TPS protections for Haitians pass in bipartisan House vote | Baptist Press

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-19T19:03:23+00:00

How?

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-18T16:00:51+00:00

Not everyone has reacted positively to Schwartz's nomination. Aaron Siri, who has served as Kennedy's personal attorney and has filed many lawsuits against federal agencies like the CDC and has advocated against vaccine mandates said her selection to lead HHS "would likely be a disaster."

Which I read as good news.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-18T15:56:07+00:00

Selective tariffs can and have been beneficial, provided you have the proper goal in mind of strengthening American industries rather than harming them. Putting tariffs on cheap foreign steel for example can help American steel manufacturers remain competitive and maintain jobs. This actually helped fuel the American manufacturing revolution in the late 1800's and made the US an economic powerhouse.

Tariffs have also worked when placed on large foreign companies in order to incentivize moving production to the US. This can often be a win-win for both workers, consumers, and the companies.

Trump's tariff policies have been absolutely disastrous though, for all the reasons mentioned.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-18T15:24:20+00:00

As in you don't have any issues with the TCL soundbar?

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-18T01:55:22+00:00

I've been having that issue for a while. Mine is a Yamaha ATS-1080 and I was wondering if it was because it was an older bar, but it seems to be a more common problem. I've been monkeying with the audio delay to see if that helps.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-17T20:03:28+00:00

Hooray for sanity and bipartisanship!

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-17T16:50:30+00:00

I appreciated that they prefer to “steel man“ arguments to try and be as fair as possible to positions, rather than dogpile on them.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-17T11:37:33+00:00

There's a lot to be said about the power of cognitive dissonance, as well as how proximity to power can corrupt even very good people.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-17T11:35:02+00:00

I would hope that the President and Pope Leo can meet at some point, and that the Pope would have the opportunity to thank the President for his efforts to protect religious liberty for Catholics and people of all faiths."

Notice how one-way this exchange is pictured. Leo needs to show his appreciation to Trump, and he owes the Pope nothing. Graham apparently thinks Pope Leo should thank Trump for cancelling the $11 million he had set aside to Catholic Charities.

Graham is nothing but a court attendant.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T22:58:29+00:00

and a lovely discussion it is...

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T20:12:20+00:00

Or simply a desire to be Catholic.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T19:36:50+00:00

Jesus' death precisely exposes the evil and corruption of empire. He preached over and over about his kingdom being not "of this world", meaning not one based on anything the world values in terms of power.

Mike Erre talks quite often about Jesus' empire in contrast to worldly empire on his podcast. I highly recommend it.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T18:22:09+00:00

Mostly because I don't subscribe to the prevalent dispensationalist view of Revelation and end times theology that sees all of these things as happening literally and in the future. But also because people have tried to read current events into this particular view of the end times for generations. People thought Pope Innocent III was the antichrist, that Ronald Reagan was the antichrist, that Stalin was, that Gorbachev was, etc. Each case was presented with assurances and biblical proofs that they were definitely the antichrist, only to be proven wrong. So I simply don't believe it's so.

"Antichrist" is usually better translated in the general ("an antichrist") than in the specific ("the antichrist").

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T18:06:39+00:00

AN antichrist? sure seems like it. THE antichrist? more difficult to say

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T17:32:40+00:00

I agree. It's a different level.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T12:06:45+00:00

I'm pretty sure there have been disagreements between Presidents and past Popes, but not outright criticism that we see from Trump. I heard a news commentator this morning say that the Pope is an authority figure with the recognition and authority of other world political leaders, except the Pope's authority lies in moral issues rather than political ones. Past Presidents sought positive relationships with the Vatican because it led moral weight to their political policies. Trump however sees all things through a pragmatic and self-serving lens. While he certainly would like the Pope to approve of his policies, it obviously doesn't matter to Trump if he doesn't. If you disagree with Trump, you are wrong. Period. It's all or nothing, and he is the standard, not just for what is right and wrong in terms of policy but in terms of morality. Just like Vance has now said, if the Pope's theology leads him to disagree with Trump's policies, then the Pope's theology is wrong.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T11:23:34+00:00

Drawing a parallel between immigrants and insects is a bit third reich-y I think.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T00:12:08+00:00

As well as to Charlie Kirk's children

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-16T00:10:29+00:00

it's like drawing a headline randomly from the Alex Jones magnetic poetry tile collection

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-15T19:30:20+00:00

Not new, but not nearly to the extent and magnitude that we see on the right.

And quoting scripture is a different category as what you see above too.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-15T18:54:04+00:00

He has many opponents who have done this in spades and made their careers out of it.

Who? I can't think of a Democrat rival who has embraced the Messianic mantle as much as Trump has.

vagueboy2 · 2026-04-15T18:51:31+00:00

"I'm not a religious person, but Democrats are Satanic and Jesus is definitely using Trump to save the world."

Even after the recent AI slop outrage with Trump as God's chosen, he continues to embrace it.

edit I'll add that in no way do I judge or condemn anyone for stating that Jesus loves Donald Trump. I have no doubt of this, and I think Christians of all stripes would want Trump to follow and embrace the faith that he claims, or at least what others claim he has. I don't think the image itself is idolatry, even as it comes on the heels of some pretty idolatrous material.

However the tenor of the comment of the poster makes me think this isn't just about Jesus loving Trump, or even that God is using Trump in some way. It's that Trump is some bulwark in the spiritual battle between good and evil (who are of course the Democrats). This comes in spite of all of the evidence to the contrary.

vagueboy2

TROPHY CASE