Good for her for standing up for what she believes is right!

Lord, have mercy on Belgium

Michie said:

Christie explained that Amendment 4 would allow abortion without restriction prior to the point of the baby being viable outside the womb, usually determined to be between 21 and 24 weeks’ gestation, and would allow late-term abortions in cases of risk to the mother’s health.

The amendment would make the state “a deregulated abortion regime that would equal that of North Korea,” she said.

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For a comparison:

Common Time Limits: Many EU countries permit abortion on demand or for broad social reasons within a 10 to 14-week gestational limit. For instance, Germany and Italy set the limit at 12 weeks, while France and Spain allow it up to 14 weeks.

Exceptions for Later Abortions: After these initial limits, many countries provide exceptions for medical reasons, such as threats to the woman's health or severe fetal anomalies. For example, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom allow abortions up to 24 weeks under certain conditions.

Abortion in Europe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BobRyan said:

sure looks like Lev 18 abomination. Why is Biden so interested in getting it into North Macedonia??

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You know, most Christians worldwide aren't fundamentalists. Your opinions as a SDA can't speak for all Christians. You're entitled to your views, but we don't have to agree with your biblical interpretation.

mrunk said:

I want to learn to better Obey God. Only for me learning from the bible is massively difficult. Some parts of the bible I find interesting other times it's boring (I'm not knocking the bible or trying to be rude or hurt Gods feelings.). It doesn't help I'm not book smart. I learn more from others then from books or just figuring things out for myself. Sadly the bible is not something I can figure out on my own. Some things I understand quickly but there lots of things I can't break down. So let me give you an example.

So take Genesis's. I can read the book of Genesis's and understand the surface layers of things. However when I try and learn what other hidden things are being taught I got nothing. My brain just doesn't work that way. It's why I did terrible in school. If some one explains something to me I can understand it. Trying to unravel the bible hidden stuff is way beyond my abilities. It actually makes me feel stupid. Some times I might pick up on something but most of the time I don't.

People given me advice on how to study the bible and that advice would probably work for most people but not me. For most people studying the bible is like going up a steep hill or a mountain hard but do able. For me its like defying gravity and learning how to fly. I don't know what to do. Right now I just try and learn from others and expand my knowledge that way. I don't know what to do?

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The bible becomes interesting when you allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you that Christ lives in you.Especially in the letters of Paul..he speaks of the reality of Christ.Once you ask the Holy Spirit to truly reveal Christ to you and in you..you will find the scriptures completely new and fresh everyday..

Mark Quayle said:

No more than the far majority of humanity, and even of the church, that assumes such things as "the command implies the ability to obey", and the validity of notions such as causation by chance or randomness.

But to be specific to the machine's assumptions: It did a good job of representing what was quoted to it as Aquinas' statement. But the last line is what got me. "...Aquinas acknowledges that God's knowledge is certain and infallible about future contingencies, which means some contingent beings do come into existence despite the possibility of non-existence." I can't help but wondering —WHAT possibility of non-existence?

It seems a poor way to describe the meaning of contingency, in the context of God. If God brings a contingent being into existence, where is the possibility that it might not have existed? But then, maybe my puzzlement here harks back to my disagreement with the notion that this proves God's existence, but instead, rather, proves only that if we say thus and such, then we should believe this and that.

Maybe I'm wrong, but to me, the philosophical use of 'contingency', here, has to do with HOW a thing exists —that is, whether the being, (let's say, being 2) is a necessary being or whether it is dependent on a necessary being (being 1)— not, after all, whether it is possible that the being 2 might not have existed. What God has determined will surely come to pass.

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No idea here. We do not need theologians to believe that God is real. All we need is our faith.

Psalm 103:

3 [The LORD] forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

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Strong's Hebrew: 5545. סָלַח (salach) — 47 Occurrences

NASB Translation:
forgive (19), forgiven (13), pardon (12), pardoned (2), pardons (1).

Ex 34:

6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7a keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

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Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take
Strong's Hebrew: 5375. נָשָׂא (nasa or nasah) — 653 Occurrences

H5375 was a common word. NASB Translation
forgave (2), forget (1), forgive (8), forgiven (3), forgives (1), forgiving (2),

Only 17 times out of 653 occurrences, NASB translated H5375 as "forgive" or "forget".

The usual Hebrew word for "forgive" is H5545. Sometimes, H5375 was translated as "forgive".

When Christ was challenged about the woman who had seven husbands, and whose wife she would be in heaven when she died, He replied there is no marriage but that we would be like the angels.

Since we will be like the angels, it stands to reason the saints will communicate like angels.

There's an article here on angelic communication.

Evidently, communication between angels is not expressed with sounds, gestures or other material elements, since their nature is solely spiritual. Communication is achieved by an act of the will, by which an angel directs a thought to others, giving them to understand concepts he already possesses.

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Heaven will not have the physical requirements for speech. For a start there will be no air to transmit sounds.

That is not to say that angels can't manipulate our atmosphere for purposes of speech when it suits them. Gabriel spoke to Mary. Now either he was actually "speaking" or just going through the motions with the actual communication being spiritual, but appearing as speech to her.

I've often claimed the night my father died he appeared in my room. We talked and argued. His body was lying dead in a flat miles away, so he had no brain, no ears, no vocal apparaturs, no eyes. But it was obvious he could see, talk, hear and think.

Now was our communication actually physical, ie. did the air molecules vibrate, or was it spiritual with the appearance of being physical?

I don't know, but if it was the latter it went right down to the tone of his voice. I knew what he sounded like, having lived in the same house for the better part of 20 years altogether and he was "talking" in his usual voice, sans vocal apparatus.

I think we'll communicate directly, and possibly obtain "enlightenment" from suprerior angels as per the referenced article, and speak back to them directly by infused concepts, without language as angels do. Likewise we'll speak to God and He will enlighten us, although He may choose to do so through angelic beings rather than directly which could be a bit overwhelming, like trying to empty the Hoover Dam through a household tap.

please read and pray

KevinT said:

I think this is an important condition that often gets overlooked. Many think that all the prophecies made about Israel in the OT will be fulfilled, because God said it, and thus it has to happen. But they forget that all God's prophecies are conditional.

Another element is that some see prophecies as glimpses into a future that already exits and is written into stone. Again, if that were true, then the prophecies would never fail based on human disobedience.

KT

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Hi KT

There are prophecies that are not conditional or at least not conditional on human requirements, ie If, Then...

The prophecy and covenant with Abraham had no bearing on whether Abraham had to fulfill certain conditions or "do". He merely had to believe.

Genesis 15, is God covenanting with Himself to bring about His promises to Abraham. Abraham was in a deep sleep as God walked through the cut covenant offerings.

As an Arminian, I agree with Jones 100% on this quote.

The video in the op is obviously propaganda. There is the usual insinuative hearsay, and the conflating of sentiments like "values" with "positions" on policy, which I've seen used before.

I do think Bernie Sanders is being sincere when he says she's being pragmatic and doing what she feels she needs to do to get elected, yet not abandoning her ideals. In the original interview he explains that because of citizens united, campaigns now have to have big money donors in order to even compete for market share. The video seemed to want to make it sound like Bernie is saying Kamala will say whatever she needs to say or look however she needs to look, to fool people.

Then there's the misrepresentation that she lied about listening to Tupac. What actually happened was this one guy asked her, what kind of music does Kamala Harris listen to? Then before she answered, the other guy asked what did you listen to when you were stoned? She answered the first guy not the second.

Here is a video telling the truth. Go to 5:10 on this video and watch till the end.
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There is a big push among us today to convince us that God requires nothing of us other than some profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and that all our sins are now forgiven, that heaven is guaranteed us when we die, and that it can’t be taken away from us, regardless of how we live (what we do). For they teach Scriptures out of context to try to make their case that God requires no works of us at all, but that he does everything for us. And so we can go on sinning deliberately and habitually and still go to heaven.

Is there any truth to what they are saying at all? Yes, but it is mixed in with lies, and it is distorted to make their case. And deliberate half-truths are still lies. But is it true that not one of us can be saved by our own human effort? Absolutely! Is it only by the grace of God, through God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, that any of us can receive salvation from sin and eternal life with God? Yes! But “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

For Jesus Christ said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to (save) our old lives of living in sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, then we have eternal life in him. And he said that not everyone saying to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father in heaven.

It is not true, therefore, that no works are required of us by God. In fact, he will judge us by our works when he comes to judge and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. “To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, ..but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good..”

Therefore, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” We are to “abound in every good work.” And we are to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..” And we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him; bearing fruit in every good work..” And we are to be “ready for every good work.” And we are to be “zealous for good works” as God’s possession. And we are to be careful to devote ourselves “to good works.” For faith without works is dead.

[Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:8; James 2:17; John 15:1-11]

So, we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then consider ourselves “saved, sanctified, forgiven, and going to heaven” if we are not walking in obedience to our Lord’s New Covenant Commandments, and if we are still making sin our practice, and if our works are those of the flesh which will end in death, and if they are not the works of the Spirit being lived out in our lives day by day, by the grace of God, in the power of God. For we have to forsake our sins and obey our Lord to have life in him.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

When in The Stillness

An Original Work / September 26, 2011

When in the stillness of this moment,
Speak to me, Lord, I humbly pray.
Be my desire, set me on fire,
Teach me to love always.
Help me to walk in fellowship with You,
Listening to You; sit at Your feet.
Whisper Your words to me,
Oh, how gently, guiding me in Your truth.

While we are waiting for Your blessing,
Lord, in our hearts be King today.
Help us to live for you ev’ry moment,
List’ning to what You say.
May we not stray from your word within us,
Help us obey You, Lord, in all things,
Walking each moment, Lord, in Your presence,
Our offerings to You bring.

Help us to love You, Lord, our master;
Be an example of Your love,
Helping the hurting, lift up the fallen,
Showing them Your great love.
Teach them to love You, follow You always,
Bearing their cross and turning from sin;
Walking in daily fellowship with You,
Making You Lord and King.

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Jesus doesn’t want just part of us
Not just part of us, but all our time
Doesn’t want just what we’ll give to Him
Wants our whole, not part, and not our mime

Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ and God
Gave His life up for us on a cross
So that we’d be forgiven our sins
So that we’d live not for self, but Him

People have it backwards nowadays
Think that all God wants is that we pray
Take some little time for Him each day
Then go merrily along our way

That is not how God has set things up
He desires we drink from Him His cup
Share with Him in death and righteousness
Live for Him so we’ll be heaven blessed

An Original Work / December 14, 2023

There is much talk these days on the subject of discovering who we are in Christ. But is it all biblical? No, it isn’t! Much of it is not. Much of it is based in the flesh of human beings, and it is not consistent at all with the teachings of the Scriptures. For it is based in this idea that if you make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ that you are automatically now “In Christ,” and therefore you now have all these blessings from God bestowed upon you, regardless of how you live. For the teaching is often self-centered, not God-centered.

So, because you made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, they teach you that God has now given you a new identity. And they comb through the Scriptures, and they pull out many characteristic traits of what it looks like to be “in Christ,” but they are mostly all on the side of what God does for us, i.e. they are his promises to all who truly are “in Christ.” But what they leave out are God’s requirements of us for us to be “in Christ.” They leave out all the “If” clauses and all the conditional phrases regarding being “in Christ.”

And then they stamp this new identity on you, regardless of whether or not it is true about you. Like I can say all I want that I identify as an elephant, but that doesn’t make me an elephant, does it? We can’t just “name it and claim it” and therefore it is true if it isn’t true. Our true identity is who we are truly in character, mind, and behavior, not just who we claim to be. Like we don’t have forgiveness and salvation of sins and eternal life with God just because we claim it, but only if we die to sin and walk in obedience to God.

And our identity in Christ is not about improving our own self-image. It is not about us gaining a new way of thinking about ourselves. It is not about thinking better of ourselves than we used to think. And it is not about claiming for ourselves a list of “who I am in Christ” if that is not who we truly are. For all of God’s promises to us in the Scriptures have conditions that we must meet for those things to be true about us. Just saying or reciting them do not make them come true if they are not true about us.

And this is not all about what Jesus did and does for us. We don’t become something we are not just because Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him. Yes, it is true that we can only be “in Christ” because of God’s love and grace to us, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross for the sins of the entire world. We can’t even believe in Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives unless God the Father draws us to Christ, i.e. unless he persuades us to die to sin and to follow him in obedience.

So, if you are following a list of promises of God so that you can claim your “identity in Christ,” make certain that the list is biblical, and then read all those Scriptures in their full context to learn what God requires of you in order for those promises to be fulfilled in your life. For they are not based on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but on a walk of faith in Lord whereby we deny self, die daily to self and to sin, and we follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, by his grace, in his power.

For, by genuine God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, our old self is crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to our Lord and to his commands is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Christ, our Lord. Obey sin = death. Obey God = life.

So, we who profess faith in Jesus Christ are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, but while claiming who we are in Christ. For if we live according to the flesh, we will die. But if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live. For it is all who are being led of the Spirit of God who are the true children of God, not all those who claim who they are in Christ. It is all whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to do his will who are daily putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and who are walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living – only by the grace of God.

So, if we want to claim who we are in Christ, we must literally be “in Christ” by genuine faith in him which dies with Christ to sin and now lives to God and to his righteousness. For if we claim to be in Christ, in fellowship with him, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are LIARS. And if we claim to know God, but while we do not obey his New Covenant commandments, in practice, we are LIARS. For it is whoever practices righteousness who is righteous. But whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, and he has not been born of God. He is not “in Christ.”

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

Not I, but Christ

By Ada A. Whiddington / A. B. Simpson

… I no longer live, but Christ lives in me… (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted,
Not I, but Christ be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ in every thought and word.

Not I, but Christ to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ to hush away all fear.

Christ, only Christ, no idle word e'er falling,
Christ, only Christ, no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ, no self-important bearing,
Christ, only Christ, no trace of “I” be found.

Not I, but Christ my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ my strength and health to be;
Christ, only Christ, for spirit, soul, and body,
Christ, only Christ, live then Thy life in me.

Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision,
Glory excelling soon, full soon I'll see;
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling,
Christ, only Christ, my all in all to be.

Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
Oh, to be lost in Thee,
Oh, that it might be no more I,
But Christ that lives in me.

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chevyontheriver said:

I get it. I wouldn’t prefer that either. But I knew a scrupulous PCA pastor once who had himself rebaptized because he couldn’t ‘trust’ his first baptism and then he had himself rebaptized again because he couldn’t trust his second baptism. I lost track of him so I don’t know if he accepted his third baptism or not.

Of course we can’t really know who among us may be saved. Even if we think we are sure of our own salvation, we can’t be absolutely sure that the other guy is saved. Maybe pretty sure, but not absolutely. So consequently, if one insists on being baptized only by a saved person, one can never be sure of their own baptism.

The solution to this is to consider that the minister of baptism only baptizes by the power of Christ, the true minister of baptism. So it doesn’t matter all that much the sanctity or salvation of the particular minister. Better a holy Christian to baptize you, but if not there is no need to lose sleep over it and have to get rebaptized.

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That is a good consideration... I agree.

Reginald Taylor Jr said:

Jesus Christ is God of the White House United States of America Philippians 13:20 NKJV
Transcending you into Citizens of heaven , For God is love (no fear) To Have what the Word says you will have. Jesus Christ is God in we trust.

Philippians 4: 19 KJV
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God is blessings with your name on it.

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If Jesus is their God, why don't they manifest it ?

Power and the dollar are the gods of the white house.

Lady Bug said:

I did go today. I'm very grateful but I do wish I could go tomorrow. However, the jury is way out on that. If I can't, I know that I already went, but I do like the 11 am Masses more.

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Happy to hear that! I pray that you have a peace of mind and heart

God bless you

Glory to God! May God bless him abundantly

public hermit said:

Is it a mistake on the author's part? Did the author think the rabbit chewed its cud? If so, it's an error. Of course, we can't get into the mind of Moses or anyone else to see.

How do we determine if it's a mistake? It depends on the Hebrew, I would think. If the word for cud-chewing animal is specific to that act, and not used otherwise except in the case of the hare, then it's likely a mistake and not simply a definition for religious purposes.

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The Hebrew verb (hiphil) from the qal alah coupeled with gerah- "to bring up cud." I think that's right. That tells me it's probably pretty specific to the act.

Richard T said:

The last known stuff was about covid. Biden admin putting the heat on facebook and others to not allow free speech, failing to be honest about the origination of covid etc

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Please - the main point was dealing with the pandemic. I hear you that there are questions - but geopolitical stress on top of the pandemic is probably not a good move. Australia's PM raised questions - and China cancelled 10's of billions in coal orders.

Richard T said:

As to right now? Is the US acting in good faith with Taiwan? This Cato report shows the USA is playing games on fulfilling Taiwan's orders for military weapons. Taiwan executes contracts for weapons earlier than others like Qatar but their delivery date takes far longer. The Restrained US Weapon Supply to Taiwan: A Troubling Signal Amid Escalating Tensions

https://www.cato.org/blog/taiwan-arms-backlog-february-2024-update-long-waits-f-16-upgrade-guided-bombs

"With arms sales dropping and recent deliveries fraught with problems, doubts continue to mount over the United States’ true commitment to Taiwan’s security."

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Interesting - but I'll have to bookmark it for later.

Richard T said:

Also, is part of the government like FBI and Justice Department and the NY state court being weaponized against Trump and others?

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Oh puhlease!
Don't fall for the "poor me - I'm the world's number one victim!" routine he pulls.
He got the FBI to stop investigations into Egypt funding his 2016 election campaign - and now we'll never know if that $10 million withdrawal in cash from an Egyptian bank right next to a convenient airport ever made it into Trump's bank accounts.

Richard T said:

Lots of fishy political stuff going on including the likelihood that Biden is unfit for the Presidency at times.

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Maybe - but as long as his minders are around him - I'm less frightened of the Biden Administration than I would be the calibre of person in a Trump Regime!

Richard T said:

I would question too if Biden and allies are undermining Israel's own defense. i am sure there are lots of things on the horizon that will come out. There will be things too that have no hints at all. The US government has a long history of lies. Many accept the philosophy that "noble lies" enacting for the good of the people are a duty.

http://auapps.american.edu/dfagel/www/Leo%20Strauss%20and%20the%20Neo-Cons%20at%20War.pdf

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Israel's 'defence' against Gaza ceased being a just war a few tens of thousands of civilisation casualties of war ago. The whole thing is now an inexcusable war crime - and the world is turning against Israel. An influential elder at our church was wearing a "Free Palestine" T shirt at church on the weekend - and he said 95% of the people that comment on it are positive.