The headline seems to misrepresent what Rev. Bato was saying. The article goes on to say:

When asked whether he believes the Gospel presentation is central to Somali outreach, Bato said, “For many Somalis, if you begin a conversation by immediately presenting the Gospel, the discussion ends before it begins. The person may shut down or walk away because of fear, cultural pressure, or past experiences.”

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essentialsaltes said:

“This ban on wind projects was illegal, as this court has now declared. The administration should use this as a wake-up call, stop its illegal actions and get out of the way of the expansion of renewable energy,” said Kit Kennedy, the [Natural Resources Defense] council’s managing director for power, in a statement.

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AaronClaricus said:

Not sure about a metaphorical Adam but there is a less literal Adam interpretation. Not everyone see Adam as living to 930 after being specially created in 4004 BCE. Some put it at 5500 BCE or 3700 BCE based on greek and jewish texts. I place Adam on a timeline at about 10,000 BCE as that's the most plausible time on the standard history timeline for Adam. By 4004 BCE humans had cities that would be impressive in our post modern times.

Of course this interpretation would also support the hypothesis of pre-adamic men. Those individuals aren't necessarily theologically important to us. Life was a cruel and inflexible icescape before 9650 BCE.

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I understand the allegorical meaning and the ages have something to do with prophecy.

An Episcopal priest who has been accused of stealing around $300,000 from a Texas church is appealing a ruling that removes him from the priesthood.

Edward Monk, who was charged last year with allegedly stealing from St. John's Episcopal Church of Corsicana, has appealed his removal from ministry. A Court of Review is slated to hear arguments on Wednesday.

An earlier diocesan hearing panel found Monk guilty of "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy" over six financial infractions, reported Episcopal News Service.

According to church court documents, Monk's appeal argues that the hearing was a "sham" and that he was not given sufficient opportunity to defend himself from the allegations.

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SuperCow said:

You're focusing on the wrong thing. "There is no plan B" means my choices are already decided, which also means that I have no choice or free will. The two are the same. I only think I have a choice, because God fools me into believing that, because my brain is pre-wired to believe that. If I turn left or right God already knows which way I will turn. If I debate and change my mind, God already knows I will debate which way to turn. That turns us into a simulation, no better than a robot that cannot escape its programming.

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You take that for axiomatic, just as, I'm guessing, you would take that "the command implies the ability to obey". (—It does not). If your choices are decided by God, it does not imply that you do not really choose. In fact, I think it is more obvious, since God is First Cause, that your choices are only real if God "establishes" them. (See the WCF 3.1) That you are not the prime mover in your choices does not deny that you are the immediate cause in your choices.

SuperCow said:

There is no rebellion by man. There is no love of God. Breaking commandments or keeping them is irrelevant. It is pre-decided whether I will repent or not. But in reality, I have nothing to repent from. My fate and actions were decided for me long before I was ever conceived. In this scenario there is only one entity to judge, and that would be God.

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False as the day is long. You continue in your notion of man as prime mover in his deeds. You indeed do WILL to do what you do, and that, by what you deem more advantageous or desirous. You choose according to your inclinations.

Let me try to point out something. God not only has the right and the ability to cause absolutely everything to happen just as it does. But any truth there is to our skewed views (and descriptions) of who chooses what and why the do so does not approach the level at which reality [itself] is caused to exist. Even if you are entirely right in the POV from which you try to describe how choice operates, you must admit that God caused it. That reality did not cause itself, nor did it exist before God showed up "on the scene". Nothing existed before God. He did not "show up".

But he also is absolutely pure and of himself holy. If he deigned to create a particular people to love, and for that particular purpose to create all that we consider 'reality', he has every reason to demand of them absolute purity and holiness, even knowing that they cannot (or will not, if you prefer) reach that level in this life. The law of righteousness is beyond any of us to accomplish. But it is not beyond the grace of God to accomplish in us. Christ is our substitute. And that is how we are made 'alive' in him. WE are not the cause of our inclusion in Christ, the mediator between God and [fallen] man.

That believers must and do actually choose Christ is not debated. That we do have real, valid, faith by which we are saved is also not debated. But the source of those things absolutely is at issue here.

RDKirk said:

Let me check on what gun owners think about this.

The usual attitude is that you don't shoot at people running away from shoplifting.

The store has insurance for merchandise. You might hit someone else. You won't get a medal for heroism.

You're going to pay tens of thousands for a lawyer even if you get off.

And you're probably not going to get off.

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As a Concealed Carry permit owner I make sure I understand my state's laws (or any state's laws where I am visiting and permitted to carry a concealed weapon) as well as the Use of Force Continuum. I know in my state (and I am sure most or all of the others) you cannot use deadly force to defend/protect property, and certainly not someone else's property. A person's legal use of deadly force in my state depends on the totality of the circumstances which includes the level of force the "bad guy" is using or attempting to use.

Sadly, I feel even trying to have a basic understanding of these things is beyond most Americans today as it will require more than bare minimum use of their brains and some actual thinking and analysis. Although I am obviously pro-2nd Amendment I am not sure most Americans have the maturity or intellectual capacity to own a firearm today.

We're on our way home we've been on the road for 6 hours so far. So far the roads haven't been terrible but they're supposed to get far worse on the journey back. Keep us in your prayers and I will keep y'all updated.

He does not appear to comprehend the seriousness of sin.

The Liturgist said:

In London, a Baptist church might well be the only convenient option (if you were a conservative Anglo Catholic or High Church, there would be more options, but on the Reformed end of the spectrum, options are particularly limited, and of course the United Reformed Church which absorbed almost all Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches is far to the left of the C of E even now, being at least on a par with the Scottish Episcopal Church - alas, in Scotland a traditional Anglican would be out of luck.

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Yes, thank goodness for Baptists

I cannot wait until Gate Zero comes out. I've had it on my wishlist for some time.
I have created a criteria to base my future gaming off of.

Must be MMO or persistent multiplayer
Absolutely no non-Christian deity worship or deity-sourced powers (no gods, pantheons, altars, blessings, priests, divine magic, etc.)
No furry / anthro / beast race options (playable or major NPCs)
Arcane or learned magic is fine
Elemental / natural magic is fine
PvE-friendly content required (safe zones, PvE servers, or opt-in PvP only)
Crafting, building, or housing systems (the deeper the better)
Active playerbase in 2025 (not dead or <100 concurrent)
Actually released and playable now (or very close with confirmed global date)

I've been doing some research and have came up with these games that interest me.
War of Rights
Star Citizen
Albion Online
Myth of Empires
Corepunk
Avorion
…and Bellatores on the 2026 watchlist. English will be supported in the full release but is not supported in closed beta.

I am still researching to enhance my list of possible games to try out. The list might not be perfect and I still trying to refine it and might have to trim something out. Maybe one of them will actually work out.

Man's doctrine may change, but God does not.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. - Hebrews 13:8

Praying for you. I also am in a similar situation. Good luck and God bless!

• Summary

• Trump says he can stop war
• Thai PM says mediation should be done through proper process
• Cambodia pulls athletes from SEA Games on safety grounds
• Malaysian PM says he spoke to Cambodian, Thai leaders

BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Thailand and Cambodia traded accusations of targeting civilians in artillery and rocket attacks on Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would try to intervene to stop the fighting and salvage a ceasefire he brokered earlier this year.
Clashes raged at more than a dozen locations along their 817-km (508-mile) border in some of the most intense fighting since a five-day battle in July, which Trump stopped with calls to both leaders to halt their worst conflict in recent history.

The Southeast Asian neighbours have blamed each other for the clashes that started on Monday.

Larniavc said:

I think it’s more likely paradolia.

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In the absence of Starcraft movie for a very long time, I'd take anything. Many viewers seem disappointed by the film, but I thoroughly enjoyed it upon noticing the many similarities to Starcraft II.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the job market and the classroom, Catholic educators say their mission to form whole persons is more essential than ever.

Will Claeys, a junior at Thomas Aquinas College’s East Coast campus, isn’t overly concerned about whether his philosophy studies will be a liability in a job market that is becoming increasingly saturated with artificial intelligence (AI). If anything, they may be an asset.

“Right now, the AI job market is really valuing philosophy majors more than anyone else,” said Claeys in an interview with the Register. “They’re looking for people who can think conceptually and think in concepts.”

Amid concerns about the ripple effects of AI’s spread through the economy and culture, Claeys’ perspective is optimistic. Nonetheless, many Catholic higher-learning institutions are facing new questions about how potential upheavals in the job market may affect the relevance of a traditional liberal arts degree.

The issue of AI as it relates to liberal arts graduates “has come up multiple times, and the response is complex,” said Gregory Beabout, a philosophy professor and organizer of the “Pope Leo Series on AI and the Social Teaching of the Church” at Saint Louis University (SLU).

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People and groups weaponize the bible all the time. While I agree/disagree with certain points they stated, this is what happens when you have an institution rather than letting God lead you.

‘The government has no case. All they’ve proven is that my father is a good man, a man who loves God, a man who loves freedom, who loves truth, and loves his family.’​

Editor’s Note: EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado conducted this interview with Claire Lai, the daughter of Jimmy Lai, a leading free-speech voice and Catholic who is currently imprisoned in Hong Kong on national security charges. The interview aired on EWTN News Nightly on Dec. 8. The transcript, in which Claire highlights the suffering and strong faith of Jimmy, as well as her brief visit with Pope Leo XIV, is below. Watch the interview via the link at the end of the transcript.



Claire, this is the first time that you're coming forward to talk about your father's imprisonment, to talk about his case. Why did you choose this moment? Why now?

Well, we are coming to the end of his trial. While we're still waiting for a verdict, five years after he was charged, he is turning 78. We have waited a very, very long time for his cases to be resolved. And we do not believe that they will be through the domestic system. And our only hope is outside. And so that's why I'm here now.

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I do love Christmas though. This year I was excited to add another string of lights to our house. I got some flashing sidewalk lights this year too. I’m totally going to load this house with lights!

Are you aware that in Israel today there is a very popular movement to build the third temple ? The ”Temple Mount Faithful “ is just one group and certain prominent members of the Israeli government along with some false Christians are involved. Google the information about this, you may find it interesting.

Notre Dame’s Paolo Carozza argues that Big Tech’s influence is reshaping how we understand the human person — and says the Church must help recover a deeper vision of human dignity.

WASHINGTON — Paolo Carozza, a Notre Dame law professor and leading international human-rights expert, has long grappled with the threat to human dignity — earning him the notice of Pope Francis, who tapped him for a lifetime appointment to the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Today, as co-chair of Meta’s Oversight Board — created by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2018 to help restore public trust amid accusations of disinformation and censorship — Carozza has turned his attention to the challenges of the digital age, both in his role as a watchdog for the tech giant and in his academic work.

This isn’t a career shift. According to Carozza, Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads — recruited him to serve on its oversight board because of his extensive background in international human rights.

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So? The president only stated that Mary would go on to give birth to Jesus our Savior. There is
nothing contradicting what President Trump said.

The world will hear its own people. The world cannot hear GODS people. The truth of GOD is foolishness to them. Without the Holy Spirit no one can understand spiritual things. Jesus , the prophets and Apostles confirm this. They are of the world and the world hears them. It is their leaders, both religious and political that cause the world to err and destroy the way of their paths. The Apostle Peter tells us something very important, 1 Peter 1:12 , the prophets they were serving a future people who would be the church. I believe that after the death of the apostle John that massive deception began to enter. I believe that pagans in Rome that heard Paul preach abducted or kidnapped the Christian name and because they didn’t have the Holy Spirit created tremendous heresies. These are those men who crept in unawares and brought with them damnable heresies. Whose idea was the pulpit, who first came up with it ? Who Actually caused that period in history called the dark ages ? It was the eldest daughter of the harlot of Babylon and she would later be joined with her harlot sisters to form what is falsely called today Christianity. This, no matter how true, these worldly pulpits will never believe. Oh yes, they do have bits and pieces of truth and they know the buzz words but there is no unity but division, no agreement on doctrine or on leadership. This is the Babylon that in the near future worship the man of sin. GOD calls HIS people out of, not into, these synagogues of Satan. Come out from among them and be you separate, touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. GOD ALMIGHTY has a church that for all intents and purposes is invisible to this current evil world. Only GOD can put a person into HIS church. There are no pulpits there.

In the end, it should be left up to the Bishop of that diocese. The Vatican involvement shows that
they really don't give authority to the local Bishop. Let the Vatican pay to keep those churches open
and provide the priests to run them.

RDKirk said:

I'm not worried about an exact routine, but about the elements you yourself said "must be used" and "is the minimum."

If one can't do that much at the moment, it's better to do it a bit later. As a Protestant, I see it as an act of obedience, and in obedience it's obedient to be done according to the minimal instruction that we're given.

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Obedience is indeed not much for us to give to our Lord compared to what He gave us in Christ's sacrifice.