"Branded “Moscow Marjorie” by former Republican representative Ken Buck, who said she gets her talking points from the Kremlin, Taylor Greene went further by accusing Ukraine of waging “a war against Christianity”.

“The Ukrainian government is attacking Christians, the Ukrainian government is executing priests,” she said. “Russia is not doing that. They’re not attacking Christianity.” (In fact, according to figures from the Institute for Religious Freedom, a Ukrainian group, at least 630 religious sites had been damaged or looted in Russia’s invasion by December last year.)"

Republicans erupt into open warfare over Ukraine aid package vote​

As the speaker of the House finally allows a vote to go forward on aid, GOP infighting is tearing apart the party

Republican divisions over military support for Ukraine were long simmering. Now, before Saturday’s extraordinary vote in Congress on a foreign aid package, they have erupted into open warfare – a conflict that the vote itself is unlikely to contain.
Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, triggered an all-out split in his own party’s ranks last week by finally agreeing, after months of stalling, to a floor vote on the $95bn foreign aid programme. Passed by the Senate in February, it contained about $60bn for Ukraine, $14bn for Israel, and a smaller amount for Taiwan and other Pacific allies.

Johnson’s decision to finally bring the package to a vote made a highly symbolic break with the GOP’s far right, the people who engineered his elevation to the speaker’s chair last October after toppling his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy. These Republican rightwingers – reflecting the affinity of their political idol, the former president Donald Trump, for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin – have grown openly hostile to Ukraine’s cause.

Speaking from the Capitol on Thursday, Johnson made no apologies for antagonising them, telling C-SPAN that providing aid to Ukraine was “critically important” and “the right thing” despite the potential power of his opponents to bring him down in yet another internal party coup.


“I really believe the intel and the briefings that we’ve gotten,” Johnson said. “I believe that Xi and Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil. I think they are in coordination on this. I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe.

“I am going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will,” he said, adding: “I’m willing to take a personal risk for that, because we have to do the right thing. And history will judge us.”

The backlash was fierce. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the outspoken Georgia representative, immediately filed a resolution demanding Johnson’s removal, called the bill a “sham”.

“I don’t care if the speaker’s office becomes a revolving door,” Taylor Greene told Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser, on his War Room channel. “The days are over of the old Republican party that wants to fund foreign wars and murder people in foreign lands while they stab the American people in their face and refuse to protect Americans and fix our problems.”

Branded “Moscow Marjorie” by former Republican representative Ken Buck, who said she gets her talking points from the Kremlin, Taylor Greene went further by accusing Ukraine of waging “a war against Christianity”.

“The Ukrainian government is attacking Christians, the Ukrainian government is executing priests,” she said. “Russia is not doing that. They’re not attacking Christianity.” (In fact, according to figures from the Institute for Religious Freedom, a Ukrainian group, at least 630 religious sites had been damaged or looted in Russia’s invasion by December last year.)

Taylor Greene’s move to oust Johnson was supported by the Kentucky representative Thomas Massie, who also backed an ultimately successful attempt to remove a previous Republican speaker, John Boehner, nearly a decade ago.

Other Republican rightwingers are unhappy, too, though they have so far stopped short of moving to topple the speaker. That might be because Trump, the party’s presumptive nominee for president who is currently on trial on fraud charges relating to paying hush money to keep American voters from learning about his alleged affair with an adult film star, has backed Johnson.

So have all four Republican chairs of the key House committees – foreign affairs, intelligence, armed services and appropriations - a position driven by the sheer urgency of Ukraine’s predicament.

Charles Lake, 90, was arrested on Thursday afternoon and charged with 300 counts of child [sexual imagery].

According to his arrest affidavit, deputies with the Polk County Sheriff's Office served a warrant at his Lake Alfred home at around 12:58 p.m. on Thursday where he admitted to possessing child [XXX] on his computer.

I was watching Walter Veith given his description of the end times when he showed a series of videos on what is being given and this came up...

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I was shocked as it was something that a Revelation Series would show or you would find on Amazing Facts or Amazing Discoveries. It seems they took it right out of our evangelistic series, or Adventist sermon of End Time Events, incredible.

Pray The Holy Spirit sends Christian Missionaries & Medical Missionaries to war-torn Sudan in order to spread Jesus Christ's Gospel of Peace & Protection:

Pray for me, that the Holy Spirit will help me to have a milder or even very cool temper. As it is not only unChrist like but as a diabetic extremely unhealthy.

Please pray for my friend Marlene .... a couple weeks ago she was airlifted to a hospital and it was determined she had a brain tumor. She had surgery and it was successful ... she is at home recuperating .... now it has been determined she has several tumors and will be starting chemotherapy soon.

On the good side of things .... I spoke with her yesterday and she is experiencing an overwhelming experience of all her past good experiences she has had in her life .... she describes it as amazing and as being a great comfort to her. She says its like reliving her entire life in her mind .... but only the "good stuff".

When I talk with her ... she is at total peace and just enjoying the memories she is being given. She is a sweet and very caring person and one couldn't ask for a better person for a friend.

Please pray ... thank you.

Greetings. I’ve been struggling w the whole Christ/ church/ Bible thing for over a decade.

I wish I could believe whatever I read in the Bible, or at least most of it, but I just can’t.…. But here’s the catch — I believe in Christ and the resurrection. Resurrection itself would be supernatural, so I have no problem believing Jesus is the son of God. I believe God created the universe and everything in it. I’ve also seen things happen with no earthly explanation available, and have no problem calling it a miracle.

However, I dont believe in any of these things because the Bible says so. I believe in all of them because there’s enough scientific and/ or historical evidence to prove them. I’ve read a lot of articles and watched countless YouTube videos of really smart guys on these topics that have convinced me.
Unfortunately, there’s no such evidence to prove a guy was in a fishes belly for 3 days then barfed out and survived. Nothing to prove staffs turned into snakes then back to staffs gain. Definitely nothing to prove the contents of Revelations is more of a real prophecy than what Joseph Smith saw in a corn field. Note these are examples off the top of my head, I could probably have dozens more if I wanted to type it all out. I simply don’t believe everything in the Bible just because the Bible says so.

I want to believe all of it. I’ve prayed about this stuff countless times. I’ve dove more into the Bible, talked to pastors, had people pray for me, etc. but nothing seems to convince me. My wife is tired of my up and down nature on this stuff. So am I quite frankly, it’s exhausting.

Where I’m at currently with all of this is I’m going to pretend I’m a real Christian for 90 days and see what happens. I’ll be in church, read the Bible, pray earnestly, worship throughout the day, maybe even hang w some Christians. At the end of that time Ill either be in or out, but I cannot keep beating my head on this wall any longer.

Any other advice on what I can do in that time? Again, I really want to be convinced of it all. Before anyone says “you believe in the important stuff, don’t worry about the rest”— I assure you I’ve been told that at least a dozen times. If I could I would.

Note that I’m no highly educated/ scholarly/ scientific kind of guy. Just a regular guy that cannot believe in a book because the book says I should.

Thanks!

Pray that The Holy Spirit uses The Biblical Word to Protect people Against all False teachers & False teachings especially in light of the Kenyan cult that starved and killed a lot of their followers during the covid-19 years:

Inside the Kenyan cult that starved itself to death

Before Jesus died on the cross, he taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

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After the cross, John taught in 1 John 2:

14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

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you have overcome
νενικήκατε (nenikēkate)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 3528: To conquer, be victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue. From nike; to subdue.

The perfect indicative shows that it is finished as a matter of fact and they are daily enjoying the fruit of this successful overcoming.

John elaborates on this action of overcoming two chapters later in 1 John 4:

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

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After being born again, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

Paul expressed a similar idea in Col 1:

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

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Since it is done, do we still need to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one"?

Positionally, I know that I have overcome the evil one in Christ. Still, practically, I want to humble myself before God daily. I ask the Father to deliver me from the evil one, knowing he will.

In the article Fisher is really asking whether the strange properties of quantum objects – being in two places at once, seeming to instantly influence each other over distance and so on – could explain still-perplexing aspects of human cognition. And that, it turns out, is a very contentious question indeed.

Hi all,

I want to see if anyone has any advice for my upcoming project I've been researching for a few days. A Christian Post-Apocalyptic form of media that isn't about the Rapture. Why can't there be a Christian Post-Apocalyptic Book, Movie, TV Series, or other media, that isn't about those left behind or the world after the Rapture. What I'm talking about has only been done once, it seems. The Reliant, with Kevin Sorbo, Mollee Gray, and Brian Bosworth. This was an exceptional movie which had me enthralled with it from the get-go.
Instead of being centered around the Rapture, it was centered around the Social Collapse following Wall Street's collapse, or something to the sort. Sure, there were a few things that could have been better, but I'm not complaining because they were the first ones that stuck their foot out.
We need something as unique as the Fallout Franchise, something as gripping as the Walking Dead. And something that can rival those but bring Christian values that can be expressed as means of the end of days.
For some reason, after the apocalypse happens in all these forms of media, the Christians disappear. Was there some ethical dilemma with the Vaults that Christians didn't like? Or did all the Christians turn into flesh-eating walkers?

Anyway, with the rant out of the way, I'm wondering if anyone out there on Christian Forums wants to give some advice on this?

Here's the Youtube Movie link of The Reliant... you can watch the trailer here too:
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Yet, a cloud of doubt hangs over all the proceedings. Only about 3 in 10 Americans feel that any of the prosecutors who have brought charges against Trump are treating the former president fairly. And only about 2 in 10 Americans are extremely or very confident that the judges and jurors in the cases against him can be fair and impartial.

“It’s very obvious political persecution,” said Christopher Ruff, a 46-year-old political independent and museum curator from Sanford, North Carolina. “I’m no fan of Trump in any way, shape or form. Didn’t vote for him, never will. But it’s obviously all political.”

It's disturbing that one third of the people think Trump is guilty. Obviously there are a number of areas like New York City where people get almost all of their news from the same biased sources. It would have been interesting to ask that one third how many knew that the statute of limitations had run out on any misdemeanor charge and that those out to get Trump somehow twisted it into a felony charge.

To me it is the same old Joe, but I'm glad to see a wider range of media at least mentioning Joe's numerous false statements.

Do your church keep track of which months you did not tithe and come to you some time later for payment? The church I used to go to did. I want to know what's your church's stand or policy on this is.

Deoes anyone know of a reference to the City of Rome existence before Homer 7th & 8th century BC

'Together, we must nourish and safeguard the seeds of liberty,' she continued. 'Because, when successful, America blossoms into a magnificent place where everyone can practice their beliefs, share new ideas, and express individualism — this is when we are our best.'

Remember her husband is being prevented from much of his campaigning due to a witch hunt by some corrupt Democrats. Unity is important, and we must come together to stop illegal immigration, stop crime, and to restore our economy.

All decisions we make are determined by existing and prior influences. There has been an effectively infinite chain of events which has resulted in me sitting here writing this sentence. They have all led to this point. From the major events - I was born at a specific time and place, to the minor ones - it's raining today, to the seemingly inconsequential - I broke a string on my guitar last night.

There is no way that existence cannot be described other than determined.

The question is then not whether we make decisions that affect the trajectory of future events - I obviously decided to do this rather than something else. But if free will is defined as the ability to make decisions that are not determined by prior events and we could rerun the last hour exactly as it happened and make a different decision, then something actually needs to be different. But rerunning it exactly as it happened means that nothing is different.

So free will cannot be compatible with determinism. And if existence is deterministic then free will is an illusion.

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth. It appears from what he wrote to them that some of them were on the right path spiritually but while others were not. Perhaps the majority were not. So he wrote to them to address some issues that needed to be resolved in order for them to be able to grow in their walks of faith and obedience to Jesus Christ. For there were factions (divisions) among them, and immorality, and spiritual immaturity, litigations in pagan courts, abuse of the Lord’s supper (communion) and false teachings regarding the resurrection of the dead.


Now some people were arrogant, and they thought that Paul would never show up and that he would never do anything about these issues in person. And honestly I don’t know if Paul did or did not show up. But what this reminds me of in our present age is the arrogance of so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are convinced that they have salvation from sin and eternal life guaranteed them, that it cannot be taken away from them, but regardless of how they live. So they don’t really believe that God is going to “show up” one day and judge them for their insolence and their rebellion.

Yet the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. Therefore, God is going to do what he said that he would do. Whatever he promised, he will fulfill, according to the conditions of those promises. And whatever he threatened, he will do the same. For our God does not lie, and he does not play games. He does not give out false threats which he does not intend to follow through on if we do not comply with his demands and if we decide to go our own way, instead. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. We will die in our sins.

And yet the Lord does not give out these warnings hoping that we will continue in our sins so that he will have cause to judge us. And so he will encourage us in the same way in which Paul encouraged the Corinthians. “Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?,” Paul told them. God is giving us the same options. Will we surrender our lives to him, submit to him as Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living? Or will we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against him, convinced heaven is our destiny?

For the gospel of Jesus Christ requires that we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and thus raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus, we are not to let sin reign (be in power) in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, we will die in our sins. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God.

For Jesus said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Here is Your God!

An Original Work / July 18, 2012
Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV

You who bring good tidings to Zion,
Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,
And do not be afraid of the people.
Say, “Here is your God!”
See how the Lord God comes now with power.
His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.
He tends His flock just like a shepherd,
His lambs in His arms.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from beginning?
Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.
None to Him compare.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?
Because of His great power and strength,
All accounted for.

Why do you say, “My way is hidden
From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord, He is your God.
He will not weary. He gives us power.
Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings just like eagles;
Walk and do faint not.

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I hear a lot of people quote Paul from Romans 7, using him as an example of a life of struggling (regularly giving in) to sin. Usually this is in the context of the cheap grace gospel being presented. And they quote, too, where he said that he was the chief of sinners, as though Paul was consistently sinning.

I believe the Lord Jesus wants me to examine this today. So, let’s begin with the quoted texts:

#1: 1 Timothy 1:15 ESV


Okay, so if Paul was literally saying that he was (present tense) the chief (foremost, leading) of all sinners, that would mean that he was committing every sin possible to man, that he was living in sin, and he was making sin his practice (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Co 6:9-10).

#2: Romans 7:14-23 ESV


Pay attention to the wording here. For, if Paul was saying that this was a description of his present life, then he was saying that he:

• Is sold as a slave to sin
• Does not understand his own actions
• Is doing (actively, as a matter of practice) what is sinful
• Does not have the ability to carry out what is right
• Keeps on doing what is evil (practicing sin)
• Is captive (a slave) to the law of sin

But Romans 7 falls “smack dab in the middle” of Romans 6 and Romans 8. And what do they say about slavery to sin, making sin our practice, keeping on doing what is evil, and not having the ability to do what is right?

Romans 6


Romans 8


So, how could Paul write what he wrote in Romans 7 and also write what he wrote in Romans 6 and 8 and in all the other books he wrote in the New Testament? Do we really get what Paul taught about sin, slavery to sin, death, righteousness, and life eternal with God? If truly he meant what a lot of people are saying he meant in Romans 7 and in 1 Timothy 1:15, then he was not only the chief of sinners, but he was the chief of hypocrites, too.

Or, we have to take his words in Romans 7 and in 1 Timothy 1:15 and interpret them in the context of everything else he wrote that is now part of our Bible. And he wrote probably half of the books in the New Testament.

Let’s Examine It

For Paul wrote that if we live in sin, according to the flesh, we will die in sin. If we keep on doing what is evil, if we remain enslaved to sin, and if we make sin our practice, then we don’t have eternal life with God (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

But isn’t that exactly what he said he was doing in Romans 7? So, is he a big fat liar and the chief of hypocrites? Or is there another explanation for what he said in Romans 7? Yes! There is!!

Look at how Romans 7 was sandwiched in between Romans 6 and 8. Study word by word what he said in Romans 6 and Romans 8. What he is describing in Romans 7 is the life of one who is still under the power and control of the flesh. But then the good news comes in Romans 6 and in Romans 8. Through abiding faith in Jesus Christ, we are delivered from that slavery to sin and we now become slaves of righteousness. Amen!

Paul was a slave of righteousness. Read his writings. He was sold out to Jesus Christ 100%. He lived or he died for Christ and for his gospel. And that gospel teaches that we must no longer be enslaved to sin but that we are now to become slaves of God and of his righteousness.

And it teaches that if we remain living in sin, doing the kinds of things he described in Romans 7, that we are hostile to God, and we cannot please God, and that our lives will end in death without Christ because we refused to die to sin and to live for Christ in this life on earth.

So, when Paul said he was the chief of sinners, and he did say it in present tense, apparently, we have to take it that what he was talking about was his past life, and that the kinds of things he did in his past, he felt, made him chief of all sinners because he persecuted and murdered Christians who were following Jesus Christ with their lives.

So, let’s go back two verses to verse 13 in 1 Timothy 1:


And what does he say at the end of Romans 7?


Jesus delivered him from his slavery to sin, and that is why he could write what he did in half of the New Testament. He was no longer a slave to sin, but now he was a slave to God, to Jesus Christ, and to his righteousness. And that is why he could boldly teach us that we must do likewise, or we will not have eternal life with God, but we will face the wrath of God, instead.

So, don’t believe the lies telling you that Paul was living in sin or that he was struggling with (regularly giving in to) sin. Study Paul’s writings and you will see that he lived such a holy and godly life above reproach that he could, in fact, tell people to imitate his manner of life. How many of us could do that?

And don’t believe the lies, thus, that tell you that you can be saved from your sins, be guaranteed heaven when you die, but that you can continue making sin your practice (your habit, your go to). Either walk according to the Spirit and live with Christ for eternity or walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh and be prepared to die in your sins.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

A Believer’s Prayer

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.

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Speaker Mike Johnson’s sudden bid to deliver aid to Ukraine came days after fresh intelligence described the U.S. ally at a true make-or-break moment in its war with Russia.
It was exactly the kind of dire assessment that President Joe Biden and the White House had spent months privately warning Johnson was inevitable.
The House GOP leader is embracing $60.8 billion in assistance to Ukraine in a push to prevent deep losses on the battlefield, amid warnings that Ukrainians are badly outgunned and losing faith in the U.S. following months of delay in providing new funds.

The intelligence, shown to lawmakers last week and described by two members who have seen it, built on weeks of reports that have alarmed members of Congress and Biden administration officials. On Thursday, CIA Director William Burns warned that, barring more U.S. aid, Ukraine “could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024.”
It heightened the sense of urgency surrounding a White House effort to convince Johnson to hold a public vote on Ukraine aid that has dragged on behind the scenes since the day he became speaker. Johnson had resisted for months in the face of growing threats to his speakership if he sided with Biden and allowed the vote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/18/biden-johnson-ukraine-aid-00153237

This might be the hoped-for shift in alignment that puts the majority of Americans back on the same side. We can only hope.

Steven Cugini, 28, of York, was arrested and charged in Dauphin County Tuesday after being accused of sexually and physically abusing the 1-year-old child, according to a news release from State Police at Lykens.

Online court documents show that Cugini faces multiple felony charges that include rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and aggravated assault. He is locked up in Dauphin County Prison on $200,000 bail.

York City Police confirmed that Cugini is a member of their department and that he was suspended immediately after the alleged crimes that happened when he was off duty.

The victim’s mother told State Police the child suffered the injuries from a hard fall during bath time. State Police say the mother “went on to provide implausible explanations for several other injuries to the victim’s body” including that bruising was caused by the family dog.

Hello guys and gals. Yesterday, a group of folks including @essentialsaltes , @JosephZ and others have enlightened me on the ethics of bypassing paywalls, a structure that news agencies use to pay their employees. I now understand that using software to bypass paywalls is unethical (both from a secular, and Biblical perspective), as journalists need food on the table. Plus, I made a new friend here who likes classic anime from 20 years ago. If you want to support news articles, but do not want to use a paywall, some local libraries have licensing agreements with the New York Times, WaPo and other companies to allow library patrons free access to the news, covered by library expenses. That means a journalist can still get money to provide for their families and him/herself.

Today's thread will be on the ethics of gated journalism itself, and if there are potential alternatives to paywall systems for news. For instance, The Guardian and NPR rely on optional donations, as of April 2024. One could hypothetically choose to give a recurring donation of $10/mo to NPR, or a one-time support of £1 to The Guardian. For those who do science research, science journals are notorious for charging dozens of dollars per paper. However, there are scientific journals that have an open access system, such as MDPI, established in 1996. Here is a Guardian Article about paywalled science journals: Paywalls block scientific progress. Research should be open to everyone | Jason Schmitt

The Guardian's Statement of Open News


Alright, to the meat of the matter, from both a secular and theological perspective (cos both sides are beneficial):


From a Secular Perspective:

Secular Arguments for Open Access:
1. Advancement of Knowledge: Making scientific and news articles open access allows for the free flow of information, enabling researchers and the public to build on each other's work, leading to new discoveries and advancements in various fields.
2. Accessibility: Open access ensures that everyone, regardless of their financial situation or institutional affiliation, can access vital information for personal growth, education, and decision-making.
3. Economic Efficiency: Open access reduces the overall cost of research by eliminating paywalls and subscription fees, which ultimately benefits researchers, funding agencies, and the public.
4. Transparency and Accountability: Making information freely available promotes transparency and accountability, as individuals can verify the accuracy and validity of claims made in scientific or news articles.

Secular Arguments against Open Access:
1. Financial Sustainability: Many publishers rely on subscription fees to cover their costs and generate revenue, which could be put at risk if all content becomes open access. Journalists may not recieve a steady stream of income.
2. Quality Control: Open access does not necessarily guarantee the quality or credibility of the information being shared, as anyone can publish online. Therefore, some argue that there should be a way to vet and verify the accuracy of published content.
3. Intellectual Property: Publishers and authors have the right to protect their intellectual property, which can be a challenge when it comes to open access.


From a Biblical Perspective:

Biblical Arguments for Open Access:
1. Pursuit of Knowledge (Proverbs 1:5 ESV): "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles." This verse emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and understanding. Open access to scientific and news articles supports this pursuit by making vital information accessible to all.
2. Sharing Knowledge (Matthew 10:16 ESV): "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." This verse suggests that sharing knowledge can help people make informed, wise decisions when going out into the world and distinguish between right and wrong. Open access promotes this by making information readily available to everyone.
3. Transparency (Job 12:22 NIV): "He [God] reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light." This verse highlights the importance of transparency and shedding light on hidden matters. Open access supports this by making information publicly available for scrutiny and verification.

Biblical Arguments against Open Access:
1. Intellectual Property (Exodus 20:15 KJV): "Thou shalt not steal." This verse emphasizes the importance of respecting other people's property, including their intellectual creations. Publishers and authors have a right to protect and profit from their work, which can be a challenge with open access.
2. Discernment (1 Thessalonians 5:21 NAS): "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good." This verse encourages individuals to use discernment and evaluate information carefully. Open access does not guarantee the accuracy or credibility of published content, making it essential for people to critically assess what they read and consult multiple sources.
3. Supporting the Community (Proverbs 11:24 ESV): "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." This verse highlights the importance of contributing to one's community and supporting those who provide valuable services. By paying for subscriptions or purchasing access to content, individuals can help support publishers and the broader scientific and journalistic community.

Romans 11:18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.