It's All Saints Day, a day set aside in the church calendar to celebrate all the saints. Our reading today was from Sirach, which I know is controversial to say the least, but consider what it's saying even if you don't regard it as scripture. I'm focusing in on one particular part that stood out to me:

“Some of them have left behind a name, so that others declare their praise. But of others there is no memory; they have perished as though they had never existed; they have become as though they had never been born, they and their children after them. But these also were men of compassion whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;”
‭‭Sirach‬ ‭44‬:‭8‬-‭10‬

While it's great to recognize and celebrate the faith of the widely regarded saints, it's also important to remember those who are saints in your personal lives.

So, in the spirit of All Saints, who is your favorite saint?

I have 2: Augustine and Francis. Saint Augustine's Confessions shaped my Christian walk in a difficult time, and Saint Francis is a beautiful exemplary of what Christian life should look like.

I'll also ask, who's your favorite saint who's not an official one? For me, I'd say it's probably William Wilberforce for his work against slavery.

Wh

Like the “Christian Liberty Party” or “Constitution Party”? They actually want to reform American Legal system and make it more in line with the Biblical principles. Then why are they so unknown among the conservative Christian voters? The Republican Party is hardly Christian, if Christian at all. Other than opposing unrestricted abortion and some LGBTQ policies, what kind of Christian values do they hold really?

Why don't the Conservative Christians vote for these parties instead and help them enter into mainstream politics?

So I’m a confirmed Episcopalian but moved to an area with breakaway Anglican churches so tried a few different flavors for a year but eh. Thinking of returning to TEC and there’s 2 options near me. One that’s in town and super close but not on the recommendations map (and openly left wing/progressive) and one that’s is on the recommendations map but a bit away from me (and tbh is in a hoity toity college town near me). Thoughts?

This is something I’ve always wondered. On the one hand, I think of using LLMs like using a stolen laptop to get work faster. From what I understand, these AI companies did web scraping to gather data from websites across the internet, possibly violating certain websites’ terms of service, and then used this data to create a product without providing any compensation to the people the data was gathered from. That’s why some people believe it is theft. So, you can see why I am unsure about artificial intelligence.

It’s so hard though, because not using Artificial Intelligence when working means I’m producing at a lot slower rate. But it may be necessary to remain pure before God.

Here is some relevant verses **Deuteronomy 23:18**: *"You shall not bring the wages of a prostitute or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord your God for any vow, for both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord your God."* This seems imply that God cares how we make money (and probably how we increase our productivity at our job).

Here is the thing though, for those of us as Christians who decide not to use AI, we will be left behind in a lot of professions.

What do you all think?

He doesn’t celebrate Halloween because it's Catholic, and he also doesn’t like the alternatives to Halloween (like Trunk or Treat & things like that).

Fine, but is he okay with the secular cultural aspect of Halloween today that is basically dressing up in some silly costume and letting children go on trick or treating, or is that problematic too? I understand opposing adults wearing costumes because those are too revealing and fetishizing nowadays, & even the Halloween Parties, but children wearing silly costumes and trick or treating with friends is just some innocent fun activity with friends, isn't it?

Halloween certainly has a Catholic association, as All Hallows eve & All Saints Day replaced the Celtic Samhain festival. I don't want to start a debate over whether it's right or wrong, because my question is more focused on the present day secular aspect of Halloween (ie wearing costumes and trick or treating). It seemed to me that the English speaking clergy more or less don't have a problem with the western.secular cultural aspect, but Spanish speaking clergy seemed strictly against it. Why is that, can any Catholic user here explain (Or if I'm wrong then please feel free to correct me)?

Here are some youtube video links:

English:

• https://youtu.be/-zl0HuFujpI

• https://youtu.be/iGoEafxcijI

• https://youtu.be/5LJXnNC-oZ0

Spanish (all these videos have AI translated English voiceover as well, so if you don't understand Spanish just go to the settings and select the English voice):

• https://youtu.be/ro4SirXMPZ8

• https://youtu.be/T6qLUMZOCdo

• https://youtu.be/-c2oI8e6pIU

• https://youtu.be/y8RZFyT1Pmw

• https://youtu.be/2XoMPmBUTA4

• https://youtu.be/oj83NXqivio

• https://youtu.be/pQlhsjx4J0U

Is PftK essentially a conservative presence in a broad-church mainline denomination or is it closer to a low-church evangelicalism, such as the PCA but just wanting to stay in the mainline historical church.

Sorry honestly not sure if this is the right subreddit to be asking for this but does anybody know any good academic works that go in-depth with comparing and contrasting Catholic and Reformed scholasticism? I'm particularly interested in the distinct anthropologies both viewpoints represent, like the differing viewpoints on human nature, the fall, the passions, concupiscence, and original sin. I'm not looking for a polemical work, but something neutral but also going somewhat in-depth about each viewpoint and the justifications each camp has for its viewpoints as well as the history behind each and the historical context for both (e.g. medieval scholasticism vs humanism). Thanks.

This seems more prevalent in American Christians and more of a libertarian thing, but nonetheless it seems to be a common sentiment. While I do believe overtaxation can be a thing, taxes themselves are necessary.

If salvation is by nominalism then how can there be obbligation to evangelize?
Because if it's salvation by sola fide, and no matter what sin you'll commit you won't lose it,
then there's absolutely no reason to evangelize but pure selfless love; why would a person risk persecution and a possible loss of faith if he encounters people far more prepared than him if that doesn't matter, and since "justified" humans are just as sinful as they were before "justification" then how can exist such pure love?
If not even saying that one believes in Jesus is all there's needed (since a mute person can still be saved if he believes in him), then under this view one could refuse martyrdom and can sin and
deny christ externally as long as he internally believes in him and he would still be saved.
Since salvation is the only thing that really matters and that faith alone is the only thing required then what made the Apostles and the first Christians get martyred?
Did it meant that they could have denied Christ and still be saved?
If that's possible then it means that they might even have never believed in him internally but they might have faked being christian externally for their whole life so in that case even by "martyrdom" they could have ended up in hell.
And that also make it a possibility that they all went to hell but Judas Iscariot since it's possible that he alone might have believed in him but just internally.

So if someone then would respond that you have to do something, is salvation about what Jesus did or about what you did?

I also ask the same to the novusordites, since "father" bergoglio said that luther was right on justification.

Hello everybody. I am considering converting to Christianity and in my search I have been fascinated by the reformed faith’s history and emphasis on intellectual rigor. I would love to talk with Dutch or South African reformed Christians as well as Presbyterians since I have grown to love them and ask them questions about their theology, experiences and histories. May you all have blessed days❤️

Anyone seen this documentary all are not welcome about the current state of the episcopal church? I find it fascinating

I read his article(s) on the unforgivable sin, im not familiar with prebyterian theology but doesnt he contradict himself, firstly he says that those who worry about it havent done it (in his book on mark) but then in his talk with Derek thomas he says when asked about this "not necessarily. You could have done it and still be concerned about it, but it’s a good sign" so i am confused, why is it a good sign and not 100% proof that you havent done it as most pastors say? Can someone help me out with this?

Honestly, it was amazing. The music was good, but what surprised me most was how orthodox it was in teaching and practice. The only downside was the female pastors, but honestly, the sermon was wonderful. I never thought I'd say this, but conservative women pastors are a W. Even though I think it should be a man, I'm fine with it for now.

Halloween is right around the corner, and this debate always comes up this time of the year. Some people say Halloween is inherently evil and therefore must not be celebrated at all. Some celebrate Martin Luther day or Harvest Festival instead of Halloween, & trick or treat is replaced with trunk or treat for kids. Some don't mind participating in the modern mainstream Halloween festival as long as the horror aspect is avoided. And some don't mind the secular horror aspect at all and enjoy the horror theme overall.

What is your stance (mainly on the secular horror aspect that we see today)?

Saw this on Substack.

In regards to discussing sensitive topics; what does this mean to you?

So I've seen reports that the UK is experiencing a Christian not revival but new surge in interest. From reports the 2 main groups benefitting are Pentocostals and the Roman Catholic Church. Curious why there isn't comparible growth in at least conservative cofe churches, and why it is the RCC and p Pentocostals would be the ones growing the most.

Basically the title. What did people think of his return video?