Say it aint so said:

Easy. No different with Blacks in the south and Hispanics in Texas, you go to the census and find out where those young white women live, and then you gerrymander those districts till those districts look like Jackson Pollock paintings.

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Or deport them back to Womenistan.

d taylor said:

The predestined us to adoption is not to eternal life, but that believers would be adopted to Jesus as sons

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Is adoption not eternal? What's the difference?

Do you have a response to the argument of the OP?

The verdict in the case of a Christian man in Malta who is facing potential fines and prison time for giving his testimony in 2022 about leaving homosexuality was delayed for the second time last week.

Matthew Grech, 36, was scheduled to receive a ruling last Thursday in his case, which has dragged on for three years. His lawyer received an email at the last minute informing him that the verdict had been postponed, according to the London-based nonprofit Christian Concern.

Grech has been engaged in a legal battle since he was criminally charged in 2022 for giving his testimony, which was allegedly an example of discussing and promoting so-called conversion practices in violation of Article 3 of Malta's Affirmation of Sexual Orientation, Gender and Gender Expression Act.

If convicted, Grech faces €5,000 (over $5,700) in fines or up to five months in prison. Passed in 2016, the law makes it "unlawful for any person" to "advertise conversion practices." It was the first of its kind in Europe and has served as a model for similar legislation in other countries.

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A Christian social worker in the United Kingdom has appealed a tribunal ruling that upheld an employer’s decision to withdraw a mental health job offer after discovering his views on homosexuality.

The man claims his religious beliefs were the reason he was denied the position.

The case of Felix Ngole, 47, was heard late last month by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London. He is appealing a 2024 decision by Employment Judge Jonathan Brain, in which the rescinding of a job offer by Touchtone Leeds was deemed lawful, despite the court acknowledging the action potentially amounted to discrimination.

He and his legal team argue that the tribunal's ruling effectively bars Christians with traditional views on sexuality from working in professions that serve LGBT individuals and sets a "dangerous precedent."

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DALLAS — Not unlike 2,000 years ago when the Apostle Paul was divinely inspired to pen his letter to the church in Philippi, Tom “N.T.” Wright wants to remind everyone that the Gospel is still unchained.

The 76-year-old New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian and Anglican bishop kicked off a three-day conference on Paul’s letter to the Philippians at Park Cities Baptist Church, where 650 attendees from Texas and across the U.S. filled the historic church sanctuary.

Wright quickly zeroed in on the letter’s prison context, noting that while most scholars agree Paul was writing to the first-century assembly in Philippi, a Roman colony located in northern modern-day Greece, there is still some debate on whether the prison from which Paul wrote was located in Ephesus, modern-day Turkey, or Rome.

What’s indisputable, said Wright, is that Paul did not consider himself or the good news of Jesus Christ bound by his imprisonment.

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reddogs said:

Well, looks like the new Pope wants to get closer to the Protestant denominations. He puts out a decree that firmly rejects the claim that Mary is Co-Redemptrix...

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It's not about "the Protestant denominations," it's about the word of God in Scripture.

The rejection of a non-Scriptural doctrine (Co-Redemptrix) puts one in agreement with the God-breathed (theopnuestos, 2 Tim 3:16) word of God written.

is anyone willing to be an accountability partner to me and me in return. I have been having a bunch of falls to lust for a while now and just want to break free from it.

FredVB said:

In the new covenant, what we are to obey is to be in our hearts that we act on those things.

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The Scriptures seems clear....

We are told to obey God's laws in the New Covenant Heb8:10 they went from tablets on stone, to tablets of the heart 2Cor3:3 not changing the words as God promised Psa89:34 Mat5:18 but established on better promises Heb8:6

The OC is indeed obsolete, that's why God wrote a new one and told us what is was established on Heb8:6 and what it still contains Heb8:10

A judge has granted in part a temporary restraining order request from a chaplains group seeking to cut ties with the Anglican Church in North America.

The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently filed a complaint against ACNA over the Anglican denomination’s refusal to allow the ministry to disaffiliate.

United States District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division issued an order last week partly granting JAFC’s request for a temporary restraining order.

According to Hendricks, while the court “does not intend to entangle itself into an internal canonical dispute over the Anglican Church’s ecclesiastical structure,” some issues raised by JAFC “may be ripe and appropriate for the Court’s consideration, such as Plaintiff’s trademark claims.”

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BPPLEE said:

All of them?

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Each of them.

Job 33:6 said:

We would end up with all sorts of religious people wanting their positions in public schools. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism etc. and that's part of what the founding fathers wanted to avoid, because it leads to schisms and conflict as well as some religious positions gaining dominance over others, which often results in oppression of religions. Which is what drove the exodus from Europe to begin with.

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These ideas can be presented in public schools; it just can't be done by the school itself, or any agent designated by the school. Students can do it.

I think there is a revolution brewing. Kuhn call it a paradigm shift. We had a paradigm shift from the God centered universe to the Enlightenment which has led to the mechanical and material or naturalistic universe. Then another shift into the Quantum universe and now the Mind and Consciousness.

Which ironically sort of comes full circle from the God centered or spiritual universe to the observer and subject centered universe. Which naturally flows into conscious experiences such as phenomenal beliefs in transcedent spirits and gods.

Galileo realised to do science the subject had to be seperated from that which is being observed and measured. Now science is bring the subject back in because, well we are part of that reality and cannot be seperated.

Why clean it ?

linux.poet said:

Given the amount of times that Israelites are rebuked for being “stiff-necked”, I tend to think that it’s a liability. My “stubbornness” was something my adult companions tended to rebuke me for as child.

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I think this is inherent in all from the Fall. We have a default disposition to rebel against God.

linux.poet said:

Over and over, I’ve been told that being open to new ideas and giving careful consideration to them before rejecting them is a good idea. That way I have a logical or Scriptural basis for what I reject that I can defend in the court of public opinion.

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Yes its become tricky with all the rationalisations. We can even rationalise the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth. We have become very good at it. The best ones at it in the church are the wolves. Don't be fooled.

You can tell by the fruits of the spirit if you look carefully using that critical thinking. But that needs a ground. Christs fruits are the ground. Not human rationalisations according to enlightened thinking which has no spiritual ground.

linux.poet said:

In addition, I have also been conditioned to just ignore any hard disagreements where the person will not change and just walk away rather than continuing to get frustrated and angry. I work around and accommodate the disagreement or just act in accordance with my viewpoint to heap negative consequences on them (this only works IRL).

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Jesus told the disciples and they told other disciples that when they go into a twon or city to bring the Gospel that if the people reject you to not stay and move on to another town that may be open to the Gospel.

I think this is true today. It is about belief at the end of the day and no rationalisation or logic or scientific test will prove that. Todays postmodern philosophical worldview is based on relativism. The idea is to find a fault, find a reason why its not the case or the fact or truth. Because everything is determined by narratives which come subjective experiences.

So its a mindfiled and theres fake news and facts and all sorts of different claims and counter claims. All professing the truth to the point of culture wars.

So yes its best to walk away sometimes. You sort of get a feel for when that time comes. But as they say you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. And thats not making a demeaning comment on those who disagree. Its just how it works because its about a belief. A belief change comes from a complete mindset change.

That may happen quick sometomes but its usually a chipping away. You may have a arguement over something you believe is the truth but have to accept the other person is not going to agree. But you don't know that later something you said was something helps a person see things differently. But really its Gods spirit. I think we can give signposts or we ourselves are corrected where we at first don't see the truth. But later our eyes are open to it.

linux.poet said:

But: is this type of morality Biblical/Scriptural? Or is it just secular programming from the American state that works for adults’ convenience to insert knowledge into kids’ heads and keep them under control?

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I think in todays culture wars there are a lot of ideologies being promoted. All with a moral aspect. You can hear it in the words and language. Thats because we cannot order society without some meaning and moral code. So the culture war is really about which basis should we use as the meaning and moral code.

As God has now been rejected from the public square as the basis as in the past. The void is open to whatever idea dominates. As its just one idea in the market place just like anything its open to a war on ideas in the end. Because this is not just selling cars. Its life, morality and reality itself. Well at least that is how it has evolved to be today. Everything has become a matter of serious consequence and the opposing groups are threats.

So I reckon run for the hills and find a nice quiet place lol. Seriously I don't think as you say anything can be changed. Really the gospel is simple and I don't think the early church engaged in politics or culture wars.

Just a plain simple truth of the gospel and then exampling that. The example speaks volumns. Especially in a world where theres 1,000s of convincing, manipulating, decieving, objecting, accusing and screaming voices everywhere. The contrast would be radical and there could be no arguement against it.

Thanks! Glad you liked them!

durangodawood said:

Rap can be clever as heck. But its not so good for generating emotion.

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Idk… I think it’s a YMMV kind of thing. The first time I sat on the lyrics to “Gangsta’s Paradise” it kind of broke my heart. And there are lots of good hype up songs that are rap.

I think since music depends on so many factors to illicit a response… Words, music, voice, pacing… It has more benchmarks to hit in order to hit people in a certain way. Like, I think Bob Dylan is a lyrical genius but his voice and accompaniments make me want to beat my head on a wall so I don’t find his music all that inspiring. Rap has a similar issue for me, but it’s because my tastes gravitate more to dance or modern pop, which in many ways is the opposite. The song that makes me feel heard, sometimes to the point of tears, is a dance pop song. It hits me perfectly, but anybody who’s not into that genre isn’t going to feel it like I do.

With 234 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.

Despite the potential that this gives it, it has become known for a far more infamous reason in recent years, becoming the epicentre of anti Christian violence in the world.

The modern state of Nigeria was created by the British in the 20th Century, bringing together a wide variety of tribes who only had the commonality of having been within the confines of British control. The country is roughly half Muslim/half Christian.

The scale of violence in Nigeria is mind boggling. The Open Doors 2025 Watch List reports 3,100 Christians killed during that reporting period, with 69% of all global faith related murders taking place there.


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Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, called for overcoming ideological divisions within the Catholic Church in a Spanish-language interview on the “Sacristy of the Vendé” YouTube channel in which he reflects on the “instrumentalization” of abuse cases.

Held last July, the interview was released this week after the coordinator of the priests’ YouTube discussion group, Father Francisco José Delgado, was acquitted of charges of “inciting hatred” against the Holy See, interfering in the Vatican’s investigation into the Sodality of Christian Life, and damaging the “good reputation” of layman José Enrique Escardó, one of the main proponents of the case against that apostolate.

Müller stated that, since its inception, the Catholic Church has experienced divisions “because of these false doctrines, heresies, or pagan ideologies” and thus proposed that “everyone has to be aware that one is following Jesus Christ and not ideologies.”

For the cardinal, within the Catholic Church it is not possible to define oneself as conservative, traditionalist, or progressive: “We must overcome these divisions that stem from the French Revolution, from the Jacobins. In the Parliament of that time, these right-wing and left-wing groups existed, but these are political and ideological concepts, not Christian ones.”

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Delvianna said:

I'm getting tired of people trying to sell their book... If it was so amazing and could help so many people, post it for FREE as an e-book. Otherwise, I think you're trying to making money off of God's work and that doesn't sit right with me.

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Many people write books. I have no issue with Christians doing the same.

The judges' statements seem to be a good analysis of the two conflicting principles in the case: the right to feel safe in school, and the right to exercise free speech and religion.

ViaCrucis said:

I never spent much time watching Kirk's material.

Could you elaborate on how Kirk exhibited and advocated for Christian faith, practice, ethics, and general engagement with the world?

I've been told many times that Kirk promoted Christianity. So I'm curious how he did that.

-CryptoLutheran

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I happen to watch a lot of his material and thats part of the problem that I think many who say bad things have never really look at much of his stuff and have more likely seen snippets on legacy media which may be out of context. Or the one example that may have been wrong for Kirk to say be blown up and represented the entire Kirk.

This happens in many ways today. The media age and especially social media which has almost become another source of reporting on par with official news outlets. Or can even influence the narrative of scientific fact and what we know is truth to look like its not the case. Also remember now theres Deep Fake and Ai. Who knows whats going on. Whats the truth.

Anyway sorry for the rant. But I feel strongly about how truth has been lost in the wash of all these fighting narratives.

I could show you many. But I don't like the idea of doing that as its more or less the same as showing the negative. I am saying the entire game or culture of doing this is itself the problem and I suspect inflaming the problem. Though good intentioned.

I think it best you investogate yourself. Thats what we do with academia and critical thinking. We have to work out the truth for ourselves. All I am saying I have probably watched more stuff than most who are objecting and I don't see the same Kirk. Likewise many are the same. In fact there has been an upsurge in Christianity since his death.

For me like many others who hold the same beliefs on many of what Kirk believed. We are reflecting and reproving our faith. I guess in any horrific and traumatic event people take a step back and reflect and try to take stock and be asking what happened and why. What can we do to change this current climate and culture war.

Thats why I think the best way is to take a step back. I don't think people realise that the debates being had over Kirk are more or less the same kind of debates that Kirk was having live. The back and forth or opposing views. The objections and accusations back and forth. So in some ways its just keeping that climate going.

I think right now regardless of who is in the right or wrong or who said what or what it meant. All I can say is that if we are talking about what is the Christian thing to do and if we are talking about Christs church or the Christian community as well as individuals within that community.

Then I think Christians are to be different to the culture war. By engaging in the back and forth debates and arguements this is part of the culture war. It cultivates the culture war and its a world system and not a Christian one.

Christians should be seperate from this and even insulated from it. Even quiet and saying very little. Just exampling Christ. Especially right now as the culture war is heating up. In fact its perfect timing. Because when the world heats up Christ shines in that darkness twice as much.

Its noticed more because the evil has become so entrenched that people are actually looking for something different. And it appears we are seeing a rise in young people, the new generation looking at tradition and church and God again.

So nows the time to shine. Which means being as Christlike as possible, Even if that means loving your enermies or sacrificing your life for the very people who persecute you. In upholding Christs example of goodness and obedience to God. A Peter says 'it exposes evil and injustice without words' and turns people towards God', This is pleasing to God.

PS

I also don't think a social forum is the right place to sort out what is right and truth about moral or social issues. There may be a place this can be done in a fair and formal way. But not on social media. The church use to always stand seperate and give their ethical opinion. This included research on how society was affected and called to help the needy. But they never got into bed with the State. The culture wars are getting into bed with the State and the World..

The Pontifical Swiss Guard this week opened an internal investigation to clarify an alleged act of antisemitism committed by one of its guards against two Jewish women in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican confirmed.

“The Pontifical Swiss Guard received a complaint regarding an incident that occurred at one of the entrances to Vatican City State in which elements interpreted as antisemitic were allegedly detected,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni stated on Monday.

The reported incident took place during Pope Leo XIV’s Oct. 29 general audience commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the 1965 declaration on the Church’s relations with non-Christian religions.

According to a Nov. 7 report published in Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Israeli writer and theater director Michal Govrin said a Swiss Guard “hissed at” her and a female colleague, saying “les juifs, the Jews,” before “making a gesture of spitting in our direction with obvious contempt.”

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