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Morality without Absolute Morality

Why should they require some means of validation, reasoned or otherwise? A morality derived out of thin air is just as valid as one that's based upon a millennia old religious text, or a divine God. Neither of them hold any demonstrable validity beyond what the individual chooses to give them.
So then no morality is valid?
Once again you're assuming a moral absolute when you have no evidence that such a thing exists. Therefore any means of deriving a moral standard is just as valid as any other means, and this includes reasoning them out via an arbitrary set of criteria, or gleaning them from a millennia old religious text.
I'm assuming no such thing, simply maintaining that in order for something to qualify as moral it cannot simply be arbitrary. If there are moral facts to deal with, from which we can reason about morality, we must have some means of locating them rather than simply pulling them from thin air.
Unfortunately, just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is morality.
And so morality amounts to nothing of the sort.
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DOGE wants to Make Aliens Great Again: Increase Visas to bring in Skilled Foreign Workers to Take Lucrative Jobs from Mediocre Americans

Tucker’s ‘[Poop]show’: Pardoned Convicted Felon Dinesh D’Souza Warns of ‘Mass Desertions’ of Minorities From the GOP Following Racist Attacks on Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, the former presidential candidate running as a Republican for governor of Ohio, posted a Halloween photo of himself and his two sons on Friday. The post received a wave of xenophobic and racist replies, including one user who wrote, “I see this year Vivek went as an H1B immigrant here to steal your jobs. Very scary. Like the brown version of the Grinch.”

“Look at the abuse Vivek is getting for posting an innocuous photo with his boys. This is the [poop]show that Heritage and Tucker have brought upon us. If this continues, I would not be surprised to see mass desertions of blacks, Latinos and other minorities from the GOP. Unreal,” wrote D’Souza.

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Vivek and Dinesh are some of the 'good ones', guys! Lay off!

For more on the Heritage Tucker poopshow:

I wonder how many of the negative posters were liberals just trolling.

I actually have no problem with bring in highly skilled immigrants. As long as they are deep vetted and are actually wanting to help America and not tear it down. We don't need anymore anti-Americans. I honestly don't know enough about the tech industry to say if there is a shortage of highly skilled Americans.

This actually would apply to non-tech work as well. If there honestly is a shortage of American workers then I have no problems with bringing in highly vetted people to work and as long as they are good people, are here legally, are not anti-American or using America as a benefit state (taking advantage of government programs like SNAP or medicaid etc.) then I am happy to have them. Being here legally would benefit them as well with higher wages.
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Failing community college

I learned C++ in college. What's bothering you about it? C felt like 'this is how programming is supposed to work' compared to Java. C++ is C's attempt to be java. It can be clear or a headache, entirely down to how the programmer wrote their code. There's clean ways to write C++ that make sense, and there's ways to write C++ that are so arcane almost any human will struggle to make heads or tails of it.
History is slightly different; C++ existed long before Java arrived on the scene. The 'Java version of C' would be C# (with the .NET runtime) .. both Java and C# have automatic memory management.
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What is the meaning of Total Depravity?

Wrong question. . .



It does not. . .in fact, Scripture presents quite the opposite. . .we are slaves to sin (Jn 8:34). . .slaves are not free.

The Koine Greek for the word “slave” is “doulos.” A Lexicon illuminates both Biblical and non-Biblical use of the Koine Greek word was literal and metaphorical.

So, Jesus wasn’t necessarily using the word “doulos” or “slave” literally. Equally ambiguous is your assumption Jesus did use the word “doulos”/“slave” to mean and express a forcing, coercing, making them/everyone to sin/commit sin.

The text of the verse itself provides no support for your assumption Jesus was expressing a coercion, a forcing, people to sin. There’s nothing inherent or of necessity in the verses for coercion, a forcing to commit to sin as Jesus’ point or message.

You also assume a literal use of the word “slave” but you’ve not supported your assumption with any evidence this is used literally by Jesus.

A metaphorical use of the word “doulos” is just as applicable in these verses and as compatible and congruous with the text of the verse and surrounding verses.

You’ve forced your interpretation upon the verse, the Greek and text.

Hence, John 8:34 doesn’t necessarily negate free will.

The strongest reading and interpretation is likely John 8:34 simply doesn’t ineluctably settle the issue of free will or determinism theologically from a Biblical approach. John 8:34 doesn’t clearly announce a determinism to the exclusion of free will. Nethier does John 8:34 announce a free will to the exclusion of determinism.

Simply, John didn’t at all illuminate the mechanism for “habitual sin” (the Koine Greek is “habitual sin(s)l which renders a “slave to sin.” John was only stating thst however “habitual sin” occurs or manifests in a person’s life makes them a “slave to sin.”

It is worth noting and observing a free will to habitual sin, where free will is the person has the ability and power to perfom the sinful acr(s) or refrain from doing so, they are not coerced to sin, forced to sin, is compatible with the text of the verse and Koine Greek used.

Regardless. John 8:34 isn’t a declaration for or against free will/determinism.

Where does Scripture say/present man with an unfettered/free will; i.e., able to make all moral choices, including the choice to be sinless?

“Unfettered/free will”? Whose position are you addressing? Mara didn’t use the qualifier “unfettered.”

Seems you are debating someone else from a prior encounter and not Mara presently in this thread.

Free will is the ability to perform an act or refrain from performing some act without being forced, coerced, by some being, force, cause. It is in the person’s power to perform the act or refrain from performing the act.

I’m unaware of any sagacious, astute, proponent of free will that claims “unfettered.” Simply because, there are many factors, variables, influences to one’s ability to perform an act in their power to perform it or refrain from it.

If you want to address someone else’s or some other notion of “unfettered free will,” then fine but dispense with the idea you’ve actually addressed “free will” as others here have used the phrase, especially myself.

And your question “is the wrong question,” as you phrased it to another poster. People can be “able to make all moral choices” but they will always use their ability to at least least one occasion choose to perform a sinful act.

Free will of man is a human notion (Pelagius), nowhere stated in Scripture and based on the assumption that responsibility for sin requires total free will. . .not in God's order.

Not at all. The notion of free will preceded Pelagius by several centuries, was in existence during OT Judaism (before the NT), and Pelagius’ view of free will was more nuanced than you presented here.

In addition, there are verses where “free will” is inherent or implied in Scripture.
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Progressive Government is the Antithesis of Biblically Based Republics

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Israel was established by God. No other kingdom has God as its founder and all other kingdom's of the world are part of satan possessions.

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, (the messiah) whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit on him: he shall bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth justice to truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law…..6 I the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen on you. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. 3 And the nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.4 Lift up your eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to you: your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.5 Then you shall see, and flow together, and your heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea (the nations) shall be converted to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

Isaiah 49: 6 And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth…..8 Thus said the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you: and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth,

To establish the earth, not to destroy it and start over again.

Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the tyrannical oppressor is brought to nothing, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:


John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn (pass sentence and carry it out, on) the world; but that the world through him might be saved. The word “world” is cosmos, you know, what 80% of the countries pulpits say God will destroy. Since the komos isn’t going to go to heaven it means saved in the general sense. Healed, preserved, taken from danger into a place of safety

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ASV‬‬


“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

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