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  • 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.

Consumer Prices Will Go Down From Day One? Will Gas Prices Go Down 50% Within A Year?

"Over the June-August 2025 period, tariffs explain roughly 0.5 percentage points of headline PCE annualized inflation and around 0.4 percentage points of core PCE annualized inflation.3". <---Donald Trump did that.


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Prayers for me please.

we pretty much just got home. The roads were TERRIBLE and I selfishly encouraged my wife to drive the rest of the way instead of get a hotel in potsdam/Canton but, we're here, we're safe and we didn't crash. We did go off of the road and need to call geico to get us towed out of the ditch but we were fine. But, I feel SO guilty for being so selfish. The roads were just so terrible and I put our lives in danger just because I wanted to go home. Just... not good. Anyway, we're home and we got here safe.
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Consumer Prices Will Go Down From Day One? Will Gas Prices Go Down 50% Within A Year?

Possibly not.

'That didn't sit well': Trump's own rallygoers reportedly 'disappointed' by latest speech

"He's saying that the economy is roaring and doing well, but at the same time he's preaching austerity," said Geist. "Buy less for your children, buy less for your family this Christmas, and you don't have to take it from us people. At the rally, Trump supporters interviewed by MS NOW, by NBC News, by The New York Times said prices are too high and they're disappointed by what they heard."

"Remember ... this was supposed to be a rally about affordability," Geist continued. "This was supposed to be to reframe the debate about affordability and acknowledgment that Americans are paying too much for their lives, that they need help from this administration. And he immediately goes on the stage with a banner that says lower prices behind him — which is not true, inflation is where it was when Joe Biden left office — and mocks the idea of affordability."
It's strange how they're already repeating one of the major mistakes that cost Democrats the 2024 election.
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Can a young child become a Christian?

you need to define these terms better so people don't ague about it.
I think I was pretty clear when I said THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
what is baptism to you? is it a cerimony performed in a church? is it only in a catholic church? do you have to have full immersion? does the pastor have to say all the words correctly? what if he forgets to say one of them?
1. It doesn't matter what it is to me.
2. It doesn't have to be only on the Catholic Church
3. Full immersion, where do you get that requirement?
4. The words are important, just as Christ commanded
5. Christ gave us the words, it is therefore imperative.
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Trump’s team sees Europe’s ‘erasure.’

Oh, yes we are talking right now, in America. About your "EU", and we're beginning to wonder who's the bigger threat... Russia, China, or the EU.

The only participant on this thread having such thoughts is you, apparently.
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The law, the commandments, and Christians.

You’re merging multiple “laws” into one thing. Paul doesn’t treat “Law,” “Mosaic Law,” “Decalogue,” and “New Law” as interchangeable. He distinguishes between the law of works, the law of faith, the law of the Spirit, etc. Flattening them into a single category is a post-biblical move, not a textual one.

The idea that the Ten Commandments = natural law = permanently binding isn’t a biblical argument. Scripture never isolates the Decalogue as the “moral law” distinct from the rest of Torah. That’s a later Christian framework. James 2:10 actually warns against dividing the Law into keepable vs. non-keepable parts.

Galatians 3:24 is used selectively. Yes, the Law was a tutor. But Paul’s whole point is: "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the tutor" (v. 25). You can’t use v. 24 to argue ongoing obligation while ignoring v. 25.

Jeremiah 31 doesn’t say God will write the Ten Commandments on the heart. It says “My law,” and explicitly contrasts the New Covenant with the one made when Israel came out of Egypt i.e., Sinai. The New Covenant is not just Sinai internalized.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments” doesn’t refer to the Ten Commandments. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ “commandments” are His own teachings, especially His new commandment to love as He loved (John 13:34-35), not Moses’ commands.

Paul repeatedly calls the Sinai covenant a ministry of death and slavery (2 Cor 3; Gal 4). So saying the Commandments are “paths to freedom” needs to reckon with Paul’s language. He explicitly locates Christian freedom in life by the Spirit, not adherence to written code (Rom 7–8; Gal 5).

Most of your argument depends on the Catechism, not Scripture. If the question is “What does the Bible say?”, the Catechism can't settle the issue by itself. The NT nowhere says the Decalogue survives as a uniquely binding law code for Christians while the rest of Moses doesn't. the OP may present a well-accepted Catholic interpretation, but biblically speaking, it assumes distinctions the text doesn’t make and ignores the parts of Paul that undermine the conclusion. The NT’s moral vision is grounded in the Spirit and the law of Christ, not a selective continuation of Sinai.
We won't understand the gospel unless we first understand that, with or without regard to the law, whether or not one has even heard the law, one cannot be and remain a murderer, adulterer, theif, etc and still expect to enter heaven.
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Kirk Cameron Takes Heat for His Annihilationist View on Hell

Why would you imply that God's justice makes God a monster?
Eternal torture, without mercy and without hope? Infinite punishment for finite crimes? That's isn't justice, that's simply cruelty for its own sake. The doctrine paints God as a monster, pitiless and infinitely cruel, condemning the majority of those He created to literally endless torture. No "Father, forgive them" anymore. it's "burn baby burn!" That's what y'all teach.
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Donald Trump Says US To Launch Land Action in Venezuela ‘Very Soon’

...of course there's a video....and hints of a legal justification.

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video on Wednesday evening on social media showing armed U.S. forces rappelling from a helicopter onto the deck of the tanker. The video could not be independently verified.

Ms. Bondi said the operation included the F.B.I., the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard, supported by the Pentagon. She said the tanker had been used to transport “sanctioned oil” from Venezuela and Iran.

The U.S. officials said they expected additional seizures in the coming weeks as part of the administration’s efforts to weaken Mr. Maduro’s government by undermining its oil market.

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State leaders speak out about plans to expand the Islamic Academy of Alabama

I won't share polling data or personal anecdotes; I'll share the actual statistics I posted in #68.


In USA there are 300 Full time Islamic school. compare to


Bangladesh-91% population Muslim vs 0.30% Christian. yet Bangladesh has over 1500 Christians schools and colleges.

Pakistan: 96% Muslims and 1.6% Christian. Pakistan is known as the country of Islamic extremist. yet Pakistan has over 450 Christians schools and colleges.

Malaysia : 64% Muslim vs 9% Christian , yet Malaysia has over 400 Christians schools and colleges.
Similar story in other country.

These statistics are consistent with my four decades of volunteer experience at Christian schools and hospitals in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other Muslim-majority countries. Furthermore, I believe that approximately half of the Christians participating in this forum belong to churches that support American missionaries, doctors, and educators who serve in many of these schools and hospitals.

The argument that Muslims are inherently intolerant and, therefore, should not be given opportunities in America is not supported by either my personal experience or by the factual evidence on the ground. My observations, drawn from years of involvement in Christian educational and medical institutions across Muslim-majority countries, directly contradict this narrative. The statistics I have shared further demonstrate that, despite being in the minority, Christian communities in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Malaysia have established and operated hundreds of schools and colleges.

It appears that a country guaranteeing religious freedom in its constitution faces more challenges opening Muslim schools in Alabama than Christian schools do in Muslim-majority Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Muslim countries where Christians are persecuted

Searching the web
59 results
Muslim-majority countries (where Islam is the predominant religion) feature prominently in reports on Christian persecution, often due to a combination of Islamic oppression (state-enforced Sharia laws, blasphemy/apostasy penalties), societal pressure (family/community rejection of converts), and violence from extremist groups (e.g., al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Fulani militants). According to Open Doors' World Watch List 2025, which ranks the 50 countries with the most extreme persecution of Christians based on violence, pressure in daily life, and restrictions, many of the top offenders are Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.Key Muslim-Majority Countries with Severe PersecutionHere are some of the highest-ranked ones (focusing on extreme or very high levels):
  • Somalia (Rank 2) — Nearly 100% Muslim; al-Shabaab militants target Christians, especially converts, who are often killed on the spot. Christianity is seen as a betrayal of clan and Somali identity.
  • Libya (Rank 3) — Post-collapse chaos allows militias to harass and detain Christians; converts face death threats, and proselytizing is forbidden.
  • Eritrea (Rank 4) — Though not exclusively Islamic-driven, non-recognized Christian groups face imprisonment; Muslim-background converts experience intense family pressure.
  • Yemen (Rank 5) — Houthi-controlled areas enforce strict Sharia; converts risk execution, and Christians face discrimination in aid and healthcare.
  • Sudan (Rank 8) — Islamic laws and ongoing conflict target Christians; churches are attacked, and converts are ostracized or killed.
  • Pakistan (Rank 7) — Blasphemy laws are weaponized against Christians; mob violence, forced marriages, and abductions of Christian girls are common.
  • Iran (Rank 9) — The regime views Christian converts as threats to national security; arrests, imprisonment, and house church raids are routine.
  • Afghanistan (Rank 10, previously higher) — Under Taliban rule, no public Christianity is allowed; converts face death from family or authorities.
  • Nigeria (Rank 6 in some prior lists, high violence) — Northern Muslim-majority states see Fulani militant and Boko Haram attacks killing thousands of Christians annually; the deadliest country for Christians.
Other notable Muslim-majority countries on the list include:
  • Syria
  • Iraq
  • Algeria
  • Mali
  • Morocco
  • Bangladesh
  • Tunisia
Broader ContextOpen Doors reports over 380 million Christians face high/extreme persecution globally in 2025, with Sub-Saharan Africa seeing rising jihadist violence. Sources like the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and State Department reports corroborate issues in countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Nigeria, citing government discrimination, failure to protect minorities, and non-state actor violence.Persecution varies: converts from Islam often face the worst (family rejection, death threats), while historical Christian communities may experience discrimination but less violence. Not all Muslim-majority countries persecute Christians severely (e.g., Jordan, Lebanon, or Indonesia have lower levels or dropped off recent lists due to improvements). Reports emphasize that while extremists drive much violence, state laws and societal norms in many places enable it.These findings come from independent monitoring by organizations like Open Doors (Christian NGO, audited externally) and USCIRF (U.S. government commission), focusing on documented incidents of violence, arrests, church closures, and discrimination.
Source Grok
Do Muslims in America face anything like this?
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Donald Trump Says US To Launch Land Action in Venezuela ‘Very Soon’

...he probably right on the underlying motive....Trump already floated the idea of keeping the tanker's oil.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil

“The true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed,” Gil said. “It’s not migration. It’s not drug trafficking. It’s not democracy. It has always been about our natural resources.” Trump’s objective, he said, “has always been to take Venezuelan oil without paying anything in return.”

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The Music Thread: Millennial Edition

One of my favorite bands growing up was No Doubt. I had watched one of their music videos earlier this week - Simple Kind of Life.

I wasn't sure if I was able to post the video or not since there's a scene where Gwen Stefani is topless but has hair covering up her breasts. So I'll post the audio version of the song to be on the safe side.

Login to view embedded media
I like I’m just a girl, even though I’m not a girl
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State leaders speak out about plans to expand the Islamic Academy of Alabama

That's where things like polling data, stats, and overall outcomes need to be given the proper weight in discussions instead of just anecdotes.

Personal anecdotes can be used to amplify or downplay themes and narratives.

I've personally been to East Cleveland easily hundreds of times, and haven't been shot while I was there. That doesn't negate the reality that there's a problem of gun violence in East Cleveland that's way higher than out in the burbs. (People who have been, or have a relative who has been would probably have a much stronger narrative in the opposite direction)

Polling & aggregated statistics would indicate that there are some problems that are largely unique to Islam, as well as other problems that while aren't unique to Islam, exist to a much higher degree in Islam. That trumps individual anecdotes (going in either direction)

"I lived in an Islam-majority country, and never had any problems...therefore, all of the complaints are just hype" is reminiscent of "My grandpa smoked 2 packs a day, and lived to be 82 and never got cancer...therefore, all of the anti-smoking stuff is just hype"

I won't share polling data or personal anecdotes; I'll share the actual statistics I posted in #68.


In USA there are 300 Full time Islamic school. compare to


Bangladesh-91% population Muslim vs 0.30% Christian. yet Bangladesh has over 1500 Christians schools and colleges.

Pakistan: 96% Muslims and 1.6% Christian. Pakistan is known as the country of Islamic extremist. yet Pakistan has over 450 Christians schools and colleges.

Malaysia : 64% Muslim vs 9% Christian , yet Malaysia has over 400 Christians schools and colleges.
Similar story in other country.

These statistics are consistent with my four decades of volunteer experience at Christian schools and hospitals in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other Muslim-majority countries. Furthermore, I believe that approximately half of the Christians participating in this forum belong to churches that support American missionaries, doctors, and educators who serve in many of these schools and hospitals.

The argument that Muslims are inherently intolerant and, therefore, should not be given opportunities in America is not supported by either my personal experience or by the factual evidence on the ground. My observations, drawn from years of involvement in Christian educational and medical institutions across Muslim-majority countries, directly contradict this narrative. The statistics I have shared further demonstrate that, despite being in the minority, Christian communities in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Malaysia have established and operated hundreds of schools and colleges.

It appears that a country guaranteeing religious freedom in its constitution faces more challenges opening Muslim schools in Alabama than Christian schools do in Muslim-majority Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Can a young child become a Christian?

People become Christian through the Sacrament of Baptism
you need to define these terms better so people don't ague about it.

what is baptism to you? is it a cerimony performed in a church? is it only in a catholic church? do you have to have full immersion? does the pastor have to say all the words correctly? what if he forgets to say one of them?

or do you mean people become christian by being born again? (baptism of the heart through the transformation power of the Holy Spirit)

these are all things people have pedantically argued about on this forum and many others and it divides many denominations.
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Can a young child become a Christian?

So your view would be that all children are saved until the time when they can make a conscious decision to be saved or not? Did I understand that correctly?
children are not saved until they are born again, and from a more stringent position that some on this forum have argued about:
no one is saved until after they are ressurected, so, no one has been saved yet.


so with regard to children who have no knowledge of their own sin, (which is like 1 year of age) they, under the law or the rules, do not become guilty of sin until they become aware they have sinned.

children who die are more likely to accept Jesus' offer of forgiveness after they die than adults are, who intentionally sinned, hardened their heart, and refused to acknowledge Jesus.

so yes, technically i believe salvation for the innocent after death. but we need to define these terms better.

many Christians believe they are saved, but are not born again and do not understand the internal regeneration available to them through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. they, like my mom for decades of her life, pray to jesus for forgiveness of sin, they feel at peace.. and thats it. their relationship goes no further. i presume they will be "saved" and end up in heaven.
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B flat B♭

We use exactly the same footage to claim it is flat.
Well that's a huge fail on your part. It clearly shows the horizon is not flat.
But the Chinese spacewalk - although it’s probably fake - is supposedly much higher.
It's genuine, and it falsifies your claims
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B flat B♭

Hard to get a high res photo anyway. Find me something credible where you can see the rest of the moon and maybe I’ll change my mind. Just kidding I won’t.
You admit that your involvement in this thread is a complete waste of time.
I held a straight edge to the horizon and it curves down at the edges. It probably doesn't curve much because the barrel distortion of the lens has straightened straightened it.
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

And I explained this several times. I did not begin with the physical sciences. It was more philosophical about how the orthodoxy was flawed. Thats a epistemic issue of philosophy of science and not physical science.
It just occurred to me after all this time we have spent talking about ancient esoteric knowledge and stonecutting--to put the two concepts together. And what tradisition combines ancient esoteric knowledge and stonecutting? Freemasonry! You need to look into Freemasonry to find your answer.
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

View attachment 374292

The snake shape is melted into the stone. See those little scoop marks. They are man made and not from grinding. See the glaze this is all over the indent showing the stone was softened and melted to create this into the stone.
Let's look at your snake image, if the rock has been reduced to a melted paste why not do the shape the snake in a single scoop instead of segmented scoops?
The reason is quite simple, this is a relief cut where a series of overlapping holes were drilled which were then chiselled out and gives the segmented appearance. This was explained to you but alas due to cognitive dissonance it didn't register.

As an AI exercise I asked it how it was produced.
This photo shows a series of round, shallow holes forming a vertical line in a stone block, with a larger cavity or notch at the top. This type of feature is commonly found on ancient or historical stonework — and it is not a natural formation but the result of stone quarrying or shaping techniques.


Likely Identification​


This is most likely an example of feather and wedge or plug and feather holes — a method of stone splitting.


How It Was Produced​


  1. Drilling: A line of small, evenly spaced round holes was drilled into the stone using a hand chisel, iron drill, or later, percussion drill.
    • Each hole was typically 2–4 cm in diameter and spaced 3–6 cm apart.
  2. Inserting Tools: Into each hole, two metal shims ("feathers") and a wedge ("plug") were inserted.
  3. Splitting: Workers hammered the wedges in sequence, applying even pressure until the stone split cleanly along the drilled line.
  4. The top cavity visible in your image may be where a lifting clamp or pry point was used after the split, or where erosion has enlarged the uppermost drill hole.

Typical Contexts​


Such features can be seen in:


  • Quarries (unfinished blocks or extraction faces)
  • Ancient monuments or construction sites
  • Abandoned stone blocks where the cut was never completed

Geological Note​


The stone in your image appears to be volcanic tuff, limestone, or a similar soft rock, consistent with materials quarried and dressed in ancient Mediterranean or Andean contexts.


If you’d like, I can narrow down which site or culture this resembles most (e.g., Roman, Inca, Egyptian) — would you like me to do that?
The difference in my response to AI is I based it on the Egyptian method of drilled overlapping holes whereas for AI the holes are not overlapped but the manufacturing principles are similar.
Even if AI is a dumb language model why is there no reference to stone softening and scooping, since you rather disingenuously try to portray this as established science it should have fallen within the range of an AI response.
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The Saving results of the Death of Christ !

... The grammar itself provides it. They hear and learn because God has made them such. He has rendered them "God-taught."
Ok, but that is still not answering why He rendered them "God taught". For an example, was it because they were humble?
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Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. 'People are stretched,' expert says

Aside from the fact that the price has been artificially suppressed, I don't know how in the world you came to that conclusion, even prima facie.

Let's see your source on that. I'd be glad to debunk it for you.
I was hoping you'd say that! Behold:
15503.jpg


Listed by decade and totals at the bottom. While the average just edges out inflation due to the outlier of the 1970s, the median (a better indicator) shows that Gold lagged inflation. It also had a fraction of the returns of both the S&P 500 and small caps.
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B flat B♭

Login to view embedded media This is a short video from a balloon at 121,000ft, from just before the balloon burst. As the camera is falling and the horizon goes from one side of the centre to the other, you can see the effect of the fishey lens distortion, bending the horizon up and down, but if you pause the video and step through one frame at a time, you can find frames where the horizon passes through the centre and is not being distorted. You can see for yourself that the horizon is not flat. No doubt you will call bollocks on what your own eyes can see.

We use exactly the same footage to claim it is flat.

But the Chinese spacewalk - although it’s probably fake - is supposedly much higher.
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