As some of you know, I keep up with UAP news and follow the latest developments. What was once the domain of "kooks" and fringe theorists has now moved into serious, mainstream discussion even by our own Congress and the potential threat to our national security.

The newly elected Pope, Leo XIV, has deep ties to Peru. He began his missionary work and later became a citizen.

Interestingly, in recent years Peru has seen a noticeable uptick in UAP sightings. It's enough their government has reactivated a formal investigative body (DIFAA) to study them.

Peru is also home to some of the most baffling ancient stonework on Earth. There are sites with massive granite, limestone, and basalt blocks that are cut with such precision that modern engineers say would be extremely difficult to reproduce even with today's tools. Perfectly flat planes, tightly matched edges, and symmetrical drilled holes all dating back more than 2,000 years. We don't know the techniques or tools they used.

I'm not suggesting there's any connection between the Pope's Peruvian roots and these mysteries.

But in the broader context of strange things we're seeing these days with UAPs and phenomena that seem to defy explanation, I do find it interesting.

Speak,

Would be great if you and a few others here would be abducted and not brought back.

Laura,

They'd bring you back.

Laura,

Did they teach you to talk like that in finishing school?

It's not very lady-like.

Donner,

"Ha. Remember that whole "do unto others as you would have others do unto you"?

If you judge others, make sure your hands are clean and you're not guilty yourself.

Jesus said it better

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
" Matthew 7:1"2

Donner,

My comment was a joke about being abducted.

Get a sense of humor.

Donner,

El Salvador?

Where did that come from? No...don't answer.

I joked about being abducted by aliens from outer space...not illegal aliens.

I'm not smoking the same thing you are so we're on different wavelengths.

(Hint: that's a joke)

Donner,

"even the same planet."

Probably so.

Speak,

I'm curious.

Are you claiming you've never taken more than you needed, never spread something false, or acted without empathy?

Because unless you're the one perfect person walking the earth, your argument lacks both credibility and self-awareness.

And unless you're a Christian (I suspect you've never accepted that label for yourself) then that last bit of finger-pointing isn't even yours to make.

Actually, there's a Catch 22 with Christians. We're all hypocrites. It comes with the territory. We all fall short of the higher ground we look up to.

So I ask...are you holding people to a standard you don't follow and judging them as you go?

Sy,

Why should anyone be talking about my wife at all? It's lacking a basic understanding of boundaries and respect.

If someone thinks it's funny to take shots at someone's family, that says a lot about their character, not mine.

Grow up.

Rein,

"No wonder MAGA filth hate Pope Leo XIV."

That comment oversimplifies things.

Many Protestants, for instance, have theological differences with Catholicism that go back centuries. There are several major differences in Catholics and Protestants.

A key one is the belief in confession to a priest.

Protestants generally believe you can go directly to God for forgiveness through prayer to Christ, without the need for a human intermediary.

That's not hate. It's doctrinal disagreement.

It's also true that some Protestants feel an unreasonable level of hard feelings towards the Pope for theological reasons, not politics.

Another important distinction is Protestants don't pray to saints, including Saint Augustine. Most reject the idea of asking saints to intercede on their behalf, believing prayer should go directly to God through Jesus Christ alone.

This was the result of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31.

Martin Luther said salvation cannot be bought or earned through indulgences or church rituals. It comes by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Also, the authority of Scripture outweighs that of the Pope.

So when someone invokes Saint Augustine in prayer, as was done in post #125, that reflects a Catholic perspective. Protestants may study Augustine, quote him, and respect his writings, but they don't view saints as heavenly mediators or include them in their prayer life.

My point is not every disagreement is political. Sometimes it's just theology.

Indulgences were rooted in the belief that paying priests or the Church could reduce a person's time in purgatory.

Martin Luther opposed indulgences because they promised salvation through payments, undermined true repentance, exploited the poor, lacked biblical support, encouraged idolatry by placing trust in money and Church authority, and distorted the Gospel by suggesting Christ's sacrifice was insufficient.

Today, it sounds like many preachers have picked up where indulgences left off.

Some Protestant pastors now teach that financial giving leads to personal blessings, healing, or even salvation.

It's a modern twist on the very abuse Luther condemned.