs". And what it really means is not that you are rich. It means you make a very good income, but have amassed so much debt for the car, the boat, the McMansion that you CAN'T quit because those kinds of jobs don't grow on trees. So you stay stuck as a ever fattening cubicle rat, quite literally with a "slave" attitude, afraid to say or do anything that might tick people off.

Again, I'm not saying being an employee is EXACTLY like slavery. I'm really saying it is one of the "softer" forms of slavery. After all, nobody is truly a slave to another person unless you don't have the ability to unalive yourself. It's why it is said to not fear him who can kill the body, but fear him who can kill both the body and soul...

Something I've said for well over a decade regarding the US education system: Public schools are a 19th century paradigm that outlived its usefulness in the early 21st century. Their primary purpose today is to supply free daycare for parents that have sold themselves into indentured slavery.

Did you know the Catholic Church is responsible for some foods?

Did you know the Catholic Church is responsible for some foods?

On this episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel, Ryan DellaCrosse, and Father Rich Pagano discuss four foods we owe to the Catholic Church and the history behind them.

1) Coffee ☕​

When coffee was brought back to Europe after the Crusades, it was condemned at first by some clergy as "Satan’s drink." However, after tasting coffee, Scheel explains Pope Clement VIII declared it “so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall cheat Satan by baptizing it.”

Thanks to his blessing, coffee became a beloved beverage for Catholics and spread throughout Europe.

2) Chicken​

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Catholics for Catholics is fighting to bring the Catholic faith back into the public square through rosary rallies, media, political action & more!

In 1960, John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president of the United States. His election proved a watershed moment for Catholics, long accused of being more loyal to the pope than to the American government. Yet, more than 60 years later—and with another self-identified Catholic in the White House, at least for now—many progressives seem possessed by anti-Catholic animus.

In recent “undercover reporting,” a left-wing activistposed as a practicing Catholic to bait Justice Samuel Alito. “I don’t know that we can negotiate with the left in the way that, like, needs to happen for the polarization to end. I think that it’s a matter of, like, winning,” she said. “I think you’re probably right,” Alito replied. “On one side or the other—one side or the other is going to win. I don’t know. I mean, there can be a way of working, a way of living together peacefully, but it’s difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised.”

A predictable media ruckus ensued, but it would be hard to find a person in the United States, religious or otherwise, who wouldn’t agree with Alito’s remarks to some degree. Certainly, the 85 percent of Democratswho believe that abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances would agree. Neither this position nor its opposite suggests a looming theocracy.

The logic behind this exercise in “gotcha” activism echoes anti-Catholic arguments made throughout American history: a Catholic’s beliefs (certain ones, anyway) cannot be separated from his work; therefore, he should not be able to serve in high office. In 2017, California senator Dianne Feinstein told Amy Coney Barrett, during her confirmation hearings for her seat on a U.S. Court of Appeals: “the dogma lives loudly within you.”

What dogma was Feinstein referring to? After all, President Joe Biden and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi claim to be practicing Catholics. Moreover, all five Catholic Supreme Court justices recently ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone could remain available. Perhaps the “dogma” doesn’t live as loudly as some think—or in the way that they think.

This same sort of anti-Catholic hysteria was evident in the online response to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College in May. You’d think that America was on the cusp of a rolling Catholic tide. If anything, the opposite seems true. Only 23 percent of self-identified Catholics attend Mass every Sunday; another 50 percent report attending seldom or never. The Catholic Church has experienced one of the largest declines in regular attendance of any major American religious group over the past two decades.

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Every Christian that is going to get married should have some discernment from the Holy Spirit. He can tell you far more than a lie detector. Christian friends can get a sense too. Too bad many just look at worldly stuff though I will say that a credit report and criminal background check is worth the time.

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — As she talked with the grieving woman, Jan Pierson believed this was another moment when God had led her to where he wanted her to be — which is exactly why the 69-year-old Indiana woman has looked past the challenges and has embraced her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

Ever since beginning the pilgrimage May 18 in New Haven, Connecticut, traveling along the Eastern Seaboard, crossing the Appalachian Mountains and heading across Ohio toward Indianapolis, Pierson has placed her every mile in God’s hands.

“I’m always up for an adventure,” said the member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bloomington, Indiana, a mother of four grown children and 10 grandchildren. “When I found out about the pilgrimage, I thought, ‘Why not? Why not do something with Jesus?’ I was all for it.”

Moments of connection​

She had the same feeling of being all-in when she was approached by a woman during a Eucharistic procession in Connecticut. The woman wanted Pierson’s help in taking a video that showed her participating in the procession, a video the woman wanted to share with her children. That moment led to a deeper one.

“I took the video, and then I told her to double-check it, to make sure it was OK,” Pierson recalled. “She did, and then she started talking with me. She told me her husband had just passed away a few months ago.

“I just looked at her. I said, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m also a widow, but I’ve been a widow a little longer. This coming July, I’ll be a widow for 32 years.’ She just looked at me and said, ‘Can I just hold onto you?’ She just held on to my hand all the way to the end of the procession, to the last church. We walked about 8 miles together. At the end, she said, ‘Thank you. Thank you.'”

Pilgrimage highlights​

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OWENSBORO, Ky. (OSV News) — At age 33, Hasina Omari has survived familial disapproval of her career choices (becoming Afghanistan‘s first female fighter pilot), nearly 370 flight hours of night and weekend missions, and expecting a baby while escaping the Taliban’s takeover of her home country.

Today she is happy to live with her family in Owensboro, where they have been assisted by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Owensboro while resettling in the United States, safely out of danger.

A dream takes flight​

Ever since she was a child growing up in Afghanistan, Omari wanted to become a jet pilot. And throughout her childhood, her family and friends affirmed this idea.

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INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — This spring Deacon Tom Hosty and his son Liam made history, becoming the first father and son to both be deacons at the same time in the 190-year history of the Catholic Church in central and southern Indiana.

Deacon Tom, 60, was ordained a permanent deacon for the Indianapolis Archdiocese in 2022, and Liam, 26, was ordained a transitional deacon as an archdiocesan seminarian April 27 at St. Barnabas Church in Indianapolis, with his ordination to the priesthood expected to happen in June of 2025.

Ahead of Liam’s ordination, in a March interview with The Criterion, the archdiocesan newspaper, neither of them had given much thought to the history they were making. Their hearts and minds were focused instead on matters that were more important to them — their relationship as father and son and their shared desire to serve Christ and the church.

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That's so awesome!

Peace in Christ.

MANY that are first (the first group of believers in Christ who have and are being deceived and led down the broad way to their mortal destruction) shall be LAST…..that is, shall be raised up in the resurrection AT the last day.

They do not have “eternal life”…that is, an age-lasting life because of the massive deception of false prophets. They mortally perish for the rest of this age (not having an age-lasting life) but will be resurrected AT THE LAST DAY. Christ is Lord of both the dead (the first group) and the living (the last group).

The dead have not heard the truth of the gospel as the false prophets that they are listening to are not preaching it to them. They are the “corruptible” who will put on incorruption AT the last day. They perish mortally....they are sown in dishonor and in weakness because of listening and following false prophets.

The last group of believers in Christ and who are the first to believe in His testimony of the truth of the gospel ( Ephesians 1:12-14 ) shall be “first”…that is, shall experience the resurrection (the standing up) NOW in this mortal body ….living TO THE LAST DAY.

They experience the “firstfruits” resurrection now…standing up until the redemption of the mortal body that will be had at the “last trump”.

Mat 19:30 KJV
(30) But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Every man shall be made alive in his own order.

The last group of believers in Christ who will believe His Word of Truth shall experience the resurrection NOW in this mortal body. They are “Christ the firsfruits”. They are kept standing here on this earth in their mortal bodies for the duration of this age.

The dead shall be raised again at His coming.

1Co 15:22-23 KJV
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

The MANY (the first) are being led astray from the Way that leads to an age-lasting life. That is why we must be “aware of false prophets” who come to us in sheep’s clothing as they take away our inheritance: an age-lasting life (aka “eternal life”) to be had now in this present, evil age.

If they lead us to our mortal destruction, then we are to be resurrected AT THE LAST DAY. In the meantime, we suffer an age-lasting death from this earth until then.

Mat 7:12-15 KJV
(12) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
(13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

The “MANY” are called but the “few” are chosen to inherit an age-lasting life.

But if we are of the last (the “few”), we find the Way that leads to an age-lasting life now.

The last…the few…are Christ the firstfruits who experience the “first resurrection” now in this mortal body where they NEVER DIE mortally and live TO THE LAST DAY where their mortal bodies shall then put on immortality.

(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

But Christ died for both groups of believers: The many (the first) and the last (the few).

The Lord is Lord of both THE DEAD (the “many” who had perished in their mortal bodies) and the LIVING (those who experience the resurrection now and NEVER DIE). Christ BOTH died and rose and revived so that His sacrifice will bring to life the dead who perished in their mortal bodies from this earth and the living who never mortally die. If we live (the living), we live unto the Lord...and if we die, we die unto the Lord.

The "living" though NEVER DIE mortally.

Rom 14:7-9 KJV
(7) For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
(8) For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
(9) For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Jesus makes a distinction between both groups to Martha.

Joh 11:23-27 KJV
(23) Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
(24) Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Though one may mortally perish (die), he shall live as that persons resurrection shall happen AT THE LAST DAY. The first shall be last. Everyman in his own order shall be made alive.

(25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (though he dies), yet shall he live:

AND whosoever LIVES (not dying) and believes in Him shall NEVER DIE…into the age. They will never mortally die as they will continue to live out the rest of the age (living TO THE LAST DAY) as they will experience the “first resurrection” now.

(26) And whosoever lives and believeth in me shall never die- into the age. Believest thou this?
(27) She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

This distinction is made again in John 6 where Jesus states that He shall lose nothing. The “dead”…the many…shall be raised up again AT THE LAST DAY. They do not have an age-lasting life but will be raised up in the resurrection at the last day. The first group does not have an age-lasting life.

Joh 6:39-40
(39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

But those who will see the Son (understanding His testimony of the truth of the gospel) and believes on Him shall have an AGE-LASTING life and He will raise him up TO THE LAST DAY. The second group does have an age-lasting life.

(40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting (age-lasting) life: and I will raise him up to the last day.

Think of both groups belonging to Esau (the many…the dead) and to Jacob (the few…the living).

The “elder” (Hebrew: “rab” = “abundant” or “many) shall serve the “younger” (Hebrew: tsâ‛ı̂yr = “little” or “few”). We have two manner/gatherings of people: the many (the “first” who are of the “Esau” group) and the few (who are of the “Jacob” group).

Gen 25:23 KJV
(23) And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Jacob was a “plain man”…that is, a COMPLETE man…DWELLING IN TENTS or tabernacles. We, who are “in the Jacob group” shall also dwell in our earthly tabernacle….our earthly mortal bodies. The last shall be first to experience the resurrection now in this mortal body. Those who are in the Jacob group are the living as they will continue to live in their earthly tabernacles as Jacob dwelt in tabernacles.

Gen 25:27 KJV
(27) And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

We….who are the “Jacob” group (the last)…shall inherit “eternal life” (that those who are of Esau gave up)…an age-lasting life and also the blessings:

Gen 27:28-29 KJV
(28) Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
(29) Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Jesus....the Deliverer...shall turn away ungodliness FROM JACOB (and not Esau). He will come and deliver us out of this present evil age by giving us who are in the Jacob group an age-lasting life (continuing dwelling in our earthly tabernacles...our mortal bodies).

Rom 11:26 KJV
(26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

A tense election in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on 30 June ended with the enthronement of Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin as the new metropolitan of Sofia and patriarch of all Bulgaria, giving the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow an apparent ally as the church and its sponsor, Vladimir Putin, look to strengthen its influence in the Balkans.

A 52-year-old former monk, Daniil was elected by just three votes over his main competitor, Metropolitan Grigori of Vratsa, by the 140 lay and clerical delegates on the church's electoral council. At 52, just two years older than the minimum age church law allows for the Patriarch, Daniil will likely hold the post for many years.

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Roman57 said:

I am not sure why some Christians don't believe in global warming.

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I'd rather believe in God's promises-

Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

This promise still remains true to this day no matter what the fear mongers have spouted out through the years.

I don't believe the average person in their every day life affects the climate one way or the other. It changes on it's own. Should we take care of the earth? Yes, of course but this promise from God tells me that until the end of this world/age (we don't know when that might be) and while the earth remaineth the climate will go on as much as it always has and we will still have seed time and harvest, cold and heat, and summers and winters. So even if something like that were possible which I don't believe, the end will come before something like that would happen. I certainly don't think it's something to fear or worry about as so many would want us to while they have no problem as someone else said using their private jets, yachts etc-, leaving a far bigger carbon footprint in one day than the average person would leave in their entire lifetime.

Emitting pollution in the air is certainly awful, I agree, especially when it concerns health, etc. But I trust God and his promises about the climate.

Heavenly Father, we pray You will protect and be with everyone through this hurricane, especially Your children. May Your Will be done, in the Name of Jesus. Amen and Amen.

HTacianas said:

The current White House has a history of calling on pre-selected reporters during press conferences and other outlets have a history of providing the White House with interview questions in advance.

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Link?

dhanrajmane586 said:

So here is the thing, I reverted to Christianity in late 2023 in a serious manner and this question has been bothering me ever since. Are we allowed to do what I said in the thread title? And adding to that, are we allowed to care for idolaters in Christianity? Would appreciate answers that are backed by verses from the scripture. Thanks.

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Idolatry is a sin .... we are never to take the side of sin. We are to point people to Jesus ... they are either open to it or not.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 New Century Version (NCV)I am writing to tell you that you must not associate with those who call themselves believers in Christ but who sin sexually, or are greedy, or worship idols, or abuse others with words, or get drunk, or cheat people. Do not even eat with people like that.

Guys, after linking the AI on my computer to a downloaded Catechism, and a downloaded Church History book, this has supercharged the AI's understanding of the Catholic Catechism.

The Catechism provides a glimpse into the practices and beliefs of the early Christian Church as well as the present-day Church. Let's take a look at the connections between these documents and church history using the Apostles' Creed, which is mentioned in both texts:

1. In Nick R. Needham - 2000 Years of Christ's Power, Vol. 1, we see that Cyril's Catechetical Lectures were based on the Creed of Jerusalem, which is almost identical to the Apostles’ Creed (see Chapter 4, section 2). This connection shows us that the beliefs and practices outlined in these texts have deep roots in early Christianity.
2. In The Fatima Center - Catholic Catechism, we find a reference to the Apostles' Creed as one of the essential parts of Christian faith (see page 16 under section 4). This connection demonstrates that the beliefs and practices outlined in both texts are consistent with those established by the early Church.

As for Bible verses, here are some examples of passages that reinforce these connections:

• Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This verse underscores the importance of baptism, which is a central theme in both texts.
• Ephesians 4:3-6 - "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." This passage emphasizes the importance of unity within the Church, a theme reflected in The Fatima Center - Catholic Catechism (see section 16).
• Hebrews 12:2 - "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." This verse reinforces the importance of following Christ's teachings as a rule of life (see The Fatima Center - Catholic Catechism, Chapter VIII).

These connections demonstrate that the beliefs and practices outlined in both texts have deep roots in early Christianity and are supported by Bible verses.

Sources:

If our enduring salvation is up to our choices rather than of God's power with the promises from God, our salvation is believed to be of works. Promise of our salvation is from God though with just our response to what is revealed to us with repentance with which there is essential faith. True believers who are with this are who God gives true lasting salvation, that they have everlasting life then, in Christ. Though there will be hard things to go through with which we mature, there will not be any falling away with God working with them with their repentant faith. God knows the end from the beginning and is not wrong about who is really saved.

The Liturgist said:

Since I was about seven or eight years old I’ve always reckoned that if I live to 2050, any time after that is pure bonus time.

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That is alright. We should accept our mortality, cos we will live forever in Heaven.

chevyontheriver said:

‘Cause otherwise they will end up as Europistan. Islam can be very inviting to post-Christian’s who feel they have nothing to live for. They fill a void.

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Yeah, so true sadly.

Victory Way 2

So the scripture says in Col 3:13 that we are to show forbearance towards one another in LOVE. What's forbearance? It means to hold up with, to bear with or I could put it this way....to graciously even to put up with people whether at times you feel like it or not. That can take us back to the Commandment of LOVE Jn 15:12 God has given to each of us. Hang in there, or keep working with people without freaking out, or falling apart like a cheap two dollar watch.

One might say, "Well I don't feel like it." but I can imagine Jesus appearing in front of one such one and telling them lovingly but boldly, "Stop, stop, STOP! Where did you ever read in my word that you always get to do things you always feel like doing? I said endeavor so guess what? Keep endeavoring and after you've done some of that do it again and again until I tell you to stop." One might say, "Well it's hard Lord it hard!" His response might be "Didn't I say in my WORD at there may be times when you might have to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ? 2 Tim 2:3

Don't collapse into yielding to the flesh but to stand fast in the LOVE of God. Eph 4:2 states, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." The next scripture I think should be pasted on the doorway of every Christian assembly regardless of how well we even do this. It's something we always need reminded of ,
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph 2:3 Always easy to do? Nope!

As for me can't say that it is. We keep in mind though that if we do have our daily fellowship with the Lord at the day's start, with devotions and many do this in different ways one most certainly does have a capacity not to be bothered by what should be considered low level agitations.

Even with being in the best spiritual shape however....no ....not always easy to ENDEAVOUR. As modern lingo says some people may tick you off, get your goat, rub you the wrong way but God says to us all, "HEY....KEEP ENDEAVOURING don't set that aside! Be a part of the solution for the world with my LOVE flowing through you and not be part of the problem.

HTacianas said:

More smoke and mirrors. Skip to 2:45 in the video.

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And apparently she has now lost her job after revealing the above details of the interview.