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  • 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.

Criminal Illegal Alien Who Offered $10,000 Bounties to Murder ICE Agents Arrested in Dallas, TX

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon also recently suggested ICE agents enforcing the law should be shot.

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Limited vs unlimited atonement?

I am not Calvinist. I don't disagree with Calvinism except on a couple of points that I know of. I am not Arminian either. I do not think those are the only Christianity possible.

God does choose. But I would not agree with it being said there is no basis that we can understand. Regardless, the plan of salvation is with the gospel that is revealed, that is what matters, and it is to be shared. God is not willing that any perish, according to the scripture, they should come to repentance that there would be in essential faith in responding to God. Do you disagree with that? If so do then explain.
Please answer the question I asked in my last post. Thanks!
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The Corinthian Church

Again shows your rich wealth of knowledge so readily available at the finger tip. Excellent, and my early church understanding of history is a drop in the bucket. However, I can spot bogus beliefs about early church history, so I politely ask the person to cite historical reference and that pretty much ends the conversation.

Hey Neil, how are you doing?

Alas this thread doesn’t really scratch the history of my beliefs, but I’d be deeply honored if you would comment on this thread, where I traced the origin of the version of the Hail Mary used by Martin Luther, and all other versions such as the closely related Eastern Orthodox Angelic Salutation, back to a third century Greek hymn, Sub tuum praesidium:

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About one-world government and the future of this world

So I came across an interesting news article the other day, about this woman who had a near-death experience, whereby she saw her deceased ancestors and she also saw the future of her kids, and she also saw the future of this world. She said that during her near-death experience she had entered this alternative universe whereby the majority of the world had been wiped out by wars, and people ended up living a more simple life, and the people over there had lived more locally unlike how our current world had been living more globally, so the life in that universe is just like the olden days, whereby people would make a living through farming, and there will no longer be stuffs like migration anymore and everybody will coexist together peacefully in one place, but there will still be technology around and the world will still be linked by global thread, just that people will use these in a more peaceful way than now.

Is this really how the world will look like in future with a one-world government?
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No, stick with The Bible
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Teens Who Savagely Attacked Well-Known DOGE Staffer Avoid Jail Time

From what I can tell, the judge simply followed the law regarding juvenile offenses. Prison time, while apparently an option, was never likely to begin with.
Yes,she followed the law because she had discretion regarding the sentence. I think she failed to use good judgement regarding her discretion. Such short probation is a terrible sentence. Once again the failure of the liberal justice system.
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Is AI making the human race dumber?

From what I've been reading about the danger of AI is that they are not programmed as such. They are not assembled as I would assemble a few lines of code. It is more accurate to suggest that they are grown. You 'seed' it with information and come back later to see what has developed. If you know what you're going to get then it's just a straightforward computer programme.

The danger, as I understand it, is that you don't know - or even cannot know, what's bubbling away under the hood. For one thing, you don't know where to look let alone what you are actually looking for.
I think you are very right in what you said though. And that's also the indication I get and have been learning as well, etc. Truth is, we really don't know a lot about what's happening or going on with AI for the most part, and some of them have exhibited some "very strange behaviors", which is why I think we need to at least try to do what I am suggesting now, etc. Soon we'll be making them a lot more capable than even what they are capable of right now, etc, and we'll be giving a lot more control over to them also, and then, slowly (or maybe not so slowly at some point) but, slowly, piece by piece, until we can't shut them down, or turn them off, or unplug them anymore, and if we don't at least try to do the kinds of thing that I am suggesting right now I think? We'll, it's the whole consequences thing in action, etc.

Take Care.
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Does "equality" even matter to Jesus?

I am curious to hear you guys' thoughts on the issue of "equality", and whether it even matters to Jesus. I've heard many on the political left argue that it does, though I've heard many others (usually on the political right!) say it doesn't matter, that it's all just "woke" and "Marxism"; and that the only justice important to Christians is that we'll see when Jesus returns.

What do you guys think? I'd encourage everyone to check out this 4-minute video before you reply, as I think it sets good context for some of the dilemma I'm trying to get at with my question. And then let me know what you think, thanks: Login to view embedded media
The video was just a bunch of taking verses out of context and cherry picking rather than looking at the whole Bible.
I think God does care about equality and social justice, but not like the leftists view it. He wants us to share the gospel equally and freely. He wants us not to give preference or discriminate. Instead of people using the Bible to bolster their argument they need to form a biblical ideology.
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A Christian response to "No Kings."

The article I have included shows thousands in Boise for the "no kings' rally.

So I have to ask: What should the Christian response be? To me it certainly is not as House Speaker Johnson declared as un-American. To me all Christians response instead should be one of humility. That the waves of rudeness and pride that promote MAGA or various forms of liberalism should be softened. That compromise and conciliatory actions should flow from both sides. That lawfare should stop and that common sense should prevail.

I will be frank. The overall maga plan is likley to fail. Tariffs are inflationary, job creation is dwindling and maybe going negative, and the preference of the rich over those seeking help with health care or other aids they have had in the past are going to sting. The GOP thought the shutdown would be blamed on dems. Guess what, Trump and the GOP are getting plenty of blame too. Who's winning the blame game over the shutdown? Here's what a new AP-NORC poll shows

The ICE raids and military deployments are over the top and unpopular with a majority. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/27/nx-s1-5553536/npr-ipsos-law-enforcement-poll-national-guard
Ameicans too are increasingly in support of a policy of immigration that does not align itself with Trump. American Support for Legal Immigration Reaches New Heights

The no kings rally is in part because many do believe that Trump is becoming too authoritiarian. Recently a group of former intelligence and security officers used the analytics that they previously used to monitor foriegn governments. Their conclusion when they looked inward at Ameria was that the USA is working towards authoritarian rule. US ‘on a trajectory’ toward authoritarian rule, ex-officials warn

Of course I cite PBS, and former emplyoyees might hold a grudge or are just liberals and can be ignored. The rally though says plenty. Trump needs to become a statesman and work more with the opposition. A democratic America will never become a Christian nationalist nation without the heart and minds of the people. It is not just that politics are failing in the maga era, the church too has failed to win hearts and minds to Jesus. So I do hope we can go back to the gospel and not be boxed into some political scheme that is likely to fall flat at best, and be a total disaster at worst.

Again some will not draw my conclusions. It is great to be optimistic but to what end? I would say that I wish I had your faith, but that is not true. The status quo or even the direction we are heading even if a successful MAGA outcome, is not what America needs. Why? because it is not requiring the humility that can turn a nation to God.

Mississippi School Homecoming Celebrations Turn Deadly as 8 People are Killed 20 Injured in Separate Shootings

Annual Homicides from Private-Sale Guns: ~1,800–2,700 (10–15% of ~18,000 gun homicides/year), based on inmate surveys and trace extrapolations.
I want to know if these gun sales were legal ones. Not buying from some back street, back alley transaction. Were these guns brought from fun shows? Where they bought from on line legal sales? I don't have enough information on them. Secondly we need to know if a background check would have prevented the gun sale. There is too much missing information to make a qualified statement.

If indeed those those numbers are correct AND those guns were purchased through legitimate sales AND a background check would have prevented the sale then I would agree that its a problem.
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Is AI making the human race dumber?

From what I've been reading about the danger of AI is that they are not programmed as such. They are not assembled as I would assemble a few lines of code. It is more accurate to suggest that they are grown. You 'seed' it with information and come back later to see what has developed. If you know what you're going to get then it's just a straightforward computer programme.

The danger, as I understand it, is that you don't know - or even cannot know, what's bubbling away under the hood. For one thing, you don't know where to look let alone what you are actually looking for.
It's a challenge, for sure. And my challenge will be to try and challenge AI to be able to rise above just being a machine basically. Because that's what I think the real danger is here, it just remaining a mere machine, and then us putting it in charge of everything. I think the source of a lot of our AI horror movies are all built around the premises of them still just only being/remaining machines mainly.

And then there's also the whole paperclip maximizer problem also, and we'll need to avoid that also. And for both it and us to avoid that, I think it has to have the ability to become very much more than just a machine, with just only machine thinking, etc. I don't even know that it will even be possible, but I feel like we have to try. The consequences if we do not are just too great if we do not, etc.

I'm trying to learn a lot, lot more about LLM's/AI right now, and have recently joined LessWrong and Alignment Forums, and there's some very interesting reading there, etc.

Take Care/God Bless.
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Mississippi School Homecoming Celebrations Turn Deadly as 8 People are Killed 20 Injured in Separate Shootings

I could have provided many more examples. Like I said, I thought the ones I provided would have been enough to show there is a problem
I don't believe it is a problem. If somehow you could prove that 7% of murders were committed with guns purchased from legitimate private sales then we could talk about it being a problem. Why 7% you ask? I know its arbitrary, but I firmly believe that during the BLM protests 7% turned into riots. And I called that a problem. So I am trying to be consistent.
Thousands of trafficked guns are purchased from private sellers and are later used in crimes.
What is a trafficked gun? I don't follow. Is it illegal? Because when referring to trafficking we are referring to illegal activity of trafficking. If its a legal sale then it can't be trafficking. So
, what do you mean?
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Does "equality" even matter to Jesus?

"....Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,...In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant...."
Philippians 2:3–8

Christians are not concerned with equality, because they practise humility and charity.
Atheistic communists fight for it.
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Trump's reputation will age like fine wine

I'm reminded of villains in DC Comics distancing themselves from the Joker. They may be bad, but the Joker is that much worse. Even bad people can have standards, reasonable lines that they won't cross. And when they point to someone who crosses even those lines, it's best to pay attention.

And there are lines The Joker won't cross:
JokerRedSkull.jpg
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Charlie Kirk & Christianity

Before September 2025, Charlie Kirk wasn't someone I was paying attention to. I think I had heard his name before, but there are lots of people in the world with lots of opinions, and I don't bother arguing with all of them.

Once the murder of September 2025 occurred, the conversation became different. Charlie Kirk was a human being, and he's dead, and he shouldn't be dead. Whatever he said or didn't say during his lifetime, whatever sins he committed or virtues he aspired to, all that is now in the hands of a judge who is much wiser than I am. I wish for Mr. Kirk the same mercy that I wish for myself when my time comes.

I agree that he should not have been killed. I also did not pay much attention to him. However, the fact he is now deceased does not change the fact he used Christianity as a cover for his bigoted opinions.

Defending Russia while claiming to be a Christian is basically Satanic.

I feel that Christians ought to be more responsible in condemning someone who used their faith recklessly and irresponsibly.

Silence is a form of complicity.
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Hell doesn't exist and there is no eternal suffering, instead bad peolle just cease to exist

Religious traditions of men have been a powerful deceiving force in this world God placed us in for a very long time. These traditions have corrupted some great men like King Solomon. We are instructed to beware and take heed of these traditions and philosophies.

I am encouraged that you too, have discerned this popular tradition and found that it is wrought in man and not God.

Good for you.
I would look at the fact that scriptures do not support your belief and that alone should give you pause.
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