Pope Francis makes strange apology to Chilean bishops for ‘grave errors’ in sex abuse case | News | LifeSite

Pope Francis makes strange apology to Chilean bishops for ‘grave errors’ in sex abuse case | News | LifeSite:


"However, the Associated Press reported in February that Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and president of the Vatican’s Commission for the Protection of Minors, had already received from several members of the same commission a signed testimony by a victim on Barros’ witnessing of the sexual abuse, and that O’Malley had told them he had delivered it to Pope Francis personally.

Although O’Malley did not comment on the Associated Press story, he publicly rebuked Francis for his dismissive statements regarding the accusations against Barros, which had been made by sex abuse victims."



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Paris pleads guilty | The Week That Was | Arkansas news, politics, opinion, restaurants, music, movies and art

Paris pleads guilty | The Week That Was | Arkansas news, politics, opinion, restaurants, music, movies and art: "Paris pleads guilty

Oren Paris III, president of Ecclesia College in Springdale, pleaded guilty last week to fraud. Federal prosecutors allege that Paris paid kickbacks to former state Sen. Jon Woods and former state Rep. Micah Neal, also of Springdale, in return for state General Improvement Fund grants to the college. Neal pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count in early 2017. Paris was scheduled to go to trial this week alongside Woods and Randell Shelton, a consultant who prosecutors say served as a pass-through for the kickbacks.

During jury selection Monday for the trial, potential jurors were told that potential witnesses in the trial include state Auditor Andrea Lea, state Treasurer Dennis Milligan and state Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb."

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

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Testimony at ex-state legislator's corruption trial reveals bank loans totaling $87,000 in 2 years

 Cranford

Testimony at ex-state legislator's corruption trial reveals bank loans totaling $87,000 in 2 years:


"AmeriWorks was incorporated by lobbyist Russell “Rusty” Cranford a day before it received the grants. The $400,000 from the 2013 grant was returned Aug. 14, 2014, after federal investigators questioned the company’s founder about the grants, according to Woods’ indictment.

Woods and Neal, both Republicans, then cooperated to use part of the refunded $400,000 to steer another $200,000 to Ecclesia in return for another kickback, the indictment says.

Cranford, 56, is set for trial June 11 in federal court in Springfield, Mo., on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of accepting bribes in an unrelated indictment."

Woods is accused of taking kickbacks from Paris in return for directing $550,000 in General Improvement Fund grants to Ecclesia, all in 2013 or 2014.

The fund consists of state tax money left unallocated at the end of each fiscal year and interest earned on state deposits. Each legislator was given a share of the fund to be directed to a nonprofit group or government entity. The state Supreme Court declared this method of distribution unconstitutional in a ruling Oct. 5.

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Intuitu Fidei Election In View of Faith by Schmidt Lenski and Gohdes - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry – "Faithful to the Reformation"

Intuitu Fidei Election In View of Faith by Schmidt Lenski and Gohdes - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry – "Faithful to the Reformation":



"Calvinism’s “doctrines of grace” make unconditional election the first cause of a person’s salvation. In contrast, the Book of Concord places justification by faith at the center of orthodox Christianity.

In 1881 Missouri Synod president C. F. W. Walther split the Synodical Conference by insisting that “‘faith foreseen by God flows from election’; or in other words, that the persevering faith without which no sinner can be saved has its source in election.”1 Many Missouri pastors along with those in the Ohio Synod led by Matthias Loy claimed that Walther’s new doctrine was more Calvinistic than Lutheran. The conflict became known as The Predestination Controversy.

This book examines the Lutheran symbols, their writers and early teachers to see if they teach election in foresight of faith.

“This article [justification by faith] is, as it were, the fortress and chief bulwark of the whole Christian doctrine and religion. If this article remains inviolate, the perversions of the other articles will cease of themselves.” – Chemnitz"

Contents

The Bible One Harmonious Whole

Harassing Yourself With The Secret Counsel of God

Apostasy is any doctrine which doesn’t ‘rhyme’ with Justification by Faith Alone

Contents (448 pages)

The Bible One Harmonious Whole

“We Lutherans do not consider the several articles of the Gospel as fragments, without connection and mutual affinity, which constitute the one faith once delivered to the saints merely because of their common revelation in the Bible. We believe, on the contrary, that the one faith delivered to the saints forms a harmonious whole, of which the constituent parts are so adjusted as to possess mutual agreement and inner cohesion.

“We, accordingly, do not see in the doctrine of justification an isolated doctrine… No, we make this doctrine the norm and center of our doctrinal system, so that, like a sun, it throws light upon the whole Scripture and all articles of faith. The Holy Spirit Himself has placed this doctrine as a divinely ordained rule in the service of hermeneutics, when He says: “Let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith.” (According to the analogy of faith; Rom. 12:7)

Harassing Yourself With The Secret Counsel of God

“Therefore no one who would be saved, should trouble or harass himself with thoughts concerning the secret counsel of God, as to whether he also is elected and ordained to eternal life, for with these miserable Satan is accustomed to attack and annoy godly hearts. But they should hear Christ (and in Him look upon the book of life in which is written the eternal election); who testifies to all men without distinction that it is God’s will that all men who labor and are heavy laden with sin should come to Him in order that He may give them rest and save them (Matt. 2:28; Decl. XI)

But if God wills that all men should come to Christ and be saved, it surely must have been His will to elect them all in Christ unto salvation, provided they would believe. The actual “election”, therefore, has taken place with strict regard to faith in Christ. All who shall believe, whether they be all men, or many, or only a few, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, these or those – all believers in Christ shall have part in the election in Christ. All non-believers, however, shall be excluded. For on one hand God has ordained in His counsel to restore all those who in true repentance and faith apprehend Jesus, unto grace, sonship and heirship and to elect them thereto. On the other hand He has ordained in His counsel also, to save no one except those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Hence where He did not foresee faith, He did not choose to elect; where He was to elect. He wanted to foresee faith. For it was as true then as it is today: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” and to be restored unto grace, sonship and heirship, or to be ordained thereto.

Apostasy is any doctrine which doesn’t ‘rhyme’ with Justification by Faith Alone

“Any doctrine that cannot be ‘rhymed’ with the doctrine of justification, bears on its face the brand of apostasy from the one revealed truth and stands disclosed as a false interpretation of Scripture. For this article of justification is ‘the chief topic of Christian doctrine, which, understood aright, illumines and magnifies the honor of Christ (which is of especial service for the clear, correct understanding of the entire Holy Scriptures, and alone shows the way to the unspeakable treasure and right knowledge of Christ and alone opens the door to the entire Bible. (Apology IV)

Contents (448 pages)

• Introduction to the Original Edition
• Part I. What Were The Contents Or The Substance Of The Doctrine, Taught By Our Lutheran Church Fathers, That God Elected In View Of Faith?
  • Introductory Remarks.
    • 1 Over against Romanism
    • 2 Sola Fide and Intuitu Fidei
    • 3 Dr. Samuel Huber and The Intuitu Fidei
    • 4 Correct Understanding of Testimonies
    • 5 Missouri’s New Discovery
    • 6 Missouri Claims to Hold the Doctrine of Luther and Chemnitz Concerning Predestination and also Rejects It.
    • 7 Meeting of the Synodical Conference in Chicago
    • 8 Quotations From Orthodox Publications and Teachers on “Election in View of Faith”
  • A. Authors Of The Formula Of Concord.
    • David Chytraeus
    • Christopher Koerner
    • Martin Chemnitz
    • Selnecker
  • B. Original Subscribers And Defenders Of The Formula Of Concord.
    • AEgidius Hunnius
    • The Wittenberg Faculty
    • John Wigand
    • The Wuertemberg Theologians
    • Matthew Vogel
    • G. Mylius
    • Stephen Gerlach
    • Daniel Arcularius
    • John George Sigwart
    • Luke Backmeister And Jacob Coler (and Chytraeus)
    • David Lobech
    • John Winckelmann.
    • Adam Francisci.
    • Polycarp Leyser.
    • Solomon Gesner.
    • Wolfgang Mamphrasius.
    • John Pappus.
    • Andrew Schaafmann.
    • Philip Nicolai.
    • John Habermann (Avenarius).
    • Matthias Hafenreffer.
    • Luke Osiander.
    • John Coler.
    • Matthew Vogel.
    • Concluding Remarks.
  • C. The Immediate Pupils Of The Subscribers Of The Formula Of Concord.
    • Introduction.
    • Leonhard Hutter.
    • Frederick Balduin.
    • John Weber.
    • David Runge.
    • George Stampel.
    • Joachim Zehner.
    • Esaias Silberschlag.
    • Wolfgang Franz.
    • Balthasar Mentzer.
    • Peter Piscator.
    • John Schroeder.
    • Luke Osiander, Jr.
    • Albert Grauer.
    • John Foerster.
    • John Gerhard.
    • Justus Feuerborn.
    • Nicolas Hunnius.
    • Conrad Dietrich.
• Part II. Departures From the Confession
  • I. Did Our Lutheran Fathers Depart From The Confession By Teaching, That The Election Of Certain Persons Took Place In View Of Faith?
  • II. Does Missouri really contend that our fathers have departed from the Lutheran Confession with their doctrine of “election to salvation in view of faith”?
    • Northern District and Professor Fritschel
    • Professor Stoeckhardt. Philadelphia Faculty. Lehre und Wehre.
  • III. Did Missouri Hold To Her Present Doctrine in 1872?
    • “Correct Understanding” of a Symbol
  • IV. Colloquy in Columbus, 1879, and Following It
    • Scripture, Fathers, Confession.
    • Huberian Controversy
    • Three Definitions of Election
    • Church of the Formula of Concord knew of no Election to
    • Salvation Except of Believers
    • Testimony of Wittenberg Men
    • Testimony of Rostock Men
    • Tuebigen and Stuttgart Schools, Wuertemberg
  • V. Scriptures, Ordination to Salvation, Acta Huberiana, Wuertemberg Men
    • Specific Election
    • Regard to faith – Wittenberg and Wuertemberg Men
    • Election and Subsequent Will
    • Grace of God and Merits of Christ the Complete Cause of Election
    • Did Rostock, Wittenberg, Tuebingen Know the Lutheran Definition of Election?
• Part III. Is The Doctrine That God Has Elected Men To Salvation In View Of Faith Found In Our Lutheran Confession?
  • I. Introduction
  • II. Intuitu Fidei Found In The Book of Concord
    • 1 The Augsburg Confession and Election
    • 2 The Apology and Election.
  • III. The Formula of Concord.
  • IV. The Eleventh Article.
    • Election in Detail
    • Trend of the Eleventh Article Against Calvinistic Election
    • Revealed and Hidden Will of God
    • Definition of Election
    • Election of Grace
    • Formula of Concord – Order of Salvation
  • V. Missouri Guilty of Misusing the Confession.
    • Third Thesis, 1879
    • Formula of Concord and Man’s Conduct
• About the Author - Frederick Augustus Schmidt
• About the Translator - Richard C. H. Lenksi
• About the Translator - Conrad B. Gohdes

If the links fail to work on your device, send a request to: editor at lutheranlibrary dot org

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DARPA Created the Internet and Lifelog, But "Killed" Lifelog the Same Day Facebook Began. Co-Inky Dink?

I saw that Facebook was an easy way to collect all kinds of data and sell it to various entities. Also, the so-called privacy controls are almost meaningless for professional users, especially those paying for their access.

Besides that, many FB denizens have been tricked into using additional "free" gimmicks and games to collect all the data on their FB friends.

Much of this is also accomplished through tracking cookies on computers plus unique identifiers - like cell phone numbers and email addresses. Both identifiers are unique and often used, so anyone with one can get the other.

Facebook could dissolve tomorrow and the data gathering would continue at the same pace.

I just want people to be aware of this and to be careful of what they publish. I had a big laugh when Father Hollywood got angry that I posted (as his FB friend) on "his" page. When software is "free," the individual's data is the product. It is Zuckerberg's software, Zuckerberg's page, Zuckerberg's data to sell.

To continue using Facebook, avoid all games and platforms completely. Limit the ability of others to view posts, friend lists, and photos. Use a long password like this - 19LittleRock01! - very hard to crack by outsiders.

I will use Facebook for now but I expect it to be a punchline in a few years.

Study uncovers surprising things about squirrels | National | bakersfield.com

 My butler Greg Jackson knew this years ago.
Where is his gubmint grant?

Study uncovers surprising things about squirrels | National | bakersfield.com:



"In one experiment, Delgado tested how squirrels assess food when provided nuts of different values. She presented participating squirrels with a specific order of hazelnuts and peanuts and observed the following behaviors for each nut: the number of head flicks, the time manipulating the nut with the paw, the time until the nut was eaten or cached, the number of incomplete caches before a successful cache and the time spent covering a cached nut.

Turning a nut around in their paws serves multiple functions. It helps the squirrels assess the integrity of the nut and spot any holes or cracks in the shell. Imperfections could indicate the nut is more susceptible to rot. They also might be the best entry points for breaking into the shell."

 These boys were waiting a few feet away until I filled their feeder with sunflower seeds.

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 Our squirrels are not spoiled.

First Lesson in Romans - Greek - Romans 1:1-10

Parsing Link

Romans Lenski - Download and save public PDF. Fixed!

ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 1 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

1 παυλος δουλος ιησου χριστου κλητος αποστολος αφωρισμενος εις ευαγγελιον θεου

Mostly nominative. Apposition, concise, no article. Most words are easy to guess in this verse. See the κλητος in verse 6.

2 ο προεπηγγειλατο δια των προφητων αυτου εν γραφαις αγιαις
angel - message, ep makes it promise, pro makes it promise in advance

3 περι του υιου αυτου του γενομενου εκ σπερματος δαβιδ κατα σαρκα
Three easy guess words. gen, sperm, sarcophagus, sarc

4 του ορισθεντος υιου θεου εν δυναμει κατα πνευμα αγιωσυνης εξ αναστασεως νεκρων ιησου χριστου του κυριου ημων
horizon, dynamite, pneumonia, hagiography, 

5 δι ου ελαβομεν χαριν και αποστολην εις υπακοην πιστεως εν πασιν τοις εθνεσιν υπερ του ονοματος αυτου
onomatopoeia 

6 εν οις εστε και υμεις κλητοι ιησου χριστου

7 πασιν τοις ουσιν εν ρωμη αγαπητοις θεου κλητοις αγιοις - χαρις υμιν και ειρηνη απο θεου πατρος ημων και κυριου ιησου χριστου
End of formal greeting.

8 πρωτον μεν ευχαριστω τω θεω μου δια ιησου χριστου υπερ παντων υμων οτι η πιστις υμων καταγγελλεται εν ολω τω κοσμω

9 μαρτυς γαρ μου εστιν ο θεος ω λατρευω εν τω πνευματι μου εν τω ευαγγελιω του υιου αυτου ως αδιαλειπτως μνειαν υμων ποιουμαι
Martyr - witness.

10 παντοτε επι των προσευχων μου δεομενος ειπως ηδη ποτε ευοδωθησομαι εν τω θεληματι του θεου ελθειν προς υμας

 Nouns and adjectives have these endings.

Calvinistic Substance, Pietistic Style

 When was the first time the UOJ Stormtroopers used this quotation from Robert Preus' book? Never!

Edward Preuss was a Missouri professor until he joined Rome. Neuhaus also went from UOJ to UOJ/Rome.

Some people catch onto the contradictions in Universal Objective Justification right away. Does anyone ask where the U came from? WELS seems to be obsessed with Universal Objective Justification, which is both redundant and new. Perhaps the Objective Justification term makes the ELS/LCMS more "confessional," though they cannot find their OJ in the Confessions.

This dogma belongs in the Calvinistic shoebox because it combines two of the worst parts of that dogma.

1. Unconditional Election - UOJ is election without faith.
2. Irresistible Grace - UOJ is grace without faith.

Naturally, a foul dogma squeezed out of the cankers of Calvinism and Pietism will have numerous contradictions. Various names for this WELS-ELS-LCMS disorder have justification in their title, all signifying a declaration of forgiveness without faith. That is their Helen of Troy, the unfaith that launched a thousand essays.

• OJ
• UOJ
• Justification of the World
• General Justification

Their dank muttering is contradictory because they start with a crippled vocabulary. Justification in the New Testament always means a declaration of forgiveness, and it is always connected with faith. The same is true of the Book of Concord, Chemnitz, Gerhard, and others. The Atonement has many synonyms, such as propitiation, expiation.

So these MDiv graduates, with little Latin and less Greek, want us to fall for their con-game. "OJ is not the Atonement," they say. But OJ foolishly merges the Atonement with Justification, to produce the sterile offspring, the mule named OJ, UOJ, etc etc. And they glory in "without faith."

 The acrobatics fail to convince. If only the editors of the Formula of Concord knew as much as WELS!

A Reader Contributed This Note

From a Reader

If I understand correctly,  UOJ claims that the whole world has its

sins forgiven even if they don't realize it and don't believe. However, in John 3:18 we read:

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

How can the proponents of UOJ claim people are forgiven when the Bible itself says you are *condemned * if you don't believe? Clearly, without faith there is no remission of sins.

***

GJ - You are correct. We have nothing to fear from Christians who read and comprehend the clear, plain, efficacious Word of God.

Sig Becker did not tell the truth. The LCMS never had an official position on UOJ, as one DP recently admitted. The Brief Statement is just a convention document. The catechisms of Missouri have been Justification by Faith documents, which is natural for a Lutheran church body.

The WELS Gausewitz catechism was JBFA, so they kicked it to the curb and replaced it with the Kuske UOJ book for simpletons.

Rolf or the Holy Word of God?

Pastor Rolf David Preus (Rolf) Senior Member Username: Rolf Post Number: 9705 Registered: 5-2001

Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2018 - 6:39 pm:       Mr. Ames, you write: So maybe a more capable writer could better state this than myself, the truth is you cannot ask for trust because one leader is a thoroughly confessional Lutheran pastor. I agree! I don't think you should trust any synod. Synods aren't worthy of trust. Trust God and his holy word. When a man shows himself to be a faithful teacher of the word, you can trust him, but always provisionally. During the Battle for the Bible in the LCMS, Jack Preus took a stand and stayed with it. Many if not most of the faculty at CSL attacked him for his stand. Franzmann was a disappointment. He didn't want to offend his friends on the faculty and he didn't. Missouri must resist the spirit of unionism. W/ELS must resist the spirit of sectarianism. Pastor Rolf David Preus

Pastor Rolf David Preus (Rolf) Senior Member Username: Rolf Post Number: 9706 Registered: 5-2001

Posted on Thursday, April 05, 2018 - 6:49 pm:       I don't want to revisit the arguments we had some time back on Luther Quest about the W/ELS doctrine of church and ministry. I will only point out that the official teaching of the W/ELS asserts things as doctrine that cannot be substantiated by the written Word of God. This is sectarian. On the other hand, many within Missouri give lip service to our "renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description," but remain unionists at heart. We don't trust synods. We trust the pure and wholesome teaching of God's word taught in the Bible and confessed in the Book of Concord. Pastor Rolf David Preus

Do We Trust Rolf? or the Holy Word of God?

Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

---

How Bad Is Ichabad? - Discussion Really Is Gone from Facebook Now

 I think the cat is yawning, my exact reaction to WELS/ELS foam sharks.

One person told me about "Ichabad" being discussed on the WELS Discussions page on Facebook. I thought it was gone, but no, it was still up there, minus the Lillo post with the link. Just now a WELS member told me it is definitely removed.

However, I have preserved their wisdom in this post -

WELS/ELS Facebook Slander Party

They should know by now that I always copy and paste comments about this blog so the writers can be judged by everyone, not just their in-bred pals in crime.

An ELS member made this graphic for the blog.

Blue Island Theses about Justification - Most Read Doctrinal Post for the Last 30 Days

 Buckle up - WELS/ELS is still trying to make sense out of UOJ on Facebook. 
Team Webber is not helping the UOJ cause.

Dr. Lito Cruz Asked That Bethany Add a PayPal Acco...

Jul 5, 2011, 

845

What are the Blue Island Theses? | Comfort for Chr...

Mar 31, 2018, 

454

Another Disgraceful Issue of Herman Otten's Chris...

Mar 15, 2018, 

412

Support Abortion, Planned Parenthood, and Christi...

Mar 12, 2018, 

406

Progress on Luther's Sermons

Mar 13, 2018, 

385

Jesuit Trained Sparky Brenner - WELS - Would Also ...

Mar 10, 2018, 

376

Not Afraid of a Real Education Professor Emeritus ...

Mar 12, 2018, 

363

Answer the Fallacies of Forgiveness and Election w...

Mar 20, 2018, 

351

Calvin's Style Is Barth/Kirschbaum's Style. We Fin...

Mar 29, 2018, 

348

Board chair quits at Lutheran seminary amid contro...

Mar 14, 2018, 

344

***

 The UOJ gurus have eliminated more churches than the Chicago Fire.

GJ - The genius class in WELS/ELS concludes "they are just talking about words." But words convey ideas. Try to think without words or argue a point without words.

UOJ is a rationalistic philosophy at war against the Scriptures. They is why they keep repeating their little slogans in their little sects, which fewer and fewer people take seriously.

 The Wolf of Wall Street lectures Thrivent.

 The wolves of WELS-ELS-LCMS...
or are they just the hirelings of Thrivent?