rambot said:

How low does the bar have to be?

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Even lower than you think, piggy.

rjs330 said:

Wow,great mental gymnastics.

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Yeah, I know, arithmetic makes my head spin sometimes, too.


Let's say that, hypothetically, 10 years ago, your premiums were $100/mo and, if the trends at the time had continued unabated, then after 10 years (i.e. today), your premiums would have increased to $1000/mo.

Now let's say there was a piece of legislation (call it IluvaCare) that cause your premiums today to only be $500/mo.

Did that legislation lower your costs?

Douggg said:

Paul did not say an Israeli tree.

Paul was metaphorically speaking about olive trees (wild vs groomed) to describe persons who embraced God's gospel of salvation in Christ vs persons who rejected God's gospel of salvation in Christ.

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What do you think the olive tree that Israelite believers remained in and Gentile believers were grafted into represents? Keep in mind that the basis by which someone is grafted in is faith and the basis for someone being cut off is unbelief. What entity does that remind you of?

BNR32FAN said:

So rebirth precedes faith?

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Yes. . .one who is spiritually dead cannot "choose" to spiritually believe. He must be born again into eternal spiritual life to be able to make a spiritual choice of faith.

Rebirth is by the sovereign will (as unaccountable as the wind, Jn 3:6-8) of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:3-5)

Clare73 said:

"Free will" of fallen man, either regenerate or unregenerate, is not a Biblical notion, it is not found in the Bible.
"Free will" is a notion of man, superimposed on the Bible.

If fallen man's will were completely free, he could choose to live sinlessly.
Man cannot make that choice, even after being regenerated.
Man's will has limited freedom.
Only Adam and Eve had complete free will, the ability to choose to live sinlessly, which ability was lost for all when they chose to sin.

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I just want an honest opinion, so please don't get defensive when I ask you this:
Do you believe there will be sin in the New Heavens and earth in this capacity--> I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me?

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GeAvbcLX0AA-EPN.jpg" alt="Roman Sheremeta on X"/>

Aryeh Jay said:

It's only fair. Russia has lost a lot of men and equipment after Ukraine forced Russia to invade. Russia deserves some compensation for Ukraines aggression against a peaceful neighbor.

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THE BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM (1994)- the agreement that should have prevented the Ukraine/Russia conflict!

1) With the demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991, Ukraine and the other 14 Republics would emerge as independent sovereign states!

2) Four of those former 15 republics, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and the Russian Federation all inherited nuclear stockpiles from the now defunct USSR - upon obtaining the status of a new nation in 1991, Ukraine also found itself to be the unwitting custodian of the world's 3rd largest stockpile of nuclear weapons!

3) The United States, United Kingdom and the Russian Federation proposed that Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine relinquish control of their aging nuclear weapons from the Soviet era in exchange for security guarantees - America agreed to provide political and economic support but would not commit to military intervention!

4) Some Ukrainians opposed handing over these nuclear weapons - given their nation's "tortured" relationship in the past with the former USSR, they argued that these stockpiles would provide the only viable deterrent to prevent aggression along the 1226 miles of joint international border that it shared with the Russian Federation!

5) The majority, however, would view the exchange of nuclear weapons for border security as their best option - Ukraine subsequently joined Belarus and Kazakhstan with all 3 former republics signing the Budapest Memorandum (1994) with the nuclear nations of the USA, UK and Russian Federation serving as guarantors!

6) Fast forward 20 years and in 2014 the Russian Federation reneges on the terms of Budapest Memorandum agreements by occupying the Crimean Peninsula and then promoting civilian unrest in Ukraine's eastern provinces west of the Russian border - perhaps with the added assistance of Putin's military dressed as Ukrainian civilians!

7) In 2022, the Russian Federation directed its military to invade all of Ukraine - after occupying approximately 20% of that nation's territory that included 3 to 4 million inhabitants, the war then degenerated into a standoff, a 21st C version of trench warfare from WW1!

8) Within this context, its paifully obvious that Trump is totally committed to imposing a peace treaty on Ukraine, any peace treaty - given that Russia's Putin has proven virtually impossible to manipulate, the pressure from the White House will be placed on Zelensky to provide this American President with an agreement that will in turn fuel his personal campaign to lobby for his real priority - the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize!

9) President Trump and his Administration appear oblivious to the fact that as a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum, with its exchange of nuclear stockpiles for preserving border security - why should Ukraine which is already in total compliance with the terms of the Memorandum, now be expected to provide additional concessions to the one member that has actually violated it repeatedly?

10) While not providing direct military intervention, America's first priority should be providing Ukraine with all the considerable political, economic and military support at its disposal that would pressure Putin to return to Ukraine's original 1991 borders - which were supposedly already guaranteed under the terms of the Memorandum!

11) Given that Putin already has a history of not honoring past signed agreements, why should the Ukraine allow itself to be pressured by the Trump Administration's into accepting a bad peace agreement, only to find itself in a similar position at some later date - once again negotiating with an adversary that can't be trusted and with supposed allies that continue not to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its actions!

12) With the continued proliferation of nations having nuclear weapons, the problems that continue to plague Ukraine, despite having signed the Budapest Memorandums, will only make those nations in the future that may find themselves confronted, under similar circumstances, all the more reluctant to dispense with their stockpiles - given its role as a deterrent in discouraging nations from engaging in military incursions into a neighbor's territory!

Douggg said:

Paul was not saying that the church - made up of both Gentile and Jewish believers - is Israel.

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Yes, he was. You are missing that Paul contrasted two Israels.

Romans 9:6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

I color coded the text to show each of the two Israels. National Israel is in blue and spiritual Israel is in red.

What Paul indicated here is that there is an Israel besides national Israel that is comprised of "all who are descended from Israel". That other Israel is regarded as Abraham's spiritual offspring (seed) because it is comprised of God's children who are the children of the promise. When he said "it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned" he was relating that to the Israel of which "not all who are descended from Israel" are part, so that relates to the other Israel as well.

So, based on what is written in Romans 9:6-8, the question then becomes who are those who are reckoned or called through Isaac and are God's children and the children of the promise who are regarded (counted) as Abraham's offspring (seed)?

We can determine that from other scripture by interpreting scripture with scripture.

As for what Paul meant when he said "it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned" we can determine that from this passage.

Galatians 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. 24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: "Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” 28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

In this passage, Paul figuratively contrasts the old and new covenants and indicates that those who are under the new covenant, represented by the free woman, 'like Isaac, are children of promise". And he applies that to the Jew and Gentile believers in the church that he was writing to.

Who are the children of God that are also the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's spiritual offspring/seed? Paul tells us that here...

Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Those who are the children of God and the children of the promise and counted as Abraham's seed are those who are in the church. So, that is who Paul is talking about in Romans 9:6-8 when he talks about the Israel of which not all who are descended from national Israel are part. He was talking about Spiritual Israel in that passage in contrast to National Israel. All believers, like Isaac, are the children of the promise and part of Spiritual Israel because of being children of God through faith and being regarded as Abraham's spiritual seed.

RDKirk said:

All those things are already explicitly and manifestly illegal by US law. They don't require any heat-of-the-moment interpretations of the Constitution by soldiers on the scene.

OTOH, orders to deploy to Portland and walk the streets are not manifestly illegal.

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I agree but I remember when Trump wanted the military to shoot protesters in the legs. Thank goodness Esper and Milley said no.

pasifika said:

Sure, the blood in the new covenant is referring to the Spirit. We believers will be receiving it through Faith..

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Actually it refers to the blood of Christ who provided the ultimate blood sacrifice for the redemption of our sins.

“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

CoreyD said:

Can someone help me with this.
Is @Clare73 saying that only the "unregeneerte" do not have free will, but all other men do have free will, even though after the fall no man has free will?
I'm leaving that alone.

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"Free will" of fallen man, either regenerate or unregenerate, is not a Biblical notion, "free will" of man is not found in the Bible.
"Free will" is a notion of man, superimposed on the Bible.

If fallen man's will were completely free, he could choose to live sinlessly.
Man cannot make that choice, even after being regenerated.
Man's will has limited freedom.
Only Adam and Eve had complete free will, the ability to choose to live sinlessly, which ability was lost for all when they chose to sin, and which will be recovered in the new heavens and new earth.

essentialsaltes said:

What if they are politicians themselves? Maybe they have a good grasp of the law. Maybe they don't. We may get a chance to find out. Certainly it's an arguable point since, in this specific case, a judge has prevented the Guard from doing anything. For now.

Chicago — Two Illinois National Guard members told CBS News they would refuse to obey federal orders to deploy in Chicago as part of President Trump's controversial immigration enforcement mission — a rare act of open defiance from within the military ranks.​

"It's disheartening to be forced to go against your community members and your neighbors," said Staff Sgt. Demi Palecek, a Latina guardswoman and state legislative candidate from Illinois's 13th District. "It feels illegal. This is not what we signed up to do."

Both Palecek and Capt. Dylan Blaha, who is running for Congress in the same district, described growing unease among Guard members after the White House federalized 500 troops – including members of the Illinois and Texas National Guard – to secure federal immigration facilities and personnel in the Chicago area.

A federal judge on Wednesday delayed the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago indefinitely, until a final ruling is issued or the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

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Federal orders to deploy to Chicago are not illegal.

I expect those two Guardsmen will be full civilians soon. Their public statements place them, as an NCO and as an officer, in violation of a couple of UCMJ articles.

essentialsaltes said:

Women, in my GOP, representing the interests of women? Can't have that.

Three female GOP state senators who filibustered S.C. abortion ban lost their primaries​

Katrina Shealy, Sandy Senn and Penry Gustafson lost to three male candidates and were among a bipartisan group of five women state senators who filibustered a near-total abortion ban. They were nicknamed the "sister senators."

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They got rid of the women, but still can't get the law passed.

South Carolina's near-total abortion ban fails to advance out of subcommittee

The controversial bill creates new definitions for human life, contraception and makes abortion a felony.

State Sen. Billy Garrett, one of the bill's original sponsors, abstained. At one point in the meeting, he said he wants to protect the unborn. However, he was against criminalizing mothers.

"I'm extremely in favor of saving babies' lives," Garrett said. "I'll always be that way. My constituents are that way. They asked me to be that way, and I am, but I have never intended, nor should any of us ever intend to, to punish or be punitive towards our moms."

pasifika said:

Romans 3:25, James 2:26 etc

Hebrews 9:18, it's about the new way to God through the new covenant. this knowledge which was kept hidden since the time of the old covenant. Now we can know this mystery by the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. Col 1:25,26

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# 1 I never saw the words new covenant IN Heb. 9:18 !!

# 2 And Col 1:25. and what apostles are you seeing in Col 1:25. ??

# 3 YOU mentioned the word Dispensation and are you a DISPENSATIONALIST ??

dan p

Oompa Loompa said:

Mandami has not even sworn in yet and is already on track to becoming a lame duck mayor.

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In much of the country that isn’t New York City, si.

Say it aint so said:

....or a 19-23 year old being appraised through outside counsel being so concerned of their ultimate bosses penchant of disregarding legalities.

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Outside counsel can't say anything more than "try it and see."

As I said before, the White House lawyers will ensure that the orders are not "manifestly illegal."

essentialsaltes said:

What if they are politicians themselves? Maybe they have a good grasp of the law. Maybe they don't

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Would you chance a general court martial or jail time on a maybe?

Douggg said:

You claim that the church is Israel. But Paul said that Israel has been blinded until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in.

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No, he did not say that. He said they would be blinded IN PART until then. Why did you leave the "in part" out? The remnant of Israelite believers of Paul's day were not blinded. Paul said only "the rest were blinded" (Romans 11:17). But, that blinding of those Israelite unbelievers was not permanent for the rest of their lives because Paul said he hoped to lead some of them to salvation (Romans 11:11-14). You take Romans 11 completely out of context. Paul does not just talk about the future there, but of an ongoing reality of blinded Israelites being provoked to jealousy by saved Gentiles. That process began long ago and will continue until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in when Jesus returns. At that point, all spiritual Israel, consisting of the children of God who belong to Christ (Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:26-29) will be saved.

Say it aint so said:

Yes. That accounts for the commander. I am not military but it would seem to me your average private doesn't have the option to just announce a retirement date. Again, it's not a PR stunt. They are voicing concern. And with good reason.

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They shouldn't be "voicing concern," they should be using the power of their office to do something about it. They're the doggoned Congress of the United States.

This was just a political stunt. They're doing nothing beneficial to soldiers.

partinobodycular said:

As an interesting logical exercise, I tend to agree with Isaac Newton.

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What?

Clare73 said:

Saving faith results from the sovereign rebirth, which rebirth is the going from eternal death into eternal life, becoming a child of God, by the sovereign will of the Holy Spirit.

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So wouldn’t being a reprobate also be the sovereign will of God?

keras said:

Jerusalem is the Holy City, in the Holy Land.
Literal city, literal land. Not until after the Millennium, will the Spiritual world, be the reality.

Gods fiery wrath will clear and cleanse the entire Middle East, Deuteronomy 32:34-43 and change the world. Zephaniah 3:8

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So where does it say the Holy Land is in Palestine.

wing2000 said:

Legally, you're correct.

"The only way to find out whether an order is legal or illegal is to obey, or refuse to obey, and see what is decided after the fact by a military court, a civilian court reviewing a military decision, or a war crimes or human rights tribunal. As a servicemenber subject to the UCMJ, you obey or disobey any order at your peril – which is, of course, one of the risks of enlistment. You can consult a civilian lawyer with expertise in military and international law, but they are very unlikely to be able to give you a definitive answer as to whether a particular order is likely to be found to be legal or illegal."

FAQ on Refusing Illegal Orders - Military Law Task Force

This FAQ (drafted by members of the MLTF) can also be found in printable PDF format here: Illegal Orders FAQ – 11NOV2025 DoD Instruction 1325.06 permits a servicemember to possess a single copy of this document. FAQs on refusing illegal orders Version 2 – released November 11, 2025 Do I have...

nlgmltf.org

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That last question in the linked article was kind of goofy.

"I or someone I know has been charged with refusing to obey an illegal order. Where can I get more information or advice?"

No soldier ever has or ever will be charged with "refusing to obey an illegal order."

Clare73 said:

Saving faith results from the sovereign rebirth, which rebirth is the going from eternal death into eternal life, becoming a child of God, by the sovereign will of the Holy Spirit.

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So rebirth precedes faith?

New Orleans City Council Vice President and Mayor-elect Helena Moreno Nov. 21 released a two-page know-your-rights and legal assistance guide for New Orleans residents as President Donald Trump’s border patrol paramilitary units were preparing to enter the city for Operation Swamp Sweep, or Operation SS for short.