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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
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What it’s like to be a Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country
- By RileyG
- One Bread, One Body - Catholic
- 1 Replies
May God bless the faithful in Indonesia! 
I thought Saudi Arabia was the world's largest Muslim country because everyone there must legally be Muslim and it's the birthplace of Islam...interesting.
I thought Saudi Arabia was the world's largest Muslim country because everyone there must legally be Muslim and it's the birthplace of Islam...interesting.
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Catholics need to know fight for unborn is shifting ‘ominously’ into international law as UN scolds Poland...
- By RileyG
- One Bread, One Body - Catholic
- 1 Replies
Lord, have mercy on the Polish people and on all the faithful
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Yale divinity students forced to read from witch’s ‘spell’ at orientation
- By RileyG
- One Bread, One Body - Catholic
- 1 Replies
I can't say I'm surprised. They gone woke. 
Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
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Queering Women’s Boxing
- By Michie
- One Bread, One Body - Catholic
- 0 Replies
COMMENTARY: The Imane Khelif case undermines the case for ‘queer’ as a protection for the weak.
Algeria's Imane Khelif (Blue) reacts after beating Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng in the women's 66kg semi-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 6, 2024. (photo: Mohd Rasfan / Getty)
Using the word “queer” as a verb is the latest exercise in verbal gymnastics that the average person may not have heard of. You might assume that “to queer” something has something or other to do with LGBT issues. But this is not exactly correct. The advocates of “queering” claim they challenge existing norms in order to weaken the established authorities and empower the vulnerable.
I aim to show that the reality is precisely the opposite. By overturning commonly accepted standards, the advocates of “queering” empower the already powerful. The recent fiasco of the Olympic women’s boxing competition provides a case in point. The sex of Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif is hotly disputed. One might think this issue could be readily resolved. But the sex of the body has been thoroughly “queered”: People claim to not know what a woman is. The resulting confusion cripples common sense and benefits the socially privileged. People who are already powerful, influential and wealthy are at a systematic advantage over people who aren’t.
Before I lay out the facts of the Khelif case as they currently stand, let me clarify the term “to queer” as a verb. An article provocatively titled “What Is Queer Theory? A Rejection of the Received Wisdom of Our Ancestors,” begins this way: “When I first heard about queer theory, I assumed that it had to do with gay rights.”
(See what I mean? You aren’t alone in making this assumption.) The author explains:
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
Using the word “queer” as a verb is the latest exercise in verbal gymnastics that the average person may not have heard of. You might assume that “to queer” something has something or other to do with LGBT issues. But this is not exactly correct. The advocates of “queering” claim they challenge existing norms in order to weaken the established authorities and empower the vulnerable.
I aim to show that the reality is precisely the opposite. By overturning commonly accepted standards, the advocates of “queering” empower the already powerful. The recent fiasco of the Olympic women’s boxing competition provides a case in point. The sex of Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif is hotly disputed. One might think this issue could be readily resolved. But the sex of the body has been thoroughly “queered”: People claim to not know what a woman is. The resulting confusion cripples common sense and benefits the socially privileged. People who are already powerful, influential and wealthy are at a systematic advantage over people who aren’t.
Before I lay out the facts of the Khelif case as they currently stand, let me clarify the term “to queer” as a verb. An article provocatively titled “What Is Queer Theory? A Rejection of the Received Wisdom of Our Ancestors,” begins this way: “When I first heard about queer theory, I assumed that it had to do with gay rights.”
(See what I mean? You aren’t alone in making this assumption.) The author explains:
Continued below.
Queering Women’s Boxing
COMMENTARY: The Imane Khelif case undermines the case for ‘queer’ as a protection for the weak.
A God and a Country of Second Chances
- By Michie
- OBOB General Politics Forum
- 0 Replies
Politics always makes for interesting discussions. As such, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the political goings on in our country became the topic of discussion at my weekly men’s breakfast group.
Everyone agreed that this political election season seems to bring out the worst in our candidates. More and more elections seem to be about personality and less about policy. It seems to be a contest of who can be the most clever name caller.
At the same time this country appears to be in dire straits with the acceptance and promotion by many of abortion, transgender and LBGQT rights, and the DEI agenda infiltrating schools, the workplace, and the military. As one of my buddies commented, “it’s gone to hell in handbasket.” The negatives appear overwhelming.
A couple of us called ‘time out” and suggested we turn our attention for a moment to what’s great about this country to offset the negativity in the room. If there is any hope for the future it will have to depend on what is good about our nation.
It was gratifying how quickly the responses came out on what makes the USA great. In many respects it reflected a litany of the Bill of Rights – freedom of speech and religion, freedom of assembly, etc. Comments also reflected the classical underpinning of the Declaration of Independence – the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
Continued below.
catholicstand.com
Everyone agreed that this political election season seems to bring out the worst in our candidates. More and more elections seem to be about personality and less about policy. It seems to be a contest of who can be the most clever name caller.
At the same time this country appears to be in dire straits with the acceptance and promotion by many of abortion, transgender and LBGQT rights, and the DEI agenda infiltrating schools, the workplace, and the military. As one of my buddies commented, “it’s gone to hell in handbasket.” The negatives appear overwhelming.
A couple of us called ‘time out” and suggested we turn our attention for a moment to what’s great about this country to offset the negativity in the room. If there is any hope for the future it will have to depend on what is good about our nation.
It was gratifying how quickly the responses came out on what makes the USA great. In many respects it reflected a litany of the Bill of Rights – freedom of speech and religion, freedom of assembly, etc. Comments also reflected the classical underpinning of the Declaration of Independence – the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
A country of second chances
Continued below.
A God and a Country of Second Chances - Catholic Stand
Politics always makes for interesting discussions. As such, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the political goings on in our country became the topic of discussion at my weekly men’s breakfast group. Everyone agreed that this political election season seems to bring out the worst in our...
catholicstand.com
Unmixing our motives
- By Joseph G
- Daily Devotionals
- 0 Replies
From: Unmixing Our Motives
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Devotions
by Amy Carroll
I'll never forget when mixed motives almost killed my true calling. Soon after accepting a leadership position in the women's ministry of my church, a friend on the team came up to me. "Oh! We forgot to tell you," she said with a grin. "You're in charge of the annual women's conference."
Despite the surprise, I loved every minute of organizing the event. But as I interacted with our guest speaker, envy began to wind itself around my heart. If it could have spoken aloud, it would have said, "I want THAT!"
I wanted her platform.
I wanted her eloquence.
I wanted her audience.
I wanted her cute outfit.
Fortunately, I recognized these "wants" as signs of covetousness rather than signs of my calling. I knew God had called me to be the women's ministry director during that season—not to speak. And each time I desired what that speaker had, it took my focus off what God had for me.
So I asked God to kill the weed of envy that was choking the life from my calling to lead women. I asked Him to purify my motives and steer my heart to the women He had called me to serve.
It's so easy for wrong motives to creep in to our hearts. You might not want to be a speaker, but maybe you're the mom who dresses her children to impress others. Or maybe you're the employee who takes charge of the room to show your boss your readiness for the next step up.
There's nothing wrong with cute children or promotions, but so many times our motives trip us up. Instead of being pure, our motives get mixed with other things that sully the outcome—emotionalism, pride, and strong personal preferences are just a few.
Several years after my prayer to remove my "speaker envy," God started whispering to me about speaking as I prayed and read the Word. My first reaction was to think, "There's that old, nasty envy again. God, purify my heart!"
But this time was different. As I unpacked my motives, I realized God had really changed my heart. He'd refined my motives to just one, and that was to obey Him.
Philippians 2:5 states our ideal position: Our one motive should be to follow Him and become more like Him. That's the motive that should supersede and reign over any others. How do we practically live that out?
I think the clue is in the following verses. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7, NIV 1984).
Our focus has to be on becoming nothing. Nothing is not our status or worth. We are always holy and dearly loved children of the King.
Nothing is to be our chosen position as a servant.
How does this look in everyday life? Jesus is our perfect example. He is everything: the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is so incredibly powerful and important that Colossians 1:16 says "all things were created by him and for him" (NIV 1984). Despite His exalted position, Jesus showed the purity of His motives toward us by giving up all He had.
As I've thought about how to imitate Jesus in my motives, I ask myself two questions when making choices:
• Does this put me or others first?
• Is this a choice to be more or to be nothing?
These two questions expose any twisted motives and bring me back to my chosen position of nothing. Day by day, my motives are refined. It's a painful process sometimes, but it's a good process that ultimately produces pure motives with divine outcomes.
Lord God, You are the only One with uncontaminated motives. I confess mine are often mixed with pride, emotion, or personal opinion. Please purify my heart. Forgive me, un-mix my motives, and help me move forward with a pure heart. Amen.
***
For more thoughts on cultivating a pure heart, visit Amy Carroll's blog.
Setting our hearts and minds on Christ helps purify our motives from unforgiveness. Join the Proverbs 31 Ministries team of writers in doing this through Encouragement for Today: Devotions for Everyday Living.
What decisions are you making today? Are they cluttered by impure motives like unforgiveness, fear, pride, or overwhelming emotions?
Pray and ask God to show you any impure motives that might affect your decision-making, and then ask Him to remove the ones He shows you.
Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me." (ASV)
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (NIV)
© 2014 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.
Tags:
Copyright 2023 Proverbs 31 Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Languages: English español
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Devotions
Unmixing Our Motives
by Amy CarrollJanuary 3, 2014
by Amy CarrollI'll never forget when mixed motives almost killed my true calling. Soon after accepting a leadership position in the women's ministry of my church, a friend on the team came up to me. "Oh! We forgot to tell you," she said with a grin. "You're in charge of the annual women's conference."
Despite the surprise, I loved every minute of organizing the event. But as I interacted with our guest speaker, envy began to wind itself around my heart. If it could have spoken aloud, it would have said, "I want THAT!"
I wanted her platform.
I wanted her eloquence.
I wanted her audience.
I wanted her cute outfit.
Fortunately, I recognized these "wants" as signs of covetousness rather than signs of my calling. I knew God had called me to be the women's ministry director during that season—not to speak. And each time I desired what that speaker had, it took my focus off what God had for me.
So I asked God to kill the weed of envy that was choking the life from my calling to lead women. I asked Him to purify my motives and steer my heart to the women He had called me to serve.
It's so easy for wrong motives to creep in to our hearts. You might not want to be a speaker, but maybe you're the mom who dresses her children to impress others. Or maybe you're the employee who takes charge of the room to show your boss your readiness for the next step up.
There's nothing wrong with cute children or promotions, but so many times our motives trip us up. Instead of being pure, our motives get mixed with other things that sully the outcome—emotionalism, pride, and strong personal preferences are just a few.
Several years after my prayer to remove my "speaker envy," God started whispering to me about speaking as I prayed and read the Word. My first reaction was to think, "There's that old, nasty envy again. God, purify my heart!"
But this time was different. As I unpacked my motives, I realized God had really changed my heart. He'd refined my motives to just one, and that was to obey Him.
Philippians 2:5 states our ideal position: Our one motive should be to follow Him and become more like Him. That's the motive that should supersede and reign over any others. How do we practically live that out?
I think the clue is in the following verses. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7, NIV 1984).
Our focus has to be on becoming nothing. Nothing is not our status or worth. We are always holy and dearly loved children of the King.
Nothing is to be our chosen position as a servant.
How does this look in everyday life? Jesus is our perfect example. He is everything: the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is so incredibly powerful and important that Colossians 1:16 says "all things were created by him and for him" (NIV 1984). Despite His exalted position, Jesus showed the purity of His motives toward us by giving up all He had.
As I've thought about how to imitate Jesus in my motives, I ask myself two questions when making choices:
• Does this put me or others first?
• Is this a choice to be more or to be nothing?
These two questions expose any twisted motives and bring me back to my chosen position of nothing. Day by day, my motives are refined. It's a painful process sometimes, but it's a good process that ultimately produces pure motives with divine outcomes.
Lord God, You are the only One with uncontaminated motives. I confess mine are often mixed with pride, emotion, or personal opinion. Please purify my heart. Forgive me, un-mix my motives, and help me move forward with a pure heart. Amen.
***
Related Resources:
For more thoughts on cultivating a pure heart, visit Amy Carroll's blog.
Setting our hearts and minds on Christ helps purify our motives from unforgiveness. Join the Proverbs 31 Ministries team of writers in doing this through Encouragement for Today: Devotions for Everyday Living.
Reflect and Respond:
What decisions are you making today? Are they cluttered by impure motives like unforgiveness, fear, pride, or overwhelming emotions?
Pray and ask God to show you any impure motives that might affect your decision-making, and then ask Him to remove the ones He shows you.
Power Verses:
Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me." (ASV)
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (NIV)
© 2014 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.
Tags:
- Faith ,
- Identity in Christ ,
- Prayer ,
- Purity
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