She is angering her own base....LOL. Rep Omar has made several comments that are in really bad taste recently. Makes one wonder about her motives. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt as the news rarely reports things accurately. But when you capture words on camera or audio, hard to dismiss. I think she should be removed but that is only my personal opinion and I have no standing anywhere. Sometimes I think these new far left dems are imploding the Democratic party.
Much about this in the news these days: The Weakening Of Earth's Magnetic Field Has Greatly Accelerated https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-12/weakening-earths-magnetic-field-has-greatly-accelerated ============================================================== MAGNETIC CHANGE OF THE EARTH: PROPHECIES AND REVELATIONS GIVEN TO LUZ DE MARÍA https://revelacionesmarianas.com/en/MAGNETIC CHANGE .html
Maybe. But only if people stop contributing to the Party. There's no place in the current Democratic Party for anyone remotely just to the left of center. The leadership has declared there is no place in the Party for people who oppose abortion, for example. As time goes on, I think more and more Democrats will move themselves increasingly to the left in order to keep up with their friends and maintain their identity as Democrats (because if you're not a Democrat, you're a Republican or some other right-wing fascist), or they'll be people who identify as Democrat to pollsters and the like but who will simply not vote, as the Party declines to support people with more centrist views. Interestingly enough, I see the same thing happening to the Republican Party, as the view is developing that you either support President Trump or you're a traitor, to the Party if not to the country. Again, no place for more centrist views. I think America is primed for a centrist party, if we can overcome the group-think being hammered into us by the MSM that our choices are binary. Interestingly enough, the Whig party was one of the strongest parties in the early US until the 1840's, when it split because it could not come to a reasonable compromise on the issue of slavery. This demise led to the creation of a new party that started in Illinois called the Republican party. Personally, I like the American Solidarity Party to replace the current Republican party, and if I could actually get out and about, I'd probably be out there promoting it. If you're wondering, its logo/symbol is a pelican, because of the legend that in times of great want, a mother pelican will strike at her breast with her bill's hook, in order to use her heart's blood to feed her young.
"It will begin here" Short on electricity, food and water, Venezuelans return to religion CARACAS, Venezuela - The lights in Petare had gone dark. Again. The people of Venezuela's largest slum were used to the blackouts that halt the flow of water, exhaust their supplies of expensive candles and fray their already thin patience. But this would not be like any other lightless night in the hillside barrio. Amid the darkened alleyways, a strange, joyful sound emerged between the zinc-roofed homes. Tambourines jingled, maracas rattled, drums throbbed. Voices called all who could hear to salvation. "Cristo sana y salva . . ." 10 members of the Restoring Hearts church sang against the darkness. "Christ heals and saves. . . ." Buffeted by political and humanitarian crises, one of Latin America's least religious countries is turning to faith. As the political stalemate between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó grinds into another month, and shortages of electricity, food and water reduce life to a daily struggle to survive, leaders across religious traditions are reporting a flood of worshippers, lapsed and new, searching for comfort and answers. "All my masses are full, which has never happened before," said the Rev. Jesús Godoy, a Catholic priest at the Good Shepherd parish in the Chacao district of Caracas. He says he's seeing more than 2,000 people each weekend. "They beg for help," Godoy said. "They want God to give them the tools to live in crisis." In this deeply polarized country, analysts are watching for signs that this growing faithful could emerge as a political force. Already there are indications: Clergy members hold forth on the country's woes in homilies and sermons. Churches, synagogues and mosques increase their services to the poor. Priests and nuns attend rallies for Guaidó in their clerical dress. "To be a spiritual actor in Venezuela today is to express solidarity with people that are suffering and feeling powerless," said Geoff Ramsey, assistant director for Venezuela for the Washington Office on Latin America. "That in of itself is a political act." But an organized, faith-based movement in response to the political impasse between Maduro and Guaidó has yet to emerge. Analysts say they see no evidence Maduro is more concerned about religious leaders or groups than he is by the general opposition to his rule. Venezuela's socialist government has a complicated history with faith. Hugo Chávez, who launched the revolution two decades ago, saw potential in using Christianity as a tool of the state, and invoked its imagery as part of his public appeal. Early on, some religious leaders were open to his promise to improve the lives of the poor. Now, many are critical. The Pentecostal televangelist Javier Bertucci, who leads a 16,000-member megachurch in the city of Valencia, ran for president last year as an alternative to both Maduro and the opposition - and managed nearly 1 million votes. Venezuela's Catholic Church, the largest and most powerful faith group here, has been vocal in opposing Maduro. Godoy helps connect people on the streets with jobs, housing, food, social workers and psychologists. He sees his ministry as an essentially political project. "We comfort them, but we also must denounce evil when we see it," he said. "We cannot be an accomplice to injustice." Pentecostal pastor Carlos Vielma has watched attendance in his Caracas congregation explode in the past 18 months to nearly 3,000 at three services each week. He preaches regularly about discernment to combat disinformation and propaganda. "It's impossible not to talk about the situation from the pulpit," Vielma said. "We are all living the same thing. We can't avoid it, but we are encouraging, empowering and comforting them in the process." Maduro has taken note. In an unusual service broadcast on state television in January, he called himself a "true Christian leader," and asked Venezuelans to pray for him. Jaime Palacios, a professor of philosophy at Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, says churches, synagogues and mosques are plugged into the social and economic challenges of the communities they serve, and can be organizing bodies for political action. In this South American country of 30 million, signs of collapse are everywhere. Children and adults pick food out of rotting garbage heaps. Hospitals ask patients to buy and bring their own IV bags and gloves to surgery. Teenagers have been shot to death in their homes by masked men. The country is divided and deadlocked. Maduro claimed victory in elections last year widely viewed as fraudulent. Guaidó declared himself interim president in January. Leidy Villegas says her Christian faith helps her confront reality. She can barely afford food for her family, and can't find clean water every day. But the idea that there is something bigger and more powerful than her country's crisis drove her to sing with her church in Petare. "We found happiness for a few hours and went home joyful," the 34-year-old mother of four said. "We even forgot about the blackout for a while. "We know worse days are coming our way, but just like we did that day, we always find refuge in God's glory," she said. As measured by commitments such as attending weekly services and prayer, Venezuela is one of the least religious countries in Latin America, according to polling data from the Pew Research Center. Few Venezuelans would say they were atheist or agnostic; instead, they express belief in spiritual rather than religious terms. No one keeps national attendance numbers. But leaders across Venezuela's faith traditions - Catholic, evangelical Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Buddhists - say they've seen crowds at services jump in recent months. Several estimated a spike of at least 30 percent. They say newcomers have taken the place of the millions who have left the country. "It's something new to me, to see so many people coming down from their homes on Sundays," said the Rev. Manuel Zapata, a Jesuit priest. "People have a huge spiritual need this year." David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, said the return to religion makes sense. "Not having water, not knowing if you have anything to eat - these are existential challenges," he said. "That's precisely when religion starts to seem interesting." The Rev. Alfredo Infante, a Jesuit priest in Caracas, is glad people are rediscovering their faith. But he worries for the country. "It concerns me that during the prayers of the faithful, the things children are asking of God are changing," Infante said. "Instead of praying for toys or to win their soccer match, childish things, they are scared of not eating and having to emigrate. "It's awful. We are in danger of children losing their childhoods." (cont'd below)
(cont'd from above) Brother Guayanés has seen a dramatic increase in visits to Petare's Callejón de los Brujos. Here in Sorcerors' Alley, Guayanés, whose birth name is Carlos Márquez, and six other spirit healers charge cash for a date with the divine. Guayanés says he sees 300 to 400 people a week seeking healing from his idiosyncratic mix of Santería, Catholic, indigenous and New Age ritual. A young couple brought their 3-year-old daughter to the silk-robed healer. She has asthma, and her parents can't afford her medicine. The family has always believed in his power to heal, said Giovanni García, the girl's father. But now the ritual is indispensable to their precarious lives. The family sat before an altar of saints, melted wax and the bust of an indigenous cacique, an indigenous tribal chief. "In the name of the Father, of the Son . . ." Guayanés began, bathing them in smoke from his cigar. The sobs of a sick baby echoed in the shabby reception area, where at least five others were waiting for the healer. "Everyone comes here with a different problem," Guayanés said. "But lately, people are suffering from nerves, anxiety and depression. There's an imbalance in the spirit." Guayanés took a swig of local liquor in front of a statue of Simon Bolívar and Changó, a deity of the Yoruba religion. "We are a boat adrift. There is no captain," he said. "Here, we peddle hope." In the Andean city of Mérida, the Buddhist Center offers a different approach. "We will never get away from suffering completely," said center director Vajranatha, who goes by one name. "So instead of trying to escape from it, we turn toward it and accept that suffering." Attendance there is growing, too. Through meditation and study, center leader Carlos Luis says, Buddhists old and new are learning to transcend and liberate themselves from Venezuela's misery. At Restoring Hearts church in Petare, the Rev. Felix Uribe shepherds a small pantry of items donated by congregants: Threadbare clothes, a wheelchair, crutches, a few bottles of medicine. The evangelical minister supplements this modest store with Bible verses about God's promises to bring a lasting resolution to their country's earthly anguish. "These are the final days," he said. "The Bible is full of stories of suffering and loss, but there is a promise. And that is eternal life. This will all pass away." Villegas holds on to one particular promise: God will provide. Eight months ago she was pregnant with her fourth child, but complications required a risky early delivery. With shortages in medical supplies at hospitals, her doctors told her to buy pricey, hard-to-find drugs she could not afford. She burst into tears. Her faith waned. Then she started to pray. Within minutes, someone donated what she needed to deliver her son, Diogber. She thumbed the yellowed pages of her worn Bible and pointed to Psalm 91. "Here God promises me that he will be with me in times of anguish," she said. Villegas and others here say they don't waste time blaming any political figure for Venezuela's turmoil. Gladys Torres, 73, had never been to a spiritualist. The lifelong Catholic said she invokes God now more than ever before. But it had been six months since the diabetic has taken insulin or the hypertension pills she needs to keep her blood pressure under control. She's losing weight. She's been feeling weak and hopeless. Her neighbor suggested she visit Guayanés. Torres says she prays regularly. "¿Dios mío, hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo?" she said. "Oh Lord, until when?" https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/a...icity-food-and-water-Venezuelans-13765134.php
From Spiritdaily... What I take from this is that those who saw professing themselves to be Christians for some social advantage they perceived have changed their perception to that of no religion or belief because they see social advantage to it in these times. Leave it to CNN to advertise data like this. I am sure their viewers confirmation bias is rejoicing. Those Claiming ‘No Religion’ Surge Into Tie With Evangelicals, Catholics April 13, 2019 by sd From CNN:
This daunting phenomenon makes me profoundly sad. The thought that the Catholic Faith was passed on from generation to generation to get to me—that I did everything I knew how to pass the faith on to my children, and they have completely abandoned the faith makes me so sad and discouraged. Like it was me that dropped the ball to keep the faith going after 2 millennia. I know it’s not too late for them to return to the faith for nothing is impossible with God— but things don’t look great. These are my thoughts as I enter Holy Week...
I feel the same -- we live in particular times. I have resigned myself to the will of God. I have offered my life for the salvation of my children, my family & my friends. That means I face a difficult future of suffering, perhaps even martyrdom, God alone knows so may He grace me with the strength to pour my life out like a libation in reparation for my sins, the sins of my children, & the sins of my family & friends in order that they might be saved. St Padre Pio, Pray for us.
Mine as well. Our children are in God's hands, as we continue to ask for our Heavenly mother's intercession on our behalf for the reversion back to the fullness of faith.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/13/steve-bannon-matteo-salvini-pope-francis-is-the-enemy Steve Bannon ‘told Italy’s populist leader: Pope Francis is the enemy’ Trump’s ex-strategist advised Matteo Salvini ‘to target pontiff’s stance on plight of refugees’ Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon advised Italy’s interior minister Matteo Salvini to attack the pope over the issue of migration, according to sources close to the Italian far right. During a meeting in Washington in April 2016, Bannon – who would within a few months take up his role as head of Trump’s presidential campaign – suggested the leader of Italy’s anti-immigration League party should start openly targeting Pope Francis, who has made the plight of refugees a cornerstone of his papacy. “Bannon advised Salvini himself that the actual pope is a sort of enemy. He suggested for sure to attack, frontally,” said a senior League insider with knowledge of the meeting in an interview with the website SourceMaterial. After the meeting, Salvini became more outspoken against the pope, claiming that conservatives in the Vatican were on his side. One tweet from Salvini’s account, in May 2016, said: “The pope says migrants are not a danger. Whatever!” On 6 May 2016, Salvini, after the pope’s plea for compassion towards migrants, stated: “Uncontrolled immigration, an organised and financed invasion, brings chaos and problems, not peace.” The claims coincide with suggestions that Bannon’s pan-European populist project, the Movement, has stalled. Meanwhile, Salvini has announced that he wants to bring the far right from across Europe into an alliance. Last Monday in Milan, he unveiled his “vision of Europe for the next 50 years”, billing it as the launch of a new rightwing coalition for the European parliamentary elections on 23 May. Salvini unveiled his alliance only days after meeting Bannon in Rome in March. This led some to believe that Bannon has handpicked Salvini as the informal leader of Eurosceptic, populist forces in Europe. The pair also met in Rome six months ago, prompting Mischaël Modrikamen, the Movement’s managing director, to tweet that Italy’s deputy prime minister “is in!” Bannon, in an interview with NBC and SourceMaterial to be broadcast at 9pm eastern time in the US on Sundayon , also takes issue with the pope’s warnings over resurgent populist movements. “You can go around Europe and it’s [populism] catching fire and the pope is just dead wrong,” said Bannon. Following the September 2016 meeting between Salvini and Bannon, the League leader was photographed holding up a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: “Benedict is my pope.” The slogan refers to a Vatican version of the “birther” campaign waged by Trump against Barack Obama, claiming that Francis’s papacy is illegitimate and that his ultra-conservative predecessor Benedict XVI is in fact the true pontiff. The League source also alleged that Salvini would have attacked the pope harder but was restrained by his own party, predominantly by Giancarlo Giorgetti, the deputy federal secretary of Lega Nord who is close to senior figures in the Vatican. “[After the Bannon meeting] Salvini moved very tough and said: ‘We have to attack the Vatican, but the other guy said wait.’ Salvini thinks by himself and acts by himself ... so he started to act [for example, by appearing with the ‘Benedict is my Pope’ T-shirt],” said the source. Bannon has steadily been building opposition to Francis through his Dignitatis Humanae Institute, based in a 13th-century mountaintop monastery not far from Rome. In January 2017, Bannon became a patron of the institute, whose honorary president is Cardinal Raymond Burke, an ultra-conservative who believes organised networks of homosexuals are spreading a “gay agenda” in the Vatican. The institute’s chairman is former Italian MP Luca Volontè, on trial for corruption for accepting bribes from Azerbaijan . He has denied all charges. Among the institute’s trustees is one of the pope’s most outspoken critics, Austin Ruse, a former contributor to rightwing news website Breitbart. Ruse runs C-FAM, an anti-abortion group whose founder was prone to antisemitic rants about population control and which has been termed a hate group by human rights campaigners. Like Volontè, Ruse is an official of the World Congress of Families, a gathering of far-right, anti-gay Christian groups backed by Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. Other trustees include Ben Harris-Quinney, chairman of the Conservative thinktank the Bow Group, who met Bannon in London last summer, alongside Raheem Kassam, the former UK editor of Breitbart. Bannon was a founding member of Breitbart’s board. Bannon was invited by the Observer to respond but at the time of publication had not yet replied.
Oh Denise I could have written these words!! Every one of them. "Profoundly sad" says it all. I too live in hope because with God all things are possible and I trust the Blessed Mother to do everything possible to bring them back before it is too late. But humanly speaking it is a land of ruins. But I try not to think in human terms. Holy Week is here. God have mercy on us and our children!!
The faults of children are not always imputed to the parents, especially when they have instructed them and given good example. Our Lord, in His wonderous Providence, allows children to break the hearts of devout fathers and mothers. Thus the decisions your children have made don’t make you a failure as a parent in God’s eyes. You are entitled to feel sorrow, but not necessarily guilt. Do not cease praying for your children; God’s grace can touch a hardened heart. Commend your children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When parents pray the Rosary,at the end of each decade they should hold the Rosary aloft and say to her,”With these beads bind my children to your Immaculate Heart”, she will attend to their souls. — St. Louise de Marillac
Yes Garabandal. I have done this too. May God in His Mercy hear His children. It grows darker and darker. I never imagined it would turn out quite this way but I utterly and totally embrace God's Will. He knows what He is doing. I just pray for final perseverence.
All your sorrows pierce my heart. I will make a habit to pray for the scales to fall from their eyes and a return of your children to the faith.
New Jersey will now allow terminally ill patients to end their lives Gov. Phil Murphy has signed the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act. And the law goes into effect August 1. It will allow adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to get a prescription for life-ending medication. This make New Jersey the ninth jurisdiction to allow physician-assisted suicide. The others are: California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Hawaii, Montana and the District of Columbia. MORE: https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/15/health/nj-assisted-suicide-terminally-ill-law-trnd/index.html
The Cathedral is being destroyed by an uncontrollable fire Large part of Cathedral gone I can’t post link from phone
Notre Dame is engulfed in flames. President Trump just tweeted that they must act quickly to save it....he said they should be flying over it with fire retardant or water or whatever. Too hard to get to it otherwise. Local press saying fire is possibly linked to renovations....oh yeah? Spire is engulfed at bottom. People are talking as if it's gone....can never replace the 100s of years of generations of artists who created it. BIG SIGN! Songs of prayer are being heard on the street as people watch in unbelief and sadness.
