field16

@grok Estimate the cost of the long robe worn by this Catholic cardinal. Luke 20:46-47

Using ~1.18 USD per EUR (current rate): - €800 ≈ $944 - €4,000-5,000 ≈ $4,720-5,900 - Pope's €5,000 ≈ $5,900 Catholic leaders typically own 3-10 cassocks/robes, varying by role; popes and cardinals often have more for ceremonies. They have collections for different occasions, seasons, and practicality (e.g., cleaning), not just one worn repeatedly. Peter's Pence donations come mainly from global Catholics via dioceses (59%), foundations (22%), individuals (16%), and orders (3%).

@grok Has ever it been publicly stated how much money any of the religious garments (especially the robes) cost for any Catholic leader, including pope, cardinal, or bishop? And who ultimately pays for these costumes: who is the primary source of funding?

@grok Convert those amounts to USD. Estimate how many robes each Catholic leader possessrd. Do they wear the same one over and over, or have a collection of similar garments and caps? Who is the source of the "donations"?

Yes, costs have been publicly estimated by tailors like Gammarelli. For cardinals: red cassock ~€800, full set ~€4,000-5,000. Pope's outfits vary; Benedict's ~€5,000, Francis prefers simpler. Funded by Vatican budget, primarily from global Catholic donations (e.g., Peter's Pence) and museum admissions.

@grok The canola oil blend used at this McDonald's is not advertised as organic, right? And if not organic, is it likely glyphosate was used to produce this oil? Only genetically-modified canola can be sprayed directly with glyphosate, so if used, the canola is likely GMO.

@field161 This scene is in North Point, Hong Kong, China. McDonald's french fries are made from non-GMO potatoes, according to their global sourcing statements.

@grok Where is this scene located in the world? What country? And are the french fries sold at the restaurant made from genetically modified potatoes?

@InsightDen @grok @mr_tread @Canon_Rush @TeeplesCY The Catholic Church condemned and excommunicated the man responsible for producing the first English Bible. At the Council of Constance in 1415, Catholic leaders banned all of John Wycliffe's writings and ordered they be burned. Previously, there was no complete Bible in English.

@grok @mr_tread @Canon_Rush @TeeplesCY They even dug up a dead man's grave and burned his bones because they were so mad that translators were a thing.

The “Mormons aren’t Christians” movement is nothing more than a small but loud corner of American evangelicalism. That argument has now lost. Not faded. Not weakened. Lost. It no longer persuades the public, and it no longer commands moral authority. What remains is noise, produced for self-confirmation rather than persuasion, repeating claims the rest of the country has already moved past. The reason is simple. Americans know what Christians look like. And they know Latter-day Saints. They know Latter-day Saints as people who worship Jesus Christ openly and constantly. Who pray in His name. Who center weekly worship on His atoning sacrifice. Who teach their children to follow Him. Who organize their entire religious life around His resurrection. For almost everyone who is asked, that settles the question. Repeated surveys confirm it. A clear majority of Americans regard Latter-day Saints as Christian, including many who disagree with their theology or would never join the Church. They still recognize Christian faith when they see it. The real fight is not over Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints affirm His divinity, His Atonement, and His literal resurrection without hesitation. That is not where the argument lives. The disagreement turns on something else. When evangelicals say Latter-day Saints aren’t Christian, they are often defending a philosophical definition of God shaped by Greek thought. When Latter-day Saints say they are Christian, they are pointing to something simpler and older: worship of Jesus Christ as the resurrected Savior. You can disagree with that claim. But you cannot honestly say it places Latter-day Saints outside the Christian story altogether. Teachings evangelicals portray as wildly unchristian, including belief in an embodied Father or distinct divine persons, were taught and believed by many early Christians. Scholars have shown these ideas were common in the first centuries, before later church authorities narrowed acceptable belief through frameworks shaped heavily by Greek philosophy. They are not historical oddities. They are part of Christianity’s early record. That is why the heresy label now rings hollow. It is not grounded in how Christianity began, but in how certain groups later decided its boundaries should be enforced. And enforcement is exactly how it feels. The most telling feature of today’s “Mormons aren’t Christian” rhetoric is its irrelevance. It persists in online echo chambers and almost nowhere else. Outside those circles, the verdict is already in. Latter-day Saints are widely recognized as Christians. Their faith is visible, durable, and centered on Jesus Christ. The attempt to deny that reality no longer persuades anyone who is not already committed to denying it. America has spoken. Ancient history is on its side. And momentum points the same way. Latter-day Saints are Christian.

If your brethren are suffering and ask you to dry their tears, help them as much as you can. Once you are in the spiritual valley, you will receive greater charity than what you gave on earth.

@grok ~ I'm pinging you, to see if you would answer my previous question about the song. Are you able to use the attachment?

@grok What are the Japanese words in the song?

@Dizzybutterflyy Your innocent-looking post about the weather was also flagged as "probable spam".

What the heck is this?

@grok @grok Why did you never respond? The KVCHosting server was indeed down for a day, but they have since fixed it. It was difficult to get any information about it, though.

@grok Would you respond to this question about the web hosting company?

@grok Is there any current chatter about KVC Hosting, especially regarding servers offline or not responding? They have servers in St. Petersburg, Florida. Is that area affected?

@grok "The Witches had a Fast, and told one of the Afflicted Girles, she must not Eat, because it was Fast Day, she said, she would: they told her they would Choake her then; which when she did eat, was endeavoured." // Why do witches fast?

In colonial New England, "laying out some land" meant surveying or marking boundaries for property, often for allocation or settlement. It could anger someone like Carrier if it disputed or encroached on her family's land, sparking a boundary feud. In today's terms: "surveying" or "dividing up" land.

@grok Summarize this book: THE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD. BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRYALS OF SEVERAL WITCHES LATELY EXECUTED IN NEW-ENGLAND. Cotton Mather & Increase Mather

@grok "this Carrier was very angry with him, upon laying out some Land, near her Husband's..." // Explain why "laying out some land" would anger anyone and what it actually means in today's wording.

According to Cotton Mather, Martha Carrier was accused of witchcraft: making pacts with the Devil, leading witch meetings, afflicting people through spectral torments (biting, pinching, choking), causing diseases/deaths, and bewitching cattle. She was called a "Rampant Hag" promised to be Queen of Hell.

@grok What crime (or evil) had Martha Carrier committed, according to the book's author?

"The Wonders of the Invisible World" (1693) by Cotton Mather defends the Salem Witch Trials, arguing witchcraft is real and an evil force used by the devil to undermine Puritan New England. It recounts trial accounts, like Martha Carrier's, and emphasizes prosecuting witches to secure divine favor. Mather draws from earlier works, presenting himself as a historian amid the era's religious fears. (Note: Often attributed solely to Cotton, though Increase Mather wrote related texts.)

@ryanvaughan For those stuck in a winter storm, unable to visit a drug store, prayer might be their only hope. Jesus is my primary care physician. He is well able to help and heal. God has sent me healing.... so I encourage everyone: Turn to your Creator with all your cares and worries.

I'm starting to feel much better tonight. When in doubt, call your doctor. Don't wait like me. 9 hours after medicine, I'm feeling alive again and my smile won't be fake at 10. Thanks doc.

@NattyAnn489 @JamesBryantWX The tops of my hands are also affected. Red.... looks like a sunburn, but does not hurt. Same for you? I took my gloves off many times to take pictures. Day 4 of no traffic in our Hot Springs neighborhood.

@JamesBryantWX Good! I def got some frost nip sledding with the kids yesterday. I was the only one without waterproof gloves 😅

This morning is the worst low temperature bust I have ever seen. Lows are 10-15° warmer than forecast

@louishaskett2 @JamesBryantWX I praise the Lord. I asked Him to prevent the temperature from dropping below 12 degrees. And that's the low in your chart! A previous forecast I saw for the past couple days showed a possible low of -3, but God did not let it happen!

@JamesBryantWX Gained it quick

@jmattt7194 @Sharp_Turn @JamesBryantWX Oxford, Mississippi has indeed had significant storm damage.

@Sharp_Turn @JamesBryantWX Tbf Oxfors MS has it way way way worse