Religions Provide Moral Guidance; "Spirituality" Doesn't, And It Is Pretty Obvious!

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Saying "namaste" and drinking herbal tea does not make one "spiritual," but it is one hell of a lot easier than actually going to church or synagogue and reading the bible and trying to follow the tenets of one's religion.

And more important...it provides cover for the charge that the Democrat/progressive cabal is furiously working to undermine and dilute religion and morality in America. Because that is exactly what they are doing. This is not merely moving away from organized religion and toward some other moral structure. This is a careful destruction of Judeo-Christian morals and ethics, to be replaced with a post-modern melange of what can be distilled down to, "If it feels good; do it."

Losing Faith: Religious Identification Among Democrats Crashes 20 Points in 20 Years

The percentage of Democrats who identify as religious has dropped more than 20 points between 1999 and 2023, a recent Gallup survey found.

When Gallup first polled on the topic in 1999, 60 percent of Democrats identified as religious, as did 62 percent of Republicans. Since then, the percentage of religious Democrats has fallen 23 points to 37 percent.

“During that time, the percentage of Democrats identifying as spiritual but not religious has increased 14 points, while the percentage saying they are neither has tripled,” the survey found.


To be fair to the religion-hating leftists who are guiding the descent into an amoral, authoritarian hell-hole; Their political philosophy, such as it is, works to replace religion in its mushy-brained followers. At least they behave as if it is a real religion, rather than a brutal, amoral drive for ultimate power over the masses. Their fanaticism about abortion and drugs is evidence enough that they consciously reject traditional morality and strive to replace it with abortion -- the ultimate signal that God-given life is unimportant, and drugs -- the gateway to an unexamined life (they want a nation of compliant zombies who are stoned all of the time).

Judeo-Christian religious philosophy is difficult. It requires work. It requires dedication to modes of behavior that are antithetical to an uncontrolled, hedonistic society whose only tenet is pleasure. But the payoff is immense, even assuming agnosticism. After all, "Pascal's Wager" speaks to those who do not necessarily believe!

The 20th century is filled with examples of the corrosive effects on society when traditional religion is rejected: the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, North Korea, Cuba, Cambodia, etc. There is an inexorable slide into state-sponsored barbarism in the absence of the moral structure that 3,000 years of Western culture has produced.

Belief in God is woven throughout Judeo-Christian religions, but adherence to the moral code that governs behavior is perfectly acceptable in the absence of faith in God's existence. American Exceptionalism cannot exist without that moral code, nor can Western culture. And that is exactly the goal of those who would dilute the morality of Western religion!

Posted by: CBD at 12:00 PM




Comments

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1 Good afternoon everyone

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 12:00 PM (fwDg9)

2 Happy Folsom Street Fair, everybody!

Posted by: Perverts Everywhere! at September 24, 2023 12:01 PM (2tUFv)

3 I'm spiritual, but not religious.

Posted by: Adolph Hitler! at September 24, 2023 12:02 PM (2tUFv)

4 Karl Marx goal was to destroy Western civilization and Religion.

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 12:03 PM (fwDg9)

5 Stomped, but germane: I tried going back to church again, today. It still sucked. Covid wrecked it for me. I have zero faith these "Christians" I used to pray with would defend their religion, or even themselves when push comes to shove. They'll be the ones asking for an orderly transition from the Sanctuary to the cattle cars.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:04 PM (7Fj9P)

6 "You say that God is One, you do well. So do all the devils in hell, and tremble at His Name." - The Book of James

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:04 PM (q3gwH)

7 Communist and fascist nations outlawed religion, and while the practice of religion was severely reduced, the effect on the populace took longer, I think, than it has here.

In other words, there's something else going on, rather than just bad leftists destroying the core of religion. How much or how, I don't entirely know, but it is apparent a large part of the blame rests in the hands of formal religious organizations themselves.

In the marketplace of ideas, they were competing with everything else, and found to be inferior. That's not entirely the fault of the competitors.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:06 PM (f30aK)

8 5 Stomped, but germane: I tried going back to church again, today. It still sucked. Covid wrecked it for me. I have zero faith these "Christians" I used to pray with would defend their religion, or even themselves when push comes to shove. They'll be the ones asking for an orderly transition from the Sanctuary to the cattle cars.
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:04 PM (7Fj9P)

I face the same issue. I have realized that, in the proper sense of the word, I am not "in communion" with any of those people anymore and never will be. I know it will be a long hard search for those with whom I am.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:06 PM (q3gwH)

9 The sermon this morning was from Mark's account of Jesus casting out the demons in the possessed man. The demon reveals it is "legion," when asked its name. A Roman was legion was 5-6K men. If demons need a host for metaphysical sustenance, imagine how many casually possessed souls are amongst us now.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:08 PM (7Fj9P)

10 Afternoon everyone. A belief in God brings humility . A belief in spirituality or Marxism or anything worldly brings only the power of man, who by definition is imperfect, leading the Godless to follow imperfection and horror.
I got into an argument with an atheist and I asked to look up at the size of the universe and tell me that any of of the worldly beliefs can explain all that. Stumped him.

Posted by: Smell the Glove at September 24, 2023 12:09 PM (O8bOp)

11 In the marketplace of ideas, they were competing with everything else, and found to be inferior. That's not entirely the fault of the competitors.
Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:06 PM (f30aK)

The mainstream church organizations have loved this world, and all its pride, glamour, and wealth too much, and thus they have all been infected by the same mental/moral virus that has infected the entire culture. That is why almost all of them (except for a small remnant) will have to pass away, be spewed out of God's mouth, and be replaced by new and more faithful organizations of believers.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:10 PM (q3gwH)

12 My wife's church uses religious as a synonym for judgmental with negative connotations. I don't go often.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:10 PM (Eeb9P)

13 Stomped, but germane: I tried going back to church again, today. It still sucked. Covid wrecked it for me. I have zero faith these "Christians" I used to pray with would defend their religion, or even themselves when push comes to shove. They'll be the ones asking for an orderly transition from the Sanctuary to the cattle cars.
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:04 PM (7Fj9P)

Yep, Covid is a clear, stark illustration of just how empty so many of these religious institutions have become. Rather than be a source of inspiration and a pathway to salvation, they capitulated to the State.

So for anyone whose spiritual (yes, I think that's a very useful word) health is at risk, why go to a place of religious practice, and not just go to a bowling alley instead?

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:10 PM (f30aK)

14 What did Sam Brinton do this morning?

Posted by: Inquiring Mind at September 24, 2023 12:10 PM (NBVIP)

15 Woke is a religion where any traditional human endeavor or activity may be deemed sinful, and for which there is no forgiveness or redemption.

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at September 24, 2023 12:11 PM (d9Cw3)

16 That is why almost all of them (except for a small remnant) will have to pass away, be spewed out of God's mouth, and be replaced by new and more faithful organizations of believers.
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:10 PM (q3gwH)

And as we know, stories have been written about this very type of process happening again and again throughout history.

Some even call those stories, scripture.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:12 PM (f30aK)

17 Quick prayer request please. MiL was taken to the hospital last night in great respiratory distress. She’s 90 and doesn’t want extraordinary efforts made. She also doesn’t want to die in a hospital so we’ll be discussing home hospice. Prayers please for her comfort, and if it’s her time, an easy passing. Thank you.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 24, 2023 12:13 PM (u73oe)

18 For the majority of nominal Democrats, those who identify as such, politics as practiced by the left IS their religion. They are incredibly devout... rabid even with it. So much so that their jihadi-like fervor in spreading it far and wide include acts of unmitigated violence and perversion.

But, to look at society today and how the right is portrayed, it's they who are the problem.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 24, 2023 12:14 PM (Q4IgG)

19 15 Woke is a religion where any traditional human endeavor or activity may be deemed sinful, and for which there is no forgiveness or redemption.
Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at September 24, 2023 12:11 PM (d9Cw3)

It also is led by a small group of The Elect, who are deemed to be Sinless and Blameless no matter what actions they may commit. St. George Floyd being one notable example.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:14 PM (q3gwH)

20 Too many churches out there with the rainbow flags flying, feel good plastic banana rock n roll types who say De Lawd loves everyone and everything and y’all come on down to our sodomite drag hour child henna tattoo show and please donate so we can keep on keeping on.

I talk to The Lord everyday and he ain’t down with none of that shit and he tells me to avoid fake ass churches and their fake ass people.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 12:14 PM (R/m4+)

21 Woke is a religion where any traditional human endeavor or activity may be deemed sinful, and for which there is no forgiveness or redemption.

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at September 24, 2023 12:11 PM (d9Cw3)

Excellent point!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 12:14 PM (lQONO)

22 Their political philosophy, such as it is, works to replace religion in its mushy-brained followers.

There is a group in Portland fighting the Oregon Department of Transportation's attempt to fix the worst bottleneck on I-5 between Canada and Mexico in Portland. They have been able to tie the project up for years with bureaucratic red tape.

Longer-term, they intend to shut down all the freeways in Portland.

They accuse the Oregon Department of Transportation of being "climate arsonists" for trying to fix the freeway bottleneck, and they directly tie the number of forest fires in Oregon to what ODOT does or chooses not to do.

This is purely religious, of course.

Nothing that Oregon does or chooses not to do will have the slightest measurable on world temperatures - the argument of the freeway opposers is purely that the Climate Gods will be offended and will Smite Oregon if we fail to follow the appropriate climate rituals.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:15 PM (2tUFv)

23 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

24 Duke, prayers for your MiL and your family.
May she be comforted.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (bhlvH)

25 Josef Stalin decides to visit a collectivist farm in the country.

He greets the first peasant he sees: "Comrade! How goes the potato harvest?"

The peasant replies "Comrade Stalin, if we piled all the potatoes in one place they would reach all the way to God!"

A confused look comes over the dictator's face. "But there is no God."

"Well that's good," says the peasant. "because there ain't no frickin' potatoes, either!!"

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:17 PM (NBVIP)

26 Interesting topic for today...We've been discussing something similar to this in the men's group meeting I've been attending.

One of the challenges Christians face is whether obeying God's tenets should be a duty, an onerous chore to get into His good graces...

Or is it meant to be a delight?

In other words, do we obey God because WE want to, because obedience is a reward unto itself? Or because we think HE wants us to?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:17 PM (BpYfr)

27 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)


Chastity

Posted by: Cher at September 24, 2023 12:18 PM (CnLzB)

28 Judeo-Christian religious philosophy is difficult. It requires work.
---------

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” ― G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World

Posted by: G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World at September 24, 2023 12:19 PM (IbRy1)

29 I got into an argument with an atheist and I asked to look up at the size of the universe and tell me that any of of the worldly beliefs can explain all that. Stumped him.
Posted by: Smell the Glove at September 24, 2023 12:09 PM (O8bOp)
---
Oddly, a deeper understanding of the immensity and complexity of the cosmos only makes God more likely, not less likely. At least, that's my perception of things.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:20 PM (BpYfr)

30 I've settled the issue to my own satisfaction, which is that the idea of God has been replaced with some amorphous Energy Source that can't be pictured or even imagined, and suffuses all things, therefore nothing is a Thing, merely a shape, that can be 'transformed' in any way mankind wishes.

If you really want to see where it leads, I highly recommend this piece by a UK 'Catholic'. It's not pretty.

https://tinyurl.com/5v4emmcp

Posted by: LenNeal at September 24, 2023 12:20 PM (43xH1)

31 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

Chastity
Posted by: Cher
------

Patience
-------

One of my ancients was named 'Thankful'

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at September 24, 2023 12:20 PM (21vDQ)

32 To Democrats, The Party is God.

Posted by: Jim at September 24, 2023 12:21 PM (zhWvq)

33 27 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

Chastity
Posted by: Cher at September 24, 2023 12:18 PM (CnLzB)

Mercedes - Mercy
Dolores - Sorrows

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:21 PM (q3gwH)

34 Too many churches out there with the rainbow flags flying

Having a rainbow flag in front of your church is the official symbol that your church membership is collapsing.

The Episcopal Church had 3.4 million people in 1960.

Now, 1.7 million.

(The population of the United States has more than doubled since 1960.)

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:22 PM (2tUFv)

35 Answered your e-mail, CBD.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at September 24, 2023 12:22 PM (Angsy)

36 Nothing that Oregon does or chooses not to do will have the slightest measurable on world temperatures - the argument of the freeway opposers is purely that the Climate Gods will be offended and will Smite Oregon if we fail to follow the appropriate climate rituals.
Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:15 PM (2tUFv)

Could be they're onto something, just not necessarily the way they think.

When God's wrath does come down on Portland, the lack of freeways will mean most people still in the city walls will perish, in a hellscape of their own making.

In a way, Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed because God aimed His mighty sword at them, but because the universe is full of danger, and to have willingly coveted it, courted it, loved it, luxuriated in it, will mean one's doom when the natural consequences of one's choices come.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:22 PM (Nj9WS)

37 . Prayers please for her comfort, and if it’s her time, an easy passing. Thank you.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 24, 2023 12:13 PM (u73oe)

You got 'em Duke !

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 12:23 PM (T4tVD)

38 Duty versus desire.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:23 PM (NBVIP)

39 Religion, as a cradle RC I find the current pope's political activism both antithetical to RC faith and completely hypocritical.
(News story today: he wants more immigrants read: invaders welcomed into EU. To how many *immigrants* has the Vatican City/State offered *sanctuary*. Would the Swiss Guard allow it?)

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at September 24, 2023 12:24 PM (bhlvH)

40 On /r/Askreddit there was a question along the lines of “what’s the worst thing created by humans.

A substantial portion of replies were religion. Probably the most common answer.

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:25 PM (hjwEO)

41 On /r/Askreddit there was a question along the lines of “what’s the worst thing created by humans.

A substantial portion of replies were religion. Probably the most common answer.
Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:25 PM (hjwEO)
----
Any of them mention Communism?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (BpYfr)

42 The percentage of religious democrats has gone down. We're all assuming that's because democrats have been come less religious--which is indisputably true.

But there's another factor at work. Any people who ARE truly religious have been driven out of the democrat party because of its persistent emphasis on perversion and depravity.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (fTtFy)

43 Apropos of nothing, Comet TV is showing the original Godzilla with Raymond Burr's alleged acting and the destruction of a miniature Tokyo. Excellent brainless background noise.

Posted by: JTB at September 24, 2023 12:27 PM (7EjX1)

44 The Episcopal Church had 3.4 million people in 1960.
Now, 1.7 million.
(The population of the United States has more than doubled since 1960.)
Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:22 PM (2tUFv)

The Presbyterian Church, PC-USA, with an even faster decline:

membership in 1984, 3.1 million
membership in 2023, 1.1 million

and in percentage terms, the yearly loss is accelerating over time.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:28 PM (q3gwH)

45 "...because of its persistent emphasis on perversion and depravity."

Don't forget about us.

Posted by: Baby killers at September 24, 2023 12:28 PM (NBVIP)

46 {41} ... Any of them mention Communism?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (BpYfr)


Excellent question.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at September 24, 2023 12:28 PM (qPw5n)

47 Spirituality exists the give leftists all the comforts of faith without any of the responsibilities. They want a free ride just like they have everywhere else.
They hate the idea of a God because He is a rebuke to everything that they value.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at September 24, 2023 12:28 PM (roH4R)

48 “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” ― G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World
-
And men hated the light for their deeds were evil.

Posted by: Methos at September 24, 2023 12:29 PM (Dnobf)

49 Duke Lowell at September 24, 2023 12:13 PM

Prayers up, Duke

Posted by: KT at September 24, 2023 12:30 PM (rrtZS)

50 @17 Duke , prayers for your MiL and the rest of your family. God bless and good luck

Posted by: Smell the Glove at September 24, 2023 12:30 PM (O8bOp)

51 Any of them mention Communism?
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (BpYfr)

Obviously there's not a lot of missionary work being done on Reddit.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:30 PM (7pJhp)

52 Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe is vocally backing Grisham's assault on the Constitution.

He can pound sand.

Posted by: LenNeal at September 24, 2023 12:31 PM (43xH1)

53 The Presbyterian Church, PC-USA, with an even faster decline:

All the "mainline" Protestant dominations are collapsing in membership, and have been for decades.

Obviously, they need more rainbow flags.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:31 PM (2tUFv)

54 5, 8, 13 - Yes, it’s easy to be disappointed with our churches. The response of most to covid was telling; I’d go so far as to say those churches revealed themselves to be spiritually empty…. False churches, if you will.

But…. There are genuine communities of believers out there who take their faith seriously. You might have to search for them but they’re there. I’ve also learned, only very recently, that I cannot focus on the imperfect people in the pew beside me at church…. My focus should be on Almighty God, to worship Him and learn more of Him. Once I focus on Him, it doesn’t matter so much who’s sitting around me…

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at September 24, 2023 12:32 PM (xT8gx)

55 How much or how, I don't entirely know, but it is apparent a large part of the blame rests in the hands of formal religious organizations themselves.

In the marketplace of ideas, they were competing with everything else, and found to be inferior. That's not entirely the fault of the competitors.
-
Most of the leadership of any organized branch of Christianity I can think of has surrendered to if not outright joined the left. Because competition is too much effort.

Posted by: Methos at September 24, 2023 12:32 PM (Dnobf)

56 James Linsay's New Discoursed podcasts do a very good job of explaining exactly why the globalist elite Maoists have a bunch of homosexual men in nun habits parading about in public. Homosexuals are the Maoist's perfect victim group, and SOME have been mobilized to conduct this sort of highly choreographed campaign of offense in order to provoke the predictable response from the normal part of the populace. The reaction is the goal; "Come and see the violence inherent in the system!"

Posted by: Erik In Texas at September 24, 2023 12:33 PM (Iitca)

57 In other words, do we obey God because WE want to, because obedience is a reward unto itself? Or because we think HE wants us to?
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:17 PM (BpYfr)


Why not both?
If we give ourselves to God, we will begin to live out lives in accordance with his word. But even so, sometimes there are things we don't want to do, but do it anyway...cause. Let's face it, sin is fun. Hard to stop.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 24, 2023 12:33 PM (uSHSS)

58
I'm not going to get into atheist-bashing. But even in the absence of a theological culture, the moral code provided by that theological culture is what makes life livable for us in this country.

If we had several generations with no concept of a God, society would make The 120 Days of Sodom look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 12:33 PM (MoZTd)

59 Judging by the number of so-called Christian churches embracing the alphabet people under the guise of Christianity I don't think the phenomenon is strictly leftist/Democrat.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 24, 2023 12:33 PM (Q4IgG)

60 46 41

It does now.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at September 24, 2023 12:34 PM (roH4R)

61 The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:15 PM

I sometimes listen to NPR in the car. Last night there was something promoting an extreme climate action, sponsored by a group dedicated, according to its name, to gender equality.

Posted by: KT at September 24, 2023 12:34 PM (rrtZS)

62 But there's another factor at work. Any people who ARE truly religious have been driven out of the democrat party because of its persistent emphasis on perversion and depravity.
Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (fTtFy)

And dare I say, in this same time span, they're not likely to find the Republican Party an attractive alternative, what with the party's love of war, its greed, and lack of any consistent moral principles when it comes to toadying up to dictators across the globe.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:34 PM (7pJhp)

63 Seems like most of the lefties worship at the Holy Church of Climate Change. It's a huge cult.
How could they go wrong with prophets like al gore and AOC?

Posted by: Florida Peasant at September 24, 2023 12:34 PM (dr4Q1)

64 The Presbyterian Church, PC-USA, with an even faster decline:
membership in 1984, 3.1 million
membership in 2023, 1.1 million
and in percentage terms, the yearly loss is accelerating over time.
===============
We left PC-USA and went PCA, the more evangelical, originalist version of Presbyterianism. The cancer is slowly spreading there, too.
I fear there will be many, large churches in America will either be preserved for tourism (ala Europe), or demo'ed and repurposed.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:35 PM (7Fj9P)

65 I’ve also learned, only very recently, that I cannot focus on the imperfect people in the pew beside me at church….

But that's so hard when you're perfect. I struggle with it.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:35 PM (I/Qkd)

66 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

Chastity
Posted by: Cher at September 24, 2023 12:18 PM (CnLzB)

Mercedes - Mercy
Dolores - Sorrows
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:21 PM (q3gwH)
***
Knew a girl named Dorcas once. Not biblically. She was a nice kid.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 24, 2023 12:35 PM (uSHSS)

67 Cradle Catholic here. I did try attending Mass at my local parish. It was okay but it felt off somehow. Part of that is my hearing loss, I think. I take far more comfort in praying my daily Rosary, 7:00 PM Pacific should anyone want to join in. I do have a friend, a few hours away who does and it feels very powerful and joyous.

Pope Frank is too much a celebrity rather than a religious leader. He likes the limelight and has covered up for the pedos and rapists among the clergy.

Every day, I thank God that I'm not in charge of Judgement. Because I'm not smart enough and I'd be an asshole.

Posted by: Winston, GOPe, McFailure wing of the Uniparty at September 24, 2023 12:36 PM (BbSpR)

68
Thirty years in showing dogs has convinced me that the capacity people have for self-delusion is well nigh infinite.

The spiritual-but-not-religious crew doesn't want to be told anything they're doing is actually, objectively wrong. Alas, too many of our churches are making it too easy for people to come up with justifications for their wrongdoing instead of confronting it and changing themselves.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (MoZTd)

69 On /r/Askreddit there was a question along the lines of “what’s the worst thing created by humans.

A substantial portion of replies were religion. Probably the most common answer.
Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:25 PM (hjwEO)

Well... It's Reddit, what were you expecting?

Posted by: Toilet Paper Shortage at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (v27SO)

70 the Democrat/progressive cabal is furiously working to undermine and dilute religion and morality in America

No. That is NOT what they are doing. What they are doing is trying to destroy Christianity, upon which Western Civilization is built, because it stands in the way of their hedonistic, transhuman utopia. And, yes, they will happily stomp all over other religions, too, IF those religions try to get in their way. (Witness the happenings in Hamtrack (whatever the name is), of late.) (Also, note their willing incorporation of "eastern spirituality" into their "reason based" worldview.)

Progressivism IS a religion. They love to claim they're not, because they don't have a "mythical" god. They're lying. Reason and Science and their own egos and minds are their gods.

But that claim has been accepted, so they could bring in their worldview and twisted morality as Not Religion At All and get that "separation of church and state" to give them exclusive access to government-run schools and other resources (like foster care, health care, and the military) with their not-morality.

Diversity and queer support statements are RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE STATEMENTS.

Posted by: GWB at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (M+Nrs)

71 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

Never met a girl named Perkytits, but I'll keep looking.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (lQONO)

72 Churches embracing the small percentage of alphabet people to expand the church is a net loser. Those churches then drive out more people than they bring in.. which I think is those churches real end goal.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (17s+e)

73
I got into an argument with an atheist and I asked to look up at the size of the universe and tell me that any of of the worldly beliefs can explain all that. Stumped him.
Posted by: Smell the Glove at September 24, 2023 12:09 PM (O8bOp)
---
Oddly, a deeper understanding of the immensity and complexity of the cosmos only makes God more likely, not less likely. At least, that's my perception of things.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:20 PM


I had a short discussion with my Nurse Practitioner and told her I thought atheism is proof of a complete and total lack of imagination. I look at the 'proficiency' scores of inner city youth and know that lack of imagination isn't going to go away soon.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 12:38 PM (enJYY)

74 55 I think the real fault is in Man; it's seductive and satisfying to live down to the basest of behavior and be socially supported in doing do so. Cultivating and living to the standards of self-restraint, compassion without pity, and virtuous character requires effort, thought and constancy.

Posted by: Erik In Texas at September 24, 2023 12:38 PM (Iitca)

75 But…. There are genuine communities of believers out there who take their faith seriously. You might have to search for them but they’re there. I’ve also learned, only very recently, that I cannot focus on the imperfect people in the pew beside me at church…. My focus should be on Almighty God, to worship Him and learn more of Him. Once I focus on Him, it doesn’t matter so much who’s sitting around me…
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at September 24, 2023 12:32 PM (xT8gx)

Could be God hasn't yet destroyed us, because the percentages haven't quite reached S and G levels. As long as there are islands of refuge, in the sea of Woke, God will hold steady.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:39 PM (7pJhp)

76 "I sometimes listen to NPR in the car."

I think I've found your problem.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:39 PM (NBVIP)

77 All the "mainline" Protestant dominations are collapsing in membership, and have been for decades.

Obviously, they need more rainbow flags.
-
Don't forget virtue signalling about how much they value diversity. Because those third world savages their buddies in government are flooding the country with are going to fill their pews, or something.

Posted by: Methos at September 24, 2023 12:39 PM (Dnobf)

78 I really don't understand the insistence that because a religion has a morality that conflicts with or contradicts Christianity's (and Judaism's) it isn't a real religion.

One of the worst things that happened with America being predominantly Christian was equating the word "religious" with "Christian and Jew." They are not equal.

Posted by: GWB at September 24, 2023 12:40 PM (M+Nrs)

79 The spiritual-but-not-religious crew doesn't want to be told anything they're doing is actually, objectively wrong. Alas, too many of our churches are making it too easy for people to come up with justifications for their wrongdoing instead of confronting it and changing themselves.

I have a problem with the diktats from the Episcopal Church hierarchy: a BIG problem. I tend to ignore them and do what I think is right. I was raised a Lutheran, so my skepticism sort of comes naturally. However, I also understand that if you have my attitude, I can justify most things, even if I'm pretty sure they're wrong.

My point is that both blindly following church doctrine and simply doing your own thing both have inherent problems. I have yet to devise a suitable solution.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:40 PM (I/Qkd)

80 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.
=====================
"Prudence" isn't going to be the new Kaitlynn any time soon.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:41 PM (7Fj9P)

81 but adherence to the moral code that governs behavior is perfectly acceptable in the absence of faith in God's existence.
=====
I can't accept that this is true. I'd really like to as a totally lapsed Bostonian Irish Catholic. The religious establishment has lost me, they're just another bureaucracy each trying to be a petit emperor of belief. But you cannot have a moral code without a fixed point to hang it on that's applicable to everyone. And for that you need a god that everyone agrees to, so you have that belief (faith), which is the only thing Trust can be attached.
I don't expect to see this resolved anytime soon. In the mean time, I'll continue to discuss this privately with the man.

Posted by: From about that Time at September 24, 2023 12:42 PM (4780s)

82 All the "mainline" Protestant dominations are collapsing in membership, and have been for decades.

Obviously, they need more rainbow flags.
Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 24, 2023 12:31 PM (2tUFv)

If you look at the age breakdown of these mainline denominations, it's easy to see that what's going to happen to most of their remaining membership over the next 10 years is the same thing that will happen to all the pop/rock stars of the 60's and 70's that are still hanging around.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:42 PM (q3gwH)

83 Never met a girl named Perkytits, but I'll keep looking.
-
I'm sure I have. There have been so many.

Posted by: James B. at September 24, 2023 12:44 PM (Dnobf)

84 One of the worst things that happened with America being predominantly Christian was equating the word "religious" with "Christian and Jew." They are not equal.
Posted by: GWB at September 24, 2023 12:40 PM (M+Nrs)

I worked with a guy who was a "pastor" in his spare time. I asked him what he thought would happen to the souls of all those people who were never exposed to the Christian religion.

His answer was, missionaries are sent by God, and if they manage to show up in that village, it must have meant somebody prayed for God to send them. So the villages that never got introduced to the Christian faith? They're damned, because nobody there asked for it.

True story.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:44 PM (7pJhp)

85
"Prudence" isn't going to be the new Kaitlynn any time soon.
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:41 PM (7Fj9P)


Her Majesty's name is Prudence.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 12:44 PM (MoZTd)

86 If you look at the age breakdown of these mainline denominations, it's easy to see that what's going to happen to most of their remaining membership over the next 10 years is the same thing that will happen to all the pop/rock stars of the 60's and 70's that are still hanging around.

True, but I've seen a few encouraging signs in the last 6-12 months that more families are starting to come to church. I hope it continues.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (I/Qkd)

87 One of the worst things that happened with America being predominantly Christian was equating the word "religious" with "Christian and Jew." They are not equal.

Posted by: GWB at September 24, 2023 12:40 PM (M+Nrs)

I have no idea what this means.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (lQONO)

88 Also, when confirmed, I pledged to be "a soldier of Christ".
Always pleased to remember I pledged nothing to "the Church".

Posted by: From about that Time at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (4780s)

89 It's no mystery these show cults often assume RC iconography as their identity. In gay camp, showing up as a priest at the costume party is like a neon sign saying "I like diddling kiddies, you should too!"
Same thing with the nun fetishists.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (7Fj9P)

90 It's weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.
=====================

I know sisters named Faith, Hope, Grace and Charity. My word as a non-Biden.

Posted by: That Northernlurker what lurkd at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (HfNu5)

91 The Chosen. Come and see.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:45 PM (NBVIP)

92 I do not have a church home, but hopefully will find one soon. I play golf with a retired preacher and I will be asking him for a suggestion. But I pray daily and read the Bible occasionally plus other materials.
Funny thing. I got better at the prayers during covid.
You don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 24, 2023 12:46 PM (uSHSS)

93
My wife told me recently of an atheist who had a near death experience where he descended into hell. He's no longer an atheist. Something 'sparked' his imagination.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 12:46 PM (enJYY)

94 BTW… it is precisely the “liberal” permissive denominations in North America… those that downplay sin (or don’t mention it at all) and have no expectations of their congregants, that are shrinking the fastest. Islam is a stern religion but it most certainly has expectations and standards and it’s growing worldwide.

In my little corner of evangelical Christianity the biggest mistake made in the last 40 years or so was the so-called “seeker friendly” movement… churches tried to make non-religious people comfortable in their church services and even used marketing techniques to advertise and promote their churches. The result? Some churches with large attendance that were spiritually empty with only some nominal entertainment value….

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at September 24, 2023 12:47 PM (xT8gx)

95 As G. K. Chesterton has said, the issue isn't whether Christianity has been tried and found wanting, it has been tried and found difficult.

Providentially enough, our Pastor's homily focused on the sort of Christianity which has seeked to stop focusing on who Jesus Christ was - the God-Man (i.e., the Word of God Made Flesh) - and instead only try to follow his teachings.

But ignoring the divine nature of Christ ignores how He was unique in all of history. As Father K. said, that sort of Christianity has been tried and found wanting.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 12:48 PM (pJWtt)

96 Funny thing. I got better at the prayers during covid.
You don't know what you've got until it's gone.


I think many of the new congregants realized during Covid that something was missing from their lives. I'm not saying religion specifically, but a sense of community, although religion often follows attendance.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:48 PM (I/Qkd)

97 The reason a lot of churches are losing members is because Christianity itself is not easily adhered to.
The path is narrow, and you must be able to endure slings and arrows all along the way.
Sure, much of it is joyous. But it comes with a lot of sacrifice as well.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (MeG8a)

98 Some churches with large attendance that were spiritually empty with only some nominal entertainment value….
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at September 24, 2023 12:47 PM (xT8gx)

Joel Osteen has entered the chat...

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (q3gwH)

99 I really don't understand the insistence that because a religion has a morality that conflicts with or contradicts Christianity's (and Judaism's) it isn't a real religion.

One of the worst things that happened with America being predominantly Christian was equating the word "religious" with "Christian and Jew." They are not equal.
-
Because the sole purpose of America is protecting the God-given Rights of the individual. That is a meaningless set of words if you don't know the God Who gave those Rights. And only Christians and Jews have any acquaintance with Him.

Posted by: Methos at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (Dnobf)

100 17 ... Duke,
Prayers have started for your MiL and family.

Posted by: JTB at September 24, 2023 12:50 PM (7EjX1)

101 *I'm not saying religion specifically, but a sense of community, although religion often follows attendance.*

William Blake's "little platoon" comes to mind.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:50 PM (NBVIP)

102 Getting close to 100...speaking of kid's names: We know of a kid who was named "Tsunami", intentionally b y his parents. of all the meteorological events, an actual tsunami has to be one of the most destructive, and easily most terrifying scenes imaginable.
Why??

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:51 PM (7Fj9P)

103 Never met a girl named Perkytits, but I'll keep looking.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 12:37 PM (lQONO)


I saw Perkytits and the Harmonics open for Heart at the Gorge in George.
Hey...is that lightening coming in?

Posted by: Diogenes at September 24, 2023 12:52 PM (uSHSS)

104
Joel Osteen has entered the chat...
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (q3gwH)


Can't stand that guy.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 12:52 PM (MoZTd)

105 Getting close to 100...speaking of kid's names: We know of a kid who was named "Tsunami", intentionally b y his parents. of all the meteorological events, an actual tsunami has to be one of the most destructive, and easily most terrifying scenes imaginable.
Why??


Because tsunami is more mellifluous than tectonic plate movement.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:53 PM (I/Qkd)

106 I think a man should name his beautiful daughters after the things he values most, which is why I named my two daughters Talladega and Daytona.

Posted by: Ricky Bobby at September 24, 2023 12:54 PM (q3gwH)

107 But that's so hard when you're perfect. I struggle with it.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:35 PM (I/Qkd)

Heh. It's the cross us perfect people must bear.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 12:54 PM (BdMk6)

108 Tsunami???
Do they call him "Sue" for short? LOL

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 12:54 PM (MeG8a)

109 Any of them mention Communism?
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:26 PM (BpYfr)

A few.

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:54 PM (hjwEO)

110 Joel Osteen has entered the chat...
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (q3gwH)

Yes…. He is a perfect example. Ironically, his message isn’t Christian at all… he’s a heretic/false teacher. The Apostle Peter had words for his kind in 2 Peter 2

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at September 24, 2023 12:55 PM (xT8gx)

111 I think many of the new congregants realized during Covid that something was missing from their lives. I'm not saying religion specifically, but a sense of community, although religion often follows attendance.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 24, 2023 12:48 PM (I/Qkd)


Exactly.
Hence religion in society vs spirituality.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 24, 2023 12:56 PM (uSHSS)

112 I know when I'm pondering the deep questions of life, meaning, and purpose I often look to Reddit for answers.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:56 PM (NBVIP)

113 The path is narrow, and you must be able to endure slings and arrows all along the way.
========================
It demands you master your greatest foe: yourself. For some people, their self loathing makes that struggle improbable. In reality, it should be the baseline for your Christian journey. Conquer your perverted desires, and you can be of use to yourself and others.
It becomes much easier when you realize all sin is a perversion of a God given desire. See: lust, greed, envy, et al

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:57 PM (7Fj9P)

114 112
Hahahaha.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at September 24, 2023 12:57 PM (roH4R)

115 106 I think a man should name his beautiful daughters after the things he values most, which is why I named my two daughters Talladega and Daytona.
Posted by: Ricky Bobby at September 24, 2023 12:54 PM (q3gwH)


Well I never.

Posted by: Charlotte at September 24, 2023 12:57 PM (PiwSw)

116
Tsunami???
Do they call him "Sue" for short? LOL
Posted by: gourmand du jour


How do you do? My name is Tsu!

Posted by: John E. Kash at September 24, 2023 12:58 PM (63Dwl)

117 Ignoring what is ultimately true or not...what is the point of organized religion in a society?

To keep people behaving. Yes yes government can mete out punishments but at best many people will evade arrest and in a corrupt government they will be rewarded for immoral activity.

But religion says sure you might escape the cops but you will not escape the impact of your actions.

We've stripped all that away now. Leftists do, as you note, have a religion, but one with no afterlife and no judgement. So why not rape and pillage today if you are just dust tomorrow anyway?

Posted by: 18-1 at September 24, 2023 12:58 PM (XqcwY)

118 "It demands you master your greatest foe: yourself."

Well put. First is to realize that you, yourself, are a sinner. This is a big hill to climb if you think you are perfect just as you are, the way heretical churches teach.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 12:59 PM (MeG8a)

119 Mexico is (or was until recently) very religious. And it is also one of the most corrupt shitholes on the planet.

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:59 PM (hjwEO)

120 Joel Osteen has entered the chat...
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 12:49 PM (q3gwH)


If being a real, true believer simply made you rich....why don't we have a bunch of rich saints?

Posted by: 18-1 at September 24, 2023 12:59 PM (XqcwY)

121
I'm told by my betters that Christianity has retarded Science and that if we ditched this Spaghetti Monster nonsense we'll achieve a highly-developed, intellectual, reasoning civilization.

But look at Europe. It's largely de-Christianized itself and has 10% of the number of Jews it did 100 years ago. And now it's a economically-stagnant, technologically-backward, intellectually-stifled, demographically-doomed backwater. It counts for nothing at all any longer.

It's replaced Christianlty with the Climate Cult, a religion without hope, without a future, without forgiveness, a church whose Curia lives high on the hog while demanding everyone else stay poor and die prematurely.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:00 PM (MoZTd)

122 Mexico is (or was until recently) very religious. And it is also one of the most corrupt shitholes on the planet.

Mexico inherited the government philosophy of Imperial Spain - the point of government is to loot the people.

This leads to corruption up and down the social order, and of course poverty.

Posted by: 18-1 at September 24, 2023 01:01 PM (XqcwY)

123 It demands you master your greatest foe: yourself. For some people, their self loathing makes that struggle improbable. In reality, it should be the baseline for your Christian journey. Conquer your perverted desires, and you can be of use to yourself and others.
It becomes much easier when you realize all sin is a perversion of a God given desire. See: lust, greed, envy, et al
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at September 24, 2023 12:57 PM (7Fj9P)

Ah. The seven deadly sins: Pride, lust, and five other things.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:01 PM (BdMk6)

124 How Cultural Marxism is a religion on its own

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 01:01 PM (fwDg9)

125 I worked with a guy who was a "pastor" in his spare time. I asked him what he thought would happen to the souls of all those people who were never exposed to the Christian religion.

His answer was, missionaries are sent by God, and if they manage to show up in that village, it must have meant somebody prayed for God to send them. So the villages that never got introduced to the Christian faith? They're damned, because nobody there asked for it.

True story.
Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 12:44 PM (7pJhp)


There is such a thing as invincible ignorance. C.S. Lewis wrote in The Abolition of Man that there is such as thing as Natural Law. He compared several ancient Greek, Roman, and Chinese philosophers to show how they echoed parts of the 10 Commandments. So, I would not go so far as to say that pagans are automatically damned: that's up to God.

However, only Christianity has a founder that claimed to be the Son of God, performed miracles in His own name (i.e., did not invoke God as did some Hebrew prophets), suffered, died, and then became Resurrected from the dead to prove it.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (pJWtt)

126 If CBD is fasting, today's Food Thread could be "You'll get NOTHING and LIKE it !"

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (T4tVD)

127 26 ... "One of the challenges Christians face is whether obeying God's tenets should be a duty, an onerous chore to get into His good graces...

Or is it meant to be a delight?"

Perfessor,
In my younger, more cynical days I would have said it's a duty or chore because of a chance of reward. Even a sincere belief didn't get rid of that aspect (in my opinion). Not anymore. I now regard following the moral guidelines of Christianity (NOT a church) is liberating and enhances appreciation of life. It may not always be easy but is a positive path in a world of constant sort cuts, detours, and dead ends.

Posted by: JTB at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (7EjX1)

128 112 I know when I'm pondering the deep questions of life, meaning, and purpose I often look to Reddit for answers.
Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:56 PM (NBVIP)

It’s a top 10 worldwide website with over a billion users. It’s a good representative of the “common man” opinion. Dismissing it as “oh it’s just Reddit” is part of why the right is often clueless about the world around it.

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 01:03 PM (hjwEO)

129 Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:39 PM

Heh. You can learn a lot about the Ruling Class by listening to NPR for 5 minutes.

Posted by: KT at September 24, 2023 01:03 PM (rrtZS)

130 Getting close to 100...speaking of kid's names: We know of a kid who was named "Tsunami", intentionally b y his parents. of all the meteorological events, an actual tsunami has to be one of the most destructive, and easily most terrifying scenes imaginable.
Why??
Posted by: Brave Sir Robin

"Derecho" might work too.
I always knew it as a type of storm, but it has multiple meanings.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:04 PM (ga8qR)

131 I'm told by my betters that Christianity has retarded Science and that if we ditched this Spaghetti Monster nonsense we'll achieve a highly-developed, intellectual, reasoning civilization.


The scientific explosion we all talk about happened due to Protestant North European and Anglo-sphere countries.

So not only does the theory of religion retarding science not match the data...it seems the opposite is true.

Posted by: 18-1 at September 24, 2023 01:04 PM (XqcwY)

132 I know when I'm pondering the deep questions of life, meaning, and purpose I often look to Reddit for answers.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 24, 2023 12:56 PM (NBVIP)

Fist-Bump!

Posted by: ChemJeff at September 24, 2023 01:06 PM (lQONO)

133 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.

Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

134 If CBD is fasting, today's Food Thread could be "You'll get NOTHING and LIKE it !"

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (T4tVD)

Nah...dinner will be good! Fast starts tonight.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (lQONO)

135 Perfessor,
In my younger, more cynical days I would have said it's a duty or chore because of a chance of reward. Even a sincere belief didn't get rid of that aspect (in my opinion). Not anymore. I now regard following the moral guidelines of Christianity (NOT a church) is liberating and enhances appreciation of life. It may not always be easy but is a positive path in a world of constant sort cuts, detours, and dead ends.
Posted by: JTB at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (7EjX1)
-----
In my church we are currently following a 12-week "Freedom Curriculum" that's supposed to help us recognize that belief in God and Jesus will make us freer than anything else in this world. Adherence to the Word of God is liberating (or should be), not confining.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 01:08 PM (BpYfr)

136 133 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

Pikers!
- Ivy League endowments

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 01:08 PM (hjwEO)

137 133 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
---
I'll get there!

Posted by: Joel Osteen at September 24, 2023 01:09 PM (NBVIP)

138 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

The net worth of one of the world's largest religious organizations is worth less than what Elon Musk paid for Twitter.

Posted by: Vanya at September 24, 2023 01:09 PM (v27SO)

139 I'm told by my betters that Christianity has retarded Science and that if we ditched this Spaghetti Monster nonsense we'll achieve a highly-developed, intellectual, reasoning civilization.

But look at Europe. It's largely de-Christianized itself and has 10% of the number of Jews it did 100 years ago. And now it's a economically-stagnant, technologically-backward, intellectually-stifled, demographically-doomed backwater. It counts for nothing at all any longer.

It's replaced Christianlty with the Climate Cult, a religion without hope, without a future, without forgiveness, a church whose Curia lives high on the hog while demanding everyone else stay poor and die prematurely.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:00 PM (MoZTd)


Absolutely correct. Speaking as an Engineer, there is no conflict between Faith and Science. Faith answers questions on matters that cannot be measured.

* Where did the universe come from?
* What is our purpose in life?
* If spiritual things cannot influence the material world, why do we experience love and hate?
* Why do we have an innate sense of truth, justice, goodness, and beauty?
* Why do we empathize with other's suffering?

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 01:10 PM (pJWtt)

140 The scientific explosion we all talk about happened due to Protestant North European and Anglo-sphere countries.

So not only does the theory of religion retarding science not match the data...it seems the opposite is true.
Posted by: 18-1 at September 24, 2023 01:04 PM (XqcwY)
----
Much of the knowledge of the ancient world has been preserved in the libraries of Christian monasteries and churches for eons...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 01:10 PM (BpYfr)

141 Pikers!
- Ivy League endowments
Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 01:08 PM (hjwEO)

Hell, Jimmy Buffett died and was estimated to be worth 1 billion.

Pope Frankie better get his ass in the studio.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 01:10 PM (R/m4+)

142 If CBD is fasting, today's Food Thread could be "You'll get NOTHING and LIKE it !"

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:02 PM (T4tVD)

Nah...dinner will be good! Fast starts tonight.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (lQONO)

(it was a feeble attempt at humor)

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:11 PM (T4tVD)

143 Skip -

Is it EVER gonna stop raining ?

Lie to me if you hafta....

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:12 PM (T4tVD)

144 So many churches appear to have misinterpreted "God loves you" to be "God's love means never having to rein in your impulses." It's not that hard to get - it's right there with the "our father" part - the love is wanting you to be better, not forgive so you can stay there in the gutter getting your freakshow on.

Hard not to sound like a judgey church lady when one points that out, because it's not about *our* judgement of others behavior, but yeah, there are values and standards there for a reason. . .

Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:13 PM (izj35)

145 I heard a guy argue that the Bible could not possibly be against homosexuality because that word wasn't even invented until the 19th century. And we're the idiots.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 01:13 PM (LxYHG)

146 Would this fasting start at sundown? Or certain time?
I really don't know

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 01:14 PM (fwDg9)

147 It's amazing and almost darkly comical that the claims that "Christianity is against science" comes from the most perniciously anti-science group to come around in centuries. They despise 'Science', what they love is "scientism", a perverse transformation of things they believe into dogma that can never be questioned.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 01:14 PM (q3gwH)

148
The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM


How many people do they employ and what are their pension obligations? When my wife retired her pension obligation from the church if she lived to average life expectancy for a person her age was over $300,000 - for an extremely modest pension.

Multiply that by tens of thousands of individuals. My pet conspiracy theory was that when Biden visited Frankie they discussed how to bail the church out with a shitload of inflation.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 01:14 PM (enJYY)

149 137 133 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
---
I'll get there!
Posted by: Joel Osteen at September 24, 2023 01:09 PM (NBVIP)


Ahem. We'll get there.

Posted by: Victoria Osteen at September 24, 2023 01:14 PM (PiwSw)

150 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

I don't think that figure is accurate just thinking how much prime property and art the RCC has in it's possession.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (BdMk6)

151 Luntz's squeeze, Kevin McCarthy, says the $300M for Ukraine is now back in the DOD bill. The balls on this guy.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (9/y3s)

152 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

They should give it all toward defending "our democracy" in Ukraine.

Anything less goes against what God wants.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (xIw2M)

153 I don't think that figure is accurate just thinking how much prime property and art the RCC has in it's possession.
Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (BdMk6)

Yeah, I'd say multiply it by 10. Maybe even 100.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:16 PM (xIw2M)

154 >>The net worth of one of the world's largest religious organizations is worth less than what Elon Musk paid for Twitter.
Posted by: Vanya

Sexual assault and rape payoffs are pricey.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 24, 2023 01:16 PM (9/y3s)

155
Skip -

Is it EVER gonna stop raining ?

Lie to me if you hafta....

Posted by: JT at September 24, 2023 01:12 PM


Get used to it. Monday after midnight seems to be the current guess. The front seems to have stalled over Delaware.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 01:16 PM (enJYY)

156 Seymour Hersch is reporting that the war in Ukraine is over, Russia has won.
SLAY news (I know, I never heard of it either...)

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (MeG8a)

157 151 Luntz's squeeze, Kevin McCarthy, says the $300M for Ukraine is now back in the DOD bill. The balls on this guy.
Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (9/y3s)

But Biden wanted $400m, so really this is a $100m cut in spending.
- GOP Failure theater logic

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (hjwEO)

158 @ChuckCallesto
BREAKING REPORT: The Republican Party of Texas has approved a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to RESIGN OR FACE A VOTE TO VACATE the chair..

Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (IG4Id)

159 If you really want to see where it leads, I highly recommend this piece by a UK 'Catholic'. It's not pretty.

https://tinyurl.com/5v4emmcp
Posted by: LenNeal


Well, wasn't that an interesting bit of invention on the writer's part? People can generate quotes from saints (and especially St. Paul, as he wrote A LOT), and create something where there is nothing. And vice versa.
The truth is that the State (in our particular case, the government of the United States), now wants to wreck the family unit and create radical individualism, as a prelude to mass collectivism (chew on that for a minute). People will reject the nihilism of "radical individualism" and all its vanities (ie, the gender fluid madness that is upon us), and ASK for a dictatorship of collectivism to bring some kind of order into their incoherent lives.

Posted by: Another precinct heard from..... at September 24, 2023 01:18 PM (tjZg/)

160 I heard a guy argue that the Bible could not possibly be against homosexuality because that word wasn't even invented until the 19th century. And we're the idiots.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 01:13 PM (LxYHG)

I have this move, which tends to leave the gal who is fortunate enough to experience in total ecstasy, asking for more. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is!

It doesn't have a name, so it doesn't really exist, and there's absolutely nothing in the Bible that says I shouldn't do it.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (xIw2M)

161 I heard a guy argue that the Bible could not possibly be against homosexuality because that word wasn't even invented until the 19th century. And we're the idiots.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 01:13 PM (LxYHG)

That’s why I prefer to use the word sodomites. Sodomites were running around in The Bible until The Lord had enough of their nonsense and sent an Arc Light to get rid of them.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (R/m4+)

162 well, not actually breaking now. Like yesterday, 'breaking'.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (IG4Id)

163 >>158 @ChuckCallesto
BREAKING REPORT: The Republican Party of Texas has approved a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to RESIGN OR FACE A VOTE TO VACATE the chair..
Posted by: weft cut-loop

I watched the video a few times, man, that guy was sloppy drunk. No wonder why he's a Bushy.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (9/y3s)

164 You may have heard that "most of the evils of the world were caused by religion". Lets look at that.

The present, news, bad stuff happens, "if it bleeds, it leads", how many caused by religion? The past, say, the Inquisition, that resulted in about 3500 murders, that's bad. Compare, atheism, officially atheist governments have murdered one hundred million of their own citizens (example, the Cultural Revolution in China), more death than all the recorded wars of history (oh, the atheists also killed more in wars). Conclusion, atheism is by far the most horrific and dangerous religion ever, by several orders of magnitude.

People who say how evil religion is carefully avoid actually finding out if it truly is or not. These are people who say, "there is no God, and I hate him". They spend a good part of their lives acing out that hate. If you don't believe in the tooth fairy, do spend most of your time and energy tearing down the idea of the tooth fairy? Why not? Conclusion, people who hate God believe in God, their actions show it.

Posted by: Nightfall at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (xd3qE)

165 The Republican Party of Texas has approved a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to RESIGN OR FACE A VOTE TO VACATE the chair..

Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (IG4Id)

I sure hope that is true. If it is, another stick in the eye of the c*cks*cking Bush scum.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 01:20 PM (lQONO)

166 Well, guys like Copernicus and Galileo might have a different take on things, and lots of burnings at the stake throughout Europe before the enlightenment. Protestants vs Catholics, and both sides vs us Christ killers. Got even worse outside Christendom. But here we are. True Religion is like True Communism - never been perfected.

Posted by: SFGoth at September 24, 2023 01:21 PM (KAi1n)

167 Seymour Hersch is reporting that the war in Ukraine is over, Russia has won.
SLAY news (I know, I never heard of it either...)
Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (MeG8a)

Yes, there are two mountains of lies about this war, one for each side.

The one on the Ukraine side is much larger though, primarily due to the fact that the corporate press has been flinging their shite onto it since before the war started.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:22 PM (xIw2M)

168
The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)


*polite cough*

I'm not sure how that figure is arrived at. It may be accurate for the Vatican (the administrative unit of the Holy See), but each diocese and each religious order is responsible for its own finances and I doubt forms part of that amount.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:22 PM (MoZTd)

169 Too many churches out there with the rainbow flags flying, feel good plastic banana rock n roll types who say De Lawd loves everyone and everything and y’all come on down to our sodomite drag hour child henna tattoo show and please donate so we can keep on keeping on.

I talk to The Lord everyday and he ain’t down with none of that shit and he tells me to avoid fake ass churches and their fake ass people.
Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 12:14 PM (R/m4+)


Preach it, brother. The problem with homosexuality and lesbianism (besides the fact that they are disordered passions) is that a significant majority - all? - were victims of sexual abuse, and their first sexual partner was an adult when they, themselves, were still in their formative years.

There's a reason why ancient Hebrews and Christians rejected the rampant and deviant sexual practices of their times. It wasn't because they didn't know that stuff didn't exist. God commanded them not to engage in those practices.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 01:22 PM (pJWtt)

170 >> I'm told by my betters that Christianity has retarded Science and that if we ditched this Spaghetti Monster nonsense we'll achieve a highly-developed, intellectual, reasoning civilization.



Ask them to name some of the greatest scientists of the past few centuries and then identify which ones were atheists. Growing up in a college town w/several other federal scientific institutions, I sat next to a lot of scientists on Sunday mornings (one of my friends' father was a well-known, highly respected physicist, whose name is now on the campus science building, and he had deep faith in God). There is no "belief in science" that cancels Christian faith - the real kind, not the caricature "Christians think dinosaurs roamed the earth 600 years ago kind.

Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:22 PM (izj35)

171 'Spirituality' in the modern sense is for people who lack the courage to be faithful

religion a la carte is not faith

Posted by: DB - man of leisure suits at September 24, 2023 01:22 PM (geLO8)

172 BREAKING REPORT: The Republican Party of Texas has approved a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to RESIGN OR FACE A VOTE TO VACATE the chair..
Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:17 PM (IG4Id)

Approved by the same people who voted to impeach in the first place?

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:23 PM (xIw2M)

173 @ChuckCallesto
BREAKING REPORT: The Republican Party of Texas has approved a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to RESIGN OR FACE A VOTE TO VACATE the chair..
Posted by: weft cut-loop

Should have just voted to vacate.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:23 PM (ga8qR)

174 'Spirituality' would include paganism, Wicca and even satan worshippers.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 24, 2023 01:24 PM (MeG8a)

175
Ask them to name some of the greatest scientists of the past few centuries and then identify which ones were atheists.

Bad scientists: Michael Faraday, Georges Lemaitre

Good scientists: Elena Ceaucescu, Trofim Lysenko

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:24 PM (MoZTd)

176 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

They should give it all toward defending "our democracy" in Ukraine.

Anything less goes against what God wants.
Posted by: BurtTC

Zelenskyy now wants Maria Abramowicz to be an ambassador for Ukraine (she is a well known Satanist, also friends with Bill Gates). This is what we can sometimes call....a Tell.
Pope Francis did at one time say that Russia was provoked into this by Ukraine, NATO was in the wrong, and that they should seek a peace agreement, but he doesn't say this often or very loudly.

Posted by: Another precinct heard from..... at September 24, 2023 01:25 PM (tjZg/)

177 All packed for my last trip into the swamp and it felt good.
Watching the Jets, Wow do they suck LOL

Posted by: Nevergiveup at September 24, 2023 01:25 PM (pmmLi)

178 Hadrian, does each Diocese then also remit a portion back to the Vatican?

Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:25 PM (UCGSm)

179 That’s why I prefer to use the word sodomites. Sodomites were running around in The Bible until The Lord had enough of their nonsense and sent an Arc Light to get rid of them.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 01:19 PM (R/m4+)

The number of heterosexual sodomites I sure, far outnumber the homosexual sodomites.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (xIw2M)

180
Unfortunately, the Vatican is like a guy who lives in a $2 million house and has $38.45 in his bank account.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (MoZTd)

181 >>Luntz's squeeze, Kevin McCarthy, says the $300M for Ukraine is now back in the DOD bill. The balls on this guy.
Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 24, 2023 01:15 PM (9/y3s)

But Biden wanted $400m, so really this is a $100m cut in spending.
- GOP Failure theater logic

- - - -

Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?

Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (izj35)

182 Prayers please for her comfort, and if it’s her time, an easy passing. Thank you.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 24, 2023 12:13 PM (u73oe)

You have my prayers for MiL. May her passing be as peaceful as possible. I hope she will be able to be at home. Hospital death is never peaceful.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (Mzdiz)

183 >>weird how parents would name girls after virtues, Hope, Faith, Constance.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 24, 2023 12:16 PM (Eeb9P)

--

And boys are named Randy, Coy, Flip, Curt, etc.

Posted by: SloPitch Whiffer at September 24, 2023 01:27 PM (JOFqL)

184 The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:07 PM (UCGSm)

*polite cough*

I'm not sure how that figure is arrived at. It may be accurate for the Vatican (the administrative unit of the Holy See), but each diocese and each religious order is responsible for its own finances and I doubt forms part of that amount.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh

My own simple estimate would be easily ten times that number.

Posted by: Another precinct heard from..... at September 24, 2023 01:27 PM (tjZg/)

185 Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?
Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (izj35)

Maui fire? We already did that. It's time to move on dot org.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:28 PM (xIw2M)

186
Hadrian, does each Diocese then also remit a portion back to the Vatican?
Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:25 PM (UCGSm)


I know each parish pays a Cathedricum to the diocese, but the dioceses don't send anything to the Vatican. There's an annual (voluntary) Peter's Pence collection which brings in a few million, mostly from the US.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:29 PM (MoZTd)

187 Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?
Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (izj35)

There was a fire? Where?

Posted by: Oprah Winfrey, Greedy Fat Ass at September 24, 2023 01:29 PM (R/m4+)

188 Whether the vote to vacate could succeed depends on how many State House reps realize they made a mistake and want to keep their jobs. A bunch of them may not give a shit about keeping their jobs, but I think this is going to be a long hard process of rooting them out one by one.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 01:30 PM (q3gwH)

189 One of the challenges Christians face is whether obeying God's tenets should be a duty, an onerous chore to get into His good graces...

Or is it meant to be a delight?

In other words, do we obey God because WE want to, because obedience is a reward unto itself? Or because we think HE wants us to?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 24, 2023 12:17 PM (BpYfr)

God wants us to experience joy, so obedience is something to be embraced. "Should" doesn't come into it, IMHO.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 24, 2023 01:30 PM (Mzdiz)

190 Anyone ever hear of something called "The Scottish Enlightenment?"

Because it never would have happened without the Scottish Presbyterian Church (Church of Scotland).

My immediate reaction to anyone who suggests that Christianity and Judaism are antithetical to intellectual achievement is: "You can't possibly be that f*cking stupid!"

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 01:30 PM (lQONO)

191
Hadrian, does each Diocese then also remit a portion back to the Vatican?

Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:25 PM


When Francis took over he shifted pension obligations from the Vatican to the local parishes. Some of these parishes had to shutter their schools as the price was higher then they could ever afford. Don't ask me how I know this or who in my family no longer teaches in a parish school. This idea that the Vatican is overflowing with wealth can only come from those with little knowledge of cash flow.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 01:31 PM (enJYY)

192 Chastity

Posted by: Cher at September 24, 2023 12:18 PM (CnLzB)

Chaztity.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 24, 2023 01:31 PM (Mzdiz)

193 Approved by the same people who voted to impeach in the first place?
Posted by: BurtTC


“Nothing so focuses the mind as the prospect of being hanged.” - Mark Tw@in

Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:31 PM (IG4Id)

194 Woke b.s. ruined my minyan.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 24, 2023 01:32 PM (RIvkX)

195 ... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith..."

Posted by: Hebrews 12:2 at September 24, 2023 01:32 PM (NBVIP)

196 Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?
Posted by: Lizzy

Just binged it - offically... 97 total. Confiormed by DNA tests...

How many still missing, IDK.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:32 PM (ga8qR)

197 Perhaps a pointed question, but why does the Catholic Church sit on billions of dollars? What exactly are they doing with that money?

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 24, 2023 01:32 PM (Q4IgG)

198
For all those who think atheism = intellectualism, I offer you the name of Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 24, 2023 01:33 PM (MoZTd)

199 My wife told me recently of an atheist who had a near death experience where he descended into hell. He's no longer an atheist. Something 'sparked' his imagination.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 12:46 PM (enJYY)


That's happened more than once. I just happened to recently hear Fr. Robert Spitzer mention that over 15% of the near death experiences were "dark." The majority were more peaceful, but if you spend a lifetime of rejecting God, He will not force you into His presence.

The Catholic Church now teaches that Hell is a spiritual state of being, rather than a created place.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 01:35 PM (pJWtt)

200 Quick prayer request please. MiL was taken to the hospital last night in great respiratory distress. She’s 90 and doesn’t want extraordinary efforts made. She also doesn’t want to die in a hospital so we’ll be discussing home hospice. Prayers please for her comfort, and if it’s her time, an easy passing. Thank you.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 24, 2023 12:13 PM (u73oe)
===
A prayer for complete and immediate healing

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 24, 2023 01:35 PM (RIvkX)

201 Perhaps a pointed question, but why does the Catholic Church sit on billions of dollars? What exactly are they doing with that money?
Posted by: Martini Farmer


As others have pointed out, there's a difference between cash and assets. They have billions in assets because of property acquired a thousand to hundreds to decades years ago. It's like the average Leftist pointing to your house and saying "you can afford to pay more in taxes because that's worth $500k~!"

Posted by: weft cut-loop at September 24, 2023 01:36 PM (IG4Id)

202 Good morning/afternoon. Yes the freemasonic "all religions are equal" tenet of modernity is diabolical.

If you can kill an unborn child, the most innocent of humanity, you can kill anyone for any reason.

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at September 24, 2023 01:36 PM (JkeTM)

203 And boys are named Randy, Coy, Flip, Curt, etc.
Posted by: SloPitch Whiffer

Coy Bacon was one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.

Posted by: SFGoth at September 24, 2023 01:36 PM (KAi1n)

204
If you were a Catholic school teacher for 29.75 years and your school closed no other parish school would hire you, knowing that if they did they would get stuck with the pension obligation for decades. Even if you only worked their for six months.

The Catholic Church is in the 'gradually' part of its life cycle now. Shifting costs is never a good sign of a financially secure entity. Even one with incredible art work of high value.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 24, 2023 01:37 PM (enJYY)

205 Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?
Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (izj35)

There was a fire? Where?
Posted by: Oprah Winfrey, Greedy Fat Ass at September 24, 2023 01:29 PM (R/m4+)


After DNA analysis the death toll has been reduced to 97 total dead so far. This is this last week's news.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:37 PM (BdMk6)

206 Good morning/afternoon. Yes the freemasonic "all religions are equal" tenet of modernity is diabolical.
If you can kill an unborn child, the most innocent of humanity, you can kill anyone for any reason.
Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at September 24, 2023 01:36 PM (JkeTM)

Excellent point.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 24, 2023 01:37 PM (R/m4+)

207 >>> imagine how many casually possessed souls are amongst us now.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin
------------------------------

Indeed, all the more reason to pursue the faith.

Posted by: Braenyard at September 24, 2023 01:37 PM (woO3w)

208 >>> Coy Bacon was one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.

LA Rams in the early 70s?

Posted by: fluffy at September 24, 2023 01:38 PM (86W+h)

209 "Prayers please for her comfort, and if it’s her time, an easy passing. Thank you.
Posted by: Duke Lowell "
********
Prayers for her and your family.

Posted by: Cosda at September 24, 2023 01:38 PM (W9d2W)

210 My immediate reaction to anyone who suggests that Christianity and Judaism are antithetical to intellectual achievement is: "You can't possibly be that f*cking stupid!"

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 24, 2023 01:30 PM (lQONO)

Oh yes we can!!

Posted by: God Hating Leftists (birm) at September 24, 2023 01:39 PM (Angsy)

211 Just binged it - offically... 97 total. Confiormed by DNA tests...

How many still missing, IDK.
Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:32 PM (ga8qR)

That was the weird thing, the original number was... what, 104? Something like that?

So what happened? Did they figure out seven of the bodies they had were manikins? Did they figure out they had some parts that were separated from the rest of the person, and somehow counted them twice?

Whatever the case, I don't think the number is going to rest at 97.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:39 PM (k7350)

212 Duke. Prayers ascending.

Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:40 PM (UCGSm)

213 The Nazis were anti-Christian as well as anti-Semitic. They murdered every Catholic priest and nun they could find in Poland. They discouraged Church membership and attendance and created a competing Nazi church of their own. They encouraged Party members to register solely as Gottglauben (God-believing) rather than with any specific or formal church affiliation. Churches were state-supported so membership carried significant meaning.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 24, 2023 01:41 PM (RIvkX)

214 CBD, info sent.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at September 24, 2023 01:42 PM (Angsy)

215 CBD, thank you. Your choice of topics are always appreciated

Posted by: Ben Had at September 24, 2023 01:42 PM (UCGSm)

216 129 Heh. You can learn a lot about the Ruling Class by listening to NPR for 5 minutes.
Posted by: KT
====
Yeh, but not without getting a little sick to the stomach.

Posted by: From about that Time at September 24, 2023 01:43 PM (4780s)

217 You gotta serve somebody. Yahweh or Moloch?

https://tinyurl.com/3cv584pu

Posted by: Sock Monkey * Invictus maneo at September 24, 2023 01:43 PM (aCGgG)

218 Mexico is (or was until recently) very religious. And it is also one of the most corrupt shitholes on the planet.
Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 12:59 PM (hjwEO)


That is somewhat incorrect. While many of the peasants were devout Catholics, their leaders were not. In fact, the Mexican government in the 1920s essentially tried to outlaw the Roman Catholic Church. Look up the Christero War.

Like the Spanish Republic in the 1930s, the Mexican government went communist and began killing priests - the Mexican government just got a head-start. Our current-day Democrat politicians are doing many of the same things the Mexican government did: sexualizing children is a big similarity.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at September 24, 2023 01:43 PM (pJWtt)

219 After DNA analysis the death toll has been reduced to 97 total dead so far. This is this last week's news.
Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at

I just read the Honolulu paper article where they list all 97 by name and age. So this list is all that they could positively identify for now.

The youngest - One 14 year old. Most of the rest in 40s and older, a bunch much older. Prolly from the "old folks home" one of the early vids w/ commententarty called out as "gone".

Police web page still has a list of the missing....

The official list and death toll only includes those confirmed. The rest are still MIA.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:43 PM (ga8qR)

220 Hell, Jimmy Buffett died and was estimated to be worth 1 billion.

-
I saw a YT about how he wrote Margaritaville. Having struggled for years often performing for drinks, he was feeling discouraged. Then he badly cut his heal when he stepped on a discarded pull top beer can openers. So he wrote about how he

I blew out my flip-flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home

And the rest is history.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 01:44 PM (LxYHG)

221 215 CBD, thank you. Your choice of topics are always appreciated
Posted by: Ben Had

Weekend CBD is the best CBD.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * Invictus maneo at September 24, 2023 01:44 PM (aCGgG)

222 So what happened? Did they figure out seven of the bodies they had were manikins? Did they figure out they had some parts that were separated from the rest of the person, and somehow counted them twice?

Whatever the case, I don't think the number is going to rest at 97.
Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 01:39 PM (k7350)

I don't because my mind doesn't evaluate in panic mode every time something like this happens. I refuse to listen to the hysteria of the MFM and women.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:44 PM (BdMk6)

223 The Lord is going to be far more merciful to the souls that were never taught about Him. It's somewhere in the Bible, but I cannot cite the specific book/chapter/verse.

His wrath upon the apostates (I am looking at you Bergoglio) will be severe.

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at September 24, 2023 01:45 PM (JkeTM)

224 No one has ever said Judaism, a religion that expects 100% literacy and among its adherents becoming a doctor is considered something to be proud of, is anti-science. And yes, there have been Christians, Christian areas, and Christian political powers who have been anti-science; don't kid yourselves. That is not to deny the contributions of scientists who were Christian or Christian "thought leaders" who supported science. But the anti-scientific inquiry and mindset, that was perceived to be heretical or a challenge to religious power, has been there.

Posted by: SFGoth at September 24, 2023 01:45 PM (KAi1n)

225 41 On /r/Askreddit there was a question along the lines of “what’s the worst thing created by humans.

A substantial portion of replies were religion. Probably the most common answer.
Posted by: Montec
---------------------

A good reason to disassociate from them.

Posted by: Braenyard at September 24, 2023 01:46 PM (woO3w)

226 There is a very good movie based on a true story of a Catholic conscious objector in the German Army who was a rear battalion, released then later the army drafts him again.
He is arrested and eventually executed.
Forgot the name of it.

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 01:46 PM (fwDg9)

227 188 Whether the vote to vacate could succeed depends on how many State House reps realize they made a mistake and want to keep their jobs. A bunch of them may not give a shit about keeping their jobs, but I think this is going to be a long hard process of rooting them out one by one.
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 24, 2023 01:30 PM (q3gwH)

Wasn’t it an insane number of r’s that voted for Impeachment? Fifty or sixty out of eighty, maybe; a number that was horribly horribly depressing.

Posted by: EveR at September 24, 2023 01:46 PM (MUpk6)

228
Hey, anyone hear an update on how many people died in the Maui fire, particularly, how many children?
Posted by: Lizzy at September 24, 2023 01:26 PM (izj35)


Maui fire?
- MSM

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 01:47 PM (hjwEO)

229 My mother-in-law lives across the street from a large Catholic church. During the last three years the attendance at services has dropped like a rock, and not rebounded after Covid. Went from three Sunday services to one. Then, the church combined with another church, and they now swap services each Sunday. The only time she saw a decent turnout was for a wedding.

Posted by: French Jeton at September 24, 2023 01:49 PM (NXBpJ)

230 “The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.“

Guess again!

Posted by: St Lawrence at September 24, 2023 01:50 PM (Gs3JA)

231 The official list and death toll only includes those confirmed. The rest are still MIA.
Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 01:43 PM (ga8qR)

I would be careful of the missing lists too. I imagine many are happy to be considered missing and be deleted from the tax/law enforcement rolls.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at September 24, 2023 01:51 PM (BdMk6)

232 “The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.“

I understand the NY DA James is going to indict the Cath Church for overstating their net worth.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM (pmmLi)

233 Mexico is (or was until recently) very religious. And it is also one of the most corrupt shitholes on the planet.
Posted by: Montec

A significant portion of Mexican's who identify as Catholic, practice Dia de Los Muertos. It's the Virgin Mary, Triune God plus. The plus part is what most outsiders are ignorant of. Think Day of the dead. Labeling a country as " religious " is just painting with a broad brush. Hard to produce a work of art with those tools.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * Invictus maneo at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM (aCGgG)

234 Good scientists: Elena Ceaucescu, Trofim Lysenko

-
Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today
@JordanSchachtel
Fauci went on MSNBC yesterday and declared, "in my career, I've been involved in saving, literally, millions of lives."

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM (LxYHG)

235 > “The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.“


Hey Pope- open the wallet. Lots of poor sick naked hungry people to care for.

Posted by: DB - man of leisure suits at September 24, 2023 01:54 PM (geLO8)

236 >>Fauci went on MSNBC yesterday and declared, "in my career, I've been involved in saving, literally, millions of lives."

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks


he IS science made flesh

Posted by: DB - man of leisure suits at September 24, 2023 01:55 PM (geLO8)

237
I understand the NY DA James is going to indict the Cath Church for overstating their net worth.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM


NGU with a funny. But that gives me an idea.

Posted by: Fanny Willis at September 24, 2023 01:56 PM (enJYY)

238 well said CBD. But while younger, but still religious, I believed in an a very libertarian view. Not anarchy but darn near close. You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. Decades later and I realize that philosophy only works if we both have some level of moral thought. Without that you're just giving the wheel to a drunken teenager. And our nation is beginning to look like the teenager has side swiped a car and is heading for a cliff.

Posted by: Lancelot_Link at September 24, 2023 01:56 PM (5xvZ1)

239 Someone mentioned Ouray, CO in the book thread. It's great. Beautiful country. Several hot springs, waterfalls, caves, the works. Gorgeous.

Just watch out for the Indians. Literally. They aren't particularly hostile there, but they wander around drunk on the highway. Even saw two of 'em playing Frisbee in the road once. At dusk. Weird people.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 24, 2023 01:56 PM (0FoWg)

240 Buffett became a billionaire based on his brand. Alough he wrote/performed many wonderful songs, he never had a #1 hit, and was technically a one-hit wonder (Margaritaville #7 on the charts).

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov, now, where does a war hero get some lubrication around here? at September 24, 2023 01:57 PM (nnp+f)

241 >Someone mentioned Ouray, CO in the book thread. It's great. Beautiful country. Several hot springs, waterfalls, caves, the works. Gorgeous.


the road from Ouray to Silverton is great fun on a large American-made motorcycle

no guardrails though, so stay sharp

Posted by: DB - man of leisure suits at September 24, 2023 01:59 PM (geLO8)

242 We know of a kid who was named "Tsunami"

-
A Boy named Tsu.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at September 24, 2023 02:01 PM (LxYHG)

243 and of course, I comment and a new thread appears

Posted by: DB - man of leisure suits at September 24, 2023 02:01 PM (geLO8)

244 “The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.“
------
I understand the NY DA James is going to indict the Cath Church for overstating their net worth.
Posted by: Nevergiveup at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM (pmmLi)

Last I heard, NFL operates at a loss every year.

Funny how you can hide money (or have it distributed among your kids) when the government is on your side.

Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 02:01 PM (o4YPe)

245 First at nood, first at piece

Posted by: Skip at September 24, 2023 02:01 PM (fwDg9)

246 In the Great War Japan was on the side of the allies.
At the end they 'won' Germany's territories in the Pacific, most of Micronesia (Flyspeck) Islands.

Japan was doing a lot of developmental work early on. Japan also had a lot of missionaries go in because they thought the locals needed to update their religion. Most of the missionaries were east coast protestants (USA) because Japan fvelt that western religion was more appropriate than the eastern traditions.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at September 24, 2023 02:02 PM (ga8qR)

247 230 “The net worth of the Catholic Church is estimated at 30 billion dollars.“

Guess again!
Posted by: St Lawrence at September 24, 2023 01:50 PM (Gs3JA)

The art collection is worth more than that.

Posted by: Bilwis Devourer of Innocent Souls, I'm starvin' over here at September 24, 2023 02:09 PM (z+89e)

248 Last I heard, NFL operates at a loss every year.

Funny how you can hide money (or have it distributed among your kids) when the government is on your side.
Posted by: BurtTC at September 24, 2023 02:01 PM (o4YPe)

A movie can gross $750m and still be a loss for the purposes of paying taxes,

Posted by: Montec at September 24, 2023 02:11 PM (hjwEO)

249 Mexico is (or was until recently) very religious. And it is also one of the most corrupt shitholes on the planet.
Posted by: Montec

A significant portion of Mexican's who identify as Catholic, practice Dia de Los Muertos. It's the Virgin Mary, Triune God plus. The plus part is what most outsiders are ignorant of. Think Day of the dead. Labeling a country as " religious " is just painting with a broad brush. Hard to produce a work of art with those tools.
Posted by: Sock Monkey * Invictus maneo at September 24, 2023 01:52 PM (aCGgG)

A man who grew up in central Mexico and still lives there told me many cartel members worship demons and still call themselves Catholic. And I was completely ignorant of the 1920s Mexican constitituational change that outlawed Catholic churches throughout the entire country and their subsequent slaughter of thousands of priests, nuns, and worshippers.

Posted by: LASue at September 24, 2023 02:24 PM (llS7k)

250 Just like Lefty women think the worst of men because Lefty men ARE the worst of men, I have to wonder how many people who are rejecting religion, have never really been around religious people.

Posted by: G'rump928(c) at September 24, 2023 02:58 PM (aD39U)

251 Duke I'm praying for your family and you.

Posted by: NC Ref at September 24, 2023 04:54 PM (fnmJK)

252 The “Christian” Left is as anti-Christian as can be, and their denominations are indistinguishable from the world. They don’t believe the Bible is the word of God, they deny that Jesus is the only way to salvation, they mock God at every turn on matters of sexuality, and more. So it makes sense that they will lose members. Why spend the time and money to go to a “church” that preaches the same thing as MSNBC?

Posted by: Eternity Matters at September 24, 2023 06:11 PM (MTm8X)

253 Jewish values are not Christian values.
More honest dialogue is needed between Christians , and Jews who need to accept responsibility for their own historical shortcomings. The term Judeo-Christian is an oxymoron.

Posted by: mmalt2000 at September 24, 2023 06:57 PM (e2Rew)

254 " but adherence to the moral code that governs behavior is perfectly acceptable in the absence of faith in God's existence."

No, no, no, no, NO! Absenting faith in God's existence makes morality purely a choice according to one's personal and situational expediency. You cannot have a moral code without God. Without God, you can only have convenience. That there exists something of a moral code in our society, even with the increasing number of nonbelievers, is due to our society still operating against a backdrop of the Judeo-Christian moral code given to us by God.

The article correctly points out that that moral backdrop is fast being extinguished. We can all see the insanity of the demons across out society - and the growth of such demonism directly correlates to the decline of belief in the God who established the moral code.

No, lack of belief in God is NOT acceptable, not if you want to have a societal moral code. Absenting God, such a code is impossible.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at September 24, 2023 11:10 PM (efql3)

255 Heⅼⅼo, Neat post. There is a pr᧐blem along with your web site in web explorer, would check
this? IE still is the marketplace chief and a huge portion of folks
wіll pass over your fɑntastic writing due to this problem.

Posted by: literal at September 25, 2023 02:29 PM (392RT)

256 The Dems all worship the State and Satan.

Posted by: Jane at September 25, 2023 05:44 PM (EcD5Y)

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