The Snake versus The Good Samaritan

A Theologian is defined as person who engages or is an expert in theology.  I'll call myself a theologian. Merriam-Webster defines a Prophet as a member of some religions (such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) who delivers messages that are believed to have come from God. The Bible also calls them Oracles. I'm no expert at anything, but as a theologian, I do see things others don't see with regard to Scripture's relevance to modern events. John the Baptist was a prophet who foretold the coming of Christ, just as Isaiah had done in Chapter 53, some time during the 7th or 8th century BCE.  John quoted Isaiah 40:3; A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the WASTELAND a highway for our God! Relevance at the time of writing was the return of the Hebrews back to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon.  Relevance of the day is a President Donald J. Trump first turning our country, and subsequently our planet into a WASTELAND.  

From The Hill article link below: Donald Trump can't negotiate climate change away

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/299396-donald-trump-cant-negotiate-climate-change-away

"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has vowed to “cancel” [the Paris Climate Accord] it if he’s elected president. That fits his pattern of reckless threats to walk away from U.S. commitments worldwide but it’s not in our national interest any more than his loose talk about breaking U.S. promises to defend our NATO allies or make good on the national debt.

Turning our back on the United Nations agreement inked last December in Paris would put official U.S. policy at odds with basic science, world opinion and the more than 6 in 10 Americans who expect real climate action from our government.

It would hurt our coastal communities, heartland ranches, wildlife, waters and farms. And it would set us back a generation in a fight for our future we can’t afford to lose."


In the Catholic Epistles, St. John refers to "deadly sin", which some confuse as violating the 5th commandment, You Shall Not Kill. The Catholic Church believes you can be absolved of mortal sin through through the Sacrament of Penance. With regard to mortal sin, Mr. Trump seems to have no regard for human life be it with with his immigration and deportation policies and his views on climate change. 

From the New American Bible footnotes in 1Jn, Ch.5; "Deadly sin (literally, “sin unto death”), probably refers to apostasy or activities brought on under the antichrist; cf. Mk 3:29; Heb 6:4–6; 10:26–31. Even in the latter case, however, prayer, while not enjoined, is not forbidden. The letter concludes with a summary of the themes of the letter (1 Jn 5:18–20). There is a sharp antithesis between the children of God and those belonging to the world and to the evil one. The Son reveals the God of truth; Christians dwell in the true God, in his Son, and have eternal life. The final verse (1 Jn 5:21) voices a perennial warning about idols, any type of rival to God."

21Children, be on your guard against idols.
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With regard to legitimate defense, the Catholic Catechism addresses legitimate defense in Par. 2265;  Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another's life. Preserving the common good requires rendering the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. To this end, those holding legitimate authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their charge.  In this case, Legitimate Defense does not apply to a President Trump's policies of immigration and deportation and his views on protecting oil and coal jobs by denying climate change.


The Snake written by Oscar Brown and read by Donald J. Trump.

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​The Good Samaritan illustrated by Domenico Fetti and spoken by Jesus Christ, regarding loving your neighbor as yourself.

Lk. 10:25-28 The Greatest Commandment. 25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” 27He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

Lk. 10:29-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan. 29But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 33But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. 34He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ 36Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” 37He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Donald Trump's favorite scripture is an eye for an eye, yet Christ said in Mt. 5:38-48 Teaching about Retaliation. 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love of Enemies. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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Look at the people that Donald J. Trump fears the most ... people of faith and through their faith can see through the lie.
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From HillaryClinton.com, a litany of hatred, stupidity and deception from Donald Trump's mouth:

• Said he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and … wouldn’t lose any voters.”
• Suggested the mother of a fallen Muslim American soldier did not speak at the DNC because her husband wouldn’t let her: “Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say—you tell me.” (In reality, she has a hard time discussing her late son in public because she is still grieving the loss)
• Spent five years refusing to admit that President Obama was born in the U.S.—and still hasn’t apologized.
• Said, “You know, it doesn’t really matter what [the media] write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.”
• Tried to reach out to Latino voters on Cinco de Mayo by tweeting a picture of a taco bowl, saying, “I love Hispanics.”
• Said that wages in America are already “too high.”
• Said John McCain was “not a war hero” because he “like[s] people who weren’t captured.”
• Pointed at an African American supporter at his rally, and shouted, “Look at my African American over here!”
• Encouraged a foreign country to commit espionage in the U.S., calling on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails.
• Called for a ban on an entire group of people based on their religion, advocating for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
• Defended this ban on Muslims by comparing it favorably to Japanese internment camps.
• Refused to disavow white supremacist David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan four times in one interview.
• Would not promise to support a Democrat over former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke, because his decision would “[depend] on who the Democrat [was].”
• Repeatedly called the U.S. military a “disaster” and said “the military is in shambles.”
• Suggested that African Americans need to be incentivized to work and need jobs “where they’re making more money than sitting back and doing nothing.”
• Said he got his military advice from “the shows.”
• Claimed that going to prep school at the New York Military Academy left him with “more training militarily than a lot of guys that go into the military,” even though he repeatedly dodged the Vietnam War draft.
• Confused the Kurds, a crucial partner in the Middle East, with the Quds—Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
• Said that Black Lives Matter “ignited” police killings, claiming that “a lot of people” believe the organization is “inherently racist.”
• Didn’t know the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas.
• Admitted he didn’t know who Hezbollah and ISIS leaders, like Hassan Nasrallah and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, were—one time stating that “we don’t even really know who the leader is” of ISIS.
• Had no idea that Russia already invaded Ukraine in 2014, promising that Russia is “not going to go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down.”
• Said his No. 1 source for foreign policy advice was himself, because “I have a very good brain, and I’ve said a lot of things.”
• Claimed to know “more about ISIS than the generals do.”
• Lied about having seen “thousands and thousands” of Muslims cheering the 9/11 attacks from New Jersey.
• Took $150,000 from a program designed to help small businesses in the aftermath of 9/11.
• Spent 15 years lying about both his personal attachment to 9/11, and his commitment to helping New York recover.
• Bragged about his building becoming the tallest in Lower Manhattan after the collapse of the World Trade Center—on September 11th, 2001.
• Repeatedly used his charity as a front to buy influence—once making an illegal contribution to Pam Bondi, the attorney general of Florida, just before she decided not to investigate allegations of fraud against Trump University.
• Ran a massive scam in the form of Trump University—a “school” that promised to “teach you better than the best business school,” even though it did not confer credit.
• Coerced the people who could least afford it into spending an obscene amount of money on the fraudulent Trump University
• Said “you have to treat ‘em [women] like shit.”
• Argued that hosting beauty pageants counted as foreign policy experience, saying: “I know Russia well—I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago. Miss Universe contest, which was a big, big incredible event—an incredible success.”
• Mocked a reporter with a disability.
• Claimed he had more foreign policy experience than “virtually anybody” because he had “made a fortune” in international business deals.
• Essentially blamed students for the student debt crisis, saying “You’ve got to get jobs”
• Claimed that he’s “really good at war” and declared, “I love war, in a certain way.”
• Said he’d “always wanted to get a Purple Heart,” even though, once again, he received several draft deferments during the Vietnam War.
• Argued that the reason he doesn’t know who Al-Baghdadi or other terrorist leaders is that he’s never met with them—but implied that if he were president, he certainly would.
• Didn’t realize Belgium was a country, referring to it as a “beautiful city.”
• Claimed the U.S. wouldn’t default on its debt because “you print the money.”
• Said it would be totally fine if we defaulted because “if the economy crashed, you could make a deal.”
• Said he doesn’t view transgender rights as “civil rights.”
• Opposed exceptions for a woman’s health because he thought it would become an excuse to seek an abortion: “You have a cold, and you’re going to end up having an abortion.”
• Regularly praises and defends Vladimir Putin as a “leader” who is “getting an ‘A’,” and has even described him more favorably than President Obama.
• Bragged about Putin calling him a “genius” (actually, Putin simply referred to him as “colorful”).
• Praised Putin—and lauded his approval rating—at the same forum where he insulted America’s generals and suggested he would fire them.
• Defended Russia and attacked U.S. foreign policy on Russia’s state-owned propaganda network.
• Repeatedly lies about opposing the Iraq War (he supported it). In fact, the article he cites as proof of his disagreement with the decision to invade Iraq was written over a year after we deployed troops.
• Referred to a paralyzed news commentator as “a guy that can’t buy a pair of pants.”
• Hired Breitbart’s Steve Bannon as his campaign CEO to the delight of the white supremacist alt-right.
• Tripled down on his support for an anti-semitic tweet (featuring Hillary Clinton, the Star of David, and a pile of money), saying his campaign “shouldn’t have taken it down.”
• Wrote a tweet so offensive that the speaker of the House called it “anti-semitic” and said it had “no place in a presidential campaign.”
• Blamed crime in major cities on Hispanics and African Americans, citing “statistics” that “According to Bill O’Reilly, 80 percent of all the shootings in New York City are blacks—if you add Hispanics, that figure goes to 98 percent.”
• Kicked off his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists.
• Claimed that “half” of undocumented immigrants are criminals. (False.)
• Insisted on using the offensive term “anchor baby,” dismissing critics as “politically correct.”
• Launched a series of attacks on a federal judge that Paul Ryan referred to as “textbook” racism, saying it was “common sense” that the judge, who was born in Indiana, would be biased because of his “Mexican heritage.”
• Regularly refers to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.”
• Impersonated Asians at a rally using a stereotypical voice—saying things like, “We want deal.”
• Compared his sacrifices—of working “very, very hard” and “buil[ding] great structures”—to the sacrifices of a Gold Star family.
• Said a Muslim judge “absolutely” might treat him unfairly because of his proposed ban.
• Repeatedly invoked stereotypes about Jewish people in a speech to Jewish leaders, saying that they were “not going to support [him] because [he doesn’t] want [their] money.”
• Told a group of Jewish Republicans: “I’m a negotiator, like you folks.”
• Attacked Ted Cruz’s wife, mocking her appearance and saying he’d “spill the beans” on her.
• Repeatedly propagated a conspiracy theory linking Ted Cruz’s father to President Kennedy’s assassination.
• Said that assaults on protesters at his rallies were “very, very appropriate.”
• Defended the assault of a protester at his rally, saying, “Maybe he should have been roughed up” because he was “so obnoxious.”
• Reminisced about the “old days” when protesters used to be “carried off on a stretcher.”
• Attacked fire marshals for doing their jobs.
• Resorts to calling his opponents names, like “Liddle Marco” and “Lyin’ Ted.”
• Used a charity event for veterans for political gain—then didn’t give the money to the organization until the media called him out on it. (And never gave the $6 million he claimed to have raised.)
• Suggested there needed to be “some form of punishment” to women who get abortions.
• Hoped that women who experience sexual harassment at the workplace would “find another career or find another company.”
• Repeatedly makes patronizing comments to female reporters, telling one she was “very beautiful” and another to “be quiet.”
• Attacked Fox News’s Megyn Kelly for her questions during the first Republican debate, saying, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
• Has said female presidential candidates don’t “look presidential,” exclaiming, “Look at that face!” while criticizing Carly Fiorina.
• Downplayed the gender pay gap, arguing that “you’re going to make the same if you do a good job.”
• Lied about offering child care to his employees (it was a program for resort guests to be given things like child spa services).
• Kicked a baby out of one of his rallies. Seriously.
• Refuses to release his tax returns, breaking a decades-long precedent for presidential nominees.
• Said he doesn’t “invest in the stock market,” even though he owns millions of dollars in stock.
• Claimed that Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve chair, should be “ashamed of herself” because she is manipulating monetary policy for President Obama …
• Then claimed that the general election presidential debates will be “rigged” …
• And then claimed that he is the “king of illegal immigration” (all in one interview).
• Claimed that he is the “king of debt.”
• Said, without evidence, that Iranian soldiers have been making “gestures” at their U.S. counterparts—and that they should “be shot out of the water.”
• Threatened that “Second Amendment people” could act against Hillary Clinton.
• Pointed to the tragic shooting of a woman in Chicago as proof that African Americans will vote for him.
• Tweeted “Appreciate the congrats on being right on radical Islamic terrorism”—hours after the largest terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11.
• Said that he was not only OK with waterboarding, but “would bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding” as president.
• Promised to “take out” the families of terrorists—regardless of whether they had done anything wrong.
• Got into a Twitter war with the president of Mexico—after choking in his initial negotiation and then lying about it.
• Got into an extended fight with the Pope.
• Repeatedly called President Obama the “founder of ISIS.”
• Said he was “being sarcastic” about President Obama founding ISIS—and then said he was “not that sarcastic.”
• Refuses to “take any … cards off the table” in war, including nuclear weapons.
• Promoted the idea that it would be good for Saudi Arabia to have nuclear weapons.
• Complimented North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un: “You’ve gotta give him credit. … He goes in. He takes over. He’s the boss. It’s incredible.”
• Repeatedly lies about donating to veterans charities.
• Often claims to have donated large amounts of money to charity, even though journalists have repeatedly found him to be lying.
• Used $20,000 from his charity to buy a six-foot-tall painting of himself.
• Threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, saying “If we have to walk, we have to walk.”
• Put forward very few policies over the course of his campaign—two of which center around building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
• Didn’t know what the nuclear triad was—but offered his personal opinion on atomic weapons: “I think, for me, nuclear is just the power, the devastation is very important to me.”
• Praised Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, saying, “He didn’t do it politically correct.”
• Called global warming a “hoax” invented by “the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
• Made his first front-page appearance in the New York Times for a lawsuit alleging he violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against African American applicants.
• Took out four full-page ads in New York City newspapers in an effort to bring back the death penalty for five black and Latino teenagers who were accused of raping a jogger. (All five were later exonerated.)
• Runs companies that owe at least $650 million in debt, and has partnership interest in a building that carries a $950 million loan from the likes of Goldman Sachs and the Bank of China.
• Suggested the military’s sexual assault problem was to be expected when men and women serve together, tweeting, “What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together.”
• Then said ^^ was “a correct tweet.”
• Drove his casinos to bankruptcy court four times and hurt small businesses—but still managed to make millions himself.
• Deliberately broke promises to small businesses because they didn’t have as much money for lawsuits as he did.
• Faced over 3,500 lawsuits, largely from ordinary Americans and small business owners who he refused to pay—in spite of promises to the contrary.
• Defrauded buyers of units in Trump SoHo, settling the case with a settlement worth millions of dollars, even though, as Trump says, “I don’t settle lawsuits.”
• Repeatedly promises to mass-deport 16 million people, including American citizens who were born here to undocumented parents.
• Ran a scam centered around personally tailored Trump Vitamins—which he promoted even though he had no knowledge of the potentially dangerous effect they could have on people’s health.
• Boasts that he’s a successful businessman, even though, as the New York Times writes, “it is hard to find a project he touched that did not produce allegations of broken promises, blatant lies or outright fraud.”
• Ran countless businesses into the ground, including Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines, Trump Beverages, Trump Vodka, Trump Magazine, Trump Mortgage, and, of course, Trump University.
• Falsely displayed a number of products, including “Trump Steaks” at a press conference in defense of the above failed ventures. The only problem? They weren’t even his products: the steaks, for example, were from a company called “Bush Brothers.”
• Suggested deporting Hillary Clinton, a U.S. citizen.
• Plagiarized 20 pages of lessons from “Real Estate Mastery System” for the Trump Institute book.
• Maintains complicated financial ties to foreign countries—allies and enemies alike. According to Newsweek, these conflicts of interest could put “the foreign policy of the United States of America… [up] for sale” were Trump to be elected.
• Brags about business deals he made with Muammar el-Qaddafi, saying the Libyan terrorist and dictator “paid me a fortune.”
• Said, in 2006, that he was rooting for the real estate market to collapse, because “people like me would go in and buy” and “you can make a lot of money.”
• Lost $916 million in one year—at his own casinos … then used that loss to probably avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years … then said “of course I do” when asked if he used his $916 million loss to avoid paying taxes … then said not paying his taxes—which would have gone toward veterans health care, college affordability, and so much more—“makes me smart.”
• Received an order from the state of New York to stop soliciting donations in to his foundation after they were found to have been fundraising without proper certification.
• Used $258,000 from his charity to settle his personal legal problems.
• Promised to donate $10,000 to the Twin Towers fund in late September 2001—but the New York City comptroller found that he never made this donation.
• Purchased steel and aluminum from Chinese manufacturers for two of his last three constructions—even though he promises to bring manufacturing jobs back to America.
• Said he rooted for the housing crisis because “that’s called business.”
• Said the U.S. needs to deport undocumented immigrants because some of them are “bad hombres.”
• Reiterated his attacks of a former Miss Universe’s weight—in the middle of a presidential campaign—calling her appearance a “real problem” …
• Slandered an active mission to defeat ISIS—demonstrating a “fundamental lack of understanding of Iraqi politics,” according to military experts.
• Failed to rebut Hillary’s claim that he was doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding—only saying “no puppet, no puppet, you’re the puppet” in response.
• Reportedly ran a company that violated the U.S. embargo against Cuba.
• Did business with an Iranian bank that was later linked to terror.
• Reportedly called a deaf actress on The Apprentice “retarded.”
• Called Hillary a “nasty woman” at a presidential debate.
• Said veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress are not “strong” and “can’t handle” war.
• Bragged about groping women without their consent—saying “you can do anything” to women if you are famous … then repeatedly dismissed these comments as “locker room talk.”… then attacked the women who have accused him of groping them as being “horrible,” “sick,” and “phony.” He even mocked some of them as not attractive enough for him to assault.
• Refused to acknowledge the existence of implicit bias in the criminal justice system.
• Threatened to jail his opponent after the election …
• Reportedly went into dressing rooms at pageants while contestants were undressing … and bragged about doing so, saying, “I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant.”
• Lied more than once per every minute he spoke during the presidential debates.
• Refused to say that he will accept the outcome of the election—calling it rigged.

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So what would be President Trump's solution to a nationwide press who so disdains him?  In the case of New York City (less the the New York Post or Fox News), I assume Russian "hoods" would be sent to "kneecap" or "whack" whichever brave soul decided to wake up that day and write negative remarks about out country's "executive".  But how far does censorship go?  Mike Pence is the governor of the state which is home to the largest self-publishing company in the world, Author Solutions.  It just so happens that the PR you pay for as a client of Author Solutions comes from the Bohlsen Group who also represent Mike Pence.  This whole "Trump Movement" looks more and more like a swastika every time I see it:

• Control Information.
• Distribute Propaganda.
• Attack what Trump supporter's call a "Jewish Press".

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​On October 14, 2016, Donald and Melania Trump visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan.  St. Patrick's Cathedral is God's House of Prayer that I choose to attend every Sunday either in person, via streaming video or through Sirius Satellite Radio.  We call it "America's Parish Church".  Notice the pure hate in this man's eyes in the above picture and then read the following Scripture:

Dan. 7:25 He shall speak against the Most High and wear down the holy ones of the Most High, intending to change the feast days and the law.* They shall be handed over to him for a time, two times, and half a time.

* [7:25] The reference is to the persecution of Antiochus IV and specifically to the disruption of the Temple cult (1 Mc 1:41–64). A time, two times, and half a time: an indefinite, evil period of time. Probably here, three and a half years, which becomes the standard period of tribulation in apocalyptic literature (Rev 11:2; 13:5 [in months]; 11:3 [in days]; and cf. 12:14). As seven is the Jewish “perfect” number, half of it signifies great imperfection. Actually, the Temple was desecrated for three years (1 Mc 4:52–54). The duration of the persecution was a little longer, since it was already under way before the Temple was desecrated.

Dan. 8:13-27 13I heard a holy one speaking, and another said to whichever one it was that spoke, “How long shall the events of this vision last concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating sin,* the giving over of the sanctuary and the host for trampling?” 14He answered him, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be set right.” 15While I, Daniel, sought the meaning of the vision I had seen, one who looked like a man stood before me, 16and on the Ulai I heard a human voice that cried out, “Gabriel,* explain the vision to this man.” 17When he came near where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision refers to the end time.”* 18As he spoke to me, I fell forward unconscious; he touched me and made me stand up. 19“I will show you,” he said, “what is to happen in the last days of wrath; for it is for the appointed time of the end. 20“The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.* 21The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king. 22The four that rose in its place when it was shattered are four kingdoms that will issue from his nation, but without his strength. 23“At the end of their reign, when sinners have reached their measure, There shall arise a king, impudent, and skilled in intrigue. 24He shall be strong and powerful, bring about fearful ruin, and succeed in his undertaking. He shall destroy powerful peoples; 25his cunning shall be against the holy ones, his treacherous conduct shall succeed. He shall be proud of heart and destroy many by stealth. But when he rises against the Prince of princes, he shall be broken without a hand being raised. 26As for the vision of the evenings and the mornings, what was spoken is true. But you, keep this vision secret: it is for the distant future.” 27I, Daniel, was weak and ill for some days; then I arose and took care of the king’s affairs. But the vision left me desolate, without understanding.

USCCB Footnotes:

* [8:1–27] This vision continues images of the preceding one, and develops it in more detail. As explained in vv. 20–22 the two-horned ram represents the combined kingdom of the Medes and Persians, destroyed by Alexander’s Hellenistic empire originating in the west. Once again the author is interested only in the Seleucid dynasty, which emerged from the dissolution of Alexander’s empire after his death in 323 B.C.

* [8:13] The desolating sin: the Hebrew contains a wordplay (shomem) on the name Baal Shamem (“lord of the heavens,” identified by some as the Greek Zeus Olympios). The reference is to some object with which Antiochus profaned the Temple of Jerusalem (2 Mc 6:2), most probably a pagan altar.

* [8:16] The angel Gabriel is mentioned here for the first time in the Bible. There is wordplay in the preceding verse on geber, “manlike figure.”

* [8:17] The end time: the time when God sits in judgment on the wicked (v. 19).

* [8:20] The Medes and Persians: the Medes had been allies of the Babylonians in destroying the Assyrian empire (late seventh century B.C.), and Cyrus the Persian defeated the Medes en route to conquering the Babylonians. The Book of Daniel, however, treats the Medes and Persians as a dual kingdom; cf. also 5:28; 6:9; and note on 6:1.

Dan. 12:1-12 The Resurrection 1“At that time there shall arise Michael,a the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since the nation began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.* 2Many of those who sleep* in the dust of the earth shall awake; Some to everlasting life, others to reproach and everlasting disgrace. 3But those with insight shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars* forever. 4“As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time; many shall wander aimlessly and evil shall increase.” 5I, Daniel, looked and saw two others, one standing on either bank of the river. 6One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was upstream, “How long shall it be to the end of these appalling things?” 7The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, lifted his hands to heaven; and I heard him swear by him who lives forever that it should be for a time, two times, and half a time;* and that, when the power of the destroyer of the holy people was brought to an end, all these things should end. 8I heard, but I did not understand; so I asked, “My lord, what follows this?” 9“Go, Daniel,” he said, “because the words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end time. 10Many shall be refined, purified, and tested, but the wicked shall prove wicked; the wicked shall have no understanding, but those with insight shall. 11* From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the desolating abomination is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed are they who have patience and persevere for the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. 13Go, take your rest, you shall rise for your reward at the end of days.”

USCCB Footnotes:

* [12:1] Written in the book: cf. 10:21.

* [12:2] Many of those who sleep: Daniel does not envisage the universal resurrection as later developed. Two groups are distinguished, one that rises to eternal life, the other to reproach and disgrace. Then “those with insight” (11:33–35) are singled out for special honor.

* [12:3] Like the stars: like the heavenly host, or angels. Cf. Mt 22:30.

* [12:7] A time, two times, and half a time: see note on 7:25.

* [12:11] The specific numbers of days given in vv. 11–12 represent attempts to calculate the precise duration of the three and a half years. Most probably, when the first date (1,290 days) passed, the author attempted another calculation. Another, earlier calculation is preserved in 8:14. It is noteworthy, however, that the contradictory numbers were allowed to stand in the text; this is a reminder that it is not possible to calculate a precise date for God’s judgment; cf. Mk 13:32.

Mt. 24:15-28, 36 The Great Tribulation.* 15 “When you see the desolating abomination* spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those in Judea must flee* to the mountains, 17* a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, 18a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. 19Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. 20* Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the sabbath, 21* for at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. 22And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened. 23j If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. 25Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. 26So if they say to you, ‘He is in the desert,’ do not go out there; if they say, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.* 27 For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 

​The Unknown Day and Hour.* 36p “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,* but the Father alone.

USCCB Footnotes:

* [24:15] The desolating abomination: in 167 B.C. the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the temple by setting up in it a statue of Zeus Olympios (see 1 Mc 1:54). That event is referred to in Dn 12:11 LXX as the “desolating abomination” (NAB “horrible abomination”) and the same Greek term is used here; cf. also Dn 9:27; 11:31. Although the desecration had taken place before Daniel was written, it is presented there as a future event, and Matthew sees that “prophecy” fulfilled in the desecration of the temple by the Romans. In the holy place: the temple; more precise than Mark’s where he should not (Mk 13:14). Let the reader understand: this parenthetical remark, taken from Mk 13:14 invites the reader to realize the meaning of Daniel’s “prophecy.”

* [24:16] The tradition that the Christians of Jerusalem fled from that city to Pella, a city of Transjordan, at the time of the First Jewish Revolt is found in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, 3, 5, 3), who attributes the flight to “a certain oracle given by revelation before the war.” The tradition is not improbable but the Matthean command, derived from its Marcan source, is vague in respect to the place of flight (to the mountains), although some scholars see it as applicable to the flight to Pella.

* [24:17–19] Haste is essential, and the journey will be particularly difficult for women who are burdened with unborn or infant children.

* [24:20] On the sabbath: this addition to in winter (cf. Mk 13:18) has been understood as an indication that Matthew was addressed to a church still observing the Mosaic law of sabbath rest and the scribal limitations upon the length of journeys that might lawfully be made on that day. That interpretation conflicts with Matthew’s view on sabbath observance (cf. Mt 12:1–14). The meaning of the addition may be that those undertaking on the sabbath a journey such as the one here ordered would be offending the sensibilities of law-observant Jews and would incur their hostility.

* [24:21] For the unparalleled distress of that time, see Dn 12:1.

* [24:36–44] The statement of Mt 24:34 is now counterbalanced by one that declares that the exact time of the parousia is known only to the Father (Mt 24:36), and the disciples are warned to be always ready for it. This section is drawn from Mark and Q (cf. Lk 17:26–27, 34–35; 12:39–40).

* [24:36] Many textual witnesses omit nor the Son, which follows Mk 13:32. Since its omission can be explained by reluctance to attribute this ignorance to the Son, the reading that includes it is probably original.

2Ptr.3:8-10 8* But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years* and a thousand years like one day. 9The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,* and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.

USCCB Footnotes:

* [3:8–10] The scoffers’ objection (2 Pt 3:4) is refuted also by showing that delay of the Lord’s second coming is not a failure to fulfill his word but rather a sign of his patience: God is giving time for repentance before the final judgment (cf. Wis 11:23–26; Ez 18:23; 33:11).

* [3:8] Cf. Ps 90:4.

* [3:10] Like a thief: Mt 24:43; 1 Thes 5:2; Rev 3:3. Will be found out: cf. 1 Cor 3:13–15. Some few versions read, as the sense may demand, “will not be found out”; many manuscripts read “will be burned up”; there are further variants in other manuscripts, versions, and Fathers. Total destruction is assumed (2 Pt 3:11).


From the below WSJ Article: 

Conservative Christian Support for Donald Trump Tested by Candidate’s Lewd Comments

http://www.wsj.com/articles/conservative-christian-support-for-donald-trump-tested-by-candidates-lewd-comments-1475975425
​
"Mr. Trump has thus far enjoyed strong support from evangelical Christians. He won the evangelical vote during the Republican primaries, according to exit polls, and a July survey from the Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life found 78% of white evangelical Protestants backed Mr. Trump, a higher percentage than supported Mitt Romney four years ago."

Today (11-6-16), FBI Director James Comey wrote a letter to 16 members of Congress saying; "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton,"

So I need the white evangelical Protestants out there to reread 2Thes.2:1-12 Christ and the Lawless One, and decide if they believe the "truths" of the FBI or the lies of Donald J. Trump.


One of my favorite movies is from the John le Carré's spy novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, particularly the scene where the hero, George Smiley castigates a British minister for BELIEVING A LIE (in this case Operation Witchcraft) hatched by the Russians to gain access to both British and U.S. Intelligence.  The minister says "Witchcraft's intelligence is genuine...It's been gold."  Smiley's reply is "it's just enough glitter amongst the chicken feed".

If Trump's supporters thinks he brings them gold dust, they're merely seeing glitter in his chicken-feed.

Ciao and my God save our great Republic from Donald J. Trump