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The Liturgist · Feb 14, 2025

Mark Quayle said:
Exactly so! To deny divine immutability and God's perfection is to me blasphemy, not to mention being logically self-contradictory —such a being is simply not God. It is one thing to not understand what is meant by divine immutability, and so to raise objections, but it is another to deny it, knowing what it means. (Sorry for being obvious).

You also say, "Now some Process Theologians have tried to deal with this, but I have yet to see a Process Theologian express things in a manner that was consistent with the Nicene Creed." To which I add —Nor, even, in a manner consistent with Scripture.

Indeed. I regard anything inconsistent with the Nicene Creed as inconsistent with Scripture properly understood - to quote St. Vincent of Lerins, a Latin father from the early 5th century venerated in the Orthodox church, or was it St. Isidore of Seville, a Latin anti-Arian bishop who we also venerate who was involved in the early Mozarabic liturgy, that scripture is not in the reading but the interpretation. St. Vincent said that what has always been believed everywhere by everyone (meaning by the church whole) is properly called Catholic, which makes sense since the word Catholic in Greek literally means “According to the Whole” and not “Universal” as is commonly said.

Thus in Orthodoxy we regard ourselves as Catholic, and the Eastern Orthodox because of the historic connection with the Byzantine Empire, the surviving portion of the Roman Empire, identify as Romans - the persecuted Antiochian and other Arabic Orthodox Christians (and their Greek Catholic counterparts) in the Middle East and the Alexandrian Greeks who are not Copts, Maronites or Assyrians and Syriacs (Suroye) identify as Rum in Arabic from the Greek Romiioi meaning Roman, and are known as Melkites to the Oriental Orthodox, meaning “King’s Men” or “Emperor’s Men”, regardless of whether or not they are Antiochian Orthodox or Melkite Greek Catholic.

rebornfree · Feb 14, 2025

Thanks for posting this Michie. I'm in the UK. It's an extremely worrying Bill as the article you posted shows. My MP voted for it, but he said that he is open to hearing our views as the Bill progresses, so I plan to write to him again when it approaches the second vote. In the meantime I hope and pray that people from disability charities, medical experts etc. will provide sufficient evidence, during the committee stage, for many of the MPs who voted for it to change their minds. Liz Carr, mentioned in the article, has been a fantastic campaigner against it. Also I'm pleased that the article was in a national secular publication. I think most Christians are against the Bill, but this will reach others too and maybe cause them to lobby their MPs to vote against it.

Btw I saw your post on the OBOB forum about the Dutch considering Assisted Dying for the over 75s even if healthy! I couldn't post there as I'm not a Roman Catholic, but that is terrible. I'm 75 this year and the thought of it being legal to end my life is worrying. Back in my fifties I did want it to end, due to various circumstances, and I prayed that the Lord would take me. He didn't, however, but he brought me through the bad times to a much better situation. Psychiatrists say the when people are suffering mentally (and maybe physically) they think that it will always be like this. Usually it isn't. My life got better; so can others. So if anyone is reading this and does not want to go on living please seek help: from your doctor, from the Samaritans or other mental health charities and, most of all, from God. Things will get better.

LoricaLady · Feb 14, 2025

A 12 year old Pakistani Christian girl was abducted from her home at gunpoint by three men who have threatened to sell her into sexual slavery her parents have said.

Ariha was abducted on January 20 by a 40 year-old neighbor and two accomplishes after they forced their way into the home.

Please pray for the safe return of these girls, and protection from those who want to abduct young girls.

So far the police have failed to find her.

The father, Masih, is concerned that his daughter could become a victim of sexual exploitation to forced conversion to Islam and involuntary marriage to a man three times her age.

PRAISE

Thank the Lord for the release from custody of two Christian converts from Islam, who have been held in an Egyptian prison for three years without trial, according to religious rights advocates.

Abdulbaqi and Nour were released on January 25. Both had been in pre-trial detention since 2021 on blasphemy charges.

Vambram · Feb 14, 2025

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Jelly Roll joins legendary Country duo Brooks & Dunn for a moving performance of “Believe,” released on their Reboot II album on November 15th. “The 58th Annual CMA Awards” aired on ABC from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on November 20, 2024.

Vambram · Feb 14, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
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Believe it or not, there are intelligent people who actually applauded Maxine’s style

Remember she is the one who called for open confrontation of Whitehouse staff and tell them they are not wanted.

Now she is ranting and cussing about Elon Musk.

IMO, Congresswoman Maxine Waters is an example of the worst in Congress.

Vambram · Feb 14, 2025

Fantine said:
The assertion is based on the Secret Service exceeding its budget in August in his first term because of the confiscatory rates Trump charged the government.

Keeping Up With the Trumps Leaves Secret Service Out of Money - Public Citizen

Statement of Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen

www.citizen.org

The courts are preventing the shutdowns, hopefully forever.
Do you think the best and brightest will hang around through all this? They will be replaced by sycophants and yes men, destroying the integrity of the institutions.

Many of the institutions of those federal government bureaucrats have lost their integrity a long time ago.

Chesterton · Feb 14, 2025

durangodawood said:
Where does one find these little outrage nuggets?

There's this new thing called the internet. You should check it out. I think it's gonna be big.

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

Very awesome!

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

Good. Prostitutes need help, not affirmation their “work” is good!

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

RamiC said:
May the children who died rest in peace and rise in glory.

May Jesus take care of the survivors.

Jesus please help us to find better ways for young mothers with PTSD, and all others.

Amen and amen!

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

RamiC said:
Saint Raphael patron saint for those who struggle with nightmares. - link.

Saint Dymphna - link.

Still praying for you the way I normally pray, but posting these in case they are helpful to you.

Thank you very much! I appreciate it!

Fantine · Feb 14, 2025

Yay! I knew they'd find a reason to keep it open--hopefully doing right for disabled students and student loans, not just bathroom policing.

Lady Bug · Feb 14, 2025

I would probably be literally a hundred years old in order for me to have gone on 100 dates, but I'm glad it worked out for said person.

soldier of light · Feb 14, 2025

Skyblue98 said:
I'm not a teenager. I'm turning 27 this year. Every place I go, people seem to have a problem with me. People tell other people they "don't like" or "hate" me and I've never even spoken to them. This happens in completely new environments amongst fresh faces.
There's a hostility in the way they speak about me to one another and they do their best to avoid me. It's very noticeable.

My own family hates me. Some people will do things that annoy me on purpose to get me to go away. I can be completely new and people will talk about me and insult or make fun of me right off the bat. This happened at a hospital I went to. The nurses there were incredibly mean to me, but this is nothing new. I get treated this way every place I go. I'm sure it's because I'm awkward and quiet. Socializing is not my strength. Ever since I was bullied in 7th grade combined with hitting my head on a propane tank and developing bipolar, I isolated and ran from life.

At home, my sisters did the same thing. I was mocked and bullied by them and they made home life extremely uncomfortable, so I stayed in my room.

I always get laughed at when I'm just talking and people seem to like bullying me. I walk into the room and people will glance at one another with smiles on their faces. I know they were talking about me. Many times they do it within earshot to get some kind of reaction out of me. My whole family hates me. They do the glance thing. I often get reffered to as a "loser" and I can't wrap my head around it.

I have many good qualities. I'm a high achiever. They might just be doing it because I look weak and have social anxiety, but that doesn't explain why they hate me so bad.

I had a counselor who invited me to church. There, I felt the treatment was worse. I recognized a familiar look on the faces of some of the people who were staff there. That same mishievious, eye narrowing, smiling look on their faces. I always get that. Like they have something planned out in an effort to humiliate me and some have. Same talking within earshot.

I just don't get it. I thought I would turn out to be someone people liked and who was somewhat popular. Family just about everyone that knows me will say really mean stuff about me. I get called loser a lot! I don't get it. I'm nice, but I guess that's not enough. My counselor always used to tell me, "who cares?" Not in a mean kind of way. She was trying to help me, but I guess that the people that saw me that day in the church rubbed off on her because on a phone call with her, I heard them in the background laughing at a counseling session that was supposed to be between me and my counselor, she was laughing too.

She always used to say the only thing that matters is what god thinks of you and you think of you. It's hard to convince myself that I shouldn't care. Especially after that.

I try to pray to god, but I never feel like he's there. I feel completely alone.

I understand. I walk alone in my faith. Jesus understands. He loves us. Never give up. One day you will be thankful.

SeekFirst0 · Feb 14, 2025

Michie said:
I used to watch him somewhere…EWTN? I can’t recall. He definitely tells it like it is.

His directness in proclaiming Biblical Truth is refreshing.

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

St. Benedict, pray for us!

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

Johan2222 · Feb 14, 2025

Aaron112 said:
I sometimes think we humans are being tested with bots that can post just as if a real person, the logic and patterns are strange and different.

Logic and sound doctrine often alerts me to the possibility that I am not speaking to a human

Michie · Feb 14, 2025

USDA news release: Ag Secretary welcomes DOGE efforts

Washington, D.C., Feb. 14, 2025 – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed more than 400 USDA staffers, stakeholders and friends and pledged to bring greater efficiency to USDA to ensure it better serves American farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community. She reviewed findings from the Department of Government Efficiency and welcomes the opportunity to optimize the USDA workforce and stop wasteful spending.

Continued below.

USDA news release: Ag Secretary welcomes DOGE efforts

Washington, D.C., Feb. 14, 2025 - Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed more than 400 ...

kfgo.com

Richard T · Feb 14, 2025

Vambram said:
Thomas Jefferson, in a 1804 letter to Abigail Adams, asserted that to give “to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional, and what not, not only for themselves in their own sphere of action, but for the legislature and executive also, in their spheres, would make the judiciary a despotic branch”.

One could argue that executive orders from the President are not a constitutional power. They were used rather sparsely until the 1950s and now seem to be out of control. Meanwhile you are right on the use of Federal districts issuing injunctions for the entire nation. This is a good article without much Trump bias as it was during the Obama years that this started to become a problem. Obama was doing various things and some of it was stopped by the GOP filing for injunctions. One for all: Are nationwide injunctions legal? The point is that in earlier US history the President was in his lane and not using executive orders in the place of laws. Now that the President is doing far more, then the judiciary has stepped up. The good news is that all we have to do is to be patient. The limits of presidential power are likely to be more defined as are the limits and the use of Federal court injunctions. While we all might favor Trump's executive actions, if they do go unchecked then we will see a future liberal President also push for executive actions that we will not like. So let's get the lanes defined for all the powers of government more clearly. Some would argue it is Congress not doing their job in the first place that is causing this conflict. Here is one such case that limits executive actions. "The president has two primary sources of power to issue directives and executive orders: the Constitution and powers granted to the president by Congress. This was stated in the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Supreme Court decision by Justice Hugo Black: “The President’s power, if any, to issue the order must stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution itself.” Defining the president’s constitutional powers to issue executive orders | Constitution Center
If we used this as a guideline, it would seem that Trump goers beyond orders that stem from Congress and ones that likely are not Constitutional. Biden tried this with student loans. He was stopped. Should we be surprised that a President can not give or take away money indiscriminately? I thank God we have such a system of checks and balances. If Trump can gain no ground for his proposals then it will be up to the people to elect members of Congress who can carry this out. Unilateral power is rarely good. To those that are frustrated this quote is for you.
We shall never prevent the abuse of power if we are not prepared to limit power in a way which occasionally may prevent its use for desirable purposes.

Friedrich August von Hayek

Lukaris · Feb 14, 2025

timewerx said:
Nope. Israel ran an apartheid occupation against the Palestinians and violated human rights in the occupation for so many years long before Hamas attacked. The blame goes back to Israel really.

This is why many Israeli themselves are opposed to the war because they know it's unjust war.

Accountability is mainly from USA and Israel.

If Israel hadn’t been attacked in 1967 & 1973, things would be a lot different but the same complaints would still probably be made. The Palestinian authorities are corrupt, crime syndicates and slumlords.

Palestine: Authorities Crush Dissent

The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas authorities in Gaza routinely arrest and torture peaceful critics and opponents.

www.hrw.org

Fervent · Feb 14, 2025

The Liturgist said:
Me too, actually. By the way I had no idea you believed in all of that; I had incorrectly assumed you were in the realm of mainstream Calvinism, but I have always enjoyed your fellowship.

Calvinism actually kept me from being open about belonging to Christ for years. My views are evolving still, and everytime I seem to move closer to adopting Orthodoxy. Though I believe God has planted me in a baptist church for a reason, and I have fellowship with others in my local church that keeps me from venturing into other churches even if I do disagree with the pastoral staff on a number of doctrine that if they were not generous in their understanding could put me outside of the fold(like my recognition that church sacraments are not just symbols)

The Liturgist said:
Do you think more Western Rite parishes that were more convenient, accessible and perhaps a bit more low church would help in your scenario?

I'm not sure, for me church attendance is all about the local body and 2-3 gathering in Christ's name. Haven't yet gone over to a monarchical governance ecclesial understanding, though God may bring me to that one day. For now, I'm comfortable thinking of myself as trans-denominational(as in transcendent and not in the modern political sense of the word). I pray that one day the church is re-united under a single head, but I'm not sure what I would expect that to look like. My general disposition is more mystical/spiritual than religious...so while I appreciate the beauty of longstanding traditional liturgies I personally am not moved much by them, but prefer more dynamic and ever evolving modes of worship. Kind of like Christ told the Samaritan woman, in their day God was worshiped on Gerizim by the Samaritans and Zion by the Jews, but one day we will worship in Truth and Spirit. I believe He inaugurated that day with His resurrection, though it has not yet been fully consummated.

The Liturgist said:
By the way, whether you join an Eastern or Oriental Orthodox church or not (I am a strong advocate for EO-OO reunion and regard both as Orthodox), you might be interested to know that a large number of Orthodox liturgical texts, actually a complete liturgical library in the case of the Byzantine and Coptic rite liturgy, and a large chunk of Syriac material, is now available online, for free in the case of the Byzantine material (and most of the Coptic material, however, the most convenient Coptic facility is an app called Coptic Reader where things like the Psalmody are add-ons, but it sets up the liturgy with the correct propers of the day for you, which is worth the price of admission.

If someone actually needs to do this in the Byzantine Rite it usually requires knowledge of a book called the Typikon (which is basically an ordo, it contains the instructions on how to reconcile the proper hymns from the annual cycle of holy days like Christmas, the Annunciation, the Transfiguration, etc, with the Paschal cycle of pre-Lent through the first Sunday after Pentecost (which in the Byzantine Rite is All Saints Day, since Pentecost contains a celebration of the Holy Trinity and is actually the parish feast of parishes dedicated to the Holy Trinity, whereas in the West the two separated into two adjacent Sundays; this pattern is not uncommon and we see combined holidays, which used to be the norm, but which were de-consolidated, for example, in the Armenian liturgy, where the Nativity and Baptism of our Lord are still celebrated on the same day (January 6th) whereas in the fourth century (as an anti-Arian statement, I think), every other church moved the Nativity as the Feast of the Incarnation to December 25th, nine months from the Annunciation on March 25th (which is also the earliest possible date of Pascha and the Julian calendar date of Pascha in the year 33 AD) and is … complex, and varies also, for example, between Greek and Slavonic churches. There are two other liturgical cycles, which are those of the Octoechos: each week is sung in a successive tone, one of eight tones, with it its own hymns for each day of the week, and in the absence of any other occasion the Octoechos is the default hymnal, but it is usually complemented to some extent, especially if one has a full monthly menaion with all of the holy days, and such is now available free of charge online, whereas previously one could only inexpensively access the propers for the major feasts.

However, for just perusing the Orthodox faith and exploring our theology, there is no need to worry about the Typikon, and it can be very enjoyable to just read the service books (most of which, perhaps all of which, even those containing the prayers for the Divine Liturgy, Baptism, Marriage and so on, can be regarded as hymnals, since all services are sung, although not everything in the book is sung, some prayers are traditionally said quietly by the priest, although lately some priests have been reading or intoning these portions aloud so the congregation can appreciate them, particularly with the less frequently used services like the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil used on a few occasions such as Christmas Eve, January 1st, and in Lent, or if the parish celebrates it, the ancient Hagiopolitan Divine Liturgy of St. James (which now is routinely used only on the feast day of St. James the Just on October 23rd).

Here is a collection of texts including the service books for the divine liturgy in contemporary English: Liturgical Texts

This site has the complete Octoechos and Menaion: All-Saints Eastern Orthodox Liturgical Resources

Thank you for all of this information. I'll look deeper into it when I have more time.

Fantine · Feb 14, 2025

If it is selective, it's wrong.
He has been trying to control the media so that he will seem praiseworthy, an extreme makeover that would require enormous compromises of journalistic integrity.
He should be fair and impartial.

soldier of light · Feb 14, 2025

Basically I have peace, love and joy but sometimes I have anxiety attacks and voices in my head. I believe that sometimes the voices are just my own thoughts. But I can't say if always that way. It could also be like thorn in my flesh for all I know. I dont have all the answers and I walk by faith not by sight.

essentialsaltes · Feb 14, 2025

essentialsaltes said:
Vance shares Musk op-ed backing Germany’s far-right party
Quoting Musk’s English version of the opinion piece, Vance said it was an “interesting piece.”
He further took aim at U.S. media outlets, adding that “American media slanders AfD as Nazi-lite"

Vance meets with leader of far-right German party, exports MAGA message

The meeting with Alice Weidel, head of the anti-immigration, nationalist Alternative for Germany party, was a major step for her movement, which major parties have sought to bar from coalitions.

Vance is the most senior U.S. official ever to meet with a leader from the party.

RileyG · Feb 14, 2025

Thank you for the continued prayers.

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USDA news release: Ag Secretary welcomes DOGE efforts​

Vance shares Musk op-ed backing Germany’s far-right party​

Vance meets with leader of far-right German party, exports MAGA message​

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USDA news release: Ag Secretary welcomes DOGE efforts

Vance shares Musk op-ed backing Germany’s far-right party

Vance meets with leader of far-right German party, exports MAGA message