RocksInMyHead said:

it does not mean that the situation meets the standard of "rebellion" under the Constitution.

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The constitution does not define rebellion as only trying to take over the government as you defined it. Other forms of rebellion against rhe government can apply. And in this case that is what is happening.

The real question should be, is this rebellion justified. Because some rebellions are. You should admit this is a rebellion in places and then answering if it is a justified one. Thats the real discussion.

RocksInMyHead said:

Which is not happening.

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Yes it is. Ive seen the videos.

RocksInMyHead said:

Again, rebellions are inherently organized and seek to overthrow the authority of the government. That is not happening anywhere in the US today.

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These rebellions in these area are organized and often paid for. Of course not every person there is part it, but they dont have to be in order for it to work. Its happening in Portland and Chicago.

RocksInMyHead said:

The reality is that this is not actually happening though.

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Yes it is. We've even had posters on this forum admit it and were proud of it.

RocksInMyHead said:

Temporarily being obstructed does not prevent them from doing their jobs in the bigger picture of things.

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Thats not the definition of obstruction.

RocksInMyHead said:

If, for example, the local police or national guard had been instructed by city leadership or the governor to stop ICE from doing their jobs, then you might have a point - that would be very similar to the conditions under which Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas Guard. But a few citizens getting in the way of their own volition are in no way comparable.

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You dont have to have city or state governments to be involved. Thats not a requirement of the law. Having citizens involved is enough.

Oompa Loompa said:

How about the hostages who were saved?

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I'm not sure there'll be much room. I think we need a bigger award.

RileyG said:

I wonder why?

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Lots of reasons, mostly cultural or having to do with Orthodox perceived as a high-demand religion (a perception that is often accurate). There's also the fact the number of Orthodox Christians in the US is relatively small, and some potential spouses have high standards and view marriage as being at least somewhat of a social transaction between families, and not necessarily in terms of western individualism.

The end result is that in the last couple of decades, the orthodox church hasn't really grown in size much, even though conversions have continued, as statistically converts have tended to lose interest after several years, or cradle Orthodox disaffiliate.

Hentenza said:

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel restricted aid into Gaza and kept the enclave's border shut on Tuesday while re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing men in the street, darkening the outlook for U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-fighters-tighten-grip-gaza-clouding-future-ceasefire-2025-10-14/

Hamas continues their violence preventing much needed aid for Gazans. The only way this peace will hold is if Hamas lays down their weapons and stops the violence.

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OP said:

Meanwhile, re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated they were reasserting control in Gaza by deploying hundreds of security forces in the streets and executing several people they accused of collaborating with Israel.

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This is why it isn’t generally a “good thing” to assume what one’s God wants is what a Government should “strive” towards.

Sure HAMAS is evil, but this is the upshot of them being sure that their cause is just; that the only way (their) God’s will has been thwarted is if “we were betrayed from within!”

Then again, it might just be “settling-scores” now that it’s clear that the leadership of Hamas has failed its citizens miserably there’ll be a power-struggle within Gaza…this might be the beginnings of that?

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Investigators say 23-year-old Robin Westman, who opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, was obsessed with killing children. The attack during the school’s first Mass of the year left two children, aged 8 and 10, dead and 17 others injured. Westman, a former student, fired 116 rifle rounds through stained-glass windows. Police uncovered chilling writings, videos, and a manifesto revealing violent fantasies, regret over gender transition, and plans to target kids.

10:12

AI summary:

No, according to Catholic teaching, Adam and Eve are not a myth but are considered the real, first parents of all humanity. While the biblical creation story is understood to convey profound truths through symbolic and spiritual language, the Church teaches that Adam and Eve were literal, historical individuals from whom the human race descends and in whom Original Sin is rooted.

• Literal first parents:
  The Catechism of the Catholic Churchstates that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve. Catholic Answers emphasizes that the Church teaches they were real, literal first parents from whom all humans descend.
  
  
• Symbolic and literal:
  The Church teaches that the Genesis account is both real and symbolic. The events took place in reality, but the story may not be a literal, scientific, or historical retelling of events. Catholic scholars often see the Genesis stories as symbolic, metaphoric stories that express basic truths about the human condition, while still being accounts of real history.
  
  
• Monogenism vs. Polygenism:
  This teaching is tied to the concept of monogenism (the idea that humans descended from one couple). The Church's position is that all people are descendants of Adam and Eve and are implicated in their sin, a belief that stands in contrast to the theory of polygenism (humans descending from many progenitors).
  
  
• No definitive position on every detail:
  While the Church holds that Adam and Eve were real, it does not have a definitive position on every specific detail of their existence or the exact circumstances of the human race's origin, especially in light of scientific discoveries.
• 
  
  

  Adam, Eve, and Evolution

  The controversy surrounding evolution touches on our most central beliefs about ourselves and the world. Find out what Catholics believe about it.

  www.catholic.com
  
  
  
• Adam and Eve Were Real People

Jipsah said:

I think I said that at the outset, at least about England. We do know that He lived in Egypt for a time.

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Jesus was just an infant in Egypt, For 2 or 3 years at the most.

As for the 18 years between when He taught in the Temple, to when He was Commissioned, the Bible says nothing.
Most people assume He never left Nazareth then, but those were dangerous times. Tiberius was Emperor; 14 to 37 CE, expanding, conquering and brutally supressing any revolts. Britian was conquered by Caesar in 55BC, then under full control after 47AD. Plenty of records prove how Rome traded with them. Even before the conquest, according to the Greek geographer Strabo, Britain exported gold, silver, iron, hides, slaves, and hounds in addition to grain.

The legends of ancient Britian say Jesus did go there. It was possible and quite sensible. People should seriously consider why they object to it, in the absence of any hard evidence either way.

I dress up for God, (like someone else said already), not for those that attend mass. I've grown up in an environment where it was deemed disrespectful if you weren't presentable before our Lord. If you have the very pretty purple dress wear it, and in my opinion if you were dressing up to catch a husband, church would be a great place to do it, so who cares what anyone else would think. I always wear a veil too, I think it's important.

RileyG said:

Hope you are doing well

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Shrugs. I am okay. I guess. Thanks. I hope you are, too.

Tough future! I remember when reading the book 2150AD by Thea Alexander I imagined a future of advanced society where everyone walked around in great shape and in tunics. Looking like leadership of the Roman Empire of old. Everywhere I go it seems like people are terribly out of shape these days. And I would say it is hard keeping young people as they cannot see any kind of upper, advanced way in the people these days.

I have come to the conclusion that Isaac Newton was closest in his 2060AD Christ return prophecy. I would also venture to say that in 2150 AD we will probably be walking in white tunics and looking like folk of the Roman Empire of old. But it will be the time of the last millennial where the evil angels will be locked up for a thousand years during the reign of Christ.

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. -Revelation 20

So… In the meantime, I will work and do the best I can. Awaiting the return of Christ Jesus

Many heard My words that day...
Bread of Life- I said.
Bread come down from Heaven.
Not the kind you break with your hands,
but the kind that breaks chains…
the kind that feeds the soul.

But they-
they murmured beneath their breath,
“This saying is hard…
Who can receive it?”

I felt the tension in the air,
like a storm before the rain.
They wanted a king, not a cross.
They wanted signs, not surrender.

And I asked them-
Does this offend you?
What if you saw the Son of Man
ascend to where He was before?
Would you still stumble?
Would you still doubt?

It is the Spirit who gives life-
the flesh counts for nothing.
My words…
are spirit.
My words…
are life.

But even as I spoke,
I could feel unbelief whispering in the crowd.
They wanted miracles,
but not transformation.
They wanted bread-
but not Me.

I knew from the beginning
who believed…
and who would not.
I knew the one who would betray Me,
yet still-
I loved them all.

“No one can come to Me,” I said,
“unless the Father draws him.”
And when I said it…
many turned away.
Their footsteps fading like a dying echo.
The crowd…
became silence.

So I turned to the Twelve.
My friends. My heart.
And I asked,
Will you also go away?

Simon-
with trembling faith-
looked at Me and said,
“Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We believe You are the Christ-
the Son of the Living God.”

Oh, Peter…
if only you knew how right you are.
How much it will cost Me to give you that life.

Yet even here, among the chosen,
sits one whose heart hides betrayal.
“Did I not choose you, the Twelve?” I said,
“Yet one of you is a devil.”

Still…
I stayed.
I loved.
I broke bread.
Because this-
this is the way of the Kingdom.
Even when they walk away,
even when they deny,
even when they betray-
I remain.

For love does not retreat.
Love gives.
Love endures.
Love stays.

And I-
I am that Love.

I understand that. But that does not mean people, specifically dispensationalists understand what those dispensations are. For instance, this is a proper understanding of a dispensation.

This is one of best examples of the nature of God's supernatural book, the Bible. Moses as well as other prophets wrote- That what we call the first covenant given by Moses to Israel, was predestined to be replaced by God in favor of a second covenant that was to come. That the first covenant was but an instrument towards his designs of a predestined second covenant through which he would save billions and transform the world.
Now like I said many of the prophets spoke of this but no one did it quite like Moses in the first five books of the Bible. This is why God rejected so many of the first born in Genesis but elected and predestined the second born.

• Cain the first born of Adam was rejected in favor of the second born Abel.
• Ishmael, Abraham's first born was rejected in favor of his second born Isaac.
• Esau the first born rejected in favor of the second born Jacob.
• Jacob, later named Israel blessed Joseph's second born over the first born.
• Moses struck the rock the first time in the wilderness and nothing happened, but the second time he struck it water, “the living water” came out.

None of this was written by accident. It is all prophecy about God predestining the world to be saved via the second covenant with the first as a means to arrive at the second. There is much more of this in the Bible like Israel's first king Saul being rejected in favor of Israel's second king David. Even the book of Job is a prophecy of the first and second covenant. Everything Job had from God at first was destroyed by Satan. But what he received the second time around was much much more and endured. However, the the coup d'état of this prophecy is at the end of the five books of the Torah. God does not allow Moses to lead the people into the promised land because a man named Yahshua, Joshua in English, Jesus from Hebrew to Greek to English, was predestined to do that. A man named Jesus led the children of Israel into the promised land as a prophecy of Jesus leading the meek to inherit the entire earth!
Now ask yourselves how could Moses and the rest of the OT writers knew such things about a first and second covenant and could preach and prophesy this would happen thousands of years in advance? Especially through the historical story line of the lives of the patriarchs and the lawgiver Moses himself? It certainly was not written after the fact as the books of Moses and the prophets were known throughout the empires of those days many centuries before the Messiah came. Besides, do you think the Jewish political class who murdered Jesus because they thought he would take their ruler-ship over the Jewish people from them would go ahead and alter the scriptures in such a way as to prove the claims made about Jesus? In their rabbinical writings in the centuries following the first century they sure don’t. They couldn’t anyway. The entire Greek Empire had access to the Hebrew Bible written in Greek hundreds of years before Jesus came. That is just historical fact.
I would like you to use reason and logic about what I just pointed out. This is not just a matter of so called faith. What possible reason could Moses or any other writers of the OT have had to conjure up such a story line? What gain would it have been to them? What a total contrivance of nothing because there was no chance the world could or would develop along such lines. Especially in light of the fact that no one understood what it all meant. The apostle Paul called this in Ephesians 3:4.... the mystery of Christ 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; But he found this out after the fact because it became evident due to it transpiring in his ministry. His revelation of it came through the scripture as he was living out what was prophesied. God had to trick Peter into going to a household of gentiles to preach. Even after that Peter called Paul's writings on the subject scripture, because there was really no clarity in their minds on the matter up until that point, until after it began to come to pass. One might ascertain that surely some of the saved in ancient Israel knew that the messiah was going to bring the light, salvation and transformation to the nations because there is so much prophecy about it. Some of the prophets even spoke directly of a new covenant for Israel and the abrogation of the current one. But the means through which that would be accomplished was just to much to grasp for them. Especially since what was written was four-twelve centuries old before Jesus had arrived on the scene and, there was no more scripture written throughout that four hundred year period. Moses even stated it in Duet 18:17 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelite's. You must listen to him. 18.....He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. Or as the writer of the NT book of Hebrew claims concerning the Old Covenant: 2nd Co. 3:13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelite's from seeing the end of what was passing away.
It is very easy today to nonchalantly look at our world without any regard to how impossible what we are living out could have been prophesied by Moses and the rest of the OT prophets. There is no getting away with the lies some folks make about Jesus, that NT writers made it all up after the fact and created a Jesus to fit OT prophecies. Those fallacious claims are as far from logic and reason as you can get with this body of prophecy with just a casual look at history. These prophecies were spoken in a world ruled in perpetuity by despotic kings, emperors and warlords. A world where the government imposed idol worship with the death penalty for non participation. A world where 1\3 to 1\2 of all people were the property of others. In most of it human sacrifice was practiced and the rulers were looked upon as demi-gods, most of whom just happened to be LGBTP. Property rights were non existent once kingdoms were established since the king could just take anyone's property and give it to their supporters. It was even a law in the Roman Empire where the new emperor could execute the families of anyone he wanted and deliver their property to his supporters. In that world Jehovah was just a small tribal god that was of such little regard that he did not even make the Greek or Roman pantheon of gods. Yet in those circumstances with the entire world and all its power arrayed against it every coming to pass as exampled by Israel already suffering multiple holocausts by the time Jesus came on the scene. Prophecies like this within the context of the replacement of the Old covenant by the New Covenant were spoken.
Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Isaiah 2:17......and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
Isaiah 54:5 ......The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Here we are today. Prophecies out of God's supernatural book impossible to contrive and fulfill, being fulfilled. There are now believers who worship the God of the Bible among all ethnic groups on earth and this phenomena in numbers has been growing by leaps and bounds every single year. Half the world once deadly serious about worshiping their hundreds of idols have forsaken them. They are now just historical artifacts. Although half the world at this point are not heaven bound servants of God and believers. Half the world does call the God of the Bible, the God of the whole earth. The other half is soon to follow through the preaching of the Gospel. Can you see, especially you people who claim Christ that the only thing that can account for it is supernatural authorship? Only God could inspire Moses to write what he did and only God could bring it to pass in a world that was completely hostile to its fulfillment, but had no idea what it was that was going to be fulfilled in the first place. They just wanted to kill the messengers because they figured them a threat to their rule. You know what? They were right.

PloverWing said:

After a little googling, I found the letter here: Let Us Pray | Great Britain

I suggest that the Let Us Pray folks would do well to work with the UK government to carefully craft legislation that protects people from the harm of conversion therapy, while also protecting religious speech and practice, as far as this can be done. That line lies somewhere in the freedom-of-speech area, and it's a matter of figuring out when the speech crosses the line from offending people (which is protected speech) to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theatre (which is not protected speech). This is not easy legislation to write.

The Church of England seems to have reflected thoughtfully on this question. See, for example, this document from February 2024: https://www.churchofengland.org/sit...tions-on-conversion-therapy-february-2024.pdf

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Thank you for the link to the letter which, as a Brit, I have now signed, using the boxes at the end of the letter.

I walked with them through Caesarea’s way,
the dust of earth beneath My feet,
and I turned to those who knew My voice,
to ask what hearts and tongues repeat.

“Tell Me,” I said, “what do men declare?
Who do they claim the Son of Man to be?”
They spoke of prophets- John, Elijah,
voices risen from history’s sea.

But I looked deeper, past their words,
to the eyes that had beheld My light.
“And you,” I asked, “My chosen ones-
who do you say stands here in sight?”

Then Simon spoke, his soul aflame,
“My Lord, You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
He spoke not from the dust of men,
but from the breath of Heaven’s nod.

And I- oh, how I blessed that word!
“For this was not revealed by flesh or mind,
but by My Father, pure and unseen,
whose truth eternal eyes can find.

You are Peter, strong as stone,
and upon this faith My house shall stand;
the gates of death shall not prevail,
nor break the work My love has planned.

To you I give the keys of Heaven-
to bind below and loose above.
For what My Father births in faith
will ever live through perfect love.”

And so I spoke beneath the sky,
as Heaven’s mystery touched the land-
I am the Christ, the Living Word,
and all who know Me- forever shall stand.

It would be great if hamas were to behave and disband letting the people of Gaza begin rebuilding a better life without being subjugated again. I have little faith in that outcome however.It appears they may be making moves to reassert control.

Hamas has launched several attacks on rival clans, killing "collaborators" attempting to challenge Hamas's superiority in post-ceasefire Gaza.​

Hamas has reemerged in Gaza to try to cement its dominance over the enclave after the ceasefire and the release of the remaining 20 live hostages.

The terrorist organization’s goal since the truce agreement was signed in Sinai last week is to reemerge victorious and not comply with the US-backed deal that is supposed to see it disarm and give up governance.


Hamas has launched several attacks on dissidents in the meantime, murdering them and dragging them through the streets, to show that it has no intention of going anywhere.

It has always used a combination of gangland-style killings and the appearance of normalcy in governance to control Gaza. This has been Hamas’s pattern since it seized control in an illegal coup in 2007.
Full article

I had my first experience of this creation Sunday. It was developed by ELCA out of Luther Seminary. The purpose is to read a long portion of Scripture each week, with the option of a short reading to follow. My family were visiting my parents' house for the occasion of Dad's 63rd birthday and we went to a Lutheran church employing this reading scheme. The preacher was quite good.

ThatRobGuy said:

(Biden's admin is another story)

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Is it though?


A heck of a lot more people were deported under Biden than under Obama (or Trump).

ThatRobGuy said:

At the risk of sounding cynical...
I think the superficial answer is the accurate one on this.

An old white guy (perceived as having racist views on extraneous issues) deporting non-white people elicits a different reaction from some folks than if a younger non-white guy (perceived to have more progressive values) deports non-white people.

Were abuses of power and unprofessional conduct from agents happening during the raids and round-ups that happened under Obama? Almost certainly. But they would've been much less visible, as the prevalence of the "HD video recording device in everyone's pocket" was much lower back then, so you didn't have a hundred people standing around filming every interaction and uploading it to where millions of people could see it.

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This theory falls apart in the light of the above data. It comes down to rhetoric and the methods employed by ICE.

Suzette

bye and bye.

In the meantime . . .

Yum!

mascarpone?

Lady Bug said:

I do the three times thumping of the chest, though.

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I used to do that during the consecration when the bells are rung, but haven’t recently.

Fantine said:

Should we believe Republicans who say the January 6 insurrectionists were 'tourists'?

Obviously people who would say that have a very distorted, dysfunctional view of the truth.

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Lisa Kudrow nails this phenomenon...

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Always in His Presence said:

"President Trump's leadership in the Abraham Accords laid the foundation for today's breakthroughs, bringing hope to the people of Gaza and beyond." Context: Qatar, a key mediator in hostage negotiations, credited Trump's prior accords for enabling the 2025 Gaza peace deal.

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Let's be clear. It's a temporary ceasefire. (More below.)

I am thankful to Trump for achieving this, and I understand the need for baby steps. I also understand that it is in ANY administration's interests to encourage peace in the middle east.

Why did it take so long? It shows that if he had wanted to - he could have done something a long time ago. Was he too busy trolling the nation to distract from the Epstein files?

WHY ON EARTH was Trump allowed to free-wheel his speech at the press conference?

( Calling the Italian PM 'a beautiful young lady' (everyone winces as he objectifies a leader of a foreign nation.) Forgetting who was a President and who was a Prime Minister. Going on about desert dust on Air Force One and then SEEING out the WINDOW some desert! Wow! That speech made me think "Nurse, nurse, he's out of bed again!" )

IT'S ONLY A CEASEFIRE until they TELL ISRAEL and Palestine to do the next 4 IMPOSSIBLE things that might give long term PEACE a chance:-​

1. Remove 500,000 ILLEGAL Israeli settlers from the West Bank.

2. Restore a new Palestinian Authority to govern ALL the currently OCCUPIED territories of the West Bank and Gaza. Tear down all internal walls within the West Bank, and give ALL that land back to the Palestinians!

3. Get the Palestinian Authority to recant on any 'right of return' to lands Israel captured in previous conflicts. History happened. They must deal with it - however unfair it feels - for any long term peace. (See how impossible this is for both sides already?)

4. Create at least 2 internationally monitored DMZ transit corridors.

I'm imagining the following:-
* At least 200 meter wide, fenced off transit corridors travelling 40km east-west across Israel between Gaza and the West Bank.
* 200 meters wide as Palestinians might first start with highways, and then build rail.
* International troops in guard towers dotted across these zones as per the DMZ in Korea.
* Israel moves north south through tunnels.
* (Israel moves in tunnels because of prejudicial fears. I imagine if Palestinians were given the tunnels, some Israeli's might argue it makes an easier target for a suicide bomber to drive a truck bomb into a tunnel and blow up the transit in protest!)
* Neither side even gets to see each other.

See? It's impossible.
And extremely complex!

EG: What have I forgotten?

folks, there are no two alike.