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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.

Fannie Mae watchdogs looked into how Pulte got Democrats' mortgage records - report

it is? Please - where is it apparent? You have a link showing that, or it is your assumption.

I'm not defending anyone -
Of course. Fannie as an agency exists without employee conduct guidelines.
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What really is "dividing the body of Christ"??

My global church community, the Anglican Communion, is currently wrestling with this, as there have been some splinterings in the last century, and another schism may be in progress. I agree that argument does not have to mean division, that argument can be a healthy part of living together as a community.

Humility is part of the picture, recognizing that I may be wrong. Respect, too: recognizing that the other person is genuinely trying to follow God, to do what is right, and to believe what is true.

I think often of some words from our baptismal liturgy, based on words from Ephesians: "There is one hope in God's call to us." Ultimately, I think our union is in that common call from God. How to live that out well is a tougher thing.
  • Agree
Reactions: Delvianna
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

My peer review documents are confidential and in XXX ZZZ physics, not archeology, so they aren't the documents you want.
I'll bet they are interesting. Mine are not and very few and have to do with learning vocational skills--not a subject which Steve is interested in. Maybe he should read my MA thesis. That would put him in a very, very small but select group. :D
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Is purgatory a Biblical or extra biblical teaching?

From a cursory AI search:

No, Tertullian (c. 155–c. 240 AD) did not mention purgatory in the sense of the later Catholic doctrine—a temporary state of purification after death for souls destined for heaven. The fully developed concept of purgatory, involving post-mortem fire and satisfaction for venial sins, emerged centuries later (formalized at the Second Council of Lyon in 1274 and the Council of Trent in the 16th century).
  • In De Anima (On the Soul), Tertullian describes the soul's fate immediately after death: the righteous go to a place of comfort (paradise or Abraham's bosom), while the wicked go to Hades for torment until the final judgment. There is no third category of purifying fire for imperfect believers.
  • He mentions fire in eschatological contexts (e.g., the final judgment or hell), but never as a post-mortem purgation for the saved.
The word "purgatorium" as a noun for a place of cleansing first appears in the 12th century (e.g., in writings influenced by Augustine and Gregory the Great).

In summary, while Tertullian supported prayers for the dead and an intermediate waiting period, he provided no substantive basis for the doctrine of purgatory. Claims otherwise typically involve anachronistic readings of his texts. For primary sources, see Tertullian's works in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection (vol. 3–4).
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What we need is an economy that works for most Americans.....

No one is dividing into anyone. No one is distracting anyone. Voters themselves are involved in these cultural conflicts.

Political parties engage in cultural conflicts because most Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, like cultural debates. The majority of evangelical Christians believe that the pro-life movement takes precedence over economic issues. Similarly, progressives consider matters such as pro-choice or civil rights for LGBTQ individuals to be significantly more important than US debt crisis.

It is your prerogative to consider cultural issues less significant in life. However, others may view these topics more important than anything else.
I do not consider the cultural issues less significant. What I object to is the use of these issues as a tool to divide the workforce. For instance, that we can't have single-payer health care because it's "socialist" and everybody knows that the end goal of socialism is to turn your kids gay. Whether gays can get married or drag queens can read to kids, even abortion, have nothing whatever to do with the economic well-being of the working class. They are separate issues.
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How was the Church born?

Our history has already been written. How did it all begin? We can read about it in Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, among other places. These are Luke's first and second letters to Theophilus, our history.
Our history continues in the Acts of the Apostles (Luke's second letter to Theophilus): "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
” (Acts 1:1-3).

In fact, our history begins in Heaven, where we were in God's plans. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love..." (Eph. 1:4-8).


Our history thus begins in Heaven and ends in Heaven. Everything that happens in between is told in the Bible, the Old and New Testaments. That is the history in which we live. All other “church histories” are histories of foreign religions.

Restoration

It was not until the 4th century that church developments began, which continue to cause division. The original Christianity founded by Jesus remained outside these developments. This is still God's will.

God still plans to bring the congregation back to His original will in every way. He will not change His teaching to suit our actions. We must change to suit His will. We must be wary of any activity that may violate the biblical order of importance.

Why is there no teaching in the Bible about establishing a church? - It is because Jesus established his own congregation only once, in a unique way.
As it was in the apostolic age, so it should be at the end, in every locality.
The congregation has no connection with the church.
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The Schumer Shutdown

You said he didn't want his name on a failing venture which is why it was called the ACA. That is false.
No - it is just as accurate an opinion as yours is..
Johnson apologized by blaming Democrats. Real character.
Speaking truth to power is seldom comfortable - they held their constituents hostage - openly saying they were using their suffering for leverage - millions of people effected and in the end got ZERO - nothing.

That's a fail in my book
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B flat B♭

You can't see how we get heat from a sun that is 93,000,000 miles away.

No I can't, so the sun is 93 million miles away this is just plain folly.

You can't see how the earth could turn and we don't all fall off.

I said, 'why does water always find it's own level' ?

You can't see how satellites could orbit in space.

No I can't & for good reason.

It has been said to you many times; the facts don't change/go away because you "can't see" or don't understand them.

The world you think you live in is a fairy tale world.
What world do you live in ?
Facts have changed especially in my world. Amen
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Furious Democrats Call for Schumer to Be Replaced After Shutdown Cave

If tax credits are not extended for the ACA, these turncoats will have to walk the walk of shame--along with 53 Republicans--for betraying their constituents.
turncoats? That is terminology that authoritarian governments use against those that do not walk in lock step with dear leaders...

What happened to bipartisan legislation?

FYI - the subsidies don't go to their constituents, but directly to the insurance companies who are making greater profit margins than ever.
Schumer will lose to AOC in the next primary.
Of course he will. The Party has spoken - they kill their wounded. (Politically speaking) Just like removing a sitting President from his re election ballot against his will. Democracy in action? I think not.

Best thing that could happen to America is an AOC/Sanders ticket for President - pretty much guarantee Republican leadership for the next eight years. With all my heart - I hope she runs.
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Release from Epstein files

Donald Trump told Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to stop plucking young girls from the spa at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to groom and sexually abuse.

If I know someone is going around committing burglaries, and I say "Just don't burgle my house", that isn't much of a moral slam dunk.

-CryptoLutheran
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Gio Benitez, Openly Gay ABC News Weekend Anchor, Joins Catholic Church and Reaffirms Faith with Husband by His Side

Asking just for my information: What is the Catholic policy in cases like this, where a married gay person joins the church? Are they required to get a civil divorce? Do they continue to be (civilly) married but now live celibately together? Some third option?

(I understand that the Catholic church will not recognize the marriage as valid, but I'm not sure what their policy is toward the existing civil union.)
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Which denomination do I belong to?

The local congregation in every city, as taught in the Bible, is God's will. One should not even think of adding denominations, associations, or even meeting places classified as holy, so-called sanctuaries.
The congregation is WE, the people who believe in the Bible, even though we are imperfect.

more writings: In English
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What is the meaning of Total Depravity?

Nothing about imputation of righteousness tho:
"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man
the many will be made righteous." Rom 5:17-19
The many will be made righteous, no longer sinners.
The above is the parallel of the imputation of Adam's sin (to all those of Adam) with the imputation of Christ's righteousness (to all those of Christ.)

We find imputation of Christ's righteousness (to all those of Christ) in Ro 4:1-5, 5:14, (Ge 15:5-6).
We find imputation of Adams sin (to all those of Adam) in Ro 5:12-16, 17, 18-19.
We find both in each of the two opposing parallels of Ro 5:18-19.
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What is the meaning of Total Depravity?

Indeed "that ridiculous unbiblical pattern" is explained in Ro 5:14

". . .death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam who was a type (
tupos; figure, type, pattern) of the one who was to come." (Ro 5:14)
Nothing about imputation of righteousness tho:

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
Rom 5:17-19

The many will be made righteous, no longer sinners.
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