Sy,

"Your President is a Pedophile and Rapist"

Paul the Apostle, who wrote much of the New Testament, was once Saul of Tarsus, a man who persecuted Christians and approved of their deaths.

Then he changed and helped guide the early Christian churches.

Christianity doesn't erase what someone was. It recognizes what they become.

That's the whole point of forgiveness.

I don't know what Donald Trump believes or feels. He says he's been spared, that God protected him.

I'll say this. I've seen moments in my own life where I believe the same thing.

Sy,

I saw that picture. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

Trump had some thing he said about being a teacher or something.

I didnt quite see that but I didn't see Jesus depicted either.

Perhaps showing compassion or bearing a light.

It was pretty strange but I didnt see it as depicting Jesus.

Really, I'm not giving it a second thought.

What if the president started weighing in on Catholic doctrine?

Suppose Trump publicly questioned the Church's stance on birth control, calling it outdated and irresponsible. It places a real burden on young couples trying to make ends meet.

I suspect Pope Leo XIV wouldn't appreciate that. He'd likely say the president should stay in his lane and not interfere with Catholic teaching.

Ok...fair enough.

But that principle should work both ways.

If political leaders are expected to stay out of religious doctrine, then religious leaders should be cautious about stepping into the political arena, especially in a country like the United States, where decisions are shaped by many factors, not just what may be considered Biblically acceptable.

There's a difference between offering moral guidance and attempting to influence policy. When the Pope speaks in ways that clearly lean on governments to act a certain way, he's no longer just teaching doctrine.

Once you step over that line, you invite scrutiny.

Morris,

I'm done...ready for a relaxing evening with friends.

Snoofy,

No idiot.

I want to hear more clarification on why Morris believes the Pope waited until now to speak with stronger global condemnation.

On second thought, the answer seems obvious.

The moment the US acts, he becomes more forceful and demanding.

He seemed content to stay measured while Iran slaughtered protesters, but now suddenly he has found a firmer voice.

That is what I need clarification about.

Snoofy,

I want to hear more Morris.

Really...I'd like to hear more about his perspective.

Morris,

"I can tell the difference. Why can't you?".

Explain it for me.

Laura,

"You bought a Bible that mixed politics with religion,"

Wow....you told me!

How many times have I said mixing religion and politics is not a good idea?

I didn't like it when Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority did it, and I don't like it now.

I don't like seeing anyone, left or right, using the Bible to push political positions.

Now we're seeing where this leads. There are already reports of a bomb threat against Pope Leo's brother in Illinois. Nothing was found, but now he has to live looking over his shoulder.

That's exactly what happens when religious authority steps into political fights. It draws attention from bad players.

It wasn't a good idea for the Pope to step into this.

But here's my question. Where was this level of moral clarity from the Pope in the media when Iran was killing protesters?

Snoofy,

Generally speaking, I am not talking about new stores.

I am referring to communities that had stores that closed down.

Cities had those kind of stores.

That is what causes food deserts. They were there and left.

Cor,

"Democrats have a bottomless rational expectation of what the government should provide for free them with their very own hard-earned tax dollars."

So your criteria is to help those who are gainfully employed?

Areas in cities become food deserts for a reason.

How will they stop flash mobs?

Why not just provide all the items of a grocery store letting people get what they want for free.

Shelves will be wiped out daily.

Restock every evening.

Democrats have a bottomless expectation what the government should provide for free.

Speak,

"If it was president kamala doing this you'd be crying about how it was the dumbest worst thing in the world."

You think someone known for cackling, and who people don't even bother to refer to by her last name, would have taken the same path as Trump?

Your question is pointless.

Snoofy,

I've made my point.

I'm done playing Whac-A-Troll.

Snoofy,

You should look at the very article you linked to.

Cor,

"Their nuclear weapons tests have been confirmed.
No one is disarming Pyongyang."

North Korea is a deterrence problem.

Iran is a prevention problem.

We want to keep Iran that way because they already make threats and a nuclear Iran will destabilize the Middle East.

How many Middle Eastern countries are coming to their defense?

Corky,

What if disarming Iran prevents a much larger loss of life?

Iran has already shown what it's willing to do, even to its own people.

This isn't about reacting after the damage is done. It's about preventing it before it reaches that point.

That kind of foresight is always a hard sell.

Trump needs to stop making references to the Pope.

I haven't seen him claim anything close to being a deity. However this kind of talk drags everything into a religious context.

At this point, I'm disappointed in how both Trump and the Pope are communicating.

Corky,

I did look at it.

Apparently the writer thinks the only religion that exists in America is Christianity.

Zed,

"Jesus would calmly remind us that we shouldn't worry about nonsense."

I think Jesus would care very much about people being taught false gods.

He said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Corky,

"Of Course Jesus Was Political (And We Need To Be Too)"

Are you suggesting America should be led by Christians who impose their beliefs into law?

Will you pick and choose, like a menu, what aspects of Christianity you want made into law?

Think about what you're saying.

Then how about other religions who want their beliefs made into law?

Are you ready for Sharia Law to be forced on your community where you live?

Snoofy,

"Is Jesus's emphasis on moral ideals helpful or unrealistic when applied to real-world policy decisions?
Whaddya say, BillJohnson?"

To begin, Trump isn't Jesus.

Jesus wasn't speaking about world policy. He was speaking to individuals and their personal conduct.

Trump is dealing with global politics and power struggles among nations. That's a completely different arena.

btw...that was a good question.

Laura,

Sorry this question was lost on you.

Redial,

I don't agree with you that Trump is only seeking things in his own interest.

Iran has been a boiling pot for decades just waiting to boil over.

We've all known it and some even have tried to address it but efforts to deal with it have fallen short.

I can't speak for Trump's motives but I agree with the direction he is going attempting to extinguish the source of the fire.

Here's the question we should be discussing.

Is the Pope's emphasis on moral ideals helpful or unrealistic when applied to real-world policy decisions?