Shoutout to the Grauniad for offering a useful detail along with the snark.

Is this the first time humble Calibri has made the news? No, it’s long played a role in solving crime and uncovering fraud.

How? Because of the specific year it was first offered – documents have been shown to be forgeries because they were printed in Calibri but dated before Calibri was available.

Always in His Presence said:

Let me know when you are ready to have a two sided conversation -

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Let me know when you are willing to provide the courtesy to answer a simple question that I asked at the very beginning of this conversation.

Why do you think others should participate in a two sided conversation when the first question that was asked in this conversation, you simply choose to ignore? Dance around? That's not "two-sided". That is you wanting to completely dominate the conversation in a rather passive-agressive way. And your continual refusal to answer leads me to the conclusion you have no answer that is defensible in any way. So, you choose to continue to deflect.

Should I bother to ask the fifth time?

Jerry N. said:

Right, but would you call the staffs of the priest magic staffs? I do believe there is magic, but God keeps it wimpy. However, a lot of “magic” is just nonsense.

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Moses staff did not work with magic but with Gods power. The Egyptian priests used magic or just trickery.

essentialsaltes said:

What a weird thread. Ostensibly about breaking up the EU, it's all a snit about fines that are not clearly explained.

EU regulators said X's DSA violations included the deceptive design of its blue checkmark for verified accounts, the lack of transparency of its advertising repository and its failure to provide researchers access to public data.

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What is unusual about this thread is that, twenty years ago, when I used to debate with Democrats and liberals, they often held similar views. I never imagined that one day I would be debating these topics with registered Republicans.

So are political messages the norm in USA churches?

I looked at the web site for the church, it is clearly openly progressive and only citing a nominal link to Christianity. I cannot see any indication of denomination, only that the history page says that they started as a Baptist Church.

I allllmost posted a thread on the climate change website.

The original EPA site had a clear and correct explanation.



The new version does have a statement about how "recent climate change cannot be explained by natural causes alone" but that's a needle in a haystack of orbital motions, solar activity and volcanoes.

Mark Quayle said:

What makes you think that the pages of the Bible take priority over relationship with God in the lives of those you appear to criticize here? Is it because that is mostly what we talk about?

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Mark Quayle said:

Paul was indeed taught by Jesus by revelation. We are by illumination, not revelation, as such. We are not apostles.

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I'm going to add a small footnote to our conversation.

I will state my opinion on here for the record,..... the main reason why there are so many folks getting caught up and carried away by false or unnecessary teachings on this site, is exactly because they trust in their bible over GOD. They place their bible in between GOD and them, and expect HIM to only speak to them from those pages. They are afraid to trust any voice otherwise because they can't discern if it is GOD, and are so afraid that it might be satan. In fact, years ago, people admitted on here to being specifically taught this method from certain bible colleges they went to.

All these theology teachings, the sabbath and law of moses junk, not to mention all the weird teachings people get themselves deceived with over in the controversial section, all stems from one major point that I can tell in their walk,......the temple has been cleansed by the blood, but The Spirit of GOD does not live in it yet.

Ok now, laters.

Studyman said:

Here, let me amend my post.

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To late.

Studyman said:

The truth remains, and you have not, nor can not provide any evidence that the SDA, or it's founders, teach that people who worship on Wednesday, or Sunday or whatever day of the week, "will receive the mark of the beast".

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Ellen does. Open the link to her writings that I provided.

The founders of the SDA were even worse as they proved to be false prophets by failing in their prediction of Christ return in 1844.

BCP1928 said:

No, you've made yourself clear, and it's a good thing you did. This is, after all, a Christian forum so it is a good thing that you can tell us what Christianity has to say about how to treat your enemies.

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Yeah. What does Christianity say about justice and how governments should respond to it? Just let criminals off the hook and pray for them? Show me a truly repentant narco terrorist, and I will show forgiveness and mercy. Show a soldier an enemy combatant, and they will show you winning hearts and minds by putting two in the heart and one in the mind. As Romans 13 explains, the government does not wield a sword for no reason. The military and law enforcement is that sword. So please spare me the lecture about how we should turn the other cheek towards serial rapists, murders, drug smugglers, and human traffickers knowing that they will continue to harm others when the alternative is to either kill or incarcerate them so others are safe while they figure themselves out.

Neostarwcc said:

I found it very odd too. Why single out the Jewish family member and make him uncomfortable just because he asked for a blessing? It's not right and that's what I personally took so much offense to. Not that it wasn't true. I mean it's great that he cared about the salvation of his soul but the timing was just so inappropriate and he was there to help his wife grieve the loss of her father and he gets attacked? Just so not right! I guess what I can do is share my thoughts with my mother in law privately. I think she attends this church.

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I sort of get it that a concerned priest might make a funeral a bit into an evangelism even, considering how this would be a rare opportunity to speak about matters of faith to an unsaved audience. Shoot. Priests and ministers often make this a theme for the Christmas and Easter crowd that seldom otherwise are found inside of a church. What I don't get is singling out the lone Jewish guy and making it all about him. Keep us posted.

WordSword said:

I say this because only Jews were under the Law; Christians (Jews and Gentiles) came under Grace.

I don't think the "commandments" here in Rev. are in reference to the Law's commandments, but God and Christ's commands of the Gospel.

John Gill: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God;" and not the inventions of men, and the traditions of antichrist, but the ordinances of the Gospel, as they were at "first delivered" (1Co 15:3), without any adulteration and corruption; and who kept them because they were enjoined by God, and from a principle of love to him, and with a view to his glory

Grace goes beyond Law, in that it is received by faith only, and keeping the Gospel manifests you love and believe in Him. Law was works. If you tried to keep the Law (Decalogue and ordinances - first 5 Books of Moses - the Pentateuch) it manifested you loved God and had faith in Him, and you were in fellowship with Him.

Also, the Law in its sin sacrifices typified Christ's expiation for our sin; but the prophecies of His coming was not in the Law as this came latter e.g. Isa 9:6; 7:14; Mic 5:2, etc. .

Until the Romans destroyed the Temple 40 years after the Lord Jesus' ascension, the Jews were still under the Law. Without a Temple they could not continue serving the Law. God wanted them to move on into the New Covenant in Christ by "taking away the first, that He may establish the second" (Covenant - Heb 10:9; 8:7, 13).

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A problem arises with the statement that only Israel was under the law, the Ten Commandments. I do agree that the church is not under the law but we must look closely at other scriptures. The law, the Ten Commandments are what defined sin and the wages of sin is death, the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. Scripture says all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of GOD. If the gentiles were not under the law then they could not sin. Were the Gentiles sinless ? Paul said that both Jews And Gentiles are all under the power of sin. Romans 3:9 Efforts have been made to evade this plain statement by assuming there must have been some other law that condemns Gentiles apart from the Ten Commandments. These efforts are lies. It is just that the Gentiles never kept the law, they were without the law but still under the law. It would not be fair to have two different sets of laws, there is one law for all people Jew or Gentile. The righteous condemnation of the law to kill sinners is the ministry of death Paul wrote about. 2 Corinthians 3:7 This is because everyone under the law is dead because everyone has sinned. Jesus provided a new covenant, a way to escape the Ten Commandments and come under the two commandments he gave and the program of the message of the gospel. Jesus did this without abolishing the Ten Commandments. Both covenants operate simultaneously today because GOD yet uses the Ten Commandments as a schoolmaster to draw sinners to HIS son but after we are in Christ we are no longer under a schoolmaster, the Ten Commandments. The church is the only people in the world that is not condemned to death by the Ten Commandments because there is no new condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. When we neglect living by every word of GOD and form a theory or doctrine by using only a few scriptures we will be incorrect. I have demonstrated this here with the idea that Gentiles are not under the law. It’s not true , they are. People that claim to be Christians but yet think they must keep the Ten Commandments actually deny the work that Christ did to rescue us from the Ten Commandments and they have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4 Usually there is no way to convince these people of their error. I love GODS law, just like King David did because it was what GOD used to draw me to HIS son . As a schoolmaster the law can teach us many things as it served only as a shadow of the good things to come in Christ. As we grow in grace we come to see the fulfillment of those law shadows and gain an understanding that adds to our spiritual growth.

BCP1928 said:

Nothing in that definition includes refugees, nothing in there includes immigrants attending green card hearings,

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You are correct - because they are doing things legally - just like my mom and dad.

BCP1928 said:

nothing justifies that charming scene last week where the woman was apprehended just as she raised her hand to legally take the citizenship oath.

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I have no clue as to what you are referring.

BCP1928 said:

I'm sure that gave you a thrill, but you're going to have to use a different definition for "illegal aliens."

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Your mind reading machine is faulty.

America First!

ThatRobGuy said:

Yes, I addressed it (and it's limitations) in post #134

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Hadn't seen it when I posted. I read from the top down.

ThatRobGuy said:

People tend to overestimate the process in terms of being able to guarantee an impartial jury.

Don't get me wrong, it's better to have that process in place than not having it, but it by no means guarantees a fair shake in some jurisdictions.

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And people overestimate how completely free of bias or prior knowledge a jury must be. The main effort is to find a jury that will only use evidence, law, and argument presented in court and to set aside any bias or prior feelings. Bench trials are also a thing.

Memory eternal.

Unqualified said:

It’s more common in Germany and England. Hunting round, commercial ammo there. 93 gr bullets is a favorite for their small deer.. I’m fist going like shooting it over 3000 fps. It’s a rarity but dealers don’t want to give me more than $350 for it. They don’t think I should sell it for any more. But I paid more than that. But it hasn’t sold.

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Is that like the 6X55 swede for power and performance then? As know that is a popular caliber overseas used for deer, elk, moose ,even bears

The U.S. Department of Justice is coming to the defense of two Virginia public high school students suspended earlier this year for speaking out against the presence of a female trans-identified student in the male locker room.

The Justice Department filed a motion to intervene on Monday in the case of S.W. et al. v. Loudoun County School Board, which centers on two Christian male students reportedly suspended after they objected to a girl who identifies as a boy in their locker room.

Loudoun County school officials "intentionally discriminated on the basis of religion in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," the administration lawyers contend.

Continued below.

BCP1928 said:

What's wrong with that? That's the message Trump is sending continuously.

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The grand Trump et al GOP plan is to provide seed money of $1,000 for people ages 18 to 49 and $1,500 for those 50 to 65 for people earning up to 700% of the poverty level for a Health Savings Account. The catch is, and wait for it, in order to get the pre-funded HSA, people would have to buy a bronze or catastrophic plan on an Obamacare exchange. Yes, the exchange they are trying to kill. It is a non solution solution. It is I guess that Trump plan to make healthcare better and cheaper "the likes no one has ever seen" he has had for the past 9 years.

iluvatar5150 said:

You were a cop, weren't you? That's what I was referring to. Part of this largesse in taking care of more and more people goes to fund the salaries of government employees, like you and your wife.

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iluvatar5150 said:

You were a cop, weren't you? That's what I was referring to. Part of this largesse in taking care of more and more people goes to fund the salaries of government employees, like you and your wife.

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Taking care of more and more people is a net gain?

ThatRobGuy said:

On topics where I disagree with the Administration, I push back quite hard with the same approach...but those topics on here are few and far between. I went hard on the anti-vaxxers during covid, I've pushed back on climate change denialism in the past. When Israel funding comes up, I criticize that... I'd be more in-line with the left on matters of campaign finance reform, and drug policy. Rewind a decade when gay marriage was the hot topic, I sided with the left on that.

Those topics don't pop up as much anymore

The thread content is heavily saturated with the topics of immigration and DEI related stuff as of late. I can't help it that 75% of the threads that come up happen to fall into the handful of topics where I have some overlap with the conservatives.

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I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt that you don’t agree with this administration’s current approach to immigration and are just playing devil’s advocate here but I guess that answers that.

These people did everything right. Waited in line. Paid the money. They’ve been vetted and verified by the government and were about to take an oath to the country that no natural born citizen is even required to make. There’s no reason to cancel their applications at that moment other than targeted cruelty.

rjs330 said:

No they are not. The fact they are illegal or legal is not entered, unless the jurisdiction actually asks and the person is honest. The peraon could lie and the jurisdiction does not collect their birth certificate.

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When arrested police and I'm speaking of regular law enforcement ARREST ANYONE they ask QUESTIONS on the forms that they have to fill out. Information about the person they've arrested from name / to birth date / to address / to being a US citizen or not / whether they work or not / telephone number / etc, that should be common knowledge - they call it the BOOKING PROCESS. And those who lie about it or refuse to answer makes no difference. Definitely immigration and Federal law systems ask these questions.
If Questioned by Police, FBI, Customs Agents, or Immigration Officers - ACLU of Socal If Questioned by Police, FBI, Customs Agents, or Immigration Officers - ACLU of Socal

rjs330 said:

Then what was the point of saying Americans commit crime? It seems like you were arguing that it is no argument to say we shouldn't allow illegals in because they commit crime. I don't get your point then.

Then why mention it?

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The point is Donald Trump main reasoning for his actions is to take out the criminal element of people who entered this country illegally. And how they are committing this crime that crime in every other crime as if it outweighs what legal Americans do. Also mentioning he's going after those with visas and green cards

rjs330 said:

Again what is your point in pointing out illegals do these jobs? How do you know Americans won't do them? Maybe Americans wont do them for the wages illegals will? If we get rid of the illegals maybe they would have to raise the wages to get Americans. Or at least the legal immigrants. It might actually force Congress to pass immigration reforms to allow legals in to work those jobs specifically.

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People who enter this country illegally have been doing those jobs for decades. I've witnessed it and I've been around quite a while.

And then you say maybe Americans won't do it because of the wage, yes they are all low wage income jobs. Jobs that Blacks typically done for decades prior.
There Are No Jobs Americans Won’t Do There Are No Jobs Americans Won’t Do

Jobs Nobody Wants | PBS News Jobs Nobody Wants

Most Americans say immigrants mainly fill jobs US citizens don’t want | Pew Research Center A majority of Americans say immigrants mostly fill jobs U.S. citizens do not want

rjs330 said:

You were the one preaching how we as a country should follow scriptures. But I wonder if you really believe that or if its actually political for you. Because what I have found is so many who claim we should be taking in and helping people who cross our borders and want to use scripture as an admonition to do so, only want to use it for that purpose. They are not using scripture to support outlawing things that scripture says we shouldn't be doing.

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Preaching if that's what you want to call it. I'm no politician! And NOWHERE DID I CLAIM that we should be taking in and helping people across the border. You see there are those who need help, really need help / there are those who act like they need help / and there are those who are just looking for a free ride and personally I cannot make that distinction so I Claim nothing..........But if the government of the US decides to take in immigrants, ((the few dollars I pay in taxes isn't worth a hill of beans,)) but when combined with the working class of the over 300 million people of this country, there are people that can be helped not only American born, or immigrants, but other countries too after all America claims to be the richest country in the world and America spends billions aiding other countries and millions of American citizens lack and live in poverty conditions, some by choice but most can't be helped.

If someone comes to me and need help and it's in my power to help them I will !!!! I cannot help a country.

rjs330 said:

You either want the governemnt to follow scriptural admonition on all things or you should keep it to yourself. The Bible is not a club only to be used for your pet political positions.

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You can assume what you think I want !!! You can even say as you have I should keep it to myself BUT I can say what I want to say, you don't like it or don't agree with it, I don't care. You can't stop me from speaking what I choose to speak, and when I speak and I try to speak respectfully.

No one says the Bible is a club are uses it as a club and it's not my pet political position.

rjs330 said:

It is not a treatise for how government should operate. It was written to teach Chriatians how they ought to be in their personal lives and for how the church itself ought to govern itself.

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I know what the God and his word teaches _ thank you very much.

rjs330 said:

According to scripture we are not supposed to lie to anyone. Do you think we ought to follow scripture and ask government for laws against all lying.

I used that to prove a point. That often those who want to use scripture for certain things are often politically motivated to do so and not really interested in being consistent. And homosexuality is a quick way to determine where they really are. In the past I have used adultery as an example as well. Don't get hung up on the fact I didn't list every sinful act. My point is bigger than that.

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Don't get hung up on facts you say and yet you seem to as well as assumptions. I live in a world where there are 8 billion other human beings living in also, over 2 billion profess to be Christians. Christians as well as all others are sinners always has been and will be until they leave this earth, if there was no sin there would be no need for redemption. And again I am no politician, no I am I trying to prove a political point, it boils down to humanity to truths. There are politicians who are Christians and use or even miss use the word of God as a driving point, but that is few, when you calculate the number of politicians.

rjs330 said:

To be clear, when it comes to asking, wanting or supporting the governement in following a scriptural standard, then we should not use it only for certain things we want, but should use ALL of scripture and not just the pet ones we like. That goes for all of us. If I am going to say that we should outlaw homosexuality because the Bible says its bad, then I should also support big government welfare taking care of all poor. We either accept all of scripture being followed by government or none of it. Picking and choosing is political and hypocritical.

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You say to be clear .... To be clear I don't have a pet political agenda. I speak for truth and what I have written is truth.

I personally do my best to follow the ways of my Lord God Yeshua and I mess up and repent daily.

I HAVEN'T picked and choose any Scripture to live by or not to live by / to do or not to do that is your assumption.

The headline seems to misrepresent what Rev. Bato was saying. The article goes on to say:

When asked whether he believes the Gospel presentation is central to Somali outreach, Bato said, “For many Somalis, if you begin a conversation by immediately presenting the Gospel, the discussion ends before it begins. The person may shut down or walk away because of fear, cultural pressure, or past experiences.”

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essentialsaltes said:

“This ban on wind projects was illegal, as this court has now declared. The administration should use this as a wake-up call, stop its illegal actions and get out of the way of the expansion of renewable energy,” said Kit Kennedy, the [Natural Resources Defense] council’s managing director for power, in a statement.

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