A Megachurch Pastor Got Slammed for a Tweet about Truth and Gossip

Mega-church pastor John Hagee (who is also a millionaire) has come to be one of those figures that typifies why so many are frustrated with American Evangelicalism today.

From his support of Donald Trump to his downright bizarre brand of bigoted sermonizing, Mr. Hagee has a slippery relationship with ethics.

Which makes one particular tweet from him a pretty strange case study in Biblical interpretation.

It’s not clear why he chose to make this statement (possibly commenting on the Trump impeachment trial?), but whatever the reason, there’s a lot to unpack. Few would argue that gossip is a good thing, but what about the rest of the tweet?

First of all, that’s not what the verse says. The passage Hagee cites here is part of the Ten Commandments, and it reads:

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
– Exodus 20:16, New International Version

You can check other translations if you want. None of them say anything about being an eyewitness. Just that you shouldn’t bear false testimony. In other words, don’t lie about stuff.

John Hagee says if you didn’t see it yourself, anything you say about it is a lie. Which of course isn’t how anything works, but is especially problematic for his line of work.

As lots of people were quick to point out, this sentiment basically contradicts the entirety of Christianity.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”
– John 20:29, NIV

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
– Hebrews 11:1, NIV

And of course, even Biblical authors themselves were not eyewitnesses to the events they wrote about.

Most Biblical scholars – believers and non-believers alike – agree that the four Gospels (the section of the Bible that covers the life of Jesus) were written between 66 and 110 years after the fact. We don’t even know who wrote them, but whoever they were, they certainly didn’t experience any of it in person.

Honestly, screwing up on this many levels in one tweet is almost impressive.

What do you think of all this?

Let us know in the comments. But behave yourselves in there.

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Here is What The Symbols on the Dollar Bill Really Mean

Have you ever studied a dollar bill and thought about what all those symbols meant? I’ve always heard random theories: aliens, Freemasons, other secret societies, etc.

Let’s put an end to all the conspiracy and speculation, and get down to the nitty gritty.

1. Pyramid

Photo Credit: iStock

The pyramid on the dollar bill represents strength and duration. The western face of the pyramid has a shadow while other parts of it are in full light, which some think referenced that the western part of the country hadn’t been explored yet when the design was completed – or perhaps that it was still undetermined what the U.S. could achieve for Western civilization.

2. The eye above the pyramid.

Photo Credit: iStock

Three different committees made suggestions about the design of this seal, and the first included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams (strong group). The trio wanted an “all-seeing eye,” and they got it. The eye enclosed in the shape of a pyramid is an ancient symbol of divinity.

3. The letters at the base of the pyramid.

Photo Credit: iStock

You see the letters “MDCCLXXVI” across the base of the pyramid, which are the Roman numerals for the year 1776, the year our country declared its independence.

4. The eagle’s shield.

Photo Credit: iStock

As you can see, the eagle’s shield is not supported by anything. This symbolizes that Americans should rely on their own virtue and not on anyone or anything else. The horizontal bar at the top of the shield represents the federal government and the 13 stripes below it are for the 13 individual states that existed when it was designed.

5. The stars above the eagle.

Photo Credit: iStock

This one is pretty easy. The 13 stars represent the original 13 colonies in the country.

6. The eagle’s talons.

Photo Credit: iStock

The eagle holds an olive branch in one claw, representing peace, and arrows in the other, representing war. I honestly had no idea about this one…very interesting.

7. The lucky number 13.

Photo Credit: iStock

The number 13 pops up in many places on the dollar bill. There are 13 olive branch leaves, 13 arrows, 13 olive fruits, 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle, and 13 bars on the eagle’s shield.

Oh, and “annuit coeptis” and “e pluribus unum” both have 13 letters.

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Here Are the 5 Presidents With the Highest IQ Scores

This should get a whole lot of people arguing due to the current political climate in this country, but what the heck! Let’s do it anyway!

A researcher and psychologist from the University of California, Davis named Dean Simonton put together a list of what he estimates IQs of the American presidents to be after the age of 18 – although, to be clear, the research was done in 2006 and only extends from George Washington to George W. Bush.

Simonton took into account intellectual brilliance and openness to establish his estimates. Let’s take a look at the results!

1. John Quincy Adams

6 John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) was the sixth American president and, according to Dean Simonton’s research, had an IQ of 175. Adams was a Harvard graduate, studied all over the world, and spoke seven languages.

2. Thomas Jefferson

Biography of Thomas Jefferson (Third President 1801-1809)

Jefferson (1743-1826) was a Founding Father and the third president of the United States. Simonton places his IQ at 160 – and, oh right, he helped write a little document called the Declaration of Independence.

3. James Madison

4 James Madison

James Madison (1751-1836) was another brilliant Founding Father, and he had an estimated IQ of 160. Madison, called the “Father of the Constitution,” helped write the Bill of Rights.

4. John F. Kennedy

hrn60-president-john-f-kennedy-396982_1920

JFK (1917-1963) graduated from Harvard in 1940, was a war hero during World War II, and became the second-youngest president in U.S. history. He also had an IQ of 159.8. Not too bad…

5. Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

Say what you want about Bill Clinton (1946- ), he’s a very smart guy. Clinton served two terms as the 42nd American president and he sports an IQ of 159. He studied at Georgetown and Yale.

 

Rounding out the top 10 were:

6. Jimmy Carter

No Known Restrictions: President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Marion S. Trikosko, 1977 (LOC)

7. Woodrow Wilson

 

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8. John Adams

2 John Adams

9. Teddy Roosevelt

TR: гнездование куклы (nesting dolls)

10. James Garfield

james garfield 1

Now, we know you have some opinions about this. Let us know in the comments!

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10 Interesting Facts About U.S. Presidents

There have been 45 presidents of the United States of America, each with their own challenges, unique personalities, and backgrounds.

It’s been almost 231 years since George Washington first took office, and since then our country has been through many turbulent times – but there was always a president there, guiding us through it.

For good or ill.

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about American presidents.

1. A close race.

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2. Whatever works…

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3. Nobody even bothered.

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4. Can’t do two things at once.

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5. What are the odds?

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6. Forgot something on there.

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7. The ladies like whiskers.

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8. That is an amazing coincidence.

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9. Had some free time on his hands.

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10. Put someone else behind the bar.

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Who are some of the presidents that you most admire?

Tell us your opinions in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

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Illinois Sold More Than $3 Million Worth of Marijuana on the First Day of Legalization

As a former Chicagoan, all I can say is…why the hell didn’t this happen when I lived in Illinois? I know, I know, things are moving along and more and more places are legalizing marijuana, but it sure would’ve been nice…

And now I live in North Carolina, and I really don’t think legalization is coming anywhere near this state anytime soon…

The Cannabis Joint

But back to the story. Though it was passed into law in 2019, it became officially legal to purchase marijuana for recreational use in Illinois on January 1, 2020.

And apparently, people were pretty fired up about it (who could have expected?).

On January 1st, the first day of legal sales, the state sold nearly $3.2 million of weed. The exact numbers were 77,128 transactions totaling $3,176,256.71. Not bad for a one-day haul, huh?

If you’re curious, the state hasn’t yet released figures for how much tax revenue that will work out to.

Toi Hutchinson, senior advisor to the governor for cannabis control, said:

“As we start a new decade, Illinois has achieved a monumental milestone, launching the legalization of cannabis in a way that includes communities left behind for far too long, creates good jobs and expunges thousands of records for those who have lost out on opportunities and ends prohibition.”

Illinois became the eleventh U.S. state to legalize weed, joining Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Weed

You have to be 21 years old and have a government-issued ID to buy weed in Illinois. Non-residents of the state can also buy marijuana but in smaller quantities. And keep in mind that all purchases must be made in cash, because cash is king baby!

And also because weed is still illegal at the federal level, and banks are wary about working with an industry that is both illegal and legal at the same time.

Time for a road trip?

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A Tennessee Politician Thinks a Statue of Dolly Parton Would Be a Perfect Replacement for a Confederate General

Remember a few years ago when pulling down statues erected to Confederate war heroes was all the rage? Sadly, people have moved onto other ventures, leaving many monuments to the Confederacy still standing like they contributed positively to history and deserve to be remembered.

One Tennessee lawmaker, though, hasn’t forgotten – and he has the perfect replacement for an homage to Nathan Bedford Forrest (you probably only know his name because of Forrest Gump, be honest) in mind.

 

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Forrest’s bust is currently one of eight bronzed figures on display at the Tennessee State Capitol, even though Forrest was a Confederate general and a founding member of the KKK. He had made a fortune trading human beings as slaves before the war, and is best remembered for leading 1864’s Fort Pillow Massacre.

This “hero” allowed (or directed) his troops to murder hundreds of black soldiers trying to surrender.

Forrest fans (?) argue that Forrest’s later decision to support racial harmony means he should be allowed to remain on the good side of history, but Republican representative Jeremy Faison (and other people who can read history books without rose-colored glasses) thinks it’s time someone else be honored.

Someone like Dolly Parton, a native Tennessean who is as noted for her charity work as her country music career.

“My daughter is 16, and I would love for her to come into the Capitol and see a lady up there,” Faison told the Tennessean. “What’s wrong with Anne Dallas Dudley getting in that alcove?”

Dudley, a suffragist born in Nashville, helped the state ratify the 19th Amendment (very last, but still).

Faison himself used to be an advocate of keeping history the way it was – and Forrest in the capitol – but after he delved into Forrest’s ideology, the politician got on board with the idea that history could be studied in schools.

No veneration of Confederate generals and racist slave holders necessary.

There are about 50,000 signatures on a petition calling for the bust to be removed to a museum, but before governor Bill Lee can remove it, both the State Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission would have to vote on a yet-to-be-introduced resolution.

I guess Dolly and Anne – and the rest of us – are going to have to wait just a little bit longer for a woman to join the ranks of history-on-display.

We’ll get there. For now, I suppose we can be somewhat mollified by the knowledge that such a thing is on people’s hearts and minds, if not on the books.

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Twitter Thread Captures Just How Impossible It Is to Pay off Student Loans

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who has student loan debt, the mere mention of the phrase “student loans” is probably enough to send you into a panic. The loans, which can be the only way for some people to afford higher education, often wind up being incredibly difficult to get pay off – even if you make consistent payments on time for years.

Twitter used Lacy M. Johnson posted a tweet about her own student loan debt situation, and it’s all too relatable.

Other people responded to Lacy’s tweet with their own student loan stories, and let’s just say they’re…bleak.

“Started out owing $120k,” one person wrote. “7 years, never missed a payment. Got it all the way down to $137k!”

Another wrote: “Graduated grad school in 08 with nearly $100k in debt, have paid over $100k since then in interest, still owe $100k.”

“Borrowed $97k, been paying for 13 years. Checked yesterday. I still owe $146k,” yet another wrote.

These stories aren’t exactly surprising — student loan debt is the second-largest type of consumer debt in the country, and it has only continued to grow in recent years as colleges and universities raise tuition much faster than either inflation or wage growth.

Others chimed in to reply to Lacy’s tweet with their experiences of going to college BEFORE it was so expensive. “I cannot imagine doing it in today’s world,” one person wrote.

Student loans are a dark cloud over folks’ heads, and many people expect to die without ever paying off the debt — unless a miracle occurs, like winning the lottery or a new student loan forgiveness policy.

Sigh. At least we’re all in it together…

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These Are 7 of the Hardest Countries for Americans to Visit

Americans are fortunate to be able to travel most of the globe with minimal restrictions. That said, there are some spots that are less-than-welcoming to people from the States (sometimes, understandably so). Just a warning: you might want to think twice before attempting to stamp your passports in these 7 countries.

7. Iran

The State Department says “There is a very high risk of kidnapping, arrest, and detention of U.S. citizens in Iran.” If you’re dying to visit the Middle East, don’t choose Iraq, either – but Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is totally safe (and has killer authentic Iranian food).

6. Libya

This northern African nation is a hotbed of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict. That’s a trifecta+, so do not go. Nearby Egypt and Morocco are much more popular, but not entirely safe, either.

5. Mali

The State Department says Mali is rife with terrorism, kidnaping, and crime – consider heading to the much safer Senegal, instead.

4. South Sudan

With crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict risks, you should consider the somewhat-safer Ugandan mountain region. Gorillas!

3. Venezuela

Here, you’re looking at the potential for violent crime, like armed robbery, homicide, and carjackings, along with civil unrest, poor healthcare, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. But there are plenty of beautiful South American countries (almost all the others, in fact) waiting to safely welcome you to their shores.

2. Yemen

With a years-long proxy war being waged between Saudi Arabia and Iran here, there is heightened risk of targeted terrorism, civil unrest, disease, kidnapping, and, of course, getting caught in that. armed conflict. Unless you’re with Doctors Without Borders, there’s really no reason to feel pulled to Yemen – it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Oman is also on the Arabian Sea, and it’s supposed to be lovely, though, so consider that!

1. Central African Republic

More crime, more civil unrest, and risk of being kidnapped wait for you in this land-locked African country. And to make matters more dangerous, it’s sandwiched between other countries that come with warning labels.

You can hang out in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, instead – there are gorillas and everything.

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