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Mr Trump supports his wife’s pro abortion stance.

Everything he says is because he feels it's politically expedient. If he thought he'd get more votes by extending the limit to 6 months then he's do it. I don't understand how you can trust someone like that.
I Disagree, his voting record proves otherwise

I don't understand how you can trust a progressive liberal like Kamala Harris. Yes on same sex marriage really?

Perhaps you approve of her actions regarding homosexuality?
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reach and teach devotions

2 KINGS 6

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.



PRAYER PICTURES

Are you in a situation like Elisha and Gehazi? Do you feel overwhelmed? Like there is no way out?

In this passage, Elisha looked through the eyes of faith; Gehazi looked through the eyes of fear.

Note some things here: Elisha rose early. Early morning prayer and communion with God is the best time to experience Gods presence, and if you are looking to have a good day, start it off with a time of worship and fellowship with almighty God.

Elisha encouraged Gehazi with the words, “Fear Not.” Gehazi viewed the situation through the lens of fear, something that most of us tend to do when confronted with a problem that appears to be too great for us to overcome. Gehazi uses the word Alas, when we say that in English it's like, Oh! What’s going to become of us? We are doomed! He was very discouraged and thought that there was no hope in this situation. When the coronavirus hit, a lot of people were saying, “alas!” But we know that God is greater than any foe, and when we trust Him, we move from fear to faith.

It says that Elisha prayed. And his prayer is a lesson for you and I to consider when facing our own trials. Elisha prayed,

‘Lord, I pray thee, open his (Gehazi) eyes, that he may see.’

So often when we encounter believers who are overwhelmed, counsel may not be effective because they are paralyzed by fear. The best thing to do in that case is not to argue or become frustrated, but to pray and ask God to open their eyes. This is a prayer that God is pleased to answer. Not only will He open their eyes, He will open up a way for them to escape and overcome every trial.

When in trouble…pray like Elisha… ‘Lord, open my eyes that I may see’.

God bless you



GUEST DEVOTION

The Wednesday Word

The Loveliness of Jesus

D.G. Miles McKee
2 Corinthians 5:21.
Christ’s loveliness consists mainly in this … He knew no sin! If He had had just one tiny sin of His own, He could not Have suffered for ours. Remember, in Hebrews 7:26 we are told that our High Priest (Jesus) was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. We would think that such a person should be welcome in any community. But no! He got terrible treatment. The people despised, rejected and hated Him… But Jesus suffered this wretched behaviour on our behalf. That makes Him altogether lovely.
Do any of us hate Him? Hate Him? Yes, hate Him. Do any of us use His name as a common swear word? If we do, we are speaking as though we despise Him. If we are guilty of that crime, it doesn´t seem that He is lovely to us.
Also, if we will not trust Him alone for our salvation is that not yet another way of despising Him! When you stand before God on Judgement Day, is there anything more that you would like to add to the perfect righteousness of Christ to save you? If there is, you have not yet grasped the Gospel and the Gospel has not grasped you. However, when believers stand before God, it will be as if they had never sinned. They will stand before him in the immaculate righteousness of the worthy Lamb.
He is altogether Lovely!
So, how did the Father deal with the spotless Christ? In Isaiah 53:5-6 we are told the shocking truth that ‘the Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all.’
This is dreadful.
The Father heaped upon the Lord Jesus the thousands and millions of our sins till at last He was so covered, in God’s sight, that nothing but sin appeared.
He was treated as though He was one entire mass of sin.
He was dealt with by the Father as if He was sin from head to toe. We tend to think of the agonies of the cross as being merely physical. But the physical pain was only a small part of His suffering. There was a torrent of torment that hit Him when our sin was imputed to His pure and lovely being.
As the hymnwriter said, “We may not know, we cannot tell what pains He had to bear but we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there.”
He is altogether lovely!
But why was He made sin?
He was made sin so that we would be declared to be the righteousness of God in Him. Just as Christ, at Calvary, was covered with innumerable sins and, in a manner of speaking, appeared as one mass of sin, so the vilest one of us who trusts in Christ is so covered with the Lord’s glorious righteousness that in God’s eye we, as it were, appear to be one mass of uprightness.
We are swallowed up by the righteousness of Christ. ( see again 2 Corinthians 5:21).
What an amazing provision He has made for us!
He is altogether lovely!
“Thou dear Redeemer, dying Lamb,
I love to hear of Thee;
No music like Thy charming name,
Is half so sweet to me,
Is half so sweet to me.

My Jesus shall be still my theme,
While in this world I stay;
I’ll sing my Jesus’ lovely name
When all things else decay,
When all things else decay.

When I appear in yonder cloud,
With all Thy favored throng,
Then I will sing more sweet, more loud,
And Christ shall be my song,
And Christ shall be my song.”
Cennick

And that´s the Gospel Truth!
‘Til He Comes!



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Persecuted church

News of the persecuted church

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sermons

SERMON CENTRE

Justification!

Dr. Joel Beeke
| Heidelberg Catechism Season 23

Heritage Reformed Congregation

sermonaudio.com/sermon/10524216436920

The King's invitation

Corey Betts
| Matthew

Christ Community Church

sermonaudio.com/sermon/519211843162269




The Hidden Beauty of the Gospel

Voddie Baucham


Lusaka Baptist Church


sermonaudio.com/sermon/618241422575282




Gospel Dynamite in Ephesus

Mark Powell
| Acts

Covenant Reformed Baptist

sermonaudio.com/sermon/119231917493043

Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico

Amen to that.
Can we get someone in there who doesn't say or do something stupid for a change.
Someone who's "team" does not have to explain or make excuses on a daily basis?
That's someone other than Harris
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What IF all Christians in America voted against the Abominations listed in Lev 18 in cases where politicians promote them?

I think that you are referring to the Canaanite religions, that existed in the
land of Canaan before the Israelites crossed the Jordan, coming out of the
wilderness.

You need to take care, when trying to apply an example of God's judgment
(in the Bible) to other situations.
Agreed - but in Lev 18 God is dealing specifically with non-Bible-aware pagan nations and the line that they cross to get God to wipe them out.

America has more Bible awareness by every measure -- than the pagan nations around Israel in Lev 18.

So it serves as an interesting low-bar that we should strive not to sink below.
1 He supported the rule of law of the Roman Empire,
even though this law allowed abortion and infanticide.
And then Rome gets wiped out.

God says that the more light a nation has -- and yet does those abominations -- the shorter is its probation, the more swift its judgment
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Forebearance and Goodness

Forbearance

Goodness of God Leads to Repentance

Rom 2:4 Or despise you (Christians) the riches of his (God) (1) goodness and (2) forbearance and (3) long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Remission of Sins and Self-control of God

Rom 3:25 (1) Whom(Jesus) God has set forth to be a propitiation (appeasing) (2) through faith in his (Jesus) blood, (3) to declare his (Jesus) righteousness for the remission of sins (4) that are past, through the forbearance (self-control) of God;

Goodness

Israel Seeks the LORD and David

Hos 3:4-5 For the children of Israel shall abide many days (AD 70 driven out) without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod (apron), and without teraphim (idol): Hos 3:5 (1) Afterward shall the children of Israel return (1948 became a nation), (2) and seek the LORD their God, (3) and David their king; (4) and shall fear the LORD (5) and his goodness in the latter days. (Ezek 37 {Dan 9:27 Rev 6:2})

The Goodness, Forbearance, and Long-suffering of God

Rom 2:4 Or despises you (Christians) the riches of his (1) goodness and (2) forbearance and (3) long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you (Christians) to repentance?

Goodness of God Provides a way for Possible Repentance

Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you (Christians), goodness, *if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. Is (1) goodness and (2) forbearance and (3) long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

*If you continue in his goodness (along the roads of the offered opprotunity for repentance): otherwise (if you don't remain on the road of God's goodness) you also shall be cut off

God Uses Infirmities to Keep Paul Humble

Rom 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren (Christians), I (Paul) have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the *grace (strenght to continue) that is given to me (Paul) of God,

2Co 12:7-10 *And lest I (Paul) should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted (become self-righteous) above measure. 2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The Nine Strengths of the Holy Spirit

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is (1) love, (2) joy, (3) peace, (4) long-suffering, (5) gentleness, (6) goodness, (7) faith, Gal 5:23 (8) Meekness, (9) temperance (developing infirmities of Christians): against such there is no law.

Gal 5:19-21 Sixteen Evil Fruits of Lucifer: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; (1) Adultery, (2) fornication, (3) uncleanness, (4) lasciviousness, Gal 5:20 (5) Idolatry, (6) witchcraft, (7) hatred, (8) variance, (9) emulations, (10) wrath, (11), seditions, (12) heresies, Gal 5:21 (13) Envyings, (14) murders, (15) drunkenness, (16) revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you (Christians) before, as I (Paul) have also told you in time past, that they (children of darkness 1Thess 5:5) which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

1Th 5:5 You (Christians) are all the children of light (God), and the children of the day: we are not of the night (Lucifer), nor of darkness.

Php 3:18 (For many (unsaved) walk, of whom I (Paul) have told you often, and now tell you (Christians) even weeping, that they (unsaved) are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

2Co 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan (title of Lucifer) himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

From Spiritual Death to Eternal Life

Eph 5:8-9 For you (Christians) were *sometimes (before salvation) darkness, but now are you (Christians) *light in the Lord (Jesus): walk as children of light: Eph 5:9 (For the *fruit of the Spirit is in all (1) goodness and (2) righteousness and (3) truth;) Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable (Rom 7:8-25) unto the Lord.

*Gentles Receive the New Birth: Joh 1:11-14 He came unto his own (Jews), and his own received him not. Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh (Jesus), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

*The Light of the World: Joh 8:12-16 Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Joh 8:13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, you bear record of yourself; your record is not true. Joh 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but you cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Joh 8:15 You judge after the flesh; I judge no man. Joh 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

*The Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Work of Faith

2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we (Christian Servant Leadership) pray always for you (Christians),*that our God would count you (Christians) worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, *and the work of faith with power:

*Act 5:31 Him (Jesus) has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

*Col 1:10 That you (Christians) might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

*1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing (1) your work of faith, (2) and labor of love, (3) and patience of hope in our (Christian) Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

*2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you (Christian) worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

Kamala's agenda mirrors the Democratic Socialist

The DSA’s second item is “Abolition of the Carceral State” (“carceral” refers to prison and jail time). The DSA wants to “defund the police” — where have you heard that before? — and “free all incarcerated people.” Harris supported the “defund” movement and eliminating bail for some crimes until those positions became political liabilities. Now she tries to hide her soft-on-crime policies by stressing her background as a prosecutor.
"Defund the police" is too broad a term - almost slanderous - implying the person's position is a wholesale abandonment of law and order! It's just so TRUMP-ist to accuse her of that. Forget the facts. Forget being honest. Forget gathering '2 or 3 witnesses'. It's true - because my right-wing echo chamber said so - so I'm just going to smear it all over the virtual world I live in!

Harris's position is vastly more nuanced than that - and I'm actually kind of surprised that a Prosecutor gets various social policies like this! I have a bit of a Social Sciences background - and the nuance she shows on this makes sense! She seems to be talking about the excessive militarization of police - because as the streets get harder (so the mentality goes) - the Police need to get harder. Until you have APC's and robot-cops with machine guns ready to 'Police' those ethnic neighbourhoods. (As if they have not suffered enough with previous decades of racist policies, financial prejudice against them in having the worst schools on the wrong side of the line, and 1950's 'emergency highways' built through their neighbourhoods - dislocating neighbourhoods that were just starting to function as cohesive and supportive communities!)

So what was Harris REALLY saying in answer to all of this?

“This whole movement is about rightly saying, we need to take a look at these budgets and figure out whether it reflects the right priorities,” Harris said on a New York-based radio program “Ebro in the Morning” on June 9, 2020, adding that US cities were “militarizing police” but “defunding public schools.”

Harris said in the June radio interview the movement “rightly” called out the amount of money spent on police departments instead of community services such as education, housing, and healthcare, emphasizing that more police did not equate to more public safety...​
...​
Mitch Landrieu, national co-chair for the Biden-Harris campaign and former mayor of New Orleans, on Friday walked back Harris’ 2020 statements, saying Harris meant that she supports being “tough and smart on crime.”​
“Her position has always been that you can both be tough and smart on crime, and it requires funding police, but it also requires funding rehabilitation and things that might criminal justice system safer. You can do both,” Landrieu told CNN’s Pamela Brown on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”​
“Our actions indicate that she wants to fund the police, but she wants to do the other things as well,” Landrieu said.​
If you're SMART about these things - instead of buying APC's to drive through scary neighbourhoods - and having those police officers so stressed and hyped up by a military locker-room mentality that they're prepared to open fire on anything that moves! - how about spending SOME of that 'militarised' budget on drug programs that will benefit the WHOLE community - making it vastly less dangerous to live in? This is just one area of social spending that could help reduce neighbourhood crime AND de-escalate the militarization of police.

END THE WAR ON DRUGS!​


The “War on Drugs” has failed.

IT CREATES CARTELS: The War on Drugs ignores the basic economics of supply and demand! By making drugs criminal (rather than a mental health policy) the illegal drugs become scarce, which drives up the price! That creates an IRRESISTABLE incentive to developing countries to grow drugs and create enormous cartels that rival some multinational corporations for sheer infrastructure!

IT INCREASES CRIME AND MURDER RATES something like 25% to 75% more! So do we militarize the police - or create harm minimising drug treatment programs instead and cut the source of this poison at the root rather than letting it spread throughout the whole society?

VASTLY INCREASES INCARCERATION: The USA has 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the world’s inmates. Is America really 5 times more immoral than the REST OF THE WORLD - are just suffering the results of a well-meaning but ultimately failed drugs policy established decades ago - before the full effects had been analysed? Bottom line for jail costs - you’re paying for 5 TIMES MORE prisons than you should need due to the war on drugs!

RACIST OUTCOMES: While white kids are more likely to be wealthier and abuse drugs, black kids are more likely to get arrested for drug offences.

THE ANSWER? A mental health model. While not ‘legalising’ hard drugs for normalised commercial sale - we can decriminalise their use. The harm minimisation model provides “Maintenance centres” with clean versions of the drugs, safe sleeping places, reduces street crime from its most potent source, and offers counselling which gets them into employment!

DEFUND THE POLICE only to the extent that the War on Drugs has massively inflated police costs. How much does having 5 times MORE jails cost AMerica? - and pour that money into the Harm Minimisation model and my guess is with 5 times less jails - you’ll have vastly more money to pour into local educations programs for disadvantaged neighbourhoods! Then the police that do patrol those neighbourhoods might be able to focus on dealing with other real crime, rather than punishing people with a mental health issue. Login to view embedded media
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Pray that Jesus Christ heals & comforts all those affected by the abuse in Magdalene laundries:

Magdalene laundries( aka Magdalene asylums ) were institutions usually run by Roman Catholic orders that sadly abused females that were rejected by society.
Pray that Jesus Christ heals & comforts all those affected by the abuse in Magdalene laundries:

The Morality, Economics and Politics of Mass Deportation

will be a tremendous boom for mexico and other countries when they go back and have to work to fix their communities instead of leaving them.

the brain drain of the world into the usa and other countries, artificially props up us vs them. so many people don't want to think about this...
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Pray that the New leader, Kemi Badenoch, of the UK Conservative party who upholds socially conservative values successfully defends Christian values a

Amen to praying for all world leaders :praying:
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St Gertrude Chaplet-To Release Souls from Purgatory

candles2.png

[This chaplet is prayed using regular Rosary beads]

On the Cross, pray the “Apostle’s Creed”:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

Then pray 1 “Our Father”, 3 “Hail Marys” and 1 “Glory be”:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Continue to the five decades. For each of the following five decades…
(1.) Pray the “Our Father” on the large bead.

(2.) On each of the 10 small beads, pray:


Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen.

(3.) Conclude each decade with the following three prayers:

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, open the hearts and minds of sinners to the truth and light of God, the Father.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for the conversion of sinners and the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


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If you forgive the sins of ANY, they are forgiven them

I think it is beneficial to hear what Cyril of Alexandria has to say, i would follow his teachings on this passage of scripture.

"Christ, when He gave the Spirit unto them, said: Whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained; though only the living God is able and powerful to grant unto sinners remission of sins; for whom could it befit to pardon the transgressions that sinners have committed against the Divine Law, save the Lawgiver Himself? You may, if you choose, see the meaning of the saying from the analogy of human affairs. Who has authority to meddle with the decrees of earthly monarchs, and who tries to undo that which has been ordained by the will and judgment of rulers, save only someone who is invested with regal honour and dignity? Therefore, wise was the saying, Insolent is he who saith unto the king, Thou breakest the law. In what way, then, and in what sense did the Saviour invest His disciples with the dignity which befits the Nature of God alone? The Word that is in the Father cannot err; and this He did, and whatsoever He doeth, He doeth well. For He thought it meet that they who have once been endued with the Spirit of Him Who is God and Lord, should have power also to remit or retain the sins of whomsoever they would, the Holy Spirit That dwelt in them remitting or retaining them according to His Will, though the deed were done through human instrumentality.
They who have the Spirit of God remit or retain sins in two ways, as I think. For they invite to Baptism those to whom this sacrament is already due from the purity of their lives, and their tried adherence to the faith; and they hinder and exclude others who are not as yet worthy of the Divine grace. And in another sense, also, they remit and retain sins, by. rebuking erring children of the Church, and granting pardon to those who repent; just as, also, Paul gave up him that had committed fornication at Corinth, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved, and admitted him again into fellowship, that he might not be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow, as he says in his letter. When, then, the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts doeth things which befit God alone, surely He is the living God, invested with the glorious dignity of the Divine Nature, and having power over sacred laws"
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Buddhist monks - love your enemies

Actually there no room for holy or any other type of war in me.
Same with me.
Those full of their holy righteousness,
and belief in “ sin nature”, though, are
much Inclined to see those not like them
to be in need of exterminnation.
So that love can prevail.

I've found it a blessing to be freed from images of "sin nature". Coming from the perspective of Lover of God, that freeing process has opened the door to being able see every soul as an activity of God. And that, for me, is where Love prevails.
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Fired officer in Breonna Taylor killing indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment

Conflicting witnesses and no body cams and a no-knock warrant that turns out to have been "optional". The feds are going to have a field day on the civil rights investigation.

Former Louisville officer convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s rights

A former Louisville police officer was found guilty late Friday of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during a March 2020 police raid in which she was fatally shot, becoming the first officer directly involvedin the case to be convicted on criminal charges.

The jury, which deliberated for three days, found Hankison not guilty on a second charge of violating the rights of three neighbors.

None of the bullets fired from Hankison’s gun struck anyone, but several penetrated the apartment walls and entered into the adjoining unit.
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Matteo Ricci's Christianized Confucianism and his interest in Epictetus (From "The Philosophy Forum")

This post was initially a topic I discussed on a separate website, The Philosophy Forum, but I have noticed a lot of militant atheists brewing in the forum lately so I have decided to distance myself from it. That being said, I will post a few threads that I wrote here to hopefully generate thoughtful discussion and dialogue. Hope you enjoy. This post in particular introduces a little known work by the great Jesuit evangelizer Matteo Ricci that attempts to blend Confucianism with the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus and Christian theology. The text became a popular moral treatise in 16th and 17th century China.

Matteo Ricci was known for being a great evangelizer of Catholicism as well as advocating for the use of Confucianism as a philosophical method in understanding Christian doctrine. Much like how Aquinas used Aristotle and other Greek philosophers, Ricci believed that Confucius and his followers ideas were complimentary with Christianity and the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Before we even get to this point, it is well known that Ricci had an interest in Stoicism. By his time the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius had been floating around in Latin and Seneca was also a big deal. Epictetus' Enchiridion, or Handbook, was very influential on him and he used this to formulate a work called the Ershiwu Yan or The Twenty-Five Paragraphs. This work is a translation of the first 25 chapters of Epictetus' Enchiridion without any reference to Greco-Roman religion or culture. All it contains are the ethical principles outlined by Epictetus. Ricci also enjoyed Epictetus because of his belief in a personal God rather than an impersonal one (this in my eyes seems to be the chief difference between the Greek Stoics like Cleanthes and Chrysippus and the later Roman Stoics). In the Erishiwu Yan he also tries to use as many references to Confucian philosophy as he can.

I theorize that if Ricci was not exposed to Stoicism then he probably wouldn't care much for Confucianism. In the following articles, the authors discuss Ricci and his use of Epictetus while evangelizing. Christopher Spalatin in his article Matteo Ricci's Use of Epictetus' Enchiridion says "Ricci's Book of 25 Paragraphs not only is an original example of trying to create a bond of human understanding between East and West through Stoicism and Confucianism, but also represents a unique historical effort to create and establish a Chinese Christian humanism." In another article by historian Yu Liu, The Complexities of a Stoic Breakthrough: Matteo Ricci's Ershiwu Yan, he states "In Tianzhu Shiyi (The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven), in particular, he eulogized ancient Confucianism implicitly as analogous to Stoicism in being an ethical theism lacking only the revelation of Jesus Christ." The articles are here:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23575440

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43818412?seq=13

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