Why Protestants Should Read the Apocrypha:

1) The canonical Scriptures, the Fathers, and the Reformers all reference the Apocrypha and understanding them will increase our literacy with those sources.

2) Understanding inter-testamental history is key to understanding the New Testament.

3) They were highly esteemed by our forefathers in the faith as beneficial and illustrative books.

4) The Apocrypha receive the approbation of our confessions (Belgic Confession, Article 6; Westminster Confession I.III, 2nd Helvetic Confession Chapter 1).

5) Knowing the Apocrypha is helpful in Roman Catholic apologetics.

My recommendation would be to read an RSV-CE or NRSV-CE (Catholic edition).

Trump should expand ICE and the Border Patrol drastically as something of a FDR-esque jobs program.

Call it the "Golden New Deal."

If I have to hear another broccoli haired twerp say, "For sure," or "bet," I'm going to go Patrick Bateman mode on them.

> Come out, we've got you surrounded!
> I hate the TikTok generation! i hate the TikTok generation!

Much of what is presented as tight knit, traditional family cultures in Asian and Latin cultures is really a complex web of lazy kids mooching off parents, manipulative parents mooching off kids, or frequently both -- combined with plenty of mooching off both by the extended family.

A graph of estimated inflation rates which the CPI would yield if using the same basket of goods used to calculate inflation in 1980 (in blue) vs the official CPI (in red).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has slowly and deliberately shifted the supposedly "fixed" basket of consumer goods used to assess inflation in order to mask the stratospheric rise in household goods costs.

Even now, as the Fed begins rate cuts and begins to declare victory over inflation, the true rate still stands in excess of 10%.

"I was wishing that I came of a more honorable lineage," said Caspian.

"You came of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan, "and that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on Earth. Be content."  -- Aslan in Prince Caspian

If you know you know...

Credit: reformed.presby on Instagram

Sirach 25:16-26 (RSVCE)

The Evil of a Wicked Woman

¹⁶I would rather dwell with a lion and a dragon
    than dwell with an evil wife.
¹⁷The wickedness of a wife changes her appearance,
    and darkens her face like that of a bear.
¹⁸Her husband takes his meals among the neighbors,
    and he cannot help sighing bitterly.
¹⁹Any iniquity is insignificant compared to a wife’s iniquity;
    may a sinner’s lot befall her!
²⁰A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—
    such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband.
²¹Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty,
    and do not desire a woman for her possessions.
²²There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace
    when a wife supports her husband.
²³A dejected mind, a gloomy face,
    and a wounded heart are caused by an evil wife.
Drooping hands and weak knees
    are caused by the wife who does not make her husband happy.
²⁴From a woman sin had its beginning,
    and because of her we all die.
²⁵Allow no outlet to water,
    and no boldness of speech in an evil wife.
²⁶If she does not go as you direct,
    separate her from yourself.

Sirach 22:1-2 (RSVCE)

The Idler

22 The indolent may be compared to a filthy stone,
    and every one hisses at his disgrace.
²The indolent may be compared to the filth of dunghills;
    any one that picks it up will shake it off his hand.

For brethren, ye are become folowers of the Churches of God, which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus, because ye haue also suffred the same things of your owne countrey men, euen as they haue of the Iewes, Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets, and haue persecuted vs away, and God they please not, and are contrary to all men, And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles, that they might be saued, to fulfill their sinnes alwayes: for the wrath of God is come on them, to the vtmost.

-- St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 GEN

The First Commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods.

Q: What does this mean? A: We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

-- Luther's Smaller Catechism, Q1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.

-- King David, in Psalm 19:1-3

https://youtu.be/GmPlG5cOWcw?si=kxMenZf_l8007erH

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

-- St. John in Revelation 6:15-17

https://youtu.be/Bp8nkciivwg?si=y40UZVgU7ZLp4mBx

I didn't realize GigaChad had gone into politics.

Clearing up the Tariff Tangle:

A tariff is a type of tax or duty imposed on imported goods at the port. The importing company will pay the tariff at that point.

But when the foreign company sells those goods to a wholesaler or retailer, they will obviously mark up the price so they still make a profit after the tariff. The wholesaler and retailer then sell this foreign good at that elevated price to the customer.

So tariffs have the effect of raising the price of foreign goods, thus making them less competitive in the domestic market. Why would Trump raise prices via tariffs?

1) Trump has propsed to lower income taxes, so is lowering the tax penalty on production and instead taxing consumption. So it balances out and is a more favorable model.

2) This makes American products more competitive, allowing them to hire more American workers. Having to pay 15% extra on Chinese trinkets is totally worth it to bring the Rust Belt jobs. The case for tariffs is more ethical than economical.

Unpopular opinion: Contraception is sin.

Contraception, like it sin-sibling fornication, is an attempt to engage in the fun of sex without the responsibility God has demanded and designed to go along with it.

It is a denial that children are a blessing, and an unnatural sex act akin to masturbation or homosexuality.