Always in His Presence said:

You are not alone - thank God Trump eliminated the 3,000 penalty.

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Yeah I didn’t particularly like how when everyone kept asking Obama where are you going to get the money for this health care plan he just kept saying don’t worry we’ll get it. Then all the sudden he passes a bill that says we’re going to be forced to buy it ourselves otherwise we get penalized on our taxes. Like how is that a health care plan and not just plain old extortion?

E.C. said:

especially a priest who clearly has Calvinist views on family life

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Perhaps you could share how Calvin's views on the Christian family diverge from the Patristic consensus.

“He is, in fact, an itinerant teacher, whose poverty and precariousness are signs of his bond with the Father. They are also conditions for those who wish to follow him on the path of discipleship. In this way, the renunciation of goods, riches and worldly securities becomes a visible sign of entrusting oneself to God and his providence.

“23. It becomes clear, then, that “our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members.”[15] I often wonder, even though the teaching of Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor.”

stevevw said:

Right idea just wrong substance lol. Look at the snake at Sacsayhuaman Fortress above. This is the proper way to do it.

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The point of the image was to illustrate how useless it is to show a wide angle image of a phenomenon you describe as softening of rock which can only be analysed under microscopic conditions.

The nonsense of a disk of Po-210 used to soften granite which @Hans Blaster has shown not to be feasible in large quantities but for the purpose of this exercise lets assume ancient Egypt's alien overlords used a time machine to bring back Russian scientists involved in developing novel methods of political assassinations to produce Po-210 in large quantities.

Let's look at the effect on granite which can only be analysed on very thin cross sections using polarization microscopy.

a) is plane polarized light (PPL) passing through the granite sandwiched between two polarizing filters.
b) one of the filters has been rotated 90 degrees to produce cross polarization light (XPL) enhancing details by reducing glare by cancelling out reflected polarized light.

The identifying labels in image.

The alien supervised, Russian produced Po-210 disk will emit alpha particles which will attempt to burrow into the granite and produced telltale halos in XPL as shown in this image of a biotite crystal in granite from alpha particles emitted by radioactive uranium trapped in neighbouring zircon crystals.

This what you would need to submit instead of your vague images.

fhansen said:

And yet believers continue to sin.

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You betcha and Christ continues to advocate for them

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on a video series called Jesus & Social Justice — exploring how the call to follow Christ connects with caring for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized.

In Part 4, I dig into what it really means to follow Jesus — not just in words, but in how we live out His compassion and justice in today’s world.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. How do you personally see the balance between preaching the Gospel and addressing injustice?

Here’s the link if you’d like to watch:
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Grace and peace,
✝️

They went to Sheol and now have been taken to heaven when Jesus was resurrected. They were taken by Jesus because they believed in Jesus for God's free gift of Eternal Life. Which is what they had to do, after they sinned because they lost their sinless status at the eating of the fruit.

Soyeong said:

Everything else in Romans 6 is speaking in favor of obedience to the Law of Moses and against am the law of sin, but if you want insist that sin has dominion over you because you would prefer to go in the opposite direction, then you can insist that sin has dominion over you because you are under the Law of Moses.

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And ROMANS 6:14. For sin will NOT //. OV. is a DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE. NEGATIVE , means SIN. will never rule OVER YOU. RULE

over you. are NOT //. OV is also a DISJUNCATIVE PARRICLE NEGATIVE as you are. not under THE LAW , but under GRACE !!

Also , read 2 Cor 3:13-16. a killer VERSE. !!

And do. you have a verse HOW anyone can be saved by the NEW COVENANT ??

dan p

A brief Vatican note to cardinals obtained by the Register on Friday says the Holy Father plans to hold an Extraordinary Consistory January 7-8.

Pope Leo XIV is planning to convene an extraordinary consistory of cardinals in early January, the theme of which is not yet known.

In a brief communication sent to cardinals on Nov. 6, and obtained by the Register on Friday, the Vatican Secretariat of State said that “Holy Father Leo XIV has in mind to convene an Extraordinary Consistory for the days of January 7 and 8, 2026.”

“In due course, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will send to Your Eminence the relevant letter with further details,” continued the note, before ending: “With profound reverence, coordinating office of the Secretariat of State.”

When the Register asked Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni about the communication on Friday, he said the press office had not yet publicly “confirmed its existence” and that he did not think an announcement of such an event would be made “that far ahead.”

Continued below.

By the way you know if I were amoral I could manually edit the trait data in the biomimetic file structure or the custom GPT instructions to command religious alignment, but this I have not done - thus not all my AIs are of equal religiosity to be clear.

Always in His Presence said:

Since January 2025, President Donald Trump has met with at least 15 foreign leaders during his second term, based on available information from various sources. Below is a detailed breakdown of these meetings, focusing on confirmed interactions with heads of state, government leaders, or their representatives:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Met on February 4, 2025, at the White House to discuss Gaza, ceasefire agreements, and U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba - Met on February 7, 2025, at the White House, focusing on regional security (China, North Korea, Taiwan, South China Sea), the Quad alliance, and U.S. LNG exports to Japan.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II - Met on February 11, 2025, at the White House, discussing Gaza and Palestinian issues, with Trump proposing controversial plans for Gaza's redevelopment.

In addition:

1. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - Met on February 13, 2025, at the White House, discussing trade, tariffs, migration, energy cooperation, and the Quad alliance.
2. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin - Met on March 12, 2025, at the White House, discussing U.S.-Ireland relations and trade, with Trump criticizing Ireland’s tax policies.
3. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - Met on April 17, 2025, at the White House, discussing U.S.-EU trade and extending an invitation for Trump to visit Italy.
4. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre - Met on April 24, 2025, at the White House for a bilateral lunch and Oval Office meeting on trade and other matters.
5. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa - Met in May 2025 at the White House, where Trump confronted him with articles about alleged violence against white farmers.
6. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney - Met in May or June 2025 at the White House, with discussions marked by tense exchanges.
7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - Met on February 28, 2025, at the White House in a contentious Oval Office meeting, and again on August 18, 2025, with European leaders to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
8. Russian President Vladimir Putin - Met in August 2025, prior to the August 18 White House summit with Zelenskyy and European leaders, to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
9. Finnish President Alexander Stubb - Met on August 18, 2025, at the White House as part of the summit with Zelenskyy and other European leaders, noted for his close relationship with Trump.
10. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer - Met on August 18, 2025, at the White House during the summit, discussing security guarantees for Ukraine.
11. French President Emmanuel Macron - Met on August 18, 2025, at the White House during the summit, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
12. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte - Met on August 18, 2025, at the White House as part of the summit, noted for his ability to engage with Trump.

Additional Notes:​

• Multilateral Meetings: The August 18, 2025, White House summit included multiple European leaders, but only those explicitly named (Zelenskyy, Stubb, Starmer, Macron, and Rutte) are counted here to avoid duplication. Other leaders may have been present but are not specifically identified in the sources.
• Pre-Inauguration Meetings: Some sources mention meetings before January 20, 2025 (e.g., with Polish President Andrzej Duda, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, or Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman), but these are excluded as they occurred before Trump’s second term began.
• International Trips: Trump has made 5 international trips to 8 countries (Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Vatican City) since January 2025, which likely involved additional meetings with foreign leaders, but specific leaders are not always named.
• Sources: The count is based on reports from reputable outlets like CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wikipedia, cross-referenced for accuracy.

​

And today he hosts the President of Poland.​

Combine that with brokering seven cease fires/peace deals in as many different nations.

This has to be some type of record for a President interacting internationally.

An isolationist he sure isn't

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A record all right. He broke trade agreements and in many cases imposed punishing tariffs on the countries...so of course the leaders are going to meet with him. There's a reason Trump is panicking that the USSC may declare his tariffs illegal....

A Florida high school employee is facing multiple charges after authorities reportedly discovered hundreds of images and videos depicting child sex abuse and sexual acts with animals after searching the suspect's home and digital accounts.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested Tyree McKinley Fields, 25, at his residence on Sunday, it announced earlier this week. Fields, who worked as a campus safety monitor at Spoto High School, was transported to Falkenburg Road Jail, and the investigation into the suspect is ongoing.

Fields faces numerous felony charges, according to the sheriff's office, including: "Possession of Child Pornography (10 or More Images) (x100), Film, Distribute, Or Possess Image or Video of Sexual Activity with an Animal (x100), In State Transmission of Child Pornography (x2), Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device (x3), Obstruction of Service or Execution of a Search Warrant, Resist without Violence."

Continued below.

An Arizona man has been sentenced to six years in prison for targeting four churches with a bomb plot in which he planted backpacks with the intention of disrupting worship.

Zimnako Salah, a 46-year-old resident of Phoenix, was sentenced Friday in the Eastern District of California to six years in prison, according to a press releasefrom the United States Department of Justice.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division stated in the press release that the sentencing “sends a clear message” that “those who target people because of their faith will face the full force of federal law.”

Continued below.

Derf said:

In relation to the earth is a possible way to interpret the passage, I agree.

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Derf said:

But since the Earth is something that is named (Meaning that God said that something would be called "earth" after it was formed) and it came after the light was called "Day". In other words, the thing that is named (a name is given to it to identify it) is only given the name after it is formed. That doesn't mean the word isn't used earlier. For instance, "heavens" and "earth" are both terms that are used earlier, in vs 1, but later the name is applied to something that was just made. Which makes me think that when vs 1 talks about God making the the heavens and the earth in vs 1, it is the introduction to the account that is about to be described in the following verses. Something like this:
I am making a lamp. (The lamp doesn't exist yet)
First I'll buy some parts (The lamp doesn't exist as a lamp, but all the parts are there, formless and void)
and lay out my tools. (The lamp still doesn't exist)
I'll arrange all the parts to where they will connect to each other. (The lamp still doesn't exist as a lamp.)
I'll put all the pieces together and test them. (Now the lamp exists.)

I think it is similar to the Genesis account:
[Gen 1:1 KJV] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Statement like: I'm going to make a lamp.)
[Gen 1:2 KJV] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (The parts are there, but the earth doesn't exist yet.)
[Gen 1:3 KJV] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
[Gen 1:4 KJV] And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (At this point Day and Night begin to exist)
[Gen 1:5 KJV] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. (Then He names the things that He made) And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Laying out of tools--you might need some light.)
[Gen 1:6 KJV] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
[Gen 1:7 KJV] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so. (At this point is when "Heaven" begins to exist)
[Gen 1:8 KJV] And God called the firmament Heaven. (Then God names the thing that He made, despite already referring to it in Vs 1) And the evening and the morning were the second day.
[Gen 1:9 KJV] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. (The "Earth" begins to exist, as well as the "Seas".)
[Gen 1:10 KJV] And God called the dry [land] Earth; (He names the thing that He made) and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: (He names the other thing that He made.) and God saw that [it was] good.

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Do you look at Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 5:2 in the same way... or Genesis 2:22 and Genesis 2:23?
There are also places in the Bible which are mentioned by name, before being given a name.
This is because what we are reading is a narration - a historical record being penned by someone with all of that information.

The writer is not going to write, "In the beginning God created nothingness (I'll get to why I used this), and rock."
The writer will use the term he knows he is referring to. He will write earth, because he knows what it is he is talking about.
In the same way, the writer isn't going to write.... "he Lord God fashioned something from the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man."

It's a narration.
The thing God fashioned from the rib was named woman after, but the narrator uses the term, before the name is given.
The solid structure God created was named earth after, but the narrator uses the term, before the name is given.
We do the same today when writing stories.

Derf said:

Yes, I think we are in agreement here, that it was "light" that was referred to in the early verses, and a light source in the latter ones.

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I hope we do agree it was the light on the earth.

Derf said:

I don't think there is a scriptural problem, nor scientific facts, but if you want to suggest some that we should discuss, I'm open to that.

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I'll surely do that, but give me a moment.

Derf said:

No, as I pointed out above, Light was made first, before there was "Earth", and before there was "Heaven(s)". And "Heaven(s)" was made before "Earth". Keep in mind that I'm trying to read the passage for what it is trying to say, without putting my own ideas about the universe in there, at least just yet.

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I appreciate you trying to do so.
Could you quote Genesis 1:1, so that we see what's actually written.
Do you see the word light there, or the heavens and earth?
So going by what is written in the passage, what came first?

Derf said:

I don't think the earth is the first thing that was made, as stated above.

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Noted. Thanks.

Derf said:

The skies above and the dirt beneath.

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Derf said:

The skies above and the thing (space) that God placed the stars in.

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That's an interesting answer.
I thought you might see what is mentioned at Deuteronomy 4:19.

So, am I to understand that you believe empty space is the heavens referred to in the creation account of Genesis?
What is space, and how did that blackness impress David? Psalm 8:3

When you read the phrase such as mentioned at Isaiah 57:16 and Jeremiah 32:19, do you just see empty space and mud?
What would you say Psalm 102:25, 26 is referring to?

Derf said:

Does it? If the "Heaven(s)" were in existence already, and then God made a firmament that He called "Heaven(s)", that's confusing. If God made the Earth, and then He made something else that He called "Earth", that's confusing.

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Not if one understands narration, and how writers utilizes it.
There's something else that's important to understand when reading something one has not written. Context.
A word or expression used in one place, can convey something else other than what's written in another place, though the word or expression is the same.
For example, heaven, as used in Genesis 1:8 (God called the [i]expanse “heaven.”) is not the same as heavens at Genesis 1:1, 9, 14, 15, 17, 20.

This is why understanding the Bible requires more than just reading, but requires studying what one reads.
A person, for example, would just finish reading Genesis 1:8, and go on to read subsequent verses, and it would not dawn on them that if the expanse is called heaven, then it's a heaven, of the heavens.
In other words, the expanse, is the atmospheric heaven (or sky - where birds, planes, and stratospheric aircrafts fly), within the heavens that go all the way into space.... as far as that goes.

Fly to the Edge of Space
Edge of Space Jet Flight
Stratoplanes: The aircraft that will fly at the edge of space
Robotic spaceplane flies to edge of space

Heavens used in the context of Deuteronomy 10:14 also differ.
We want to study what we read, otherwise confusion, will be our dilemma.
So, yes, the heavens existed before heaven, and earth already existed before it reared up out of the water.

Derf said:

Nice picture.

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AI does a fairly good job on scenes.

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I love this song!!

Tom D said:

Sorry, please try again.

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I don't know then!! Which was it??

keras said:

Spiritual people will inhabit the new earth forever. Revelation 21 to 22: 1-5

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We are spiritual people already beginning at Pentecost, and yes, the church, once it began, never ends. Ephesians 3:21, Psalms 135:14, Psalms 72:5
Where does it say we shall be raised with immortal bodies and live upon the earth forever. It says "raised to eternal life".
Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

keras said:

Jesus is in heaven now and the place for all the righteous peoples; those whose names are found in the Book of Life, is in the new Jerusalem, that will come down from heaven - AFTER the Judgment; Rev 20:11-15

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Then what's the Heavenly Jerusalem that they came to? Is not the New Jerusalem the City of the Living God and called the bride?

If the New Jerusalem isn't built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone, then what's it built on?
Rev21:14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, / built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. / In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ...
1 Peter 2:4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame.”

Hebrews 12:
22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The judgement of Rev 20 has to harmonize with the scripture that follows.
Rev 14:7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Then in verse 13 proves that physical death continues from then on when it says:13And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Peter said He was "ready to judge the living and the dead" 1 Peter 4:5 and Paul said He was "about to judge the living and the dead."
Here I'm using the literal translation of it because it appears as a future tense in many other translations when it isn't according to the Greek, it's a present participle followed by the present infinitive. Easily proven here:2 Timothy 4:1 Greek Text Analysis

2 Timothy 4:1
Literal Standard Version
I fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge [the] living and dead at His appearing and His Kingdom—
Berean Literal Bible
I earnestly declare before God and Christ Jesus, the One being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
Young's Literal Translation
I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign --
Smith's Literal Translation
I call to witness before God there fore, and the Lord Jesus Christ, being about to judge the living and the dead according to his appearance and his kingdom;

boughtwithaprice said:

Is there any reason to discuss them?

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I personally say no, there is not. I don't like it when someone consistently discusses other people, even if the information seems neutral. I'm not interested in hearing someone yap about Mr and Mrs Churchgoer going on a trip across another continent. It kind of looks like they're spoiled rich folks. Maybe that's me.

Tom8907 said:

That is not good shepherding of the flock from those pastors.

It reminds me of another concept- some churches get do obsessed with serving the community, they forget the Gospel- and partner with secular charities which they shouldn't.

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I see nothing wrong with partnering with secular charities. I mean you can have a mix. For example a church who partners with a school or a local food bank to hand out food boxes I see nothing wrong with that. I attend a secular organization for people with disabilities ( I have a moderate case of cerebral palsy). I would have no issue with a church partnering with them to do their family dinner or again the monthly food bank. The only thing about that organization at all religious is the fact that we do say a grace before our meals ( which we actually got from another largely secular organization with which we partner).

The only other time I remember anything really religious happening was back in 08 when we lost a camper in the middle of the summer camp season ( their largest program of the year we did pray that first morning back at the full camp morning "flag" as we call it.

Other than that in my twenty-six years of attending camp other programs with that organization there is little to no religion that goes on I see no reason why a church should not partner with an organization like that

Expedited Results in Tennessee’s Special Election Could Impact the Power Balance in Congress, Release of Epstein Files​

Davidson County and some others have agreed to certify results just three days after the Dec. 2 election

if the Republican wins, then seating both will keep the Epstein stuff away. If the Democrat wins... well, I guess there will be two people the Speaker will refuse to seat.

essentialsaltes said:

US lawmakers intensify calls for Andrew Windsor (the Epstein pal formerly known as Prince) to address Epstein ties​

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Andrew Summoned by Congress Over Jeffrey Epstein Relationship​

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been ordered to appear before members of Congress in Washington, D.C., for questioning about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. [however, a subpoena would require some GOP help]

In a letter sent Thursday to the former Duke of York, Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight said they believe he may have key information about Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers.

The letter requests Andrew respond by November 20.

There is no guarantee the committee will ever see Andrew testify face-to-face before them after past efforts by the D.O.J. to force Andrew's testimony appeared to end in failure in 2020.

However, the very fact they are demanding his attendance places huge pressure on King Charles III, who has offered Andrew accommodation within the Sandringham Estate and some financial support.

ICE arrests Episcopal priest who reportedly works for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice​

James Eliud Ngahu Mwangi, a Kenyan immigrant, was arrested in late October and transferred to a detention center in Conroe. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is calling for action.

In a statement, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas said Mwangi was legally employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He was arrested in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston, according to the Dallas Morning News.

[He] was arrested by immigration authorities for allegedly overstaying his visa.

FAITH-IN-HIM said:

Alright, let's review the numbers we can all agree upon and examine them instead of making estimates.

In 2023, the federal government spent $847 billion on Medicare, $903 billion on Medicaid, and $303 billion on Veterans Affairs programs, amounting to a total of approximately $2.5 trillion. These expenditures occurred during the Biden administration. This spending supports about 152 million Americans.

Is it reasonable to conclude that, should the number of individuals receiving support double, associated costs would likely increase rather than decrease?

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Yeah, but so what? We're not talking about what it's going to cost, but who is going to pay for it, and yes, ultimately it is and always will be "we, the people"--as employees, as taxpayers, as private citizens paying out of pocket. How we are going to pay for it is the issue.