Biden says US outreach to Vietnam is about providing global stability, not containing China

Exclusive: Trump, Congress move to undo Biden-era ban on mining in northern Minnesota

By Ernest Scheyder

January 8, 20261:28 PM PST Updated January 8, 2026

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Trump administration and U.S. Congress are launching a plan this week to overturn former President Joe Biden's mining ban in northern Minnesota and prevent future administrations from taking similar steps, according to officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.

The move has been in development for much of the past year and involves a complex series of legislative steps that will benefit Antofagasta's (ANTO.L), opens new tab Twin Metals copper, cobalt and nickel project, one of North America's largest untapped reserves of those critical minerals.

Details of the plan have not previously been reported.

It marks a refocus of sorts by Trump on U.S. domestic mining projects, even as his administration continues to angle for access to minerals in Greenland, Ukraine and elsewhere.

The Minnesota plan is almost certain to further escalate tension over where and how to procure minerals crucial for the electrified economy and national defense. Copper, nickel and cobalt are used to build electric vehicles, AI data centers, wind turbines, weaponry and myriad other devices.

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD OMISSION

Biden in 2023 blocked mining on 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest for 20 years, citing environmental concerns and a belief that the region's economy would benefit more from recreational activity than mining.

The mining ban was filed in the Federal Register, which tracks actions by the executive branch, but not the Congressional Record, which tracks legislative moves and serves as an official notice to Congress.

Under a 1976 law known as the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act, a president is required to notify Congress of public land orders that affect more than 5,000 acres.

Because Biden did not file the notice in the Congressional Record, Trump's Interior Department is doing so now with the expectation that it will be rejected by Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives was informed earlier this week, opens new tab by the Interior Department. The notice was then sent to Vice President JD Vance, who is head of the U.S. Senate, and is under review by the U.S. Senate parliamentarian.

If approved by the parliamentarian, which is expected by Friday, Congress would have 60 days to approve or reject the plan with a simple majority. That vote would not be subject to a filibuster.

Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber, a Republican who represents northern Minnesota, plans by Friday to introduce legislation aiming to reject the mining ban. If Congress and Trump approve, which is expected in the Republican-controlled body, a future president could not replicate Biden's ban because of a provision in the 1996 Congressional Review Act.

Save the Boundary Waters, a conservation group, said Stauber was using an unprecedented approach to try to force the mine's approval.

"And for what? To benefit a Chilean mining company that sends its minerals to China, will destroy America's most visited wilderness area and leave the mess up to the American and Minnesotan taxpayers," said Ingrid Lyons, the group's executive director.

MINING LEASES COULD BE REISSUED

The complex legislative plan came together after efforts failed to include the measure in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," signed into law last July, congressional staffers said.

"We have industries here in our country that need these critical minerals. We must never rely on foreign adversaries like China for supply," Stauber, who is also chair of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, told Reuters.

The White House was not immediately available to comment.

If the mining ban is lifted, the Trump administration would then be free to reissue mining leases for Chile-based Antofagasta, which has been trying to develop the mine for decades on land controlled by the federal government. The mine would still need to undergo an environmental review and obtain permits.

Stauber said he has been told by the Trump administration that it is working on reissuing the leases, but he did not have additional details.

Antofagasta's Twin Metals unit said it expects to get the leases back in the near future and that it is "very appreciative of Congress for their efforts to overturn an unnecessary and detrimental action that locked out a significant domestic source of critical minerals."

The leases themselves have been a political hot potato since first issued in 1966. Former President Barack Obama took steps to block their re-issuance, before Trump renewed them in his first term, only to have Biden cancel them.

No mining has taken place at the site.

TENSIONS BETWEEN MINING, OUTDOOR RECREATION

The underground Twin Metals mine would, if built, be a major U.S. source of copper, cobalt and nickel. The only existing U.S. nickel mine is set to close later this decade.

The region is visited each year by more than 150,000 outdoor enthusiasts, many of whom have long feared that any mine disaster could pollute rivers and quickly spread through the 1.1 million acres of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and into the Great Lakes.

Antofagasta has long said it would use the most advanced equipment to protect the environment.

Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Veronica Brown and Nia Williams

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-congress-move-undo-biden-era-ban-mining-northern-minnesota-2026-01-08/

I began by attending Fordham University in the Bronx, mostly because I wanted to be close to home. I got along very well with the Jesuits who ran the school, but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in. At the time, if you were going to make a career in business, Wharton was the place to go. Harvard Business School may produce a lot of CEOs—guys who manage public companies— but the real entrepreneurs all seemed to go to Wharton: Saul Steinberg, Leonard Lauder, Ron Perelman—the list goes on and on."

Donald Trump The Art of the Deal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DLcbnLrl6moQT7nGj1JitG6AiQ6qgK0y/view?usp=sharing

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden

The university has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in red and blue lights.

Author: WNEP Web Staff

Published: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

Updated: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

SCRANTON, Pa. — In preparation for President Joe Biden's visit, a university lit up their lights in his honor.

The University of Scranton has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in blue and red with the number 46 prominently displayed to welcome the 46th president."

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden | wnep.com

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/university-of-scranton-welcomes-president-biden-gateway-lights/523-cdba68b1-822b-4747-94be-4cd7e4de9d67

"His son, Hunter Biden, 38, is a longtime federal lobbyist for the Jesuit university located in his father's hometown, Scranton PA. According to federal disclosures, Hunter Biden has been earning about $80,000 a year since 2006 to lobby for this university. Senator Biden himself has lectured at the Jesuit University of Scranton, and received an honorary degree from the same university, in 1976."

Codeword Barbelon

by P.D. Stuart

Biden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

England

Ireland

Scotland

Etymology of Biden

What does the name Biden mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Biden comes from when its first bearer worked as a maker of buttons. The surname Biden is a metonymic name derived from the Old French word boton, which means button. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old English "bi" + "dun," collectively meaning "dweller by the down." 2

Early Origins of the Biden family

The surname Biden was first found in Hampshire and later in Gloucestershire and Somerset. Lower says the family can be traced to the 13th century in Hampshire where Sir Walter de Button was progenitor of the family about 1216 A.D. 3 The family had flourished for several centuries in that county, intermarrying with many distinguished families, supplementing their estates with marriages of the heiresses of the Furneaux, Bryan, Turbevilles, Bassets and others.

According to the Pipe Rolls of 1177, Trihon Bidon held lands there at that time and over one hundred years later, William Bidun was listed in Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279. 2

William of Bitton I (d. 1264,) also listed as William Button was a medieval Bishop of Bath and Wells. His nephews included another William of Bitton (d. 1274,) was also Bishop of Bath and Wells; and William's brother, a Thomas of Bitton (d. 1307,) an Archdeacon and Dean of Wells, and later Bishop of Exeter (1291-1307). 4

Further to the north in Scotland, "Walter de Bydun witnessed King David's gift of Rindelgros (i.e. Rhind in Perthshire) to the Abbey of Reading c. 1143-47. He or a succeeding Walter appears several times as chancellor of Scotland between c. 1165 and 1178, and as a witness to royal charters. A twelfth century pedigree of the family is given in Pipe Roll Society Publications, vol. xxxv, p. xliii." 5

Biden Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Biden include Button, Bitton, Buttoner, Buton, Biton, Buttons, Boutin, Bouttin, Bouton, Boutton, Budden, Buddan, Boudin, Bouddin, Buttan, Buddon, Buddin, Butten, Buttin, Butting, Budding, Buttane and many more.

Early Notables of the Biden family

John Budden (1566-1620), Professor of civil law at Oxford, son of John Budden of Canford, Dorsetshire; Sir William Button, 1st Baronet (1584-1655), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1629, supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; John Button (died 1665), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1625 and 1648, he fought on the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War; Ralph Button (died 1680), an English academic and clergyman, Gresham Professor of Geometry, canon of Christ Church, Oxford; and John Button (1624-1679), an English...

Another 104 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

 Migration of the Biden family to Ireland

Some of the Biden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

 Biden migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Biden or a variant listed above:

Biden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Biden, who landed in New York in 1825 6

Juan Bte Biden, aged 18, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1846 6

M Biden, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Biden (post 1700) +

Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr. (b. 1942), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Senator from Delaware, 1973-2009; Resigned 2009; Candidate for Democratic Nomination for President, 1988, 2008; Vice President of the United States, 46th President of the United States (2021-) 7

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (b. 1951), née Jacobs, an American educator, First Lady of the United States (2021-), Second Lady of the United States (2009-2017)

Robert Hunter Biden (b. 1970), American lawyer and investment advisor who is the second son of United States President Joe Biden

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (1969-2015), American attorney, an officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG), 44th Attorney General of Delaware (2007-2015), son of President Joe Biden

Ashley Blazer Biden (b. 1981), American social worker, activist, philanthropist, and fashion designer, son of President Joe Biden

Edmund Preston Biden (1898-1959), birth name of Preston Sturges, an American Academy Award winning playwright, screenwriter, and film director

https://www.houseofnames.com/biden-family-crest

Origin and history of hunter

hunter(n.)

"one who engages in the chase of game or other wild animals," mid-13c. (attested in place names from late 12c.), from hunt + -er (1). The Old English word was hunta, Middle English hunte. The hunter's moon (1710) is the next full moon after the harvest moon.

also from mid-13c.

Entries linking to hunter

hunt(v.)

Old English huntian "chase game" (transitive and intransitive), perhaps developed from hunta "hunter," and related to hentan "to seize," from Proto-Germanic *huntojan (source also of Gothic hinþan "to seize, capture," Old High German hunda "booty"), which is of uncertain origin.

Not the usual Germanic word for this, which is represented by Dutch jagen, German jagen (see yacht (n.)). General sense of "search diligently" (for anything) is recorded from c. 1200. Related: Hunted; hunting. To hunt (something) up "search for until found" is from 1791. Parlor game hunt the slipper is attested from 1766.

head-hunter(n.)

also headhunter, 1800, "a savage who raids for the purpose of procuring human heads as trophies or for use in religious ceremonies," from head (n.) + hunter. Extended sense "person who finds and recruits desirable workers employed elsewhere to fill job positions" is suggested or in occasional use from 1918, frequent from 1961. Related: Head-hunting (1817).

https://www.etymonline.com/word/hunter

Biden says US outreach to Vietnam is about providing global stability, not containing China

By  JOSH BOAK and AAMER MADHANI

Updated 6:41 PM PST, September 10, 2023

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday his visit to Vietnam to showcase stronger ties with Hanoi was not about trying to start a “cold war” with China, but rather was part of a broader effort to provide global stability by building U.S. relationships throughout Asia at a time of tensions with Beijing.

“It’s not about containing China,” Biden said at a news conference in Vietnam’s capital after attending the Group of 20 summit in India. “It’s about having a stable base.”

The American president came to Hanoi as Vietnam was elevating the United States to its highest diplomatic status, comprehensive strategic partner. That is evidence of how far the relationship has evolved from what Biden referred to as the “bitter past” of the Vietnam War.

The expanded partnership reflects a broader effort across Asia to counter China’s influence. Biden has said Vietnam wants to flex a degree of independence, and U.S. companies are seeking an alternative to imports from Chinese factories. He is pursuing possible allies while also trying to soothe tensions with China.

“I think we think too much in ... cold war terms,” Biden said at his news conference. “It’s not about that. It’s about generating economic growth and stability in all parts of the world. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

He added: “We have an opportunity to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability. That’s what this trip is all about.”

Biden opened his news conference by saying he had “traveled around the world in five days,” from Washington to New Delhi and now Hanoi, showcasing efforts by his administration to forge alliances. The president will stop in Alaska on the way home Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

In response to one question, Biden told reporters he had met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang while in India. The contact is the highest-level interaction between U.S. and Chinese officials since Biden and China’s president, Xi Jinping, held talks at last year’s G20 in Indonesia. Xi skipped the India talks and sent Li in his place.

“We talked about stability. ... It wasn’t confrontational at all,” Biden said.

The exchange, between G20 sessions Saturday, was brief, according to a senior Biden administration official. It was not clear who approached whom, but Biden was interested in seeing Li and underscoring his desire to stabilize the up-and-down relationship between the two countries, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Biden went into meetings with Vietnam’s leaders after his arrival in the country. He welcomed the new partnership and said he hoped for progress on climate, the economy and other issues during his 24-hour stop in Hanoi.

“We can trace a 50-year arc of progress between our nations from conflict to normalization to this new elevated status,” Biden said with Nguyễn Phú Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, at party headquarters.

Biden has described himself as being part of the “Vietnam generation” although he did not serve in a war. He was given five draft deferments and was exempted from military service because he had asthma as a teenager.

Biden called Vietnam “a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community.” He noted that veterans such as John Kerry, his climate czar, and the late John McCain, a Vietnam POW and Republican senator from Arizona, found ways to build a relationship with Vietnam after the war.

“Both men saw so clearly, as I and so many others did, how much we had to gain by working together to overcome a bitter past,” he said.

Trong pledged that his country will work hard to implement the agreement. “Only then can we say it is a success,“ he pledged.

Biden described the U.S. and Vietnam as “critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time.” Neither leader specifically discussed how China’s economic and geopolitical rise had contributed to their countries’ expanded partnership, yet it was hard to explain the mutual embrace without Beijing’s growing influence.

Vietnam previously bestowed the same level of relations on China and Russia. Elevating the U.S. suggests that Vietnam wants to hedge its friendships as U.S. and European companies look for alternatives to Chinese factories.

With China’s economic slowdown and Xi’s consolidation of political power, Biden sees an opportunity to bring more nations, including Vietnam and Cambodia, into America’s orbit.

Biden was welcomed upon his arrival in Vietnam with a pomp-filled ceremony outside the mustard-colored Presidential Palace. Schoolchildren lined the steps and waved American and Vietnam flags. Biden watched from an elevated review stand as high-stepping members of the military marched past.

Biden and Trong both expressed happiness over seeing each other again after last meeting some eight years ago in Washington. Biden was vice president at that time.

Trong had some flattering words for Biden, who is running for reelection next year and faces persistent questions at home about his age.

“You have nary aged a day, and I would say you look even better than before,” Trong said. “I would say every feature of you, Mr. President, is complimenting your image.” Biden chuckled at that.

But the packed schedule and jet lag appeared to take a toll on the 80-year-old president, who wrapped up his news conference saying “I’m going to go to bed.”

Jon Finer, Biden’s principal deputy national security adviser, addressed reports that Vietnam was pursuing a deal to buy weapons from Russia, even as Hanoi is seeking stronger relations with the U.S. Finer acknowledged Vietnam’s lengthy military relationship with Russia. He said the U.S. continues to work with Vietnam and other countries that have similar ties to Russia to try to limit their interactions with Moscow, which Washington accuses of committing war crimes and violating international law with its aggression in Ukraine.

U.S. trade with Vietnam has already accelerated but there are limits to how much further it can grow without improvements to the country’s infrastructure, its workers’ skills and its governance. Nor has increased trade automatically put the Vietnamese economy on an upward trajectory.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that the CEOs she talks with rank Vietnam highly as a place to diversify supply chains that, before the coronavirus pandemic, had been overly dependent on China.

American imports of Vietnamese goods have nearly doubled since 2019 to $127 billion annually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But it is unlikely that Vietnam, with its population of 100 million, can match the scale of Chinese manufacturing. In 2022, China, with 1.4 billion people, exported four times as many goods to the U.S. as did Vietnam.

—-

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-vietnam-status-china-trade-ac8f9dd899f77910c42295769d3fedb6

Joseph and Sharon Robinson

PHOXX Mfg.

P.O. Box 716

200 S. Broadway

Linton, North Dakota 58552

Email: phoxbek@bektel.com

Authorized service center for Crosman, Benjamin-Sheridan Manufacture of .380 ga. Shotshells for Crosman 1100 Trapmaster

PHOXX Airguns

2995N 1050E

North Ogden, UT 84414

801-737-5932

Email: kifa1@attbi.com

Warranty repair station for Benjamin-Sheridan and Crosman. Fast turn around time. "Scout" Air rifles and custom trigger jobs on Benjamin C9, 397,392,F9 series. As close as UPS. Call before shipping.

https://www.airguns.net/service_repair.php

Info Brock Law

Wed, Dec 31, 2025, 8:01 AM (9 days ago)

to me

Good Morning, 

Mr. Dunn, I am in RECEIPT of your email regarding your upcoming hearing.  You are scheduled to appear before the Third Judicial District Court in Yerington on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. The Courthouse is located at 911 Harvey Way, Yerington, Nevada.  We ask that you be at the Courthouse by 8:15 a.m.  Mr. Brock will meet you upstairs, you are welcome to take a wait on the bench outside of the Public Defender offices.

If you have any questions, please let me know. 

Thank you!

-Cristal

Subject:

Rusty

"Joe Robinson" phoxbek@bektel.com "Susan & Rusty Dunn" kifa1@attbi.com Tuesday, June 24, 2003 8:00 PM Re: good drink

I guess we'll have to send you a bottle and see if you like it first, or you can always drive up here and try it in person. :)

Joe wrote up the receipt for Red Eye, but not for Apple Pie.

But first: The 118 if your buying $50.00, if your selling $125.00

RED EYE:

3 cups sugar

Heat sugar in pan until melted (do not allow to burn)

Add 3 cups water, stir until water and sugar mix.

DO THIS PART CAREFULLY

Add 11 more cups water, stir and let cool down. This mix will look like tea. When cool add the juice from a jar of Cherries and 1 bottle of 190.

Bottle

up and let set 5 days to cure.

If any questions, just call, maybe then he'll give you the RECEIPT for Apple Pie. hehehehe

Sharon

To: phoxbek@bektel.com

Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:32 PM Subject: good drink

Joe

Could you please e-mail me the way to make RED EYE, also what you think a cr. 118 .22 repeater is worth.

thanks

Rusty

6/24/2003

Info Brock Law <info@brocklawnevada.com>

Attachments

Mon, Oct 20, 2025, 12:40 PM

to me

Good Morning, 

Mr. Dunn, we hope this email finds you well. 

This email serves to inform you that your case has been transferred to the Fernley Justice Court and you are scheduled to appear on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 8:00 a.m.

Can you confirm that you have received this email?

--

Kind Regards,

Brock Law, LTD.

phone: (775)993-9683

email: info@brocklawnevada.com

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 222

Winnemucca, Nevada 89446

NOTICE:  This communication, including any attachments, may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.  Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the recipient is strictly prohibited by the electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521.  If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.

When enough Papists that support Robert FRANCIS Prevost Pope Leo XIV are arrested charged and convicted then Robert Prevost retires by 2027-2028 for Cardinal Louis Sako from Baghdad to be elected Pope at the Roman Vatican, of course, this has nothing to do with my case despite being named FRANCIS, you need to repent for being intellectually dishonest, this isn't an opinion this is the truth, both Kale Brock and Samuel Figueroa, you are smarter than what you have been portraying and neither of you give your clients a fair voice despite what you advertise and have cause painful emotional torment in people that did not deserve your treatment, you did abuse the law now repent for the kingdom of God is now!

BILL DUNN

PHOXX

2031 Lonnie Lane Dayton, NV 89403

(775) 241-2711

Crosman Air Guns

BENJAMIN/SHERIDAN

Factory Authorized

Warranty & Repair Center

HOURS: 9:00-5:30 TUESDAY - SATURDAY, CLOSED SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS

OLD GUN SPECIALIST

- WE BUY OR TRADE GUNS -

William FRANCIS Dunn IV

2031 Lonnie Lane Dayton Nevada 89403

Social Security Number: 557-73-0018

DOB: November 12 1980

red birthmark right wrist

As per numerology, 666 when added comes to 9, a tricky number that stands for greediness, and natural disasters. But 9 (6+6+6+18=1+8=9 is also the number of Mars (Mangal) which means extra energy which can either make or break. It is impulsive, restless, stubborn and inflexible,' adds Jumaani.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad-times/666-the-devil-or-cupid/articleshow/1621141.cms#

Revelation 13:18

New International Version

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number"

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013

ROME Survey Page Social Security Administration

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/lp/landing-page-rome.html

Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man's origin.

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie

Timeline: Ban on Blacks for Priesthood and Temple Ordinances

https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/bantimeline

On June 15, Giffords was released from the hospital to return home, where she continued speech, music, physical and occupational therapy.[90] Having learned the French horn as a child, she picked it up again as part of her music therapy, an experience she described in a speech endorsing JOE Biden's presidential bid at the 2020 Democratic presidential convention.[91]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabby_Giffords

Biden was scheduled to travel to Rome on Thursday, where the White House said earlier in the day that he’d meet with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Biden also had been set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in Rome for what was likely to be their final meeting of Biden’s presidency.

During the trip, Biden had planned “to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world, including Pope Francis’ work to alleviate suffering for vulnerable communities,” national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a virtual gaggle Wednesday previewing the travel.

And in his meeting with Italy’s leaders, he was expected to “highlight the close and enduring bilateral relationship,” Kirby said, while thanking Meloni for her leadership as president of the G7 and highlighting a new agreement that will see the G7 disburse $50 billion in loans to Ukraine.

The first lady was expected to travel with the president and meet with World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain around a new announcement surging humanitarian assistance to what the White House says will “deal with many of the worst crises facing the world.”

It’s not the first time domestic issues have forced the president to upend foreign travel. In October, Biden postponed a scheduled trip to Germany and Angola as Hurricane Milton made landfall.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/politics/biden-cancels-rome-italy-trip-wildfires-california

The St. Joseph's Cathedral[1] (Arabic: كاتدرائية القديس يوسف) or Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph[2] or Church of the Latins (Arabic: كنيسة اللاتين) or Church of the Virgin Lady (Arabic: كنيسة السيدة العذراء),[3] is a Catholic cathedral located on al-Jumhuriya Street in Baghdad,[4][5] the capital of Iraq.

Because it is in the jurisdiction of the Latin Church, it is sometimes called the Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph in order to distinguish it from the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph dedicated to the same saint but belonging to the Chaldean Catholic Church (also in communion with the Holy See). St. Joseph's functions as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Baghdad (Bagdathensis Latinorum) which was established in 1643 as a diocese and elevated to its present status in 1848.

The Cathedral's churchyard also contains the tomb of Anastase-Marie al-Karmali (1866–1947), Iraqi Catholic priest and Discalced Carmelite friar, as well as lexicologist, lexicographer, and philologist of the Arabic language.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Cathedral_of_St._Joseph

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

RAPHAEL Gamaliel Warnock[1] (/ˈrɑːfiɛl ˈwɔːrnɒk/ RAH-fee-el WOR-nok; born July 23, 1969) is an American politician and Baptist pastor serving as the junior United States senator from Georgia, a seat he has held since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Warnock has been the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005.[2][3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Warnock

Sako Limited (natively Sako Oy)[1] is a Finnish firearm and ammunition manufacturer located in Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme in southern Finland. It also has owned the Tikka brand of bolt-action rifles since 1983, and is now owned by the Italian firearm holding company Beretta Holding. The name Sako comes from the company's former name Suojeluskuntain Ase- ja Konepaja Oy (lit. 'Civil Guard Gun and Machining Works Ltd').

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAKO

Joe Biden and the long shadow of the Vietnam War

June 25, 2024

Thomas A. Schwartz

Themes: America

Joe Biden's political career began during the Vietnam War and the shadow of that conflict has profoundly shaped his view of America's role in the world over the five decades since.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, March 2021. Credit: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

Joe Biden and Jill Biden at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, March 2021. Credit: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

When Joe Biden ran for president in 2020, few candidates could match his foreign policy experience. Along with the assignments he had handled as vice-president, Biden could point to his more than three decades of membership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, having joined just after the end of the Vietnam War, and he chaired that legislative institution during the first and last years of the George W. Bush administration. Biden had also been a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and travelled widely, meeting many foreign leaders, including Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

Biden’s biographer, the journalist Jules Witcover, once wrote: ‘In this whole range of engagements abroad, Biden came off as impressively well-versed in the history and the complications of the world of international diplomacy and conflict.’ More recently, his close ally Senator Chris Murphy remarked: ‘He’s got fluency on foreign policy that gives him confidence – he knows he can win the argument. It allows him to act with boldness and confidence, even when a decision he’s making may be ripe for political criticism.’

Biden entered American politics as a senator from Delaware in 1973, having won election at the age of only 29. The arc of his career tracks American power through the Cold War, the unipolar moment, the War on Terror and the return of great power politics. In looking for the roots of Biden’s thinking and approach to foreign affairs, most commentators focus on his later years, especially his prominent role as a senator during the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and then his support and later criticisms of the George W. Bush administration’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yet Biden’s lengthy career in foreign relations began as America was seeking to extricate itself from the Vietnam War, and that conflict and its lessons played an essential part in the development of Biden’s approach to US foreign policy. In April 2024, Biden reflected to an interviewer: ‘I hope my legacy is that I kept my word. I said that the reason I was running was to help the life of ordinary people and reduce the prospect of war… because of Vietnam.’

No American president served in the Vietnam War, but all who have held the office since have grappled with its legacy as they approach the issues of foreign policy, conflict, and America’s standing in the world. It was a war in which the optimism, military power and technological prowess of the United States were thwarted by a small insurgency in South-east Asia. Nearly 60,000 Americans died, part of an estimated one and a half million people who were killed in the war.

Even a half-century after its end in 1973, the Vietnam War echoes in contemporary politics. The uncle of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the major third-party challenger in the 2024 election, was John F. Kennedy, the president who began America’s military commitment in Vietnam; his father was assassinated in 1968 while running a presidential campaign built on opposition to US involvement in the war. Neither Biden nor Donald Trump, the major presidential candidates, served in Vietnam, but they came of age amid the conflict and resulting social upheaval. Both Biden’s and Trump’s advanced ages mean that 2024 could be the last election fought in the long shadow of the Vietnam conflict – the passing of an era in American history.

Biden’s attitude towards the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese people in the 1970s is an important foreshadowing of his attitudes toward the end of American involvement in Afghanistan, the conflict in Ukraine, and the crisis in Gaza. Biden did not enter politics in 1972 promising an idealistic vision of America’s future, and his career is marked by episodes of calculated caution and restraint. His actions in the era of the Vietnam War showed him as a conventional and often superficial thinker on foreign policy, attuned closely to the tide of public opinion and inclined to tailor his positions accordingly. At the same time, they also reveal Biden’s self-styled position as a cold-blooded realist about America’s ‘interests’ – an attempt to distinguish himself from the moralist rhetoric of his Democratic party rivals. The total result is less a picture of ‘boldness and confidence’, as Murphy argued, and more what one critic calls ‘a continuing pattern of indecision from this president, a man who wants the popularity and adulation of the job and who often seeks some middle path that ends up satisfying no one’.

Biden was born in November 1942, as the United States joined the Second World War and stood on the cusp of its supremacy in the West. By the 1960s, amid the Civil Rights revolution and the escalation in Vietnam – where the United States supported and then fought with its ally, South Vietnam, against a Communist insurgency – domestic upheaval swelled. Although Biden has, more recently, sought to make himself out as someone who participated in the great social movements of the 1960s, he was anything but an activist in his youth. Raised in a moderately prosperous, Catholic family in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden began his first campaign for the presidency in 1987 with a frank admission about himself in the 1960s: ‘I wore sports coats. You’re looking at a middle-class guy. I am who I am. I’m not big on flak jackets and tie-dyed shirts and – you know, that’s not me.’

Over two million Americans were drafted in the Vietnam War, but a combination of student deferments and his asthma kept Biden out of the military – though he had played American football through high school and college. Biden’s friends recalled him as opposed to the Vietnam War but preoccupied with finishing his law degree in Syracuse, New York. His long-time political adviser Ted Kaufmann described him as ‘more of a system person rather than working outside the system. He wore a sports jacket, not a flak jacket’. In fact, Biden later confessed he had a certain contempt for demonstrators. He recalled walking with law-school classmates to a local pizza shop and seeing antiwar protestors hanging out of an administrative building they had occupied. ‘We looked up and said, “Look at those assholes.” That’s how far apart I was from the antiwar movement.’

Biden was first elected to a city council position in 1970 but soon turned his focus on higher office. He had, writes Witcover, ‘a knack for finding the political centre of gravity’, and that meant denouncing the, by then, very unpopular Vietnam War.

Referencing Richard Nixon’s expressed hope for a ‘generation of peace’, Biden declared during his campaign for the Senate: ‘For God’s sake, stop the Madison Avenue, sugar-coated garbage. Don’t talk about a generation of peace when every day hundreds of planes cut through the skies of Indochina, and countless women and children and old men run from their liberators, their flesh burned with napalm – while the soul of America rises in torment and a generation of Americans believe that “foreign policy” means only body counts and rubble in what once were peaceful hamlets.’

Biden’s rhetoric paralleled that of George McGovern, the Democrat presidential nominee in 1972, with an emphasis on emotional and moral arguments against the war. ‘We were being told the war in Vietnam was winding down, but the casualties were arriving at Delaware’s doorstep. Every week young American men were being shipped to the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in body bags.’ Biden continued: ‘How many mothers lay awake at night wondering how their sons might return, and wondering what exactly they were risking their lives for?’

Biden later claimed in his memoirs that: ‘I didn’t argue that the war in Vietnam was immoral; it was merely stupid and a horrendous waste of time, money, and lives based on a flawed premise.’ This was convenient amnesia from Biden and part of his effort to portray himself as a sensible foreign policy realist. As he campaigned for the Senate, Biden, like many Democrats in 1972, recognised that even though Nixon had withdrawn most American troops and casualties had been greatly reduced, the moral argument against America’s involvement would mobilise young voters.

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in July 1971, granted the vote to younger people and Biden’s narrow, upset victory against Republican Senator Caleb Boggs owed a great deal to his mobilising the newly enfranchised 18- to 21-year-old voters and their opposition to the war in Vietnam. Thomas Vallely, a South-east Asia expert who knew Biden for decades and would later arrange his trip to Vietnam as president stated plainly: ‘He’s a senator because of antiwar sentiment.’ Although Biden adjusted his views over time, with a keen eye on public opinion and sentiment within his own party, Biden never forgot that his entry into national politics had been delivered by his opposition to the war.

After his victory in the Senate race, personal tragedy – his wife’s and daughter’s death in a car accident, and the injuries to his two sons – kept Biden in a low political profile for the next two years. He was, however, a co-sponsor, along with most of his Democrat colleagues, of the War Powers Act of 1973, which sought to restrict a president’s power to deploy American forces overseas.

In 1975 Biden lobbied for, and was granted, a highly sought-after seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is not too speculative to argue that Biden’s desire to be on the committee reflected developing presidential ambitions, as the significance of foreign policy issues during the Cold War afforded such senators national media attention.

Biden received his first moment in the spotlight in April 1975, as South Vietnam was collapsing under the North Vietnamese invasion. President Gerald Ford’s administration made an emergency request for $722 million of military assistance to help stabilise the situation and enable the Saigon government to resist the North Vietnamese onslaught sweeping down the peninsula. General Frederick Weyand, chief of staff of the United States army, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the money would give the Vietnamese a chance, but Biden proclaimed to reporters after the meeting: ‘I think it’s hopeless.’ A week later, on 14 April, in what at the time set an extraordinary precedent, President Ford met personally with the committee to push for assistance, now conceding that some of the money would have to be used to evacuate Americans and Vietnamese.

When Biden ran for president, he exploited and exaggerated his role in the unprecedented meeting. He championed his antiwar credentials by saying that he was the only member of the committee who asked tough questions of Ford and, from that, helped end the conflict. ‘Everybody played patty cake – everybody went down and said, “Yes Mr. President, no Mr. President.” They were very polite.’

Biden claimed that he challenged Ford in the meeting, saying: ‘Mr. President, what is the plan?’ During his run for the presidency in 1987, Biden argued that his questioning of Ford prevented the United States from intervening again in Vietnam. ‘I did more in that meeting than a lot of people did that marched,’ he stated. ‘I ran for office, got elected to the United States Senate at 29, and came down here and was one of those votes that helped stop the war. And I’m proud of it.’

The archival transcript of the meeting is much less dramatic and reveals Biden’s exaggeration of his role. His primary concern was only for evacuating Americans as soon as possible. In responding to Ford’s comment on getting Americans and possibly 175,000 Vietnamese out, Biden complained that Assistant Secretary of State Phillip Habib had promised the committee a plan to get Americans out and that ‘nothing has happened’. In his view, Biden wanted a plan for evacuating Americans and considered the question of the Vietnamese and military aid for Saigon as separate. ‘I will vote for any amount for getting the Americans out. I don’t want it mixed with getting the Vietnamese out.’

Leaving the meeting, Biden appeared on the nightly news on all three television channels – preserved for the historical record by the Vanderbilt Television News Archive. Biden proclaimed that it would be a ‘cold day in hell’ when he would vote for the administration’s request and emphasised that he felt no ‘moral obligation’ to assist the Vietnamese with evacuations. Showing a propensity for hyperbole, Biden told reporters: ‘I don’t want another Gulf of Tonkin Resolution,’ referring to the resolution Congress had passed overwhelmingly in 1964 to support Lyndon Johnson’s bombing of North Vietnam, which opened a new phase in America’s war. It was an odd comparison given the context, but it appealed to the more than 80 per cent of Americans who opposed any more money for the war in Vietnam.

Saigon and the South Vietnamese government fell on 30 April 1975. Joe Biden voted against Ford’s request for refugee assistance appropriations, both for Vietnam and Cambodia. ‘I’m getting sick and tired of hearing about morality, our moral obligation,’ Biden remarked. ‘There’s a point when you are incapable of meeting moral obligations that exist worldwide.’

Considering the well-documented suffering of many Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees after the communist takeover, and the dangers for those who stayed, Biden’s position seems unusually callous. It was, however, the popular stance. Polls showed that most Americans wanted to wash their hands of Vietnam and there was significant opposition to assistance for refugees. Biden also connected his position on the president’s actions with the recently passed War Powers Act, which limited the president’s direct control of military action, arguing that the legislation did not permit the president to use American forces to assist the Vietnamese. He justified his vote against refugee assistance because the president had not informed Congress about the number of refugees that would be brought to the United States.

Nearly 50 years later, the chaos that ensued after Biden’s withdrawal of the American military from Afghanistan carried echoes of the fall of Saigon. It is hard not to see in Biden’s approach to the Vietnamese fleeing the communists a foreshadowing of his relative indifference to the desperation of Afghans who feared the rule of the Taliban.

Over the next years, Biden took an active role in foreign policy issues, especially those involving the Atlantic alliance and US-Soviet issues in the Cold War. He relished the opportunity to involve himself in important foreign policy questions, such as the negotiations over the SALT-II treaty, and he met frequently with foreign leaders, including German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Biden frequently invoked Vietnam as an analogy to warn of the dangers of an unrestricted commitment to an issue beyond what he perceived as being in America’s core national interests. As early as October 1975 he voted against an American role in guaranteeing an Israeli-Egyptian agreement over the Sinai – occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 – complaining about ‘binding agreements’ made by the president without consultation with Congress.

In the 1980s he was a vocal member of the Democratic party’s opposition to Reagan’s foreign policy, at one point calling the Strategic Defense Initiative ‘one of the most reckless and irresponsible acts in the history of modern statecraft’. He also developed a friendship with fellow senator, and former prisoner of war in Vietnam, John McCain, and the two men travelled abroad together. Biden played no role, however, in McCain’s efforts to normalise relations with Vietnam, and never accompanied him on his frequent visits there. According to his biographer, one of the topics that the two men never discussed was McCain’s time in a North Vietnamese prison, the so-called ‘Hanoi Hilton’, and the torture to which he was subjected.

Throughout his life, Joe Biden expressed a particular antagonism toward Henry Kissinger, who in their first meeting – when Kissinger was secretary of state – had mispronounced his name as ‘Bid-den,’ to which Biden responded by calling Kissinger, ‘Secretary Dulles’.

After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Kissinger testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and argued that a perception of a weak commitment by the United States to the Persian Gulf would undermine regional stability and America’s allies in the region. Biden turned folksy and quipped: ‘Boy, oh boy, here we go again.’

‘I came to the Senate in 1972 because I was so tired of hearing that we were unknowingly playing into the hands of Ho Chi Minh when we disagreed with [Nixon] administration policy,’ Biden told Kissinger in the hearing. ‘Now I hear today we are unknowingly playing into the hands of Saddam Hussein.’ Just like in Vietnam, Biden argued, no one had ‘laid out clearly what our vital interests are sufficient to have 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 Americans killed. I have not heard that one yet.’ Biden went on to join ten of his Senate Democratic colleagues in voting unsuccessfully against the Joint Resolution authorising President George H. W. Bush to go to war to liberate Kuwait. The measure passed 52-47.

The rapid success of the Gulf War may have been a political liability for Biden and influenced his decision not to challenge Bush for the presidency in 1992. However, his position on the conflict was not unpopular at the time, especially among Democrats.

To some extent, just as George H.W. Bush hoped that success in the Gulf War helped America ‘kick the Vietnam syndrome’, during the 1990s Biden shifted with his party and became more supportive of using military force after the end of the Cold War. He was particularly outspoken about preventing ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, becoming one of the first senators to label Serbian actions as genocide and arguing for US military intervention.

In the 1990s, when the United States was the undoubted hegemon, Biden was more comfortable with the hard edge of American power. In a 1994 interview, he told the journalist Charlie Rose: ‘The truth of the matter is no one doubts our power… No one is going to fool around with the 800-pound gorilla.’ Yet Biden retained a realism toward people and areas beyond America’s urgent national interest. He contrasted the possibility of intervention in the former Yugoslavia and Haiti – where the United States deposed the military regime led by Raoul Cédras – in 1994 and concluded: ‘If Haiti just sunk quietly into the Caribbean, or rose up 300 feet, it wouldn’t matter a whole lot in terms of our interests.’ Biden echoed the sentiments of the American public about how unpopular intervention in Haiti was, and fundamentally to Biden, America’s interests lay primarily in Europe and the Atlantic Alliance.

The prospect of ‘another Vietnam’ haunted America’s political and military strategists after the 9/11 attacks. For some, it was a syndrome to be broken by learning the lessons about warfare and waging successful conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq; for others, it loomed as the model of American hubris. Joe Biden supported American intervention in Afghanistan and voted to authorise the younger George Bush’s invasion of Iraq. However, by the time he ran for president in 2008, he opposed the war in Iraq. As Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden was a vehement opponent of those who sought a counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan – a policy that carried echoes of the same method that kept America tethered to Vietnam. The Vietnam War served as a warning for Biden about the dangers of campaigns in distant areas and for goals beyond the United States’ core national interests. In Afghanistan, he thought, he could see it all playing out again.

As president since January 2021, Biden, in response to both Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza War, has sought to calibrate his first instincts – supporting Ukraine and Israel – with the changing dynamics in American public opinion and his own caution about over-commitment. The result has been a policy of ‘too little, too late’ in providing weapons for Ukraine, placing that country in a perilous situation, while in Israel, the attempt to placate a vocal progressive and pro-Palestinian constituency in the Democratic party has led to an incoherence and failure to influence Israeli conduct of the war. The withdrawal from Kabul was a hurried, haphazard affair that brutally revealed the futility of America’s long campaign against the Taliban.

The lasting influence of Vietnam upon Joe Biden reflects the extent to which it has become a synecdoche of more than a war in American life. In popular memory, Vietnam is the place where the idealism of the 1960s died; where despite all of the United States’ advanced military prowess, it could not defeat Communism. It is a warning that still lingers.

Robert Gates, George W. Bush and Obama’s secretary of defense has offered one of the most quoted criticisms of Biden. Confessing that ‘Joe is simply impossible not to like,’ Gates lamented that Biden ‘has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.’ More sympathetically – though revealingly – former Senator Chuck Hagel, another Vietnam veteran, defense secretary and friend of Biden, reflected that he ‘falls into where I think most people are on the Vietnam War – that it was a mistake’. For Biden, any foreign policy judgment that lands where ‘most people are,’ captures the essence of his approach to decision making.

Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War either; he received draft deferments due to bone spurs in his feet. Trump once told an interviewer: ‘You know, if you’re young, and in this era, and if you have any guilt about not having gone to Vietnam, we have our own Vietnam – it’s called the dating game.’ Avoiding sexually transmitted diseases during his youth was, for Trump, ‘like being in Vietnam. You’re the equivalent of a soldier going over to Vietnam’. As president, it was reported that Trump once refused to visit the graves of American soldiers, saying, ‘Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.’ It is unsurprising why two thirds of voters are unhappy with the choice between the two oldest presidential candidates in American history. America wants to move on.

https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/joe-biden-shadow-of-the-vietnam-war/

The Phoenix Program (Vietnamese: Chiến dịch Phụng Hoàng) was designed and initially coordinated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Vietnam War, involving the American and South Vietnamese militaries, and a small number of special forces operatives from the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. In 1970, CIA responsibility was phased out, and the program was put under the authority of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS).[1]

The program, which lasted from 1968 to 1972, was designed to identify and destroy the Viet Cong (VC) via infiltration, assassination, torture, capture, counter-terrorism, and interrogation.[2][3][4][5] The CIA described it as "a set of programs that sought to attack and destroy the political infrastructure of the Viet Cong."[6] The Phoenix Program was premised on the idea that North Vietnamese infiltration had required local support within noncombat civilian populations, which were referred to as the "VC infrastructure" and "political branch" that had purportedly coordinated the insurgency.[7]

Throughout the program, Phoenix "neutralized" 81,740 people suspected of VC membership, of whom 26,369 were killed, and the rest surrendered or were captured. Of those killed 87% were attributed to conventional military operations by South Vietnamese and American forces, while the remaining 13% were attributed to Phoenix Program operatives.[8]: 17–21 

The Phoenix Program was heavily criticized on various grounds, including the number of neutral civilians killed, the nature of the program (which critics have labelled as a "civilian assassination program,"[7]) the use of torture and other coercive methods, and the program being exploited for personal politics. Nevertheless, the program was very successful at suppressing VC political and revolutionary activities.[7] Public disclosure of the program led to significant criticism, including hearings by the US Congress, and the CIA was pressured into shutting it down. A similar program, Plan F-6, continued under the government of South Vietnam.

Background

See also: Viet Cong

Shortly after the 1954 Geneva Conference and the adoption of the Geneva Accords, the government of North Vietnam organized a force of several thousand to mobilize support for the communists in the upcoming elections.[8] When it became clear that the elections would not take place, these forces became the seeds of what would eventually become the Viet Cong, a North Vietnamese insurgency whose goal was unification of Vietnam under the control of the North.[9][10]

While counterinsurgency efforts had been ongoing since the first days of US military involvement in Vietnam, they had been unsuccessful with dealing with either the armed VC or the VC's civilian infrastructure (VCI)[11] which swelled to between 80,000 and 150,000 members by the mid 1960's.[12] The VCI, unlike the armed component of the VC, was tasked with support activities including recruiting, political indoctrination, psychological operations, intelligence collection, and logistical support.[9][13] The VCI rapidly set up shadow governments in rural South Vietnam by replacing local leadership in small rural hamlets loyal to the Saigon government with communist cadres.[12][13] The VCI chose small rural villages because they lacked close supervision of the Saigon government or the South Vietnamese Army[14]

VCI tactics for establishing local communist control began by identifying towns and villages with strategic importance to either the VC or North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam and local populations with communist sympathies with the Hanoi government putting a great deal of emphasis on the activities and success of the VCI.[14] After a community was identified, the VCI would threaten local leadership with reprisals if they refused to cooperate or kidnap local leaders and send them to reeducation camps in North Vietnam. Local leaders who continued to refuse to cooperate or threatened to contact the Saigon government were murdered along with their families.[14] After VCI agents took control of an area it would be used to quarter and resupply VC guerrillas, supplying intelligence on US and South Vietnamese military movements, providing taxes to VCI cadres, and conscripting locals into the VC.[12]

History

By April 1965, the CIA Counter-Terror Program supported 140 teams of between three and 12 men each. Aimed exclusively at the VCI, the teams claimed a kill ratio in excess of eight to one.[15]

On 9 May 1967 all pacification efforts by the United States came under the authority of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS). In June 1967, as part of CORDS, the Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation Program (ICEX) was created, from a plan drafted by Nelson Brickham.[16] The purpose of the organization centered on gathering and coordinating information on the VC.[16] In December 1967 the South Vietnamese Prime Minister signed a decree establishing Phụng Hoàng, (named after a mythical bird) to coordinate the numerous South Vietnamese entities involved in the anti-VCI campaign.[17]: 58  The 1968 Tet Offensive demonstrated the importance of the VCI.[17]: 50  In July 1968 South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu signed a decree implementing Phụng Hoàng.[17]: 56 

The major two components of the program were Provincial Reconnaissance Units (PRUs) and regional interrogation centers. PRUs would kill or capture suspected VC members, as well as civilians who were thought to have information on VC activities. Many of these people were taken to interrogation centers and were tortured in an attempt to gain intelligence on VC activities in the area.[18] The information extracted at the centers was given to military commanders, who would use it to task the PRU with further capture and assassination missions.[18] The program's effectiveness was measured in the number of VC members who were "neutralized",[19] a euphemism[20][21] meaning imprisoned, persuaded to defect, or killed.[22][23][24]

The interrogation centers and PRUs were originally developed by the CIA's Saigon station chief Peer de Silva. DeSilva was a proponent of a military strategy known as counter-terrorism, which encompasses military tactics and techniques that government, military, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies use to combat or prevent terrorist activities, and that it should be applied strategically to "enemy civilians" in order to reduce civilian support for the VC. The PRUs were designed with this in mind, and began targeting suspected VC members in 1964.[18] Originally, the PRUs were known as "Counter Terror" teams, but they were renamed to "Provincial Reconnaissance Units" after CIA officials "became wary of the adverse publicity surrounding the use of the word 'terror'".[25]

Officially, Phoenix operations continued until December 1972, although certain aspects continued until the fall of Saigon in 1975.[26]

Agencies and individuals involved in the program

Central Intelligence Agency

United States special operations forces

U.S. Army intelligence collection units from the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV—the joint-service command that provided command and control for all U.S. advisory and assistance efforts in Vietnam)

US Navy SEAL Detachment Bravo

USMC, 1st Force Reconnaissance Company stationed near Da Nang

Special forces operatives from the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV)[27]

Republic of Vietnam National Police Field Force

Operations

The chief aspect of the Phoenix Program was the collection of intelligence information. VC members would then be captured, converted, or killed. Emphasis for the enforcement of the operation was placed on local government militia and police forces, rather than the military, as the main operational arm of the program.[28] According to journalist Douglas Valentine, "Central to Phoenix is the fact that it targeted civilians, not soldiers".[29]

The Phoenix Program took place under special laws that allowed the arrest and prosecution of suspected communists. To avoid abuses such as phony accusations for personal reasons, or to rein in overzealous officials who might not be diligent enough in pursuing evidence before making arrests, the laws required three separate sources of evidence to convict an individual targeted for neutralization. If a suspected VC member was found guilty, they could be held in prison for two years, with renewable two-year sentences totaling up to six years.[28] According to MACV Directive 381-41, the intent of Phoenix was to attack the VC with a "rifle shot rather than a shotgun approach to target key political leaders, command/control elements and activists in the VCI [Viet Cong Infrastructure]." The VCI was known by the communists as the Revolutionary Infrastructure.[30]

Heavy-handed operations—such as random cordons and searches, large-scale and lengthy detentions of innocent civilians, and excessive use of firepower—had a negative effect on the civilian population. Intelligence derived from interrogations was often used to carry out "search and destroy" missions aimed at finding and killing VC members.[31]

87% of those killed during the Phoenix Program were killed in conventional military operations.[32] Many of those killed were only identified as members of the VCI following military engagements, which were often started by the VC. Between January 1970 and March 1971, 94% of those killed as a result of the program were killed during military operations (9,827 out of 10,443 VCI killed).[1]

Torture

According to Valentine, methods of torture that were utilized at the interrogation centers included:

Rape, gang rape, rape using eels, snakes, or hard objects, and rape followed by murder; electrical shock ("the Bell Telephone Hour") rendered by attaching wires to the genitals or other sensitive parts of the body, like the tongue; "the water treatment"; "the airplane," in which a prisoner's arms were tied behind the back and the rope looped over a hook on the ceiling, suspending the prisoner in midair, after which he or she was beaten; beatings with rubber hoses and whips; and the use of police dogs to maul prisoners.[33]

Military intelligence officer K. Barton Osborn reports that he witnessed "the use of the insertion of the 6-inch dowel into the canal of one of my detainee's ears, and the tapping through the brain until dead. The starvation to death (in a cage), of a Vietnamese woman who was suspected of being part of the local political education cadre in one of the local villages ... The use of electronic gear such as sealed telephones attached to ... both the women's vaginas and men's testicles [to] shock them into submission."[34]

Author Gary Kulik has said that Osborn made exaggerated, contradictory and false statements and that his colleagues said that he liked making "fantastic statements" and that he "frequently made exaggerated remarks in order to attract attention to himself."[35]: 134–138  Osborn served with the United States Marine Corps in I Corps in 1967–1968 before the Phoenix Program was implemented.[36] Torture was carried out by South Vietnamese forces with the CIA and special forces playing a supervisory role.[37]

Targeted killings

Phoenix operations often aimed to assassinate targets or kill them through other means. PRU units often anticipated resistance in disputed areas, and often operated on a shoot-first basis.[38] Lieutenant Vincent Okamoto, an intelligence-liaison officer for the Phoenix Program for two months in 1968 and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross said the following:[39]

The problem was, how do you find the people on the blacklist? It's not like you had their address and telephone number. The normal procedure would be to go into a village and just grab someone and say, "Where's Nguyen so-and-so?" Half the time the people were so afraid they would not say anything. Then a Phoenix team would take the informant, put a sandbag over his head, poke out two holes so he could see, put commo wire around his neck like a long leash, and walk him through the village and say, "When we go by Nguyen's house scratch your head." Then that night Phoenix would come back, knock on the door, and say, "April Fool, motherfucker." Whoever answered the door would get wasted. As far as they were concerned whoever answered was a Communist, including family members. Sometimes they'd come back to camp with ears to prove that they killed people.

William Colby denied that the program was an assassination program stating: "To call it a program of murder is nonsense ... They were of more value to us alive than dead, and therefore, the object was to get them alive." His instructions to field officers stated "Our training emphasizes the desirability of obtaining these target individuals alive and of using intelligent and lawful methods of interrogation to obtain the truth of what they know about other aspects of the VCI ... [U.S. personnel] are specifically not authorized to engage in assassinations or other violations of the rules of land warfare."[40][26][41][42]

Strategic and operational effect

Between 1968 and 1972, Phoenix officially "neutralized" (meaning imprisoned, persuaded to defect, or killed) 81,740 people suspected of VC membership, of whom 26,369 were killed, while Seymour Hersh wrote that South Vietnamese official statistics estimated that 41,000 were killed.[43] A significant number of VC were killed, and between 1969 and 1971, the program was quite successful in destroying VC infrastructure in many important areas. 87 percent of those killed in the program were attributed to conventional military operations by South Vietnamese and American forces; the remainder were killed by Phoenix Program operatives.[28]: 17–21 

By 1970, communist plans repeatedly emphasized attacking the government's pacification program and specifically targeted Phoenix officials. The VC imposed assassination quotas. In 1970, for example, communist officials near Da Nang in northern South Vietnam instructed their assassins to "kill 1,400 persons" deemed to be government "tyrant[s]" and to "annihilate" anyone involved with the pacification program.[28]: 20–21 

Several North Vietnamese officials have made statements about the effectiveness of Phoenix.[28] According to William Colby, "in the years since 1975, I have heard several references to North and South Vietnamese communists who state that, in their mind, the toughest period that they faced from 1960 to 1975 was the period from 1968 to '72 when the Phoenix Program was at work."[44] The CIA said that through Phoenix they were able to learn the identity and structure of the VCI in every province.[45]

According to Stuart A. Herrington: "Regardless of how effective the Phoenix Program was or wasn't, area by area, the communists thought it was very effective. They saw it as a significant threat to the viability of the revolution because, to the extent that you could ... carve out the shadow government, their means of control over the civilian population was dealt a death blow. And that's why, when the war was over, the North Vietnamese reserved "special treatment" for those who had worked in the Phoenix Program. They considered it a mortal threat to the revolution."[46]

Public response and legal proceedings

The Phoenix Program was not generally known during most of the time it was operational to either the American public or American officials in Washington.[47] In 1970, author Frances FitzGerald made several arguments to then-U.S. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger against the program, which she alludes to in Fire in the Lake.[48] One of the first people to criticize Phoenix publicly was Ed Murphy, a peace activist and former military intelligence soldier, in 1970.[49][50]

There was eventually a series of U.S. Congressional hearings. In 1971, in the final day of hearing on "U.S. Assistance Programs in Vietnam", Osborn described the Phoenix Program as a "sterile depersonalized murder program."[49] Consequently, the military command in Vietnam issued a directive that reiterated that it had based the anti-VCI campaign on South Vietnamese law, that the program was in compliance with the laws of land warfare, and that U.S. personnel had the responsibility to report breaches of the law.[50][51]

Former CIA analyst Samuel A. Adams,[52] in an interview with CBC News, talked about the program as basically an assassination program that also included torture. They would also kill people by throwing them out of helicopters to threaten and intimidate those they wanted to interrogate.[53] While acknowledging that "No one can prove the null hypothesis that no prisoner was ever thrown from a helicopter," Gary Kulik states that "no such story has ever been corroborated" and that the noise inside a helicopter would make conducting an interrogation impossible.[35]: 138 

According to Nick Turse, abuses were common.[54][55] In many instances, rival Vietnamese would report their enemies as "VC" in order to get U.S. troops to kill them.[56] In many cases, Phung Hoang chiefs were incompetent bureaucrats who used their positions to enrich themselves. Phoenix tried to address this problem by establishing monthly neutralization quotas, but these often led to fabrications or, worse, false arrests. In some cases, district officials accepted bribes from the VC to release certain suspects.[28]

After Phoenix Program abuses began receiving negative publicity, the program was officially shut down, although it continued under the name Plan F-6[57][58][59][60][61] with the government of South Vietnam in control.[60][59][b]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Program

Foxes are mentioned in several Bible verses, often symbolizing cunningness and distraction, with notable references in the context of spiritual vigilance.

Key Verses

Luke 13:32: “He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day, I will reach my goal.’”

This verse highlights Jesus' use of the term "fox" to describe Herod, indicating cunning and deceitful behavior.

Matthew 8:20: “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’”

Here, Jesus contrasts the security of animals with His own lack of earthly comfort, emphasizing His mission and the sacrifices involved.

Song of Solomon 2:15: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”

This verse uses foxes as a metaphor for distractions or small issues that can spoil the beauty and productivity of life, urging vigilance against such threats.

Nehemiah 4:3: “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, ‘What they are building—if a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall!’”

This illustrates the derision faced by the builders of Jerusalem's wall, using the fox as a symbol of weakness.

Significance

Foxes in the Bible often represent cunningness, distraction, and the need for vigilance in spiritual matters. They serve as reminders to be aware of the subtle influences that can lead us away from our faith and purpose. The verses encourage believers to remain steadfast and discerning in their spiritual journey, guarding against distractions that may spoil their spiritual "vineyards."

For further exploration of these themes, you can refer to comprehensive resources that delve into the symbolism and context of foxes in biblical literature.

Generative AI is experimental

Subject:

Rusty

"Joe Robinson" phoxbek@bektel.com "Susan & Rusty Dunn" kifa1@attbi.com Tuesday, June 24, 2003 8:00 PM Re: good drink

I guess we'll have to send you a bottle and see if you like it first, or you can always drive up here and try it in person. :)

Joe wrote up the receipt for Red Eye, but not for Apple Pie.

But first: The 118 if your buying $50.00, if your selling $125.00

RED EYE:

3 cups sugar

Heat sugar in pan until melted (do not allow to burn)

Add 3 cups water, stir until water and sugar mix.

DO THIS PART CAREFULLY

Add 11 more cups water, stir and let cool down. This mix will look like tea. When cool add the juice from a jar of Cherries and 1 bottle of 190.

Bottle

up and let set 5 days to cure.

If any questions, just call, maybe then he'll give you the receipt for Apple Pie. hehehehe

Sharon

To: phoxbek@bektel.comSent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:32 PM Subject: good drink

Joe

Could you please e-mail me the way to make RED EYE, also what you think a cr. 118 .22 repeater is worth.

thanks

Rusty

6/24/2003

Revelation 17:3-6

1599 Geneva Bible

3 [a]So he carried me away into the wilderness in the Spirit, and I saw a woman sit upon a [b]scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, which had seven heads, and ten horns.

4 And [c]the woman was arrayed [d]in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, [e]and had a cup of gold in her hand full of abomination, and filthiness of her fornication.

5 [f]And in her forehead was a name written, A mystery, [g]that great Babylon that mother of whoredoms, and abominations of the earth.

6 [h]And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of JESUS: and when I saw her, [i]I wondered with great marvel.

Footnotes

Revelation 17:3 Henceforth is propounded the type of Babylon, and the state thereof in 4 verses. After a declaration of the type, in the rest of this chap., in the type are described two things, the beast (of whom chap. 13), in verse 3, and the woman that sitteth upon the beast, verses 4, 5, 6. The beast in process of time hath gotten somewhat more than was expressed in the former vision. First in that it is not read before that he was appareled in scarlet, a robe imperial and of triumph. Secondly, in that this is full of names of blasphemy: the other carried the name of blasphemy only in his head. So God did teach that this beast is much increased in impiety and injustice and doth in this last age, triumph in both these more insolently and proudly than ever before.

Revelation 17:3 A scarlet color, that is, with a red and purple garment: and surely it was not without cause that the Romish clergy were so much delighted with this color.

Revelation 17:4 That harlot, the spiritual Babylon, which is Rome. She is described by her attire, profession and deeds.

Revelation 17:4 In attire most glorious, triumphant, most rich, and most gorgeous.

Revelation 17:4 In profession, the nourisher of all, in this verse, and teaching her mysteries unto all, verse 5, setting forth all things most magnificently: but indeed most pernicious besotting miserable men with her cup, and bringing upon them a deadly giddiness.

Revelation 17:5 Deceiving with the title of religion, and public inscription of mystery: which the beast in times past did not bear.

Revelation 17:5 An exposition: in which S. John declareth what manner of woman this is.

Revelation 17:6 In manner of deeds: She is red with blood, and sheddeth it most licentiously, and therefore is colored with the blood of the Saints, as on the contrary part. Christ is set forth imbrued with the blood of his enemies; Isa. 3:1.

Revelation 17:6 A passage unto the second part of this chapter, by occasion given of S. John, as the words of the Angel do show, in the next verse.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2017%3A3-6&version=GNV

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope conventionally holds the office for life, a papal renunciation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries. There are disputed claims of four popes having resigned, dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries; a fifth disputed case may have involved an antipope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

High-Tech Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND was a small, formidable elite black ops unit of the United States Army that was established by the "Legendary Soldier" Big Boss.

Although its function changed over the years, FOXHOUND specialized in covert, solo infiltration, to cope with local revolutions, regional complications, and global terrorist activities in "unauthorized" combat zones too politically sensitive to intervene through conventional means. Its agents were also trained to complete various missions that were assigned in secret, to the extent that they were considered the modern versions of the ninja. All its members were battlefield hardened veterans, with many coming from a mercenary background.

Because of its status as an advanced special forces unit, members of FOXHOUND received training regarding a variety of operational skills, including guerilla warfare tactics, methods of tactical insertion and extraction, surveillance and reconnaissance, sabotage, martial arts, wilderness survival in harsh environments, foreign language, and hi-tech military equipment. It was officially disbanded by the U.S. Government after 2005.

https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/FOXHOUND

Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as the Leper King, was the king of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185. Baldwin ascended to the throne when he was thirteen despite having leprosy. He launched several attempts to curb the increasing power of the Egyptian ruler Saladin, though much of his life was marked by infighting amongst the kingdom's nobles. Throughout his reign, and especially at the end of his life, he was troubled by his succession, working to select a suitable heir and prevent a succession crisis. Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state, protecting it from Saladin.

Baldwin's parents, King Amalric and Agnes of Courtenay, separated when Baldwin was two. At nine years old, he was sent to be educated by Archbishop William of Tyre. William noticed preliminary symptoms of leprosy, but Baldwin was only diagnosed after he succeeded his father as king. Thereafter, his hands and face became increasingly disfigured. He mastered horse riding despite gradually losing sensation in his extremities and fought in battles until his last years. First, Miles of Plancy ruled the kingdom in Baldwin's name, then Count Raymond III of Tripoli took over until the king reached the age of majority in 1176. Baldwin's mother then returned to court, and he became closer to her and her brother, Joscelin.

As soon as he assumed government, Baldwin planned an invasion of Egypt, which fell through because of his vassals' uncooperativeness. Leprosy prevented Baldwin from marrying; he hoped to abdicate when his older sister, Sibylla, married William of Montferrat in 1176, but William died the next year. Saladin attacked Baldwin's kingdom in 1177, but the king and the nobleman Raynald of Châtillon repelled him at Montgisard, earning Baldwin fame. In 1180, to forestall a coup by Count Raymond III of Tripoli and Prince Bohemond III of Antioch, Baldwin had Sibylla marry Guy of Lusignan. However, Guy was opposed by a large fraction of the nobility, and soon permanently impaired his relationship with Baldwin through his insubordination. Although Baldwin wished to abdicate, the internal discord that followed forced him to remain on the throne, as only he was capable of uniting the quarreling nobility.

Baldwin again repelled Saladin in 1182 at the Battle of Le Forbelet, but leprosy rendered him near-incapable in 1183. After Guy's failure to lead, Baldwin disinherited him and had Sibylla's son, Baldwin V, crowned co-king before travelling in a litter to lift Saladin's Siege of Kerak. Because of their refusal to attend court, Baldwin failed to have Sibylla's marriage to Guy annulled and Guy's fief of Ascalon confiscated. In early 1185, he arranged for Raymond to rule as regent for Sibylla's son, dying of a fever before 16 May 1185. Two years after his death, his realm was destroyed by Saladin at the Battle of Hattin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_IV_of_Jerusalem

Has a Mormon President ever retired?

No, a Mormon president has not retired. Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently passed away at the age of 101, but he is not retiring. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, who is the longest-tenured member of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Bing

Charlie Kirk says gun deaths are 'worth it' to protect our rights in resurfaced 2023 clip

The Independent 

Sep 12, 2025

Resurfaced footage shows conservative activist #CharlieKirk saying, “It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment.” 

Kirk, who was shot dead while speaking at a university campus in Utah on Wednesday (September 10), made the remarks at a Turning Point USA event in Salt Lake City in April 2023.

Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9n

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMzr5cDKza0 

The friendliness of the Mormons towards Catholics is attributed to their appreciation that their settlement in the great Salt Lake Valley is due to having been directed to it by Fr. Pierre Jean de Smet, the great Jesuit missionary and explorer, who met and was entertained by Brigham Young in Council Bluffs, while the Mormons were on their trek West. Writing to his nephew, Fr. de Smet said: "They asked me a thousand questions about the regions I had explored, and the valley I have just described to you, pleased them greatly from the account I gave of it. Was that what determined them to settle there? I would not dare affirm it. They are there!"

https://web.archive.org/web/20151020074727/http://www.catholictradition.org:80/Tradition/goldstein70.htm

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints

416 Finally, those means that are proposed by our holy father Saint Ignatius in Part X of the Constitutions for the preservation and development not only of the body or exterior of the Society but also of its spirit, and for the attainment of the objective it seeks, which is to aid souls to reach their ultimate and supernatural end, [10] are to be observed eagerly and diligently by all, with a truly personal sense of responsibility for its increase and development, for the praise and service of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of souls.[11]

L. D. S. 

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

The Mountain Meadows Massacre (September 7–11, 1857) was a series of attacks during the Utah War that resulted in the mass murder of at least 120 members of the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train.[1][a] The massacre occurred in the southern Utah Territory at Mountain Meadows, and was perpetrated by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) involved with the Utah Territorial Militia (officially called the Nauvoo Legion) who recruited and were aided by some Southern Paiute Native Americans.[2] The wagon train, made up mostly of families from Arkansas, was bound for California, traveling on the Old Spanish Trail that passed through the Territory.

After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party made their way south along the Mormon Road, eventually stopping to rest at Mountain Meadows. As the party was traveling west there were rumors about the party's behavior towards Mormon settlers and war hysteria towards outsiders was rampant as a result of a military expedition dispatched by President Buchanan, and Territorial Governor Brigham Young's declaration of martial law in response.[3][4][5] While the emigrants were camped at the meadow, local militia leaders, including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee, made plans to attack the wagon train. The leaders of the militia, wanting to give the impression of tribal hostilities, persuaded Southern Paiutes to join with a larger party of militiamen disguised as Native Americans in an attack. During the militia's first assault on the wagon train, the emigrants fought back, and a five-day siege ensued. Eventually, fear spread among the militia's leaders that some emigrants had caught sight of the white men, likely discerning the actual identity of a majority of the attackers. As a result, militia commander William H. Dame ordered his forces to kill the emigrants. By this time, the emigrants were running low on water and provisions, and allowed some members of the militia – who approached under a white flag – to enter their camp. The militia members assured the emigrants they were protected, and after handing over their weapons, the emigrants were escorted away from their defensive position. After walking a distance from the camp, the militiamen, with the help of auxiliary forces hiding nearby, attacked the emigrants. The perpetrators killed all the adults and older children in the group, in the end sparing only seventeen young children under the age of seven.[a]

Following the massacre, the perpetrators buried some of the remains but ultimately left most of the bodies exposed to wild animals and the climate. Local families took in the surviving children, with many of the victims' possessions and remaining livestock being auctioned off. Investigations, which were interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments in 1874. Of the men who were indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials in the Utah Territory, Lee was convicted by a jury, sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad on March 23, 1877.

Historians attribute the massacre to a combination of factors, including war hysteria about a possible invasion of Mormon territory and Mormon teachings against outsiders, which were part of the Mormon Reformation period. Scholars debate whether senior leadership in Mormonism, including Brigham Young, directly instigated the massacre or if responsibility for it lay only with the local leaders in southern Utah.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.”

That is the law of God as laid down in the beginning; that if a man shall shed blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Why? Because the blood is the life of the flesh, and is the only atonement a man can make for killing another. A murderer, by the shedding of his blood, may make some atonement for his sin; but he cannot come forth and inherit an exaltation in eternal life, he must be content with a less degree of glory. Still, as Brother Brigham taught, there is a chance for some men who have committed this great transgression if their blood be shed, and there are others who, even if they were willing to have their blood shed, could not obtain forgiveness for their transgressions. You can read about this in the revelation on celestial marriage. (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. cxxxii,par. 26-7.) They are those who have not only been baptized into the Church of Christ, received the power of the Holy Spirit and been enlightened from on high, but have been in the most sacred places on the earth, ordained of God by His holy law, and have made special covenants in relation to that and other sins; they have been specially enlightened ; they have gone from step to step, from grace to grace, from knowledge to knowledge, and have had keys of power placed in their hands whereby, if they are faithful, they may climb to the highest pinnacle of honor and glory in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and then they turn round and commit this great transgression, the shedding of innocent blood. For them there is no forgiveness. They will be banished from the presence of God; they cannot inherit the glory which was sealed upon them, however repentant they may be; they cannot come up in the first resurrection and enter into their exaltation; but they must be cast out from the presence of God and have the everlasting penalty pronounced,

“Depart from me ye workers of iniquity.”

They will be banished from the presence of God,, which is spiritual destruction, that spiritual death which is called the “second death.”

But, there are other persons who by making thisitonement may obtain redemption—persons that have not advanced to this degree of knowledge in understanding, and whose sins are not of so* heinous a nature. Because sin is guaged by the light of the individual. The depth of man’s infamy is guaged by the degree of his light and is opportunity. He that knows much is expected to do much. Of him that knows but little, only little is expected. If a man has great light and he sins he is the greater sinner. I have heard people argue that all sin is the result of ignorance. Well, it is just the other way. Sin is rather the result of knowledge ; because a man cannot sin without some light. An idiot cannot sin, because he is responsible. It takes a responsible being to do responsible wrong. The more responsible a man is, the greater wrong he does if he commits transgression.

The greater a man’s light is, the greater is sin. The greater the light, the greater the condemnation for doing wrong. That is based upon the eternal principle of justice. From this, then, it would seem that if a man commits a sin unto death there is no redemption : if not unto death, and he pays the penalty, there is for him a chance of salvation.

This divine law for shedding the blood of a murderer has never been repealed. It is a law given by the Almighty and not abrogated in the Christian faith. It stands on record for all time that a murderer shall have his blood shed. He that commits murder must be slain. “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” I know there are some benevolent and I philanthropic people in these times who think that capital punishment ought to be abolished.

Yet I think the Lord knows better than they. Their law He has ordained will have the best results to mankind in general.

Well, is there any other sin that a man may commit which is worthy of death? I think there is. I will refer you to one in the Book of Leviticus, 20th chapter and 10th verse:

“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and; the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

That was the law of God in the days of Moses. It was the law of God previous to the days of Moses, as you will find by reference to the Book of 1 Genesis. It has been a law of God from the beginning. Some people have an idea that Jesus.

Christ did away with that law, and they bring up the case of the woman that had been taken in transgression. The object of the Pharisees in bringing the woman to the Savior was that they might catch Him in some way. You will find by a reading the history of Jesus Christ’s ministry on the earth that it was then as it is to-day—snares are all the time being laid to catch the servants of God. They tried to entrap Him in many ways but He was able to meet them with the wisdom of the Great God ; for the Spirit of God was given to Him without measure. The woman they brought to Him was taken in this great transgression. The Pharisees knew the law -of Moses was that she should be put to death. They inquired what Jesus had to say. He stooped down and thought a little while, then wrote with His finger on the ground and exclaimed, “Let him that is without sin cast the first stone !

”The Pharisees looked at each other and finally they slipped away. Why ? Because that was “an evil and adulterous generation.’’

Those self-righteous hypocrites were guilty of the transgression themselves, and the person to inflict the penalty justly, had to be one who was not guilty; for how could one such sinner rightly inflict the penalty upon another? Jesus Christ’s words smote them to the heart, and they slunk off and left the woman standing there. Did the sinner go free? Did Jesus say the law ought not to be inflicted? No. He asked: “Woman, where are thine accusers ?” They were gone. “Neither do I accuse thee.” It must be remembered that there must be accusers as well as judges. Jesus set a pattern which judges in these times would do well to follow. He did not act as an attorney for the prosecution or as a witness against the accused as well as a judge to pronounce the sentence. “Woman, where are those thine accusers ? * * *

Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” pages 26-27

Blood atonement, as taught by leading elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints : an address delivered in the Twelfth Ward assembly hall, Salt Lake City, October 12, 1884 (archive.org)

https://ia800408.us.archive.org/11/items/bloodatonementas00penr/bloodatonementas00penr.pdf

Charlie Kirk @charliekirk11

Good men must die, but death can't kill their

names.

12:40 PM 2/26/13

https://www.facebook.com/TheBlaze/posts/pfbid0uUDwH1jAkn6nuV5ZTqeTzskY479R4oW5Gjr1ULkUBM5PdWkc3Yt12Cyyqe9y5EUal

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope conventionally holds the office for life, a papal renunciation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries. There are disputed claims of four popes having resigned, dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries; a fifth disputed case may have involved an antipope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

"Sara" is a song recorded by the American rock band Starship which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 15, 1986. It was sung by Mickey Thomas, of the newly renamed band Starship, from their first album Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985), and Grace Slick provided the backing vocals.[1]

The recording became one of the best-selling singles of 1986 in North America. It was the band's second number-one hit after the song "We Built This City" hit that mark a few months earlier in 1985. It also became the band's first number-one song on the adult contemporary chart, where it remained for three weeks.[2] Although written by Peter and Ina Wolf, the song was named for Sara (née Kendrick), Thomas's wife at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_(Starship_song)

Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally (née Bowser; born 26 March 1962) is an English Anglican prelate and former nurse. She has been the bishop of London since 2018, and is the first woman to hold this office. By virtue of her office she is also a Lord Spiritual, one of the 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. On 3 October 2025, it was announced that Mullally would become the 106th archbishop of Canterbury in January 2026; she will be the first woman to hold the office.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Mullally

In Hebrew, the word saraph means "burning", and is used seven times throughout the text of the Hebrew Bible as a noun, usually to denote "serpent",[4] twice in the Book of Numbers, once in the Book of Deuteronomy, and four times in the Book of Isaiah.[5][6][7] The reason why the word for "burning" was also used to denote a serpent is not universally agreed upon; it may be due to a certain snake species' fiery colors, or perhaps the burning sensation left by its venomous bite. Regardless, its plural form, seraphim, occurs in both Numbers and Isaiah, but only in Isaiah is it used to denote an angelic being; likewise, these angels are referred to only as the plural seraphim – Isaiah later uses the singular saraph to describe a "fiery flying serpent", in line with the other uses of the term throughout the Tanakh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph

Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane.[2] Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight gold or platinum-selling studio albums, and one gold-selling compilation.[3] 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Starship

AI Overview

As of September 2025, there has been no 37th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. The most recent assembly was the 36th General Congregation (GC 36), which met in Rome in October 2016.

What is a General Congregation?

A General Congregation (GC) is the highest governing body of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order. A GC can be called for two main reasons:

To elect a new Superior General: This happens when the previous Superior General resigns or dies. In 2016, GC 36 was called after Father Adolfo Nicolás announced his resignation.

To address important matters: A GC can be called by the Superior General to discuss and act on significant issues concerning the order, the Church, and the world.

Key outcomes of the 36th General Congregation (GC 36)

The last General Congregation made two major decisions for the Society of Jesus:

Election of a new Superior General: The delegates elected Father Arturo Sosa Abascal of Venezuela as the 31st Superior General.

Declaration on reconciliation and justice: The assembly released a decree titled "Companions in a Mission of Reconciliation and Justice," which recommitted the order to the service of faith and the promotion of justice, continuing a priority first established at the 32nd General Congregation.

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

1987 Slammy Awards

The Slammy Awards returned a year later, now honoring the events and individuals involved within the professional wrestling aspect of the World Wrestling Federation. The second edition of the ceremony (referred to in commercials and on-air as the 37th annual Slammy Awards) took place on December 16, 1987, from Caesars Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It aired in syndication on December 19, 1987.[11][14][13] The ceremony was hosted by Jesse Ventura and Gene Okerlund.[15] Musical numbers were performed by Vince McMahon (singing the song "Stand Back")[16] and Jimmy Hart (singing "Girls in Cars"), with the entire WWF roster performing "If You Only Knew" as the show's closing number.[16][15]

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface.[11][14][13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slammy_Award

Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, Named Next Provincial of the Jesuits of Canada

March 15, 2024 — The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) announced the appointment of Fr. Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, as the next provincial of the Jesuits of Canada. This appointment is the culmination of a thoughtful, prayerful process of consultation and discernment, marking a significant milestone for the Canadian Province.

https://www.jesuits.org/stories/jeffrey-s-burwell-sj-named-next-provincial-of-the-jesuits-of-canada/

Detroit Spinners - Rubberband Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdiB3cISeBk

Guess Which "Fresh Prince" Character Starred in an LDS Church Commercial

By Danielle B. Wagner March 17, 2017 02:19 PM MDT

Did you know that Alfonso Ribiero, Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, was in a 1980s LDS Church commercial? And, did you also know that Ribiero can sing?

Back before his days of TV sitcom stardom and hanging out with the likes of Will Smith, Alfonso Ribiero made his television debut starring in a Mormon mini-opera.

But Ribiero's Mormon connections don't stop there. In November 2014, Ribiero performed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars with LDS dance partner Witney Carson. Ribiero and Carson blew away the judges and the competition, taking home the crown that season.

Check out where Ribiero's television career and his connection with Mormons all began in the video below:

0:00 / 0:58

*Who Broke My Window?* LDS Commercial

To see more epic Church commercials that are so '80s, click here.

https://www.ldsliving.com/guess-which-fresh-prince-character-starred-in-an-lds-church-commercial/s/79970

Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as the Leper King, was the king of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185. Baldwin ascended to the throne when he was thirteen despite having leprosy. He launched several attempts to curb the increasing power of the Egyptian ruler Saladin, though much of his life was marked by infighting amongst the kingdom's nobles. Throughout his reign, and especially at the end of his life, he was troubled by his succession, working to select a suitable heir and prevent a succession crisis. Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state, protecting it from Saladin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_IV_of_Jerusalem

No, a Mormon president has not retired. Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently passed away at the age of 101, but he is not retiring. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, who is the longest-tenured member of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Bing

Before the discoveries of the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Dagobert's assassination was

 regarded as the end of the Merovingian dynasty. At least this is what the Catholic Church wanted the world to believe. In its place in 754 A.D. Rome established the Carolingian dynasty with Pepin II. The name "Carolingian" derives from Charles Martel, grandfather of Charlemagne, the first designated "Holy Roman Emperor." This title, by virtue of the pact with Clovis three centuries before, should have been reserved exclusively for the Merovingians.

The authors of Holy Blood discovered, however, that Dagobert's son (Sigisbert IV) by his second

 wife had survived. His sister had rescued him and smuggled him southward to the domain of his mother, the Visigoth princess Giselle de Razes. Arriving in the Lanquedoc (southern France) in 681 A.D., he shortly thereafter inherited his uncle's titles - Duke of Razes and Count of Rhedae.

Sigisbert also adopted the surname "Plant-Ard" (subsequently Plantard), which means "ardently

 flowering shoot" of the Merovingian vine. Under this name, and under the titles acquired from his uncle, he perpetuated his lineage. By 886 A.D. one branch of that lineage culminated in a certain Bernard Plantavelu (which name is a derivative of Plant-Ard or Plantard), whose son became the first Duke of Aquitaine.18

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://ia803001.us.archive.org/28/items/ScarletAndTheBeastJohnDaniel1995/Scarlet%20and%20the%20Beast,%20John%20Daniel%20(1995).pdf

The Carolingian dynasty (/ˌkærəˈlɪndʒiən/ KARR-ə-LIN-jee-ən;[1] known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD.[2] The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum hereditary, and becoming the de facto rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne. In 751 the Merovingian dynasty which had ruled the Franks was overthrown with the consent of the Papacy and the aristocracy, and Pepin the Short, son of Martel, was crowned King of the Franks. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of Charlemagne as the first Emperor of the Romans in the West in over three centuries. Nearly every monarch of France from Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious till the penultimate monarch of France Louis Philippe have been his descendants. His death in 814 began an extended period of fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and decline that would eventually lead to the evolution of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Name

The Carolingian dynasty takes its name from Carolus, the Latinised name of multiple Frankish kings including Charlemagne and Charles Martel.[3] The name originates from a common Germanic word, rendered in Old High German as Karl or Kerl,[4] meaning 'man', 'husband', or 'freeman'.[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_dynasty

Pope John Paul II[b] (born Karol Józef Wojtyła;[c] 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third-longest-serving pope in history, after St. Peter and Pius IX.[d]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II

In Revelation 17:3-5 the apostle John describes a vision, which Rev. J. R. Church in Guardians of the Grail believes is fulfilled in the Grail legend. The Whore of Babylon is holding in her hand a golden cup full of blasphemy. Church believes the cup is the blasphemous Holy Grail Another element of the Grail legend is the spear supposed to have pierced the side of Jesus, also known as the Spear of Longinus or the Spear of Destiny. Whoever possesses this spear, so the legend goes, will rule the world. The Merovingians, whose descendants are the Habsburg pretenders to the Austrian throne today, are in possession of the spear. It is on display in the Habsburg museum in Vienna, Austria~ No one, however, knows the location of the Holy Grail. At least no one is telling. Although heretical, this secret society should not be discounted, for it is alive and well today. In fact, in 1956, an Order calling itself the Prieure de Sion, or Priory of Sion, registered itself publicly for the first time with the French government. (Sion is French for Zion.) It is from this Order that the legend of the Holy Grail originated five centuries after Christ's death. Rev. Church remarks of this organization: This mysterious group is presently made up of over 9,000 men, including Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Moslems. The members of this secret sect should be considered unfaithful to their respective beliefs, for in reality they are neither Christian nor Catholic, they are neither Jew nor Moslem. Their doctrine sidesteps the basic tenets of those beliefs and replaces them with the teachings of their greatest prophet - whom they believe to be Buddha.2 From this secret order J. R. Church believes will come the Anti-Christ, for he writes, "Their ultimate goal is world government!'

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zCd0nFuvnM4OYWuVW5QUBCpsTfBv5bYx/view?usp=sharing

The St. Joseph's Cathedral[1] (Arabic: كاتدرائية القديس يوسف) or Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph[2] or Church of the Latins (Arabic: كنيسة اللاتين) or Church of the Virgin Lady (Arabic: كنيسة السيدة العذراء),[3] is a Catholic cathedral located on al-Jumhuriya Street in Baghdad,[4][5] the capital of Iraq.

Because it is in the jurisdiction of the Latin Church, it is sometimes called the Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph in order to distinguish it from the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph dedicated to the same saint but belonging to the Chaldean Catholic Church (also in communion with the Holy See). St. Joseph's functions as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Baghdad (Bagdathensis Latinorum) which was established in 1643 as a diocese and elevated to its present status in 1848.

The Cathedral's churchyard also contains the tomb of Anastase-Marie al-Karmali (1866–1947), Iraqi Catholic priest and Discalced Carmelite friar, as well as lexicologist, lexicographer, and philologist of the Arabic language.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Cathedral_of_St._Joseph

Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thousands of followers by the time of his death fourteen years later. The religious movement he founded is followed by millions of global adherents and several churches, the largest of which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith

All historians acknowledge the ascendancy of the popes began in 308 A.D., when King Clovis of the Salian or Merovingian Franks (later France), won the decisive battle in the Catholic and Arian religious war, thereby settling the dispute in favor of the Catholics. But the popes' temporal reign officially began in the year 538 A.D. when Roman Emperor Justinian subdued the last of the three kingdoms, or "horns," that opposed the rise of the Papacy."

-page 137

Chapter 19 "Exposed (Again): 1260 Years of World Domination

Codeword Barbelon book 2

by P.D. Stuart

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

RAPHAEL Gamaliel Warnock[1] (/ˈrɑːfiɛl ˈwɔːrnɒk/ RAH-fee-el WOR-nok; born July 23, 1969) is an American politician and Baptist pastor serving as the junior United States senator from Georgia, a seat he has held since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Warnock has been the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005.[2][3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Warnock

6,000 years ago

The earliest trade of blacksmithing dates back to ancient civilizations, with evidence of metalworking in Mesopotamia and Egypt as early as 6,000 years ago. Blacksmiths created essential tools and weapons, contributing significantly to the development of society. The term "blacksmith" itself refers to the type of metal being worked, with iron being called "black" due to its color after heating. Over time, blacksmiths evolved their techniques and tools, playing a crucial role in trade and economy, especially during the Iron Age when iron became more abundant and stronger than previous metals.

No, a Mormon president has not retired. Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently passed away at the age of 101, but he is not retiring. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, who is the longest-tenured member of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Bing

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope conventionally holds the office for life, a papal renunciation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries. There are disputed claims of four popes having resigned, dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries; a fifth disputed case may have involved an antipope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

"Sara" is a song recorded by the American rock band Starship which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 15, 1986. It was sung by Mickey Thomas, of the newly renamed band Starship, from their first album Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985), and Grace Slick provided the backing vocals.[1]

The recording became one of the best-selling singles of 1986 in North America. It was the band's second number-one hit after the song "We Built This City" hit that mark a few months earlier in 1985. It also became the band's first number-one song on the adult contemporary chart, where it remained for three weeks.[2] Although written by Peter and Ina Wolf, the song was named for Sara (née Kendrick), Thomas's wife at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_(Starship_song)

Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally (née Bowser; born 26 March 1962) is an English Anglican prelate and former nurse. She has been the bishop of London since 2018, and is the first woman to hold this office. By virtue of her office she is also a Lord Spiritual, one of the 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. On 3 October 2025, it was announced that Mullally would become the 106th archbishop of Canterbury in January 2026; she will be the first woman to hold the office.

Born in Woking, Surrey, Mullally received clinical training in nursing from St Thomas' Hospital. She practised nursing primarily in South London, where she also began her study for ministry in the Church of England. In 1999 she became Chief Nursing Officer and director of patient experience for the English National Health Service. She left these roles in 2004 to pursue full-time ministry. For her service in nursing, Mullally was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

Mullally was ordained a priest in 2002 and began her ministry in the diocese of Southwark. She served in various London churches, and in 2012 became a canon of Salisbury Cathedral. In 2015 she was consecrated as bishop of Crediton, a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Mullally

In Hebrew, the word saraph means "burning", and is used seven times throughout the text of the Hebrew Bible as a noun, usually to denote "serpent",[4] twice in the Book of Numbers, once in the Book of Deuteronomy, and four times in the Book of Isaiah.[5][6][7] The reason why the word for "burning" was also used to denote a serpent is not universally agreed upon; it may be due to a certain snake species' fiery colors, or perhaps the burning sensation left by its venomous bite. Regardless, its plural form, seraphim, occurs in both Numbers and Isaiah, but only in Isaiah is it used to denote an angelic being; likewise, these angels are referred to only as the plural seraphim – Isaiah later uses the singular saraph to describe a "fiery flying serpent", in line with the other uses of the term throughout the Tanakh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph

Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane.[2] Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight gold or platinum-selling studio albums, and one gold-selling compilation.[3] 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Starship

AI Overview

As of September 2025, there has been no 37th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. The most recent assembly was the 36th General Congregation (GC 36), which met in Rome in October 2016.

What is a General Congregation?

A General Congregation (GC) is the highest governing body of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order. A GC can be called for two main reasons:

To elect a new Superior General: This happens when the previous Superior General resigns or dies. In 2016, GC 36 was called after Father Adolfo Nicolás announced his resignation.

To address important matters: A GC can be called by the Superior General to discuss and act on significant issues concerning the order, the Church, and the world.

Key outcomes of the 36th General Congregation (GC 36)

The last General Congregation made two major decisions for the Society of Jesus:

Election of a new Superior General: The delegates elected Father Arturo Sosa Abascal of Venezuela as the 31st Superior General.

Declaration on reconciliation and justice: The assembly released a decree titled "Companions in a Mission of Reconciliation and Justice," which recommitted the order to the service of faith and the promotion of justice, continuing a priority first established at the 32nd General Congregation.

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

1987 Slammy Awards

The Slammy Awards returned a year later, now honoring the events and individuals involved within the professional wrestling aspect of the World Wrestling Federation. The second edition of the ceremony (referred to in commercials and on-air as the 37th annual Slammy Awards) took place on December 16, 1987, from Caesars Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It aired in syndication on December 19, 1987.[11][14][13] The ceremony was hosted by Jesse Ventura and Gene Okerlund.[15] Musical numbers were performed by Vince McMahon (singing the song "Stand Back")[16] and Jimmy Hart (singing "Girls in Cars"), with the entire WWF roster performing "If You Only Knew" as the show's closing number.[16][15]

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface.[11][14][13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slammy_Award

Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, Named Next Provincial of the Jesuits of Canada

March 15, 2024 — The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) announced the appointment of Fr. Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, as the next provincial of the Jesuits of Canada. This appointment is the culmination of a thoughtful, prayerful process of consultation and discernment, marking a significant milestone for the Canadian Province.

https://www.jesuits.org/stories/jeffrey-s-burwell-sj-named-next-provincial-of-the-jesuits-of-canada/

6,000 years ago

The earliest trade of blacksmithing dates back to ancient civilizations, with evidence of metalworking in Mesopotamia and Egypt as early as 6,000 years ago. Blacksmiths created essential tools and weapons, contributing significantly to the development of society. The term "blacksmith" itself refers to the type of metal being worked, with iron being called "black" due to its color after heating. Over time, blacksmiths evolved their techniques and tools, playing a crucial role in trade and economy, especially during the Iron Age when iron became more abundant and stronger than previous metals. 

The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) took place during the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20 September 1854. The allies had made a surprise landing in Crimea on 14 September. The allied commanders, Maréchal Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud and Lord Raglan, then marched toward the strategically important port city of Sevastopol, 45 km (28 miles) away. Russian commander Prince Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov rushed his available forces to the last natural defensive position before the city, the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alma

The Book of Alma: The Son of Alma (/ˈælmə/),[1] usually referred to as the Book of Alma, is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The title refers to Alma the Younger, a prophet and "chief judge" of the Nephites. Alma is the longest book in the Book of Mormon, consisting of sixty-three chapters[2] and taking up almost one-third of the book's volume.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Alma

In 1798, General Berthier inflicted a deadly wound upon the papacy when he took the pope captive.

2. In what year was the papacy predicted to lose its world influence and power?

“He was given authority to continue for forty-two months” (Revelation 13:5).

Answer:   The Bible predicted that the papacy would lose its world influence and power at the end of the 42 months. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1798, when Napoleon’s General Berthier took the pope captive and the papal power received its deadly wound.

(For the full details, see Study Guide 15.)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The beast of Revelation 13:11-18 symbolizes America.

The beast of Revelation 13:11-18 symbolizes America.

3. Which nation was predicted to arise around the time the papacy was receiving its deadly wound?

“I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11).

Prophecy predicted that America would arise from a sparsely settled area.

Prophecy predicted that America would arise from a sparsely settled area.

Answer:   The papal captivity mentioned in verse 10 took place in 1798, and the new power (verse 11) was seen emerging at that time. The United States declared its independence in 1776, voted the Constitution in 1787, adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791, and was clearly recognized as a world power by 1798. The timing obviously fits America. No other power could possibly qualify.

4. What is the significance of the beast “coming up out of the earth”?

Answer

Answer:   This nation arises "out of the earth" instead of out of the water as did the other nations mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. We know from Revelation that water symbolizes areas of the world that have a large population. "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. Therefore, the earth represents the opposite. It means that this new nation would arise in an area of the world that had been virtually unpopulated before the late 1700s. It could not arise among the crowded and struggling nations of the Old World. It had to come up in a sparsely populated continent.

5. What is symbolized by its two lamb-like horns and absence of crowns?

5. What is symbolized by its two lamb-like horns and absence of crowns?

Answer

Answer:   Horns represent kings and kingdoms or governments (Daniel 7:24; 8:21). In this case, they represent the United States’ two governing principles: civil and religious liberty. These two principles have also been labeled “republicanism” (a government without a king) and “Protestantism” (a church without a pope). Other nations since ancient times had taxed people to support a state religion. Most had also oppressed religious dissidents. But the United States established something entirely new: freedom to worship without government interference. Absence of crowns signifies a republican form of government, rather than a monarchy. Lamb-like horns denote an innocent, young, non-oppressive, peace-loving, and spiritual nation. (Jesus is referred to as a lamb 28 times in Revelation.)

Special Note: How we wish we could stop right here in Jesus’ description of the United States—but we can’t, because He didn’t stop. What comes next might be jolting. The United States is a great country, with its freedom of conscience, press, speech, and enterprise; its opportunities; its sense of fair play; its sympathy for the underdog; and its Christian orientation. It is not perfect, but even still, a host of people from around the world seek to become its citizens every year. Sadly, this richly blessed country will change drastically.

6. What does Revelation 13:11 mean when it says the United States will speak “like a dragon”?

6. What does Revelation 13:11 mean when it says the United States will speak “like a dragon”?

Answer:   As you learned in Study Guide 20, the dragon is Satan, who works through various earthly powers to establish his own kingdom and to crush God’s church by persecuting and destroying God’s people. Satan’s aim always has been to usurp God’s throne and to force people to worship and obey him. (See Study Guide 2 for details.) So, speaking as a dragon means the United States (under the influence of Satan) will, in the end time, force people to worship contrary to conscience or be punished.

7. What specifically will the United States do that will cause it to speak as a dragon?

7. What specifically will the United States do that will cause it to speak as a dragon?

Answer:   Notice these four crucial points:

A. “Exercises all the authority of the first beast” (Revelation 13:12) The United States will become a persecuting power that will force people to go against their conscience, as did papal Rome—which is portrayed in the first half of Revelation chapter 13.

B. “Causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12). The United States will lead the nations of the world in forcing allegiance to the papal antichrist. The issue is always worship. Who will you worship and obey? Will it be Christ, your Creator and Redeemer, or antichrist? Every soul on earth will finally worship one or the other. Satan’s approach will appear to be deeply spiritual, and incredible miracles will be seen (Revelation 13:13, 14)—which will deceive billions (Revelation 13:3). Those who refuse to join this movement will be considered divisive, stubborn, radical, and unpatriotic. Jesus labeled Protestant America of the end time a “false prophet” (Revelation 19:20; 20:10), because it will appear spiritual and trustworthy but instead will be satanic in its conduct. All this may seem impossible, but Jesus’ words are always reliable and true (Titus 1:2). He foretold the rise and fall of the four world empires and the antichrist (Daniel chapters 2 and 7) at a time when such predictions seemed outlandish and incredible. But all came to pass precisely as predicted. His warning to us today regarding prophecy is, “I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29).

C. “Telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Revelation 13:14). The United States will make an image to the beast by legislating religious practice. It will pass laws requiring worship and force people to either obey them or face death. This action is a copy—or “image”—of the church-state form of government the papacy ruled with at the height of her power during the Middle Ages, when millions were slain for their faith. The United States will combine civil government and apostate Protestantism in a “marriage” that will support the papacy. It will then influence all the nations of the world to follow her example. Thus, the papacy will gain worldwide support.

D. “And cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15). The United States, as head of this international movement, will next influence the nations of the world to impose a death sentence upon all who refuse to worship the beast or his image. Another name for this worldwide coalition is “Babylon the Great.” (See Study Guide 22 for more information.) This worldwide alliance will, in the name of Christ, substitute the policeman’s power for the Holy Spirit’s gentle persuasion—and it will force worship.

8. Over what specific issues will force be  utilized and the death sentence passed?

8. Over what specific issues will force be utilized and the death sentence passed?

“He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:15–17).

Answer:   The final points of contention will be worshiping and obeying the beast and receiving his mark—honoring Sunday as a false holy day versus worshiping and obeying Christ and receiving His mark by honoring the holy seventh-day Sabbath. (For details, see Study Guide 20.) When the issues become clear and people are forced to break the Sabbath or be killed, those who then choose Sunday will be, in essence, worshiping the beast. They will have chosen to obey the word of a creature, a man, instead of the word of their Creator, Jesus Christ. Here is the papacy’s own statement: “The church changed Sabbath to Sunday and all the world bows down and worships upon that day in silent obedience to the mandates of the Catholic Church” (Hartford Weekly Call, February 22, 1884).

9. Could a government really control buying and selling?

Answer:   : During World War II, buying was controlled by requiring ration stamps for such items as sugar, tires, and fuel. Without these stamps, money was worthless. In this computerized age, a similar system would be easy to set up. For instance, unless you agreed to cooperate with the worldwide coalition, your Social Security Number could be entered into a database, showing that you are disqualified to make a purchase. No one knows precisely how all this will come about, but you can

be positive it will happen—because in Revelation 13:16, 17, God says it will.

Two Emerging Powers

Revelation chapter 13 is clear. Two superpowers will emerge in the end time: the United States of America and the papacy. The United States will support the papacy by leading a drive to force the people of the world to worship the beast power (papacy) and receive his mark or else face death.

The next two questions will evaluate the strength of these two superpowers.

The papacy is the strongest religio-political power on earth.

The papacy is the strongest religio-political power on earth.

10. How strong and influential is the papacy today?

Answer

Answer:   It is arguably the strongest religio-political power in the world. Virtually every leading country has an official ambassador or state representative at the Vatican. Notice the following facts:

A. Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in 2015 carried both pastoral and political implications. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said, “The more he tries to de-emphasize the prestige and the power of the papacy, the more people pay attention to him.” —CBS This Morning, September 22, 2015

B. The aim of the pope is to unify the Christian world. In January 2014, Francis presided over an ecumenical worship service at the Basilica of St. Paul with Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and other Christian representatives and emphasized the need for Christian unity. Francis said, “It is unacceptable to consider ‘divisions in the Church as something natural, inevitable,’ because ‘divisions wound Christ’s body [and] impair the witness that we are called to give to him before the world.’ ” —Catholic Herald, January 27, 2014

C. The worldwide response has been overwhelming as leaders turn to him for peace. Francis hosted a prayer summit at the Vatican with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Then, the pope, who as a Latin American had a lot of credibility in Havana, helped pave the way to the U.S.-Cuba thaw. —Sylvia Poggioli, National Public Radio, April 14, 2016

D. Francis’ 2015 visit to America elicited an unprecedented response from American officials: President Obama personally greeted Pope Francis as he arrived at a U.S. airbase, a decision the White House said was a symbol of the high level of respect Americans have for the Pontiff. Francis’ visit also included the first address by any pope to a joint session of the Congress in American history. —Irish Daily Mail, September 23, 2015

11. How strong and influential is the United States today?

11. How strong and influential is the United States today?

Answer:   The United States is regarded as the world’s most powerful military force and the world’s center of influence. Note the following:

A. “In the key categories of power, the U.S. will remain dominant for the foreseeable future.” —Ian Bremmer, Time magazine, May 28, 2015

B. “What ultimately makes the difference between war and peace ... is not good intentions, or strong words, or a grand coalition. It is the capability, credibility, and global reach of American hard power.” —Senator John McCain, November 15, 2014

C. “The United States is and remains the one indispensable nation. That has been true for the century passed and it will be true for the century to come.” —President Barack Obama, May 28, 2014

D. France’s then-foreign minister, Hubert Vérdine, told a Paris audience that he defined

“the United States as a ‘hyperpower’ ... a country that is dominant or predominant in

all categories.” —The New York Times, February 5, 1999

Though certainly facing challenges to its power from nations such as China and Russia, America’s overwhelming ability to stand down aggressors and rapidly deploy when needed continue to dominate the world. A future president of the United States might not hesitate to use the country’s influence to enforce new global standards, especially if promoted in the guise of world peace and stability after a difficult global event.

12. What other factors could help set  the stage for a worldwide law to execute  those who refuse to violate conscience?

12. What other factors could help set the stage for a worldwide law to execute those who refuse to violate conscience?

Answer:   We cannot name them with certainty, but a few looming possibilities include:

A. The activity of terrorists

B. Riots and escalating crime and evil

C. Drug wars

D. A major economic crash

E. Epidemics

F. Nuclear threats from radical nations

G. Political corruption

H. Gross miscarriage of justice by the courts

I. Social and political issues

J. Increasing taxes

K. Pornography and other immorality

L. Global disasters

M. Radical “special interest” groups

A backlash against terrorism, lawlessness, immorality, permissiveness, injustice, poverty, ineffective political leaders, and many similar woes could easily precipitate a demand for strong, specific laws to be rigidly enforced.

13. As world conditions worsen, what will Satan do to deceive the masses?

13. As world conditions worsen, what will Satan do to deceive the masses?

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Revelation 13:13, 14).

Answer:   The United States will experience a counterfeit revival and will insist that religious

laws be passed to force every person to participate (represented by “an image to the beast” in Revelation 13:14). People will be forced to disregard God’s holy seventh-day Sabbath and worship instead on the beast’s “holy” day—Sunday. Some will comply merely for social or economic reasons. World conditions will become so intolerable that a worldwide “back to God” movement, with all joining in worship and prayer on Sunday, will be presented as the only solution. Satan will deceive the world into believing that they must compromise Bible truth and keep Sunday holy. But in reality, obedience to and worship of the beast will indicate the refusal of most people to enter God’s kingdom. No wonder Jesus makes such an issue in Revelation over worshiping the beast and receiving his mark!

14. While interest in the counterfeit revival heightens,  what will be happening to the genuine worldwide  revival sponsored by God’s end-time people?

14. While interest in the counterfeit revival heightens, what will be happening to the genuine worldwide revival sponsored by God’s end-time people?

Answer:   The Bible says the entire world will be “illuminated” with glory (Revelation 18:1). Every person on earth will be reached (Mark 16:15) with God’s end-time, three-point message of Revelation 14:6–14. God’s last-day church will grow with amazing speed as millions join God’s people and accept His offer of salvation by grace and faith in Jesus, which transforms them into His obedient servants. Many people and leaders from all countries of the world will refuse to worship the beast nor embrace his false teachings. Instead, they will worship and obey Jesus. They will then receive His holy Sabbath sign, or mark, in their foreheads (Revelation 7:2, 3), thus sealing them for eternity. (See Study Guide 20 for additional information on God’s seal.)

Spiraling Growth Infuriates the Counterfeit Movement

This spiraling growth among God’s people will infuriate the counterfeit movement. Its leaders will become fully convinced that those who refuse to cooperate with the worldwide counterfeit revival are the cause of all the world’s woes (Daniel 11:44). They will disqualify them from buying and selling (Revelation 13:16, 17), but the Bible promises that food, water, and protection for God’s people will be sure (Isaiah 33:16; Psalm 34:7).

As his crowning miracle, Satan will impersonate Jesus.

As his crowning miracle, Satan will impersonate Jesus.

15. In desperation, the U.S.-led coalition will decide to impose the death sentence on its enemies (Revelation 13:15). What does Revelation 13:13, 14, say its leaders will do to convince people that God is with them?

Answer:    They will work miracles—so convincing that everyone except God’s faithful end-time people will be persuaded (Matthew 24:24). Utilizing the spirits (fallen angels) of Satan (Revelation 16:13, 14), they will impersonate dead loved ones (Revelation 18:23) and probably

even pose as Bible prophets and apostles. These lying (John 8:44) demonic spirits will doubtless

claim that God has sent them to urge all to cooperate.

Satan Appears as Christ; His Angels Pose as Christian Ministers

Satan’s angels will also appear as godly clergymen, and Satan will appear as an angel of light

(2 Corinthians 11:13–15). As his crowning miracle, Satan will claim to be Jesus (Matthew 24:23, 24). While impersonating Christ, he could easily claim that he changed Sabbath to Sunday and urge his followers to proceed with their worldwide revival and uphold his “holy” day—Sunday.

Billions Are Deceived

Billions, believing that Satan is Jesus, will bow at his feet and join the counterfeit movement. “All the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3). The deception will be overwhelmingly effective. But God’s people will not be deceived, because they test everything by the Bible (Isaiah 8:19, 20; 2 Timothy 2:15). The Bible says God’s law cannot be changed (Matthew 5:18). It also says that when Jesus returns, every eye will see Him (Revelation1:7) and that He will not touch the earth but will remain in the clouds and call His people to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

16. How can we be safe from powerful end-time deceptions?

16. How can we be safe from powerful end-time deceptions?

Answer:   A. Test every teaching by the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:20).

B. Follow truth as Jesus reveals it. Jesus promised that those who genuinely want to obey Him will never end up in error (John 7:17).

C. Stay close to Jesus daily (John 15:5).

Reminder: This is the sixth Study Guide in our series of nine on the three angels’ messages. The next Study Guide will reveal how Christian churches and other religions worldwide will relate to the events of the end time.

17. Are you willing to worship and obey Jesus even if it means ridicule, persecution, and finally the death sentence?

17. Are you willing to worship and obey Jesus even if it means ridicule, persecution, and finally the death sentence?

Answer:  

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Thought Questions

1. It doesn’t seem fair that, in the final crisis, people who have never heard God’s truth will innocently choose a counterfeit and thus be lost.

No one will face the final crisis without first having heard (Mark 16:15) and understood (John 1:9) God’s vital three-point message for today (Revelation 14:6–12). People will choose to receive the mark of the beast only because they do not wish to pay the price for following Christ.

2. What is the battle of Armageddon spoken of in Revelation 16:12–16? When and where will it be fought?

The battle of Armageddon is the final battle between Christ and Satan. It will be fought on the earth and will begin just before the end of time. The battle will be interrupted by Jesus’ second coming. It will begin again after the 1,000 years, when the wicked surround the holy city with hopes of capturing it. The battle will close when fire rains down from heaven upon the wicked and destroys them (Revelation 20:9). (Study Guide 12 explains the 1,000 years in detail.)

What Does the Word “Armageddon” Mean?

Armageddon is a name for the “battle of that great day of God Almighty” between Christ and Satan in which all the nations of the world will be involved (Revelation 16:12–16, 19). The “kings from the east” are God the Father and God the Son. “East” in the Bible symbolizes God’s heavenly kingdom (Revelation 7:2; Ezekiel 43:2; Matthew 24:27). In this final battle, virtually the entire world will unite (Revelation 16:14) to fight against Jesus, the Lamb, and His people (Revelation 17:14; 19:19). Their aim will be to wipe out all who refuse to worship the beast (Revelation 13:15–17).

Delusion Follows Rejection

People who refuse to accept God’s message even though they know it is true will become strongly deluded so as to believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10–12). They will begin to believe they are upholding God’s kingdom when they endeavor to destroy His people. They will perceive the saints to be hopelessly deceived fanatics who are dooming the entire world by their refusal to cooperate in the counterfeit revival.

Jesus’ Second Coming Halts the Battle

The battle itself will be worldwide. Governments will try to destroy God’s people, but God will intervene. The symbolic river Euphrates will be dried up (Revelation 16:12). Water represents people (Revelation 17:15). The drying up of the river Euphrates means that the people who have been supporting the beast (Satan’s kingdom) will suddenly withdraw their support. The beast’s support will thus dry up. Its coalition of allies (Revelation 16:13, 14) will fall apart (Revelation 16:19). Jesus’ second coming will halt this battle and save His people (Revelation 6:14–17; 16:18–21; 19:11–20).

The Battle Resumes After 1,000 Years

After the 1,000 years, Satan will come right out in the open as the leader of the forces against God and His people. He will resume the battle and try to capture the holy city. Then he and his followers will be destroyed by fire from heaven (see Study Guides 11 and 12). However, every follower of Jesus will be safe in His eternal kingdom.

3. The Bible says, “The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service” (John 16:2). Is it possible that this will be literally fulfilled in our time?

Yes. The end-time coalition of world governments and religions will finally lose all sympathy for God’s people, those who refuse to join the counterfeit revival or adopt Sunday worship. They will feel that the miracles accompanying their revival prove its validity—miracles such as the sick being healed or notorious God-haters, immoral celebrities, and well-known criminals being converted. The coalition will insist that no one be permitted to ruin this worldwide revival. Everyone will be urged to lay aside personal feelings and “fanatical teachings” (the Sabbath, for example) and join with the rest of the world in its revival for peace and brotherhood. Those who do not agree to cooperate will be considered disloyal, unpatriotic, anarchists and, finally, dangerous fanatics who must not be tolerated. In that day, those who kill God’s people will feel they are doing God a favor.

4. As we study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, it seems apparent that the real enemy is always the devil. Is this true?

Absolutely! Satan is always the real enemy. Satan works through earth’s leaders and nations

to hurt God’s people and thus bring heartache to Jesus and the Father. Satan is the one responsible for all evil. Let’s blame him and be careful how we judge people or organizations who hurt God’s people and church. They are sometimes totally unaware that they are harming anyone. But that is never true of Satan. He is always fully aware. He hurts God and His people intentionally.

5. How would the death of the pope or the election of a new president affect the prophecy of the United States in Revelation 13:11–18?

The prophecy will be fulfilled no matter who is pope or president. A new president or pope may temporarily speed up or slow down fulfillment, but the final outcome is assured by Bible prophecy.

6. Are the lamb-horned beast of Revelation 13:11–18 and the false prophet of Revelation 16:13 the same power?

Yes. In Revelation 19:20, where God mentions the destruction of the antichrist beast, He

also refers to the destruction of the false prophet. In this passage, God identifies the false prophet as the power that “worked signs” before the beast and “deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” This is a clear reference to the activities of the lamb-horned beast, which are described in Revelation 13:11–18. In this Study Guide we have identified the lamb-horned beast as the United States of America. So the lamb-horned beast and the false prophet are indeed the same power.

Quiz Questions

1. The United States is symbolized in Bible prophecy by (1)

_____   A man with red, white, and blue clothing.

_____   An eagle with a computer on its back.

_____   A beast with two lamb-like horns.

2. What do the two horns represent? (1)

_____   Wealth and military might.

_____   Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

_____   Civil and religious freedom.

3. What does "coming up out of the earth" signify? (1)

_____   That Americans would love country living.

_____   That this new country would arise in an area with a small population.

_____   That some early Americans would be cave dwellers.

4. In this prophecy, lamb-like horns mean that America would (1)

_____   Be shy and inhibited.

_____   Be a sheep-raising country.

_____   Arise as a peace-loving, spiritual nation.

5. At about what time does the prophecy of Revelation chapter 13 indicate America would arise? (1)

_____   1492.

_____   1798.

_____   1620.

6. Revelation chapter 13 indicates that America would eventually speak "as a dragon." What does this mean? (1)

_____   Her people would be angry and hard to understand.

_____   She would use fire-shooting weapons of destruction.

_____   She will force people to worship contrary to conscience or face death.

7. God's mark, sign, or symbol of power is (1)

_____   A lamb.

_____   A two-horned beast.

_____   The Sabbath, God's holy day.

8. How will America make an "image to the beast"? (1)

_____   By making and selling many pictures of the beast.

_____   By making a statue of the beast to display in Washington, D.C.

_____   By creating a church-state combination (patterned after the papacy at the height of her power) that will legislate religious practice.

9. What punishments does Revelation 13:15-17 say will be inflicted upon those who refuse the mark of the beast? (2)

_____   Not allowed to buy or sell.

_____   Banished to outer space.

_____   Put to death.

_____   Forced to make a personal apology to the beast.

10. Which two earthly powers will have the most influence in the end time? (2)

_____   Revitalized Europe.

_____   Japan.

_____   China.

_____   United States.

_____   The papacy.

11. Which items tell the truth about the battle of Armageddon? (6)

_____   It is earth's last battle.

_____   The 'kings of the east' are Japan and China.

_____   The beast's aim in the battle is to destroy God's people.

_____   It will be worldwide.

_____   It begins before Jesus' second coming and ends after the wicked surround the holy city at the close of the 1,000 years.

_____   Armageddon is the symbolic name for the final battle between Christ and antichrist/Satan.

_____   Drying up the Euphrates means the beast, or Antichrist, will finally lose the support of most of its followers.

_____   It will be fought in Palestine only.

12. How successful will God's true, end-time revival be? (2)

_____   The whole world will be converted.

_____   Every person on earth will hear the message.

_____   Millions will accept it.

_____   It will not succeed. The devil will stop it.

13. How successful will the end-time counterfeit movement be? (1)

_____   Many countries will not support it.

_____   It will be successful in America and Europe only.

_____   Every person on earth—except God’s end-time people—will join and support it.

14. Are you willing to follow where Jesus leads, even though it may be painful? (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4998/t/the-usa-in-bible-prophecy

14We ought to act on the principle that everyone who lives under obedience should let himself be carried and directed by Divine Providence through the agency of the superior 15as if he were a lifeless body, which allows itself to be carried to any place and treated in any way; or an old man s staff, which serves at any place and for any purpose in which the one holding it in his hand wishes to employ it. 16For in this way the obedient man ought joyfully to employ himself in any task in which the superior desires to employ him in aid of the whole body of the religious order; 17and he ought to hold it certain that by so doing he conforms himself with the divine will more than by anything else he could do while following his own will and different judgment.[3]"

page 221

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

America and the Image to the Beast

Aug 13, 2024

•

13 min read

What can history tell us about the future of America? Will America have a part to play in the acceptance of the mark of the beast?

Revelation 13 tells the story of a blasphemous beast power that rose from the sea. Protestant Christians have historically identified this beast as the Papacy.  Though the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, seat, and great authority (vs. 2), this kingdom, the Papacy, receives a wound that appears to be deadly (vs. 3). Then a new player is introduced upon the scene.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Rev 13:11

The rise of a powerful new nation comes near the time of the wounding of the first beast. The Pope was taken captive in 1798 by France’s General Berthier. At that time, the papal states were also confiscated, stripping the Vatican of its head and territory. This deadly wound also marked the end of the forty-two months of the reign of this persecuting power.

The second beast was to come up out of the earth, unlike the first beast which came up out of the sea of “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev 17:15) of populated Europe. Its coming up out of the earth identifies a kingdom that develops in a sparsely populated land. In 1754, Charles Wesley, referring to the second beast, wrote, "He is not yet come, though he cannot be far off; for he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast."1

The United States of America was a young nation in 1798. It was founded upon the Christ-like principles of Republicanism which upholds the right of self-government, and Protestantism which champions the freedom of religious faith. These principles were the strong horns of this new nation, depicted as a two-horned beast.

But the prophecy reveals that a drastic change would come and this nation would speak as a dragon. A nation “speaks” through its laws. The dragon symbol ultimately represents Satan (Rev 12:9) whose goal is to persecute Christ’s followers. To speak like a dragon is to institute laws that legalize the persecution of God’s people, as Imperial Rome did when it outlawed Christianity until the Edict of Milan (313 AD) which granted Christians toleration. Papal Rome spoke like a dragon through its policy of persecuting heretics. Likewise, America will speak with the voice of the dragon when it institutes laws that are intolerant of personal freedoms but are favorable to its state religion.

The prophecy also says that the lamb-like beast (America) will exercise “all the power of the first beast,” even forcing the earth and the people who live on it to worship the first beast, papal Rome. What does “all the power of the first beast” mean? And how will the earth and its inhabitants be forced to worship?

Papal Rome used the power of the state to coerce and control the population through its 1260 years of domination. The second beast (America) will do the same, bringing the whole world into subjection to papal Rome.

How will this happen? A look at history can give us some insight.

During the Dark Ages, the nations of Europe were subject to the Roman Catholic Church. The Papacy taught that rulers were to yield to the Pope because he was their spiritual father and Christ’s vicar. As a consequence, apart from the approval of the Pope, kings and emperors were not free to rule their estates as they determined was best for their subjects. In addition, the church’s teachings were enforced by the armies and magistrates of the nations. To exercise all the power of the first beast is to govern by these principles. The prophecy tells us that the government of the United States will submit to the dictates of the church and will use force against dissenters.

The history of the Dark Ages, a period of church domination in Europe, is marred by the sordid details of church-led, state-enforced persecution. True followers of Christ who would not bend their conscience to practice the form of paganized Christianity of the state church lost their goods and their lives. Torture machines were invented to coerce and punish those labeled as “heretics.” Some, like the Waldenses, fled to remote locations, fulfilling the prophecy of the church in the wilderness (Rev 12).

Kings who would not submit to the demands of the church were punished with excommunication and whole nations were put under interdict, which was banishment from participation in the ceremonies of the church. This dreaded sentence was considered to be a curse from God Himself because it was believed that salvation could only come through the church.

The prophecy states that those who will not submit to the authority of the beast and worship him, will not be able to buy or sell and will have the death sentence passed on them.

Before implementing the death sentence, miracles will be performed to deceive people into thinking that the beast is speaking for God. Many will be deceived by these miracles because they don’t know what the Bible says about false prophets and miracle-working demons (Mt 7:15, Jer 14:14, Rev 16:14). The time will come when we will not be able to trust our senses. It is essential to diligently study the Scriptures (2 Tim 2:15) now and learn to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).

By deceptive miracles, the land beast (US) will convince people to make an image to the sea beast (Rev 13:14). In other words, people will be manipulated into calling for a form of civil government that is under religious control. The “image to the beast” is the union of church and state, the merging of church-craft with state-craft.

Evidence of the formation of the image to the beast

When America was still a young nation, few would have believed that the union of church and state could ever be possible. Nevertheless, it was in the 1800s that public movements arose which began working toward this union. The National Reform Association, the International Reform Bureau, the Lord’s Day Alliance of the United States, and the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America were formed by professed Protestants with this goal in mind—to break down the wall separating church and state.

While the forms of the organizations working to unite church and state have changed over the years, what hasn’t changed is the fact that there are people who believe America was founded as a Christian nation and that the constitution must be changed to officially make America a Christian nation, governed by Christian principles. What is overlooked by those who hold these beliefs is the fact that there is nothing Christian about forcing people to believe in Christ or to practice Christianity.

And while ecumenism has successfully blurred the distinctions between Christian denominations and even between Christianity and non-Christian religions, the type of Christianity that is adopted by the nation will matter to some. It is impossible that any form of state religion will be acceptable to all.

But what form of Christianity is America likely to adopt for its norm? The prophecy tells us that America will set up an “image of the beast” (Rev 13:14-15), that is a likeness to papal Rome. The death of Protestantism and the catholicization of America show us that is exactly what is happening right now. And tellingly, Paul Weyrich, the founder of the Heritage Foundation and the one credited with influencing Jerry Falwell to launch the Moral Majority, is a Roman Catholic traditionalist. Catholicism is the founding force of Christian nationalism in America, though many believe Protestant evangelicalism is.

Project 2025 is a policy playbook that was put together for the 2024 presidential election. It is a manual of religiously-based policies prepared for a conservative president to implement immediately upon coming into office. And Roman Catholic social teaching—not Biblical Christianity, not Protestantism—is behind it.

Pope Leo XIII said it was the duty of all Catholics to work toward bringing all civil society under the jurisdiction of the church. This is the aim of the Papacy because it is believed to be its right. According to the Papacy, the Pope is the vicar of Christ, and therefore, the rightful ruler of the world.

The Catholic Catechism states:

The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls."2

The prophecy tells us the whole world will worship the beast and wonder, saying “Who is like unto the beast?” (Rev 13:3-4). All the world will soon be united in worship of this power. Since Vatican 2 (1962-1965), the Catholic church has worked through the ecumenical movement and behind the scenes to unite all the churches again under the Papacy. Much progress has been made since Vatican 2, but visible unity remains out of reach, at least for now. Nevertheless, ecumenical bodies continue to push toward this goal.

In an address to the Fourth World Gathering of the Global Christian Forum in 2024, Pope Francis said, “To all of you, I invoke the blessings of Almighty God, and pray that the gathering will advance the visible unity among all Christians.”3 It’s hard to imagine how visible unity could exist without forced conformity, though. In fact, the Bible says it’s impossible. (See Amos 3:3 and Mt 10:32-38.)

Nonetheless, gatherings such as these have steadily advanced toward visible unity. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has played an important role in promoting unity. The WCC planned a World Conference on Faith and Order in 2025 “to reaffirm the goal of visible unity for churches.”4 It’s interesting that the conference was planned to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 325.

The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council and was convened by Emperor Constantine I. Important outcomes of the council were that the emperor exiled Arius because the council ruled that he was teaching heresy; and he ordered the persecution of the Quartodecimans because the council had ruled that Christ’s resurrection should be commemorated always on a Sunday, aligned with the spring equinox, rather than on Nisan 14, the Passover.

The date of the Passover, a symbolic festival that pointed toward the sacrifice of Christ, was Nisan 14. John the Baptist likened Christ to the Passover lamb when he referred to Him as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and Paul called Christ “our passover” (1 Cor 5:7). Christ’s disciples commemorated Christ as our Passover on Nisan 14, the date of Passover, not on Easter, a pagan holiday.

History tells us that the apostle John’s disciple Polycarp traveled to Rome to try to persuade Anicetus, the bishop of Rome, of the rightness of commemorating Christ’s resurrection on Nisan 14, instead of on Sunday, but Anicetus clung to Sunday. By the time of the Council of Nicaea, commemorating Christ’s resurrection on a Sunday in conjunction with the pagan Easter had become common and the council majority ruled in favor of Sunday over Nisan 14. The emperor required all Christian’s to fall in line.

Commemorating the Council of Nicaea memorializes the meddling of the emperor in church questions, the exaltation of Sunday, and the persecution of conscientious Christians. Celebrating this event is an indication that today’s ecumenical Christians share common ground with those who joined the emperor at Nicaea in 325. Persecution cannot be far off.

Mark of the beast vs. seal of God

The prophecy tells us that the second beast (America) will make an image to the first beast (the Papacy) and then the mark of the beast will be forced upon the whole world. In other words, when America repudiates the principles of its constitution that make it a Protestant republic, it will soon afterward require all nations to come in line and show their allegiance to the first beast by forcing all nations into Sunday worship.

In the 19th century, the movement that called for Sunday laws focused on the keeping of Sunday for religious reasons. Today, though for some Sunday “sacredness” is still an issue, other reasons are being given for needing Sunday rest laws. Pope Francis’ Laudato Si calls for Sunday legislation to save the environment. The European Sunday Alliance and other similar groups claim legislation is needed to require rest on Sundays for the good of the family. Regardless of the rationale, the result will be the same, a universal Sunday law and the persecution of dissenters.

While many Christians feel that which day they worship on is irrelevant, this is a mistake. The Roman Catholic Church has set itself up as the world’s spiritual authority in direct opposition to God and refers to its success in the change of worship days from Sabbath to Sunday as the sign of this authority.  

God, in His Word, commands, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” When He marked the Sabbath commandment with His royal seal, He declared Himself to be the authority behind the seventh-day Sabbath.

The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, says, “No! By my divine power, I abolish the Sabbath day, and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.”5

To obey one, is to oppose the other. If you choose to obey God, you will keep the seventh-day Sabbath. If you choose to keep Sunday, you choose the Catholic Church as your authority. The Sabbath is clearly to be the battleground for the end-time power struggle between Christ and Satan. The day is coming, according to the prophecy, that all will be forced to choose one or the other. And America, the second beast, will be the power that will force people to choose between the two authorities by introducing a law that will force Sunday worship first on a national level, then internationally.

Christian nationalism

Major changes will need to take place in America, however, for the prophecy to be fulfilled because the Constitution prohibits the making of religious laws. The Constitution will need to be changed. And that is just what American Christian nationalism is aiming at.

A particularly amazing detail given in the prophecy is that the second beast, America, will do “great wonders” and even make “fire come down from heaven” to deceive people into believing that the reforms have God’s support (verses 13-14). The second beast will claim that the miracles are signs of God’s approval, when really, they are manifestations of satanic power meant to deceive.

The prophecy is clear that when America “speaks like a dragon” by making harsh religious laws, it will then act like the dragon by unleashing satanic persecution on those who choose to honor God by keeping His commandments. This persecution will include economic restrictions and eventually a law will be passed making capital punishment the penalty for those who refuse to submit.

But there is good news. God will give His people “victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name” (15:2).  Those who refuse to participate in false worship, though they are persecuted (2 Tim 3:12) will stand upon the sea of glass because they followed the Lamb wherever He led them (14:4) and kept the commandments of God (12:17). God will own them as His own and they will have His name written in their foreheads (14:1).

https://amazingdiscoveries.org/read/articles/america-and-the-image-to-the-beast

Revelation 14

1599 Geneva Bible

14 1 The Lamb standeth on mount Zion: 4 with his chaste worshippers. 6 One Angel preacheth the Gospel. 8 Another foretelleth the fall of Babylon: 9 the third warneth that the beast be avoided. 13 A voice from heaven pronounceth them happy who die in the Lord. 16 The Lord’s sickle thrust into the harvest, 18 and into the vintage.

1 Then I looked, and lo, a Lamb [a]stood on mount Zion, and with him an [b]hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s [c]Name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps.

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the Elders: and no man could learn that song, but the hundred, forty and four thousand, which were bought from the earth.

4 These are they which are not defiled with women: for they are virgins: these follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth: these are bought from men, being the firstfruits unto God, and unto the Lamb.

5 And in their mouths was found no guile: for they are without spot before the throne of God.

6 ¶ [d]Then I saw [e]another Angel fly in the midst of heaven, having an everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 [f]Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him: for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea and the fountains of waters.

8 And there followed another Angel, saying, Babylon that great city is fallen, it is fallen: for she made all nations to drink of the wine of the [g]wrath of her fornication.

9 ¶ And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, [h]If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or on his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, yea, of the pure wine, which is poured into the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels, and before the Lamb.

11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascend evermore: and they shall have no rest day nor night, which worship the beast and his name.

12 [i]Here is the patience of Saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, The dead which die [j]in the Lord, are fully blessed. Even so saith the Spirit: for they rest from their labors, and their [k]works follow them.

14 ¶ [l]And I looked, and behold, [m]a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of man, [n]having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a [o]sharp sickle.

15 [p]And another Angel came out of the Temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time is come to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

16 And he that sat on the cloud, thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 [q]Then another Angel came out of the Temple, which is in heaven, having also a sharp sickle.

18 And another Angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, and said, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth: for her grapes are ripe.

19 And the Angel thrust in his sharp sickle on the earth, and cut down the vines of the vineyard of the earth, and cast them into that great winepress of the wrath of God.

20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, [r]and blood came out of the winepress, unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Footnotes

Revelation 14:1 The history of the Church of Christ being finished for more than a thousand and three hundred years, at which time Boniface the eighth lived as before hath been said, there remaineth the rest of the history of the conflicting or militant Church, from thence unto the time of the last victory in three chapters. For first of all, as the foundation of the whole history, is described the standing of the lamb with his army and retinue in five verses, after his worthy acts which he hath done, and yet doth in most mighty manner, whilst he overthroweth Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth, in the rest of this chapter, and in the two following. Unto the description of the Lamb, are propounded three things: his situation, place and attendance: for the rest are expounded in the former visions, especially upon the fifth chapter.

Revelation 14:1 As ready girt to do his office (as Acts 6:56) in the midst of the Church which aforetime mount Zion did prefigure.

Revelation 14:1 As before 7:2. This retinue of the Lamb is described first by divine mark (as before 7:2) in this verse. Then by divine occupation, in that all and every one in his retinue most vehemently and sweetly (verse 2) do glorify the Lamb with a special song before God and his elect Angels: which song flesh and blood cannot hear, nor understand, verse 3. Lastly by their deeds done before, and their sanctification in that they were virgins, pure from spiritual and bodily fornication that is, from impiety and unrighteousness, that they followed the Lamb as a guide unto all goodness, and cleaved unto him that they are holy unto him as of grace redeemed by him: that in truth and in simplicity of Christ, they have exercised all these things, sanctimony of life, the direction of the Lamb, a thankful remembrance of the redemption by him: finally (to conclude in a word) that they are blameless before the Lord, verses 4, 5.

Revelation 14:6 The other part (as I said in the first verse) is of the acts of the Lamb, the manner whereof is delivered in two sorts, of his speech, and of his facts. His speeches are set forth unto verse 13 of this chapter, and his facts unto chapter 16. In the speech of the Lamb, which is the word of the Gospel, are taught in this place, these things: The service of the godly consisting inwardly of reverence towards God, and outwardly of the glorifying of him: the visible sign of which is adoration, verse 7. The overthrowing of wicked Babylon, verse 8, and the fall of every one of the ungodly which worship the beast, verses 9, 10, 11. Finally, the state of the holy servants of God both present, verse 11, and to come, most blessed, according to the promise of God, verse 15.

Revelation 14:6 This Angel is a type or figure of the good and faithful servants of God, whom God especially from that time of Boniface the eighth, hath raised up to the publishing of the Gospel of Christ, both by preaching and by writing. So God first, near unto the time of the same Boniface, used Peter Cassiodorus an Italian: after, Arnold de villa nova, a Frenchman, then Occam, Dante, Petrarch, after that Johannes de rupe casa, a Franciscan: after again, John Wycliff an Englishman, and so continually one or another unto the restoring of the truth and enlarging of his Church.

Revelation 14:7 That is, Babylon is destroyed by the sentence and judgment of God: the execution whereof S. John described, chap. 18. And this voice of the ministers of Christ hath continued since the time that Babylon (which is Rome) hath by deliberate counsel and manifest malice oppugned the light of the Gospel offered from God.

Revelation 14:8 Of her fornication, whereby God was provoked to wrath.

Revelation 14:9 That is, shall not worship God alone, but shall transfer his divine honor unto this beast, whether he doeth it with his heart or counterfeiting in show. For he (saith Christ) that denieth me before men, him will I deny before my Father, and his Angels, Matt. 10:32. And this is that voice of the holy ministry; which at this time is very much used of the holy and faithful servants of God. For having now sufficiently found out the public obstinacy of Babylon they labor not any longer to thunder out as against the same but to save some particular members by terror (as S. Jude speaketh) and to pluck them out of the public flame, or else by a vehement commiseration of their state to lead them away, they set before them eternal death, into which they rush unawares, unless in good time they return unto God, but the godly which are of their own flock, they exhort unto patience, obedience, and faith in the Lord Jesus, and charge them to give light by their good example, of good life unto others.

Revelation 14:12 The patience, sanctification and justification by faith: the consequence whereof are rest, felicity, and glory eternal, in the heavenly fellowship of God and his Angels.

Revelation 14:13 That is for the Lord.

Revelation 14:13 By works, is meant the reward which followeth good works.

Revelation 14:14 The second part of this Chapter, as I said, verse 1. Of the acts and doings of Christ in overthrowing of Antichrist and his Church by the Spirit of his divine mouth: seeing that having been called back by word both publicly and privately unto his duty, and admonished of his most certain ruin: he yet ceaseth not to maintain and protect his own adherents, that they may do him service: and to afflict the godly with most barbarous persecutions. Of those things which Christ doeth, there are two kinds: one common or general in the rest of this chapter, another particular against that savage and rebellious beast and his worshippers in chapters 15 and 16. That common kind, is the calamity of wars spread abroad through the whole earth, and filling all things with blood, and that without respect of any person. This is figured or shadowed out in two types, of the harvest and vintage. Since the time that the light of the Gospel began to shine out, and since prophecy or preaching by the grace of God was raised up again, how horrible wars have been kindled in the world? how much human flesh hath been thrown to the earth by this divine reaping? how much blood (alas for woe) hath overflown for these hundred years almost? all history do cry out, and this our age (if ever before) is now in horror, by reason of the rage of the sickle which Antichrist calleth for. In this place is the first type, that is of the harvest.

Revelation 14:14 Declaring his fierceness by his color, like unto that which is in the white or milk circle of heaven.

Revelation 14:14 As one that shall reign from God, and occupy place of Christ in this miserable execution.

Revelation 14:14 That is, a most fit and commodious instrument of Execution, destroyed all by hewing and thrusting through, for who may stand against God?

Revelation 14:15 Christ giveth a commandment in this verse. And the Angel executeth in the next verse.

Revelation 14:17 The other type (as I said, verse14) is the vintage: the manner whereof is one with that which went before, if thou except this, that the grape gathering is more exact in seeking out everything, than is the harvest labor. This is therefore a more grievous judgment, both because it succeedeth the other, and because it is understood to be executed with great diligence.

Revelation 14:20 That is, it overflowed very deep, and very far and wide: the speech is by hyperbole or excessive, to signify the greatness of the slaughter. And these be those pleasant fruits forsooth, of the contempt of Christ, and desiring of Antichrist rather than him, which the miserable, mad, and blind world doth at this time reap.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2014&version=GNV

In Islamic tradition, the horse associated with Prophet Muhammad is known as Buraq, a celestial creature that transported him during the Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj).

The Story of Buraq

Buraq is described as a white, horse-like creature that is larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule. It is said to have had wings and the ability to travel at incredible speeds, symbolizing the swift journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to the heavens. 

During the Night Journey, Buraq carried the Prophet Muhammad, allowing him to meet previous prophets and receive divine revelations. This journey is a significant event in Islamic belief, culminating in the commandment for Muslims to perform the five daily prayers. 

Word of Prophet

Cultural Depictions

Buraq has been a popular subject in Islamic art and literature, often depicted in Persian miniature paintings. The creature's name, derived from the Arabic word for "lightning," reflects its swift nature and the miraculous aspects of the journey. 

mythology.guru

+1

Other Horses of Muhammad

In addition to Buraq, Prophet Muhammad is said to have had several horses, with some accounts mentioning that he owned up to six horses. Among them, Lazlos is noted as a favorite, as it allowed him to engage in significant moments of his life and maintain the principles of Islam. 

Great American Adventures

Conclusion

Buraq holds a unique place in Islamic tradition as the steed that facilitated one of the most important spiritual journeys in Islam. Its depiction and the stories surrounding it continue to be celebrated in Islamic culture and art, symbolizing faith and divine connection.

 Sunny's Cafe is a labor of love, brought to you by our family and women-owned team. We're proud to call the Dayton and Carson City, NV area our home, and our commitment to our community is at the very core of who we are.

We've designed Sunny's Cafe as a place where everyone can relax and enjoy. As parents and grandparents ourselves, we have made it our mission to ensure a comfortable and fun dining environment where even the youngest guests can be entertained and have a blast, allowing everyone at the table to truly enjoy their time together. We can't wait to share our love for great food and our community with you!

https://www.sunnys-cafe.com/about

Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East | Research Paper

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and a Nation in Transition

July 24, 2025 | Annelle Sheline, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Maraya Concert Hall The Worlds Largest Mirrored Building in AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Ten years have passed since Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became King of Saudi Arabia on Jan. 23, 2015, and transferred policymaking authority to a younger generation of princes led by his then 29-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman. Fifteen months later, in April 2016, Prince Mohammed — by then Deputy Crown Prince as well as Minister of Defense — unveiled a comprehensive document called “Vision 2030” as a strategic framework for transforming the Saudi economy and society.[1]

More properly viewed as a collection of initiatives rather than a single plan, Vision 2030 is about much more than giga-projects such as Neom — a high density, planned city with a low environmental impact being built by Saudi Arabia in its Tabuk Province.[2] Although Neom has attracted much of the media analysis devoted to Vision 2030, the overall strategic initiative entails a restructuring of many other aspects of governance and domestic socio-economic priorities.

In its totality, the release of Vision 2030, which was drawn up with the assistance of global consultants, constituted an ambitious statement of intent from a figure seen at the time by many, especially outside the kingdom, as a relatively unknown political novice. Its goals became more urgent when a sharp fall in oil prices in 2015 hit Saudi economic prospects hard. Following a series of budget cuts, Mohammed bin Salman declared that, “2015 was the year of the quick fix, 2016 is the year of the more organized quick fix, and 2017 is the year the vision will begin.”[3]

Subsequent Vision Realization Programs announced a year after the Vision 2030 launch provided more details about how the government planned to achieve specific aspects of its ambitious plans, including the National Transformation Program, the Quality of Life Program, and the Fiscal Sustainability Program.[4] A series of giga-projects followed, beginning with Neom in 2017, and soon came to dominate external perceptions of Vision 2030’s reforms, even as key domestic initiatives were also unveiled.

Various assessments since have evaluated Saudi Arabia’s progress toward the goals outlined by Vision 2030, and several of the giga-projects have recently been scaled back.[5] This research paper offers context often missing from existing analyses, exploring why some goals have been accomplished more easily than others and how elements of Vision 2030 have evolved since their introduction in 2016. Most analyses have evaluated the kingdom’s efforts to reduce its economic dependence on fossil fuel.

However, given Saudi Arabia’s influence within the Middle East as well as the global Muslim community, this paper devotes equal attention to Vision 2030’s societal transformation initiatives and builds on the authors’ 2019 Baker Institute report, “Mohammed bin Salman and Religious Authority and Reform in Saudi Arabia.” Written two years after Mohammed bin Salman became Crown Prince, and at a time when he was shunned by Western policymakers after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018, our earlier report assessed the balance between symbolism and substance in Mohammed bin Salman’s early reforms, especially in the social sphere.[6] 

This new paper — published nearly six years later and more than halfway through the Vision 2030 timeline — takes the narrative forward and focuses on analyzing Saudi progress as 2030 draws near.

View the full paper (PDF).

Notes

[1] Vision 2030 is a comprehensive document and strategic framework for achieving Saudi Arabia's long-term goals as a kingdom. It details plans to diversify its economy, primarily to reduce its dependence on oil; develop a more knowledge-based society that includes an enhanced quality of life and improved public services; and create a more transparent and accountable government (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, “Vision 2030 Overview,” accessed June 25, 2025, https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/overview). 

[2] “Giga-project” is a term for large-scale, multibillion-dollar development initiatives that has been popularized through the media attention paid to Vision 2030. Giga-projects typically have the potential to transform a region's economy, infrastructure, and society. They require substantial capital investments as well as support from various technological, real estate, tourism, technology, energy, and infrastructure sectors in order to achieve the significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes they seek. They are inherently long-term projects since their completion depends on complex delivery systems that involve multiple contractors and suppliers. Finally, while both giga-projects and mega-projects involve large-scale development, giga-projects are typically defined as those exceeding ten billion dollars in cost with the potential to serve as catalysts for innovation, economic diversification, and societal transformation. 

[3] Margherita Stancati and Ahmed Al Omran, “Saudi Arabia Approves Economic Reform Program,” The Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2016.

[4] Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 Overview, “Vision Realization Programs,” updated July 7, 2025, https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/explore/programs.

[5] Sloane Ortel and Ashby Monk, “Saudi Arabia’s Progress on Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependence,” Free Money, August 20, 2024, https://freemoneypodcast.com/p/saudi-arabias-progress-on-reducing; Ilker Domac, “Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Agenda: Half Time Report,” Citigroup Insights, February 21, 2024, https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/saudi-arabia-s-2030-agenda-half-time-report; Centuro Global, “Saudi Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Program Explained (2025 Update),” updated June 11, 2025, https://www.centuroglobal.com/article/saudi-arabia-vision-2030/.

[6] Kristian Coates Ulrichsen and Annelle Sheline, “Mohammed bin Salman and Religious Authority and Reform in Saudi Arabia,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, September 29, 2019, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/mbs-political-religious-authority-saudi-arabia.

This publication was produced on behalf of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Wherever feasible, the material was reviewed by external experts prior to its release. Any errors are the responsibility of the author(s) alone.

This material may be quoted or reproduced without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed herein are those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/saudi-arabias-vision-2030-and-nation-transition

AI Overview

By 2030, Sunni Islam will remain the vast majority of Muslims, with numbers approaching 2 billion, making up 87-90% of the world's growing Muslim population (projected at 2.2 billion), with key demographic shifts in South Asia seeing Pakistan potentially surpassing Indonesia as the most populous Muslim nation, all while Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims for significant societal changes away from strict religious conservatism. 

Key Trends for Sunni Islam by 2030

Demographics: Sunnis will continue their dominance, growing to nearly 2 billion followers, while the overall Muslim population reaches 2.2 billion, with growth driven by high fertility and improved living conditions in Muslim-majority countries.

Geographic Shifts: Pakistan is expected to become the most populous Muslim country, potentially surpassing Indonesia, highlighting South Asia's growing demographic significance. India will also have a massive Muslim population.

Religious Practice: While the numbers grow, shifts are happening, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where Vision 2030 seeks to modernize the country and move away from Wahhabism, influencing Islamic practice.

Global Presence: The Muslim population in the U.S. is also projected to double by 2030, showing global diversification. 

Cultural & Calendar Notes

Ramadan: Due to the lunar calendar, 2030 will feature two Ramadans, one in January and one in December, affecting Islamic observances. 

Factors Influencing 2030

Socio-Economic Factors: Increased education, especially for women, influences family planning and fertility rates, leading to a gradual slowdown in growth.

Political & Cultural Shifts: Efforts like Saudi Vision 2030 aim to transform economies and cultural landscapes, impacting Islamic norms. 

In essence, 2030 will see a larger, demographically shifting Sunni Muslim world, with significant growth in Asia, alongside internal cultural and societal changes influenced by modernization efforts in key Islamic nations. 

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

2030: The Year of the Metal Dog

In addition to being associated with a zodiac animal, each new lunar year also aligns with one of the five traditional Chinese elements. These elements are known in Chinese as the 五行 (wǔxíng).

While we won’t delve into the details of this aspect of zodiac philosophy due to its complexity, keep in mind that each lunar year consists of a combination of 10 heavenly stems (干 gàn) and 12 earthly branches (支 zhī). These unite to form a system of 60 stem-branch combinations. Each combination is symbolized by one of the five elements (fire, water, wood, metal and earth).

https://studycli.org/chinese-zodiac/year-of-the-dog/

Anubis (/əˈnjuːbɪs/;[3] Ancient Greek: Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian (Coptic: ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ, romanized: Anoup), is the god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head.[4]

Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumed different roles in various contexts. Depicted as a protector of graves as early as the First Dynasty (c. 3100 – c. 2890 BC), Anubis was also an embalmer. By the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BC) he was replaced by Osiris in his role as lord of the underworld. One of his prominent roles was as a god who ushered souls into the afterlife. He attended the weighing scale during the "Weighing of the Heart", in which it was determined whether a soul would be allowed to enter the realm of the dead. Anubis is one of the most frequently depicted and mentioned gods in the Egyptian pantheon; however, few major myths involved him.[5]

Anubis was depicted in black, a color that symbolized regeneration, life, the soil of the Nile River, and the discoloration of the corpse after embalming. Anubis is associated with Wepwawet, another Egyptian god portrayed with a dog's head or in canine form, but with grey or white fur. Historians assume that the two figures were eventually combined.[6] Anubis' female counterpart is Anput. His daughter is the serpent goddess Kebechet.

Name

"Anubis" is a Greek rendering of this god's Egyptian name.[7][8] Before the Greeks arrived in Egypt, around the 7th century BC, the god was known as Anpu or Inpu. The root of the name in ancient Egyptian language means "a royal child." Inpu has a root to "inp", which means "to decay." The god was also known as "First of the Westerners," "Lord of the Sacred Land," "He Who is Upon his Sacred Mountain," "Ruler of the Nine Bows," "The Dog who Swallows Millions," "Master of Secrets," "He Who is in the Place of Embalming," and "Foremost of the Divine Booth."[9] The positions that he had were also reflected in the titles he held such as "He Who Is upon His Mountain," "Lord of the Sacred Land," "Foremost of the Westerners," and "He Who Is in the Place of Embalming."[10]

In the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 BC – c. 2181 BC), the standard way of writing his name in hieroglyphs was composed of the sound signs inpw followed by a jackal[a] over a ḥtp sign:[14]

i n

p w C6

A new form with the jackal on a tall stand appeared in the late Old Kingdom and became common thereafter:[14]

i n

p w E16

Anubis' name jnpw was possibly pronounced [aˈna.pʰa(w)], based on Coptic Anoup and the Akkadian transcription ⟨a-na-pa⟩ (𒀀𒈾𒉺) in the name ri-a-na-pa "Reanapa" that appears in Amarna letter EA 315.[15][16] However, this transcription may also be interpreted as rˁ-nfr, a name similar to that of Prince Ranefer of the Fourth Dynasty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis

A 2030s Supernova May Hold The Key To The Age Of The Entire Universe

BY DANIEL ALLEN   SEPT. 8, 2022 2:54 PM EST

muratart/Shutterstock

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a star much like our own sun had entered the final eons of its life. Its hydrogen and helium had been consumed, and all that was left was a dense, high-gravity white dwarf star (via BBC). Unlike our star, this one had a twin, which was being voraciously consumed by its sibling's intense gravity. As the white dwarf continued to feed, its mass and the crushing force of its gravity grew until it reached a critical limit, and the inward-pressing force of the gravity overcame the outward pressure of the condensed mass within. The result was as catastrophic as it was brilliant (via National Schools' Observatory).

As the star collapsed under its own weight, it created a stellar explosion — a supernova — that shone so brightly that its light survived a 10-billion-year journey across the vast reaches of the universe to reach us in 2016. Along the way, its light was twisted and split so that we didn't see it just one time — we saw it three times at once. And, if researchers are right, we'll see it at least one more time in the 2030s, which could potentially lead to a better understanding of the age of the universe (via Sci.News).

The age of the Universe

buradaki/Shutterstock

For most of human history, the age of the universe was derived from religion and mythology. Up until the 18th century, the best minds of Europe estimated that everything had been created as early as 5500 B.C. or as late as 3928 B.C. (via Natural Environment Research Council). Based upon a growing — but incomplete — understanding of natural processes, scientists began to rethink the age of the Earth, which would give a minimum baseline for the age of the universe. Some considered the tilt of subsurface strata and the rate of sediment deposition to arrive at an answer. Others postulated that the Earth was born molten and calculated how long it would take to cool enough to form a solid crust. The general consensus was that the Earth was around 100 million years old (via Scientific American).

In the early 20th century, researchers were beginning to understand the science of radioactive decay. By understanding the rate of decay of atoms like uranium, scientists could estimate the age of rock and mineral samples. British scientist Arthur Holmes was the first to put this theory into practice and estimated that the Earth was 1.6 billion years old in 1913 (via American Museum of Natural History).

A static Universe

ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Ferraro et al.

Around the same time, astronomers were refining their view of the universe. The leading view was that the universe was unchanging and eternal; it didn't have a beginning, nor would it have an end. All that was — the Earth, the sun, everything visible in the night sky — was encapsulated within the luminous confines of the Milky Way (via ESSAI).

In 1916, an American astronomer named Harlow Shapley began studying globular clusters: densely packed groups of stars that formed around the same time. Shapely theorized that globular clusters were evenly distributed throughout the galaxy and, by measuring their position, could get a rough idea of the shape of the Milky Way and our place in it (via American Institute of Physics). To achieve this, he pioneered the use of standard candles — stars whose intrinsic brightness is known — to measure interstellar distances. His observations dislodged the notion that the Earth was in the center of the galaxy and relegated us to "the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy." Central to his calculations was a special type of star, the absolute brightness of which could be predicted to a very high degree.

A standard candle in the void

TitleWatsa/Shutterstock

In the late 18th century, astronomers first observed this new type of star that changed in size and brightness at regular intervals. They were named after one of the constellations they were initially discovered in, Cepheus, near the north celestial pole. Over 100 years later, Henrietta Swan Leavitt was studying a group of Cepheid variable stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (via American Institute of Physics). Over the course of her observations, she noticed that there was a relationship between how often the star's brightness changed and its absolute magnitude (how bright it would be when viewed from 10 parsecs). That meant that if you knew how often the star pulsed, you could determine how bright it was.

This was the yardstick by which Harlow Shapley measured the galaxy and, so he thought, the universe. The prevailing idea of the time was that the Milky Way was the sum of the universe. Some speculated that the so-called spiral nebulae were galaxies unto themselves. Shapley thought that couldn't be true because if his estimate of the size of the galaxy were correct (it was pretty close) and these spiral nebulae were galaxies of comparable size, they would have to be millions of light years away to account for their size in the sky. And that would be absurd, right?

The universe is big

Wikimedia Commons/Giuseppe Donatiello

In 1923, Edwin Hubble was observing the Andromeda Galaxy. At the time, it was known as the Andromeda Nebula, one of the poorly understood spiral nebulae populating the night sky. In the course of his observations, he discovered a Cepheid. Calculating its distance the same way Harlow Shapley had a few years earlier, Hubble estimated that this variable star was nearly one million light years away (it's actually a good bit further), further away than the Milky Way is wide. This proved without a shadow of a doubt that spiral nebulae were, in fact, galaxies in their own right (via NASA).

A decade earlier, Vesto Slipher was studying the spectra of spiral nebulae (which we now know are galaxies) and found that they were moving faster than any celestial object yet measured: over 180 miles per second (per Royal Observatory Edinburgh). What turned out to be more interesting was that most of these galaxies were moving away from us (via Lowell Observatory). In 1929, Hubble and his assistant Milton Humason expanded on Slipher's survey of galaxies and discovered that the further away the galaxy was, the faster it was moving away from us. Hubble calculated that nearly every extragalactic object in the sky was receding from us at over 300 miles per second per megaparsec (over 3,000,000 light years) of distance (via University of Chicago). The relationship between velocity and distance is now known as Hubble's Law, and the ratio of speed to distance is known as the Hubble constant.

An expanding Universe

Triff/Shutterstock

Edwin Hubble's observations showed unequivocally that the universe is expanding in all directions. By measuring the speed of expansion, it's possible to work backward in time to establish the moment everything began expanding — the Big Bang (via the American Institute of Physics). The problem is that we're still trying to figure out exactly what the Hubble constant is. One of the ways to do that is to find something far away and then calculate its distance and speed. Speed can be determined simply by measuring the Doppler shift of the light. Figuring out the distance of a far-away object is a little bit trickier (via the University of Chicago).

One way to do it is to look at a distant event like a supernova, which emits light that reaches us at two or more different times due to the lensing of an intermediate object. By comparing the arrival times of the event, the distance to the object can be inferred (via SciTechDaily). If and when the light reaches us again around 2037, cosmologists should be able to extrapolate its distance from us, which — coupled with the receding speed of the galaxy — will allow us to home in on a more precise value for the Hubble constant. Better understanding the proportion between the speed of an object and its distance from us will give us a more precise date for the Big Bang that started it all (via Science News).

https://www.grunge.com/999178/a-2030s-supernova-may-hold-the-key-to-the-age-of-the-entire-universe/

Nova (stylized as NOVΛ) is an American popular science television program produced by WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, since 1974. It is broadcast on PBS in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries.[1] The program has won many major television awards.[2]

Nova often includes interviews with scientists doing research in the subject areas covered and occasionally includes footage of a particular discovery. Some episodes have focused on the history of science. Examples of topics covered include the following: Colditz Castle, the Drake equation, elementary particles, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Fermat's Last Theorem, the AIDS epidemic, global warming, moissanite, Project Jennifer, storm chasing, Unterseeboot 869, Vinland, Tarim mummies, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nova programs have been praised for their pacing, writing, and editing. Websites that accompany the segments have also won awards.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_(American_TV_program)

A nova (pl. novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems, but causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars. The main sub-classes of novae are classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. They are all considered to be cataclysmic variable stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova

Nova music festival massacre

On 7 October 2023, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist organization Hamas, initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the attack, 364 individuals, mostly civilians, were killed and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. Hamas also took 40 people hostage, and men and women were reportedly subject to sexual and gender-based violence.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_music_festival_massacre

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses (M☉)) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface temperature around 5,000 K [K] (4,700 °C; 8,500 °F) or lower. The appearance of the red giant is from yellow-white to reddish-orange, including the spectral types K and M, sometimes G, but also class S stars and most carbon stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant

In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string acts like a particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries the gravitational force. Thus, string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory

A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_reaction

2 Peter 3:10

1599 Geneva Bible

10 [a]But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a [b]noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

2 Peter 3:10 A very short description of the least distinction of the world, but in such sort as nothing could be spoken more gravely.

2 Peter 3:10 With the violence as it were of a hissing storm.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203%3A10&version=GNV

The Roman historian Phlegon is mentioned by Origen who describes a darkening of the sun in the eighteenth year of Tiberius on Nisan 14-Passover which would be 30 AD. A few people have used this Roman history report stating the year of the Crucifixion is 33 AD. They mistakenly start Tiberius’ reign in 14 AD after the death of Augustus instead of the start of his joint reign in 11 AD.

https://thecreationclub.com/historical-basis-for-believing-jesus-was-crucified-in-ad-30/

Pope Francis[b] (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio;[c] 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

Easter in 2030

Date: April 21, 2030

Day: Sunday

On Easter Sunday 2021, Warnock's Twitter account tweeted, "The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves." Some conservative Christians and political commentators criticized the tweet, including Benjamin Watson, Allie Beth Stuckey, and Jenna Ellis, who called it "heretical". The tweet was deleted that afternoon, with a spokesperson for Warnock saying, "the tweet was posted by staff and was not approved" but declining to say whether it reflected Warnock's beliefs.[47][48]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Warnock

When Martin Luther died in 1546, Katharina was left in difficult financial straits without Luther's salary as professor and pastor, even though she owned land, properties, and the Black Cloister (now called Lutherhaus). She had been counselled by Martin Luther to move out of the old abbey and sell it after his death, and move into much more modest quarters with the children who remained at home, but she refused.[25] Luther had named her his sole heir in his last will. His will could not be executed, however, because it did not conform with Saxon law.[26]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharina_von_Bora

Église St-Pierre de Montmartre

Montmartre & Northern Paris, France, Europe

Montmartre & Northern Paris

All that remains of the former Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre, this church dates back to the 12th century and is one of the oldest in Paris, though it has been much restored. Built atop a Roman temple to Mars, it was witness to the founding of the Jesuits in 1534, who met in the crypt under the guidance of Ignatius of Loyola.

Some say that the name Montmartre is derived from ‘Mons Martis’ (Latin for Mount of Mars); others prefer the Christian ‘Mont Martyr’ (Mount of the Martyr), a reference to the 3rd-century St Denis, who, according to legend, walked across Montmartre and on to the site of today’s Basilique de St-Denis after having been beheaded by Roman priests.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/montmartre-and-northern-paris/attractions/eglise-st-pierre-de-montmartre/a/poi-sig/1264286/1323143

Marduk (/ˈmɑːrdʊk/;[2] cuneiform: 𒀭𒀫𒌓 dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: amar utu.k "calf of the sun; solar calf"; Hebrew: מְרֹדַךְ, Modern: Merōdaḵ, Tiberian: Mərōḏaḵ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In Babylon, Marduk was worshipped in the temple Esagila. His symbol is the spade and he is associated with the Mušḫuššu.[3]

By the 1st millennium BC, Marduk had become astrologically associated with the planet Jupiter. He was a prominent figure in Babylonian cosmology, especially in the Enūma Eliš creation myth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk

Unam Sanctam

One God, One Faith, One Spiritual Authority

Pope Boniface VIII - 1302

Bull of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

Learned borrowing from Pali Buddha (“the Awakened One, the Enlightened One”), from buddha (“awakened, enlightened”), from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha, “awakened, enlightened”), past participle of बोधति (bodhati, “to wake, to awaken”). Distantly related to English bid and bede. Also cognate with Russian будить (buditʹ, “to wake up”)."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Buddha

Alumbrado, (Spanish: “Enlightened”, ) Italian Illuminato, plural Illuminati, a follower of a mystical movement in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its adherents claimed that the human soul, having attained a certain degree of perfection, was permitted a vision of the divine and entered into direct communication with the Holy Spirit. From this state the soul could neither advance nor retrogress. Consequently, participation in the liturgy, good works, and observance of the exterior forms of religious life were unnecessary for those who had received the “light.” The Alumbrados came primarily from among the reformed Franciscans and the Jesuits, but their doctrines seem to have influenced all classes of people. The extravagant claims made for their visions and revelations caused them to be relentlessly persecuted. The Inquisition issued edicts against them on three occasions (1568, 1574, and 1623)."

https://www.britannica.com/event/Alumbrado

Entries linking to gautama

Buddha (n.)

an epithet applied to the historical founder of Buddhism, 1680s, from Pali, literally "awakened, enlightened," past participle of budh "to awake, know, perceive," which is related to Sanskrit bodhati "is awake, observes, understands," from PIE root *bheudh- "be aware, make aware." Title given by his adherents to the man who taught this path, Siddhartha Gautama, also known to them as Sakyamuni "Sage of the Sakyas" (his family clan), who lived in northern India 5c. B.C.E."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gautama

Gautama

surname of the Buddha, from Sanskrit Gotamah, properly a patronymic, literally "descendant of the greatest ox," from superlative of gauh "ox, bull, cow."

Katharina von Bora (German: [kataˈʁiːnaː fɔn ˈboːʁaː]; 29 January 1499? – 20 December 1552), after her wedding Katharina Luther, also referred to as "die Lutherin" ('the Lutheress'),[1] was the wife of the German reformer Martin Luther and a seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation. Although little is known about her, she is often considered to have been important to the Reformation, her marriage setting a precedent for Protestant family life and clerical marriage.[2]

Ancestry

Katharina von Bora was the daughter to a family of Saxon lesser nobility.[3][4][5] According to common belief, she was born on 29 January 1499 in Lippendorf, but there is no evidence of this in contemporary documents. Due to there being multiple branches in her family and the uncertainty of her birth name, there are diverging theories about her place of birth.[6] One of them proposes that she was born in Hirschfeld and that her parents were Hans von Bora zu Hirschfeld and his wife, born Anna von Haugwitz.[7][8] It is also possible that Katharina was the daughter of Jan von Bora auf Lippendorf and his wife Margarete, both of whom were only mentioned in 1505.[9]

Early life

A portrait of Martin Luther in 1526 by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Her father sent five-year-old von Bora to a Benedictine convent in Brehna in 1504 to be educated, according to a letter Laurentius Zoch sent to Martin Luther in 1531.[10] At the age of nine, she was moved to Nimbschen Abbey, Cistercian community named Marienthron ('Mary's Throne') near Grimma, where her maternal aunt was a nun.[11] Von Bora's presence is in the financial accounts of 1509/10.[12]

Plaque on the ruins of Nimbschen Abbey, commemorating von Bora's time there and her escape.

After years of being a nun, von Bora became interested in the growing reform movement and grew dissatisfied with cloistered life. Conspiring with several other sisters, she contacted Luther and begged for his assistance.[13] On 4 April 1523, Holy Saturday, Luther sent Leonhard Köppe, a merchant and councillor of Torgau who regularly delivered herring to the convent. The nuns escaped by hiding in his covered wagon among the fish barrels, and fled to Wittenberg.[14]

Luther asked the families of the nuns to admit them into their houses, but they declined, possibly because this would have made them accomplices to a crime under canon law.[15]

Within two years, Luther was able to arrange marriages or find employment for all of the escaped nuns except von Bora. She was first housed with the family of Philipp Reichenbach, the municipal clerk of Wittenberg, then with Lucas Cranach the Elder and his wife, Barbara. Von Bora had a number of suitors, including Hieronymus Baumgartner from Nuremberg, and a pastor, Kaspar Glatz from Orlamünde, but none of the proposals resulted in marriage. She told Luther's friend and fellow reformer, Nicolaus von Amsdorf, that she would be willing to marry only Luther or von Amsdorf.[16]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharina_von_Bora

The Cistercian Order

Main article: Cistercians

In 1075 Robert de Molesme, a Benedictine monk from Cluny Abbey, had obtained the permission of Pope Gregory VII to found a monastery at Molesme in Burgundy. At Molesme, Robert tried to restore monastery practice to the simple and severe character of the original Rule of Saint Benedict, called "Strict Observance". Being only partly successful in this at Molesme, Robert in 1098 led a band of 21 monks from their abbey at Molesme to establish a new monastery. The monks acquired a plot of marsh land just south of Dijon called Cîteaux (Latin: "Cistercium") and set about building a new monastery there which became Cîteaux Abbey, the mother Abbey of the newly founded Cistercian Order.[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluniac_Reforms

Finally, the Constitutions train us all for perfection, instructing us in the weapons to be used in combatting our three fierce and raging adversaries. They teach us how to counter the lust of the flesh with chastity, the lust of the eyes with poverty, and the pride of life with obedience. I shall say nothing of our observance of chastity (in which we should imitate the purity of the angels so far as our frailty allows), or of our OBSERVANCE of poverty (which is so STRICT that neither churches nor professed houses may acquire any rents, lands, or even perpetual endowments). As for obedience, however, by which we consecrate the chief and noblest part of ourselves to God, our Constitutions require of us that it be so prompt, eager, perfect, and integral that we do not swerve even a hairsbreadth from our superiors commands. In matters falling under obedience, not only must our action be guided by the superior s command and our will by his will, but even something much more difficult our understanding by his understanding.

To sum up: men crucified to the world, and to whom the world itself is crucified[7] such would our Constitutions have us to be; new men, I say, who have put off their affections to put on Christ;[8] dead to themselves to live to justice; who, with St. Paul in labors, in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Spirit, in charity unfeigned, in the word of truth, show themselves ministers of God[9] and by the armor of Justice on the right hand and, on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, by good success finally and ill success, press forward with great strides to their heavenly country. This is the sum and aim of our institute.

And so I beseech you, brothers in the Lord, that we may walk in a manner worthy of our vocation,[10] and, in order to know that vocation, may read and reread these Constitutions that have been bestowed upon us by the gift of God. Let us study them day and night. Let us vie with each other in learning them, pondering them, and keeping them. If we do so, our name will be matched by our lives and our profession made manifest in deed.

Farewell in Christ.

Rome, the house of the Society of Jesus, 1559 [7]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

The St. Joseph's Cathedral[1] (Arabic: كاتدرائية القديس يوسف) or Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph[2] or Church of the Latins (Arabic: كنيسة اللاتين) or Church of the Virgin Lady (Arabic: كنيسة السيدة العذراء),[3] is a Catholic cathedral located on al-Jumhuriya Street in Baghdad,[4][5] the capital of Iraq.

Because it is in the jurisdiction of the Latin Church, it is sometimes called the Latin Cathedral of St. Joseph in order to distinguish it from the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph dedicated to the same saint but belonging to the Chaldean Catholic Church (also in communion with the Holy See). St. Joseph's functions as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Baghdad (Bagdathensis Latinorum) which was established in 1643 as a diocese and elevated to its present status in 1848.

The Cathedral's churchyard also contains the tomb of Anastase-Marie al-Karmali (1866–1947), Iraqi Catholic priest and Discalced Carmelite friar, as well as lexicologist, lexicographer, and philologist of the Arabic language.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Cathedral_of_St._Joseph

Joseph Anthony Marella (February 28, 1963 – July 4, 1994) was an American professional wrestling referee for the World Wrestling Federation and son of former wrestler and then WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon (Robert Marella) from Willingboro Township, New Jersey.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Marella

Mar Raphael I Bidawid (Syriac: ܪܘܦܐܝܠ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܒܝܬ ܕܘܝܕ, Arabic مار روفائيل الاول بيداويد) (April 17, 1922 – July 7, 2003) was the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church from 1989–2003. He was also a Syriac scholar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_I_Bidawid

MAR ():

By: Solomon Schechter, Wilhelm Bacher

Aramaic noun meaning "lord." Daniel addresses the king as "Mari" (= "my lord"; Dan. iv. 16 [A. V. 19]; comp. Hebr. "Adoni," used in speaking to the king). In the Palestinian schools "Mari" and "Rabbi" were customarily employed in addressing the sages. It is said of King Jehoshaphat that on seeing a scholar he rose from his throne, and saluted him with the words, "Abi, abi; rabbi, rabbi; mari, mari" (Ket. 103b; Mak. 24a). Jesus was addressed by his disciples both as "Mari" and as "Rabbi" (comp. Dalman, "Die Worte Jesu," i. 269 et seq.). In conversation, "Mari" was used as a respectful form of address in Palestine (comp. Yer. Pes. 21b, lines 48-49: ); "Mar," in Babylonia (comp. Yoma 20b: ). In the latter country "Mar" became also a title preceding the name, and it was sometimes customary to call scholars "Mar" and not "Rab," particularly in the case of the two great contemporaries of Rab (Abba Arika)—Mar Samuel and Mar 'Uḳba. When Abaye was speaking of his uncle and teacher Rabbah bar Naḥmani, he merely said "Mar," without adding any name (Pes. 101a). When Tabyomi, R. Ashi's son, cited in a lecture sentences by his father, he did not refer to him by name, but said "Abba Mari" (= "my father, my lord").

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10386-mar

Etymology of Duk

What does the name Duk mean?

The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Duk. It was given to a person who had a duck-like gait or bore some other resemblance to a duck. The surname Duk is derived from Old English words duk, dukke, duck, doke, and dook, which all mean duck. However, these words are often indistinguishable from the various Old English words duc, duk, duke, douc, and doke, which all came from the Old French word duc. This ultimately came from the Latin word dux, which means leader, and is a derivative of the verb ducere, which means to lead.

https://www.houseofnames.com/duk-family-crest

Merovech (French: Mérovée, Merowig; Latin: Meroveus; c. 411 –457)[1] was the ancestor of the Merovingian dynasty, and the grandfather of its founder Clovis I. He was reportedly a king of the Salian Franks, but records of his existence are mixed with legend and myth. The most important written source, Gregory of Tours, recorded that Merovech was said to be descended from Chlodio, a roughly contemporary Frankish warlord who pushed from the Silva Carbonaria in modern central Belgium as far south as the Somme, north of Paris in modern-day France. His supposed descendants, the kings Childeric I and Clovis I, are the first well-attested Merovingians.

He may have been one of several barbarian warlords and kings that joined forces with the Roman general Aetius against the Huns under Attila at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in Gaul in 451.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovech

Martin Luther (/ˈluːθər/ LOO-thər;[1] German: [ˈmaʁtiːn ˈlʊtɐ] ⓘ; 10 November 1483[2] – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar.[3] Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

Église St-Pierre de Montmartre

Montmartre & Northern Paris, France, Europe

Montmartre & Northern Paris

All that remains of the former Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre, this church dates back to the 12th century and is one of the oldest in Paris, though it has been much restored. Built atop a Roman temple to Mars, it was witness to the founding of the Jesuits in 1534, who met in the crypt under the guidance of Ignatius of Loyola.

Some say that the name Montmartre is derived from ‘Mons Martis’ (Latin for Mount of Mars); others prefer the Christian ‘Mont Martyr’ (Mount of the Martyr), a reference to the 3rd-century St Denis, who, according to legend, walked across Montmartre and on to the site of today’s Basilique de St-Denis after having been beheaded by Roman priests.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/montmartre-and-northern-paris/attractions/eglise-st-pierre-de-montmartre/a/poi-sig/1264286/1323143

The etymology for the name Marduk is generally understood to be derived from damar-utu-(a)k, meaning "bull-calf of Utu".[7] Sommerfield suggests this is used to explain the name Marduk in the Enuma Elish as "He is the 'son of the sun[a]' of the gods, radiant is he."[11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk

Gautama

surname of the Buddha, from Sanskrit Gotamah, properly a patronymic, literally "descendant of the greatest ox," from superlative of gauh "ox, bull, cow."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/buddha

Unam Sanctam

One God, One Faith, One Spiritual Authority

Pope Boniface VIII - 1302

Bull of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to maintain that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and also apostolic. We believe in her firmly and we confess with simplicity that outside of her there is neither salvation nor the remission of sins, as the Spouse in the Canticles [Sgs 6:8] proclaims: ‘One is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only one, the chosen of her who bore her,‘ and she represents one sole mystical body whose Head is Christ and the head of Christ is God [1 Cor 11:3]. In her then is one Lord, one faith, one baptism [Eph 4:5]. There had been at the time of the deluge only one ark of Noah, prefiguring the one Church, which ark, having been finished to a single cubit, had only one pilot and guide, i.e., Noah, and we read that, outside of this ark, all that subsisted on the earth was destroyed.

We venerate this Church as one, the Lord having said by the mouth of the prophet: ‘Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword and my only one from the hand of the dog.’ [Ps 21:20] He has prayed for his soul, that is for himself, heart and body; and this body, that is to say, the Church, He has called one because of the unity of the Spouse, of the faith, of the sacraments, and of the charity of the Church. This is the tunic of the Lord, the seamless tunic, which was not rent but which was cast by lot [Jn 19:23- 24]. Therefore, of the one and only Church there is one body and one head, not two heads like a monster; that is, Christ and the Vicar of Christ, Peter and the successor of Peter, since the Lord speaking to Peter Himself said: ‘Feed my sheep‘ [Jn 21:17], meaning, my sheep in general, not these, nor those in particular, whence we understand that He entrusted all to him [Peter]. Therefore, if the Greeks or others should say that they are not confided to Peter and to his successors, they must confess not being the sheep of Christ, since Our Lord says in John ‘there is one sheepfold and one shepherd.’ We are informed by the texts of the gospels that in this Church and in its power are two swords; namely, the spiritual and the temporal. For when the Apostles say: ‘Behold, here are two swords‘ [Lk 22:38] that is to say, in the Church, since the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not reply that there were too many, but sufficient. Certainly the one who denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter has not listened well to the word of the Lord commanding: ‘Put up thy sword into thy scabbard‘ [Mt 26:52]. Therefore, both are in the power of the Church, namely, the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly, the former is to be exercised by the Church. The former is of the priest; the latter is by the hand of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.

However, one sword ought to be subordinated to the other and temporal authority, subjected to spiritual power. For since the Apostle said: ‘There is no power except from God and the things that are, are ordained of God‘ [Rom 13:1-2], but they would not be ordained if one sword were not subordinated to the other and if the inferior one, as it were, were not led upwards by the other.

For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior. Hence we must recognize the more clearly that spiritual power surpasses in dignity and in nobility any temporal power whatever, as spiritual things surpass the temporal. This we see very clearly also by the payment, benediction, and consecration of the tithes, but the acceptance of power itself and by the government even of things. For with truth as our witness, it belongs to spiritual power to establish the terrestrial power and to pass judgement if it has not been good. Thus is accomplished the prophecy of Jeremias concerning the Church and the ecclesiastical power: ‘Behold to-day I have placed you over nations, and over kingdoms‘ and the rest. Therefore, if the terrestrial power err, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a minor spiritual power err, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all err, it can be judged only by God, and not by man, according to the testimony of the Apostle: ‘The spiritual man judgeth of all things and he himself is judged by no man‘ [1 Cor 2:15]. This authority, however, (though it has been given to man and is exercised by man), is not human but rather divine, granted to Peter by a divine word and reaffirmed to him (Peter) and his successors by the One Whom Peter confessed, the Lord saying to Peter himself, ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven‘ etc., [Mt 16:19]. Therefore whoever resists this power thus ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God [Rom 13:2], unless he invent like Manicheus two beginnings, which is false and judged by us heretical, since according to the testimony of Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the beginning that God created heaven and earth [Gen 1:1]. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

Elon Musk Breaks Twitter Silence to Post Photo of Himself and 4 of His Sons with Pope Francis

Elon Musk said he was "honored" to meet Pope Francis as he shared a snap featuring four of his sons after 10 days off Twitter

By Nicholas Rice  Published on July 2, 2022 01:24PM EDT

Elon Musk Breaks Twitter Silence to Post Photo of Himself and 4 of His Sons with Pope Francis. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1543050489050402816

Credit : Elon Musk/Twitter

Elon Musk is back on Twitter.

After last sharing a tweet on the social media platform on June 21, the Tesla CEO, 51, returned to the site on Friday, writing in a message, "Feeling … perhaps … a little bored?"

In a follow-up tweet, Musk then shared a photograph of himself with his sons - including Griffin, and triplets Kai, Damian, and Sax – whose mother is his first wife, Justine Wilson, posing beside Pope Francis.

"Honored to meet @Pontifex yesterday," Musk wrote alongside the photograph, which saw each of the Musk men standing beside the Pope in suits.

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Elon Musk arrives for the 2022 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York. - The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The Gala's 2022 theme is "In America: An Anthology of Fashion". (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty

Elon Musk Says His Deal to Buy Twitter Is 'Temporarily on Hold' Due to Spam Accounts Statistic

In a later tweet, Musk shared a throwback image of himself and his ex-wife Talulah Riley in Italy.

"Venice, a site of Great Remembrance," he captioned the shot, which sees him and Riley, 36, posing in black and white attire with face masks covering their eyes.

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Musk also shared one other Twitter message on Friday — a tribute to Technoblade, a YouTube gamer who recently died of cancer at 23.

"Popular Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade with 12 Billion subscribers recently passed away at the age of 23 due to cancer, and this made [me] realize that cancer is [an] absurd piece of literal garbage and death, but also try to live your best life with people who know," he wrote, alongside a quote from video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.

Added Musk: "They could die the following day, and you would regret not doing things with them."

RELATED VIDEO: Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey on Elon Musk's New Ownership: 'This Is the Right Path'

Musk's most recent 10-day break from Twitter is the longest one he has taken from the social media platform since October 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The SpaceX CEO previously hadn't gone more than six days without tweeting Since January 2018, the outlet reported.

The WSJ reported that Musk, who is currently looking at a billion-dollar deal to purchase Twitter, has taken shorter days-long breaks from the site, however, including one this past January.

https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-poses-with-4-of-his-sons-and-pope-francis/

SpaceX Roadster is not a natural celestial object, but rather a man-made object launched by SpaceX in February 2018 as part of the Falcon Heavy test flight. It is a red sports car owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and was launched as a demonstration of the Falcon Heavy's capabilities. The Roadster is not in a stable orbit around the Sun, but is instead on a heliocentric orbit that will take it to the asteroid belt and then back to the inner Solar System in the future. The Roadster also carries a mannequin named Starman, dressed in a spacesuit, in the driver's seat. The name "Roadster" refers to the type of car that is used as the payload for the Falcon Heavy, while "SpaceX" is the name of the private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.

https://theskylive.com/roadster-info

416 Finally, those means that are proposed by our holy father Saint Ignatius in Part X of the Constitutions for the preservation and development not only of the body or exterior of the Society but also of its spirit, and for the attainment of the objective it seeks, which is to aid souls to reach their ultimate and supernatural end, [10] are to be observed eagerly and diligently by all, with a truly personal sense of responsibility for its increase and development, for the praise and service of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of souls.[11]

L. D. S. 

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses (M☉)) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface temperature around 5,000 K [K] (4,700 °C; 8,500 °F) or lower. The appearance of the red giant is from yellow-white to reddish-orange, including the spectral types K and M, sometimes G, but also class S stars and most carbon stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

CHAPTER SEVEN – SHABTAI, SHIMON AND SHARON – DESTROYING THE JEWS

ALM 1 - THE DEUTSCH DEVILS

Rabbi Marvin Antelman was right all along. Way back in 1974, he identified the source of all the evil against Jews and humanity but his message and style were too unaccessible to get through to anyone but the most advanced students of antisemitism. What he lacked most was simplicity, a common enough failure of thinkers decades in advance of their contemporaries. What he needed was someone to put out a Cliff's Notes simplified explanation of his thesis...and someone, without intention, just did. The name of the book is, 50 Jewish Messiahs by Jerry Rabow (Gefen Publishing, Jerusalem). It is an informative but shallow overview of just what the title says, but in its shallowness lies vital depth. We begin with Chapter 17, about the "most damaging messiah to the Jewish people," Shabbatai Zvi. First we'll read Rabow and then add commentary opening Rabbi Antelman's work to the wide world. Recall that there are various accepted English spellings for Shabtai Tzvi, and the Sabbataians. The spelling presented depends on the writer:

pp 91 - Shabbatai Zvi was born in Smyrna, Turkey on the ninth of Av, 1626. The ninth day of Av is the day of a triple tragedy for the Jewish nation. According to tradition, the First Temple, the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba's Betar fortress all fell on this day.

pp 93 - He changed the holiday celebrations and violated the dietary prohibitions. All of this followed from his declaration that the usual rules were inapplicable to messianic times.

pp 95 - He declared that the coming of the messianic era meant that the biblical commandments were no longer binding. He proclaimed that God now permitted everything. ** This is Rabbi Antelman's central assertion; that Shabbataism was the polar opposite of Judaism. That Shabbatai Zvi's program was to destroy all the tenets of the Torah and replace them with their opposites. Incredibly, more than half the Jews of the world at the time, believed he would be revealed as their promised messiah: **

pp 101 - Then he finally made the announcement for which the Jewish community had been waiting for 1600 years - he would begin the Redemption on the 15th day of the month of Sivan, June 18, 1666. ** There are many who will recognize the significance of the date. June is the sixth month, 18 divided by three is 6+6+6 and 1666 is clear enough. Either he knew what he was doing or the prophesies of the emergence of an evil false messiah or anti-Christ are right, and Shabbatai Zvi was him. **

pp 110 - Through all of this, Shabbatai continued to issue proclamations of the theological changes wrought by the coming of the messianic age. Shabbatai's new prayer was, "Praised be He who permits the forbidden." Since all things would be permitted in the age of the messiah, Shabbatai declared many of the old restrictions of the Torah no longer applicable. He abolished the laws concerning sexual relationships. He eventually declared that all of the thirty six major biblical sins were now permitted and instructed some of his followers that it was their duty to perform such sins in order to hasten the Redemption.

Shabtai Tzvi, Labor Zionism and the Holocaust

by Barry Chamish

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66Pc9x2hkIrV2Y3QWxPbkpKYWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-5ak831cRNQohyyjZYfFKvw

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet"[1][2] – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs, as the term sustainable development implies.

These goals are ambitious,[according to whom?] and the reports and outcomes to date indicate a challenging path. Most, if not all, of the goals are unlikely to be met by 2030. Rising inequalities, climate change, and biodiversity loss are topics of concerns threatening progress. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 2023 made these challenges worse, and some regions, such as Asia, have experienced significant setbacks during that time.

There are cross-cutting issues and synergies between the different goals; for example, for SDG 13 on climate action, the IPCC sees robust synergies with SDGs 3 (health), 7 (clean energy), 11 (cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 14 (oceans).[3][4]: 70  On the other hand, critics and observers have also identified trade-offs between the goals,[4]: 67  such as between ending hunger and promoting environmental sustainability.[5]: 26  Furthermore, concerns have arisen over the high number of goals (compared to the eight Millennium Development Goals), leading to compounded trade-offs, a weak emphasis on environmental sustainability, and difficulties tracking qualitative indicators.

The political impact of the SDGs has been rather limited, and the SDGs have struggled to achieve transformative changes in policy and institutional structures.[6] Also, funding remains a critical issue for achieving the SDGs. Significant financial resources would be required worldwide. The role of private investment and a shift towards sustainable financing are also essential for realizing the SDGs. Examples of progress from some countries demonstrate that achieving sustainable development through concerted global action is possible. The global effort for the SDGs calls for prioritizing environmental sustainability, understanding the indivisible nature of the goals, and seeking synergies across sectors.

The short titles of the 17 SDGs are: No poverty (SDG 1), Zero hunger (SDG 2), Good health and well-being (SDG 3), Quality education (SDG 4), Gender equality (SDG 5), Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), Reduced inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), Climate action (SDG 13), Life below water (SDG 14), Life on land (SDG 15), Peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), and Partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

2030-2031 APPARITION CHARACTERISTICS

Another general rule for predicting oppositions of Mars is from the following: the planet has an approximate 15.8-year periodic opposition cycle, which consists of three or four Aphelic oppositions and three consecutive Perihelic oppositions. Perihelic oppositions are also called "favorable" because the Earth and Mars come closest to each other on those occasions. We sometimes refer to this as the seven Martian synodic periods. This cycle is repeated every 79 years (± 4 to 5 days) and, if one were to live long enough, one would see this cycle nearly replicated in approximately 284 years. The 2031 Mars apparition is considered Transitional (between Aphelic and Perihelic) because the orbital longitude at opposition will be 68.4° from the aphelion longitude of 70° Ls and 111.6° Ls from perihelion (250° Ls).

https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/jbeish/2031_MARS.htm

Easter in 2030

Date: April 21, 2030

Day: Sunday

Pope Francis[b] (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio;[c] 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a family of Italian origin, Bergoglio was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from a severe illness. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the 2013 papal conclave elected Bergoglio as pope on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Throughout his papacy, Francis was noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility, commitment to interreligious dialogue, and concern for the poor, migrants, and refugees. Francis believed the Catholic Church should demonstrate more inclusivity to LGBTQ people, and stated that although blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, individuals in same-sex relationships can be blessed as long as the blessing is not given in a liturgical context.[2] Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia.[3][4] Francis convened the Synod on Synodality, which was described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.[4][5][6] Francis was known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors by, for instance, choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments devoid of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as cardinal.

Concerning global governance, Francis was a critic of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment;[7] he made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy.[8] He viewed capital punishment as inadmissible in all cases,[9] and committed the Catholic Church to its worldwide abolition.[10] Francis criticized the rise of right-wing populism and anti-immigration politics, calling the protection of migrants a "duty of civilization".[11] Francis supported the decriminalization of homosexuality.[12] In international diplomacy, Francis helped to restore full diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, negotiated a deal with the People's Republic of China to define Communist Party influence in appointing Chinese bishops, and encouraged peace between Israel and Palestinians, signing the Vatican's first treaty with the State of Palestine. In 2022 he apologized for the Church's role in the cultural genocide of Canadian Indigenous peoples in residential schools. From 2023 he condemned Israel's military operations in Gaza, calling for investigations of war crimes. Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday before dying on 21 April 2025, Easter Monday.[13][14] The 2025 papal conclave elected Leo XIV as Francis's successor on 8 May. Leo XIV became the second pope from the Americas, after Francis.[15]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

Avril Ramona Lavigne CM (/ˈævrɪl ləˈviːn/ AV-ril lə-VEEN; French: [avʁil ʁamɔna laviɲ]; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. Her accolades include ten Juno Awards and eight Grammy Awards nominations.

At age 16, Lavigne signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut album, Let Go (2002), is the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist. It yielded the successful singles "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi", which emphasized a skate punk persona and earned her the title "Pop-Punk Queen", "Pop Punk Princess" and "Teen-Pop Slayer" from music publications.[1] Her second album, Under My Skin (2004), became Lavigne's first to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, going on to sell 10 million copies worldwide.

Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing (2007), reached number one in seven countries worldwide and saw the international success of its lead single "Girlfriend", which became her first single to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Her next two albums, Goodbye Lullaby (2011) and Avril Lavigne (2013), saw continued commercial success and were both certified gold in Canada, the United States, and other territories. After releasing her sixth album, Head Above Water (2019), she returned to her pop punk roots with her seventh album, Love Sux (2022).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Lavigne

Regimini militantis Ecclesiae (Latin for To the Government of the Church Militant) was the papal bull promulgated by Pope Paul III on September 27, 1540, which gave a first approval to the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, but limited the number of its members to sixty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regimini_militantis_Ecclesiae

"The Day Called 'X' is a dramatized CBS documentary film set in Portland, Oregon, in which the entire city is evacuated in anticipation of a nuclear air raid, after Soviet bombers had been detected by radar stations to the north; it details the activation of the city's civil defense protocols and leads up to the moment before the attack (the ending is left intentionally unknown). The operations were run from the Kelly Butte Bunker, which was the emergency operations center at that time. It was filmed in September 1957[1] and aired December 8 of that year.[2][3] Apart from presenter/narrator Glenn Ford, none of the people shown are actors. They are locals of Portland shown in their real jobs, including Mayor Terry Schrunk.

Its local re-broadcast in 2004[4] and appearance in the on-line Prelinger Archives attracted interest among local history buffs due to its extensive outside shots of the city, and the use of non-actor participants (local officials and broadcasters). Whenever one of these individuals is heard uttering warnings or statements regarding attack, the words "AN ATTACK IS NOT TAKING PLACE" are superimposed over the picture.[2]

On September 27, 1955, Portland actually conducted an exercise evacuation of downtown called "Operation Greenlight",[5][6] and the film is often misattributed to that year. Ford's narration, however, does make direct reference to the 1955 exercise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_Called_%27X%27

PART X THE PRESERVATION AND INCREASE OF THE SOCIETY

410 §1. As a sign of gratitude and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let that feast be solemnly celebrated; and on that day is to be renewed the consecration by which the Society on January 1, 1872, dedicated and consecrated itself totally and perpetually.

§2. The consecration to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary is to be renewed each year on the feast of the Immaculate Heart.[1]

411 The sense of belonging and responsibility that each individual one of Ours has toward the whole Society should be manifested in a knowledge of our spirituality, our history, our saints, our apostolic labors, and our men, especially of those who are suffering difficulties for the sake of Christ; it is to be manifested as well by maintaining Ignatian mobility and flexibility with a view to helping any region of the Society whatsoever.[2]

412 §1. All our members should have at heart a shared concern for attracting new members to the Society, especially by prayer and the example of their lives as individuals and in community.[3]

§2. Therefore, we must do everything possible actively to present the Society in such a way that those whom God calls will know and appreciate who and what we are and what is our distinctive way of proceeding in the following of Christ.[4]

§3. We must also promote vocations as widely as possible, in order to reflect the culture and experience of those we seek to serve, including minority cultures, immigrants, and indigenous people.[5]

413 The Society should always show itself bound to its benefactors in charity and gratitude. Superiors should ensure that prayers are offered for them and other appropriate signs of our gratitude are shown them.[6]

414 In the perfect observance of all the Constitutions and in the particular fulfillment of our Institute, our formed members should excel, setting a good example and spreading the good odor of Christ, keeping before their eyes the serious obligation they have of giving edification especially to our younger members.[ 7]

415 All by earnest reading and meditation (in particular, at the time of the annual Spiritual Exercises, renewal of vows, monthly recollection, beginning of the year, and so forth) should strive ever to know, esteem, and love better our Constitutions and the special nature of our Institute,[ 8] which are to be faithfully observed, and which for each and all of us are the one, true, and safe way that surely leads to the perfection to which our Lord calls and invites all sons of the Society.[9] §2. Major superiors, especially at the time of the annual visitation, should see that this is faithfully observed.

416 Finally, those means that are proposed by our holy father Saint Ignatius in Part X of the Constitutions for the preservation and development not only of the body or exterior of the Society but also of its spirit, and for the attainment of the objective it seeks, which is to aid souls to reach their ultimate and supernatural end, [10] are to be observed eagerly and diligently by all, with a truly personal sense of responsibility for its increase and development, for the praise and service of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of souls.[11]

L. D. S.

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Fortún Jiménez de Bertadoña discovered the Baja California Peninsula in early 1534. However, it was Hernán Cortés who recognized the peninsula as the "Island of California" in May 1535, and is therefore officially credited with the discovery. In January 1683, the Spanish government chartered an expedition consisting of three ships to transport a contingent of 200 men to the southern tip of Baja California. Under the command of the governor of Sinaloa, Isidoro de Atondo y Antillón, and accompanied by Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino, the ships made landfall in La Paz. The landing party was eventually forced to abandon its initial settlement due to the hostile response on the part of the natives. The missionaries attempted to establish a settlement near present-day Loreto, which they named Misión San Bruno but failed for lack of supplies.[10] Kino went on to establish a number of missions in the Pimería Alta, now located in southern Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico.

The Jesuit priest Juan María de Salvatierra eventually managed to establish the first permanent Spanish settlement in Baja California, the Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó. Founded on October 19, 1697, the mission become the religious center of the peninsula and administrative capital of Las Californias. From there, other Jesuits went out to establish other settlements throughout the lower two-thirds of the peninsula, founding 17 missions and several visitas (sub-missions) between 1697 and 1767.[11]

Unlike the mainland settlements that were designed to be self-sustaining enterprises, the remote and harsh conditions on the peninsula made it all but impossible to build and maintain these missions without ongoing assistance from the mainland. Supply lines from across the Gulf of California, including from the missions and ranches of Padre Eusebio Kino on the mainland to the Port of Guaymas, played a crucial role in keeping the Baja California mission system intact.

During the sixty years that the Jesuits were permitted to work among the natives of California, 56 members of the Society of Jesus came to the Baja California peninsula, of whom 16 died at their posts (two as martyrs). Fifteen priests and one lay brother survived the hardships, only to be subjected to enforcement of the decree launched against the Society by King Carlos III of Spain.[12] It was rumored that the Jesuit priests had amassed a fortune on the peninsula and were becoming very powerful. On February 3, 1768 the King ordered the Jesuits forcibly expelled from the Americas and returned to the home country. Gaspar de Portolà was appointed Governor of Las Californias, with orders to supervise the Jesuit expulsion and oversee the installation of replacement Franciscan priests.[13]

The Franciscans, under the leadership of Fray Junípero Serra, took charge of the missions and closed or consolidated several of the existing installations. A total of 39 Friars Minor toiled on the peninsula during the five years and five months of Franciscan rule. Four of them died, 10 were transferred to new northern missions, and the remainder returned to Europe.[14]

Governor Portolà was put in command of an expedition to travel north and establish new settlements at San Diego and Monterey. Serra went along as leader of the missionaries, to establish missions in those places.[15] On the way north, Serra founded Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá. Francisco Palóu was left in charge of the existing missions, and founded the Visita de la Presentación in 1769.

Representatives of the Dominican order arrived in 1772, and by 1800, had established nine more missions in northern Baja, all the while continuing with the administration of the former Jesuit missions. The peninsula was divided into two separate entities in 1804, with the southern one having the seat of government established in the Port of Loreto. In 1810, Mexico sought to end Spanish colonial rule, gaining her independence in 1821, after which Mexican President Guadalupe Victoria named Lt. Col. José María Echeandía governor of Baja California Sur and divided it into four separate municipios (municipalities). The capital was moved to La Paz in 1830, after Loreto was partially destroyed by heavy rains. In 1833, after Baja California was designated as a federal territory, the governor formally put an end to the mission system by converting the missions into parish churches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_missions_in_Baja_California

California High Court Rules Lottery Keno Game Is Illegal

By a Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter

June 25, 1996 12:01 am ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB8356617103204500

Early life and education

Harris's childhood home at 1227 Bancroft Way in Berkeley, August 2020

Kamala Devi Harris[a] was born in Oakland, California,[3] on October 20, 1964.[4] Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan (1938–2009), was a biologist who arrived in the United States from India in 1958 to enroll in graduate school in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. A research career of over 40 years followed, during which her work on the progesterone receptor gene led to advances in breast cancer research.[5] Kamala's father, Donald J. Harris (1938–),[6] is an Afro-Jamaican who immigrated to the United States in 1961 and also enrolled in UC Berkeley, specializing in development economics. The first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department, he has emeritus status there.[7] Kamala's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963.[8]

The Harris family lived in Berkeley until they moved in 1966, around Kamala's second birthday. The Harrises lived for a few years in college towns in the MIDWEST where her parents held teaching or research positions:[9] Urbana, Illinois (where her sister Maya was born in 1966); Evanston, Illinois; and Madison, Wisconsin.[b][10][9][11] By 1970, the marriage had faltered, and Shyamala moved back to Berkeley with her two daughters;[12][13][9] the couple divorced when Kamala was seven.[8] In 1972, Donald Harris accepted a position at Stanford University; Kamala and Maya spent weekends at their father's house in Palo Alto and lived at their mother's house in Berkeley during the week.[14] Shyamala was friends with African-American intellectuals and activists in Oakland and Berkeley.[11] In 1976, she accepted a research position at the McGill University School of Medicine, and moved with her daughters to Montreal, Quebec.[15][16] Kamala graduated from Westmount High School on Montreal Island in 1981.[17]

Early career

In 1990, Harris was hired as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, where she was described as "an able prosecutor on the way up".[27] In 1994, Speaker of the California Assembly Willie BROWN, who was then dating Harris, appointed her to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and later to the California Medical Assistance Commission.[27] In February 1998, San Francisco district attorney Terence Hallinan recruited Harris as an assistant district attorney.[28] There, she became the chief of the Career Criminal Division, supervising five other attorneys, where she prosecuted homicide, burglary, robbery, and sexual assault cases—particularly three-strikes cases. In August 2000, Harris took a job at San Francisco City Hall, working for city attorney Louise Renne.[29] Harris ran the Family and Children's Services Division, representing child abuse and neglect cases. Renne endorsed Harris during her D.A. campaign.[30]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris

Donald Jasper Harris, OM (born August 23, 1938) is a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University, known for applying post-Keynesian ideas to development economics.[1]

He is the father of US Vice President and current Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris and lawyer Maya Harris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_J._Harris

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

Danney Lee Williams Jr. (born December 7, 1985) is a man from Little Rock, Arkansas who claims to be the biological son of Bill Clinton, the former President of the United States.[1] Blood tests ruled out Clinton as the father.[1][2]

Background

Williams was born in 1985 to Danney Williams Sr. and Bobbie Ann Williams.

The story came to notice in the late 1990s when reporting by Newsmax led by celebrity tabloid magazine Star to commission a paternity test prove whether Williams is actually Clinton's biological son.[3] Time magazine cited Star on July 18, 1999 to say that there was no match.[4]

The story was revived in 2016 before the 2016 presidential election and pushed by a number of media outlets including Newsmax, the Drudge Report,[3] as well as WorldNetDaily,[1] and the New York Daily News.[1]

Due to some uncertainties with the original test by Star, Snopes concluded that the claim was unproven.[3] The Washington Post stated that, while the test could not prove Clinton was the father, it did conclusively rule him out as the father.[1]

On October 19, 2016, Williams' lawyers announced their intentions to file a paternity suit to prove that Clinton's DNA matched Williams'.[5] Williams wrote to Monica Lewinsky asking for her dress in order to obtain a sample of Clinton's DNA. However, Lewinsky never replied to Williams.[6] A partial analysis of Clinton's blood, and thus his DNA, was already part of the public record because of the Lewinsky affair investigation.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danney_Williams

Early Female Transgender Identity after Prenatal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol: Report from a French National Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Cohort

by Laura Gaspari 1,2,3,†,Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard 4,5,†ORCID,Scott Kerlin 6,Françoise Paris 1,2,3 andCharles Sultan 1,*

All DES sons who identified as transgender women underwent karyotyping at their local hospital at the moment of transition.

https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/14/1/10

Thomas Trace Beatie (born 1974[1]) is an American public speaker, author, and advocate of transgender rights and sexuality issues, with a focus on transgender fertility and reproductive rights.[2]

Beatie came out as a trans man in early 1997. Beatie had gender-affirming surgery in March 2002 and became known as "the pregnant man" after he became pregnant through artificial insemination in 2007.[3] Beatie chose to be pregnant, with donated sperm,[4][5] because his wife Nancy was sterile.

The couple filed for divorce in 2012. The Beatie case is the first of its kind on record, where a documented legal male gave birth within a marriage to a woman, and for the first time, a court challenged a marriage where the husband gave birth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beatie

Tracing boards are painted or printed illustrations depicting the various emblems and symbols of Freemasonry. They can be used as teaching aids during the lectures that follow each of the Masonic Degrees, when an experienced member explains the various concepts of Freemasonry to new members. They can also be used by experienced members as reminders of the concepts they learned as they went through the ceremonies of the different masonic degrees.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracing_board

Exoteric Masonry, which is only the husks of the Mystic Order formed by the Sons of Cain has in modern times attracted the masculine element with its positively polarized physical vehicles, and educated them in industry and statecraft, thus controlling the material development of the world. The sons of Seth, constituting themselves the Priestcraft have worked their spell over the positive vital bodies of the feminine element to dominate the spiritual development. And whereas, the sons of Cain working through Freemasonry and kindred movements, have openly fought for the temporal power, the Priestcraft has fought as strenuously and perhaps more effectively, by stealth, to retain their monopoly upon the spiritual development of the feminine element. To the casual onlooker it would seem as if there were no decided antagonism between these two movements at the present time, but though Freemasonry of today is but a shell of its true ancient mystic self, and though Catholicism has been terribly tarnished by the touch of time, in that one thing there is no difference, the war is as keen as ever, the efforts of the Church are not concentrated upon the masses however as much as upon those who are seeking to live the higher life, so that they may gain admission to the Mystery Temple and learn how to make the Philosophers’ Stone. As mankind advances in evolution, the vital body becomes more permanently positively polarized giving to both sexes a greater desire for spirituality, and though we change from the masculine to feminine in alternate embodiment, positive polarity of the vital body is becoming more pronounced regardless of sex, and this accounts for the growing tendency towards Altruism which is even being brought out by the suffering entailed by the great war we are now fighting, for all agree that they are seeking to obtain a lasting peace where the swords may be made into plowshares, and the spears into pruning hooks. In the past humanity has been claiming universal brotherhood as a great ideal, but we must come closer than that to be in full accord with the Christ. He said to his Disciples “ye are my friends.” Among brothers and sisters hate and enmity may exist, but friendship is the expression of love and cannot exist apart from that. This is therefore the magic word which will eventually level all distinctions, bring peace upon earth and goodwill among men. This is the great Ideal proclaimed by the Rosicrucian Fellowship, an Ideal which points the shortest way to the New Heaven and the New Earth, where the sons of Cain and the sons of Seth will eventually be united.

FREEMASONRY AND CATHOLICISM

by MAX HEINDEL

https://dn720206.ca.archive.org/0/items/freemasonryandca017137mbp/freemasonryandca017137mbp.pdf

Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president of the United States for a term of four years.

In the 2024 elections, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. Incumbent president Donald Trump won a non-consecutive second term; per the limits set by the 22nd Amendment, he is constitutionally barred from being elected president again.[1]

Background

See also: 2024 United States elections

The Republican Party returned to power in the United States with a government trifecta in January 2025 following the 2024 election. Trump, who was elected president in 2016 but lost a re-election bid in 2020 to Joe Biden, and JD Vance, a then-senator from Ohio defeated vice president Kamala Harris, who began her campaign following Biden's exit from the 2024 election, and Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Trump's victory was credited to a post-pandemic surge in inflation,[a] a migrant crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border,[b] and a global anti-incumbent backlash.[8][9][10] In addition, Republicans secured control of the Senate, flipping four seats and earning a three seat majority, while also retaining a House majority, though the party's majority narrowed to three seats after losing two seats.[11]

Electoral system

Main article: United States Electoral College

See also: United States presidential primary and Primary elections in the United States

The president and vice president of the United States are elected through the Electoral College, determined by the number of senators and representatives with an additional three representatives for Washington, D.C. A majority of 270 votes is needed to win the election. Forty-eight states use a winner-take-all system, in which states award all of their electors to the winner of the popular vote. In Maine and Nebraska, two votes are allocated to the winner of the popular vote, while each of the individual congressional districts have one vote. Electoral votes are certified by state electors in December and by Congress on January 6.[12] Presidential candidates are selected in a presidential primary, conducted through primary elections run by state governments or caucuses run by state parties which bind convention delegates to candidates.[13] A brokered convention occurs when a candidate does not receive a majority of votes on the first round of voting,[14] or when a candidate withdraws.[15]

Election Day in the United States has been held on the first Tuesday that falls after the first Monday in November.[16] Previously, states could determine their own Election Day prior to the first Wednesday in December. The 2028 presidential election will occur on November 7, 2028.[17]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_United_States_presidential_election

Raphael Gamaliel Warnock[1] (/ˈrɑːfiɛl ˈwɔːrnɒk/ RAH-fee-el WOR-nok; born July 23, 1969) is an American politician and Baptist pastor serving as the junior United States senator from Georgia, a seat he has held since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Warnock has been the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005.[2][3]

Warnock was the senior pastor of Douglas Memorial Community Church from 2001 to 2005.[4] He came to prominence in Georgia politics as a leading activist in the campaign to expand Medicaid in the state under the Affordable Care Act. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2020 United States Senate special election in Georgia, defeating incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler in a runoff election.[5]

Warnock and Jon Ossoff are the first Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia since Zell Miller in 2000.[6][7] Their elections were critical in securing a 50–50 Senate majority for Democrats, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote.[8] Warnock was a reliable supporter of Joe Biden's legislative efforts during his presidency.[9][10] He was reelected to a full term in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Herschel Walker.

Warnock is the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate, the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from a Southern state, and the second black U.S. Senator directly elected from a Southern state, after Tim Scott.[11][12][13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Warnock

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

Biography

Early life

Sako was born in the city of Zakho, Iraq, on 4 July 1948.[2] He comes from an ethnic Assyrian family of the Chaldean Catholic Church that has roots in a religious community that has had a presence in the city of his birth since the 5th century AD.[3]

He completed his early studies in Mosul and then attended the Dominican-run Saint Jean’s Seminary there. He was ordained a priest on 1 June 1974 and filled his first pastoral assignment at the Cathedral of Mosul until 1979. He then earned a doctorate in Eastern patrology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. When denied a license to teach because he was only qualified for religious instruction, he earned a second doctorate in history from the Sorbonne in Paris.[4] With this he secured his teaching license and was able to provide religious instruction. From 1997 to 2002 he was rector of the Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad. He then returned to Mosul and guided the parish of Perpetual Help for a year.[5][6]

Sako speaks Neo-Aramaic, German, French, English, Italian, Kurdish and Arabic.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

Clovis is the modern conventional French (and thence English) form of the Old Frankish name ᚺᛚᛟᛞᛟᚹᛁᚷ (in runic alphabet) or *"Hlōdowik" or "Hlōdowig" (in Latin alphabet), equivalent to the modern forms Louis (French), Lodewijk (Dutch), Lewis (English), and Ludwig (German).

Etymology

The name *Hlōdowik or *Hlōdowig is traditionally considered to be composed of two elements, deriving from both Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz ("loud, famous") and *wiganą ("to battle, to fight") respectively, resulting in the traditional practice of translating Clovis' name as meaning "famous warrior".

However, scholars have pointed out that Gregory of Tours consequently transcribes the names of various Merovingian royal names containing the first element as chlodo-. The use of a close-mid back protruded vowel (o), rather than the expected close back rounded vowel (u) which Gregory does use in various other Germanic names (i.e. Fredegundis, Arnulfus, Gundobadus, etc.) opens up the possibility that the first element instead derives from Proto-Germanic *hlutą ("lot, share, portion"), giving the meaning of the name as "loot bringer" or "plunder (bringing) warrior". This hypothesis is supported by the fact that if the first element is taken to mean "famous", then the name of Chlodomer (one of Clovis' sons) would contain two elements (*hlūdaz and *mērijaz) both meaning "famous", which would be highly uncommon within the typical Germanic name structure.[1][2]

Frankish royalty

Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler

Clovis II (637 – c. 658), king of Neustria and Burgundy

Clovis III (reigned 675–676), the king of Austrasia

Clovis IV (682–695), the sole king of the Franks from 691 until 695

Clovis (died 580), son of Chilperic I and Audovera, assassinated by his father and stepmother

Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, King of Aquitaine from 781 and sole ruler of the Franks 814–840, but counted as "Louis I of France" even though West Francia (the nucleus of the later kingdom of France) was formed only after his death.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_(given_name

The Carolingian dynasty (/ˌkærəˈlɪndʒiən/ KARR-ə-LIN-jee-ən;[1] known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD.[2] The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum hereditary, and becoming the de facto rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne. In 751 the Merovingian dynasty which had ruled the Franks was overthrown with the consent of the Papacy and the aristocracy, and Pepin the Short, son of Martel, was crowned King of the Franks. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of Charlemagne as the first Emperor of the Romans in the West in over three centuries. Nearly every monarch of France from Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious till the penultimate monarch of France Louis Philippe have been his descendants. His death in 814 began an extended period of fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and decline that would eventually lead to the evolution of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Name

The Carolingian dynasty takes its name from Carolus, the Latinised name of multiple Frankish kings including Charlemagne and Charles Martel.[3] The name originates from a common Germanic word, rendered in Old High German as Karl or Kerl,[4] meaning 'man', 'husband', or 'freeman'.[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_dynasty

THE CONFLICT: PRIORY OF SION VERSUS KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

Secret societies by virtue of their very secrecy have often kept historians at bay, and the historians, reluctant to confess their ignorance, prefer to diminish the consequence of their subject. Freemasonry.. is of vital importance to any social, psychological, cultural or political history of eighteenth-century Europe, and even to the founding of the United States; but most history books don't even mention it. It is almost as if an implicit policy obtained: If something cannot be exhaustively documented, it must be irrelevant and thereby not worth discussing I at all. Investigators of the Holy Grail' Freemasonry, French and English, as we know it today, finds its loots in two organizations of the Middle Ages - the Priory of Sion and the Order of the Knights Templar. What follows is the fascinating, if sometimes complicated and obscure history, of how these two modern, anti-Christian secular secret societies - English and French Freemasonry - developed from two groups that themselves had roots in the occult. We will see how the Priory of Sion desired to rule the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem through its counterfeit Jewish Merovingian bloodline, and how its own creation, the Knights Templar, moved beyond its role as police and protector of Sion to financial masters of medieval Europe. We will trace the alliance of Sion and the Templars, their dispute over the discovery of Solomon's treasures, and the terrible intrigues which followed that led to the undoing of the Templars in their struggle over wealth, power, and politics. We will reveal the beliefs of these two groups: that Jesus fathered children by Mary Magdalene; that a spiritual god of good (Satan) battles a material god of evil; that Lucifer, not Jesus, deserves worship; that a "Spear of Destiny" (later sought and possessed by Hitler) allows the holder to rule the world. We will also present data about the whereabouts of King Solomon's wealth, the plan to one day return it to Jerusalem, and reveal that the ultimate goal of these two groups is world government, and that their descendants, English and French Freemasonry, desire the same. The Historical Trail: The Priory of Sion and the Holy Grail In 1982 and 1986 three secular revisionist authors, Michael Baigent~ Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln published Holy Blood, Holy Grail followed by The Messianic Legacy. These two books dramatically reveal a secret order structured in the manner of Freemasonry, and founded in Europe twelve centuries before the Grand Lodge was officially formed in 1717. This order protects both the Holy Grail and the Merovingian bloodline, which bloodline carried Mystery Babylon into the Catholic Church in 496 A.D. 56 The Holy Grail, of course, is the so-called cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. The Merovingians, owners of the Holy Grail, teach that Jesus fathered children by Mary Magdalene. The Merovingians claim to be the offspring of that "holy" union, and as such, assert they are Jews of the Davidic line.

In Revelation 17:3-5 the apostle John describes a vision, which Rev. J. R. Church in Guardians of the Grail believes is fulfilled in the Grail legend. The Whore of Babylon is holding in her hand a golden cup full of blasphemy. Church believes the cup is the blasphemous Holy Grail Another element of the Grail legend is the spear supposed to have pierced the side of Jesus, also known as the Spear of Longinus or the Spear of Destiny. Whoever possesses this spear, so the legend goes, will rule the world. The Merovingians, whose descendants are the Habsburg pretenders to the Austrian throne today, are in possession of the spear. It is on display in the Habsburg museum in Vienna, Austria~ No one, however, knows the location of the Holy Grail. At least no one is telling. Although heretical, this secret society should not be discounted, for it is alive and well today. In fact, in 1956, an Order calling itself the Prieure de Sion, or Priory of Sion, registered itself publicly for the first time with the French government. (Sion is French for Zion.) It is from this Order that the legend of the Holy Grail originated five centuries after Christ's death. Rev. Church remarks of this organization: This mysterious group is presently made up of over 9,000 men, including Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Moslems. The members of this secret sect should be considered unfaithful to their respective beliefs, for in reality they are neither Christian nor Catholic, they are neither Jew nor Moslem. Their doctrine sidesteps the basic tenets of those beliefs and replaces them with the teachings of their greatest prophet - whom they believe to be Buddha.2 From this secret order J. R. Church believes will come the Anti-Christ, for he writes, "Their ultimate goal is world government!'"

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zCd0nFuvnM4OYWuVW5QUBCpsTfBv5bYx/view?usp=sharing

Merovingian(adj.)

"of or pertaining to the dynasty to which the first French kings belonged," 1690s, from French Mérovingien, from Medieval Latin Merovingi, "descendants of Meroveus," (mythical?) ancestor of the line of Frankish kings in Gaul c. 500-752 beginning with Clovis; Merovingi is a Latinization of his Germanic name (compare Old High German Mar-wig "famed-fight") with the Germanic patronymic suffix -ing.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/Merovingian

Who is Marduk in the Bible?

Answer

Marduk was a false god that was worshiped as the chief Babylonian deity. He had several titles, including Bel, which simply means “lord.” He was worshiped as the god of storms and fertility, much as the Baal of the Canaanites was.

The name Marduk is mentioned explicitly only once in Scripture, in Jeremiah 50:2, “Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.” Jeremiah here predicts how the false god would be “put to shame” when God brought judgment upon Babylon. The downfall of Babylon would prove that nation’s deities as the false and useless gods they were. Marduk’s title of Bel is mentioned in Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 51:44.

The Babylonian religious system was polytheistic—they worshiped many gods instead of just one. Early in the history of Babylon, Marduk was only worshiped as a local city god, not as a national deity. This changed over time, however, with the writing of the Enuma Elish, a Babylonian creation myth. The Enuma Elish helped raise Marduk to national deity status. In the Enuma Elish, Marduk is described as the hero of the story as he defeats “the goddess Tiamat, the primeval salt-water ocean, and [makes] heaven and earth out of her dead body” (Herbert Wolf, An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch, p. 104). Within the myth is the story of how Marduk killed Tiamat’s son/consort and used his blood to create mankind to be the laborers of the gods. It’s quite clear that the Enuma Elish creation story differs drastically from the truth of the Lord’s creation in Genesis 1—2.

In the ancient mythology, Marduk is credited with creating the zodiac: “He (Marduk) made the stations for the great gods; The stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed” (The Seven Tablets of Creation, Fifth Tablet, translated by L.W. King, London: Luzac and Co., 1902). The mythology associated Marduk himself with the planet Jupiter.

The Persian king Cyrus, who issued the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22–23), credited Marduk with his decision to do so: “Marduk, the great lord, established as his fate for me a magnanimous heart of one who loves Babylon, and I daily attended to his worship. . . . I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings” (from Fragment A, based on a translation by Mordechai Cogan, published in The Context of Scripture. Vol. II: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World, Hallo and Younger, ed., Leiden: Brill, 2002).

Marduk is often pictured in ancient mosaics standing with a dragon. In fact, the Ishtar Gate that was present in Ancient Babylon features a striding, chimera-like dragon called “Mushussu,” associated with the god Marduk. It is interesting to see Marduk’s connection with a serpent-like animal, since the devil is often referred to as a serpent in the Bible (Genesis 3:1, 14–15; Revelation 12:9), and we know that demons are the focus of idol worship (Deuteronomy 32:16–17; 1 Corinthians 10:20). Jeremiah and Isaiah were correct in their condemnation of Marduk; the Lord did bring judgment on Babylon, proving Marduk and all the other Babylonian gods to be false. There is only one true God, and He is the only One worthy of our worship (Isaiah 45:5).

https://www.gotquestions.org/Marduk-in-the-Bible.html

1 Corinthians 10

1599 Geneva Bible

10 1 If God spared not the Jews, neither will he spare those who are of like condition, 3, 4 touching the outward signs of his grace. 14 That it is absurd, that such should be partakers of the table of the devils, who are partakers of the Lord’s Supper. 24 To have consideration of our neighbor in things indifferent.

1 Moreover, [a]brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, that all our [b]fathers were under that cloud, and all passed through that sea,

2 [c]And were all [d]baptized unto [e]Moses, in that cloud, and in that sea,

3 And did all eat the [f]same spiritual [g]meat,

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink (for they drank of the spiritual Rock that [h]followed them: and the Rock was [i]Christ.)

5 But with many of them God was not pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 [j]Now these things are our [k]examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt [l]Christ, as some of them also tempted him, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things came unto them for examples, and were written to admonish us, upon whom the [m]ends of the world are come.

12 [n]Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as appertaineth to [o]man: and God is faithful, which will not suffer you to be tempted above that you be able, but will even [p]give the issue with the temptation, that ye may be able to bear it.

14 Wherefore my beloved, flee from idolatry.

15 [q]I speak as unto them which have understanding: judge ye what I say.

16 The cup of [r]blessing which we bless, is it not the [s]communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

17 For we that are many, are one bread and one body, because we all are partakers of one bread.

18 Behold Israel, which is after the [t]flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices [u]partakers of the Altar?

19 What say I then? that the idol is anything? or that that which is sacrificed to idols, is anything?

20 Nay, but that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not unto God: and I would not that ye should have [v]fellowship with the devils.

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the [w]cup of the devils. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of the devils.

22 Do we provoke the Lord to anger? are we stronger than he?

23 [x][y]All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

25 [z]Whatsoever is sold in the [aa]shambles, eat ye, and ask no question for conscience sake.

26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and [ab]all that therein is.

27 If any of them which believe not, call you to a feast, and if ye will go, whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

28 But if any man say unto you, This is sacrificed unto idols, eat it not, because of him that showed it, and for the conscience (for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is.)

29 And the conscience, I say, not thine, but of that other: [ac]for why should my liberty be condemned of another man’s conscience?

30 For if I through God’s [ad]benefit be partaker, why am I evil spoken of, for that wherefore I give thanks?

31 [ae]Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Grecians, nor to the Church of God:

33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 10:1 He setteth out that which he said, laying before them an example of the horrible judgment of God against them which had in effect the selfsame pledges, of the same adoption and salvation that we have: and yet notwithstanding when they gave themselves to idols’ feasts, perished in the wilderness, being horribly and manifoldly punished. Now, moreover and besides that these things are fitly spoken against them which frequented idols’ feasts, the same also seems to be alleged to this end and purpose, because many men are thus minded, that those things are not of such great weight, that God will be angry with them if they use them, so that they frequent Christian assemblies and be baptized, and receive the Communion, and confess Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1 Paul speaketh thus in respect of the covenant, and not in respect of the persons, saving in general.

1 Corinthians 10:2 In effect the Sacrament of the old fathers were all one with ours, for they respected Christ only who offered himself unto them in divers shadows.

1 Corinthians 10:2 All of them were baptized with the outward sign, but not in deed, wherewith God cannot be charged, but they themselves.

1 Corinthians 10:2 Moses being their guide.

1 Corinthians 10:3 The same that we do.

1 Corinthians 10:3 Manna, which was a spiritual meat to the believers, which in faith lay hold upon Christ who is the true meat.

1 Corinthians 10:4 Of the river and running Rock, which followed the people.

1 Corinthians 10:4 Did sacramentally signify Christ, so that together with the sign, there was the thing signified, and the truth itself: for God doth not offer a bare sign, but the thing signifieth by the sign, together with it which is to be received with faith.

1 Corinthians 10:6 An amplifying of the example against them which are carried away with their lusts beyond the bounds which God has measured out. For this is the beginning of all evil, as of idolatry (which hath gluttony a companion unto it) fornication, rebelling against Christ, murmuring, and such like, which God punished most sharply in that old people, to the end that we which succeed them, and have a more full declaration of the will of God, might by that means take better heed.

1 Corinthians 10:6 Some read figures: which signified our sacraments: for circumcision was to the Jews a seal of righteousness, and to us a lively pattern of Baptism, and so in the other Sacraments.

1 Corinthians 10:9 To tempt Christ, is to provoke him to a combat as it were which those men do, who abuse the knowledge that he hath given them, and make it to serve for a cloak for their lusts and wickedness.

1 Corinthians 10:11 This our age is called the end, for it is the shutting up of all ages.

1 Corinthians 10:12 In conclusion, he descendeth to the Corinthians themselves, warning them that they please not themselves, but rather that they prevent the subtleties of Satan. Yet he useth an insinuation, and comforteth them, that he may not seem to make them altogether like to those wicked idolaters and contemners of Christ, which perished in the wilderness.

1 Corinthians 10:13 Which cometh of weakness.

1 Corinthians 10:13 He that would have you tempted for your profit’s sake, will give you an issue to escape out of the temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:15 Now returning to those idols’ feasts, that he may not seem to dally at all, first he promiseth that he will use no other reasons than such as they knew very well themselves. And he useth an induction borrowed of the agreement that is the things themselves. The holy banquets of the Christians are pledges, first of all of the community that they have with Christ, and next, one with another. The Israelites also do ratify in the sacrifices, their mutual conjunction in one selfsame religion: therefore so do the idolaters also join themselves with their idols or devils rather (for idols are nothing) in those solemn banquets, whereupon it followeth, that that table is a table of devils, and therefore you must eschew it: for you cannot be partakers of the Lord and of idols together, much less may such banquets be accounted for things indifferent. Will ye then strive with God? and if you do, think you that you shall get the upper hand?

1 Corinthians 10:16 Of thanksgiving: whereupon, that holy banquet was called Eucharist, that is, a thanksgiving.

1 Corinthians 10:16 A most effectual pledge and note of our knitting together with Christ, and ingrafting to him.

1 Corinthians 10:18 That is, as yet observe their ceremonies.

1 Corinthians 10:18 Are consenting and guilty, both of that worship and sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 10:20 Have anything to do with the devils, or enter into that society which is begun on the devil’s name.

1 Corinthians 10:21 The heathen and profane people were wont to shut up and make an end of their feasts which they kept to the honor of their gods, in offering meat offerings and drink offerings to them, with banquets and feastings.

1 Corinthians 10:23 Coming to another kind of things offered to idols, he repeateth that general rule, that in the use of things indifferent we ought to have consideration not of ourselves only, but of our neighbors, and therefore these are many things which of themselves are lawful, which may be evil done of us, because of offense to our neighbor.

1 Corinthians 10:23 See 1 Cor. 6:13.

1 Corinthians 10:25 An applying of the rule to the present matter: Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, you may indifferently buy it as it were at the Lord’s hand, and eat it either at home with the faithful, or being called home to the unfaithful, to wit, in a private banquet: but yet with this exception, unless any man is present which is weak, whose conscience may be offended, by setting meats offered to idols before them: for then you ought to have consideration of their weakness.

1 Corinthians 10:25 The flesh that was sacrificed, was used to be sold in the shambles, and the price returned to the priests.

1 Corinthians 10:26 All those things whereof it is full.

1 Corinthians 10:29 A reason: for we must take heed that our liberty be not evil spoken of, and that the benefit of God which we ought to use with thanksgiving be not changed into impiety, and that through our fault, if we choose rather to offend the conscience of the weak, than to yield a little of our liberty in a matter of no importance, and so give occasion to the weak to judge in such sort of us, and of Christian liberty. And the Apostle taketh these things upon his own person, that the Corinthians may have so much the less occasion to oppose anything against him.

1 Corinthians 10:30 If I may through God’s benefits eat this meat, or that meat, why should I through my fault, cause that benefit of God to turn to my blame?

1 Corinthians 10:31 The conclusion: We must order our lives in such sort, that we seek not ourselves, but God’s glory, and so the salvation of as many as we may, wherein the Apostle flicketh not to propound himself to the Corinthians (even his own flock) as an example, but so that he calleth them back to Christ, unto whom he himself hath regard.

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