We as the United States of America can do better. We need to do better.

Kirkolliskokous 2025: Viidennessä täysistunnossa yksi pöydällepano, viiden asian käsittely päätökseen - Suomen ortodoksinen kirkko (Item 24)

Ok, wow... what are the thoughts of EO folks on here? Is this nothing of any real consequence and the Church is just trying not to get into trouble with the government, or is this coming closer to formal approval?

I can see how these statements could be taken either way; as stating compassion without affirmation or stating a possible approval, depending on how one wanted to view them.

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Item 24 (General Synod initiative on recognizing and safeguarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities and other minorities in the Church)​

The General Synod decided to approve the initiative.

Rationale:

The General Synod's initiative on recognising and safeguarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities and other minorities in the Church states: "The Church is the body of Christ. The exclusion of certain parts of the body – the denial of their identity – not only hurts these individuals, but cripples the community itself, wounds the church and makes it less of a church, weaker. In the church, everyone – absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, skin colour, health challenges, social status, etc. you have to feel safe and genuinely be heard and encountered."

The General Synod considers that the objectives of the initiative – to strengthen the security, dignity and equal encounter of church membership – are in harmony with the pastoral tradition and educational mission of the Orthodox Church.

The General Synod considers it necessary for the Church to develop training, guidance and communication that support the comprehensive encounter and inclusion of all members belonging to minorities.

The General Synod does not take a stand on doctrinal issues, but emphasizes that the Church's policies must be in harmony with Finnish legislation and that the Church's educational and pastoral work requires clear practices that support equality. The Church must walk alongside every person and support them in all situations of life until the end.

Please pray for her peace and strength of mind. She is getting where she is not sleeping and is in the midst of trying to adjust to some new meds. She keeps thinking in loops and is obsessively worried about everything. Usually when she gets like this she ends up in the hospital. Please pray for her peace and strength of mind where she can get through this without the hospital stay.

Thank you!

Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer tracked down Ed Bambas at Michigan supermarket​

More than $1.7 million has been raised to help an Army veteran retire after his story went viral online and a GoFundMe drew thousands of donations from strangers.

Australian social media influencer Sam Weidenhofer first learned about Edmund Bambas, 88, from a comment on one of his videos. Weidenhofer then worked with influencer Mike McKinstry to track the veteran down at the Meijer supermarket in Brighton, Michigan, where he works, WXYZ Detroit reported.

"May I ask how old you are?" Weidenhofer asks in the video.

"I'm 88 years old," Bambas responded.

“Why do you have to keep working?" Weidenhofer asks.

Bambas, who served in the U.S. Army in 1966, explained that he retired from General Motors in 1999, but everything changed when the automaker filed for bankruptcy years later.

“ I retired from General Motors in [1999]," Bambas says. "In 2012, they went bankrupt, and they took my pension away from me."

The veteran said his financial situation worsened when his wife became seriously ill.

"The thing that hurt me the most was my wife was real sick, and when they took the pension, they also took the health care coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance," Bambas said, "So, I sold the house, sold the property I had and we made it through."

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I had put making games on the backburner, although I had not given up on it.
One reason is, I wasn't finding the right tools that met my desires, and also, I wanted to make life easier for myself, by making a program that builds a model in a matter of second, or just a few minutes, because to me, making assets is the most time consuming part of game making.

Recently though, someone helped me make up my mind on a game engine that could work for me, and I made up my mind to get back to game making.

I still have the assets I made for a couple games I had planned, so I will retrieve those, but now, with AI, I found a tool online that does what I want... generate a model withing a few seconds, to a minute, and optionally can rig it as well. It can retopologize the model, also.
The models I have generated so far, looks great, and all I had to do was tell the AI what I wanted.

Is there anyone here, who might have held back from making games, because of not having the skills to make artwork, or models?
Would you be interested in game making, if you could get all your models made for you, for free?

I was wondering if any other Christians are having trouble with making friends. Friendships you're actually happy with and are good for you. It can be with other Christians or non-believers.

I feel like I have trouble. I don't really know where to find other Christians that are like me.

At work I'm around people I do not trust. They lie, they gossip, they're out to get others, etc. So I have to watch what I say and do, and protect myself.

I also haven't been to church in 6 years. I know that's bad. But I'm not impressed with the churches in my area.

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Grand prize-winning piece by Janielle Perez is on display at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., until Jan. 11, 2026. Perez is a student at Resurrection Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Children across the U.S. received awards for their artwork portraying the Nativity of Jesus in Washington, D.C.

“Through their creativity, they have beautifully expressed the story of Christ’s humble beginning and what it means to be young missionary disciples,” said Alixandra Holden, director of the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), one of four Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S., at a Dec. 5 awards ceremony.

MCA’s mission is “to help children grow in faith by teaching them to pray and sacrifice for other children around the world.” Since 1933, the organization has encouraged children to evangelize by depicting the Nativity of Jesus.

Grand prize-winning piece by Diana Uytingco is on display at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., until Jan. 11, 2026. Uytingco is a student at St. Andrew Catholic School in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

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Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, blesses the new mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Vatican Gardens at a ceremony attended by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Vatican officials on Dec. 5, 2025 | Credit: Bohumil Petrík

Just before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows, Protectress of Slovakia, was inaugurated in the Vatican Gardens. Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference, blessed the artwork during a ceremony attended by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, whom Pope Leo XIV received in audience the day before.

Among other bishops and diplomats, two cardinals took part: the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Re, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

The Slovak president said he was happy to see the Slovak Virgin Mary image inside the Vatican as she "is a source of hope, faith and unity." Peter Pellegrini stressed that his Central European country and the Holy See "share common values, such as the dignity of human person, true liberty and open dialog."

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American actor Chris Pratt, best known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” is currently filming a documentary on the Vatican Necropolis, which lies underneath Vatican City containing tombs dating from the first to fourth century A.D., at depths varying between 16 and 39 feet below St. Peter’s Basilica.

The film, which is being produced by Vatican Media, the Fabric of St. Peter, and AF Films, will be released in 2026 for the 400th anniversary of the inauguration and dedication of the basilica.

Pratt will guide viewers on a journey to discover the tomb of St. Peter through stories of faith, history, and archaeology.

“It is an extraordinary honor to partner with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. St. Peter’s story is foundational to the Christian faith, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust and access granted to help bring his legacy to the screen,” Pratt told Vatican News in an interview.

While Pratt is not Catholic, he and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, a practicing Catholic, attend Mass regularly and are raising their children Catholic. Pratt speaks openly about his faith and the importance he places on praying daily. He has also partnered with Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, on multiple occasions and been featured in its Lent, Advent, and daily prayer challenges.

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil injunction lawsuit against Dr. Joseph Johnson, a serial entrepreneur whose latest venture is the Christian company Life Surge. The DOJ’s lawsuit pertains to a former company of Johnson’s, The Welfont Group, and accuses him of for more than a decade orchestrating a multi-state tax scheme involving inflated property appraisals and improper charitable deductions.

Federal attorneys say Johnson was the “architect” of “as many as 190 abusive bargain sale transactions” and claim the conduct might have caused “as much as $46 million” in “total tax harm.”

The DOJ lawsuit, filed Aug. 5, describes the same alleged patterns of misconduct that were related in at least five previous lawsuits filed against Welfont by property owners in different states that were litigated in federal court from 2020 to 2024.

In an extensive statement to ChurchLeaders, Johnson denied all wrongdoing and said the IRS has targeted him for years because of his conservative Christian views.

What the DOJ Is Alleging Against Dr. Joseph Johnson​

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I'm considering using Amazon Renewed to find a good quality cheap refurbished iPad. I am wondering how reliable a refurbished device would be, because one time a friend bought a refurbished Samsung Galaxy phone from Walmart and it had severe charging problems. So I have a distrust of buying refurbished, and wonder if I want to go with a brand new device. I have a brother who has autism and lives at a care center, and I can FaceTime him if I have an Apple device, and the care center is overly restrictive on not allowing any cross platform apps (not allowing Zoom or WhatsApp for Windows or Android).

One-hour conversation to focus on 'faith, grief, perseverance and the memory of her husband'

Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will take part in a televised town hall with Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, the network announced Thursday.

Set to focus on Kirk’s “life, loss, the state of political discourse and more,” the one-hour event will be filmed before a studio audience in New York City and “feature Kirk fielding questions from young Evangelicals, prominent religious leaders, and figures across the political spectrum.”

Prospective attendees who used a now-static sign-up formreportedly were asked about their faith and other questions, including whether they identify as Evangelicals, if they consider themselves to be a conservative, or if they were “grieving the loss of a loved one.”

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Democrats are having existential meltdowns over RFK's department issuing revised recommendations for Hepatitis B vaccines in children. Instead of the current recommendations that have Hospitals as a matter of course inject all infants with Hepatitis B vaccines on the day of their birth, the new recommendations are that infants whose mothers have Hepatitis B be given the vaccine for protection at birth, but the others who have no risk getting the disease, instead delay until 2-3 months after birth before getting the vaccine. Apparently this will cause all sorts of death and destruction according to dems. The reality is there's nothing wrong with the recommendations at all, and there's no reason we should be injecting newborn infants who are not at risk, with something that they don't need, on the day they're born.



https://ground.news/article/us-vaccine-advisers-say-not-all-babies-need-a-hepatitis-b-shot-at-birth_014461

When Emperor Constantine brought Christianity out of hiding and prison in the fourth century, the Church faced an empire-wide debate between the Egyptian theologians Arius and Athanasius over the divinity of Jesus. Followers of these two literally rioted in the streets against each other. The issue, brewing for some time, was supposedly settled in 325 at the Council of Nicea, source of the Nicene Creed prayed at Mass today. But the struggle over this doctrine of Jesus’ divinity continued for decades.

There is an apocryphal story that Archbishop Nicholas, at the Nicene Council, was so infuriated at the Arian bishops who denied Jesus’ full divinity that he slapped one in the face! He was censured, the story goes, until the same bishops had a dream in which God told them to reinstate Nicholas. They reinstated him. This story, true or not, put Nicholas squarely on the side of those who proclaimed Jesus as “one in being with the Father” in the struggle to capture the minds and hearts of Christians of the day.

We can thank Saint Nicholas, and others like him, that the acceptance of Jesus’ full divinity carried the day as the Church grew.

The Real St. Nicholas | Franciscan Media

Hoping everyone is blessed on the real St Nicholas Day.

"Questioned about a growing trepidation among western Christians about the growth of Islam outside of the Middle East, especially in predominantly Christian nations in the West, the pope said this was something touched on in his discussions with interfaith leaders in Turkey and Lebanon.

However, he cautioned that oftentimes these fears are “generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race.”

Pope inflight says fears over Islam often a political maneuver against migrants | Crux https://share.google/S89I3mLpZGSSx9eTv

Newly released video appears to show eight Christian religious leaders being transported by armed men in a Colombian river shortly before they were executed and buried in a mass grave. The footage was found on a mobile phone belonging to an alleged dissident of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, who is now charged in connection with their killing.

The video retrieved from the phone showed the leaders, identified as Isaid Gómez, Maribel Silva, Carlos Valero, James Caicedo, Jesús Valero, Maryuri Hernández, Nixon Peñalosa and Oscar García, being transported along the Itilla River to La Ojona farm, not far from where their bodies were later exhumed, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported.

The footage reportedly also captured armed men photographing and interrogating the victims.

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New research reveals that most self-identified Christians think doing “good things” for others is enough to secure them a spot in Heaven, in what one leading researcher laments as the latest example of a widespread embrace of “unbiblical beliefs” among American Christians.

A recent report released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University examining Americans’ views on the afterlife constitutes the latest installment of the American Worldview Inventory 2025, a survey of 2,000 American adults conducted in March.

Overall, majorities of all Christian subgroups believe that every person will be judged personally by God, with 95% of theologically identified born-again Christians, 86% of Pentecostals, 84% of Evangelicals, 84% of independent and non-denominational Christians, 83% of Protestants, 82% of Mainline Protestants, 78% of self-identified Christians and 74% of Catholics embracing this belief.

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Opening Prayer: Almighty God, we praise You for Your greatness, Your goodness and Your faithfulness. Thank You for giving us Your Word, which is the living word of God. Thank you for the assurance it brings to our hearts. As we read and study this devotional, we ask You to open our spiritual understanding, eyes to see, ears to hear and our hearts and minds to receive the truths of Your word, and Your promises with faith. We seek Your guidance, direction and leading through Your Holy Spirit, as we read and study this devotional. In Jesus’ Mighty name, Amen.

The promise of Eternal Life is made to all those who believe in Jesus Christ. The assurance of eternal life brings a deep sense of peace and joy to the believer and calms the hearts of many believers. We know by God’s own words: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son”, that this promise stands true for all those who believe. We no longer are fearful about our future, nor do we wonder about it anymore because we know our future is safe with God, and that He has promised us, all those who believe in His Son will never perish but will live forever with Him.

John 3:16 God’s promise of everlasting life brings deep peace and hope. Joy flows from the certainty of reunion with Christ.

1 John 5:11–13 (NKJV) “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

This assurance is not based on our feelings or circumstances, but on the unshakable truth of His Word and the finished work of Christ. Eternal life means we have already passed from death into life, held securely in the hands of the Father and the Son, with no one able to snatch us away.

John 10:28–29 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

God’s Holy Spirit now lives within us and He now “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” We are looking forward to the place our Savior, Jesus Christ has gone to prepare for us, where we will be with Him always. This certainly fills our hearts with joy, confidence and thankfulness in knowing that our salvation is secure, and our eternity is promised.

Romans 8:16 (NKJV) “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

John 14:2–3 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

God wants to assure all believers that their future is safe and secure with Him, and to know that their faith is genuine. He wants them to feel secure in knowing they belong to Him and have eternal life through Christ. Assurance of salvation is the knowledge and confidence that we belong to Christ. Christians find assurance through many means, including their faith.

1 John 5:13 (NKJV) “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

John 3:16 (NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

These last two verses reveal the fullness of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus is assuring us that those who hear His word and believe in the Father who sent Him already possess everlasting life. This is made possible because we have already passed from death into life and freed from judgment, through the acceptance of Jesus Christ, and God’s promise of Eternal Life to us. Paul echoes this truth by declaring that believers are set free from sin and made servants of God. We now bear fruit leading to holiness, with the ultimate end being Everlasting Life. These scriptures remind us that eternal life is not merely a future hope but a present reality, grounded in faith and evidenced by a transformed life of holiness and obedience to God.

John 5:24 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

Romans 6:22 (NKJV) “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Questions to Ponder

How does knowing that eternal life is a present reality, not just a future hope, change the way I live each day?

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In what ways does the assurance of salvation bring me peace and confidence, even when circumstances feel uncertain?

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How can I bear fruit leading to holiness, as Romans 6:22 describes, in my daily walk with Christ?

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Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts full of thanksgiving, as we rejoice in the promise of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for the assurance that we are held securely in Your hands and freed from fear and judgment. Thank You that you have given us everlasting life, and the assurance that when we leave this world, we will be taken home to be with You forevermore. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Canadian pastor expressed outrage to The Christian Post regarding a fellow pastor who was arrested this week for not apologizing for protesting drag queen story hours with children at a public library two years ago.

"These people are sick in the head. They're demon-possessed. They're wicked, evil minions of Satan," Pastor Artur Pawlowski told CP on Friday from a court in Calgary, Alberta, where he was showing support for his friend, Pastor Derek Reimer, as he faced a bail hearing.

Reimer was arrested in Calgary on Wednesday after he refused a court order to write and sign an apology to the library manager of Calgary Public Library regarding his 2023 protest at a "Reading with Royalty" event, which featured male drag queens reading to children, according to the Western Standard. Reimer told the Canadian outlet that he felt he had nothing to apologize for.

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How do you respond to a missed Gospel opportunity? You want to share Jesus, but sometimes your feet don’t move. Your mouth fails to open. I have been there, and I’m guessing you have too.

What if we let God turn our regrets into resolve?

Two weeks ago, I was at a gas station and sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to give a Gospel tract to a Muslim man nearby. Grabbing a tract from my dashboard, I slid it into my pocket. Intending to step out in faith, I opened the car door. But my two feet did not respond in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.

I have to admit, my response was hesitancy and excuses. Filling my gas tank, I just stood there. Excuses piled high in my mind. What will he think of me? What if it’s awkward? I’m tired. Do I really have time? I need to get home to my three young kiddos. I’m already running late.

Did you hear the common thread through all my excuses? Me, myself and I.

Like an intense ping pong game, my mind bounced back and forth between deep conviction and selfish, fear-filled excuses. It’s crazy how we can get in our heads, overcomplicating a very simple act of obedience. Deep desire to share the best news ever filled my heart. I saw a simple gospel opportunity before me. Why did my feet not move?

Regret sat with me as I got back into my car, Gospel tract still in my pocket. Immediately, I wished for a greater faith, deeper love and determined attitude. God provided an opportunity. The Holy Spirit prompted. I missed it.

How do we respond to missed gospel opportunities?

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Most of us hate being wrong. We associate it with failure, embarrassment, and weakness. But the Bible treats being wrong very differently — not as a sign of defeat, but as the starting point of wisdom.

Proverbs reminds us that “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). The greatest obstacle to growth is not ignorance; it’s arrogance. The wise person isn’t the one who never errs, but the one humble enough to admit when they do.

That’s what repentance really is — not shame, but reorientation. It’s the courage to turn around when you’ve been sprinting in the wrong direction.

Why admitting wrong feels so hard

It’s uncomfortable to confess error, especially in a culture that prizes certainty and self-assurance. Social media rewards the bold declarer, not the humble learner. We’d rather double down than backtrack, even when we know we’ve missed the mark.

But every time we resist correction, we cut ourselves off from the very wisdom that could save us. Solomon says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1). Strong words — but necessary ones. Correction, though painful, is one of God’s greatest tools for shaping our hearts.

In spiritual life, humility is not optional. God designed truth to be discovered through community — through counsel, Scripture, prayer, and yes, even rebuke. That’s why repentance, not self-defense, is at the center of the Gospel.

Jesus began His ministry not by saying, “Believe harder,” but “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). Repentance is not a punishment for being wrong; it’s the gift of being invited back on course.

The blessing hidden in correction

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Can a young child truly be saved and on their way to Heaven? Can he or she be in the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, one of those who is a genuine believer?

A Christian educator once said that the faith of a child — up to age 12 — could be called a “borrowed faith”; this faith could be borrowed from his parents or a Sunday school teacher. Then, in his early teens, the child would develop their “chosen faith,” ultimately moving on to their “owned faith.”

Now, when we think of a borrowed faith, do we also think of it as a saving faith? Not exactly, and not something you’d want to count on when you’re not totally confident.

Let’s see what Jesus had to say about children’s salvation. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven’” (Matthew 18:1-4).

Okay, so the disciples have a different question than I originally posed; they want to know who’s the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus calls a little child. In case you question whether this really is a young child, the Greek word is paidión, which means “little” or “young.” So, he didn’t just call a child, he called a little child. Now remember, in that culture, a 13-year-old boy enters manhood. Young people were married at 16. So, if they are calling a child little, they mean little.

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The Department of the Interior (DOI) recently announced its "resident-only patriotic fee-free days" for 2026, and missing from the list were MLK Day, which has been a National Park fee-free day since 2018, and Juneteenth, which was introduced as a fee-free day in 2024.

In place of these days commemorating American history, civil rights and equality, the Trump administration has instead opted to celebrate additional former presidents' birthdays and Flag Day, which is also President Donald Trump's birthday.

The removal of these days as fee-free National Park days follows the Trump administration's pause on certain days of remembrance, including MLK Day and Juneteenth, earlier this year, as part of the president's ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

For next year, the days chosen seem to fall in line with the Trump administration's "America-first" policies.

The department also announced the launch of new digital "America the Beautiful" passes, which will allow Americans to buy and use their passes on mobile devices ... The new passes also feature Trump's face, according to People