Wonderful news.

Companies were trying all kinds of illegal ways to deny religious exemptions, in addition to making employees jump through hoops to get through the application process in the first place. It's good to see one being held accountable.

Good News Translation, Is 54:

4 Do not be afraid--you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated. You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife, and your desperate loneliness as a widow.

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How was Israel a widow?

Genesis 38:

6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.

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Tamar's first husband died. Onan was supposed to fulfill his duty as her brother-in-law and impregnate her. But he did not do a good job.

10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.

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Tamar's second husband also died.

11a Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow [H490] in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.”

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as a widow
אַלְמָנָ֣ה (’al·mā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

H490 refers to a technical widow, meaning her husband had died. Two verses later:

13 When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14a she took off her widow’s [H491] clothes

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her widow’s
אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ (’al·mə·nū·ṯāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 491: A widow, widowhood

Now, this Hebrew word is slightly different from the earlier one. It refers to the state of being a widow.

Elsewhere in 2 Samuel 20:

3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows [H491].

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David was still alive. These women were technically not widows. So most Bibles translate this Hebrew word to "as widows", referring to the state of widowhood.

The same H491 appears in Isaiah 54:

4“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

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God was Israel's husband. He didn't die. "Widowhood" here means the livelihood of a widow or the state of widowhood. The rest of the context bears this out:

6 The Lord will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7“For a brief moment I abandoned you,

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Was Israel a widow?

Not exactly. Israel lived like a widow for a while because she was treated like an abandoned wife by her husband/God. H491 means the state of being a widow or widowhood. It could be used literally to mean her husband has died or metaphorically to mean her husband has not died but has abandoned her.

Genesis 1:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

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When did God speak these waters into existence?

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

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The non-physical dark earth and the dark waters already existed before God spoke light into being. Can these be related to what physicists call dark matter and dark energy?

CERN:

Unlike normal matter, dark matter does not interact with the electromagnetic force. This means it does not absorb, reflect or emit light.

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The meaning of waters was shifting.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

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The dark waters above the expanse belonged to the spiritual realm.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”

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The watery materials under the expanse belonged to the physical realm.

And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

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At this point, the "waters" was H₂O.

The term waters seems to refer to some kind of primordial hazy matter in the beginning and its meaning became more and more definite in later verses. The Bible seems to be using this term to refer to different states or manifestations of primordial materials, transitioning from an initial chaotic, formless state to the defined physical waters and land.

Puff piece. Once you've seen the real thing, and even worse, the real person, you don't want any more propaganda.
I think when I watched Amazon Prime and learned how he sued NYC to avoid property taxes on Trump Tower for 40 years because a Central Park East Side address was not a slum in need of rehabilitation...and I realized how he had robbed New Yorkers--me, my family, my friends--of billions...I saw the utter emptiness of a soul that can exist when there is no empathy or goodness.
No puff pieces for this victim of his tax ripoff.
Can he change? Not without confession of guilt and full restitution.

Job routinely prayed for his children. Job 1:

5b He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed [H1288] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

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Speaking or thinking about God negatively was a sin but it was forgivable by burnt offerings.

Satan accused Job:

9 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

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This cursing was more serious: Curse God to God's face directly and defiantly. This was more like blasphemy by denouncing God publicly.

Did it mean to call God a bad word or did it mean Job would say he no longer wants to serve God?

It was more toward the latter. Job 1:5 illustrates a concern for internal faithfulness and righteousness, while Job 1:11 highlights an external challenge to loyalty and integrity in the face of adversity.

ForgiveMeGod said:

Thank you Lismore. i believe the highest two percentages in my DNA are Scottish and Irish. Looks really nice there.

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A lot of Americans are of Scots heritage. Be sure to visit your ancestral homeland one day! Even though I'm biased I must say it's really beautiful. My screen-name Lismore is a beautiful Scottish Holy Island, also seen in the avatar photo

essentialsaltes said:

It was not immediately clear whether Rahman had a lawyer or which federal agency employed him

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He was CIA, working overseas, which presumably explains why he was arrested in Cambodia.

It would be nice if King Charles would tell the Archbishop’s to come back into communion with Rome….but I don’t think he legally can do that.

Thanks for sharing

Matthew 16:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

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Why was Jeremiah mentioned here at all? Is there OT justification for connecting the Son of Man with Jeremiah?

2 Esdras 2:

18 I will send my servants Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Daniel to help you. It was on their advice that I have made you holy. I will prepare twelve trees with various kinds of fruit for you.

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Pulpit explained:

Some opined that he was Jeremiah, who was expected to come as a precursor of Messiah (2 Esdras 2:18), and reveal the tabernacle, ark, and the altar of incense, which, according to the legend of 2 Macc. 2:4-7, he had hidden in Mount Nebo, "until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy."

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On the other hand, Mark 6:

15 Others were saying, "He is Elijah," and still others, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."

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Luke 9:

8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a prophet of old had arisen.

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Neither Mark nor Luke mentioned "Jeremiah" in their parallel accounts.

In any case, Jeremiah wept over the coming destruction of Jerusalem, Jer 9:

10 I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness pasture, for they have been scorched so no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they have gone away. 11 And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.

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Like Jeremiah, Jesus also wept over the coming destruction of Jerusalem, Luke 19:

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.

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Both Jeremiah and Jesus predicted Jerusalem's fall. They were deeply moved to tears by it, showing God's heart of judgment and compassion.

Love this song from David Pataconi. He is hugely underrated as an artist. Also, pray for him as he has stage 4 cancer.

"A Glimmer of Light"

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Lyircs:

In the middle of the night I awake
Here in this purpose no mistake
I hear a calling on the wind
I hear you call my name again

In this torment I see
The voice calling me

Is this the end I wanted all along?
Is this the beginning of the end?
Truth hurts when cutting through the skin
Of all the walls I built up once again

I see you now
I see

A glimmer of light
Tonight it’s time to fight
It’s never over, never over now
A glimmer of light
Together we will fight
It’s never over, never over now
I give up everything I am to You

I see you now…
I see

A glimmer of light
Tonight it’s time to fight
It’s never over, never over now

A glimmer of light
Together we will fight
It’s never over, never over now
What are You trying to say to me now?
What are You trying to tell me?

Genesis 17:

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed

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Abraham laughed at God's promise to get Sarai pregnant with a son but he fell facedown, a posture of reverence towards God. His laughter was a human reaction to the seemingly impossible promise. His laughter could be more from joy/amazement. In any case, he laughed while in this posture of submission.

and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.

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Graciously, God reassured Abraham that Sarah would get pregnant. God didn't rebuke him.

A chapter later, three men visited Abraham in Genesis 18:

9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
10Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

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Like Abraham, Sarah laughed at the promise. Unlike Abraham, it wasn't accompanied with a reverence. On the contrary, she questioned God's promise. Her laughter was tinged with doubt/skepticism

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

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This time, God rebuked Sarah for laughing.

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

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She exhibited fear rather than reverence.

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

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When confronted, Sarah responded with denial.

Why did God react to these two instances of laughter so differently?

Both laughters stemmed from the seeming impossibility of having a child at their advanced ages. The different reactions had to do with their heart attitudes at the moment. God saw their hearts. Abraham laughed but he showed respect for God's word. Sarah laughed out of skepticism and denial.

Ironically, the name Isaac (meaning "he laughs"). I find that funny

Children are exposed to endless amounts of information in today’s world. As parents, it’s our responsibility to shield our kids from inappropriate material or too-adult of discussions until they’re ready for it. The parents’ job is to censor the information their kids receive in an age-appropriate manner. That is why you don’t give your eight-year-old son a smart phone where he can accidentally or purposely find all kinds of x-rated material and you don’t allow your nine-year-old daughter to watch – and then be enticed to imitate – so-called dirty-dancing and twerking. Since kids are sponges who hear, see, and then repeat all they absorb, parents need to keep these sponges dry as long as possible.

While parents can’t control what their children hear from peers at school, they can make sure their kids aren’t enrolled in an atheistic, woke-embracing school (i.e., most public school districts) but are at either a solid Christian school or homeschooled. This will lessen the chance of the youngsters being indoctrinated with the culture’s debauchery. Parents also can control how much media their children take in – be it social media online or corporate media on the TV and radio. This includes not having the news or political talk shows playing on the television set when their young kids are in the room or on the radio when their kids are in the car.

Eventually, all boys and girls should learn about how the political system works, about voting and elections, and about government officials, agencies, and overreach. But this should not begin any earlier than when kids are in middle school. Exposing children to the country’s politics at young ages sets them up for early-onset anxiety, worrying about things out of their control.

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The officials of King Jehoiakim alerted Baruch in Jeremiah 36:

19b “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”

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Later:

26 The king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.

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Who hid Jeremiah and Baruch?

From the horizontal point of view, they hid themselves. From the vertical point of view, the LORD did. Both are true. This dual perspective—both the actions of the individuals involved and God's sovereign protection—reflects a common theme in Scripture where human responsibility coexists with divine providence.

Some time later (Jer 37), Zedekiah was king. Irijah, the captain of the guard, accused Jeremiah of being a deserter and imprisoned him. This narrative continued to demonstrate the difficulties the prophet encounters, yet it also emphasized God’s ongoing presence and guidance in Jeremiah's life.

Almost twenty years ago, the ecumenical magazine First Thingspublished an article by the great American theologian Cardinal Avery Dulles entitled “Who Can Be Saved?” After a history of Christian discussion of this question, the print edition of the article abruptly ended with the phrase “Who knows.” In the full version, available on the magazine’s website, Dulles ends by arguing that “adherents of other religions,” and even atheists can be saved by the grace of God, “if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of truth and justice.” Back then, as a rigid Calvinist seminarian, I interpreted the magazine’s error as a form of divine intervention against a soteriological heresy.

Since then, I’ve very much warmed to the writings of Cardinal Dulles (his book on the magisterium is excellent), though I retain a certain skepticism towards the idea that an atheist could “worship God under some other name” and thus be saved. Besides the obvious issue with the very definition of an atheist, what name might that be? Even if His Eminence aimed only to describe what might under very unusual circumstances be in the realm of possibility for someone suffering invincible ignorance, how can this be squared with Catholic teaching that salvation requires the gift of faith? And why, in a time of increased unbelief and even antagonism towards Catholicism, would we make excuses for people who need the Gospel?

I’m not sure how theologian (and sometime TCT contributor) Eduardo Echeverria would react to Dulles. He shares my concerns about a certain ecumenical approach, increasingly popular in certain Catholic circles, that so downplays differences between religious differences that the claims of the Church are no longer viewed as absolute. His concerns about relativism serve as a backdrop to his new book, Jesus Christ, Scandal of Particularity: Vatican II, a Catholic Theology of Religions, Justification, and Truth, a collection of previously published essays.

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Athlete says she doesn’t ‘feel safe anymore’ after San Jose State kicked out coach

San Jose State University has suspended the associate head coach of its women’s volleyball team after she filed a discrimination complaint against the school for allowing a male to compete.

Coach Melissa Batie-Smoose (pictured) “is not with the team at this time, and we will not provide further information on this matter,” SJSU spokesperson Michelle McDonald said in an email Monday to The College Fix.

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The Rev. Canon Edward R. Monk, SSC, former chairman of the board of directors of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, has been charged with six Title IV counts of fraud and mismanagement of the financial accounts of St. John's Episcopal Church in Corsicana, Texas, which he has served as rector for 21 years. A hearing panel (or trial) for the case is planned for February 2025.

Monk, who denies the allegations, resigned from his leadership position at the Anglo-Catholic seminary on August 13, eight days after he was placed on administrative leave from his position at St. John's. Former Dallas bishop James Stanton is serving as the interim at St. John's.

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Paulos23 said:

https://apnews.com/article/onion-buys-infowars-alex-jones-6496f198d141c991087dcd937b3588e9

I wonder what they will do with it.

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I would hope to educate people on economics then the Federal Reserve has to tell the truth and we'll be able to see the half truths of ms media.

For Shelley Luther, the fight for freedom is a family tradition.

Luther, a former Dallas salon owner who made national headlines for defying COVID-19 lockdown orders, has won a seat in the Texas Legislature, where she will represent House District 62 in the state's upcoming legislative session.

House District 62 represents several North Texas counties, including Grayson, Fannin, Delta and Franklin.

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With the Trump administration slated to take office in a little over two months, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention is encouraging President-elect Donald Trump to reverse several policies the outgoing Biden administration implemented.

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood, who leads the public policy arm of the country's largest Protestant denomination, sent a letter to Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon of the Trump transition team Monday.

The correspondence highlights "five critical policy actions that reflect deeply held values for Southern Baptists and warrant the incoming administration's immediate attention during President Trump's first 100 days in office."

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A conservative law firm has announced the launch of its annual campaign aimed at protecting Christmas displays on both public and private property.

The Liberty Counsel announced Monday that it has launched the 22nd annual “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign” to help spread awareness of the rights people have to openly celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Liberty Counsel founder and Chairman Mat Staver told The Christian Post that the annual campaign was launched in 2003 in response to “continuing lawsuits and demand letters and threats from organizations regarding Nativity scenes, religious symbols, even red and green that students might wear in public schools.”

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Abinowam said:

None of their speech was devine, they were from satan,

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Verse? Note the bold.

essentialsaltes said:

The posters criticize faculty members for their alleged response to the war in Gaza. One poster accuses a faculty member of “ethnic cleansing” and “displacement of Palestinians.” A different poster accuses another faculty member of “racism,” “hate speech” and intimidation.

I wonder which group they could possibly be affiliated with?

This is not the first incident targeting the university’s Jewish community. Swastikas and antisemitic language written on the River Campus tunnel walls were discovered in February, according to the university.

More likely they were Nazis.

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More likely they were Palestine/Hamas supporters.

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:

It seems like the some Republicans have less morals. So, why would the care about LGBT.

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As long as they are not pushy most people have no problem with them existing and going about their lives.

Brief Clips On The Picks Below:

SkyNews Clips First 8 Min

1.) CIA Director: John Ratcliffe
2.) Attorney General: Matt Gaetz
3.) Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard
4.) Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth
5.) Department Of Government Efficency: Elon Mush, Vivek Ramaswamy

SkyNews​

Mick Mulvaney discusses the top contenders for Trump’s cabinet​

November 07, 2024