Podcasts about recant

Hear Joni share about friends in the Middle East who live in intractable pain – yet they keep their trust in the Lord with happy attitudes. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

This Episode: The next installment of the Re Season series. What things do we need to Recant?

Welcome back to Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.  Tonight, Steve Jordan and Darrin Nelson join Mark Rosen and Pete Bercich in studio to look back on their shared rookie experience, the genius of Jerry Burns, the evolution of the Vikings organization, and the current Vikings team.  All of this and more is in this edition of Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leila De Lima lawyer Dino De Leon explains why the third and last drug case against the former senator and vocal Duterte critics has further weakened.

John Rash joins Vineeta for the Rash Report. This week he discusses the Star Tribune Editorial Board's decision to ask a city council member to recant a statement against the mayor as well as checking in on a new report from a St. Thomas Law Professor claiming Trump is ineligible for the presidency.

John Rash joins Vineeta for the Rash Report. This week he discusses the Star Tribune Editorial Board's decision to ask a city council member to recant a statement against the mayor as well as checking in on a new report from a St. Thomas Law Professor claiming Trump is ineligible for the presidency.

On episode 246 of the PC Update, the judge said no to a minimum security prison, not when you are a decorated marine and just worked with the government to save lives... not under my watch!! Nina wonders if putting her ring down the drain drained it of the respect she hoped it came with. Nothing to see here... just a Queen Pin resolving domestic squabbles. This episode covers GH episodes from June 19th - 23rd, 2023. *Music provided by Scott Holmes (song name - Electronic Vibes).

In this podcast, I discuss my official nominee for the Pharaoh that Moses had the 10 plague showdown with when he led the Hebrews out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

Galileo was sentenced to house arrest where he remained for the final nine years of his ...

In 2011 a business venture between Bruce and his friends failed and resulted in litigation. When a former disgraced business associate who leveled a lawsuit against Bruce and his friends makes bold claims about Bruce's murder, everyone takes pause.

Cash Scarcity/ Presidential Election/ Valentine's. A recap turned rant. Y'all, Nigeria makes me sound like a broken record. I be stuttering because they make me pissed pissed in this country. SPED UP MY RANT ONLY TO STILL BE TALKING FOR 38 MINUTES??! Ooouuu I was MAD! I was literally rapping you guys

Part 2 of a 2-part special on the topic of logic and fallacies, covering further examples of logical fallacies, where they show up in common arguments made against Satanism, and why such arguments fail. Suggested sites: https://infidels.org/library/modern/constructing-a-logical-argument/ https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com Content: 00:00 - Intro / recap 02:48 - No True Scotsman 04:13 - No, that's not the No True Scotsman fallacy 08:24 - Equivocation 11:56 - Moving the Goal Posts / Gish Gallop 15:06 - Bill's LHA Anecdote / Dunning-Kruger Effect 18:13 - Non Sequiturs / Affirmation of the Consequent 20:51 - Red Herring / Whataboutism 23:24 - Slippery Slope fallacy (and what it isn't) 32:58 - Probability fallacies: Intro 34:24 - Appeal to Popularity / Bandwagon 36:24 - Texas Sharp-Shooter / Correlation vs. Causation 38:35 - Anecdotal 39:58 - The stupidity of "deathbed recant" stories 43:51 - More Appeal fallacies: Appeal to Antiquity / Newness 46:09 - Appeal to Emotion 48:07 - Appeal to Authority 50:14 - Ad Hominem 52:06 - Reducto ad Hiterlium / Godwin's Law 53:22 - "No, that's not ad hominem" 54:38 - Tu Quoque 57:02 - Circular Logic / Begging the Question / Special Pleading 01:00:36 - Fallacies of Division & Composition 01:04:24 - Closing Thoughts  

In this episode of the Faces of the Future Podcast the guys are back with more of your favorite conversations. In this episode the guys discuss Antonio Brown being in the headlines again, the NFL protecting it's players, they give their thoughts on putting the elderly in nursing homes, plus more.

CONFESSIONS are not just reserved for the CATHOLICS!! In its simplest and most effective applied definition, a confession is anything UTTERED. Unless you are JUST BREATHING, every formed word is a CONFESSION!! What we learn from Iyob/Job, is that Elohim is NOT the Marine Corps Drill Instructor in the early scenes of Hamburger Hill, when the private was severely verbally assaulted because of his position on the Virgin Mary. Ultimately, because of his willingness to NOT RECANT his position the private was elevated to a position of authority. That, however, is not the attitude we see Elohim YAHUUAH take with Iyob, though he is in fact exalted over his peers because they spoke in ERRANT IGNORANCE!! TESHUVA is the TOOL Elohim uses to promote His Chosen Galal Talmidim, His Dedicated Disciples or Students! Where do believe this world got the idea that LEARNING for the Purposes of Growth, was supposed to be uncomfortable and occasionally unpleasant? This World, knew NOTHING, not first known completely by its Creator!! How else could Elohim CONFESS through men, "That a fool says in his heart there is no Elohim!!" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/love-live/message

Levi and Mike discuss Season 3 and Season 6 of The Fresh Prince. They give their favorite and least favorite episodes.

SEGMENT 1: The Butter Zone Two things are accomplished--sort of--in this segment! First, if you had grubs on your yard last fall, NOW's the time to treat for them. Secondly . . . Dan has a new refrigerator and it doesn't seem to be functioning correctly. So . . . he's placed a thermometer inside. This is both a great idea and a terrible idea. We'll tell you why! SEGMENT 2: Peel-N-Stick Wallpaper Recant Several weeks ago, we recommended that you DO NOT use Peel-n-Stick wallpaper on a full room installation. We based that conclusion on a personal experience. However, a few weeks later, we had another personal experience and now, we've changed our minds dramatically. REPCOLITE LOCATIONS THAT CARRY WALLPAPER BOOKS 17th Street RepcoLite in Holland Lakewood Blvd. RepcoLite in Holland Byron Center RepcoLite Plainfield Ave RepcoLite in Grand Rapids Fulton Street RepcoLite in Grand Rapids Kalamazoo RepcoLite https://www.repcolite.com/repcolite-hours-and-locations/ (Find ALL of our locations here!) SEGMENT 3: EGO Yard Equipment Revisited A year ago or so, Hailey and I both jumped into EGO battery-powered lawn equipment. And initially, we LOVED it. However . . . it's been a year. How do we feel about it all now? https://egopowerplus.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw14uVBhBEEiwAaufYx9ilPPer0mPFD-Lsrci1niMElWXlwYIJV0uH_3GpmC7crNCZBZMEMhoCQFUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds (Learn more about EGO here!) SEGMENT 4: The Saugatuck Antique Pavilion We LOVE to highlight area businesses that stand out! The Saugatuck Antique Pavilion is another one. If you love shopping for antiques and haven't been here . . . it's time to plan a day trip. https://saugatuckantiquepavilion.com/ (Learn more about the Saugatuck Antique Pavilion here!)

This afternoon (3/8/22), in our Rambam Bekius chavurah, we took up another side-topic chosen in part because of its Adar-appropriate "ve'nahafoch hu" theme, and in part just because I wanted to discuss it. As early as 1300 people have claimed that the Rambam recanted his philosophy and became a kabbalist at the very end of his life. The letter called "Megilat Setarim," allegedly written by the Rambam to his student R' Yosef ben Yehudah - the same student for whom he wrote the Moreh ha'Nevuchim - is filled with statements affirming the reality and superiority of "practical kabbalah," along with guidance in how to use divine names to work miracles. In today's shiur we took up R' Sheilat's view that this letter is a forgery, as are all hamfisted attempts to make the Rambam into a kabbalist. ----------מקורות:אגרות הרמב"ם (שילת) - נספח ב', אגרות מזוייפותרמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים א:סא-סב; הקדמה לחלק גרמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר אהבה, הלכות תפילין ומזוזה וספר תורה ה:דKabbalah - www.encyclopedia.com----------The Torah content from now through Shushan Purim has been sponsored anonymously. This is the last sponsorship we have lined up. If you would like to sponsor a week's worth of content, you know how to find me!----------Bekius Disclaimer: see previous episodes ----------If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I can be reached at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.----------If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.----------Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissBlog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comGuide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.htmlAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

I want to go on air and recant that I got it wrong the hardest part about anything you to wrong is to admit your wrong! I WAS DEAD WRONG ON SOME ISSUES AND SOME I STAND BY BUT IN THE CASE OF COACH BRUCE ARIANS HALF OF HIS STAFF IS AFRICAN AMERICAN I SCREWED UP ON THIS ONE!

In episode 5, we learn how the jailhouse informants that implicated Josh Kezer for the murder of Mischelle Lawless tried to recant in 1993. We learn more about how Scott County built its case against Kezer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-lawless-files/support

Drew and Curt hit some big time hate's this week and bring a skosh of love with it. We keep it short and simple and get to talk pats all the meanwhile. It is front loaded but don't forget about tuning in for some accountability towards the end. Cheers!

Recant with caveats --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/libertyleadershipandlies/support

I've been out of the loop, but I feel myself slowly easing back in!! There are so many great things going on right now...or maybe I'm just now noticing?! Whatever the case, I'm excited about it. Today I chat about inspiring Wichita makers, recant on Li Ziqi, and give a quick garden update. Also, the fundraiser I mentioned last episode has finally launched! Total net proceeds will be donated to ICTSOS, a Wichita-based organization helping to fight human trafficking. Listen to learn more!_ _ Links to everything I talk about: _ _ View or purchase ICTSOS fundraiser pouches: https://bit.ly/ictSOSfundraiserLearn more about ICTSOS: https://ictsos.orgStitch + Shop:https://www.facebook.com/stitchandshoppopup The Sewing Center Wichita:https://www.wichitasewing.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ThesewingcenterwichitaRed Door Fibers: https://www.facebook.com/Red-Door-Fibers-111108393593301/http://reddoorfibers.etsy.comAmber Waves of Fiber:https://amberwavesoffiber.comhttps://www.facebook.com/amberwavesoffiberTamsyn's Gallery:https://www.facebook.com/tamsynsgalleryWarclan Collective:https://www.instagram.com/warclan_collective/https://www.facebook.com/WarClanArtCollectiveGrate Fill: https://www.gratefill.comSunrise Wichita:http://sunrisewichita.comReclectic Goods:https://www.instagram.com/reclectic_goods/https://www.facebook.com/reclecticgoodsMalissa Long Wilson:https://www.instagram.com/mlssfshn/https://www.facebook.com/MalissaLongWearLexlando Creations:https://www.instagram.com/lexlandocreations/The video I talk about by Serpentza about Li Ziqi: https://youtu.be/8dlZktX3YD0- - - Let's get in touch!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moth_and_rustFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mothandrusthandmadeCheck out my tutorial videos at https://www.youtube.com/c/mothandrustdiyIf you're interested in supporting the show, please check out my Etsy shop where you can find handmade accessories, clothing, patterns, art, and more:https://mothandrusthandmade.etsy.comYou can also shop my original fabric prints and more here:https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/mothandrust

Martin Luther is "invited" to a special meeting in Augsburg in October of 1518 with Cardinal Cajetan.  Can you say, recant?  

First up, get Andy's take on the big stories of the week, including the ongoing fight over the presidential election, lawsuits, recants, taking back of recants, and how the media is covering it all. Then, Washington Times legal affairs reporter Alex Swoyer shares more on AG William Barr authorizing a DOJ voter fraud probe. Alex also recaps all of the cases making their way through the system to contest voter irregularities in battleground states. As Alex explains, the legal assault exposes election shenanigans -- but faces high hurdles.

Today, we detail the newly filed Michigan lawsuit, which is rife with details and first-hand witness accounts of fraud in the election. We talk about the map as a whole and everything happening in regards to counts, and we also touch on the Veritas postal whistleblower – he did NOT recant his story. Don’t miss […] The post Dark To Light: He Did Not Recant! appeared first on Radio Influence.

The 22nd June 1633 saw Galileo Galilei, the famed scientist, was found “vehemently suspect of heresy” by the Papal Inquisition and forced to recant his belief in the heliocentric universe originally put forward by Copernicus ninety years ...

A New Movie From FX Claims Norma McCorvey Recanted Her Antiabortion Conversion The pro-death lobby will stop at nothing to push unfettered abortion.  In the case of Norma McCorvey, it is not different.  Ms. McCorvey was "Jane Roe" in the infamous "Roe v. Wade" court case that gave legal access to murder children nationwide.  In 1995, she recanted, became a born-again Christian and began fighting for the rights of the unborn.  However, a new FX documentary entitled "AKA Jane Roe" claims to have footage of Ms. McCorvey recanting her change of heart going so far as to say the then-titled pro-life group "Operation Rescue" paid her and gave her scripts of what to say. “I was the big fish. I think it was a mutual thing. I took their money and they’d put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. That’s what I’d say,” she says in “AKA Jane Roe,” which premieres Friday on FX. “It was all an act. I did it well too. I am a good actress.” Calling it a "deathbed confession" McCorvey purportedly details her love for her former lesbian partner, whom she separated after her conversion, while showing a cavalier attitude towards an abortion in general. “If a young woman wants to have an abortion, that’s no skin off my [expletive deleted]. That’s why they call it choice.” This has caused no small stir both in the pro-death and pro-life movements.  Father Frank Pavone, who not only baptized McCorvey into the Catholic church, but was her mentor for nearly 22 years had this to say on Twitter: So #abortion supporters are claiming Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Roe v Wade, wasn't sincere in her conversion. She was I was her spiritual guide for 22 years, received her into the #Catholic Church, kept regular contact, spoke w her the day she died, & conducted her funeral. — Fr. Frank Pavone

Welcome back to the 64th episode of the Brains, Braun, & Corbin Podcast. This week, we mix things up a little by changing up our usual order. We start by discussing comments from our last episode, and in the process, discover new ways to use Kurtis’ big jar of mayo. We then discuss our movie of the week: Come Sunday, and learn about casting out demons. Next, we introduce our newest segment “Genre Swap!” (or, as Jacob calls it, Movie Transformer!) by discussing how we would change Come Sunday into a horror film. Finally, we reveal the next theme of the month, Musicals, and decide between the two options Corbin brought to the table (begrudgingly).  Disclaimer: Explicit content. Don’t take anything seriously, no offense is intended

This week, Gaby and Mashi revisit their assumptions about Ikoria, and surprisingly come to the conclusion that it may actually be a better experience in paper than digital.TimestampsCFB Pro - 11:00April State of the Game - 21:00Cube Sealed - 50:00Social MediaMagicFM - @MagicFMPodcastGaby Spartz - @GabySpartzMashi Scanlan - @MashiScanlanLinksApril Arena State of the GameCube Sealed

1521 Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for failing to recant parts of his Ninety-five Theses which started the Protestant Reformation.Links: Distributed ProofreadersList of books by Merle d'Aubigné on Project Gutenberg for free download: Volume 2 of The History of the Reformation of the 16th Century: Several formats are available. Link to chapter 8. I began reading about 1/3rd of the way in

Matt, Luke and Tim are all avid gamers and nothing excites them more than knocking out a quick round of Wii golf or banging some zombie flesh with their shotguns. So let's take a bit of a break from tradition and just have a relaxed episode of 3 dudes who are all pretty much the same age talk about some of the favourite gaming memories and how it all started. Apologies for the audio, Luke could not get access to his normal mic. Hopefully you will enjoy it all the same.

In honor of Halloween, on today's episode we'll recant 4 stories of tech, that have terrified offices for years. From the legend of Bedlam DL3, to AI gone terribly wrong, to Google Maps to nowhere, we bring you these horrifying (but not deadly) blunders and mishaps of technology.

In this episode we talk about Bud Light's new Lemon Tea, the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, Graduations, and more.

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics, answers a question about apparent contradictions of John Piper when addressing the natural condition of man and the guilt for the sinfulness of our ancestors. Some seem to think that Piper's answer on one broadcast are so inconsistent with the claims of Calvinistic soteriology that he must have recanted, but that is not likely. To hear the original message from John Piper go here: https://www.desiringgod.org/interview... To get a copy of Dr. Adam Harwood's book go here: https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Cond... To SUPPORT this broadcast please click here: https://soteriology101.com/support/ To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/

Drinks up! On episode 21, Vinroc invites over the homie Charlie 3x, fresh off of his performance at Louievolve. You find out how he got his name, we discuss his catalogue, and also what he’s got in the works. Dave sounds like a poor man’s Barry White, Charlie teaches us why you should never throw someone else’s blunt, and Trevor says “FACTS”! We discuss our Top 5 stoner movies and hilarity ensues when we get into our Overrated/Underrated and Dealbreakers segments. Just a heads up, we had some difficulty with the sound but we were able to fix what we could.

Another recent example of accusations destroying a career happened in the Northeast when a lawyer recently recanted a statement that a physician lied to a patient. Dr. Jarret Patton reviews the damage accusations can cause and how to rescue yourself from the firestorm. In chapter 2 of Licensed To Live, the book, there are additional strategies to restore your credibility. 

Augur represents a new type of prediction market. It’s decentralized nature allows users to stay anonymous, which may be troubling for law enforcement or other state agents if the bets placed are threatening in nature. Right now, it only has a small number of users, but it has the potential to gain traction.In these prediction markets you have the ability to place a bet, using a type of cryptocurrency, on a future action such as; whether a Supreme Court nominee will be appointed by a certain date in time. However, Augur may also host betting schemes that may seem “unsavory” to some Americans, like predicting when someone could die, otherwise known as an assassination market.What is Augur? What is a prediction market? What can you bet on? Is Augur regulated? Are people placing bets on if certain public figures would be assassinated? What kind of effects will technology like Augur have?Further ReadingMeet The ‘Assassination Market’ Creator Who’s Crowdfunding Murder With Bitcoins, written by Andy GreenbergCrypto-Convict Won’t Recant, written by Wired StaffGambling Can Save Science, written by Alex TabarrokAre We All ‘Harmless Torturers’ Now?, written by Paul Bloom and Matthew JordanRelated ContentWhat Influences Elections?, Free Thoughts EpisodeHow Egalitarianism Comes from Conflict (And Why It Matters), written by Pamela J. Hobart See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Were are back in the building folks! Cuzzo is at a crossroads in his life with his job. We talk back to school and what it was like for us this time of year. What is the space force? Would Docious join for the right price? Should we even be in space? Cuzzo talks about why he doesn’t think we should be back in space and gives Docious the same runaround he got last week. And last but not least Docious has a new puppy! Enjoy!   Extra Media:   Buzzfeed court case: http://thefederalist.com/2018/08/06/judge-demands-intelligence-agencies-stop-stonewalling-buzzfeed-case/   Lebron’s school: https://sports.yahoo.com/report-taxpayers-cover-most-operating-204701496.html   Recant: http://dailycaller.com/2018/08/09/wrestler-recants-jim-jordan/   Space Force: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/401093-pence-announces-first-steps-in-establishing-space-force    

Now that the Clintons are finished and Roy Moore is on the ropes, Democrats are spewing crocodile tears over their decades of covering up sexual abuse against women. Then, Amelia Hamilton, Jacob Airey, and Candace Owens join the Panel of Deplorables to discuss insufferable millennial card game Cards Against Humanity's vow to subvert immigration law, the ironically named global atheist convention “Reason To Hope” being cancelled because no one wants to go, and the poetic diction of President Trump's latest tweets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that the Clintons are finished and Roy Moore is on the ropes, Democrats are spewing crocodile tears over their decades of covering up sexual abuse against women. Then, Amelia Hamilton, Jacob Airey, and Candace Owens join the Panel of Deplorables to discuss insufferable millennial card game Cards Against Humanity’s vow to subvert immigration law, the ironically named global atheist convention “Reason To Hope” being cancelled because no one wants to go, and the poetic diction of President Trump’s latest tweets.

Darwin discusses KD injury, Recant his warriors guarantee a little, NBA MVP race, Shaq vs Javale Mcgee, and Doc Rivers being possibly overrated.

What happens when rape victims are coerced into recanting? We have the story from ProPublica. Then, state lawmakers who want to spur development and bring down housing costs have tried -- with no success -- for years to make it harder for condo associations to sue over construction defects. Also, some history: Denver had its first electrically-lit Christmas Tree in 1914 in the yard of a local electrician.

"All of Life is Repentance” This text contains three actions we see that teach us how to repent well… 1) Recall (Look Back & Remember) 2) Recant: (Name your Wrongs in light of His Grace) 3) Recommit: (Turn from your Sin to your Savior)

When humans get together, they create for themselves doctrines that enslave.  A way I might say that today would be that when humans come together they write metanarratives that lie about who we are.  The gospel blows devilish doctrines and false narratives out the window.  So in this Special edition of RGR for Reformation Day 2011, we compare the practice of selling induglences in Luther's day to the Tithing practices of today.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www.RadicalGraceRadio.com    

From The Failure of the "New Economics". Narrated by Josiah Schmidt.

In part 1 we took a look at some of the sociological reason for persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Then last time we began a narrative-chronology of the waves of persecution and ended with Antonius Pious.A new approach in dealing with Christians was adopted by Marcus Aurelius who reigned form 161–180. Aurelius is known as a philosopher emperor. He authored a volume on Stoic philosophy titled Meditations. It was really more a series of notes to himself, but it became something of a classic of ancient literature. Aurelius bore not a shred of sympathy for the idea of life after death & detested as intellectually inferior anyone who carried a hope in immortality.Reversing the Trajan policy of not going after Christians, Aurelius crafted a system of spies to gather intelligence and evidence against them. Rather than check riots that frequently called for martyr's blood as the previous emperors had done, Aurelius encouraged them. It was during his reign Christians began to be blamed for natural catastrophes. The supposition was that the gods were upset Christians weren't being persecuted by good Romans. With this as their moral backing, and making up for lost time, persecution under Aurelius moved to a new level of brutality. Thousands lost their heads or were tossed to beasts. It was at this time Justin Martyr became one.But we have to note that as fierce as the Aurelian persecution was, no official edict calling for an Empire-wide extermination of Christians was issued. Nor did one come during the reigns of Septimius Severus from 193–211 or Maximinus from 235–238 when persecution of the followers of Christ was renewed. The Severian campaign sought to root out the church in Egypt and North Africa, while the Maximinian chapter aimed only at Christian leaders in specific locales.The mid-3rd C saw a dramatic change.As Rome celebrated its thousand-year anniversary, people cast longing eyes back to the Golden Age & Glory Days of a bygone era of power & prosperity. In comparison, Rome now seemed a tottering old-hag hobbling along on arthritic knees. She was no longer able to kick away the barbarian dogs snapping at her heels. The superstition of pagans, who of course were in the vast majority, believed the gods who favored their ancestors FOR their devotion, were now punishing them for allowing the Christians to reject them.That being the case, wasn't it morally right & for the public good to actively go after the followers of Jesus?Decius only ruled from 249-51, but he was convinced maintaining Rome's cultus was essential to political stability and a return to prosperity. As soon as he took the purple, he gave orders everyone in the empire had to swear by the Emperor's genius; that is, practice emperor worship, as we talked about last time. This flushed out Christians who refused. They were declared traitors; enemies of the emperor, state, and public good. Their very presence was deemed a dangerous blight since the wrath of the gods was on them.As harsh as all this sounds, the evidence indicates that at first, the goal wasn't to kill them so much as it was to get them to recant under the threat of pain. Getting a Christian to recant was far more effective than killing them because many people are inspired by martyrdom. And of course, the martyrs were held in ultra-high esteem by The Church. So much so, a bit later, we'll find Church Leaders telling church members to use common sense and to not run around making a big to-do about being a believer, just so they WOULD be arrested and executed!No – most officials didn't want to make martyrs; they preferred apostates. Think of it this way . . .In ancient warfare, men would psych and pump themselves up in anticipation of battle. Once battle began, you wanted to present yourself like a man; tough, courageous. When you see your buddies taking blows and giving as good as they get, you stay shoulder to shoulder – a band of brothers!But when one guy turns his back to the enemy and begins to run, it's a fast spreading contagion of fear. Soon the entire line collapses in a rout.Watching some Christian publicly executed for their faith often inspired as many as it freaked. But hearing of Christians recanting & returning to the paganism of their past made many wonder why THEY should remain true.Under Decius, the 1st to be seized as treasonous were Church leaders. The hope was that a leaderless church would fall apart. In some places it did; but in others it went on as if nothing had changed.In those places were the Church winked out, it was because by the mid 3rd C, Christianity had already produced a brand of Faith that was more image than substance. Shocking as it may seem to some, there's been shallow Christians since the very beginning. And now, under Decius, they were flushed out into the open where they were forced to recant or die. Recant they did because their Faith was more social than sincere. But a host of others suffered martyrdom.After a year it was clear the Decian persecution wouldn't succeed in its goal of ending the Faith. In July of 251, Decius was killed in battle. His edict was no longer enforced.In 253, Valerian became emperor. He was at first friendly to the Faith. But a series of calamities stirred his advisors to press him to renew the pogroms in appeasement of the gods. During this wave of persecution several great leaders of the church were killed.The 40-some yrs from 260 to 303 were a time of relative peace for Christians. But it was the calm before the storm which arrived with the ascension of Diocletian.While his origins are sketchy, it seems Diocletian was a slave's son who worked himself up to supreme power. An utterly brilliant administrator, Diocletian recognized what pervious rulers ought have–that Rome was too large to be led by a single ruler. I'll leave it to you to listen to Mike Duncan's The History of Rome podcast to learn the details of Diocletian's reign. Edward Gibbon calls Diocletian a 2nd Augustus because he believes he framed a new empire rather than just restore the old. And indeed, Diocletian distanced himself from his political ancestors & heritage. He very consciously adopted the ostentatiousness of an Eastern ruler, something previous Roman Emperors would have condemned as scandalous. It was he who divided the Empire into a formal E & W, each with its one major Augustus & subordinate Caesar.In his first 2 decades, Diocletian honored the Toleration Edict Gallienus passed in 259 that restored Christians churches and burial places. His wife & daughter, along with most of his court & officials were either Christians or were favorable to them because THEIR wives & friends were. The Emperor himself was a pagan of the more superstitious flavor. But as a pragmatic politician, he believed restoring the Empire demanded a return to the old religion. Although due to family & friends he postponed the religious question, ultimately he had to take it on. There could be no peaceful co-existence between Christianity & Paganism. It was High Noon in Diocletian's court.The chief instigator in all this was Diocletian's co-ruler, his son-in-law, Galerius. He prevailed on Diocletian to authorize the persecution for which his reign is so well-known.In 303, at Gallerius' urging, Diocletian issued a series of edicts calling for the total eradication of Christianity. Places of worship were to be torn down, sacred writings were to be burned, and clergy were to be slaughtered. The next year, all Christians had to engage in a very public display of emperor worship or face immediate execution. Although it wasn't exactly like this, it's close enough . . .A raised dais was built in the center of town with a little altar where people would drop a pinch of incense and say, “Caesar is Lord.” Then they'd take a few more steps and be handed the libelli; that little scroll affirming they were good, loyal subjects. Another path led form the altar to a chopping block where an executioner stood. Those who refused to drop incense & said “Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord,” took that route where they got a haircut at the neck. Thousands died.In the Eastern empire were Diocletian and Galerius ruled, the persecution was especially fierce. The Western Augustus Maximian, fastidiously carried out the edicts in Italy and Africa. But his subordinate, Constantius, who ruled Gaul, Britain, & Spain, refused to execute people for their faith. Persecution effectively ended in 305, when Diocletian abdicated and retired to grow cabbages at his estate.But it was Galerius who'd put Diocletian UP to it in the first place. And Galerius stepped into the role of Eastern Augustus – so why didn't the persecutions continue? The answer to that is because Galerius realized à It wasn't working! He admitted that the policy of eradicating Christianity had failed miserably. In fact, he reversed himself and wrote à"Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes."It's reported that at the end of his life, as he lay abed, ill, he asked his Christians subjects pray for him. To encourage their prayers he passed an Edict of Toleration in 311, officially ending persecution. It was followed a year later by Constantine's famous Edict of Milan saying much the same.Since we shared a little about the interplay of the Early Church in the Roman Empire & their enemies to the East, the Persian Sassanids, in Season 1, we won't go into that whole chapter now, except to say that when Christians were persona non-grata in the W, the Sassanids welcomed them with open arms. Many refugees fled there, turning the E into a Christian enclave that quickly developed into a HQs and center of scholarship. The Sassanids followed the old line that the enemy of my enemy is my friend & assumed the Christians would be allies in their on-going tussle with Rome. But when Constantine revoked persecution and claimed to be a Christian, the Sassanids began to fear Christians as a dangerous 5th column in their ranks and persecution began. More of the details to that are to be had in Season 1.Let's end this short series on the Persecution of the Church in the First Centuries by considering the impact in had on the Church. Most of the Emperors eventually realized, as did Galerius too late, persecution didn't really work. Killing Christians didn't end the Faith. On the contrary, many were won to Christ by observing the gracious & courageous way so many of the martyrs died. A quote from the early church father Tertullian is oft given: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The sheer NUMBER of Christians may be less due to persecution. But one positive effect persecution yielded was that those who DID claim the name of Christ were real-deal followers of the Son of God. People didn't join a church just so they could pad their resume or enhance their social standing. Being a Christian was risky across the board. People stood in danger socially, economically & physically. Persecution also encouraged the spread of the faith to new regions as people fled hostility.Persecution helped to settle the challenge church leaders faced on what belonged in the canon of NT Scripture. The tests they applied to settling the canon had to be rigorous, because they knew people would not give their lives for spurious inkings.Persecution also sharpened the thinking of church leaders as they defended the faith in the face of often erudite attacks by pagan critics. What's interesting is that the vast majority of arguments against the Faith voice by critics & skeptics today were leveled by critics of the 1st thru 3rd Cs. These critics were learned men, skilled in philosophy and rhetoric. But each of their objections were amply answered by early Church Fathers known today as The Apologists. The answers modern day apologists use in defense of the Faith are largely built on the pioneering work of the originals. Even many of the objections raised by the New Atheists are rebutted by 2000 year old answers.Though it's questionable whether or not they ever read them, the Early Apologists wrote some of their defenses of Christianity to no one less than the Emperor, seeking to reason with him on why persecuting Christians was bad policy. These “Apologies” as they're called, weren't wild-eyed polemics threatening the Emperor with God's wrath if they didn't lighten up. They were most often attempts to use Roman law, Greek philosophy and the weight of tradition, which remember the Roman's put great store by, to persuade the Emperor that Christianity ought to be tolerated along with Rome's other faiths.All that is persecution's up-side. What about the down? Well, Believers ended up so busy protecting themselves there was scant opportunity for them to develop a deep theological heritage to enrich those who came after. Yes, there were a handful like the Apologists who managed to get out some material, but with the many thousands who DID in fact come to faith, we would expect a much larger body of literary work. Persecution both limited the opportunity to produce that, and what work that WAS produced, was frequently used to fuel the fires Christians were then burnt on.Another problem that rose, and we dealt with this in Season 1, was what to do with those believers who faltered during persecution and gave in to the pressure to recant. What was to be done with those Christians who burned a pinch of incense, said “Caesar is Lord,” took a libelli, then, once the threat of persecution was passed, repented of recanting and wanted to come back to church? These were called the lapsed, because their faith had lapsed in the heat of persecution. This became an especially trying issue after Constantine officially revoked persecution once & for all, for 2 reasons . . .1) Constantine took over right after the 10th & most virulent phase of persecution. It was also  empire wide, though it was enforced more firmly in the E. A major test used for weeding out believers was the requirement of swearing by the Emperor's genius, which as we've seen, the faithful could not do. But, a bunch of the lapsed, DID! And that leads to the 2nd reason à2) All those who'd lapsed realized that with the Edict of Milan official persecution was most likely over for good. So, instead of staying de-canted, so as to avoid upcoming persecutions, they figured it was safe to return to Church. Andà Here they came.The Church was split over whether to allow them back or not. Some favored restoration, others, not so much. Many fellowships split over the issue. Church leaders took sides in the debate and fired off sometimes heated missives at one another. For more on this, you can listen to the episode in Season 1 called The Lapsed Dance.Another negative effect of persecution was a warped result of a positive. The faith & courage of the martyrs not only challenged the shallowness of rank paganism, it inspired people to follow their example. But not just to live by faith in Jesus; they went further and longed to die like their heroes. The desire to suffer martyrdom became a problem church leaders had to address at a few points.Ha! Think of that. Instead of Pastor Alexius asking for volunteers for the nursery ministry, he had to plead with his people not to go to the marketplace crying out that they're Christians; “Please! Somebody arrest & torture me to death.” But that gives us a hint as to just how highly martyrs were regarded in the Early Church. When they were regarded that highly, it's not difficult to see why there were many in the Church who regarded lapsed believers as scum.What made for a major brouhaha was when it wasn't just everyday church members who'd lapsed, but when it as a pastor.