I would like to know if any Christian has any information regarding the origins of the human soul.

JamesBartholomew comments on Mar 11, 2021:

As a boy I asked questions like this one... many times. I was never satisfied with what I was told. Answers by inference are sufficient I suppose. They are opinions but a good opinion is at least an attempt to fathom a mystery. And I think too "why does it matter?" I read. I study... In the end ...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 11, 2021:

@JamesBartholomew Then, with all due respect, you misunderstand me. But we can agree to disagree. :)

I would like to know if any Christian has any information regarding the origins of the human soul.

JamesBartholomew comments on Mar 11, 2021:

As a boy I asked questions like this one... many times. I was never satisfied with what I was told. Answers by inference are sufficient I suppose. They are opinions but a good opinion is at least an attempt to fathom a mystery. And I think too "why does it matter?" I read. I study... In the end ...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 11, 2021:

@JamesBartholomew There are a number of things that you've said that strike me as a bit confused. > ... questions like this one are the reason I was never a successful Christian. I ask too many questions and never seem to find satisfaction. My view is that we learn as much as we can and, at a certain point, we must use faith to go further. I don't understand this point of view, since, in my view, there can be no knowledge at all *without* faith as the starting point. We all begin life trusting in others and in a certain body of knowledge conveyed to us that we do not reason to ourselves, and this process continues throughout life as we find ourselves having to trust in others and in a great deal of information that we have not come to accept via our own independent reason or experience. Yes, "we must use faith to go further," but this is precisely because we have to use faith from the beginning and, indeed, at all times if we are going to feel certain that we know anything at all. > But faith need not be a limit to our quest. What is taken on faith one day may be known firmly the next. Of course faith cannot be the limit to our quest if it is a fundamental part of the quest, as I see it. Also, I question the distinction you make between taking things "on faith" and knowing things "firmly." Ultimately, I do not think this distinction holds up, especially since there are many things that we know firmly, based, at least initially, on faith. For example, when I first learned as a child that 2 + 2 = 4, I accepted it on faith, trusting implicitly in those who imparted this knowledge to me. Later in life I came to understand exactly why 2 + 2 = 4, but this didn't increase my certainly that the knowledge was true. In other words, I was not born a Cartesian skeptic, and, as far as I can tell, neither has anyone else ever been born such a skeptic. Such doubt is something one has to learn, and that from sources he probably ought not trust. > I do not believe in absolutes. I assume you do not mean that as an absolute statement? If so, then you clearly do believe in absolutes. If not, then you *don't really believe it*, which, again, means that you actually do believe in absolutes. > In spite of what I say I also believe that the purpose of any religion is to prepare the person for the next life. To this end there are many questions that can wait. Better to concentrate on the problems at hand than to stir the pot with suppositions. Then why all the suppositions you've set forth in this comment? > Maybe I should have been a theologian??? My view is that faith is eventually replaced by sure knowledge which is, eventually, replaced by the wisdom which results from the application of what has been learned. And.. it is this quality, wisdom, that frees us....

I would like to know if any Christian has any information regarding the origins of the human soul.

JamesBartholomew comments on Mar 11, 2021:

As a boy I asked questions like this one... many times. I was never satisfied with what I was told. Answers by inference are sufficient I suppose. They are opinions but a good opinion is at least an attempt to fathom a mystery. And I think too "why does it matter?" I read. I study... In the end ...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 11, 2021:

There are different levels of inference. For example, there are necessary inferences, inferences which are logically required given certain evidence. Then there are possible inferences and probable inferences. In my religious tradition, we accept as authoritative for our faith those things explicitly taught in Scripture (such as the notion that salvation is only through faith in Christ), or things that may be derived therefrom by good and necessary inference (such as the doctrine of the Trinity). On the issue under discussion here, I would say that the notions that God is the ultimate Creator of each individual soul (a notion with which both the prominent views discussed below agree) and that human beings possess an individual soul from conception) are good and necessary inferences, but the different Traducian and Creationist views are in the realm of possible or probable inference. In my view, Traducianism is a possible inference, but Creationism in a highly probable inference. Of course, those who hold to Traducianism would see this the other way around. :)

I would like to know if any Christian has any information regarding the origins of the human soul.

FuzzyMarineVet comments on Mar 11, 2021:

There has been a lively debate on this very subject for about 1800 years in the Eastern Christian Church. The consensus seems to be that the human soul is both spiritual and physical and comes into being when the human is conceived. The human being is unique in creation as a fully spiritual and at...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 11, 2021:

I'll try to give it a read when I find some time.

I just took a quick look at Slug and the content is different?

SpikeTalon comments on Mar 11, 2021:

What's different on here???

KeithThroop replies on Mar 11, 2021:

@tracycoyle "I never consider a debate to be had for my or my opponent's benefit or edification. But rather those that observe the debate quietly to the side. THEY are my target." Yes, when I choose to engage in debate, that is usually my thinking as well.

Biden's incoherence just hit critical mass, this is scary awful- [redstate.com]

coalburned comments on Mar 9, 2021:

I've been predicting the Democrats want to get two years out of Joe so Harris could finish his term and have two of her own. I'm not sure that's going to be possible. Biden's cognitive decline is shocking.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 9, 2021:

I think they are also trying to buy enough time to -- with the usual help from the MSM -- make it look like they didn't commit a fraud on the American people by knowingly putting forth an incompetent candidate. They will wait long enough to try to convince us that they didn't know he had dementia. Of course, we know better, but they think we are stupid, so ...

Whenever I hear "thoughts and prayers"

eschatologyguy comments on Mar 5, 2021:

It is the "big guns" in spiritual warfare.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 5, 2021:

Amen!

Whenever I hear "thoughts and prayers"

TimTuolomne comments on Mar 5, 2021:

This is only true for pretend believers.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 5, 2021:

Amen!

What can be implied from the fact that African-American homicide rate mirrors African nations while...

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 27, 2021:

> What can be implied from the fact that African-American homicide rate mirrors African nations while European-American homicide rate is comparable to European nations? Nothing. Something. Everything. ---- *"Implication"* is neither *"deduction"* nor *"induction"* nor *"conclusion*. As...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 5, 2021:

I would point out that there are different types of implications, as it were. For example, there is a difference between a *possible* implication, a *probable* implication, a *necessary* implication. Thus, we might make possible inferences, we might draw probable inferences, or we might draw necessary inferences from a given set of facts. One would have to assess the facts in order to assess the degree of certainty. At any rate, the mere fact that something might be implied rather than directly stated, for example, does not *necessarily* entail a lack of certainty about what is intended or what may be derived from a set of assertions or facts given.

Tweet from Candace Owens (blue checkmark) @RealCandaceO: To all the leftists crying because Texas...

SpikeTalon comments on Mar 5, 2021:

Another bit of truth from Ms Owens.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 5, 2021:

Yes, she certainly has a way of putting things.

Denominational leaders urge Catholics, Lutherans to avoid Johnson & Johnson vaccine ...

BarryOKenyan comments on Mar 4, 2021:

The link is broken.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 4, 2021:

I just replaced the link, and it worked for me.

Denominational leaders urge Catholics, Lutherans to avoid Johnson & Johnson vaccine ...

BarryOKenyan comments on Mar 4, 2021:

The link is broken.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 4, 2021:

Wow. It looks like they took the story down. I'll see if I can't find it again.

The CANCELLING of Dr.

guru comments on Mar 3, 2021:

I hear that Dr. Seuss books are selling better now.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 3, 2021:

Good!

Peterson on Christ: [youtube.com]

KeithThroop comments on Mar 3, 2021:

In my previous comment I alluded to the notion of any direct connection with or dependency upon "dying and resurrecting mythological gods" on the part of the Christian teaching concerning Jesus' death and resurrection as having been debunked (for quite some time, actually). If anyone is interested ...

KeithThroop replies on Mar 3, 2021:

@eschatologyguy I agree.

Wikipedia SLAMMED for Leftist Bias as Co Founder LAUNCHES Alternative Free Speech Site ...

guru comments on Mar 2, 2021:

Wikipedia has a lot of propaganda and false information.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 2, 2021:

@guru Here is just one example: > On 10 March 1986, Caron departed Norfolk, Virginia with the America carrier battle group, for a Mediterranean deployment. During this deployment, the Action in the Gulf of Sidra took place during a freedom of navigation exercise in the Gulf of Sidra. This action saw U.S. Navy fighter aircraft shoot two Libyan Air Force fighters down. On 23 March 1986, operating with Ticonderoga and Scott, Caron moved south of the Libya–claimed "Line of Death". Libya reacted with two days of low intensity conflict in which Caron did not fire any weapons. Without getting into any of the actual details of what happened in the Gulf of Sidra, I would just observe that the Caron arrived in the Mediterranean in August 1985, and that we were not a part of the America carrier battle group, although we were a part of the same task force with that battle group. Anyway, they couldn't even get some of the most basic information correct, so you can imagine how much of the rest of it is wrong.

Wikipedia SLAMMED for Leftist Bias as Co Founder LAUNCHES Alternative Free Speech Site ...

guru comments on Mar 2, 2021:

Wikipedia has a lot of propaganda and false information.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 2, 2021:

Yes, I remember once looking up the Wikipedia article about the USS Caron (a ship I served on back in the 1980s), and I was surprised at how much was wrong. I didn't bother to try to correct anything though.

Biden Voters FLIP as Portland Leftists RIOT Over Policies [youtube.

guru comments on Mar 1, 2021:

They say Portland was a nice place once.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 1, 2021:

I think it was once rated the nicest city to live in for a number of years in a row, if memory serves. Now people can't wait to get out.

Won't they be on the same page as Hitler and even the Antichrist in their contempt and loathing for ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Frankly, I don't know any Christians like this, who would in any way promote any anti-semitic view or mistreatment of Isralies such as you suggest. Do you have any specific examples? Just wondering.

KeithThroop replies on Mar 1, 2021:

@cepstralspike Thanks for that citation. :) I'm reminded of how Augustine is such a mixed bag, with some good things in it but also a lot of bad things. I have to say that I have never been a fan of his allegorical approach to interpretation, and this citation reminds me why. I think he is reading things into the account of Jacob and Esau that are not there. However, his basic view that the New Covenant supersedes the Old Covenant, and with it his notion that the Church now represents the people of God on earth, is correct. That isn't to say, from my perspective at least, that God does not still have a plan for the Jewish people as an ethnic group in the future. His plan for now is that the Jewish people receive Christ as their Lord and Savior and become a part of the Church, which is the same plan He has for everyone else.

Almost One-Third of US Troops Are Refusing COVID Vaccines, Officials Say | Military.com

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Good for them, although I'm surprised they have been given a choice. I don't remember ever being given such a choice when I served in the U.S. Navy back in the 1980's. In fact, I remember once that the whole crew on my ship was required to get a flu vaccine that actually got us sick, and this was ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@Bay0Wulf Right. That was the primary justification. The additional flu shot I mentioned above, however, seemed unnecessary, and it certainly didn't seem to do us much good either. It was the only time I recall ever getting a special shot like that for the flu. In fact, we had never heard of a flu shot before, although they had been around for a while. Anyway, I recall that we all felt like guinea pigs, but, again, we had no choice but to get the shot.

Won't they be on the same page as Hitler and even the Antichrist in their contempt and loathing for ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Frankly, I don't know any Christians like this, who would in any way promote any anti-semitic view or mistreatment of Isralies such as you suggest. Do you have any specific examples? Just wondering.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@cepstralspike I would not be at all surprised to hear that, although, again, I would very much appreciate a citation. I would only observe that such a view would not be what people appear to mean today when they speak of "replacement theology," although I admit that I'm struggling to find uniformity in the use of the charge. I mean, surely any orthodox Christian would believe that the Old Covenant has been abrogated with the inauguration of the New Covenant and that the promises of Judaism have been fulfilled in Christ and in what we now know as Christianity. But this is not really *replacing* Judaism so much as *fulfilling the purpose of* Judaism, so to speak. In any case, Augustine does not really represent the current position I was speaking about above, and I am not currently aware of any that would use so bad an analogy as he used.

Almost One-Third of US Troops Are Refusing COVID Vaccines, Officials Say | Military.com

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Good for them, although I'm surprised they have been given a choice. I don't remember ever being given such a choice when I served in the U.S. Navy back in the 1980's. In fact, I remember once that the whole crew on my ship was required to get a flu vaccine that actually got us sick, and this was ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@eschatologyguy I'm guessing that is why the military leadership is currently allowing members of the Armed Forces to refuse, and I'm glad they are allowing this, but it still surprises me.

Won't they be on the same page as Hitler and even the Antichrist in their contempt and loathing for ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Frankly, I don't know any Christians like this, who would in any way promote any anti-semitic view or mistreatment of Isralies such as you suggest. Do you have any specific examples? Just wondering.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@eschatologyguy I'm listening to President Trump's CPAC speech right now. I'll try to watch the video later.

Almost One-Third of US Troops Are Refusing COVID Vaccines, Officials Say | Military.com

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Good for them, although I'm surprised they have been given a choice. I don't remember ever being given such a choice when I served in the U.S. Navy back in the 1980's. In fact, I remember once that the whole crew on my ship was required to get a flu vaccine that actually got us sick, and this was ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@eschatologyguy Well, members of the military have been forced in the past to get many vaccines, and it wasn't due to Socialism. In fact, I served under the Reagan Administration at the height of the Cold War against Socialism/Communism when I was required to get any and every vaccine they chose to give.

Won't they be on the same page as Hitler and even the Antichrist in their contempt and loathing for ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Frankly, I don't know any Christians like this, who would in any way promote any anti-semitic view or mistreatment of Isralies such as you suggest. Do you have any specific examples? Just wondering.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@eschatologyguy I've read a fair amount of the writings of the Church Fathers in the past and don't recall such statements, but that doesn't mean there weren't any, of course. I would like to see the citations, though, for future reference. I don't doubt there were a few such bad apples here and there. At any rate, I thought you were speaking of current Christians, which you seem to have in mind with your reference to "replacement theology," a term I have only ever heard used in a disparaging way by critics of Covenant Theology, none of whom have ever used the term of themselves, at least not to my knowledge. I hold to a Baptist view of Covenant Theology myself (as an Historic Premillennialist, by the way), and I certainly would never refer to it as "replacement theology." I also have never heard or seen anything approaching animosity toward the Jewish people or the state of Israel among any I have known. I have heard many state that they see no further role for *national Israel* in God's future plan (although I am certainly open to such a role myself), but such a view would in no way necessitate or lead to "contempt and loathing for Israelis."

Three Sons

JacksonNought comments on Feb 28, 2021:

A lot of triggered Christians here today.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

@WorldSigh Amen!

For your edification on this Sunday morning, how about a focus on the teaching of the Lord Jesus in ...

Jmann44492403 comments on Feb 28, 2021:

A very good read, Keith. I once heard a speaker say (this may not be the exact quote), ‘To know and not do, is to not know.’ Thanx.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

I'm glad you found it beneficial. :)

Three Sons

WorldSigh comments on Feb 28, 2021:

Apparently, this meme was dictated to a stenographer by an illiterate atheist? It isn’t easy to mock a book you have never read, without looking like a knuckle dragging mouth breather. "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters"....

KeithThroop replies on Feb 28, 2021:

Exactly. If a person wants to criticize Genesis, he should at least start with what it actually says. But, like so many who criticize the Bible, the author of that meme apparently didn't actually bother to read it first. He thinks he is being clever, pointing out what he sees to be something silly, but he really just highlights his own ignorance. Oh, by the way, the above goes for the person who shared the meme as well.

He'll do anything for publicity: Jim Acosta Receives the “Jim Acosta” Treatment at CPAC ...

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 27, 2021:

Not familiar with anyone or anything at cnn: is acosta in the habit of interrupting other network's interviews?

KeithThroop replies on Feb 27, 2021:

@TheMiddleWay Here was just one example where he repeatedly talked over a female reporter that had been called upon by Spicer. I used to watch press briefings pretty regularly, and Acosta was consistently rude in this manner. https://www.whitehousedossier.com/2017/06/26/cnns-jim-acosta-interrupts-reporters-demanding-oncamera-briefing/

He'll do anything for publicity: Jim Acosta Receives the “Jim Acosta” Treatment at CPAC ...

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 27, 2021:

Not familiar with anyone or anything at cnn: is acosta in the habit of interrupting other network's interviews?

KeithThroop replies on Feb 27, 2021:

Yes. He is pretty much in the habit of interrupting or talking over just about anyone.

Since I live in the UK, I don't quite understand the concept of the US president signing executive ...

tracycoyle comments on Feb 25, 2021:

In the US, both at the Federal and State levels, laws come from the Legislatures. Usually a House of Representatives and a Senate. The Executive in Charge of Administering the Laws, we call the President at the Federal level and Governor at the State level. S/He does not have any unilateral power...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 25, 2021:

Well said. I would only add that the Supreme Court can apparently decide to aid the tyrant when ever they wish, an issue to which you have alluded.

Why does the average IQ of a country appears to decrease as religiosity increases?

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 22, 2021:

Same reason as all your other IQ posts: using a single number to denote the broad and subjective nature of intelligence is flawed. There is no singular common definition for what intelligence is and thus studies making claims on intelligence are themselves subjective. In addition, "religiosity" ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 23, 2021:

Stop the presses. I just liked a post in which I agree with almost every word uttered by @TheMiddleWay. But, hey, when you're right, you're right. :)

Disney Declares The Muppets Is Offensive [youtube.com]

SpikeTalon comments on Feb 22, 2021:

Was reading about that one earlier, so they claim some episodes of the Muppets promoted stereotypes etc, which is a crock in my opinion.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 23, 2021:

Well, you have to admit that the show makes pigs -- at least female pigs -- look pretty bad. LOL! Of course, it also makes old white guys look cranky and a bit mean, but I suppose that would be alright with Disney.

Should happen

Daveclark5 comments on Feb 22, 2021:

It would likely be closer to 80% or 90% if it weren’t for the fact that this action would split the swamp ridden party and give even more power to the party that hates God. Even the president said he wouldn’t want to form a new party. His plan is to drain the swamp within the Retardlican party ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 22, 2021:

Right on, brother.

Oh for goodness sake. Can we not have anything fun any more?

coalburned comments on Feb 21, 2021:

It's going to be interesting to see if Disney's viewership takes a hit in the wake of their recent actions. Fans can't be happy, right? Then again, we have plenty of evidence showing that viewers don't care about anything other than satisfying their addiction to entertainment.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 21, 2021:

We have refused to get Disney+ because that company has just gotten to woke for us.

NY Times : Critical Thinking Is Dangerous “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your ...

Alysandir comments on Feb 21, 2021:

We live in the Age of Perception, where truth is simply what the majority agree it is and you are openly warned to stop harboring dissenting thoughts, or else it may cost you your job (or worse). This is the same line of thinking that has brought us such gems as: * All conservatives are ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 21, 2021:

> I am reminded that Galileo was threatened with "cancellation" (read: excommunication) because his belief in a heliocentric model of the solar system was heretical to the Church's teachings that the earth was the center of the known universe. One of the saddest aspects of that whole affair is that the Roman Catholic Church did not get their geocentric view from Scripture; it was the Ptolemaic view that had been the received "science" for centuries at that point, and they attempted to read into Scripture. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, they then tried to judge someone a heretic based on their own culturally influenced eisegesis. Sad indeed!

Send him the Book of Mormon to occupy his feeble mind. [tnc.news]

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 19, 2021:

Rende unto Caesar what is due Caesar. A strong reminder that religious belief doesn't place one above secular laws.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@TheMiddleWay The full quote of Jesus is, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, *and to God the things that are God's*." (Matt. 22:21 NKJ, italics mine). In stating this principle, the Lord Jesus did not say to render the things of God to Caesar, and His disciples never understood Him to say that. Such a view would have gone against the Scriptures He embraced, as well as His own teaching elsewhere, in which he assumed, for example, that His followers would continue to preach the Gospel even if Caesar commanded them not to. In such a case they would be required to practice civil disobedience, which they actually did later on. For example: > NKJ Acts 4:18-20 “And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’” > NKJ Acts 5:27-29 “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’ 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” Of course, other Scriptural examples of civil disobedience could be given, such as the Hebrew midwives in ancient Egypt (Exod. 1:15-21 )or Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in ancient Babylon (otherwise known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (Dan. 3:8-18), or Daniel in Persia (Dan. 6:1-23). But, of course, these people disobeyed only at those points where the governing authorities expressly required them to disobey God. From the standpoint of Biblical teaching, which all Christians are required to follow as their ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice (over which no government has any authority), James Coates is absolutely correct. I shall be doing the same myself if need be. As @timon_phocas has also correctly observed, we are commanded to meet together regularly for worship, and we must obey God's command even if the government commands us to disobey it. We will not render unto Caesar the obedience we owe only to God in these matters.

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Cecil_J_Twillie comments on Feb 18, 2021:

Looks like I need to add some context to the quote 😊 > In the first half of life, the negative, the mysterious, the scary, and the problematic are always exported elsewhere. Doing so gives you a quick and firm ego structure that works for a while. But such splitting *is not an objective ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@Cecil_J_Twillie Thanks for the clarification on the "first half" verse "second half" of life language, which he seems to use both literally and as an analogy. And, yes, we can agree to disagree. We can still be friends. :)

‘Never before’ has the leader of the free world been ‘so cognitively compromised’ ...

WilliamWilliam comments on Feb 19, 2021:

Biden is the first extra-constitutionally elected President in the history of this country. WI, MI, GA, PA circumvented their state legislatures and violated their own state election laws in order to flood the ballot boxes with untraceable, unauditable no excuse mail in votes. Article 2, section 1, ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

Nail squarely and firmly hit on the head!

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Cecil_J_Twillie comments on Feb 18, 2021:

Looks like I need to add some context to the quote 😊 > In the first half of life, the negative, the mysterious, the scary, and the problematic are always exported elsewhere. Doing so gives you a quick and firm ego structure that works for a while. But such splitting *is not an objective ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@Krunoslav One further thought. Krunoslav and I don't always agree, but when we do, I don't see how we could possibly be wrong. 😁

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Cecil_J_Twillie comments on Feb 18, 2021:

Looks like I need to add some context to the quote 😊 > In the first half of life, the negative, the mysterious, the scary, and the problematic are always exported elsewhere. Doing so gives you a quick and firm ego structure that works for a while. But such splitting *is not an objective ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@Krunoslav Yes, Rohr does remind of such postmodernists, and *he* accuses *Jesus* of "fuzzy thinking"?

Yes.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 19, 2021:

I recommend reading a book called *What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an* by Dr. James White, which offers a good explanation of the differences between Christianity and Islam (and there are many). White has also engaged in numerous debates and dialogs with Muslim scholars, by the way,...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@JamesBartholomew Have a nice day.

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Cecil_J_Twillie comments on Feb 18, 2021:

Looks like I need to add some context to the quote 😊 > In the first half of life, the negative, the mysterious, the scary, and the problematic are always exported elsewhere. Doing so gives you a quick and firm ego structure that works for a while. But such splitting *is not an objective ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

I have seldom read such drivel as that contained in this more lengthy quote by Richard Rohr. @Krunoslav has offered what appears to me to be an apt response, as is his assessment that "He sounds a bit like a pseudo intellectual to me. According to some criticism of his work from others, it does fit with that." As for Rohr's use of the term *dualism*, I can't say that the citation above offers much more clarity, since he appears to use the term in equivocal ways. In fact, I'm not entirely sure that he really knows what he is talking about at all when he uses the terminology. For example, just before the incredible assertion that "Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West," Rohr said the following: > Listen to his dangerous and inclusionary thinking: “My Father’s sun shines on the good and the bad, his rain falls on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Or “Don’t pull out the weeds or you might pull out the wheat along with it. Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:29-30). If I had presented such fuzzy thinking in my moral theology class I would have gotten an F! Despite the stupidity of charging Jesus with "fuzzy thinking" based upon two quotes taken entirely out of context (which, by the way, actually demonstrates Rohr's own "fuzzy thinking," for which I would have given him an F were he one of my students), Rohr appears to be asserting that Jesus was a "non-dualistic religious thinker" because he assumes that Jesus did not differentiate between good and evil people, which he takes to be "dangerous and inclusionary thinking." Again, despite the fact that he has misrepresented Jesus by taking His words out of context (for Jesus was not at all inclusive in the way that Rohr seems to think that He was), Rohr appears to be referring here to a strictly *moral* dualism, i.e. that between good and evil. However, he then adds further on that: > ... we need first to clarify before we can subtly discriminate. Dualistic thinking gets you in the right ball park (You cannot serve both God and mammon), but nondulaistic wisdom, or what many of us call contemplation, is necessary once you actually get in the right field. Here Rohr appears to be referring to a dualism between the metaphysical (spirit) versus the physical (material). So which is it? Which dualism is he really talking about? Is it a good versus evil dualism or a metaphysical verse physical dualism? If both, how do they relate to each other? How are we to make sense of what he is saying when he confuses his categories in this way and doesn't even seem to know himself precisely what he is talking about? I'll leave any further criticism aside, such as attempting to delve into the opaque discussion of "first half...

Yes.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 19, 2021:

I recommend reading a book called *What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an* by Dr. James White, which offers a good explanation of the differences between Christianity and Islam (and there are many). White has also engaged in numerous debates and dialogs with Muslim scholars, by the way,...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@JamesBartholomew Perhaps you should watch the video, as well as some of his dialogs with Muslims, and maybe even read the book, before deciding how to assess Dr. White. At any rate, the real issue with which you need to grapple is whether or not Christianity, Islam, and Judaism make mutually exclusive claims, which they do. They could thus conceivably all be wrong, but they certainly could not all be right. All one has to do is examine their divergent understandings of who Jesus is and what He did for us in order to see this. If you really do think that you can claim to be an adherent of all three faiths, you cannot possibly understand any of them.

This is the sermon preached by the minister in British Columbia just before he went to jail.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I thought that he may have read into a few passages a bit more than was there, but overall it was an outstanding message that was very Biblical and totally correct. He has voiced what many of us have been teaching in our own pulpits in America where I serve as a pastor. In fact, I and my fellow ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 19, 2021:

@lawrenceblair I don't spend enough quiet time with my Savior either, brother. I'm so thankful for His grace.

This is the sermon preached by the minister in British Columbia just before he went to jail.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I thought that he may have read into a few passages a bit more than was there, but overall it was an outstanding message that was very Biblical and totally correct. He has voiced what many of us have been teaching in our own pulpits in America where I serve as a pastor. In fact, I and my fellow ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

@lawrenceblair No one who knows the Lord and can pray to Him is helpless, even if at times he may be tempted to feel that way. We all feel that way sometimes, I know, but prayer is always the answer, right?

People who (purportedly) are unable to tell the difference between BB's satire and the real news is ...

coalburned comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm always amazed by the people who fail to recognize The Bee for what it is. Are these folks willfully ignorant, legitimately ignorant, or just shockingly stupid?

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

The first line of their description on their "About Us" page states : "The Babylon Bee is the world’s best *satire* site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write *satire* about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life" (italics mine). Enough said.

McConnell's fight with Trump shows the self-defeating idiocy of the establishment- [redstate.

Stratslinger comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm done with the GOP. They didn't fight the election steals for the White House or Georgia. In fact, they aided the thefts. I'm done with voting. What's the point? What the Dems don't steal via mail-ins and dead people and illegal aliens, they make up for with Dominion machines. On top of that, the...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

@Stratslinger Yes, there will have to be a reformation of voting laws in certain states. This means also that the supreme Court will have to find its backbone and actually apply the Constitution. Such thoughts do easily lead to pessimism, don't they. I'll keep hoping and praying with you, but also will not count my chickens before they hatch, as the old saying goes. Our nation has been under the judgment of God for some time, and He may have no intention of offering us any further forbearance at this point.

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Krunoslav comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm not sure I would agree with the premise, that Jesus was non-dualistic. Any idea why that would be said?

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

@Krunoslav As you have correctly observed, there were many "non-dualists" (i.e. monists) before the time of Jesus in any case. So, Richard Rohr is wrong in the above quote on two issues: 1) Even if He had been a "non-dualist," Jesus would definitely not have been the first, not by a long shot, and 2) Jesus was not a "non-dualist" anyway. To be sure, His dualism was not the dualism of much of the Hellenistic influenced thought of His day, but it was a form of dualism nonetheless. However, although the quote has led to some interesting feedback here, it would still be good to know precisely what Richard Rohr meant by *dualism* in the above citation.

McConnell's fight with Trump shows the self-defeating idiocy of the establishment- [redstate.

Stratslinger comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm done with the GOP. They didn't fight the election steals for the White House or Georgia. In fact, they aided the thefts. I'm done with voting. What's the point? What the Dems don't steal via mail-ins and dead people and illegal aliens, they make up for with Dominion machines. On top of that, the...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm still hoping for a Trumpian reformation of the GOP. I guess we'll have to wait and see if they can drive out the old guard, which seem to be a bit of a minority in the party at this point, even if they still hold a lot of power in the party.

Jesus, I am convinced, was the first non-dualistic religious thinker in the West (there were ...

Krunoslav comments on Feb 18, 2021:

I'm not sure I would agree with the premise, that Jesus was non-dualistic. Any idea why that would be said?

KeithThroop replies on Feb 18, 2021:

I would need to know what he means by *dualism* in order to offer a response. There are various forms of dualism. If he is referring to a mind-body or spirit-body dualism, then, yes, Jesus held to such a dualism. However, such a view was already present in Judaism in the first century, but it was understood and is presented in the Biblical teaching in a certain way. In the Bible we are presented and beings made up of a soul/spirit and a body, and we are intended to exist as such in order to be whole persons. Due to the introduction of sin, there is a spiritual separation from God and a destruction of the body, which leads to a separation of the spirit/soul from the body, at death. Salvation is the restoration of the original state. It brings with it spiritual life, which is the restoration of spiritual communion with God and, ultimately, also the restoration of the body in the future resurrection. At this time believers will receive what the Bible calls a *glorified* body, which will forever be free from sin. For we are not completely saved until we are once again existing as embodied spiritual beings. This is God's intention for us, having created us to be what one theologian had referred to as a psychosomatic unity (i.e. a soul-body unity). This has necessarily been a brief description, and there are a number of issues I have not addressed, but it is, at least, a basic outline of the kind of dualism believed by Jesus and His fellow Jews in the first century, and it is the clear teaching of the Bible as well. It is thus the historic, orthodox position of Christians as well. At any rate, Jesus was *not*, as Richard Rohr states in the quote above, a "non-dualistic religious thinker." But again, I suppose it depends on what he means by *dualism.*

Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk radio pioneer, dead at 70 [foxnews.

coalburned comments on Feb 17, 2021:

I always thought under the bombastic public persona was a sincere, caring person who loved his country and longed to preserve the values that served us well for many years. Little glimpses here and there showed, to me, a different side of him than most were wlling to concede. He had his detractors, ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 17, 2021:

Well said.

Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk radio pioneer, dead at 70 [foxnews.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 17, 2021:

This is a sad day for true Conservatives in America. 😢

KeithThroop replies on Feb 17, 2021:

@saramarylop3z Me too.

Parler is back.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 16, 2021:

Yes, I was finally able to log in last night, but, although my account was there, all my previous posts were gone. Still, it is good to then back up and running.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 16, 2021:

@Stratslinger It's been good to have you here. :)

Parler resumes social media app after securing new computer servers I haven’t yet accessed ...

timon_phocas comments on Feb 15, 2021:

Howdy @Garsco, I just signed in. Parler seems to be up and running. There's content to browse.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 15, 2021:

@Garsco I cannot access it in my browser.

TransRepublican

angelo comments on Feb 15, 2021:

The man should be expelled from the GOP.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 15, 2021:

@timon_phocas Steve Turley has been using that term in most of his podcasts for weeks.

So the hypothesis is that God is an abstracted ideal formulated in large part to dissociate the ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 14, 2021:

> So the hypothesis is that God is an abstracted ideal formulated in large part to dissociate the ideal from any particular incarnation or man or ruler. From a Biblical perspective, this is backwards. It presupposes that man has created God rather than the other way around. God is not simply "an ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 15, 2021:

@Cecil_J_Twillie Yeah, that is the problem. As I said, he anachronistically read his own views back into the Bible, but that is not the way to understand what the Biblical writers actually thought and communicated. He reads in his own perspective and then dubs it "a very solid idea in the Old Testament," when it really isn't an Old Testament idea at all. That is my point. That is what I was indicating in my initial comment. How would he like it, I wonder, if I decided to read his writings according to a "strictly Conservative Evangelical" point of view, read my own perspective into what he said, and then dubbed it "a very solid idea in Jordan Peterson's writings"? He would no doubt accuse me of misreading him, and he would be right. But that is exactly what he has done with the Bible. Now, I do very much appreciate that he wants to take the Bible seriously as a piece of religious literature with something to offer people today, but I would appreciate it even more if he felt that their own views had something to offer rather than what he wants to read into them and provide for us through his own filter. I should add, however, that I think Dr. Peterson is a brilliant man, and I greatly appreciate many of the videos I've seen of his lectures and interviews. His critiques of issues such as socialism and the modern trend to destroy freedom of speech are outstanding. Although I certainly have my differences with him, overall I find him very likable, incredibly interesting, and often correct and enlightening about current socio-political issues. I have learned a great deal from him, and I have prayed for his health upon hearing of his troubles, but I won't be turning to him for help in understanding the Bible any time soon, and I won't recommend that others do either. By the way, I have two degrees in Biblical studies, and I teach a graduate level course in Biblical Hermeneutics, so my disagreements with him on the subject don't come from a place of ignorance.

So the hypothesis is that God is an abstracted ideal formulated in large part to dissociate the ...

KeithThroop comments on Feb 14, 2021:

> So the hypothesis is that God is an abstracted ideal formulated in large part to dissociate the ideal from any particular incarnation or man or ruler. From a Biblical perspective, this is backwards. It presupposes that man has created God rather than the other way around. God is not simply "an ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 14, 2021:

@Cecil_J_Twillie The issue I had with the Peterson quote above wasn't simply a disagreement with his view of God but with his misapprehension of the Biblical view of God. Even if one agreed with his personal understanding of God -- which I don't -- it still isn't the Biblical view of God. One cannot anachronistically read one's own views back into the Bible and presume that he has accurately understood the Bible, whether he agrees with the Bible's view or not.

Pelosi Furious About Impeachment Trial Results, Rules Out Censuring Trump [theepochtimes.

w0tn0t comments on Feb 13, 2021:

At her age, she might not survive the year ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 14, 2021:

I don't wish death on her, just retirement.

Ooops!!! It Appears I Invested in TOO Much Popcorn!!! “Trump Acquitted by Senate for a Second ...

Garsco comments on Feb 13, 2021:

Hold on to that popcorn. McConnell seemed to suggest in his “after remarks” that Trump could expect to be tried in regular courts for anything he did while president. The delusion never ends!

KeithThroop replies on Feb 13, 2021:

It won't happen because courts actually require evidence.

I was in a Zoom meeting earlier this week where two college aged kids were bewildered by a reference...

dentrawler comments on Feb 13, 2021:

I've met these people my whole life. Their vanity disables them from seeing past their own anecdotal experiences. It used to be that a college degree marked the beginning of your academic life, it provided you with the background information to practice what you've learned and gain the experience ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 13, 2021:

There are two indispensable marks of a good education: 1. A person discovers just how much he does *not* know. 2. A person discovers how to teach himself what he does not know. To be sure, there may also be other marks of a good education to consider, but without these two they don't mean much. I've often told this to my own children (whom we homeschooled through high school), as well as other young people, but I have sadly seen very little evidence of these two marks of a good education among many in the younger generations these days.

Are women aware of the risks of postponing having children?

SpikeTalon comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Certainly older, maturity is important in being a decent parent.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 11, 2021:

@SpikeTalon Frankly, I don't think there are enough younger parents these days to get a good read on it and make a very accurate a comparison, at least not in the broader culture. I know, however, that in the Christian community of which I am a part couples are marrying younger and having children at younger ages than many in the wider culture, and they are typically well prepared and solid parents. I don't think I would be too optimistic about many younger couples outside our community, though, since they typically do not have the same preparation and outlook. Such has been my experience watching trends over the past 20-30 years. Granted, one would assume that with greater years usually comes greater maturity and stability, but that doesn't really appear to be true across the board. Perhaps there is a difference between Conservatives and Liberals in this regard as well. A bad worldview in an older person is still a bad worldview. Anyway, I'm just sort of thinking out loud and typing some quick thoughts. I definitely wouldn't be dogmatic about it.

Are women aware of the risks of postponing having children?

SpikeTalon comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Certainly older, maturity is important in being a decent parent.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 11, 2021:

Perhaps, but I suspect it has more to do with how the parents themselves were actually raised and what their particular views on family are. Well prepared young people can make wonderful parents, and older people who are not well prepared can make terrible parents.

The unholy trinity [youtube.com]

timon_phocas comments on Feb 10, 2021:

If Time magazine hadn't done their End Zone Dance, it would just be conspiracy vapors on our side. The best conspiracies are kept secret for years. They've admitted 95% of our accusations.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 10, 2021:

Right on.

How can people prevent such tragedies from happening?

tracycoyle comments on Feb 9, 2021:

Nothing. Yep, accept that some people will just lose it and harm others. NOTHING you can do that will stop that from happening. Anything tried will be nothing less than tyranny.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 9, 2021:

@tracycoyle You are very welcome. It was certainly intended as a compliment. :)

What do Liberal activists believe Conservatives believe?

KeithThroop comments on Feb 9, 2021:

Not only do I think that Liberals don't understand how I think as a Conservative, it has been years since I have met one who seems to care what I think or has any desire whatsoever to understand anything at all from my perspective.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 9, 2021:

@govols Sounds like you have found a unicorn. 😉

How can people prevent such tragedies from happening?

tracycoyle comments on Feb 9, 2021:

Nothing. Yep, accept that some people will just lose it and harm others. NOTHING you can do that will stop that from happening. Anything tried will be nothing less than tyranny.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 9, 2021:

You have a habit of saying things that I initially want to disagree with because I don't want them to be true, but then I realize that you are just stating the obvious. You have a knack for getting straight to the heart of things in a way that forces one to face reality. That is what you have done here once again.

This is something I've posted elsewhere but that I thought members of this group might appreciate as...

8BallBrian comments on Feb 9, 2021:

I believe your analogy is quite apt. While it does provide an equivalent analog to racism with its crime and criminals concept, it does leave out the fact that many who are protesting racism, as they do crime as well, will always find what they look for. Even if it means spiraling down into a more...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 9, 2021:

@8BallBrian Very good point.

When they start wearing fishes...

TimTuolomne comments on Feb 8, 2021:

Clearly reverent..(not).

KeithThroop replies on Feb 8, 2021:

Right, it has to be one of the more stupid memes I've seen. If it is supposed to be taken seriously, it shows a complete lack of understanding of either Jesus or His followers. If it is supposed to be an attempt at humor, it fails miserably because it isn't even a little funny.

I have just logged in with a different browser and all the glitches have gone.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 6, 2021:

Thanks for mentioning Dissenter. I haven't heard of it, and I might give it a try.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 6, 2021:

@CookieMonster Same here.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Just Beat the Left at Their Own Game. [youtube.com]

turnerjolene48 comments on Feb 6, 2021:

She sounds like someone who will stand her ground. I hope she keeps it up.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 6, 2021:

Same here.

Jen Psaki flummoxed over 'Catch and Release' question [youtube.com]

turnerjolene48 comments on Feb 6, 2021:

she certainly is one of the worst press secretaries I have ever seen

KeithThroop replies on Feb 6, 2021:

Right on.

Now we are vetting the military for political loyalties.

TheMiddleWay comments on Feb 6, 2021:

If you consider white people to be supreme to all other people, if your allegiance is with Trump instead of the commander in chief, if you support the assault of government institutions, then you are in fact compromised and do not belong in the military.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 6, 2021:

@coalburned I would also question who is doing the vetting and what they mean by the term they are using. For example, in news coverage, I've heard talking of their desire to weed out "White Nationalism," but I suspect what they mean by that is simply "Nationalism." At any rate, I am very disturbed by the notion that people with such a definite bias are seeking to root out what they may see as problems from their own biases point of view but which are really not problems at all. They are just conservative rather than progressive points of view.

Greta Thunberg triggers criminal investigation in India after Twitter debacle- [zerohedge.com]

coalburned comments on Feb 6, 2021:

I'm shocked that anyone still pays attention to her.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 6, 2021:

Same here.

newsmax [newsclapper.com] Oh this is fun

timon_phocas comments on Feb 5, 2021:

What a way to instantly destroy your credibility among the conservative base.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 5, 2021:

Right. I thought they should have made Bob Sellers apologize for his biases and unprofessional behavior at the top of the next show, but they didn't of course.

JD explains why Dr.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 3, 2021:

I also agree that Macarthur is right on this issue and that Masters is wrong, but, as usual, I'm not all that impressed with some of the things J.D. says. He is usually right about important issues, but he often makes what I consider to be somewhat extreme statements or straw men characterizations.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 4, 2021:

@lawrenceblair Although I am an Historic Premillennialist myself -- in the vein of, say, a Charles Spurgeon -- I also strongly disagree with Dispensational theology.

JD explains why Dr.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 3, 2021:

I also agree that Macarthur is right on this issue and that Masters is wrong, but, as usual, I'm not all that impressed with some of the things J.D. says. He is usually right about important issues, but he often makes what I consider to be somewhat extreme statements or straw men characterizations.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 4, 2021:

@lawrenceblair I don't know what his eschatology is.

AOC Changes Tune on UNREST Now That It Affected Her. [youtube.com]

DaveO276 comments on Feb 3, 2021:

I don't think her concern necessarily comes down exclusively to the fact that she personally suffered in this case. It is because she can blame the right. If she can blame the right for something she will, even if it was others on her side who suffered - not her personally. Her mindset is more ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 3, 2021:

Good point.

If a church creates a budget for the year in Jan.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Sure it is biblical to keep taking the money so long as the congregation understands what is happening and so long as the money is being used to further the ministry of the church. For example, the church I pastor was well in the black this past year, so we increased our giving to missions and ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

@JeffHoneyager I should also point out, so that you will not think it doesn't matter to me, that I don't believe that Exodus 36:5-6 applies directly to the issue here. That was a specific situation for which giving was asked. It was for a specific project, not an ongoing ministry endeavor in which all who take part are interested not only in maintaining the current ministry but also expanding it as the Lord provides the means for us to do so.

If a church creates a budget for the year in Jan.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Sure it is biblical to keep taking the money so long as the congregation understands what is happening and so long as the money is being used to further the ministry of the church. For example, the church I pastor was well in the black this past year, so we increased our giving to missions and ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

@JeffHoneyager Well, you could follow that approach if you wanted, and I wouldn't see a problem with it, but there is also nothing at all wrong with the way we -- and every other church like ours I am aware of -- does things. By the way, it is not uncaring toward the church to graciously receive what they are led to give and to work with them to put it to what we all agree would be the best way to serve the Kingdom. And, by the way, often when we have seen more come in than we think we need, we end up finding that we do need it and that the Lord has simply provided for the need in advance. For example, one year we had much more in giving than we needed, and then two men in the congregation lost their jobs. The church was able to help their families survive for the months it took to find replacement work. We also had a missionary that got some big emergency medical bills once that we were able to help pay. At any rate, it is not uncaring or in any way wrong to receive what the people want to give -- especially since they are knowingly giving more than what the budgeted "needs" are for the year and choosing to do so anyway -- and then involve them in the decisions about what to do with the extra amount. This is a mutually agreed upon approach that is completely open and respects their wishes at every point. Oh, and by the way, I am one of those givers myself.

Just "virtue signaling" month things.

JacksonNought comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Kinda looks like what Trump did with Christianity on the campaign trail.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

@JacksonNought Well, he didn't really mispronounce 2 Corinthians. He said it in a way that one typically hears it in England, for example, but also some times in academic circles.

If a church creates a budget for the year in Jan.

KeithThroop comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Sure it is biblical to keep taking the money so long as the congregation understands what is happening and so long as the money is being used to further the ministry of the church. For example, the church I pastor was well in the black this past year, so we increased our giving to missions and ...

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

@JeffHoneyager There is no need for that because it has been understood for years that all monies given to the church will be used for the ministry of the church and in a way in which the congregation itself approves. Also, every week the congregation sees in the bulletin how much money is budgeted, spent, and given. If they give beyond that, it is because they want to give more for the ministry of the church, and that is what it is always used for.

Just "virtue signaling" month things.

JacksonNought comments on Feb 2, 2021:

Kinda looks like what Trump did with Christianity on the campaign trail.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

I agree. I warned my fellow Christians that Donald Trump is not a Christian and that they should not be fooled by his pandering. Frankly, when he said things like, "the Bible is my favorite book," I think he was lying,

NY Times Calls For Biden to Appoint “Reality Czar” to Fight “Misinformation” [infowars.com]

Andyman comments on Feb 2, 2021:

This might sound silly but it’s deadly serious and a gigantic threat to the first amendment. The loss of freedom of speech is the harbinger to genocide.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

Right on.

The meltdown [youtu.be]

dentrawler comments on Feb 2, 2021:

She summed it up all on her own..."maybe I'm projecting". That's the Progressive mind encapsulated, they project their own neuroses onto the the rest of the country and revel in the endorphins rush of victimhood.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

Excellent observation.

Christian nationalism is a threat, and not just from Capitol attackers invoking Jesus

coalburned comments on Feb 2, 2021:

What a bunch of nonsense. Just one more article proving that many people don't know what true Christianity is. That goes for many who profess to be Christian, too.

KeithThroop replies on Feb 2, 2021:

@wolfhnd Yes, and this obsession is a prelude to some kind of action against us. It starts with a smear campaign that seeks to paint us as some sort of domestic terrorists, and this becomes the means of marginalizing us and violating our rights. All these Christian politicians are attempting to do is to speak their minds as they have a right to do under the Constitution, and they aren't hiding anything. They are completely open. Yet the article paints them as a sort of threat, even though the kinds of things they are saying have been said by Christians since the founding of our nation.

DEM NIGHTMARE! Impeachment BACKFIRING as Trump RISES to 2024 FRONTRUNNER [youtube.

guru comments on Jan 28, 2021:

The green new deal was pretty ridiculous.

KeithThroop replies on Jan 28, 2021:

Yes.

Biden v.

w0tn0t comments on Jan 28, 2021:

I will continue to call it the #ChinaVirus - because it came from CHINA

KeithThroop replies on Jan 28, 2021:

Yep!

Biden v.

tracycoyle comments on Jan 28, 2021:

Me too!! Well, actually, I'm calling it the Wuhan Virus...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 28, 2021:

That'll work just as well. :)

Remember when Joe Biden said "you can't legislate by Executive Orders unless you're a dictator"- ...

coalburned comments on Jan 28, 2021:

Golden...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 28, 2021:

@coalburned Thanks!

Remember when Joe Biden said "you can't legislate by Executive Orders unless you're a dictator"- ...

coalburned comments on Jan 28, 2021:

Golden...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 28, 2021:

@SpikeTalon The link doesn't work for me.

Leftist Turns His Dad Into The FBI, Posts GoFundMe Raising 100k, The Culture Revolution Is Here - ...

Krunoslav comments on Jan 25, 2021:

If you send a child to school in America that is bona fide child abuse at this point. If you give them mobile device to read what google serves them that is bona fide child abuse. And if you child still rats out on you, than give it away and jump of the nearest building because you utterly failed as...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 27, 2021:

@dd54 Right now I think all 50 states allow homeschooling, although some regulate it more than others. So far as I know, those who homeschool can meet together and have various parents teach special classes if they choose. There is no need to form any formal cooperative.

Texas in a hurry [youtu.be]

Krunoslav comments on Jan 27, 2021:

This cartel operates like Mafia, you can enter but they won't let you leave. If Texas hopes to leave the union they should study Brexit more closely. They won't be allowed to leave, unless they have some serious leverage. And at the moment I don't think they have. Its a nice gesture, but I don't see...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 27, 2021:

I agree that it would be extremely difficult. I suspect it would take a number of states banding together to pull it off.

Now they want to ban Telegram! [youtube.com]

tracycoyle comments on Jan 27, 2021:

"When the quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to...."

KeithThroop replies on Jan 27, 2021:

@Krunoslav Yes, I think that accurately assesses their impact, but it also made a huge difference when Constantine and his other converted to Christianity, and he then made it the official religion of the Empire. That decision was both a bane and a blessing to the Church.

Now they want to ban Telegram! [youtube.com]

tracycoyle comments on Jan 27, 2021:

"When the quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to...."

KeithThroop replies on Jan 27, 2021:

@Krunoslav You remind me of what the early church father Tertullian (155-240 AD) said in the face of much persecution of Christians: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."

Paul said that we are not "under the law".

lawrenceblair comments on Jan 26, 2021:

So wrong! Twist and turn around, turn around; no matter how much he deliberately twists the word of God he still come out preaching salvation by works.

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

I agree. He twists the meaning of the word "law" and claims to be doing so by means of the context, but he actually distorts the context pretty badly as well. I had to quit to listening 10-15 minutes into it because the errors were piling up so fast I was beginning to lose track of them. I just couldn't bring myself to spend any more time on it. I didn't hear him expressly advocate salvation by works, however, but, again, I just couldn't bring myself to listen to any more of it.

Ok mostly a question for the Conservatives out there but anyone can chime in.

KeithThroop comments on Jan 26, 2021:

I don't watch many TV shows because, frankly, most of them have such a Left leaning agenda. There is one that leans Right that my wife and I like to watch, which is Blue Bloods.

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

@govols It is pro-family, pro-religion (Catholic), and pro-police. It may have something to do with Tom Selleck, who is a known Republican and NRA member, if memory serves.

I would vote for this woman without hesitation. Short vid - I say Amen sister! [youtu.be]

tracycoyle comments on Jan 26, 2021:

Last Spring I said she was the biggest threat to Trump from the Left. I still think she is the best voice for the Left. I don't agree with her on lots, but the fact of the matter is that I truly believe she cares more for this Country than any other politician on the Left AND most of the Right.

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

Right. Although I disagree with many of her Democrat views, she is a refreshing return to what some Democrats used to be. I'm thinking here of Democrats like Joe Lieberman.

Biden administration ‘more dangerous’ than Donald Trump ever was. [youtube.com]

KeithThroop comments on Jan 26, 2021:

That was a great interview. I am beginning to wish we could subscribe to Sky News Australia here in America. But we do have a couple of great networks on the rise: NewsMax and One America News.

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

@w0tn0t Thanks! :)

Who is currently the President of the United States?

saramarylop3z comments on Jan 26, 2021:

I voted for Trump, and Biden won. Fun fact, I've never voted for a president who's won. So seeing the "you have voted for: Joe Biden" after answering this poll was kind of trippy.😂

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

@DaveO276 Exactly.

Leftist Turns His Dad Into The FBI, Posts GoFundMe Raising 100k, The Culture Revolution Is Here - ...

Krunoslav comments on Jan 25, 2021:

If you send a child to school in America that is bona fide child abuse at this point. If you give them mobile device to read what google serves them that is bona fide child abuse. And if you child still rats out on you, than give it away and jump of the nearest building because you utterly failed as...

KeithThroop replies on Jan 26, 2021:

@dd54, @Naomi Yes, there is a lot of brainwashing going on in a lot of colleges, but there are still some really good colleges around as well, although most of them are private colleges, and many of them are connected with various Christian groups. They are definitely in the minority, however, since even some of these schools have moved to the Left.