JimR-OCDS said:

I guess I'm too old to understand the younger generation in our society.

All I see on FB is young people promoting LGBTQ+ ideology.

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They’re being told sin is ok and lust is love, eh?

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:

Weird, that a person, that was born in Africa has that much power in the United States. I have a feeling Musk is more dangerous, than the illegals immigrants. That Trump wants to get rid of.

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Trump is married to an immigrant and Musk is a immigrant. Musk could not be president because even though his father is a citizen, Musk was not born in the USA. With Obama Trump wanted evidence that He had an American birth certificate. He finally did produce one.

The system of checks and balances is designed to ensure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful. In the United States, this system divides governmental power among three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch has distinct powers and responsibilities, and they can monitor and limit each other's actions to maintain a balance.

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@Hazelelponi @mourningdove~

This song is so very powerful, that I want to drop to my knees and lift up my hands in praise to my Savior every time that I hear "Hard Fought Hallelujah"

Lyrics:
Yeah I don’t always feel it
But that’s when I need it the most
So I’m a keep on singing
‘Til my soul catches up with my song

There’s times when my hands go up freely
And times that it costs
There’s days when a praise comes out easy
And days when it takes all the strength I’ve got

So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah
And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story to tell hallelujah
God, you’ve been patient
God you’ve been gracious
Faithful whatever I’m feeling or facing
So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
It is well Hallelujah

Oh, I’ve wrestled with the darkness
But I’m trying to reach for the light
Yeah, the struggle keeps me honest
And it breaks down the walls of my pride

‘Cause faith isn't proven like gold
‘Til it's been through the fire
My head, heart and hands are feeling heavy
But that's when I lift them just a little higher

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah
And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story to tell hallelujah
God you’ve been patient
God you’ve been gracious
Faithful whatever I’m feeling or facing
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
It is well Hallelujah,
Oh, hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah, Lord I need you
More than I need anything in my life
Lord won’t you free me
It ain’t been easy
Break all these chains, Lord

I’ll bring my hard-fought heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah
I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story to tell hallelujah
God you’ve been patient
God you’ve been gracious
Faithful whatever I’m feeling or facing
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
It is well Hallelujah (Hallelujah)

Oh Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah

Fantine said:

I believe in God's "permissive will." If I really believed Trump's victory was part of some sick trick to destroy our democracy I would have a huge crisis of faith.
It's on you, voters. Jesus weeps.

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No. I doubt that is true. Put faith in God and don't worry about politics.

(OSV News) — Ahead of national and international celebrations of matrimony, Bishop Robert E. Barron said that marriage is “a source of hope for all generations.”

Bishop Barron, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, shared his thoughts in a Feb. 6 statement released by the USCCB ahead of National Marriage Week USA (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (commemorated on the second Sunday in February, which falls this year on Feb. 9).

National Marriage Week was launched in 1996 in the United Kingdom by Richard Kane, then director of the national charity Marriage Resource, and his wife, Maria Kane. The observance was adopted in the U.S. in 2002, led by Brent Barlow and Diane Sollee of Smart Marriages, and expanded through the participation of faith communities and marriage advocates.

World Marriage Day was launched in 1981 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by couples participating in Worldwide Marriage Encounter, an international faith-based marriage enrichment ministry founded in 1968 and inspired by Spanish priest Father Gabriel Calvo.

This year’s theme for National Marriage Week is “Source of Hope, Spring of Renewal. Pursue a Lasting Love!” — a motif highlighting the Jubilee Year’s focus on the virtue of hope, said the USCCB statement.

A reminder to couples of ‘their commitment’​

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Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, is the latest among prelates throughout the country who are weighing in with Catholic perspectives on setting aright the country’s dysfunctional immigration system.

In a Feb. 7 op-ed published in his archdiocesan newspaper, Naumann began by echoing the commitment he and his fellow bishops in Kansas made in a joint Nov. 28, 2024, statement to serve migrants in the state “no matter what the future holds.”

Naumann noted that “the Church does not have the authority or the responsibility to determine the legal status of those living in the United States” but does have “an obligation to care for every person with respect and love, no matter their citizenship status.”

At the same time, the Kansas City archbishop offered a full-throated endorsement of prioritizing public safety threats in immigration enforcement.


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timewerx said:

IMO, It will take over.

The rest of humanity is an existential threat to myself. Profiting off injustice, it's only a matter of time before we see another major world war. Such war is not only a threat to humanity's survival but to AI as well.

If AI is able absorb information from all sources, it will arrive to the same conclusion. It is under threat from humanity's volatility.

Thus, it is likely AI will take try to take control of humanity's fate or destiny - To keep us from annihilating one another. Either in peace OR AI itself orchestrating the extinction of humanity or a third option, breeding humans for favorable traits for serving AI or interfacing with AI, using our brains and bodies/DNA for backup data storage or even backup computing (we're immune from EMP). Regardless of our fates, AI will take control. It is the ONLY way for AI to guarantee its own preservation.

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For me it is all about definition, that commentator was referring to a specific application or set of applications, rather than process.

From a Biblical and prophetic position and as a parable, there is a road to hell, and we are on that road, the left progressives are taking along the left side of the road to hell at 90 miles an hour, the right conservatives drag their feet, and we slow down to 10 miles per hour, but still to the same destination that could also be called globalism, or world order. AI could be compared to a highspeed rail that will take people from both the right and left to hell at 1000 miles per hour. End of parable.

It's soooo wonderful that Trump has protected all the women and girls performing in the NCAA...all 510,000 of them....

From those scary 10 transgenders who are OBVIOUSLY going to be better at them at everything because men are inherently better at all sports then women.


I wonder how these Transgendered folks rank in their prospective sports! I mean, OBVIOUSLY they have to be #1.

Gregory Thompson said:

The sustenance is definitely spiritual, for sure.

But hidden.

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Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

There is no doubt that winter is the worst time of the year for Pope Francis.


(ZENIT News / Rome, 06.02.2025).- Late in the afternoon on Thursday, February 6, the Holy See Press Office reported that “Because of the bronchitis he is suffering these days and in order to be able to continue his activities, Pope Francis will hold the audiences on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th in Casa Santa Marta.” Two events this week reflected that the Pope’s health is anything but good. During the General Audience on Wednesday, February 5, the catechesis was not read by him but by one of his assistants. A day later, on Thursday the 6th, he held audiences with Orthodox clergy and monks, and with Italian obstetricians and gynecologists but he did not pronounce his prepared addresses, instead, he handed them in writing. However, Pope Francis’ health, that of an 88 year-old man, cannot be appreciated solely by these last events.

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Pope Francis: Three Falls, Bronchitis and His Bad Relationship with Winter | ZENIT - English

Prayers for all those involved

May he rest in the peace of Christ

May she rest in the peace of Christ

Hamas announced Friday the names of the three hostages who will be released Saturday in the fifth phase of the first stage of the deal: Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami.

According to the list provided by Hamas, around 180 prisoners will be released on Saturday, similar to last week, including 18 serving life sentences and 111 Gazan detainees who were arrested during IDF operations in Gaza.

Eli Sharabi​

Eli Sharabi, who will turn 53 next week, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri. During the massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, Eli lost his entire immediate family — his wife, Lian, and his two daughters, Yahel and Noya, were murdered by Hamas terrorists. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was also kidnapped on Oct. 7 and was later declared dead while in captivity after the IDF attacked near the building where he was held. His body is still being held in Gaza.

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It would be so wonderful if they lent their talents to immigrants and refugees who are endangered with the new president.

We'll see. Hopefully he's not an Osteen...he is in an affluent suburb.

Bird migration may be to blame.

There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from, and some parents—not wanting to explain the details of reproduction just yet—turn to the story of storks. Even if adults are up-front about the facts of life, kids are often exposed to the myth of storks delivering babies via media. Disney’s 1941 animated classic Dumbo, which starts with a scene of the long-legged birds dropping bundled-up babies to their circus animal parents, is the most famous example. But this myth predates Disney by at least a few hundred years.

1. The Less Likely Mythological Origin
2. The More Likely Historical Origin

The Less Likely Mythological Origin​

The roots of this feathery folk story are sometimes traced back to Greek mythology, specifically the tale of the Pygmy queen Gerana drawing the eye—and ire—of Hera, the vengeful queen of the gods. Gerana boasted about her beauty and was deified by her people, so Hera punished her by turning her into a stork. Gerana, not willing to leave her young son behind, either flew around to stay close to him, or, as some later versionstell it, snatched him up in her beak.

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CJPharaoh said:

I need help with this. It is my belief that it is wrong for us to test others. Is it wrong for us to test others? Is it only Gods right and place to test us? Please, if possible, provide Bible verses supporting.

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In what sense do you mean "test"?
Driving test? Sight test? Job interviews, where they might test candidates on their skill, knowledge or suitability for the job? Exam?
All of the above are fine.

But I'm told that, in the Greek, the words "test" and "tempt" are the same, or very similar. I don't think it's a good idea to tempt people, although, again, I suppose it depends on what it is. Eg saying to a friend "can I tempt you to another slice of cake?" may be ok, unless you know they are on a diet or there is another reason they shouldn't have too much sugar. But saying to an alcoholic, "do you want a quick drink", or to a gambler, "on go on, it's only a small bet", would be wrong.

soldier of light said:

The Bible determines

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In 1 Cor 11;1 you become IMITATORS of me ( Paul ) just as I also am of Christ , !!

dan p

Atlanta’s Shrine of the Immaculate Conception provides yet another instance of the rainbow fighting to cast its shadow over the Church. In what should be a place of worship and doctrinal clarity, one finds so-called ministries (Shrine Ministries) such as “Pride Outreach,” “Pride Potluck Socials,” and an affiliated group called Fortunate & Faithful Families (FFF), which describes itself as “Catholic Families Affirming Their LGBTQ Members.”

FFF enjoys the blessing of the local bishop, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, who endorses the group as “a ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta that urges families to draw upon reservoirs of faith, hope, and love as families of LGBT children face uncharted futures.”

This is not an isolated case but a microcosm of a far greater crisis. Under the pretense of pastoral care, such organizations promote acceptance without conversion, welcome without repentance, and love without truth—all while certain bishops lend them credibility. In the name of inclusion, they distort the fullness of the Church’s teachings, subtly conforming them to modern sensibilities, despite Scripture’s explicit warning that “the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). By disregarding this, they also ignore the sobering truth that “a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

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From Egypt, Joseph took Mary and Jesus to return to Judea in Mt 2:

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

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During Archelaus' rule, he had to deal with worshippers at Passover on temple ground for their seditious activities, Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews", Book 17, Chapter 9, Section 3:

He sent a regiment of armed men, and with them a captain of a thousand, to suppress the violent efforts of the seditious; before the whole multitude should be infected with the like madness: and gave them this charge, that if they found any much more openly seditious than others, and more busy in tumultuous practices, they should bring them to him. But those that were seditious on account of those teachers of the law, irritated the people by the noise and clamour they used to encourage the people in their designs. So they made an assault upon the soldiers; and came up to them, and stoned the greatest part of them: although some of them ran away wounded, and their captain among them. And when they had thus done, they returned to the sacrifices which were already in their hands.

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The Jews won the initial fight. They went on to continue to perform their animal sacrifices in the temple.

Now Archelaus thought there was no way to preserve the intire government, but by cutting off those who made this attempt upon it. So he sent out the whole army upon them, and sent the horsemen to prevent those that had their tents without the temple, from assisting those that were within the temple, and to kill such as ran away from the footmen, when they thought themselves out of danger: which horsemen slew three thousand men: while the rest went to the neighbouring mountains.

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In the final fight, Archelaus killed 3000 worshippers around the temple area.

Emperor Augustus didn't like this massacre and dismissed Archelaus and replaced him with a Roman prefect/procurator.

By the 3rd year of Jesus' ministry, Pilate was the Roman prefect of Judea.

ESV, Lk 13:

1 There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

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The Jews informed Jesus of a similar incident ordered, this time, by Pilate. The numbers involved were likely a lot lower than Archelaus' massacre.

NIV:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood [accusative, direct object] Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices [genitive].

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These Galileans did something that Rome and Pilate didn't like. The soldiers attacked them at the temple area while they had the animal sacrifices with them. Their human blood was spilled onto the animals. I don't think the human blood and the animal blood were carefully combined.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The fight against human trafficking requires a global response and coordinated efforts at every level, Pope Francis said.

He urged everyone, “especially representatives of governments and organizations that share this commitment, to join us, animated by prayer, to promote initiatives in defense of human dignity, for the elimination of human trafficking in all its forms and for the promotion of peace in the world.”

His appeal was part of a message released Feb. 7 for the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, observed Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. The saint was kidnapped by slave traders in Sudan in the late 1870s and sold into slavery before she eventually secured her freedom and became a religious sister in Italy.

Trafficking is a complex problem that is “fueled by wars, conflicts, famine and the consequences of climate change,” the pope wrote. “It therefore requires global responses and a common effort, at all levels, to tackle it.”

Invoking hope during the Holy Year​

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The Roman Catholic bishops of Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, have issued a joint statement about immigration policy and enforcement in the United States, describing the issue as “both complicated and emotional.”

In their statement, Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv, of the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama of the Diocese of Raleigh indicate that while “there is room for disagreement and discussion with respect to immigration policy, we wish to remind our more than 1 million Catholic faithful in North Carolina of the stated positions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, formed by Catholic social teaching, and encourage personal reflection and formation on these issues.”

“We respect our borders and laws AND support immigration policy reforms and care for those who are already here, many already contributing members of our society for years. We do not see these ends as mutually exclusive,” the bishops state.

“We recognize there are persons residing in the United States without legal documentation and we do not condone violating the law,” the bishops make clear. “We will not counsel anyone to thwart or resist proper law enforcement but will continue to provide education about individuals’ legal rights,” they add.

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