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Perhaps the most intriguing passage in all of St. Paul’s writings is his description of an inner struggle in Romans 7. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” (Romans 7:18-20)...

[Catholic Caucus] Irish bishop restricts priest from saying Mass for calling abortion, homosexuality sinfulBishop Browne told Fr. Sheehy to stop saying Mass until the church’s parish priest returned. Fr. Sheehy accused the bishop of being ignorant of the Scriptures and of 'sacrificing the truth.'Bishop Ray Browne (L) and Fr. Sean Sheehy (R)LISTOWEL, Ireland (LifeSiteNews) – An Irish Catholic priest who outlined the Catholic prohibition of abortion and homosexuality in a recent homily has stated his bishop has temporarily restricted him from saying Mass in light of his comments.Father Sean Sheehy made media waves over the last weekend in October, when...

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4:31 Anger and rage can do more harm to those those who practice it, than it does to the person the anger is targeted at. How many times have we witnessed someone so full of anger and rage that they end up doing something that only hurts themselves. I readily admit that for many years I walked with anger in my heart for those who did me wrong or hurt my loved ones. I chose to sin and be angry, rather...

“Sound Doctrine: Applying Law and Gospel” (1 Timothy 1:5-17)Sound doctrine: When you hear that phrase, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of a proud, triumphalistic claim: “We in the Missouri Synod have the pure doctrine, not like those other churches!” Maybe you think of sound doctrine as having all your facts in order, in your head, in a sterile, intellectual way, unrelated to real life. Or you think of sound doctrine as unloving, not caring about people, only about guarding the truth. Well, I’m here to tell you that nothing, none of that, could be further from the truth....

As diverse as the English language is, it really falls short when it comes to expressing the Biblical concept of Love. The Greek language has several words to express different types of love, everything from romantic love to brotherly love. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit introduces a new word for love – Agape. The word has been translated as love or charity, and those unfortunately miss the mark. Agape is divine, or sacrificial love. It is pure love, absent of any selfishness. Or as John explains, it IS God. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is...

[Catholic Caucus] Inviting Us to Participate in SinThe saying goes that the people get the government they deserve. A bad tree yields a bad harvest of leaders. This follows the natural law that God has placed in the world. He also directly intervenes—at least the bishops of the Church have, in the past, held this to be the case. When Joshua followed God’s instructions, the walls of Jericho fell. When the Hebrews and their high priest, Aaron, chose to worship a calf, God was harsh but merciful in response. In Joshua’s case, a course of action was directed by God,...

Sir Walter Scott (1808) famously wrote: “O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” A modern pundit has rephrased it: “Always tell the truth…it’s easier to remember.” Lies inevitably create a web of false narratives. In many ways, it’s a metaphor for sin itself. Sin begets sin that begets sin and the web ensnares us into a world of un-truth. A single thread of a spider’s web is tiny and weak. However, the combination of hundreds of such threads works to effectively hold its prey. The odd “nature” of evil is that it is nothing....

Seattle Catholic Church’s Homosexual Event Reflects Rome’s Chaotic Messages On SexualityPope Francis’ mixed signals on gay and transgender issues have allowed a noxious culture of freelance morality to overwhelm the clergy.A prominent parish in the Archdiocese of Seattle is holding an interfaith Zoom event this weekend with the Santa Marta Center, an Anglican emergency shelter for LGBT youth and young adults in El Salvador. The shelter is funded by the United Nations and a New York-based LGBT nonprofit that gets most of its funding from New York state and the federal government.The “cultural exchange,” hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Parish...

‘One of the most recent cultural challenges to the Sixth Commandment and to the reality and integrity of the human person is the transgender ideology,’ Fr. Terrance Chartier said. BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (LifeSiteNews) – A Franciscan priest said that transgender ideology is an affront to at least four Commandments. “One of the most recent cultural challenges to the Sixth Commandment and to the reality and integrity of the human person is the transgender ideology,” Fr. Terrance Chartier of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate said during his homily on May 30 at the friary in Bloomington. Lying to someone and telling...

[Catholic Caucus] Mother Miriam warns about ‘deceptive’ Synod on Synodality: ‘It’s a sham’The Synod on Synodality has been mired in scandal, including over dissident materials on the Synod website and pro-LGBT comments by Synod leaders described as ‘heresy.’ (LifeSiteNews) – Mother Miriam warned the faithful about the worldwide Synod on Synodality in a recent episode of LifeSite’s “Mother Miriam Live!” saying that the Vatican may seek to use the program to overhaul the Church in ways contrary to the faith.The longtime Catholic apologist and Benedictine nun added that she will not participate in the Synod, describing it as a “sham”...

A new study suggests that nearly one in four Gen Z adults believe Jesus was a man who sinned like everyone else rather than the incarnate Son of God of Christian orthodoxy.Polling conducted for the American Bible Society (ABS) and its latest “State of the Bible 2022” report found that 38% of people ages 18-25 believe “Jesus Christ was human and committed sins, like other people.” The result is roughly in line with Gen X (37%), millennials (35%) and baby boomers (35%), who also don’t seem to believe in the biblical doctrine of a sinless Christ.Americans aged 77 and older...

If pandemic exhaustion, galloping inflation, and talk of World War III haven’t yet gotten you down, Rethinking Sex: A Provocation might do the trick. This is not the fault of author Christine Emba, whose prose in this short book is stylish, engaging, and, above all, earnest. No, what depresses is the fact that this manifesto should have to exist in the first place. But exist it must, for reasons that its pages make excruciatingly clear. Based upon a 2017 #MeToo piece published in the Washington Post, where Emba is a columnist, Rethinking Sex performs the public service of wondering aloud...

Popular New Age thought postulates that everyone has a “god within.” It’s a pleasant way of saying that we’re all special while making “god” to be rather banal. But there is a clear teaching of classical Christianity regarding Christ-within-us, and it is essential to the Orthodox way of life. We should not understand our relationship with God to be an “external” matter, as if we were one individual and God another. Our union with God, birthed in us at Holy Baptism, is far more profound. “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1Co 6:17) God...

The former public school teacher and principal has been pushed out of her education policy roleNEW YORK CITY (LifeSiteNews) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams fired a recently appointed education advisor after the New York Daily News reported her views on homosexuality. Mayor Adams named Kathlyn Barrett-Layne on Tuesday to the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), along with eight other appointees. PEP is the governing body for the city’s education department. His administration asked her to resign hours after the announcement. The Daily News took credit for getting her removed from the board after it reported on several books...

Archeologists: Sodom and Gomorrah literally destroyed by fire and brimstone falling from the sky December 11, 2018 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A group of archeologists and other scientists say they have discovered strong evidence that the region of the “Middle Ghor,” where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are believed to have existed, were in fact destroyed by a meteor that exploded in the sky above, raining down superheated matter and raising temperatures to thousands of degrees, a theory that matches the account of the cities’ destruction contained in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. According to the theory, the meteor...

A preprint in Cell finds vaccine-driven original antigenic sin is deeply powerful. Also: vaccine-generated spike protein circulates in the blood and vaccine mRNA persists for months in lymph nodes.mRNA from the Pfizer and Moderna shots can be found in lymph nodes for at least 60 days after injection.Free-floating spike proteins circulate at high levels in the blood after vaccination.Vaccinated people infected with variants of Sars-Cov-2 produce antibodies biased toward the original and now extinct variant - rather than the one that has actually infected them.Conspiracy theories from Dr. Kennedy-Mercola’s We Hate Vaxxxines Digest?No.Findings from a preprint in Cell, among the...

Join together with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’” The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.” The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and...

Our world needs good churches more than ever! Yet, unfortunately, from my experience, they seem to be in short supply. I have a fair amount of experience with churches. I’ve experienced the good, the bad, the ugly, and the in-between. I’ve finally arrived at the conclusion that–as in many areas of life–it’s time that we learned from each other. The model for churches we typically see–no matter the kind of church–is off. Typically, in one form or another, the pastor/minister seems to think it is his (or her–these days) duty to teach us, even though Jesus pointedly warned to “let...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum threads labeled “Prayer” are closed to debate of any kind.