I'm new here. I'm glad to be on your forum.

This is a nice exchange of ideas with someone who shared some basic truths of the Gospel, in contrast with the failures of Judaism....

Someone said:
In these verses we see a man who, although at one time was full of hatred, now displays love for his fellow man. As a one time zealous Pharisee, Paul understands the blindness of the Israelites to the Gospel. He now understands following a religion does not equate to salvation. Paul’s conversion led to his understand of how Jesus had fulfilled the Law, thereby being the only way to God as Jesus Himself stated in John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Continuing, Paul then teaches concerning righteousness:

“5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim”

In the following verse’s, Paul proclaims the fundamentals of salvation in Jesus Christ:

“9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Declaring Jesus is Lord was - and still is - a bold declaration. At that time in history Caesar was lord across the empire. To declare another lord was treason, and grounds for death. Notwithstanding, God has proclaimed Jesus to be Lord of all because, He is the only One who has attained Salvation for all who believe.

As believers we are called upon to share our faith:

“14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

The following verses enforce the critical importance of sharing The Good News of The Gospel:

“16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.””

In conclusion, Paul writes of how the Gospel message has gone out the the Gentiles:

“19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.””

I responded:
There is a lot I could comment on here. Pretty well stated, although my theological concerns carry on to certain issues I've had to deal with in other places. So I'll just briefly outline how I view these things in that regard.

Paul understood that the Jewish practice of the Law was intended to show the perfect righteousness of Christ as opposed to the flawed righteousness of Israel. This meant that although Israel's righteousness was accepted of God, resulting in spiritual life and blessing, it was insufficient to obtain Eternal Life.

What makes all righteousness acceptable in God's sight is faith, even from flawed human beings. Israel was told that God's word was near them, indicating they could do what brought life to them. It could not, however, do what Christ did, which is to be raised from the dead and to ascend into heaven.

All true ministers of the Gospel are equipped with the ability to share God's living word with others which, if accepted, can bring them Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. Those who just share empty knowledge of the Gospel are no better than Israel when, after years of repetition and compromise, began to lose their track with God's word that had been near them.

None of this means that Israel was always faulty in their spiritual life. It's just that Israel, along with all nations, fall into spiritual decline over time. This has happened to Christian nations in the NT era.

We should not create too big a contrast between Israel in the OT and the Church in the NT--the results are the same. We begin well and end badly. The system of God's word is the same. But the problem is that society loses God's word over time, since the majority tend to fall away from God's word and from its life.

When Israel fell away from God, through idolatry, God restored them with their repentance. Even today I believe Israel can be restored as a godly nation, just as many Christian nations have fallen into backsliding but have experienced reformations and revivals, restoring their Christian blessing.

The problem with Israel has been, they have had repeated failures, and came, in the time of Christ, to a hardening of their hearts. This could happen to Christians in the NT era too--they just haven't fallen as far as Israel did yet, though that may be coming.

In my personal opinion, I don't think we should give up on either Israel or Christian nations. Hardened hearts require severe chastisement, and judgment against the causes. But Christ came to die for the worst, hardened heart. And we should maintain that charitable attitude towards all, as I see it.

On another issue you raised, I will say that I think Pontius Pilate was less offended at Jesus' claim to be Lord because he said his Kingdom was of heaven, and not in competition with Caesar. It was recognized that his word was true and not covert or deceptive.

So, there was no real threat to the Roman Empire in the sense of military challenge or usurpation. Ultimately, the Roman Empire converted, and obtained the spiritual Kingdom that Israel had lost.

I personally believe Israel has a chance to come back as a nation that it was originally called to be, commiting itself to being a godly nation, a Christian nation. But I understand that idea is controversial within Christianity, and I will not make this too big of an issue here.

Thank you for a nice post! A good one is one that provokes or encourages a positive reaction.

On Tuesday, September 16, Live Action founder and president Lila Rose was the decided victor in a Yale Political Union debate event with former Catholics for Choice president Frances Kissling. Rose, who had spoken in opposition to the 'Resolution for Choice,' came out ahead in a 60-31 vote.

Key Takeaways:​

• A vote was taken at the end of the evening, and Lila Rose was declared by attendees to be the clear winner against Frances Kissling, former Catholics for Choice president and founding president of the National Abortion Federation.
• Kissling argued that preborn children are not as valuable as other humans, while Rose defended their humanity and pointed out the injustices that occur when society dehumanizes certain human beings.

The Details:​

More than 300 participants had registered to attend the debate. Kissling, who was also the founding president of the National Abortion Federation, focused her argument on the false claim that preborn children are not as valuable as other human beings.

Continued below.

This is starting to get scary because you can't then say he was some rogue vigilanty but this was organized.

“As a dogmatic theologian I don’t want to be diplomatic. The Catholic Church must proclaim the truth but also contradict lies.”​

ROME, September 17, 2025—Recently I sat down in Rome with Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for a wide-ranging discussion.

In Part I of this two-part interview, His Eminence reflects on the brutal assassination of Christian conservative and Turning Point USA-founder, Charlie Kirk, calling him a “martyr for Jesus Christ.”

We also discuss the first months of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate as well as a range of pressing issues, including the growing threat of Islam, its relation to today’s radical anti-Christian ideologies, and the recent scandal over the Vatican-sanctioned “LGBT Jubilee pilgrimage” led by Fr. James Martin.

Here is Part I of my interview with Cardinal Gerhard Müller.

***

Diane Montagna: Your Eminence, you know the United States well. Would you like to comment on the assassination of Charlie Kirk?

Cardinal Müller: Charlie Kirk was the victim of an atheistic ideology, whose followers erupted in satanic celebration over the heinous murder of an exemplary husband and family man. The devil always takes possession of those who hate life and truth. For, according to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil is a “murderer from the beginning” and the “father of lies” (John 8:44). And only those who hear the words of God are of God (cf. John 8:47).

Charlie Kirk was a devout Christian. From a supernatural perspective, he died not as the victim of a political assassination, but as a martyr for Jesus Christ—not in the sense of those who are canonized, but as one who bore witness (from the Greek martyros) through his life. He gave his life in following his Lord, as a sacrifice for the truth that man is made in God’s image, male and female, and in opposition to the lies and self-mutilation promoted by so-called “trans-ideology” and “gender-affirming care.” He upheld and lived in defense of the beauty and sanctity of marriage and family, as ordained by God the Creator, and stood up for the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death.

As I’m sure you’re aware, Charlie Kirk’s wife was Catholic, and his close friends have revealed that he attended Mass and was praying the Rosary.

Continued below.

INTERVIEW: Cardinal Müller on Charlie Kirk, the “LGBT Jubilee,” and the Rising Threat of Islam

“As a dogmatic theologian I don’t want to be diplomatic. The Catholic Church must proclaim the truth but also contradict lies.”

dianemontagna.substack.com

The bullet that killed Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University did not only strike down a man. It announced something deeper, something darker — the arrival of open spiritual warfare in America. For years, the signs were there: classrooms colonized by ideology, churches emptied by apathy, communities corroded by contempt. But Kirk’s assassination and the celebrations that followed crushed the last illusions. The age of debate has ended. The age of spiritual battle has begun. (RELATED: Charlie Kirk: The Last Debater)

Charlie was 31. A husband, a father, a leader who built Turning Point USA into a force for young conservatives. He was gunned down for daring to defend the faith and the family. Yet the greater shock came after the trigger was pulled. Academics mocked his death. Students sniggered. City councilors joked about it. Online mobs raised their glasses as if assassination were a sport. Apparel companies cashed in with t-shirts glorifying the crime. They delighted in his destruction. They rejoiced in widowhood. They chuckled at fatherless children. That response was downright demonic. (RELATED: Demons and Demonization)

This is what spiritual war looks like when it pierces the surface of politics. One side clings to eternal truths, to the God who gives life meaning, to the dignity of the human soul. The other side has surrendered to nihilism. They deny transcendence, they scorn faith, they sanctify power. In their world, opponents are not individuals but problems. And problems, once identified, must be eliminated. (RELATED: Charlie Kirk Is a Casualty of the Cultural Counterrevolution)

When a young father’s murder is met with laughter, we are staring into the pit of evil Scripture foretold.

Click to expand...

The Bible warns that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers of darkness. That warning is no longer distant. It is here. We see it on our streets in the rise of senseless violence. We hear it in classrooms where faith is mocked and vice excused. We witness it online where cruelty is condoned and death becomes a punchline. When a young father’s murder is met with laughter, we are staring into the pit of evil Scripture foretold. (RELATED: The Blood of the Martyrs: Charlie Kirk’s Witness and Movement)

Continued below.

The Age of Spiritual Warfare Is Here. Will You Rise or Fall? – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

The bullet that killed Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University did not only strike down a man. It announced something deeper, something darker — the arrival of open spiritual warfare in America. For years, the signs were there: classrooms colonized by ideology, churches emptied by apathy...

spectator.org

My favorite Jesuit and I speak about recent tragedies, including Charlie Kirk, what it means for us, and how to move forward.

Please take a listen by clicking here.

“To be free and truly follow God, one must cut away all one's 'securities.'”

Suzy Donovan, a young woman from Jacksonville, Florida, received a letter from Sister Clare Crockett, a former Irish actress-turned-nun. Her canonization cause openedlast year.

In the letter, Sister Crockett addresses a topic that affects many people: the desire to please everyone. The message can help us fight these "whispers from the devil."

“To be free and truly follow God, one must cut away all one's 'securities,'” Sister Clare writes at the beginning of her letter. With these words, she begins a reflection addressed to Suzy, whom she met during her mission in the United States.

In the text, Sister Clare warns against the false certainties that keep us from God's path. The fear of losing them leads us to create vain questions, which she calls "whispers from the devil."

“These questions torture us. They're like a whirlwind inside us,” she writes.

Click to expand...

Continued below.

According to Washington auxiliary bishop Roy Campbell, Catholics should stand up for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—DEI—because DEI also means “God” (as in, Dei).

That insulting association of the Divine Name with a divisive political social policy appeared in an essay the USCCB accidentally published on its website in recent days. It has since been taken down. According to The Pillar, the USCCB has not yet officially sanctioned the essay. It “is a draft of a personal reflection from Bishop Campbell that is yet to be discussed and given to a definitive publication plan,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said. The essence of the essay was more or less contained in the same bishop’s homily during 2025 Black History Month. That homily occurred within a month of Donald Trump’s inauguration, an administration the bishop accused of “want[ing] to erase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the American conscience.”

There are two big problems with the essay.

First, DEI is arguably fundamentally incompatible with Catholic thought. In practice, DEI treats racism not as intrinsically evil, but only sometimes evil, depending on who is being discriminated against. Justice Clarence Thomas already highlighted this problem in his concurrence in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard:Colorblindness—the ignoring of race as a criterion for decisions—has morphed into color sensitivity, resulting in so-called “good discrimination” and “bad discrimination.” Reverse discrimination is nonetheless discrimination.

DEI also victimizes innocent persons today by denying them opportunities in the name of earlier, historical victims, transferring those opportunities to modern beneficiaries whose only commonality with those past victims is race.

Bishop Campbell’s defense of DEI policies clings to the stated theoretical foundations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: They encourage more seats at the table and incorporation of different viewpoints and life experiences. But in sticking to those superficial claims, Campbell ignores the case DEI opponents make about its practical consequences for real persons here and now in the name of historical victims from times past. The bishop may think that redress of past wrongs is a matter of social justice. But it is at least just as arguably a matter of social justice that concrete persons today should not endure consequences for wrongs done by other persons in the past, in which they had no part. How is that not trans-historical racial collective guilt? Catholic teaching is antithetical to the perpetuation of grievance. Old wounds should not become new injustices.

Continued below.

Peace in Christ.

Again….again….again, when we keep the dying of the Lord Jesus in our mortal bodies (the keeping of His daily sacrifice,) then the life also of Jesus shall be made manifest in our mortal bodies…our mortal flesh.

This manifestation of His life in our mortal flesh is the revealing of the Son of man to the people of the outside world so that they may see Him through us and believe. Not all will …but a “great multitude” will see and believe and be saved.

2Co 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

This is the light that we shine to them…the revealing of His life in our mortal flesh to them.

Isa 60:1-4 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

The people of the outside world are in darkness….thick darkness. They are in the "night". But the LORD shall arise upon us and His glory shall be SEEN upon us.

(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

They will come to that light.

(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

They shall GATHER themselves together and come to us. Your “sons” shall come from far…

(4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

We are to inherit the promises made to Abram….a “father” of nations. The “sons” and “daughters” are the nations that come to us.

Gen 17:3-5 KJV
(3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
(4) As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
(5) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

“In that NIGHT”…in the thick darkness of the people of the outside world…one shall be “taken”…that is RECEIVED unto God…and the other left (forsaken.)

The verses of Luke 17:34-37 deal with the people of the outside world who are in deep darkness. They are not people of the churches. They do not know God whatsoever. They are in the "night"

They will see His glory light upon us “in that night” and one will be received and the other rejected.

Luk 17:34-37
(34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
(35) Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(36) Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Where are those who are received to Him going?

Wheresoever the body (Greek: soma – sound body), there the eagles will be gathered together.

Wherever the living body of Christ is…where the Son of man is being manifested, there the eagles (who will SEE with their eyes the living body) be gathered together. They will come to the light shining in us.

These (the eagles) are the people of the outside world who will see the light shining in us….the living body…and will gather themselves and come to us.

(37) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

But the unbelievers in the man-based churches will continue on as usual while the Son of man IS BEING revealed to the people of the outside world. This manifestation will be ongoing.

While the people of the outside world see the light and gather themselves to us who are shining His light to them, the man-based churches will continue on as usual…oblivious to what is happening…UNTIL they see the Son of man coming upon the clouds….clouds of people…coming with power and glory. The “flood” of people come and take them away in judgment for their unbelief.

Luk 17:26-30 KJV
(26) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
(27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
(28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
(29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Thus it shall be in the day when the Son of man IS BEING revealed. "Is being = present tense, continuous. These things happen while we are revealing Him to the people of the outside world.

(30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is (BEING) revealed.

Soaring housing prices are quietly but powerfully discouraging young people from getting married, starting families or having more children. If you can’t afford a home, it’s easy to doubt whether you can offer your children a stable, secure life. That doubt becomes a practical barrier to family formation and, ultimately, to the flourishing of society itself.

According to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), nearly 80% of adults under age 55 say their ideal home is a detached, single-family house. Among those who do not currently own a home but want more children, 90% also say they want to own a home. Housing insecurity is nudging many young adults into cohabitation instead of marriage — a statistically riskier path for long-term relational stability.

If, as the church teaches, the family is the fundamental building block of a healthy society, then we cannot ignore how economic structures, especially the cost of housing, influence family life. Creating a culture that supports marriage and children requires more than cultural change. It also demands material conditions that make family formation possible.

Fortunately, a movement is gaining ground that offers a hopeful way forward. Strong Towns, a nonprofit founded by Catholic civil engineer Charles Marohn, is working to reverse the decline of local communities by making them more resilient, more livable and more affordable. Their six-point plan to improve housing affordability can be a blueprint for Catholics looking to revitalize family life through local action.

Continued below.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing their homes as Israel launched a major new ground offensive in Gaza City, Pope Leo XIV expressed his “profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

They “continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced once again to leave their lands,” he said to applause at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 17.
“Before the Almighty Lord who commanded, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and in the presence of all of human history, every person always has an inviolable dignity to be respected and protected,” he said.

The pope renewed his appeal “for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, a negotiated diplomatic solution and full respect for international humanitarian law” while inviting everyone to join him “in heartfelt prayer that a dawn of peace and justice may soon arise.”

Ongoing violence​

Continued below.

(OSV News) — Depending on the context, the concept of pronatalism — encouraging people to have children, or the promotion of childbearing — can either be cause to celebrate the critical role of the family in society; a techno-elitist vision of a future populated by humans engineered for specific traits; or a cringe-worthy expression of anti-immigrant nativism.

What’s the difference?

The definition found in the Cambridge Dictionary illustrates the complexity of arriving at a universal understanding, flatly stating that pronatalism is “the idea that it is important to have children in order to increase the number of people in a country, especially the number of people who are not immigrants.”
Well, no — not always.

“Fundamentally, when we talk about pronatalism, we are talking about people who think it’s not great that fertility is so low. So if you think it would be nice if we had more babies, you are a pronatalist,” explained Lyman Stone, senior fellow and director of the Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies.

“Now,” he continued, “if you find yourself saying, ‘But that doesn’t seem like most of the people who are described as pronatalist in the media; they seem kind of like weirdos,’ that’s because people think that there should be more babies for lots of different reasons — and they see the problem of low fertility as being a problem for lots of different reasons.”

Continued below.

Italian permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi, who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors, has been expelled from the clerical state directly by Pope Leo XIV.

The Diocese of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno announced the news Sept. 16, stating that Frateschi was notified of the decree in prison, where he is currently serving a 12-year sentence. This is the first known case of canonical sanction for abuse during the new pope’s pontificate.

Frateschi, 46, was sentenced in the Italian civil court in 2024 after being found guilty of sexually abusing five minors between 2018 and January 2023. Three of the victims were his students at a secondary school in Latina where he taught Catholic religion; another was a minor in foster care; and the fifth was the son of family friends.

“On the morning of Sept. 16, in the Latina prison, permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi was notified of the decree of dismissal from the clerical state by direct decision of Pope Leo XIV. This decree of conviction is not appealable,” the official statement from the diocese notes.

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FBI Director Kash Patel said in a U.S. Senate hearing that there have been “terminations” and “resignations” of employees related to a 2023 anti-Catholic memo produced by Richmond, Virginia’s field office and the agency has made policy adjustments.

Patel made the comments during a Sept. 16 line of questioning from Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who requested an update on the administration’s investigation into the memo and asked about the FBI’s efforts to combat anti-Catholic and anti-Christian violence and hate crimes.

He did not specify how many people were terminated or what their roles were in drafting the memo.

“We are doing our investigation simultaneously with Congress,” Patel said. “Just to put it in perspective, we provided 700 documents on the Richmond Catholic memo, specifically to this committee, whereas my predecessor provided 19 pages.”

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Pope Leo XIV downplayed concerns of the ongoing financial crisis at the Vatican in a recent interview, arguing that “things are going to be OK” regarding the Holy See’s finances even as more work is needed.

The Holy Father made the remarks as part of a wide-ranging interview with Crux senior correspondent Elise Ann Allen. The interview appears in Allen’s biography on the pontiff, “Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century,” published in Spanish on Sept. 18. An English version of the book will be published in early 2026.

Allen asked Leo about the financial situation of the Vatican, noting that the pope has previously indicated that the crisis is “not as bad as it’s sometimes been made out to be.” The Holy See’s pension fund has been facing a major shortfall after years of budget deficits.

Admitting that the Vatican has to “continue to work” to address the issue, Leo told Allen: “I’m not losing sleep over it.”

Continued below.

Pope Leo XIV said his primary role as leader of the Church is confirming Catholics in their faith and sharing the Gospel with the world, not resolving global crises.

Speaking to Crux senior correspondent Elise Ann Allen in the first sit-down interview of his pontificate, Leo also said he was "trying not to continue to polarize or promote polarization in the Church.”

Leo’s first formal interview as pope took place as part of the biography “Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century,” by Allen, out now in Spanish and next year in English.

“I don’t see my primary role as trying to be the solver of the world’s problems. I don’t see my role as that at all, really, although I think that the Church has a voice, a message that needs to continue to be preached, to be spoken and spoken loudly,” he said.

Continued below.

Three female student athletes allege that California school officials allowed a trans-identifying male athlete to compete in girls’ athletic programs and use the girls’ locker room, dismissing multiple reports accusing the male student of making female athletes uncomfortable with unwanted touching and sexual comments.

Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a nonprofit law firm, announced in a press release last Tuesday that it filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the three female athletes from Jurupa Valley High School.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses the California Department of Education, the California Interscholastic Federation and the Jurupa Unified School District of violating Title IX, the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment.

Continued below.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, one would expect sympathy for him and his family. Calls for peace. Well wishes for his family. An overall desire for things to get better.

But that is not what happened.

Horrific comments filled the internet. Lies about Kirk. Calls that other people, including his wife, to be killed next. This development only compounds the despair. It tells us that the bloodlust was not isolated. The murder came with the support of a very vocal minority that fostered the online environment that incited Kirk’s killer.

Consider comments like this one by a policeman, which accused Kirk of being “openly racist” and, as a result, “ain’t really winning in the empathy department.” Or this one saying that Kirk “hated the LGBTQ community.” Thismusician said that more political violence will have to happen against conservatives to have “a better world.” Or this one that says “lets make more martyrs.” Stephen King lied about Kirk, saying he had openly advocated for stoning “gays,” which he later admitted was not true.

These employees act surprised when they get fired or suspended from their jobs. This has led these recently terminated people, or media personalities like Don Lemon, wrongly invoking “free speech.” The term is thrown about without any understanding of its limits.

It should be prefaced by saying that all First Amendment cases have to be evaluated on their individual merits. So, any individual example cannot be generalized within an op-ed. But there are general principles that do not seem to be understood.

First, the First Amendment only restricts the government from regulating speech. But this does not limit the consequences of speech, especially if one is privately employed. An employer likely does not wish to employ someone who advocates for violence or knowingly spreads lies.

Continued below.

Pray that Jesus Christ Immediately Stops the spread of the deadly brain-eating amoeba in the provincial state region of Kerala, India:

Hello,

My name is Al from Westchester, NY. I was raised RC, but non practicing for many years. I did do 16 years of parochial schools, elementary through college. I have a friend that introduced me to the "Through the Word" app. I have beed listening to it for 4 weeks now and I have been reading the NIV bible. Eeven though they are both "Protestant", I consider myself a Christian first and a RC second. I find the NIV study bible a little easier to read than the Catholic NABRE version. I plan to go back to the NABRE version eventually. I'm retired now, so I do have the time. I just registered at my local parish and plan to go back to mass soon, but I also hope to go to a non denominational church with my Evangelist friend. I feel that I'm on the right path and grateful that I have decided to trully listen to God's word.

Paul and the other New Testament apostles, although they were not perfect people, they led exemplary lives which we can follow. But please make certain that you read about them and that you read their words in the correct biblical context, for there are people who are taking Paul’s words out of context and are trying to make a case that Paul was somehow daily struggling with sin, and then that gives them the excuse to keep regularly giving into their sinful practices without guilt or remorse. Please read:

Search Results for “was Paul a hypocrite” – Run With It

Now for us to observe those who walk according to the pattern that we have in Paul and the other New Testament apostles, since we were not there with them when they were alive and in person with the people, we can only get to know them by becoming students of the Scriptures who read and study them in their correct biblical context. And the best way to do that is to read the New Testament books in their entirety before drawing wrong conclusions. Especially do this with the epistles. Then you will know of which Paul spoke.

But basically these were God-fearing men, called of God to his service, who by faith in Jesus Christ died to sin, were reborn of the Spirit, and who walked (in conduct) in holiness and righteousness, in walks of obedience to God, in surrender to his will. Their lives were committed to Christ and to getting out the message of the gospel to the people of the world, even if it meant beatings, imprisonments, false charges against them, rejections, and persecutions of many kinds. Still they persevered, even to their deaths.

Now, here we need to make certain that we are believing the correct biblical gospel, for there are many variations of “the gospel” which are not the gospel, for they leave out very critical aspects of the message of the gospel. For the gospel of Christ teaches that, by faith in Jesus Christ, we die with Christ to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness. But if sin is still what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, in practice, then according to the Scriptures, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Yet, many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are following after a diluted and altered “gospel” message which is not of God, and they are walking (in conduct, in practice) as enemies of the cross of Christ, for they believe that no works are required of them and that they can still walk in sin, and not in accord with the commands of God, and still have their sins forgiven and heaven guaranteed them when they die. But that is not the biblical gospel, but a creation of the flesh of humans to excuse away sin.

Seek the Lord

Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

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Worldly Mindedness
An Original Work / September 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

From the moment we start believing in the Lord, although we may pray, read the Bible and sing hymns every day, and go to church, praise the Lord, and listen to sermons every week, does worshiping God in spirit and in truth involve only these external practices? We can recall that when the Samaritan woman asked the Lord Jesus where she should worship God, and the Lord Jesus replied: “The hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. … when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23–24). The Lord Jesus clearly told people God’s will and requirements: It doesn’t matter where one worships God, nor should one follow any rule or ceremony, but rather one must worship God in spirit and in truth. This is also our principle of practice for worshiping God. But most of the time we only focus our effort on our external practices; we are careful to pray a little longer and say a little more; we read verses in the Bible over and over, trying to memorize them; we attend church in all weather, wind or rain, hot or cold; we organize all kinds of activities or put on various shows to praise the Lord, and we always take part with a positive attitude; and so on. From the outside, we appear to be expending much effort and paying a high price to praise the Lord, and that we suffer greatly, but how many times do we speak what’s in our hearts when we pray to God? How many times during the course of reading the Bible, singing hymns or attending church and listening to sermons do we make efforts to be close to God and contemplate the Lord’s words? How many times as we worship God do we seek the Lord’s will and understanding of the Lord’s words? Some brothers and sisters have practiced in this way for many years, yet they still don’t understand the truth, they have no knowledge of the Lord, and when things happen to them, they still sin frequently and live within the bondage and constraints of sin. In this we are faced with a serious problem, which is that most of the time we spend praying, reading the Bible, going to church and listening to sermons, we are merely going through the motions. We are not actually worshiping God in spirit and in truth, nor are we practicing the truth to satisfy God. No matter how well we may keep to these external practices, God does not approve.

So, how can we worship God in spirit and in truth as we pray or read the Bible? Let’s read a passage of God’s words together. God’s words say, “A normal spiritual life is a life lived before God. When praying, one can quiet one’s heart before God, and through prayer, one can seek the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, know God’s words, and understand God’s will. By eating and drinking of His words, people can gain a clearer and more thorough understanding of God’s current work. They can also gain a new path of practice, and will not cling to the old; what they practice will all be to achieve growth in life. As for prayer, it is not about speaking a few nice-sounding words or breaking down in tears before God to show how indebted you are; rather, its purpose is to train oneself in the use of the spirit, allowing one to quiet one’s heart before God, to train oneself to seek out guidance from God’s words in all matters, so that one’s heart can be drawn to a fresh new light each day, and so that one will not be passive or lazy and may set foot upon the right track of putting God’s words into practice”

In theodicies we consider God almighty and how evil still occurs. Can God really turn Satan's heart into repentance at any time He wants, or annihilate him?

Some suppose that God has a special purpose for evil we don't know yet. Or God makes some people for Hell, but that isn't good. Then one can look at the beginning of sin among the angels and, why could not God save them, or bring to a quick repentance, or know ahead of time not to create certain angels. Some say evil leads to an appreciation of the constant good, and prevents conceit and arrogance. But if God is omniscient and omnipotent, then He does not need evil for any purpose, outside or inside Himself. God needs Satan? Can God prevent us from free willing bad choices? Because of free will, I do not think He can.

Which gives, to some limit? Onmibenevolence, Omniscience, omnipotence?