BasedLutheran said:

No one cares about politcally correct speech nonsense anymore. Third World nations are precisely what they are and precisely what they will remain

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Wow, you are wrong on at least two levels. First, the bible is full of events where the High are brought low, and the low are brought high. So while you think that there is not any economic mobility between nations, you would be wrong.

From low income to middle income nations

• ão Tomé and Príncipe: Graduated in December 2024.
• Bhutan: Graduated in December 2023.
• Vanuatu: Graduated in December 2020.
• Equatorial Guinea: Graduated in June 2017.
• Samoa: Graduated in January 2014.
• Maldives: Graduated in January 2011.
• Cabo Verde: Graduated in December 2007.
• Botswana: Graduated in December 1994.

From middle income to high income nations

• Bulgaria: Moved to the high-income category in 2024, supported by modest growth following the pandemic.
• Palau: Also moved to high-income status in 2024 as its post-pandemic economic recovery continued.
• Russia: Reclassified as high-income in 2024, with economic activity influenced by increased military-related activity and a rebound in trade.
• Costa Rica: Was promoted to high-income in 2024 after consistent strong growth in recent years.
• Cabo Verde and Samoa: Were reclassified as upper-middle-income in 2024

Source: World Bank country classifications by income level for 2024-2025

More importantly, is there a "Third World" in the bible? A place where God lowers the status of man? No of course not. Jesus loves all just the same. If anything Jesus favored the poor, not the rich. It is not a politically correct term. The way that Trump used it was not even close to its original meaning anyway, which was invented during the cold war.

"The idea of the "Third World" began to go out of favor in the late 1980s and became largely obsolete by the early 1990s, primarily with the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The term was originally a political designation coined in 1952 by French demographer Alfred Sauvy to describe nations that were non-aligned with either the capitalist "First World" (led by the U.S.) or the communist "Second World" (led by the Soviet Union)

To me its better to reject such a concept because it is prejudicial, derogatory and even unprofessional.

I am glad you love your nation and hopefully its fruits. But as citizens of heaven there are only saved and unsaved, country of origin means little. and should you ever go to Global South nation, you would quickly change your mind.

Who was the greatest giver in the bible ever. The widow with two mites.
"When the disciples ask, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus redirects their attention from their own honor to the needs of the community, and especially of its most vulnerable members. Their question about greatness becomes the springboard for an entire chapter of teachings devoted to life in community....
Like Jesus’ disciples, we often fail to process Jesus’ teachings because our own concerns drown them out. We worry that our churches are too empty and that the Church in the U.S. has lost too much power. Yet Jesus’ words show that we are paying attention to the wrong things. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven are not those with the largest buildings, the highest Average Sunday Attendance, and the biggest budgets. The greatest in God’s reign are those who know how little is under their control, and who focus on loving and serving people in need instead of promoting themselves. Today, in this time and place, Jesus invites us to become like little children, trusting in God and following Jesus in the self-emptying way of love."

Source: Commentary on Matthew 18:1-9 - Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

I pray you can go on a mission trip to developing country sometime and see the compassion and love of God towards the poor. God bless!

stevevw said:

Yes but the scientific method does not use those experiences to measure and know that reality. The scientists has to step back and detached themselves from the experiences to then measure things objectively. All feelings and experiences have to be cast aside.

Like the experience of colors such as a golden sunset or a fire red sports car. Science can measure the brain activity related to vision and the light wave spectrum to know all the technical data.

But the actual experience cannot be measured in quantities. Its a experience that can only be measured, known and verified directly by the experiencer.

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August Kekule had a dream like experience of a snake biting its tail which led to the correct idea of the benzene molecule having a ring structure instead of the accepted idea at the time all molecules formed straight lines.

Einstein read a news story of a worker falling off a roof and came to the profound realization a person in free fall does not feel their own weight.
This experience of sensation led to the formulation of the equivalence principle and eventually General Relativity.

Evariste Galois had an intense personal experience where on the last night of his life he wrote a long letter laying down the foundations of Group Theory which revolutionized mathematics and later physics (quantum mechanics). The next day he was killed by a provocateur in a duel possibly on orders by the French government.

Science and mathematics can be initiated by personal experiences but as the examples show lead to tangible outcomes.
What are outcomes if the the ancients relied on transcendental ideas or experiences?
The answer is zero because you cannot tell us what advanced technologies they used as there is no evidence of their existence.

You mean to tell me, the Roman citizenry had an interest in sharing their inheritance with plebians? No sir, that is called a bastard, and that is generally looked down upon.

FredVB said:

The more updated weather forecast I check no longer shows the weather here reaching into the 90s F in the early days of October, it will just be reaching 89°F a few days.

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About 8 inches of snow on the ground and 26 degrees..
Tonight:: Winter Storm Chan Bringing Snow, Ice
16 degrees,

Michie said:

Hallucination-Free AI?

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Hallucination-free religious leaders doesn't exist either.

They embellish the teachings of the Lord as if God would reward them for doing such thing.

If I play the piano so horribly and I know it but listeners say I play fantastically because they they either want something from me so badly or fear me. If I only care about shallow praises of people, I'm probably going to be pleased but if I value the truth far above shallow praises, I'd have nothing but anger. I wouldn't want to be around such people.

AI gets a lot of attention because it's new but they're not really any worse than people.

I've closely studied the entire Bible plus other Christian religious texts in various translations without AI for 15 years. And then using and testing AI. I found they're not really worse than people on religious matters.

If AI hallucinate, people too. And people can be worse on hallucination with religious matters for both adherents and skeptics.

In the absence of human advice, you can use AI and they're getting better with improving safety protocols.

So who is going to be the one to tell China and India to stop polluting the Earth?

Any room for opposing viewpoints here?

stevevw said:

I assume the side that complains about being told what to do by religion

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Not by "religion."

stevevw said:

are the secular progressives or those who are not religious or believe in God.

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Or you can just define them out of existence.

stevevw said:

I wasn't necessarily meaning just religion as opposed to non religion.

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Good.

stevevw said:

The divide and polarisation where each side sees the other as a threat and bad for society can also happen in politics and there can be more than two opposing sides like Left and Right or Conservative and Progressives.

There can be a number of groups like tribes where each thinks the other is wrong. Like at the culture wars where we have different identity and ideological groups pitted against each other.

Its interesting that you keep targeting certain groups as the only bad ones like men and religion. Its never other identity groups like women, non religion or political ideology groups like Marxist, Communists, Feminists, Humanist, Wokist ect.

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Because I don't consider them a threat to Constitutional government.

stevevw said:

Why is it only these groups you single out as the bad one. I thought all were sinners. It sounds like this is acting more like the Pharisees wanting to throw stones at certain groups. When they have a beam in their own eyes.

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Not at the groups, only at their public policy agenda.

stevevw said:

Most progressives are not even religious.

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Not a chance. You'll just have to define them as non religious because they are progressives.

stevevw said:

Do it what way. I am talking about how under a pluralistic society we have to allow all beliefs and political views even if they conflict. Its the only way under a free society.

Well in reality they are and I think everyone knows that and acts like they are moral precepts. A State cannot detach itself from the moral aspects of the policies and the laws they implement.

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They mave have started out as moral precepts but the state has no power to make a moral judgement, only a legal one.

stevevw said:

Why do you think people protest and get angry and lobby the State. Why do you think all these social groups have rising like Me Too and BLM or the Environmental activists or proests against Isreal and rallying for Palestine. Of course its all based on morals.

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They were all protesting the actions of the state, not its ideology.

stevevw said:

When the State chnages Marriage laws, abortion law, alcohol and gambling laws, family laws, welfare policies, workplace laws re descrimination, Identity policy and law protections, policies on what is taught in education ect ect ect.

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You think all of that is anti-Christian?

stevevw said:

Look at all the chaos over immigration policy and laws. People are willing to use violence to stop what they think is unjust and immoral laws.

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Injustice is what they are protesting. The immorality of it is for the clergy who also oppose it to consider..

stevevw said:

What does this mean for Christians living within a sinful world. The bible says they cannot be of this world and live by its ideology. We have to live Gods will on earth as it is in heaven. Which often contradicts with the world.

Yes we must be on Gods side but what does that entail. That we live Gods will and not sin. Christ forgave the adulterous women but said sin no more. So we try to live like Christ. Help the poor and disadvantaged and proclaiming the gospel.

Christ said the world will hate Christians for standing with Him.

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And somebody later added, "Be careful they don't hate Him because of Christians."

stevevw said:

So if we are truely living as Christ then Christ church will be hated by the world. But it will also be a light in the darkness for those searching and open to God.

It doesn't matter. My point was there is a significant polarisation and culture war going on. Which is primarily divided along Left and Right, and Conservate/Christian and Progressive/secular.

In fact there are a number of divides. On the world scale its become more polarised between democratic and free nations as opposed to the rising anti democratic powers.

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Which Trump is trying to turn the US into, at the behest of his Christian Nationalist base.

stevevw said:

But this anti democratic influence is infiltrating western nations to compound the already growing polarisations between Left and Right. Hense we see the rising of socialist and Marxist leaning politicians like OAC and now a socialist Mayor.

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AOC is a devout Christian and Mandami is a Shia Muslim with a version of the Ten Commandments tougher and more specific than yours.

stevevw said:

Its a mess.

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BobRyan said:

g908
βάπτισμα βάπτισμα baptisma
The text then says "NOT the washing away of dirt from the flesh" (the waters of baptism) but rather the appeal to God for a clean conscience )such as is the case with a believing adult.

The fact that it is contrasting the washing with water and the appeal to God, shows the image being used is literal baptism

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And just where does the Greek WASHING appear. in 1 Peter 3:21 as I cad see the Greek with less than 2 minutes !!

And where do you see ( the waters of bap[tism ). in. the Greek text. ?????

And you JUST ADDED LITERAL BAPTISM , WHY. ??

dan p

Yttrium said:

Just as many as my holy texts advise me to house and feed. (Which coincidentally is the same number as the number of my holy texts.)

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So none? Would you let an immigrant family into your home, raid your refrigerator, refuse to leave, and demand you provide for them?

bob121 said:

We’ve all seen it: you ask for testimonies of grace and within five posts someone’s waving Psalm 137:9 or Hitler to prove a point.
The food-fight starts, the original question sinks, and the encouragers log off.

• Do we engage the detour in hopes of gospel witness, or gracefully bow out and let the algorithm bury the mess?
• Any practical filters you use before hitting “reply”?

Share one sentence rule you follow when the trolls arrive.
Grace,
bob121 – Tokyo

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The ignore button is your best friend.

Oompa Loompa said:

How many immigrants are you housing and feeding?

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Just as many as my holy texts advise me to house and feed. (Which coincidentally is the same number as the number of my holy texts.)

jonojim1337 said:

Says here he didn’t specifically adress sexual abuse of slaves:

View attachment 373835

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I will look up a more detailed quote .. thanks for asking for detail

Yttrium said:

Yeah, but helping out the impoverished... showing hospitality... I think I've read about that somewhere before. Oh, well. Not important.

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How many immigrants are you housing and feeding?

FAITH-IN-HIM said:

How do you determine which parts of the Bible are factual? Is it possible to believe that Jesus is God—born of a virgin, crucified, and resurrected after three days—but doubt stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking through fire because it seems physically impossible?

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Does scripture tell you that you have to believe in the latter? Believe in Jesus, trust in the blood and you'll be okay.

Nithavela said:

Lot of those third world countries are christian majority.

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Such as?

Most importantly, once again Congress merely appeases him when he runs roughshod over their authority. He has just boldly said he's going to ignore the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.

And that proves he can do the same thing with the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and any other law passed by Congress.

Neville Chamberlain: "Peace for our time"

Reluctant Theologian said:

Good point/question - this was common in both Greek and Roman society. Church Father Clement of Alexandria (+/- 190-200 AD) states a slave woman who is ordered by her master to prostitute herself commits no sin if she obeys, because she has no power to refuse. The guilt belongs entirely to the owner.

Historical accounts show efforts by Christians to buy these female slaves free to relieve them from this horrible situation.

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Says here he didn’t specifically adress sexual abuse of slaves:

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 NIV
[10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” [11] We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. [12] Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

stevevw said:

I was just trying to work out why Kangaroos are only restricted to certain areas like other animals. Like Australia is similar to Africa in places but does not have elephants for example. Britain does not have koalas.

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Geographic isolation due to natural barriers.

In the case of Australia, it's due to the break-up of Gondawana which started about 150 million years ago and the movement of the continent away from Antarctica and South America.

Australia is biogeographically isolated from most of the rest of the world thanks to the 'Wallace Line'.

GoldenBoy89 said:

Lol a little too late to be using Trump as a threat. He’s president now and this is still happening. Seems ineffective.

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It is still happening because liberals double down on woke identity politics instead of learning their lesson. Democrats would do well to listen to James Carville. But keep it up and the DNC will be less popular than Bud Lite.

Guojing said:

To clarify, when you use words like "mandated by Jesus of Nazareth Himself" and "called by Jesus of Nazareth" are you saying the risen Christ appeared to them personally, aka 1 Corinthians 9:1?

If not, how do you know that to be true?

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When did Jesus appear to Barnabus?

N