A Republic, If You Can Keep It

This is why most Catholics I know are glad to finally be rid of Pope Francis. Now they can get a “true Catholic” in there and get back to the business of hating homosexuals.

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“Trump-Voting Nazi Old Testament Snake-Handlers” is not a group of people I deal with on a regular basis. Maybe ask Chuck?

…while prancing around in fancy hats and dresses, eschewing women. :thinking:

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We must hang in different circles of Catholics. But then again I know my church is very liberal.

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Most I know found him way too liberal, and wanted someone more old school. Everyone’s mileage varies, of course.

It is being widely reported today that he received fierce resistance for his liberal views.

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Now you know damn well I don’t interact with my extended family anymore.

Also, it’s instructive to note what’s considered ‘liberal’ in this context.

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By the way, I read the Old Testament all the way through for the first time a couple of years ago, and this may be an unpopular view, but the God depicted therein is among the least sympathetic and most disagreeable literary characters I have ever encountered. That requires an interesting reconciliation for anyone feeling the need to reconcile since the Jesus of the New Testament is among the more sympathetic and agreeable.

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Anyone who orders a father to kill his own son only to yell “psych!” just before the blade falls is an absolute dick.

Just this weekend, Trump retweeted a post that said he was the son of God. I can believe he is the son of that God.

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The Homeland Security Secretary has her bag stolen from a DC restaurant. Inside she had $3,000 in cash, she claims. Why was she walking around with that much cash?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/21/politics/homeland-security-kristi-noem-purse-stolen/index.html

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Flash money. So you know she’s a legit gangster.

I think your view is the generally accepted view of the Old Testament God. The rumor I babysat Lazarus absolutely is not true.

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You’re correct, the God of the Old Testament is often characterized, even by Christians, as jealous and vengeful. It’s also the inspiration for the stereotypical “fire and brimstone” messaging popularized in the US by Jonathan Edwards in the 1700s (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God) and still emulated by various American preachers - predominantly in the conservative and/or evangelical wings of Christianity - today. Many of these types of churches that aren’t complete psychos will primarily teach out of the New Testament today, but they’re not afraid to go Old Testament on you to intimidate or manipulate you. I have witnessed, probably participated in, and been on the receiving end of plenty of that.

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Speaking of Homeland Security…

The White House is not happy with the United State Supreme Court.

Patience runs thin as Trump’s battle with Supreme Court intensifies

Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, wrote on the social platform X that generations of judges “have been infected with parasitical ideology.”

“The judges in law courts today, including the majority in the nation’s Highest Court, telegraph with these decisions that they have no understanding of law and its proper function and role,” wrote Ingrassia.

Other tidbits:

“Ignore the Supreme Court. Arrest anyone who tries to enforce this. Dissolve the Supreme Court entirely if they push” conservative talk radio show host Jesse Kelly wrote on X.

With Congress being terrified, by their own admission, to challenge Trump, the end is near. At this rate, there is a non-zero chance that the United States of America will not exist to celebrate another Independence Day this July 4th.

The courts seem to be trying to do their part as a co-equal branch of government. Unfortunately, enforcement rests almost entirely in the Executive Branch, so I’m not sure what will happen when Trump simply stops even pretending like he is going to comply with their orders.

Not that it seems to be notable anymore, but the Dow shit itself to the tune of 1,000 points today (2.7%) with the other Indies suffering the same or worse drops.

Trump is about to break a very impressive streak. Whenever he replaces someone is his administration, he always manages to find someone worse - in the case that is going to be very hard to do.

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I’m rereading Shirer’s Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for the umpteenth time right now and the whole section on the pre and immediate post history of Hitler gaining the Chancellorship just sounds so familiar. I recall a reread in 2016 made me think the same thing and it’s colossally stupid that we’re here again, but this time way worse. I have no doubt an Enabling Act is on the way.
The history of Nazi Germany should be a semester long course in high school to prevent it happening again.

P.S–Funny thing is, way back in the day of paper books I was reading it while riding the bus to and from work and I always tried to find a seat on the left side of the bus so the very large swastika on the front cover wasn’t showing just in case someone might get the impression I was a Nazi and punch me.

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Nowadays, if someone makes that mistake, the danger is that you might accidentally get appointed to a high level government position.

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The more details that come out about the contents of Kristi Noem’s stolen purse, the more it looks like a “go bag”.