ChubbyCherub said:

1 John 1:8-10
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 3:6-10
6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

I read this last night after a weekend of heavy drinking and eating.

This is not a habitual thing for me. I have drank less than 10 times this year but I have been struggling with overeating due to heavy restriction of calories, since the beginning of this year, in an effort to lose weight.

I have lost about 50 pounds and am only 10 pounds away from goal weight. But, the stress of it all (turning away all social engagements, business engagements, family time etc) causes me to overeat when I start to eat any sugary foods and drinking magnifies the craves and reduces all inhibition and self-control.

So, to my way of thinking, I am not only drinking to excess but then engaging in gluttony, or self sabotage or, I don't really know 100% what the exact sin would be but the action of drinking too much and then overeating seems sinful. Also, I don't view these things as glorifying God or being a light to unbelievers (my family) so it would seem to me that I am indeed sinning.

In an effort to understand, I read the above verses last night.

With regards to 1 John 1:8-10, I believe I am a sinner, have confessed my sins, asked for forgiveness and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior.

With regards to 1 John 3:6-10, sin is of the devil, and 'No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are,'

Am I truly saved then if I continue to sin? Am I sinning? I have prayed and acknowledged that I'm not sure about either of these points but, really, I am sure I am saved because I have done what the Bible says saves us according to Romans 10:9-13:

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]

Any and all help is appreciated. On one hand, I feel broken hearted. I certainly do not want to be of the devil and I want to live my life for Christ and have assurance that I will be with Him when the time comes. On the other hand, I feel like I'm misunderstanding something and overreacting. On the other hand, I feel like I could want that to be the case because the consequences are devastating and I wouldn't know what the point of anything was anymore...

If you could help me, I would be forever grateful, thank you and God bless.

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It's very good that you acknowledged you sins and you are seeking help.
Perhaps you are not associated with any Christian congregation that has a body of overseers that you can reach out to. Is that the case? James 5:14, 15

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call near the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one ailing, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he might be one having committed sins, it will be forgiven him.

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The shepherd are provided in his congregations to care for the flock, and to look after individual sheep that may be hurt, or in danger of becoming lost. They "watch over your souls". Hebrews 13:17

Without the assistance of the shepherds, a sheep can be lost entirely... especially if it is hurt.

I’m a NZ-born believer living in a tiny Tokyo apartment; the sunrise just crept over the neighbourhood roofs and made me homesick for big skies and real-coffee chat. So, worldwide friends, hit reply with one sentence: what can you see outside your window right now—and does it make you smile, sigh, or pray? Photos welcome (but no pressure). Let’s swap snapshots and small talk that might grow into bigger friendship. Grace, bob121 – Tokyo

Bradskii said:

He's like the fireman who is an arsonist. He causes the problems then tries to take credit for attempting to solve them.

Why are people still taking this idiot seriously!

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He's certainly not responsible for ALL the problems in Sudan, but he contributed to the humanitarian crisis by folding his arms and doing nothing about it. Food, doctors and medicine are desperately needed? That's why we were sending them some, until you stopped it, shouting AMERICA FIRST!

Pope Leo XIV is defending the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ message opposing what he characterized as the “extremely disrespectful” treatment of illegal immigrants being deported by the Trump administration. His comments come as border czar Tom Homan continues to defend the federal government’s actions and reiterate earlier allegations of hypocrisy by the Catholic Church.

In response to reporters seeking his comment on the USCCB’s “Special Message” on immigration Tuesday, the pontiff said, “We have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.”

“If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice. I think there are a lot of problems in the system. No one has said that the United States should have open borders. I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter,” he stressed.

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essentialsaltes said:

Trump-appointed judge torches former president's lawsuit against CNN​

In his ruling Singhal wrote that the comments were purely opinions and not statements of fact "and therefore not actionable."

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Say it aint so said:

Well this case is now closed. We are far better under Biden.

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It's not over yet!

Trump-Appointed Judges Reject His ‘Meritless’ and ‘Unpersuasive’ Arguments​

Two federal appeals court judges appointed by President Donald Trump rejected his arguments as "meritless" and "unpersuasive" when agreeing with a lower courts decision to dismiss Trump's $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN for its coverage of the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Adalberto Jordan, Kevin Newsom, and Elizabeth L. Branch issued the decision affirming the lower court's ruling on Tuesday.

OK, now it's over. Or is it?

Michie said:

In an interview on “100 Huntley Street,” apologist Wes Huff discussed what he believes has contributed to the recent wave of faith deconstruction stories.
“100 Huntley Street” is a Canadian television show that “tells the amazing stories of people who have had life-changing encounters with God,” according to its website.
Wes Huff is the vice president of Apologetics Canada. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of Toronto’s Wycliffe College, and he regularly posts YouTube videos discussing theology and apologetics.
Faith deconstruction has been a subject of conversation among evangelicals for several years, as a number of high-profile Christian influencers have shared about changes in their faith. Some, including YouTubers Rhett and Link and pastor and author Josh Harris, have left the Christian faith entirely.

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Faith is not a human construction.

What can be de-constructed is not true faith, it is counterfeit faith.

linux.poet said:

Yes, there’s a reason why we have the Christians’ Only subforums.

But the content you placed in the OP as what trolls would do

seemed like it would be more commonplace on Facebook or Twitter than here. Psalm 137:9 and Hitler would be off-topic, since you asked for testimonies of grace, and people who post off-topic posts like that repeatedly just get banned. (Calling political leaders Hitler is explicitly banned in the political sections too.)

By the way, a testimonies of grace thread would belong in the Deeper Fellowship area here, in case you were wondering about that.

In broader social media, debate or report does still apply, but after awhile you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth your time to do the debate. The problem with doing nothing is that the slanderers will drown you out if you don’t post at least one counter argument, they will come to define your message for you. You cannot let yourself be defined by your harshest critics. Still, dealing with abusers/slanderers is exhausting work, even when you have the positional and spiritual authority to manage them. I would never oblige someone to debate themselves into exhaustion over some triviality.

The way I manage my energy is just to stay off social media (aside from YouTube) and put my time into forums where I either rely on other moderators or I have mod tools to deal with rule violators myself and I don’t end up having to fight reputation battles all the time. Authority actually saves a lot of energy in comparison to expensive emotional reactions of fear and anger. But that may not be for everyone.

Instead, I would advise to pick your platforms and your battles, and learn their best practices one at a time. You do Facebook? Learn the best practices there. Twitter? Same. YouTube? Ok. TikTok? Whatever. Forum like this one? Not too hard.

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Linux.poet, thank you for taking the time to lay out the terrain so clearly. I’m a Kiwi living in Tokyo, blind in one eye and losing the other, so English-speaking Christian fellowship is scarce. My only real goal here is to find brothers and sisters I can go deep with, swap stories of grace, and encourage without having to swat trolls all day. Your map—Christians-Only for testimonies, one calm counter-post, then report and move on—gives me a path that saves energy and keeps the gospel front-and-center. I’ll park future grace-threads in Deeper Fellowship and learn this one platform well. Grace to you, and thanks again for the mod-work you do. May the Lord of grace continue to bless you with strength and peace. Have a wonderful day/night. Jason in Japan for Jesus.

RabbiJames said:

The true meaning of the word “love” is NOT about feelings. "Love" is a verb in Hebrew, "Ahav." John 3:16 demonstrates that. "For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE his only begotten son..." Love is giving. The giving and sharing of one's life with another. He proved his love toward us that He GAVE His Only Son, Yeshua, as a sacrifice for our sin.

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I find this one of the most interesting subjects, that is, what love actually is. While I do believe love affects feelings, most people's idea of love hinges on lust or liking another person or thing for personal reasons. Such is the height of the confusion of the world and the Bible is clearly distinct from this absurdity.

It is just as you have said here, love is giving, and lust is taking and so cannot be love. Hate is also taking and is opposed to love, as love does not record wrongdoings against it and does not search for its own gain, but to elevate and give to others. (1 Corinthians 13:5)

You have also pointed to something God opened my eyes to seeing much more clearly in that only God has proven His love to anyone in sending His only Son Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach, and that this proof is beyond dispute of any kind. (Romans 5:8 - Romans 8:33) It simply cannot be challenged and God's love is established with extremely solid foundations that cannot be shaken or moved.

RabbiJames said:

Just as “Riv’kah” was willing to follow Eliezar to Isaac’s home, so should the wife be willing to follow her husband. Where he is, she should be as well. UNLESS there is some sort of danger or unwise decision-making on the husband’s part, then the wife needs to help the husband “re-think” the decision.

Now “Rivka” had to be “willing to go with Elazar to be Isaac's wife”. We can see this is our relationship with Yeshua. Yeshua/Jesus is the “bridegroom” and we, the “Kehillah” (Congregation of “called out ones”), are the bride. We have to be a “willing bride” to go with our “heavenly bridegroom”.

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Exactly this, and it seems to me many people are missing this point and it is an immense thing you are showing here. I enjoyed reading this and being reminded of it so clearly from Scripture. People seem to think (and I've encountered this just yesterday) that God is about His glory and miss that His glory is in His love and goodness.

I truly believe if they understood what you are saying here they would wake up to a new worldview and realize why they are alive and what God is all about. They miss the key point of relationship with God, of Him calling us to meet Him and know Him and be in a relationship unparalleled to anything we have ever known. To be cared for and loved and to be a part of Himself, who we worship and adore for His immense love and the beauty of who He is.

Until we realize we are being called to be a part of Him, we cannot really understand our place with Him and what He wants with us and it leaves people wondering "how could God love a person like me" or "why would God love me."

RabbiJames said:

Just as Elazar brought gifts to the bride-to-be, Yeshua has given “gifts” to us as HIS Bride: Salvation (Yeshuah), an eternal home/mansion in Heaven, spiritual gifts to do service and minister with. Healthy bodies (for the most part) in which to inhabit, spouses and children, jobs to earn a living, if we think about the list could go on, as to the “Blessings” we have through Yeshua.

Yeshua is looking for a willing bride to follow HIM. Not by force, but by love. He showed us His love by being the sacrifice lamb. Our sin debt has been paid. Will we accept the bridegroom? He has eternal blessings for his precious bride.

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Just another great point here, in that what we are given was given by Him to be a part of Him and what He is doing and to show His character and love in us and through us to the world. Being the Bride of Christ, the Messiah, is no small thing and calls us up higher to be like Him in His love toward the world and all around us and it should extend, like said here, to the world in our family and at our job and everywhere we are blessed to be.

"Not by force," is the entire bottom line to what God is doing here. I don't think God allows anyone to be convinced against their will into seeking or believing in Him, for this reason alone, because He is not after "forcing" anyone because love has nothing to do with slavery. While I am a slave to Christ, it is due to my being absolutely enthralled by who His is and how amazing He is and it is by my choice that I do everything in my power to follow Him.. not because He forced me!

It is rather the immensity of His love that has consumed me and caused me to want nothing else because I know that I am found in Him and His love for me makes me love Him beyond anything else I have or will encounter. (1 John 4:19)

RabbiJames said:

When a couple chooses to marry, share life together, provide for one another, in health and in sickness, and not “cop out” on each other, THAT is TRUE LOVE. Abraham stuck by Sarah for over 100 years, in good times and in bad times, like the time of drought, the “Egypt” times, the “Ishmael” times, and the long-awaited “Isaac” times.

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Do you think our trials are often there to show we are His Bride? I often wonder (when I read and hear from people who know Scripture well) how they interpret Job and his trials and what God is doing exactly. I know that God is testing our faith (1 Peter 1:7) but do you think it is related to the war Satan has waged against God and are we able to fail tests (Abraham and handmaid for chosen son / king David committing adultery) or do you think these tests and situations were not failures but lessons we needed to learn.

I am unsure how to see challenges that seemed not to "work out well." I know everything happens for a reason, I know God's ways are higher than our ways, I know God knows what He is doing and is leading His own.. but sometimes when you look around you, or when we look around us rather, we can't see how the tests and situations make sense in this scenario of being the Bride of Christ.

Is it possible to "be a bad wife" (for lack of better words lol) and failure is an indication we need to course-correct our attention, or is failure (or what seems like failure) just part of the process, like the wife learning to cook and not initially being a world famous chef?

Is it massive yet?

DaisyDay said:

Judge reaffirms, orders pretrial release of defendants ahead of Sunnyvale murder trial

Prosecutors challenged Judge Hector Ramon’s granting of supervised release for Vicente Aguilera Chavez, but he refused to reverse course and also approved release for his co-defendant in a de…

www.mercurynews.com

​

“I’m not going to reverse myself on Mr. Aguilera. Mr. Sandoval is going to be released on SORP over the people’s objection,” Ramon said, referring to the acronym for supervised release.​

​

Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Redding, who represents Aguilera, said after the hearing: “I am very glad that Judge Ramon continued to follow the law and apply long-standing legal precedent and constitutional principles. He did the right thing.”​

​

Redding told Ramon in court that prosecutors had nothing more than unproven criminal charges to justify the continued jailing of her client, and along with Deputy Alternate Defender Kristin Carter, who represents Sandoval, characterized the DA’s case as mostly circumstantial. She referenced a preliminary hearing over the summer — which ended with the defendants being held to answer for murder and gang charges — and highlighted the hearing judge’s skepticism of the strength of the charges.​

The DA is not happy. Bail is to ensure that defendants show up for trial, not to make revenue or punish.

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That's exactly what a defense attorney is supposed to say, there's only circumstantial evidence, not enough evidence to convict, etc. My concern is for the community. These gang members are no joke. You could argue that Aguilera has only been incarcerated in prison twice before. But let me say that he is young and it takes a lot to send a young man to prison with the California liberal justice system.

CelticRebel said:

Can you tell me the forum? PM if necessary.

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I sent you a PM.

eclipsenow said:

To John’s audience​

John says he is writing to the 7 churches in Asia Minor - to show them what will "SOON take place". Futurists often say “God’s time is not our time” or something like that - so let’s check some other indications.

They should OBEY (1:3) his letter for the time is NEAR. Imagine you received a prophecy that said something like…
“The Martian Reds will attack the Zorn in the south of Mars in the year 4000!”
Now OBEY this message!
How? It’s incomprehensible - and you would be dead a few millennia before it happens!
OK - still not convinced?

Finally - in 1:9 John says he is their PARTNER in THE TRIBULATION. Not “a” tribulation - but THE tribulation.
The Romans have put him in exile. He already shares in their sufferings. It’s not just soon - it’s already happening! And he is advising them from his own tribulation situation. But when futurists come and pretend they have evidence that it’s all about us, now, today (because that’s just so tempting - so much more exciting isn’t it!?) - what’s the side effect?

They turn the Apostle John into someone impossibly heartless and patronising.
He is in effect saying to the Christians he’s ministering to, "You think you've got it bad! Wait till you see what happens in 2000 years!!!"

Summary: Soon, OBEY for the time is NEAR, and he SHARES in THE tribulation.

John’s book is a sermon on suffering remind them of the foundational gospel events and promises in Apocalyptic Symbolism - which is like the comic book of the bible.

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Hi eclipsenow,

John`s audience is all those who read, hear and keep the words of this prophecy. (Rev. 1: 3)

`soon, speedily, take place. Fine. That is what we see. The Lord reveals Himself to John and the rest follows on. However, are you trying to tell me that everything in Revelation has happened?


Rev. 1: 9 `I John, both your brother and companion in tribulation.....` (NKJ) I don`t see any `the.`

The book is about JESUS as is ALL of God`s word. To make it about US is to diminish the great work and person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

‘Utterly foolish’: Redistricting roadblocks leave Republicans wary of White House push​

“The whole thing is just utterly foolish,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), who is pushing a bill to end mid-cycle redistricting after his seat was redrawn to favor Democrats. “Frankly, the [House] speaker needed to show more leadership from the beginning on this.”

[Glad to see Kiley's listening to the voters of our great state. Not exactly what we said, but it's a move in the right direction.]


“I was never in favor of doing all this redistricting stuff anyway,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). “Should not have opened that box.”

California-based Republican strategist Rob Stutzman predicted the effort will end as “a possible debacle” if the Texas ruling holds.

“This will have been a ready, shoot, aim exercise by Trump,” he said.

Kiley said Republicans’ assumption they could end the redistricting battle with an advantage was a miscalculation.

“It was very clear that it was going to have this domino effect, and that's exactly what we're seeing,” he said.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

The people of Israel and all mankind have always been God's children.

Blinded as we all are, in total or in part to the fact, by the covering God placed on us all.

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And most will never believe Heb 9:18 I know that it is. your choice. and ROM. 10:9 and 1 0. is the only to be saved

and only Jesus shed BLOOD on. the. CROSS can anyone be saved , so keep reading Paul.

dan p

After the largest crackdown on Christians in 40 years, 18 church leaders of Zion Church—one of China’s largest underground church networks—have been formally arrested in China. While the number of arrests is far fewer than the 30 detained last month, the aggressive action is raising global concern.

The action is a “brutal violation of freedom of religion, which is written into the Chinese constitution,” according to Sean Long, one of Zion Church’s pastors.

Underground Church Leaders Formally Arrested as China Cracks Down on Christians​

Jin Mingri (also known as Ezra Jin) graduated from Peking University and witnessed the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. That experience led Jin to convert to Christianity. He later earned his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in California.

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RestoreTheJoy said:

One guy. Watch the video. ONE guy shouted that.

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The video I saw had many people shouting that.

RestoreTheJoy said:

No one was ever going to get to Pence to murder him.

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Because cooler heads would have prevailed? Or because the one cop had to use deadly force to keep the would-be assassins at bay?

Pence didn't even trust the Secret Service agents assigned to drive him.

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (1207–1231) was a princess renowned for her deep piety, charity, and love for the poor. Married young to Ludwig IV of Thuringia, she lived a life of prayer and generous service, using her royal resources to found hospitals, feed the hungry, and care personally for the sick. After Ludwig’s death during a crusade, Elizabeth embraced even greater austerity, placing herself under spiritual direction and devoting her widowhood entirely to works of mercy. Though she faced misunderstanding and hardship, her unwavering compassion and humility won widespread admiration. She died at just twenty-four, and her sanctity was quickly recognized, making her one of the Church’s most beloved models of Christian charity.

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o_mlly said:

"Fishermen" working working out of hi-speed cigarette boats? Smells fishy to me.

The claims of relatives and residents of the innocence of those killed running drugs seems a bit illogical to me.

https://www.npr.org/2025/11/08/nx-s1-5602884/drug-smuggling-boats

In dozens of interviews in villages on Venezuela's breathtaking northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang.​

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If the boats somehow made It the umpteen miles to the US mainland, is it still ok to blow them up? If they landed and were shipping them by truck to somewhere, is it still ok?

I don't get what the difference would be.

Sarah Ferguson’s new children’s book ‘pulped’ after scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein links​

Copies of Flora and Fern: Kindness Along the Way, which was set to be published in October, have been sent for recycling

“It’s not been delayed, it’s being pulped,” one publishing insider told the Daily Mail. “It’s an acknowledgment of the inevitable. No one is going to want to buy it.”

The news follows a period of scandal for Ferguson, 66, who earlier this month lost the title Sarah, Duchess of York after King Charles stripped Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining titles. She is also expected to lose her long-term home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, where she has lived for decades with her former husband, despite their separation.

In September, the Mail on Sunday published emails from 2011, in which Ferguson privately described Epstein as her “supreme friend” and apologised for “letting him down”, despite having publicly called her association with him “a gigantic error of judgment”. The messages were sent less than two months after she had insisted she would “never have anything to do with [Epstein] again”, amid pressure over the ties she and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had maintained with him – including a £15,000 payment Epstein made to help settle her debts.

IDF soldiers reveal that the IDF uses Palestinians as human shields and kills indiscrimantety:

Israeli soliders admit killing civilians and using human shields in Gaza

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers have lifted the lid on the army’s disregard for laws and norms during the genocide in Gaza in a new documentary called Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, due to be broadcast by ITV on Monday night.

Daniel, the commander of an IDF tank unit is quoted in the show as saying that if soldiers “want to shoot without restraint, you can”, according to The Guardian.

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All told how rules on targeting civilians were flouted and the soldiers revealed how the Israeli military used human shields and opened fire without provocation on people trying to access food at aid distribution points.

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He told of one incident where a senior officer ordered a building to be demolished in an area which had been designated as safe for civilians. “A man was standing on the roof, hanging laundry, and the officer decided that he was a spotter. He’s not a spotter. He’s hanging his laundry. You can see that he’s hanging laundry,” Eli said.

“Now, it’s not as if this man had binoculars or weapons. The closest military force was 600-700 metres away. So unless he had eagle eyes, how could he possibly be a spotter? And the tank fired a shell. The building half collapsed. And the result was many dead and wounded.”

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Not a good idea to be seen hanging out the washing by the IDF!

The makers of Breaking Ranks spoke to a contractor identified only as Sam who worked at food distribution sites run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, who says he witnessed the IDF killing unarmed civilians.

He describes an incident at one distribution site where two young men were running to get aid.

“You could just see two soldiers run after them,” said Sam.

“They drop onto their knees and they just take two shots, and you could just see […] two heads snap backwards and just drop.” He recalled another incident in which an IDF tank near one of the distribution sites destroyed “a normal car … just four normal people sat inside it”.

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Nor a good idea to be seen sitting in a car.

These are war crimes but the IDF soldiers who committed these crimes know they will not be held accountable.

essentialsaltes said:

The question was about the murder of Khashoggi. Red herring.

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I know. It doesn't matter to them when it comes to doing business in Saudi Arabia