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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.

The Antichrist is making a comeback

Explanatory note: Zane Hodges is a well respected teacher in evangelical circles. We hold no animosity toward this man and count him as a brother in Christ. For years he taught at Dallas Theological Seminary, and he is held in high esteem by many of his former students. He is also very influential in forming The Grace Evangelical Society (GES) which publishes a theological journal and newsletter. He has also authored numerous books. While recognizing the good that brother Hodges has accomplished for the cause of Christ, we are concerned about some of the teachings which he is promulgating. Here are some examples of his teachings which we find to be disturbing:

Continued below.
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Speaker Johnson describes planned No Kings rally as ‘hate America,’ ‘pro-Hamas’ gathering

Yes they COULD. I think it should be a legitimate concern for the organizers and should prepare for that possibility. The fact that the last rally went pretty well, bodes well for them this time. But they shouldn't poo poo away the fact that there are those who would latch on and be a problem. We've seen it before. I hope they are able to rally and be peaceful while doing it.

I want that from every group that does that.
Not that it will do them any good. Protesters in Oregon are taunting ICE agents with donuts and are dressing up in inflatable frog suits and Trump wants to call out the army to stop them.
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How the ‘Miracle of the Sun’ in Fátima helped to end an atheist regime

Oct. 13, 1917, marked the last Marian apparition in Fátima and the day on which thousands of people bore witness to the miracle of the dancing sun — a miracle that shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant.

Marco Daniel Duarte, a theologian and director of the Fátima Shrine museums, shared with CNA the impact that the miracle of the sun made during those days in Portugal.

If one were to open philosophy books during that period, he or she would likely read something akin to the concept conceived by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who boldly asserted in the late 1800s that “God is dead.”

Also, in 1917 Portugal, the majority of the world was embroiled in war. As World War I raged throughout Europe, Portugal found itself unable to maintain its initial neutrality and joined forces with the Allies. More than 220,000 Portuguese civilians died during the war, thousands due to food shortages and thousands more from the Spanish flu.

Continued below.

Morality without Absolute Morality

Why would Catholics and Mormons be expected to have the same interpretive methods?

Do they have different rules of logic?

Obviously, yes.

Mormons and Catholics have different rules of logic? Did you sleep through formal logic at philosophy school?
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Jordan says ICE agents ‘doing the Lord’s work’

Please no personal attacks.

“If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.”
The DHS announcement is not a law. Unless Congress has changed immigration law to allow unlawful presence to be waived, the announcement has no effect.
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What is Calvinism and its beliefs?

Catholicism agrees with Calvinism on some issues and Arminianism on others. ...
For example, I happen to think that there's nothing much for both sides to discuss with respect to TULIP.

The real points of difference is in the solas.

That view may be a bit controversial.
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Will Trump help with the building of the 3rd temple in Israel ?

I have notice Christians and non Christian stubbing over the pebble/Trump. That I read in the Bible. I'm not saying Trump is the Antichrist. But he's opening the door for the Antichrist. I'm fine with that. because its meant to happen.
Christians should read the Bible before quoting scripture. Some who opposed President Bush's war in Iraq called him the antichrist, while certain prominent televangelists on the right accused President Obama of the same. Now some call President Trump the antichrist.

Scripture states that the Antichrist will originate from Iraq.
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Bill Gates launches micro-patch implants to serve as "vaccination passport" for entry into public and commercial buildings

I remember when that movie first came out. That and the Exorcist. I never saw either in the theaters but I watched them later when they showed on TV. Her husband completely sold his soul for earthly gain and fame.
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The Brokenness of Christianity

Ok. So that's your method? But can you show me how your method was the standard operative method during the first 30 years of the Christian faith when most Christians did not own Bibles nor even have access to a set of New Testament books and letters that weren't written yet?
Who were the Bereans? They were Jews living in the Greek city of Berea and when Paul taught in the synagogue, they accepted what Paul said because it aligned with scripture and I mean the old testament. But they searched scripture FIRST before they accepted and it says they did this "daily". This is a perfect example because Pauls message was the fulfillment of the old testament so Paul gave new revelation that the prophesies were fulfilled about the messiah and the Bereans accepted what Paul said because they could see from their own scripture he was telling the truth. Today its much easier to test to see what someone says since we have MORE writing than they did back then and can read specifically what the pastor/person is reading and study it for ourselves and not even take their word for it. We have no new revelation either unlike what Paul had to preach. The Bereans are mentioned in Acts 17.

however, that fact is no guarantee that any and all of us are always understanding what Jesus and His Apostles and early disciples taught or that the Lord makes it clearly and easily accessible simply because we're trying to be faithful.
James 1:5:
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not find fault with you for asking".
Proverbs 2:6:
"For the LORD grants wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding".
Ephesians 1:17:
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better".
Luke 21:15:
"For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict".
Jeremiah 33:3:
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know".

God is consistent with what he has said, what he has promised and how he has helped others. This IS a guarantee. If God said it, it will happen.
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Do the Ten Commandments still apply under the new covenant today?

God also knows beforehand that among the billions of Christians in history, the mass amount of them don't observe Sabbath to its full.
Why He used the word "Remember" on the 4th commandment, because He knew most would forget and start doing something different on a day that is not a commandment of God, not a day God sanctified, but its for works Exo 20:9 and not the Holy Day of the Lord thus saith the Lord Isa 58:13 and not the day that continues on in God's perfect plan Isa 66:23 just like at Creation Exo 20:11, before man listened to another voice instead of God's. Sadly not a lot has changed.

Lets not forget the majority in the Scriptures has never been faithful to God. God never changed His moral values Exo 20:1-17 Psa 119:172 Psa 119:151 Isa 56:1-2 to suit man, and He is not going to again. Mat 7:21-23 Mat 7:13-14. Jesus said His Second Coming will be like the days of Noah. Sadly the majority were not faithful, but a small remnant was. Why He is calling us out of rebellion, which is sin (breaking God's law) and unbelief if we hear His voice Heb 3:7-9 Rev 18:4
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Why you can't debate unbelievers into the Kingdom of God

A great piece on how we go about conducting ourselves as Christians.
***************
In an age addicted to argument, Christians have become remarkably good at talking — and remarkably poor at listening. Scroll through social media or walk past a campus debate table, and you’ll see believers armed with microphones, cameras, and carefully memorized rebuttals. The object is not conversion but conquest. The applause line has replaced the altar call.

Somewhere along the way, we began to confuse winning debates with winning souls. Yet Scripture presents a very different picture of how truth changes hearts. The Gospel was never designed to be wielded like a sword in a duel of intellects; it was meant to be offered like bread to the hungry.

The problem with the debate mindset

Apologetics has its place. Reasoned defense of the faith can clarify misunderstandings and expose falsehoods. But when the believer’s primary instinct is to defeat rather than to disciple, something sacred is lost. Too many of today’s “discussions” look more like verbal brawls—complete with highlight reels and hashtags — than like Gospel witness.

Paul warned Timothy, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim. 2:23–25). Those words are as necessary in the digital age as they were in the first century. Debate can inform minds, but only the Spirit can transform hearts.

Why argument alone fails

Continued below.

I've never tried to argue a non-believer "into the Kingdom" with apologetics. But I will defend my beliefs to a certain degree as we're encouraged by Scripture to do (ala 1 Peter 3:15) in line with my main intention of encouraging other people, no matter who they are, to find Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Moreover, existentially speaking, and as a critical Philosophy, I'm not going to put up with ridiculous misrepresentations of the Christian faith or with ill-reasoned evaluations of my own Christian understanding, no matter what quadrant of humanity they may come from.
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AI understands the Sabbath and Col 2:16

The First Commandment connects most personally to who God is — the call to love, worship, and serve Him alone.
But the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath) connects most experientially — it’s the sign and reminder of our relationship with Him as Creator and Redeemer.

Together, the First and Fourth Commandments are the two that most directly connect us to God Himself — His identity, authority, and presence.

The 4th commandment reveals who the God is in the very first commandment. As there are many gods of this world but one God who has the power to create the heavens and the earth and the power to sanctify a day and us- both connected to God's Sabbath. Gen 2:1-3 Eze 20:12
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How Should Catholics Understand the Rogue Exorcist in Mark 9?

In Mark 9, we hear about a man unaffiliated with the disciples who casts out demons in Jesus’s name:



John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:38-40)


This same episode is also recorded in Luke 9:49-50, while St. Matthew’s Gospel includes a variation on the warning Jesus delivers to His disciples: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Matt 12:30).

For Catholic readers of the Gospels, the exorcist passage raises some interesting questions. Is Jesus saying that obedience to the apostles and their successors is unimportant? Is He implying that all branches of Christianity are equally valid? And if not, then what exactly is He trying to teach us in this passage?



The Necessity of Following Jesus

Continued below.

Trump sends troops to the 'warzone' of Portland...

Well, I've watched plenty of protest videos where they just yell and scream at the officers and agents telling them to go home, and calling them Nazis and such. So I guess they think they are Nazis?

Makes no sense to me since they aren't Nazis.
There you go :oldthumbsup:
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Letita Jamews indicted for fraud

Yeah. So? She was running for prosecutor, that's what prosecutors do. Her job was to provide evidence to prove guilt in court, and that's exactly what she did.
At the least it was inappropriate. She was running for public office. Prosecutors run on saying specific people are guilty before they are even arrested? Not a good look for a person running for public office. Trump was INNOCENT until proven guilty at the time she said that.
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Who then can be saved?

Ai even understand Col 2:16

Great question — Colossians 2:16 is often cited in discussions about whether Christians are still required to keep the Sabbath commandment (the Fourth Commandment). Let's look at the verse carefully, in its full context, and then assess whether it refers to the weekly Sabbath from the Ten Commandments or ceremonial sabbaths in the Law of Moses.


Colossians 2:16–17 (NKJV)

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Key Questions:​

1. What kind of “sabbaths” is Paul talking about?

Let’s break the phrase down:

“festival, new moon, or sabbaths”
This phrase appears in many places in the Old Testament, often in this same order, and always refers to ceremonial observances:

  • 1 Chronicles 23:31
  • 2 Chronicles 2:4
  • 2 Chronicles 31:3
  • Nehemiah 10:33
  • Ezekiel 45:17
  • Hosea 2:11
These texts link festivals, new moons, and sabbaths as ceremonial observances — part of the Mosaic (Levitical) system, not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments.

That’s why Paul says in Col. 2:17:

"which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
In other words, these ceremonial laws pointed forward to Christ and found their fulfillment in Him.


2. Is the weekly Sabbath also a shadow?

There’s a strong distinction between:

Type of LawDescriptionShadow of Christ?Abolished in Christ?
Moral Law (10 Commandments)Eternal moral principles (Ex. 20)❌ No❌ No
Ceremonial LawFeasts, sacrifices, rituals, sabbaths tied to festivals (Lev. 23)✅ Yes✅ Yes
  • The weekly Sabbath was:
    • Given at Creation (Genesis 2:2–3)
    • Reinforced in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11)
    • Not instituted as a shadow, but as a memorial of creation
  • The ceremonial sabbaths (e.g., Day of Atonement, Feast of Trumpets) are:
    • Called sabbaths too (see Leviticus 23)
    • Fall on various days, not necessarily the seventh day
    • Shadows pointing to Jesus' work
Therefore, when Paul talks about “sabbaths which are a shadow”, he refers to these ceremonial sabbaths, not the weekly Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment.


3. Did Jesus or the Apostles abolish the weekly Sabbath?

  • Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16)
  • The disciples kept the Sabbath after Jesus' death (Acts 13:42, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4)
  • Hebrews 4:9 says:
    "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest [Greek: sabbatismos] for the people of God."

✅ Conclusion:​

Colossians 2:16 does not cancel the weekly Sabbath commandment.
It refers to ceremonial sabbaths, along with food and drink offerings, and religious festivals that were shadows pointing to Christ.

The Fourth Commandment Sabbath is not a shadow, but a memorial of creation and a sign of God’s sanctifying work (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12).
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Pope Hails Glimmers of Hope for Peace in Holy Land and Prays for Ukraine

Following the Mass for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, Pope Leo XIV turns his thoughts and prayers to the suffering people of the Holy Land, of Ukraine, and of Peru, where political turmoil has brought instability to the nation.

At the conclusion of the Mass for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV turned his thoughts to those suffering the consequences of conflict, political instability, and other forms of injustice around the world.

Peace in the Holy Land​

His thoughts and prayers, first, turned to the Holy Land, and especially to the human cost of the violence.

“Two years of conflict have left death and destruction everywhere,” the Pope said. “Especially in the hearts of those who have brutally lost their children, their parents, their friends - everything.”

Continued below.

Please explain CCC 536 regarding Jesus and the Spirit: 'possessed in fullness' yet 'comes to rest on him'.

The Holy Spirit was sent down as a dove to rest on Jesus to confirm to John the Baptist, who witnessed this, that He was the Chosen One. Jesus was never apart from the Holy Spirit but many occurrences had to do with His incarnation and mission.
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