Christianity
- www.foxnews.com Texas Christian University offers 'Queer Art of Drag' course requiring students to create a 'drag persona'
Texas Christian University offered a course titled 'The Queer Art of Drag' that required students to read articles purporting the 'gender binary is a tool of white supremacy'
- www.foxnews.com High school valedictorian who gave faith-filled speech reveals motivation: ‘Jesus told me to write that'
After South Carolina high school graduate Lydia Owens went viral for her commencement speech, in which she shared her faith in Christ, she spoke to Fox News Digital about the experience.
- orthochristian.com We must turn to God in prayer to re-evangelize the people, Greek primate tells hierarchs
The two-day conference was held after Abp. Ieronymos brought the issue of parish life before the Holy Synod last October.
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Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/109985
> https://infogalactic.com/info/Feast_of_the_Sacred_Heart > > > The Feast of the Sacred Heart (properly the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Latin: Sollemnitas Sacratissimi Cordis Iesu) is a solemnity in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. It falls 19 days after Pentecost, on a Friday. ... The devotion to the Sacred Heart is one of the most widely practiced and well-known Roman Catholic devotions, taking Jesus Christ's physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity. > > Traditional litany of the Sacred Heart prayer: http://www.catholictradition.org/Litanies/litany8.htm
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The Chosen went woke.
Pride flags were spotted on set. Big donors started asking questions. Rightfully so. Pride flags have proven to be just 2 steps away from child rape.
The reactions from the actors so far have been, "Go away bigots!" I don't think that Johnathan Ruemy has said anything.
This is going to filter into their depiction of the Gospel. It just is.
So no more Chosen for me. It was a good show, but it's time to go.
They are in Hollywood. I think demanding they never work with anyone who has same sex attraction is highly unrealistic. If you're flying a pride flag on the set of a Christian show - you aren't a gay person trying to hold down a job, you're actively trying to subvert.
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The Vice Of Vainglory (Repost)
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/92050
> > That any person esteem his own good or excellence to be worthy of praise is not in itself sinful; nor, in like manner, is it sinful that we should desire to see our good works approved of men. "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works" (Matthew 5:16). Hence the desire of glory is not essentially vicious. > > > But a vain, or perverse desire for renown, which is called vainglory, is wrong; desire of glory becomes perverse, > > > when one seeks renown because of something not really worthy; > > > when one seeks the esteem of those whose judgment is undiscriminating; > > > when one desires glory before men without subordinating it to righteousness. > > > Vainglory may become a deadly sin, if one seek the esteem of men for something that is incompatible with the reverence due to God; or when the thing for which one desires to be esteemed is preferred in one's affections before God; or again, when the judgment of men is sought in preference to the judgment of God, as was the case with the Pharisees, who "loved the glory of men more than the glory of God" (John 12:43). > > > The term "vainglory" denotes not alone the sinful act, but also the vicious habit or tendency engendered by a repetition of such acts. This habit is ranked among the capital sins, or, more properly vices, because it is prolific of other sins, viz., disobedience, boastfulness, hypocrisy, contentiousness, discord, and a presumptuous love of pernicious novelties in moral and religious doctrine. > > via Catholic Encyclopedia on "Glory": https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06585a.htm > > Aquinas On The Topic: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3132.htm
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The Apostles' Fast Begins Today? (Eastern Catholic / Orthodox)
> The Apostles' Fast, also called the Fast of the Holy Apostles, the Fast of Peter and Paul, or sometimes St. Peter's Fast, or sometimes, The Fast of Rafik,[1] is a fast observed by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians. The fast begins on the second Monday after Pentecost (the day after All Saints' Sunday) and continues until the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, according to the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.
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Messe de la Pentecôte ("Pentecost Mass") by Olivier Messiaen (1949)
cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/91054
> About the work (music): https://infogalactic.com/info/Messe_de_la_Pentecôte > > Possible recording: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=DoouENffQCs
- orthochristian.com Miraculous “bleeding” tree collapses in Greece
Every year on May 9, the feast of St. Nicholas the New of Vounesis, a red liquid similar to blood flows from the tree on which the saint was tied and martyred by invading Arabs in 720 and from other nearby trees.
- nypost.com Pope says only rich can afford to have children in Italy
Starting a family in Italy is becoming a “titanic effort” that only the rich can afford, Pope Francis said on Friday, warning that “savage” free-market conditions were preve…
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We had an exorcism done over our house.
The difference is palpable. We have enough blessed objects, I don't see how anything unclean could stand to be here. I guess they were though.
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Overcoming Evil With Gentleness
> St. Gregory Nazianzen: "We must overcome our enemies ... by gentleness; win them over by forbearance. Let them be punished by their own conscience, not by our wrath." -Butler's Lives of Saints
- m.youtube.com The Mystical City of God
The Mystical City of God (the abridged version) can be found at: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/become-a-saint/jesus-christ/the-mystical-city-of-god-a-...
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Interview with God
I got tired of sorting through piles of woke garbage for entertainment. I bit the preverbal bullet and signed up for Pure Flix.... (tech issues so I had to pirate anyway)
ANYWAY, this movie was good. Not the best thing ever, but a good movie full of subtlety and context.
As far as their other offerings go, I saw a lot of girls and horses so I was picking up a heavy Lifetime vibe. Time will tell, but I do recommend 'Interview with God'. It had standard main line Christian theology. They did it well.
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MASTURBATION
That should get some attention.
In the Catholic Church celibacy is a huge topic and often talked about because the guy giving you the Eucharist is supposed to be celibate.
The Nofap movement is gaining steam and people are waking up from porn induced comas to realize that it isn't good for them. I just wanted to give a little insight and encouragement.
The standard belief is that if you don't have sex every so often that the hormones build and build and build until you become ravenously horny and are prone to rape defenseless midgets or something. My experience has been different.
I quit masturbating when I joined the Catholic Church about 3 years ago. Before that I was a once a day kind of guy. I could go a month or more without porn or masturbation, but I would always find my way back to it eventually.
I am married so I am not celibate, but I share my sexuality with my wife only. There have been changes in me and her over these years, she is more giving and open now that I am fully devoted to her. Over all our sex life has improved.
I find that I don't want porn, it really is repulsive to me. I certainly don't miss it. I was also thinking about masturbation the other night and I was surprised to find that was repulsive as well. Something I had done for 40+ years in new and inventive ways was now repulsive to me.
My thought then is what happens if my wife were to pass or become ill?
I think the same thing would happen. It would be rough at first, but sex would become something that I used to do, and now I didn't. The thought of it would also become repulsive to me and I wouldn't want it anymore.
So there is hope. Young men facing this dating world are in a rough spot. On one hand the Church demands purity, while the culture demands debauchery. It used to be that a young man could get married and have those needs taken care of while living a relatively pure life. Now women have taken marriage off of the table for men and men only have porn and masturbation to turn to.
The Church still demands purity, and you are better off for it. Being a man is about self control. A man in control of his appetites cannot be so easily controlled in marriage and will be better respected by potential partners.
So, you can do it. It isn't easy, but men do the hard things.
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Once saved always saved.
Theology is one of those funny things. There is nothing more important at all than Theology, but at the same time it really doesn't matter. At the end you either love God or you don't and no amount of theology can change that. Maybe it changes how you love God, good theology lets you love God more fully - but it doesn't save you.
Once saved always saved is the only bone I have to pick with the protestant church. Most protestant churches have the sense to moderate this somewhat. They sell it as a 100% absolute, but then chip away at the doctrine around the edges inferring things like, "look at the life so and so is living, they were never really saved!!"
Lutherans however double down on this particular doctrine. It is really more akin to saved against your will and held hostage. I had a Lutheran pastor actually explain salvation and grace as force feeding. It makes no logical sense how they talk about it and they can never give you a clear definition only that Jesus does everything for you and you do absolutely nothing.
Here is why that is bad. If you have no agency and are compelled to heaven, then there is no reason to be mindful of how you live and what you do.
We shouldn't live in fear of hell every time we cuss someone out for cutting us off in traffic or see an inappropriate image, but we should care about these things. If you are cussing all of the time, that should worry you as a Christian. We are trying to be like Jesus, not sort of kind of like Jesus. We are to be an imitation of him as one would see in a mirror, lot like something that was ordered off of wish.com.
It's not ALL taken care of for you magically and the spiritual life is not automatic save for those rare moments when God gives you grace to overcome certain sins.
Don't live in fear of Hell. You MUST live in fear of not loving God as much as you could have during your brief time on earth. Once saved always saved can get in the way of that.
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More stuff on Boston with Jessie
m.youtube.com Satanists in Boston: Where's the Archbishop???Subscribe to this channel for future updates on this topic: http://youtube.com/c/drtaylormarshall?sub_confirmation=1Get a FREE signed copy of the book Rosary...
We all should be motivated to move against this.
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Satanic Convention Sold Out in Boston as Archdiocese Calls for Prayers | EWTN News Nightly
YouTube Video
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This is why people don't like the Catholic Church. The 'Don't fight / can't lose' crowd out in force.
Church Militant calls them the church of nice.
Satan is the enemy, Satan needs opposed. If they are there in person worshipping Satan, we need to be there in person opposing Satan.
By protesting, we aren't drawing attention to them, we are drawing attention to Christ. Christ always wins.
This man is a Bishop, he should act like a Bishop.
- nypost.com I’m a proud Christian porn star — God put me on earth to enjoy sexual pleasure
A Christian OnlyFans star says she feels more connected to her faith since she kickstarted her kinky career seven years ago, and now believes God put her on earth to help “liberate” oth…
- eastshore.org November 16, 2008: “Why the Pilgrims Became Unitarians”, East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church
This joke is not part of sermon and was not told from the pulpit! One sunny day in January, 2009 an old man approached the White House from across...
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Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz’s new megachurch accused of ‘inappropriate’ Easter Service
nypost.com Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz’s new megachurch accused of ‘inappropriate’ Easter serviceCarl Lentz, the ousted pastor of Hillsong New York City, has been accused of throwing a “demonic” Easter Service that saw performers twerk on stage.
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From the Occult to Catholic: Love builds a bridge for Truth
YouTube Video
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Letting my freak flag fly
First off, praying to angels is weird for protestants but is encouraged for Catholics as long as you know who you are praying to. Any angel explicitly named in the Bible is good. Your guardian angel, as long as you are addressing him as your 'guardian angel', well that is encouraged. You should ask your guardian angel for help and assistance.
After Mass, at the Novus Ordo I attend we say the St Michaels prayer. Praying to angels may still not sit well with you, but St Michael at least deserves your thanks. He kicked Satan out of Heaven. Michael means, 'Who can be like God.'
I was a protestant for almost 30 years. So this is still new to me. ANYWAY - on to the freaky part.
I happened to be praying to my Angels and I was tired of the 'give me' and 'bless me' prayers. I was feeling curious, so I asked what they did for fun. How do Angels relax in Heaven?
I got an answer. I always hold the answers to my prayers as suspect until I can contemplate them and make sure they seem sound. The answer I got was, 'We do the will of God.'
NO, I replied. In your down time, days off, what do you do for FUN.
"We do the will of God." Then I was reminded of the scripture where Jesus tells the disciples that he has food and drink that they do not know of. That food and drink was doing the will of God. And THEN I realized that we are the outliers. The fracturing that we have in our lives is unique to this world.
I have to stop working to be a father. I have to stop fathering to pray, I have to stop praying to work - and the cycle repeats. Angels don't have this problem. For them it is all the same. Work, purpose, prayer, being is all one all of the time. So their assigned task, their purpose is their ultimate joy.
SO, know that your Guardian Angel loves you more than you love yourself. Your Guardian Angel is besides you always and constantly doing the will of God.
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You're the only thing that matters to God.
It's hard for us to wrap our heads around because we can't operate like this. God being infinite can. He loves you wholly and fully with every part of himself.
So when you find time to pray, that time is the most important time for both you and God.
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Oh look, another scientific discovery that shows the Bible was right all along (Water)
notthebee.com Oh look, another scientific discovery that shows the Bible was right all alongOne of the core arguments against the historicity of the Bible and the flood account in Genesis by scientists has been that a global flood is impossible because there simply is not enough water on earth to flood the entire thing.
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Embracing the Impossible through Lent. A retreat with Fr Seraphim (40 min)
YouTube Video
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Everything God is by nature we are Called to become by grace.
St. Saphrony: we are as drops of water that are moving again in the dead frozen ocean of a frozen world.
Beating heart analogy here...
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Pope Francis in hospital with respiratory infection
www.bbc.com Pope Francis spends 'calm' night in hospitalThe pontiff, 86, will stay in hospital for a few days, but does not have Covid, the Vatican says.
Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend a few days in hospital in Rome, the Vatican says.
The 86-year-old had breathing difficulties in recent days but does not have Covid, a statement said.
It said he would need "a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy".
"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the statement added.
His closest staff, including security, are expected to stay the night at the Gemelli Hospital, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC.
This is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.
A Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, and Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week.
He is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April.
On Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. He appeared in good spirits but was seen grimacing as he was helped into his vehicle.
The Vatican initially said the Pope had gone to hospital for a previously scheduled check-up, but Italian media have questioned this account after a television interview was cancelled at short notice.
Reacting to the news, President Joe Biden asked people to make an "extra prayer" for the Pope's recovery.
- www.christiantoday.com Greek Orthodox Church's transgender prayer NOT for transition surgery, hierarchy insists
The Greek Orthodox Church is hitting back at claims it has a prayer for people undergoing gender transition while strictly opposing any liberalising of the LGBT-rights laws.
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Jay Dyer and the Psy Op to Subvert Orthodox Christianity in America
theoriatv.substack.com Jay Dyer and the "Psy Op" to Subvert Orthodox Christianity in AmericaThe radicalization of American converts and the impending schism of post-COVID Orthodoxy
This involves ongoing Orthodox drama with the famous personality Jay Dyer.
I haven't read it yet but this is useful to archive and I intend to read it later.
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Is Esther True?
www.ou.org Is Esther True? | Everyday Jewish Living | OU LifeRabbi Gil Student writes in the Jewish Link of New Jersey: The holiday of Purim celebrates the story told in the biblical book of Esther. Yet, as we read
Mitchell First, a local Teaneck scholar, carefully addresses the book of Esther in one of the many essays in his Esther Unmasked, a collection of scholarly investigations into Jewish history and texts. (Read the essay here.) Our main sources of information about ancient Persia are Herodotus, a Greek writer, and Ctesias, a Persian doctor. Both refer to a Persian king named Xerxes (Khshayarsha), who seems to be the biblical Achashverosh. Herodotus and Ctesias both mention Xerxes’s wife Amestris, who was very wicked. From the book of Esther, we learn of two of Achashverosh’s wives—the wicked Vashti and the righteous Esther. Is this a contradiction between the historical records and the biblical book?
First identifies Esther with Amestris because of the similar consonants within the two names. Herodotus says that Amestris’s father was the military commander Otanes while the Bible says that Esther’s father was Avichayil. This discrepancy can be explained by Esther’s suppression of her family history for her own safety. First also points out that in Hebrew, the name Avichayil means “military commander,” which was Otanes’s profession. However, he adds a more important point, one that should frame this entire discussion.
All historical evidence emerges from a context. Herodotus was a Greek writing with an agenda about events he did not witness. Ctesias was Persian with Greek leanings but similarly wrote about events he only heard about, at best. There were no professional historians back then, nor academic standards. Even today, when professionals train to follow academic standards we still see blatant biases and politics affecting objectivity. Readers of a contemporary academic Arab text about Israel would be rightly skeptical. In ancient times, historians did not try to avoid biases and often recorded myths and rumors. Yet today we regard their writings as history.
And here is the important point, which First only implies: Why do historians judge the Bible based on Greek and Persian historical records? There is a bias against the Bible, accepting other testimonies as truth with which to criticize the Bible. An objective historian would treat all the texts with equal criticism. A traditional Jew would give the Bible more credibility and use it as the measure of other texts. Faith is belief without proof and faith against flimsy counterclaims is easy. If Herodotus’s story does not match the Bible, then with all due respect to the learned scholar he must have been mistaken for any of a variety of reasons.
First points out that many ancient and modern scholars have questioned Herodotus’s accuracy. He even wrote explicitly that “my business [is] to set down that which is told me, to believe it is none at all of my business” (VII, 152; quoted by First, 151). Ctesias’s reliability has also been questioned, as he was known to sensationalize stories to entertain readers. Sadly, our knowledge of the ancient world is limited. The archeological remains give us only a limited glimpse into great civilizations, relative crumbs from thousands of years of history. The few ancient writings that remain offer us insight but with great limitations. When evaluating Greek or Persian history, scholars are hesitant about the reliability of the available information. When approaching the Bible from a historical perspective, we must also exercise caution.
The disciplines surrounding ancient history offer us many insights into human nature and history, as well as the biblical context. They are important in many ways and can sometimes inform our understanding of Torah. However, their importance is often exaggerated and their implications given more conclusive power than warranted. We can speculate from the available evidence but not much more. Certainly believing Jews should place more faith in our traditions than in ancient Greek writers. First ably defends the Purim story as a reality, refocusing our view of history and the Bible.
- www.biblicalarchaeology.org Who Were the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites in the Bible?
During the Iron Age, when Israel and Judah ruled Canaan, the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom ruled east of the Jordan River. Recent archaeological discoveries vastly increase our understanding of these kingdoms and their religion.
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Church Militant on E. Michael Jones
Honestly interesting content here - I like EMJ, and I am not against Michael Voris.
I am posting this only because I think it is justifiable for all of us to want to know about these disputes - not because I want it to worsen.
In fact, I want them to reconcile.
I also post it here because I know that there will be no issues with the ex-heads userbase acting foolish.