• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Discernment or dominance?

God never judges a book by its cover and neither should we. If people are there trying to learn about God, then you should welcome them with open arms. You never know where people are at in their walk and who knows, maybe you could help others in an area that you're more experienced in. We are supposed to help each other. Rejecting people and pulling away is only if people are living in sin and they refuse correction and still refuse correction by church leadership but that's the only instance.

Using "wisdom" or "discernment" as an excuse just because of the way someone looks, is not even the right context and it's only showing a self-righteous heart that they think they're better than others and feel better about themselves to put others down. We need to always remember where we started when we decided to walk with Christ, and should be helping others along, not make them feel left out if they are genuinely just starting out.

I used to go to a church that literally wanted to change out the youth pastor because people got offended that teens would show up in gothic clothes and tattoos. People were inviting their friends but some how, that made others uncomfortable.. like, WHAT? That is the point people!!! Church is EXACTLY where they need to be! :rage:
Yes yes yes, church is for the broken as well as the well…..oh man! How did we go so wrong????
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Men now surpass women in church attendance, especially among Gen X, millennials: Barna

We need to go back to the drawing board.
True. God saod seek the Kingdom but everyone still keeps themselves planted in the self-serving ways of mankind. At this rate the sons of God that rules the nations have little to worry about for a long time. We still follow them.
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Prayer Request: Give Thanks for a Kind and Caring Person

Dear friends, I would like to ask for your prayers for Pey Ling, who has been a wonderful support to me during my father’s major kidney operation—helping me cover my work and even buying thoughtful gifts. Please pray that God blesses her abundantly with good health, joy, peace, and His favor in all she does. May He continue to use her to bless others as she has blessed us.

Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

Or people could just decide they don't like gold anymore. Like you said, it's just a shiny metal. It just happens to be a shiny metal people want.
I guess that's possible. After thousands of years of gold being the primary monetary metal; maybe the bankers will sell off their assets at fire sale rates.

However, right now, the central banks of the world continue to quietly hoard it.
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Men now surpass women in church attendance, especially among Gen X, millennials: Barna

Your work ethic shouldn’t be tied to a spouse. We should endeavor to do well to honor the Lord for the gifts He bestowed and the resources He entrusts. Work is a spiritual pursuit and the money earned is part of our stewardship.
That is is basically what christian red pill teaches.

Using ai to scrape the content of the christianredpill subreddit as a definition for what was actually taught by a handful of people who built it, is disingenuous.

If you did the same for this forum, an agnostic person would say christianity is a bunch of angry political arguments over differing minutia of theologies
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Discernment or dominance?

If I'm understanding correctly...in 2025 sadly I can see some of the hesitation, caution, etc.
Being discerning isn't judging. It's judging to think being discerning is judging. Not saying that to you directly Louise, but in general since I see it often online.
Hypocritical judgment is wrong. Jesus’ command not to judge others in Matthew 7:1 is preceded by comparisons to hypocrites (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) and followed by a warning against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:3–5). When we point out the sin of others while we ourselves commit the same sin, we condemn ourselves (Romans 2:1). There is a difference between discerning and judging.
So yes, welcome all, but if there is a yellow flag about something with a person, maybe just keep a closer eye on what the issue is and maybe have a leader in the church talk to the person some in general to get to know what their perspectives are better. It could be innocent or not, but that way the more info the easier to see if it's an issue or not.
Thank you, I definitely don’t want to judge because I’m nothing but imperfect! My concern I think is when the discernment feels like it comes from personal prejudices…..only God knows our hearts and intent’s though, I could be mistaken…
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Discernment or dominance?

Good morning all,
I’ve been a Christian for nearly 40 years, but like to keep it simple and not get too bogged down with tradition etc…,
I’m seeking some Christian counsel regarding how we accept people in to our church family or should I say not accept?
My belief is welcome one and all, as Jesus would, let him do the working in their lives our job is to love and disciple…..
I am finding fellow church members judging new people, how they look, how they act, are they safe, where are they from? We shouldn’t ask them into groups but vet them so to speak before inviting them to bible studies, online groups, social groups! Who decides how much vetting is enough?
They seem to throw around the words wisdom & discernment to justify that they don’t want someone in our church…..my spirit is struggling with this…. Had anyone else had this with the discernment/wisdom thing?
God never judges a book by its cover and neither should we. If people are there trying to learn about God, then you should welcome them with open arms. You never know where people are at in their walk and who knows, maybe you could help others in an area that you're more experienced in. We are supposed to help each other. Rejecting people and pulling away is only if people are living in sin and they refuse correction and still refuse correction by church leadership but that's the only instance.

Using "wisdom" or "discernment" as an excuse just because of the way someone looks, is not even the right context and it's only showing a self-righteous heart that they think they're better than others and feel better about themselves to put others down. We need to always remember where we started when we decided to walk with Christ, and should be helping others along, not make them feel left out if they are genuinely just starting out.

I used to go to a church that literally wanted to change out the youth pastor because people got offended that teens would show up in gothic clothes and tattoos. People were inviting their friends but some how, that made others uncomfortable.. like, WHAT? That is the point people!!! Church is EXACTLY where they need to be! :rage:
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Discernment or dominance?

Welcome to CF. If it were me I would lead by example, show acceptance, respect and above all , love. If you only knew how hard it is for Christians to find a new congregation! Lets not be the reason for that difficulty.

Be blessed
Thank you, yes that’s exactly what I want to do…..I guess my concern is being questioned and almost encouraged to be suspicious, of course I want to be safe and my church family to be safe…..but I want to love & accept above all, because I feel like that’s what Jesus would do!
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Democrat AG candidate called for 'two bullets' in the head of his opponent along with killing his children.

More 'joked about with a colleague privately' than 'called for', but sure it's not a good look for someone running for public office.

See also:
It is now joking to want a political opponent and his children killed?

Was it a good look before he got exposed?
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DOJ issues subpoenas to NY AG Letitia James, including over Trump civil fraud case and NRA case: Sources

Social media erupts as resurfaced AG James posts come back to haunt her: 'No one is above the law'

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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

That said, I stopped paying attention when, out of curiosity, I checked into what they locals were paying, and it was much less than the price of gold at the time, based on 10 carat gold having a content of 10/24 = 5/12 = 41.67% gold, or 5/12 of a troy ounce gold per troy ounce gold alloy, or current price x 5/12. Best I can recall, someone was making a tidy profit. Basically, if you sold them jewelry, you were selling the metal at a discount.
I'm not desperate; and I won't hesitate to walk away from a bad deal. There are plenty of dealers out there who don't gouge. If somebody low balls me; I will literally laugh at them and walk away. Sometimes they chase me trying to make a deal. I won't deal with people who don't act in honor. You get only one chance to try to get over on me. It's the same for any price negotiation, no matter what it is that I'm buying or selling.
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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

LOL. It's just a shiny metal with some uses. It's not majik.
The cap on top of the Washington Monument is made of aluminum, and was on display for a time at (hazy memory ahead) Tiffany's. At the time aluminum was a precious metal. Napoleon had aluminum ware dining utensils for the same reason. But then came the electrolytic method of processing ore and the value of aluminum plummeted.

Here, in 2025, there's a start-up company that thinks it can transmute gold from mercury at a profit. The idea is to put mercury 198 into fusion reactor and transmute it to mercury 197, which decays into gold 197. We will see. If successful, it's bound to have an impact on gold prices. Not as much as the electrolytic method did for aluminum,, but possibly significant.

Or people could just decide they don't like gold anymore. Like you said, it's just a shiny metal. It just happens to be a shiny metal people want.
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Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t, Either


But a more recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan research group, found that "2025 marks the first time in more than 30 years that left-wing terrorist attacks outnumber those from the violent far right."
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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

You sound like a salesman.
I have been; but never a good one.

I'm better with History.

“We are in danger of being overwhelmed with irredeemable paper, mere paper, representing not gold nor silver; no sir, representing nothing but broken promises, bad faith, bankrupt corporations, cheated creditors and a ruined people.” -- Daniel Webster, speech in the Senate, 1833
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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

I think you’re referring to pawn shops and they’re notoriously slanted in the shop’s favor.
Shrug. Like everyone else, they're in it to make a profit. Even then, have seen at least one pawn shop go under.
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The History of the “Two Laws” Theory in Romans 3:20

The lesson here from Paul and Isaiah is for me at this time in history, is the same as then. That a man can't live in rejection of God's Commandments, Judgments and Statutes, then show up each week with the Blood of an unblemished Sacrifice, as required by Law, for justification of willful rejection of God's Laws.

For by the "Works of the Law" shall no Flesh be justified.
Rejection of God’s commandments is not the issue, being put back under the bondage of the law is beyond problematic. So you are right to say that by the works of the law no one is justified. However, this is really not what you are teaching is it?
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The Nobel Peace Prize went to Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado - why not Trump? He's solved 8 wars!


Maris Corina Machado very strongly disagrees with your progress left wing liberal biases against President Donald Trump.
There's more than one way.......
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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

I see shop all over town that say "WE BUY GOLD." (This generally means gold jewelry.)
Haven't seen that around here since before the movie Onward. There's a brief visual joke along those lines in one of the trailers. Onward just serves as a handy reference point to the year. Onward was released in 2020, so it's been over half a decade since I've seen those signs around there.

That said, I stopped paying attention when, out of curiosity, I checked into what they locals were paying, and it was much less than the price of gold at the time, based on 10 carat gold having a content of 10/24 = 5/12 = 41.67% gold, or 5/12 of a troy ounce gold per troy ounce gold alloy, or current price x 5/12. Best I can recall, someone was making a tidy profit. Basically, if you sold them jewelry, you were selling the metal at a discount.

As to Craig's List...well, things have happened as a consequence of people being people, and not a fault of Craig's List.

That said, it's your money.
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Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

Pete Hegseth has never condoned anything that is illegal under conventions of American warfare. Please stop attempting to spread falsehoods against my Secretary of Defense and Secretary of War. As a soldier who is still serving in the US Army after 27 years of service, I have never been prouder to be an American soldier than I am now.
Assertion.
Evidence?
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Discernment or dominance?

Good morning all,
I’ve been a Christian for nearly 40 years, but like to keep it simple and not get too bogged down with tradition etc…,
I’m seeking some Christian counsel regarding how we accept people in to our church family or should I say not accept?
My belief is welcome one and all, as Jesus would, let him do the working in their lives our job is to love and disciple…..
I am finding fellow church members judging new people, how they look, how they act, are they safe, where are they from? We shouldn’t ask them into groups but vet them so to speak before inviting them to bible studies, online groups, social groups! Who decides how much vetting is enough?
They seem to throw around the words wisdom & discernment to justify that they don’t want someone in our church…..my spirit is struggling with this…. Had anyone else had this with the discernment/wisdom thing?
Welcome to CF. If it were me I would lead by example, show acceptance, respect and above all , love. If you only knew how hard it is for Christians to find a new congregation! Lets not be the reason for that difficulty.

Be blessed
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Reactions: Louise2065
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