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GodDoesListen55 · 2025-12-03T23:00:08-0600

Maximum.

Reluctant Theologian · 2025-12-03T22:55:08-0600

Forget about Santa Claus - only a worry for people in Anglo-Saxon countries anyway; but St Nicholas is an interesting man - Bishop of Myra. He was present at the famous Council of Nicea (325 AD). There is still a St Nicholas Day on the 6th or 5th December in several countries in Europe. His remains are in Bari in Italy up to this day.

Mark Quayle · 2025-12-03T22:49:06-0600

Do you believe that being born again ("regeneration") is the result of the Spirit of God taking up residence within one (which is what I take you to be referring to as "spiritual baptism"), or is it the cause of the Spirit of God taking up residence.

In other words, do WE generate valid faith, or does God (the Spirit of God) generate it within us, fully valid? (The amount of faith is another question, not related to its validity).

Sara50840 · 2025-12-03T22:43:32-0600

I’ve always struggled with feeling God’s presence. It’s hard having faith in something I can’t feel or haven’t really EXPERIENCED in the way I hear stories about. It makes me scared that my faith isn’t genuine or if I’m doing something wrong.

I’ve been a Christian since I was 4. Yes, this has haunted me for awhile because I feel like that was way too young, but I feel as if I’ve had enough faith since then (and panic prayers) that at some point it really did become genuine. Plus I read “Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart” by JD Grear to help with some of my fears.

But now, I don’t know if I’m just backsliding or if it’s something more serious.

I’ve never been good at prayer or Bible reading. I get distracted. I get busy. I have really good phases where I do it daily and then I drop off and have trouble getting back on it. But even then, it feels more like studying and learning information instead of meditating and sitting with God. I read, do a quick prayer, and go about my day. I’ve tried to sit with Him more, but then my thoughts just wander, and I don’t ever hear Him or feel Him.

I keep trying to pray for God to reveal Himself to me. To ease my anxiety. To give me some kind of answer. But I hear nothing. And then I just become less motivated to read the Bible or pray. I’ve never been good at praying anyway.

I don’t know what to do at this point. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal for Christians to just feel distant? I feel like most of my “encounters” with God have just been vicariously through others. I know all the answers to questions at church, am very familiar with the Bible, and serve regularly, but it just feels like I’m following obligation and not living by faith.

It feels like I’m just forcing everything, and I don’t know how to make it feel real.

Douggg · 2025-12-03T22:42:54-0600

samaus123456789 said:
I never once said it mentions the word gog or magog.

The book of Ester does not have either "latter days" or "latter years" of Ezekiel 38:8 and Ezekiel 38:16 in it either.

Apple Sky · 2025-12-03T22:29:50-0600

The story of Santa Claus has a dark origin in the legends of Saint Nicholas, who is said to have resurrected three boys murdered and pickled by an evil innkeeper. This gruesome tale was a part of his mythos in medieval Europe and contributed to his being associated with dark companions like Krampus or Père Fouettard, who punish naughty children. Over time, the modern, cheerful Santa Claus image emerged, largely through Clement C. Moore's poem and Thomas Nast's illustrations, which downplayed or ignored these darker origins.

And don't forget what the name 'Santa' is an anagram of.

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Was Jesus really born on December 25th when the sheep were lying low ?

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JulieB67 · 2025-12-03T22:21:33-0600

Hentenza said:
Please don’t use the old, tired argument that death is eternal punishment.

Since when is death not considered punishment?

Reluctant Theologian · 2025-12-03T22:18:00-0600

samaus123456789 said:
I reuploaded it and it works now

https://www.academia.edu/145278241/New_Testament_papyri_in_Cave_7_at_Qumran_Author_s_Jos%C3%A9

I still get the same error using this URL ..

Landon Caeli · 2025-12-03T22:17:25-0600

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rjs330 · 2025-12-03T22:16:11-0600

ViaCrucis said:
"American*

*as defined by us"

Yes we are American citizens and get to decide that.

Landon Caeli · 2025-12-03T22:15:01-0600

The Barbarian said:
Ah, the "those lying scientists" defense. It's why journals require checkable data. Lots of examples at the second link.

Well, honestly, unless they're talking about Morphic Resonance, I'm not so interested at the moment.

rjs330 · 2025-12-03T22:14:39-0600

camille70 said:
Follow the money.

Why? Do we get more money from somebody.

RocksInMyHead · 2025-12-03T22:13:59-0600

rjs330 said:
and apparently a judge let him stay as an asylee.

Judges have nothing to do with asylum cases unless you're appealing a denial or are already in the removal process, which does not seem to be the case here.

The Affirmative Asylum Process | USCIS

To apply for asylum, you should file Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, with USCIS within 1 year of your last arrival in the United States (unless you qualify for an exception to the 1-year filing deadline). If you fail to file Form I-589 within 1 year of your...

www.uscis.gov

rjs330 · 2025-12-03T22:08:17-0600

Once again this is a failure of our Government. Biden's administration let him in and apparently a judge let him stay as an asylee.

We shouldn't be letting people from third world countries with their terrorism and Islamist points of view into this country.

Multifavs · 2025-12-03T22:06:51-0600

RileyG said:
It’s snowy and cold here!

Same here!

jonojim1337 · 2025-12-03T22:06:14-0600

RDKirk · 2025-12-03T22:05:36-0600

Aldebaran said:
Well, he is their Commander-in-Chief, so it's a reasonable expectation.

No, loyalty rather than legality is not a reasonable expectation.

The Barbarian · 2025-12-03T22:05:20-0600

JSRG said:
I may not have the highest opinion of Trump's intelligence, but I expect he's aware that Democrats can and will gerrymander, given that plenty of Democratic-controlled states have done so. For just one example, take Illinois's notorious congressional district map (source):

I'm thinking that as corruption goes, Texas has nothing on Illinois. But the real question is whether or not there are more potential seats to be gained from blue states than red states by Gerrymandering. California's case suggests that there are.

The Barbarian · 2025-12-03T22:01:14-0600

Landon Caeli said:
I'd be curious to find out what instrument was used to detect the ethylene molecules in the air, and how long that occurs.

I had such an instrument at work back in the 80s when I briefly covered industrial hygiene for my company. But I'm guessing that they just used something much less cumbersome for their study:

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/respiratory-protection-us/products/personal-air-quality-sampling/

It's a fairly common subject for investigation:

plant communication - Search Results - PubMed

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Landon Caeli said:
Most of the article's I've read on the subject make big claims without showing the testing - usually I presume, to maintain funding from their donors with "news" every once in a while, and a few name drop

Ah, the "those lying scientists" defense. It's why journals require checkable data. Lots of examples at the second link.

Apple Sky · 2025-12-03T21:59:30-0600

Jipsah said:
Santy Claus

Defense Lawyer: Your honor, I move that the case against my client be dismissed on grounds of the Sanity Clause.

Judge: Motion denied. Everybody knows there ain't no Sanity Clause!

And what is the name 'Santa' an anagram of ?

samaus123456789 · 2025-12-03T21:54:55-0600

Guojing said:
To clarify, when you say the kingdom to Israel was spiritual,

was it always spiritual at the beginning of Jesus's ministry in Matthew 4:17,

or was it originally physical but changed to spiritual at Matthew 21:43?

Pentecost the holy spirit comes, and the believers body becomes the temple of the holy spirit rather than a physical temple.
in the OT it was physical temple wars gold silver land politics etc. Jesus kingdom is not of this world like the OT one was.

samaus123456789 · 2025-12-03T21:53:19-0600

Douggg said:
The book of Ester does not mention Gog or Magog. You can do a word search for Gog. And a word search for Magog. At the KJV online bible site.

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/search.php?hs=1&q=Gog

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/search.php?q=Magog

I never once said it mentions the word gog or magog.

Landon Caeli · 2025-12-03T21:51:31-0600

Gene2memE said:
Information Integration and Communication in Plant Growth Regulation - PMC

Plants are equipped with the capacity to respond to a large number of diverse signals, both internal ones and those emanating from the environment, that are critical to their survival and adaption as sessile organisms. These signals need to be ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

i was referring to 'plant to plant' communication, not communication within a single plant in regards to how that organism responds to environmental changes.

PloverWing · 2025-12-03T21:48:35-0600

RileyG said:
In this case, the instructor was transgender, so he was very biased against this student. sigh

And the "demonic" part would have been especially hurtful to the transgender/non-binary instructor reading the essay.

RileyG said:
That’s fair. I think when it comes to controversy, both sides of the issue must be presented in an unbiased, non-emotional manner. If I’m making any sense.

If an instructor is going to give students an assignment to read and write about a controversial topic, then, yes, the focus needs to be on how to construct an argument and clearly lay it out in writing. If the topic is so emotionally charged that students and instructors aren't going to be able to set aside their emotions long enough to construct and evaluate arguments, then maybe pick a different topic for the assignment.

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