• 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.

Why do people hate ICE...

If they are "primarily" going after criminals, why do so few of those arrested have criminal records? Less than 30% of those detained to date have any prior criminal convictions, and a significant percentage of those are for minor infractions like traffic violations. In Chicago, less than 3% of those arrested in Operation Midway Blitz had criminal records.
FACT: 70% of ICE arrests have involved illegal aliens convicted of, or charged with, crimes. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, 35.7% of the illegal aliens in ICE detention have criminal convictions, 30.5% have pending criminal charges, and the remaining 33.8% are “other immigration violators” — while nearly 70% of those removed from the country have criminal histories. As a result of this unprecedented effort, scores of gang members and national security threats have been taken off our streets.
Upvote 0

Are the Jews Israel, or is the church Israel? Or does it depend on the context of the passage?

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:

Ezekiel 43:1-9 I went to the East gate and there I saw the glory of the Lord coming with the sound of a mighty torrent. The earth shone with His glory, it came in and filled the Temple, the place of His throne where He will dwell among the Israelites forever. Neither they nor their rulers will defy the Lord again by their idolatry and sins. Israelites; every faithful Christian. Galatians 3:26-29

Ezekiel 43:10-11 Ezekiel, tell them about the Temple and let them be ashamed for their sins. If they repent and are remorseful for what they have done, then describe to them the new Temple, to be built on the Holy mountain. Make detailed plans for them to follow and carry out, with all the instructions for its operation.

Ezekiel 46:1-3The East gate is to be kept closed during the six days of the working week, to be opened only on Sabbaths and at the new moon. When the ruler, [The prince in the NIV & KJV] comes in, he is to stand by the East gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his offerings. He is to bow down in worship and then to leave. The people must also bow in worship at that gate. Malachi 1:5

Ezekiel, the prophet, lived during the period between the exile of the Northern tribes and the Jewish captivity. His prophecies about the Land and the Temple have not yet happened, as when the Jewish remnant returned under Nehemiah, that Temple did not receive the Shekinah Glory. All of Ezekiel chapters 40 – 48, await fulfilment and note that this must be before the Return of Jesus, as the ‘ruler’ of all of Gods Christian peoples, makes sacrifices and worships the Lord at the New Temple. Jeremiah 30:21, Zechariah 14:21

He is tramping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored Isaiah 63:1-6

Revelation 14:18-20 From the altar came the angel who has authority over fire and he called out to the angel with the sharp sickle: “Gather the harvest, the grape clusters are ripe.” They were gathered and thrown into the great winepress of God’s wrath. Blood flowed from the press for 200 miles. Amos 5:17, Jer. 6:9

He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword

Ezekiel 30:1-8 Prophesy! The Lord says: Cry out, for the terrible Day is near, the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, His Day of Reckoning upon the nations. A sword will come upon Egypt and there will be disaster in all of the Arab lands. Those who support Egypt will fall and all who live along the Nile will die. When I set Egypt on fire, the land will become totally desolate and ruined. They will all know that I am the Lord, on that Day. Ref: REB. Some verses abridged.

The Lord’s Day of reckoning – a Day of fire, His terrible Day of vengeance and wrath, will be an unexpected and shocking event, that will cause destruction throughout the Middle East. It will be the fulfilment of Psalms 83 and Micah 4:11-12. Other prophesies make it clear that the whole world will be affected and that it will take the form of a Coronal Mass Ejection sunstrike. A really big CME will have all the effects described, but it quickly passes, leaving the Holy Land ready for His Christian people to gather and settle there. The rest of the world’s nations will form a One world Government.

His Truth is marching on!

Upvote 0

Hell doesn't exist and there is no eternal suffering, instead bad peolle just cease to exist

Let me assure you that God is not seeking your advice, or approval for anything He does. In fact you have nothing to offer Him at all, so it's not as though His Church is missing your service.
And the same may as easily b said of you, so you don't really accrue many Eternal Life Brownie Points for having been created a Good Guy instead of a Bad Guy, do you? It's also worth pondering whether one can actually know which uniform they're wearing.
The Bible doctrine of "Eternal Conscious Torment" is abundantly clear.
Sure, once you accept your belief that God created 2 different kinds of beings to populate this planet. Real People who were created to live forever in God's realm, and Evil Robots who exist only as foils to the Real People and to be maintained as object lessons to the Real People They illustrate to the Real People that He could as easily have made them Evil Robots doomed to be tormented forever so as to demonstrate to the Real People how fortunate they are the God didn't decide to give them the same treatment He gives the Evil Robots.
You just can't get around it, because Jesus did describe it in great detail.
Except that He said that the Father could destroy us in hell. Oh, I forgot, He didn't really mean destroy, He really meant something else that wouldn't interfere with your doctrine.
And yes it is eternal torment, and yes the pain of burning alive is not metaphorical, it's just as real as we feel it in this life, only mush worse than we can imagine.
"Praise ye the Lord, Whose hatred/malice/vengeance/viciousness endure forever."
It's not healthy or safe to for you to put yourself in Gods place, and say it's not fair.
But it is fair for you to paint God as a malevolent oriental despot. Right.
but les not pretend that God has to obey our dictates
I'm grateful for that,
and lets remember that His ways are infinitely higher than ours,
THat doesn't appear to be the way you actually view it.
If I could encourage you in anything, it would be to trust in the Lord
Because He's either created you to live forever in Heaven or live forever in Hell. Not a thing you can do about it either way, so do whatever you feel like doing; it makes not an iota of difference in the end.
I'm not going to give you a long list of scriptures confirming the bible doctrine of hell, because I feel you won't approach them to be edified or instructed, but you will instead try to deny them.
Doesn't matter in any case, does it? You're an NPC that does what the code make it do.
Upvote 0

The NEA is pushing far left teaching upon children

The question is ..... what would Jesus Christ of Nazareth do?

Here is helpful hint:

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
What did he tell the woman caught in adultery? “Neither do i condemn you, go, and sin no more.”

Compassion, yes. Kindness. Yes. Understanding. Yes. But no tolerance for their sin.
Upvote 0

Judge dismisses James Comey and Letitia James cases, finding prosecutor's appointment invalid

Why should they go through a trial, when they didn't do anything wrong. And they are just being harassed because Trump doesn't like them. I think they should sue Trump and his workers for harassment, Terrorizing, false firing and lying on them , especially James Comey.
Comey lied to Congress.
James lied on her mortgage form. Both actions are crimes.
Upvote 0

Do you keep the Sabbath? (poll)

I couldn't agree more. But aren't you promoting the same thing by judging one of God's Commandments given in Exodus 20, as "not a moral command", and then pitting that LAW against the other Laws defined for us in Exodus 20?
As an isolated argument "the 4th is not innate moral action but the others are" I am no different, I'm isolating the 4th as a "have not" law over a "have". But that's not my motivation, rather it is to challenge this terminology "moral law" when used to isolate the 10. What makes the 10 more moral than the others? Christ himself quotes outside of the 10 when quoting the greatest, is that not enough? In a strict sense, moral is a poor word to use to separate which laws are better than others because you're right, we should not be making qualitative judgments on these laws and the whole law should be received the same.

Sabbath law is complicated and it can have moral alignment as it pertains to monotheistic practice. It is rooted in the 7th day yet where is the 7th day rooted? Sure in creation, but where does 7 come from? A critical study would reveals that the number 7 already had strong value in Semitic or ANE cultures derived from lunar activity, going back further than Abraham. The 7 day week may be something unique to Hebrews but the reason behind why 7 as a value is not unique to Hebrews and has deeper roots. There was already pagan practices and pagan ideologies in keeping the number 7 including as it pertained the counting days. It's not that the Hebrews borrowed or adopted 7, it's that they inherited it, they were born into this system but instead of rejecting it they used it to point to God.

Commandments 1-3 are a bit redundant, critically speaking as all can be implicit in monotheism so don't need to be said yet, because of wide practice and outside influence, monotheism had to be a belaboured point. It was not just "no other gods" but clarification for graven images too (despite it basically being the same thing) and not taking God's name in vain. But also how to keep 7, which was needed to be defined as there was already wide practice that was not consistent with the first 3 commandments. So 7 is intentionally redirected to be rooted in monotheism over lunar activity (which is probably also why the Hebrews don't align 7 day weeks with lunar months using extra days like the Babylonians).

The 4th is moral in the sense it rescues 7 and uniquely defines it to redirect pagan influence of the number/day to worship and rest. Routine rest can also be seen as a moral responsibility for healthy living as individuals and communities, this is coupled with the rescued number of 7 to make an ordained day of rest used for worship of God. It's remember the Sabbath day to keep monotheism over remember the 7 day because innately 7 is special. It is recognizing something that would have strong pagan influence, leaning into it and redirecting it to worship to God as well as breathing into it theological and redemptive significance. Like creation, the 7th day also has it's origins in darkness where light is spoken into it and new life, along with meaning and purpose breathed into it.

Today the day can be decoupled from these requirements as there is no longer a purpose to rescue it from pagan influence. Certainly, there is a different kind of cultural creep happening where you can argue the 7th day practice is still needed and still used as a polemic but there is no need to directly rescue the day from this influence, but rather the need and polemic focus should be in ourselves over a day. In this respect, the 4th is deeply embedded in a monotheistic-centred morality purposed at sanctifying our corrupted ways and redirected to an upward focus. It served as a polemic to surrounding nations while Israel served as the priest, showing this upward focus and this still can be the focus today. the day and number don't carry the meaning they did in ANE culture and have become culturally irrelevant in carrying the purposed message, instead Christ is the focus that continues to carry this meaning.

This is the long way to say the sabbath law is moral but it shows how deeply impactful these laws are to the place and time they were presented. (because isolated ritual rest has no moral significance today). It's not about if it's moral or not, they were all morally centred (even the boring ones) and all about redirection to an upward focus with an outflowing of justice, mercy and compassion, even to spread that outwards to all the world. But the letter itself today may not easily align with those goals using cultural moores of today so it is not the letter we continue to spread but Christ who fully captures it (and of course he is the overall purpose) and it is he we preach, not the letter, and he we spread, not the letter. Christ's law is loving God first (that upward focus), then loving neighbour as yourself (that outflow focus). It's a heuristic approach to keeping law, and polemically speaking, it contrasts both legalism of the law and those outside of God. So it's all moral, but if all we see is the surface letter and labels, then we've turned it into something else that Christ speaks against.
Upvote 0

Pentagon investigating Sen. Mark Kelly over 'refuse illegal orders' video

It's a case of "show politics"

Mark Kelly made his statement "for show", the administration is going to go after him "for show"

I don't expect anything significant to come of it.
I agree. Yes, retired officers can be recalled to face a military court. However, this is usually only the case when a crime occurred while the individual was on active duty. I don't think any jury will convict. However, this may send a clear message that such rhetoric, which disrupts the good order and discipline of the military, will not be tolerated.
Upvote 0

"Don't Give up the Ship"

FBI seeks to interview Sen. Mark Kelly, other Democrats Trump accused of seditious behavior

  • The FBI plans to interview Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and five other congressional Democrats in connection with their appearance in a video encouraging members of the U.S. military to refuse to follow illegal orders.
Slotkin said the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division “appeared to open an inquiry into me in response to a video President Trump did not like.”

“The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place,” Slotkin said in a tweet. “He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet. He uses legal harassment as an intimidation tactic to scare people out of speaking up.”

On Monday, a group of Democratic senators, including Kelly and Slotkin, wrote Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi to request that they declassify a Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion from September on the domestic and international legal basis for the strikes [on boats alleged to have drugs and drug smugglers aboard].

....diverting Conterterrorism agents from rounding up illegal immigrants?
Upvote 0

Young Girls Were Sexually Abused by a Church Member (Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, MN). They Were Told to Forgive and Forget.

That makes me mad ,that people knew. And didn't take care of the problem. The same thing happened, when I was growing up in foster care. Many child rapists. My foster dad was a drill sergeant. He knew this was going on. But did not take care of the problem.
Upvote 0

The Mamdani Model: More Socialist Mayors to ComeBeware! The DSA will attempt to repeat Mamdani’s success in other Democrat strongholds.

Those politics are succeeding in Europe and Asia.
Which politics in particular?

Certain left-leaning political moves are drawing quite a bit of backlash in Europe right now (at least on the immigration front)

Things like universal healthcare are obviously popular in Europe and Asia, but those aren't things that are decided at a Mayoral level.
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram
Upvote 0

Corrie ten Boom: Restoration Through Forgiveness

Thank you for letting me know this. Corrie ten Boom’s story is a testimony and inspiration for many people. Her faith, courage, and forgiveness in the face of such suffering are a powerful reminder of God’s grace. Even without the movies, her testimony continues to speak deeply to my heart.
Upvote 0

Federal agents launch another operation in St. Paul

Maybe this is all a bit overboard just to arrest a single person. Aren’t you all about cutting waste and improving government efficiency? This is horribly inefficient and wasteful and not to mention, cruel to treat normal Americans like they’re some enemy force.
The victims of the criminals may very well see it differently. While this guy had been deported before and was able to return, it will be extremely difficult for him to enter our country again, at least during this administration. The bottom line is that we have to decide if we are a nation of laws or not, decide if our Republic is to continue.
Upvote 0

MARK OF THE BEAST - REVELATION 13-14; 17; 18

Seems to me like there is so many versions of bible Prophecy as their are Christian religions. So how are we to know who is right and who is wrong?
I am kind of amazed that there is zero curiosity about the fact that from the first year of the times of the gentiles, when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judea until Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD is 666 years. I mean that is what that part of Revelation is about. The times or age of the four gentile empires. Why would it not be relevant then? Why every crazy interpretation that can possibly be imagined other than the one that is relevant to the subject matter? 597 BC - 70 AD by the way. There is no year zero making it 666 years.
Upvote 0

Independents....

I'll be the first to say this is an old poll and I am more than welcome to see new contradictory evidence if it can be presented but....
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/politics/independents-pew

I have never really met a self identified "Independent" who has had a truly centrist position (or; who argues "both sides" with equal vigor)

What do you all think of Independents? IF you are one, do you believe that you are an exception to that rule?

I definitely don't think that independents are unbiased, if that is what you are asking. They have their own life experiences which have contributed to their viewpoint, just like everyone else. And I think that comes with a tendency to lean one way or another on certain things.

I considered myself to be a conservative/Republican until Trumpism became a thing, and now consider myself to be an independent. I still have my leanings on certain issues, but I like to think that I look at the evidence and make a decision based on that as much as possible. But again, that's not to say that I don't have my personal leanings. Everyone does.

But... with all that being said - hasn't the Independent voting bloc swung in both directions during the last few presidential elections? I tried digging up some numbers, but was not able to easily find any. If they have voted in both directions, that would lend some credibility to the non-partisan claims.
Upvote 0

Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
5,878,723
Messages
65,423,083
Members
276,399
Latest member
juniper_kat